Bundle of Joy in BK

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...

Now to presents. That's really the best part. So many awwws and ooo's. We were so girly. Karla looked so beautiful today.

SO MUCH PINK!

Congratulations Karla & Kane. Love you guys. Excited to meet the new little baby girl.

xoxo
d

No Plans Saturday

Gosh I love a spontaneous Saturday.

I'm convinced that my favorite Saturdays are those that flow naturally, totally unplanned. A friend of mine, Jessi, calls them "No Plans Saturday"(check out her awesome blog Modern Wonderland). As someone who likes to plan life down to the minute with checklists and pre-planned events weeks in advance, it has taken a lot to get me to a place where not having plans on a Saturday is actually enjoyable.

Living in NYC, there is always so much to see and do. Not making plans on a Saturday forces me to live in the moment, running from place to place is not an option. Things like strolling through the park, popping by a hole in the wall restaurant to grab a drink, stumbling upon a historical building or undiscovered picturesque community park. The busyness of NYC can keep us from seeing the quaint unique bits and pieces of this beautiful city.

Here is a peek into my "No Plans Saturday"...

The day started on the UWS.

With my friend Meredith.

And this awesome vintage fur and leather jacket my Grandmother gave me that she tailored in the 1950's.

We finally settled on the old faithful Piccolo Cafe for a bite to eat. 

We started with the Greek Salad. I mean come on! It was so good. The hint of capers was just the perfect touch of saltiness. 

I usually opt for the paninis, but today, went for the spaghetti and meatballs. 

Mer also chose a pasta dish, but decided on the Carbonara. I have not ever made Carbonara, but it is an awesome mixture of pancetta, parmesan & egg. It creates something that looks like this...

(Camel Love)

Full full full, I made Mer take a walk across Central Park.

We ended up on the UES...which we consider foreign territory, but we were up for the exploratory challenge. 

Our expedition took us to none other than Sprinkles Cupcakes. I mean, where else would we go!?

These are the mini Ginger Lemon cupcakes. They were out of the regular size, so we made it work.

This is a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake - peanut butter cake with chocolate chips and chocolate cream cheese frosting...SHUT UP. 

 I'm pretty sure we didn't talk for about 10 minutes.

As day turned into night, I made a stop by a friend's birthday celebration. We met at La Bottega downtown at the Maritime Hotel. The restaurant has a very relaxed vibe, where guests can order food or just a drink (FYI...they serve Wolffer Rose which is a Fran summertime staple). They have a pool table and amazing outdoor seating for the warmer months.   

Exhausted from a very full "No Plans Saturday", I only stayed a bit before heading home and crawling into bed. 

sweet dreams.

d.eileen

The Trouble with Making Friends

I recently met a girl in her mid-twenties who just moved to NYC. She had been living abroad for a number of years, but returned to the states to pursue her career. When I met her, she expressed how she was having trouble transitioning to NYC for numerous reasons, the main one being she felt like she did not have any friends.

After hearing this, it made me start to think about what life would be like moving to New York and not knowing anyone. And then I remembered that I did move to New York not really knowing anyone.

In a city that is so big and filled with so many people, it is actually really easy to feel all alone. We can get into a routine of waking up, going to work, coming home, watching TV, going to bed, and getting up the next day to do it all over again. It is easy to get caught up in the routine of doing life but not really living it.

So how do you make friends?

Gosh it can be awkward to make friends! I remember those moments of asking someone who you think seems pretty cool if they want to get lunch or a drink sometime; unsure if they think you are as cool as you think they are. It must be what I guy feels like when asking out a girl...sort of right?  

When I first moved to New York, I had a couple of college friends that I reconnected with and I was lucky to be attending grad school...both provided outlets for social outings and support. I eventually found my "Fran" group two years into my time in NYC. These are my forever friends who I often feature in blog posts (Family Dinner). I don't for a day discount the rarity in our relationship. To be perfectly transparent, I believe that our close bond is due to the fact that our relationships are center on Jesus. It's the best kind of friendship...one that encourages, challenges, laughs, cries, and calls you on your crap when you are being ridiculous. It is forgiving, grace-filled, and not easily offended.

These kinds of relationships involve risk. Risk in putting yourself out there and being vulnerable...showing the real you. That is TOUGH to do. I think it gets so tough for some people, that they end up leaving New York defeated and bitter. In the end, we get in the way of ourselves due to insecurity and fear. I hope you won't let your own stuff get in the way of deep meaningful relationships.

This blog is about encouraging and challenging people to live the fullest life possible. True friendships are a major component in living a joyful life. 

I found my friends in church. I know not everyone reading this is a Christian, so I'm not going to say the only way to make friends is at church.  But, I am going to suggest that you figure out what hobby or interest you have that you love, and dive in. Join a gym or running group, take some cooking classes, sign up for pottery or knitting lessons, attend a trivia night, meet up with other photographers and take pictures, watch football at a bar and actually talk to the people around you. There are endless ways to connect with people you just have to know yourself enough to do so. When you figure your "thing" out, ALWAYS BE YOU! Everything will crash and burn if you try to create a persona or put on an act of who you think people want you to be.

Speaking of friends...I grabbed lunch with some gorgeous ladies and couldn't help but document it. They care for each other well and I love catching up with them and hearing about their life.

I don't claim to be an expert at making friends, I can only speak from my own experience. I'd love to hear from you about making friends....funny stories, tough times, happy endings? Hope you'll share! 

xoxo

d.eileen