Baby Shower - Welcome To The World

As hard as it sometimes is for me to believe, I'm already in my thirties!  Growing into adulthood in New York City has been a fun ride with lots of ups and downs and too many adventures to count.  But best of all are the wonderful friends that I've met and kept close through the years.  I'm currently in a happily unattached phase of my life, but even if you're not ready to settle down with Mr Right just yet, one inevitable truth to growing older is that some of those wonderful friends around you will eventually get there before you.  Suddenly all of my best friends were finding husbands and getting married.  And what's the next step in that chain of domestic life?  In my case it's keeping a house plant that doesn't die, but for others the next natural step is a baby!

My first friend to reach that point was my friend Andrea, a fellow fashion designer and long time love of my life.  You might remember her from my previous post My Best Friend's Wedding, about her stylish wedding to her fantastic husband Joaquin.  When they announced that they were expecting their first son Cruz, our clique was beyond excited.  Congratulations are in order, all around!  My best friend Dawn and I have a passion for event design, and we immediately offered to host the shower.

Andrea is from Connecticut and her husband is from Argentina, both now living in the New York metropolitan area.  To celebrate baby Cruz's eclectic heritage we decided on a "Welcome To The World" theme for the shower.  We pulled together antiques with a worldly inspired common theme,a and clustered them over natural burlap for the main table spread.  The party was a brunch so we served breakfast foods from different nations across the world, including New York bagels and Andrea's mother's famous French Toast Casserole.  (Both are enthusiastic favorites of mine.)  A "Mom-osa" juice and champagne bar was set up for guests to enjoy along with delicious coffee.

Dawn and I collected stunning antiques from various sources, including my treasured vintage snakeskin luggage set bought from Brooklyn Flea years ago.  I created a mini flag banner with the theme title neatly displayed for all to see, hanging from top of the standing luggage piece.  Globes of the Earth in various sizes and ages worked well to add interest and variation to the main table.  One of the newer globes was gifted to Cruz's nursery, a fond token of his first party.  Dawn's set of vintage children's books offered the perfect amount of nostalgic whimsy, stacked in the center of the arrangement.  Old found jars were used as flower vases for a rustic feel.

Mason Jars are a new staple for simplistic drinking glasses at any party, but we were lucky that this year happened to be the 100th Anniversary of the Ball Jar.  In celebration they released limited edition "Heritage" jars in a light blue hue in remembrance of the original glass color used in the beginning of the company.  This color worked perfectly for the shower, as Andrea was expecting a baby boy!  Baby blue swirly straws, another popular constant in modern party planning, were used for the drinks.  Small tags were tied to the rim of each glass with decorative twine, in order to give guests a chance to personalize and keep track of their beverage.

Decorative tulle balls were hung from the ceiling in a matching pastel color palette of white, light blue, and mint green.  Additionally "Oh The Places You'll Go", a popular book by Dr Suess, offered inspiration to the youthful travel theme.  A banner with this title was draped across a wide mirror using miniature clothespins, and we added a personal touch by replacing the word "you" with the baby's sonogram.

Across the opposing window I created a curtain of baby onesies, each featuring the word "Welcome" in five different languages.  I illustrated thematic images on each onesie, including globes, clouds, and hot air balloons.  The best part about this decoration was that the onesies were functional and could be worn by baby Cruz after birth.

Dawn is an amazing artist, and she illustrated many beautiful images for the party and turned them into a garland which was draped across the other window.  Hearts, hot air balloons, Eiffel towers, and New York City taxis danced fancifully over guests heads throughout the party.  The hot air balloon was also used on the invitation, which Dawn expertly designed.  This motif was so well received, it was actually used for the baby's mobile design in his nursery.  To see Dawn's beautiful illustrations, shop her Etsy store AvocadoChange offering a stunning collection of greeting cards.

Inspired by Joaquin's nationality we decided the favors of the shower would be Dulce de Leche, a confection hailing from Argentina.  All in all the shower was a great success.  All of the wonderful little details came together perfectly, and mommy-to-be was as thrilled with the decor.  Best of all, a few months later a new super cool new person was born.  Welcome to the World, Cruz!

NoH8

I had the opportunity to take part in the NoH8 campaign in support of equal rights for all people.  Not only is it a great cause that I strongly believe in, but also a unique chance to be shot by a professional photographer.  The only fashion requirement was to wear white so I chose a classic button down.  I had to make the outfit my own though, so I personalized it with my go-to accessory, a slouchy grey beanie.  I'm not sure how they made my eyes look so green, but I'm really into it!  I'm so happy with the way the portrait came out, and I encourage everyone to join in on the cause.  Visit http://www.noh8campaign.com to learn more, and find out when Adam Bouska will be visiting your town sometime soon.

Believe in your selfie

2014 has arguably been the year of the "Selfie". Although admittedly I've been taking photos of myself for YEARS before it became part of modern day zeitgeist, it's now been given a cute nickname to throw around and put a hashtag in front of.  Since the selfie has hit it big in mainstream media, and I always keep my finger always on the pulse, I've decided to share some of my own selfies with you.  Follow me on Instagram for more of my self-indulgent photos.

   

Bike NYC

New York City during the summertime is unlike anywhere else.  In the city that never sleeps, there is always something to do.  Scratch that, more like five things to do.  My social life becomes so excessive that I often feel guilty if I head home early, or even spend a lazy day indoors.  There is always an overwhelming sense that you are missing something huge someplace else. There is always an adventure to be had, and it's up to you to discover it.

One glorious Saturday that crossed my path was Summer Streets.  For three consecutive Saturdays, they close off a large portion of a street for the public to play.  From Central Park all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge you are free to walk, run, bike, or cartwheel down the open road without having to worry about being hit by a bus.  I joined my dear friend Kanani for a afternoon in the sunshine, and we biked up and down Manhattan.  People were out and about in droves, running in groups or meandering around with friends.   I am lucky to have a cruiser bike of my own but there were also free bike rentals available, as well as public biking workshops, group fitness classes in the middle of the street, zip-lining (ridiculous), and I even rode by a rock climbing wall in SoHo.  It was such a wonderful opportunity to get outside and be active, a chance for some fun exercise outside of your normal gym routine.  It was an amazing day, and I recommend it to everyone.

This vintage denim jacket was my father's.  I stole it from him before I moved to New York ten years ago.  I love how beaten down it is, but still incredibly sturdy and resilient.  He obviously wore it almost every day of the 1980's, and probably even some of the 70's as well.  The jacket has a life story all its own.  It has been present during so much of my dad's life, and has been around from my infancy into adulthood.  If this jacket could speak, it would have some super cool stories.  Just like me, it is midwest at heart but has found new life in the fashionable streets of New York City.

I love how the top collar is completely shredded and frayed at the fold line.  The coloring is perfect, an authentic vintage wash that can only be achieved with true age through wear and tear.  You could search months inside vintage stores for a jacket like this, and I just happened upon it as a teenager in the back of an old closet in the middle of Michigan.  The story behind this piece is truly priceless, and it will always remain one of my favorite garments.

Levi's vintage denim jacket, Topman tailored shorts, H&M mint t-shirt, brown hat, & sneakers, Michel Kors silver runway watch, Alexis Bittar modified anchor necklace, Schwinn "Coffee" cruiser bike

 

I won this killer bike through a twitter contest with The Fader magazine and Kenneth Cole Reaction.  It was such a great prize, and I'm so thankful to have a such a cool bike.  Check out the article about me here and play the Reaction Re-Play contest in the future.