Friday's Simply Smitten - Blush & Blooms

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“Her own thoughts and reflections were habitually her best companions”

-Jane Austen

Happy Friday! I am back in New York after spending the 4th of July in Ohio with my family. It was a much needed trip home to relax, reset, and celebrate the holiday.

I spent the majority of the week with my family; going out to dinner, hanging out with my nieces, watching movies. We went to the pool a couple of times. It felt great to swim and be under the sun. I never go to the pool here in the city, so I always take advantage of it when I am in Ohio. My dad and I rode bikes for the first time in a few years. We used to ride our bikes around town a lot, but now he is much more into pickleball. We didn’t get to play pickleball or tennis as we planned, but glad we were able to go for a bike ride.

The 4th of July was wonderful! We have a tradition in our family that whoever is turning 40 that year, we celebrate it on the 4th. No matter when your birthday may lie in the year, we celebrate as an entire family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc). Since this is the year I am turning 40 (tears!), I got to pick out what foods to eat during our 4th of July picnic. I chose lobster rolls and oysters. I also wanted caviar and potato chips but was quickly shut down…. rude. We bought both the lobster and oysters at this little gourmet market in my hometown called Littleton’s. I was a little wary of what Ohio lobster would taste like, only ever having it here in the East Coast. It was surprisingly delicious! One of the best lobster rolls I have ever had!

For dessert I wanted the honey lemon cake Meghan Markle made in her Netflix series. Since it aired I haven’t stopped thinking about it. My mom and I (with help from my dad) baked the cake the day before. It was an interesting journey. My mom only had two 9″ cake pans, so we had to borrow one from my sister. The only problem was hers is 8″. We thought if we could put the smaller cake on top it wouldn’t be as noticeable… we were so wrong. It drooped to the side, looked weird, and didn’t cover the raspberry and butter cream filling in-between the layers. We were dying laughing! The way we fixed it was to cover the entire cake in butter cream. It is suppose to be naked on the sides. Honestly, I actually preferred the frosting on the sides because it gave it more moisture and taste. Despite the funny mishap, the cake was very good! I want to make it again but perhaps switch out the raspberries for strawberries or blueberries!

On the 4th we went to the morning parade. It was fun to see some old high school friends walk down the route, as well as my sister, nieces, and brother-in-law for their neighborhood float. I didn’t go to the fireworks because I was worn out and tired by that time. So I stay home with my parents and watched the Macy’s fireworks celebration on tv.

I, unfortunately, didn’t get to see all of my friends when I was home. It’s hard to get together during the holidays with so much family around and they all have kids. I usually go to one of my friend’s neighborhood block party on the 3rd, but skipped it this year to help my parents prepare for my birthday picnic. I did, however, get to meet up with my childhood best friend, and another friend of mine from high school. We met for brunch at Littleton’s (also a cafe). It was so nice to see them and catch up! We chatted for well over 2 hours and it was exactly what I needed!

Since being back in New York I have been a little busy with catching up on work stuff and being out and about. Tuesday evening I went to my last ballet performance of the American Ballet Theatre’s Met Opera season– performances are still going on! I saw, for the first time, the ballet Sylvia. I LOVED it! It’s beautiful, humorous, vibrant. The costumes and set designs were stunning. The dancers were amazing! I loved how the choreography incorporated both soft, fluid movements with sharp, powerful moves. It was lovely!

Last night I went uptown to Marlow for dinner with friends. Marlow is a new American restaurant in the UES. The place is really cute- I love the decor. I had the chicken with potatoes, egg yolk, and leek. And of course, a glass of prosecco. I thought the meal was good. And, of course, it was nice to catch up friends after not seeing them for a few months.

What I am watching: It’s the best time of the year– Wimbledon is on! Between Sinner and Alcaraz I do not care who wins. I like them both. I do like Djokovic but also think he should retire and let the new power players start (continue) dominating. I really like Fritz as well. However, I knew he wasn’t going to beat Alcaraz, but am happy he put up a fight. I think he could win a Grand Slam some day. On the women’s side I am SO happy Sabalenka lost! She is such a sore loser. I am rooting for Anisimova for the final- have to go with the American!

What I bought: With the unfortunate demise of my lace aloe plant a few weeks ago, someone on TikTok suggested I get a moisture meter. Apparently I was overwatering my plants. So I bought one from Amazon for under $10. It sensors how wet the soil is, which tells you what plants need watering. Right now my parsley plant seems to be the one that sucks up water the most.

Next I bought new Mary Jane espadrilles. When they were first released they sold out very quickly, so once I saw they were restocked I jumped at the chance to get them! Timeless, comfortable flats to wear. I also bought this pretty floral embroidered mini dress. Will go perfectly with the Mary Jane’s.

On The Blog

Everything I read this past June

LTK Spotlight: Current summer finds

ShopMy Spotlight: What I wore to the ballet

Top Seller: This embroidered mini dress

This weekend I will be heading uptown to the Bastille Day (technically on Monday) celebration hosted by L’Alliance New York. It’s going to be a fun day of celebrations; packed with French food, entertainment, classic French cars, and more. My great, great grandparents migrated from France, My grandmother always celebrated Bastille Day, so I have taken on the tradition and now celebrate my French ancestry. Anyway, I am very much looking forward to the day- hoping it does not rain or isn’t too hot. Other than vive la France-ing it, I will be enjoying another summer weekend here in the city.

Have a wonderful weekend xo

1. Anne Hathaway gets another makeover

2. A pretty embroidered blouse

3. Eyeing this smock dress

4. Love the color of these espadrilles

5. The best dressed celebrities at Wimbledon

6. A look at Couture fall 2025 season

7. AJLT ep. 7 fashion recap

8. Inside Meg Braff’s Long Island home

9. 18 best beach reads of the summer

10. Bring back boredom

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