naturally ginger

Before I moved to New York, I lived in South Carolina for 15 months.

I had left my job in Miami and moved in with Mom. I was experiencing, what I fondly refer to as, my quarter life crisis.

South Carolina is not where I grew up, so I knew NO ONE. I moved to SC broken, beaten, and bruised. I was angry with God and in need of some serious healing time.

Enter Lauren, Laura, Melissa, Lindsey, Allison, and Kathleen.

Through a series of God orchestrated events, I met Melissa. She introduced me to her friends and helped me get plugged into a church and an awesome community of people.

I'm so grateful when I look back at my time in South Carolina. It wasn't just a pause until God moved me to NYC...it was a molding, shaping, and encouraging season. It set me up to be prepared for so many things that I have experienced while living here in New York.

I will forever have a special place in my heart for these women. When I lived in South Carolina, we were all single and now many are married and one even as a beautiful little baby boy! Only a couple are still in the city we all lived in, but everyone does a great job of keeping in touch and making each other a priority...I'm actually the worst at it living way up here.

I get so excited when they come to visit me here in New York. So, you can imagine I went into planning mode as soon as Kathleen told me her and her husband Ian were coming for a weekend!

Ian and his business partners were visiting for a conference. He is a coffee roaster and partner in an awesome local coffee shop in Bluffton, SC (soon to be dessert bar too), The Corner Perk.

Kathleen and I got to spend Saturday together and it was a blast!

The next few pictures are from my time in South Carolina. I'm pretty sure all where taken during my going away celebration.

We often frequented the local piano bar, The Electric Piano aka EP.

Now onto more recent times. Kathleen and I met up in Union Square and walked over to Chelsea Market.

Chelsea Market is an indoor urban shopping mall and food court. It has everything from lobsters to international spices to an authentic Italian market.

It can get pretty busy on the weekend, but Kathleen and I pushed through the crowds for our Sushi lunch. We stopped in The Lobster Place to pick up a few rolls and luckily snagged a table to eat at.

We got three rolls - Rainbow Roll, Spicy Tuna, & another roll with eel inside and avocado on top (I forget what it's called) & a seaweed salad.

Fueled and ready to go, we walked up to The High Line. Kathleen is a landscape architect so this was the one and only thing she demanded that we see. The High Line is a park that has been constructed on an abandoned freight train track. It is located on Manhattan's West Side, between Gansevoort St in the Meatpacking & 34th Street in Midtown.

I've been to The High Line many times and it is incredible every trip. It looks different in every season, but is definitely the best during the Spring and Summer months.

After walking to 34th Street, we met up with Kathleen's husband Ian and their business partners. We got on the train and traveled down to the Financial District to get a view of the Freedom Tower.

We then walked a bit around FiDi, and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park.

Stomach's growling, we ventured to Panna II. It is a colorful Indian Restaurant in the East Village. With a BYOB policy, cheap prices and a quintessential NYC atmosphere, it is a must for locals and tourists. I always laugh a lot when I visit Panna II, and the food never disappoints.

Be warned...there are three other restaurants that will try to lure you in. NEVER go into them! Always wait for Panna II.

After a small wait (part which was stuffed in the back corner of the restaurant), 5 of us were ushered to a table meant for 4...but we made it work.

They refer to themselves as the restaurant "Where Chili Pepper Lights Meet Christmas Tree Lights".

The key is to not let them rush you and to order what you want!

So this is what we got:

2 orders of Vegetable Samosa
Lamb Curry
Chicken Biryani
Chicken Tandori
Chicken Tikka Masala
Vegetable Dansak
2 orders of Nan
Chicken Dansak

Our bill was $68.

At least twice during dinner they shut off all the lights and we sang a special Happy Birthday jingle. It was amazing.

After dinner we walked over to a lounge that has a great view of the Empire State Building. We stayed for a drink and then headed home.

I love showing the people I love MY NYC. Thanks Kathleen & Ian for visiting. Come back soon.

xoxo

d.eileen

Last year was the year of weddings. This year, it is the year of babies. I guess my friends don't mess around.

This weekend we celebrated the amazing Karla and her soon to be daughter. Karla and Kane are pastors at my church, Hillsong NYC. They are some of the most incredible people I have ever met and it was such a blessing to celebrate this family. When honor is due, it is not tough to give.

Being a single girl in NYC without kids, I sometimes feel so much younger than my friends who are married with children. In actuality, they are maybe one year older than me or even younger. It hit me this weekend how our perspective of life changes so drastically when we become a parent. You go from a selfish existence to a selfless one. It is a shift I have not experienced yet, but it makes perfect sense. Maybe it is that shift that makes me feel like all of my friends with children are so much more mature and older than I am. Or maybe, I just need to allow myself some grace and enjoy the season God has me in.

Either way, here are some shots of her gorgeous love filled shower.

This cake was so beautiful. It had edible glitter sprinkled all over it. I can't imagine how much work it took to make.

Pavlova. It is an Australian dessert that is heaven to me. I could have eaten the whole thing but sadly had to share with the twenty other women who felt the same way.

It was quite a spread. We filled ourselves with french toast covered in blueberry compote and syrup, along with a breakfast biscuit sandwich stuffed with egg, bacon, cheese and a special sauce. There was also an eggless option of a croissant with bacon and spinach, and a beautiful fruit salad.

There were a lot of babies and pregnant ladies at this party.

This pic was too precious not to put up...sorry Katie that your eyes are closed...let's pretend you're praying. Can't wait to celebrate your new little one...