A 26th Birthday Picnic

This past weekend my friends and I celebrated my 26th birthday with a lovely picnic at Brooklyn Bridge Park. All the food we prepared was vegan-gluten free- dairy free and it was a success! We all had such a great time and it was great to just spend some genuine time chatting with friends and playing games. Here are the pictures from the day below. :) #Happy

Started off the morning with a SoulCycle sesh, yes I'm obsessed, what else is new?

Then played a lot of bad mitten at the park.

On the menu: curry cous cous, avocado and cucumber sandwiches, chocolate cake, fruits, and veggies.

Juna-Willa and her fiance Dean looking as adorable as ever!

The girls taking in the view or me just being an obsessive picture taker ;)

"I don't think you should ever take life so seriously that you forget to play." - Taylor Swift

I love being a girl.

I love these girls.

A windy day calls for make-shift wind blockers to light my candles.

Love.

Loving my sparkler heart candles!

Our evening view, so dreamy.

Planning the Perfect Picnic

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It's safe to say that if you took a peek at my browser's search engine you'll find a lot of spring/summer activities searched: paddle boarding lessons, crop tops, vegan ice cream recipes, and Ryan Gosling's abs. I'm being honest here. Another thing that I'm really excited to do again (besides admire Ryan's bod) sorry K ;P is have a ridiculous amount of picnic gatherings with my friends and family. So I've put together a guide for how to have a lovely picnic and I hope you enjoy it!

1. Purchase the Perfect Picnic Bag

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This great picnic bag by Apolis looks great because it has countless compartments and isn't too clunky to carry. However I really love this one by REI, the blanket and wine bottle attachment have me sold.

2. Pack Wine or Fresh Lemonade

                           

Wine that comes in juice boxes, need I say more? They'll come in handy especially as the cops around Central Park have become obsessed with making sure no one is sneaking in any alcohol. Which you know is great...not great....great. ;) Also the top 10 picnic wines.

3. Plan a Light and Fresh Meal

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Food and Wine Magazine has great suggestions for picnic meals. The best bet is to go with a salad or pre-made sandwiches so there isn't a lot of fuss with putting things together and trying to find a surface to cut up food. This Moroccan carrot salad looks delish! Here are some other great suggestions.

4. Wear Appropriate Clothing

                                      

This will probably be one of the few times that I suggest not wearing a dress to a gathering as it isn't conducive to just sit back and relax. This Gap look is perfect for this kind of social gathering because you can freely sit however you want, hence the shorts, and have a little bit more of coverage with the three quarter length top as it'll get cooler towards the evening. Here is another great outfit suggestion. I'd also recommend not to wear sandals as the straps tend to dig into your feet when you sit and aren't really great for post picnic activities such as racing around with your friends or playing tennis. Lastly sunglasses are a must.

5. All the Other Essentials to Pack:

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- a blanket (here are some great suggestions)

- cutlery (eco-friendly options here)

- citronella candles

- post picnic games

- water bottles and ice packs for food

- sunscreen

- plastic bags to put your trash in

- and how about a solar powered radio or a telescope?

Enjoying The City Through My Goddaughter's Eyes

A tiara with my Trafalgar Square tea, don't mind if I do!

A few weeks ago my long time married friends Ingrid and Lewis came into town from California with their daughter (my goddaughter) Anastasiya and it was full of girly-kid-friendly fun! It was great to mosey around the city through the eyes of a toddler for a second and well who can say no to wearing a tiara and ferris wheels? I sure can't!  Take a peek below of all the fun pictures if you'd like.

Having a sandwich and scone filled lunch at Alice's Tea Cup

So many tea choices so little time!

Taking the traaaaaain!

Anastasiya terrified of the moving dinosaur at Toys R Us and Ingrid thinking it was quite hilarious

It gave us a fright! ;p

Barbie store? Yes!!!

Memories

Love this little nugget

I LOVE having visitors!

Ice-skating in Central Park!

After two hours my little nugget could skate all on her own! Fearless just like her godmother!

Go Anastasiya go!

Ending off a good trip with some Serendipity's frozen hot chocolate

Ain't No Party Like a British Tea Party

My friends and I threw a British Tea Party over break because well lets face it, I have UK fever! These past Olympics, Kate Middleton being preggers, and well all things Coldplay make my heart skip a beat. Being that I'll be traveling across the pond this spring I wanted to get revved up by having a traditional high tea party. So I scoured the internet and found great high tea guides that gave history, etiquette information, suggestions for traditional meals served, and attire suggestions. Needless to say the girls and I had so much fun dressing up, taking endless pictures, and eating all of the yummy food. Got to love those Brits!

The table is set!

Made ombre necklaces to commemorate the night

It wouldn't be a tea party without white gloves

Pinky up n' all

"Oh Vanessa I can't believe how amazing my Apple stocks are doing"

P.S. I made these

Best friends since the 5th grade!

Dance party

Re-applying make-up!

Found a huge bag of beads in her apartment so of course endless pictures with beads were taken!

Hot pink flats from Italy, dotted tights, and tulle dress = just some of my favorite things.

P.s. I made this flower head piece! #BuddingMarthaStewart

Everyone needs more cupcakes in their lives

"Dress up begins at age 5 and never truly ends" - Kate Spade