The Bachelorette

No I'm not auditioning for the bachelorette....although at one point in my early 20's I did think about it. I'm talking about my own bachelorette party.

I love this tradition so much. One last hurrah for the single lady you've always been and one shot of tequila for the married lady you'll become. The big requirement I had for the gals planning my bash was that it be in NYC. The place where all my crazy dating stories took place, where I've spent most of my adult life, where I met Alex, and my favorite city in the world.

The festivities were entirely a surprise so I had no idea what I was in for at the top of the weekend.

My two college roommates (maid and matron of honor!) arrived in NYC on Friday night and we had dinner just the 3 of us at a french bistro in my neighborhood. After a relaxing night, we woke up early, grabbed bagels, and enjoyed them on the roof deck of my apartment building. Then we got our hair done at dry bar in preparation for the night ahead. The girls took me to a cute hotel in the flower district of Chelsea. And while Michele decorated the room to a spectacular degree, Nicole and I were across the street having a pre-dinner cocktail at a rooftop bar with a stunning view of the Freedom Tower.

And then the real partying began. I wore a sash that read "Future Mrs. Levi" and a number of engagement themed temporary tattoos. Michele even made hair ties for everyone attending. Alayna joined us to get ready for the festivities and we polished off a whole bunch of champagne before heading to an adorable restaurant, Out East, in the East Village where a large group of ladies was waiting for us. Dinner was served family style and we ate a delicious array of dishes from tuna tacos to decadent lasagna to deconstructed pies for dessert.

With full bellies, the party continued! We headed to Mr. Purple, a night club on the Lower East Side with a a terrace and a beautiful view of the city. We partied hard for many hours before returning to our hotel room in Chelsea where I quickly hit the hay.

The next morning we awoke early for brunch at Revel in the meatpacking district. And another group of lovely women were there to brunch with us. Bottomless pitchers of mimosas and bellinis were on the table for our drinking pleasure. Michele made us super cute matching shirts to wear as a squad.

After brunch, we stayed at the bar at Revel for a bit as the group petered out. Then a few of us continued on to a roof top bar to drink rose and enjoy the beautiful weather before grabbing a snack at a beer garden and calling it a weekend.

Overall, it was everything I could have hoped for. Great friends, too many drinks, tons of eating and laughing. So many of the women in my life were there to celebrate with me and I was floored at the number of gals who came out for it! I felt so loved and I'm more excited than ever for the wedding...which is only days away now. I can hardly believe it!

Summer Shower

I feel so incredibly lucky to have a group of strong, lovely women surrounding me in my life. I've never felt as much love in one room as I did during my bridal shower. Family and friends joined my mom on Long Island at a beautiful restaurant, Chadwicks, for lunch, wedding talk, and the obligatory ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the opening of presents.

I was so touched by the effort my mom and best girlfriends put into making a beautiful day to celebrate me. The food was fantastic, the games were a lot of fun (with great prizes to boot), my friends and family were so incredibly thoughtful from the gifts they brought to the decorations they made. The cake was delicious. My mom was happy and I was over the moon...I really could not have pictured a more perfect day.

Connecticut Fun

Alex was working like a dog at the start of the summer and I was in over my head with wedding planning. Our summer work schedules don't give us much time off...one day to be exact. We knew we needed to escape the city for some relaxation, so we booked a weekend away to Essex, Connecticut.

The trip there was surprisingly easy! A short subway ride to a short Metro North ride to an hour and a half drive. Easy peasy! We stayed at the Riverwind Inn, a cozy bed and breakfast with lovely hosts, delicious breakfasts, and all the charm of a small New England town. During our stay we visited the Florence Griswold Museum and bought a beautiful painting at the Lyme Art Association, we spent an afternoon at the Connecticut River Museum, complete with a boat ride on a historic sailboat, hiked in the Gillette Castle State Park and took a tour of the castle, had beers and a bite to eat at the Griswold Inn...for a weekend away, we sure did a lot of fun things.

As one friend captioned this photo of Alex exploring the Connecticut River Museum: "I've literally never seen Alex look happier!" And it was true. It was just the two of us exploring and relaxing.

Now, whenever I see Alex stressing out, I'm reminded of the importance of unplugging and enjoying the weekend. Because the work will always be there on Monday morning waiting for us. And sometimes the fresh air and an ice cream cone is more important than clean laundry and a fridge full of groceries. Here's to more working for a living and less living for work!