Flashback Friday: Photo Date on the LES

I am back for another edition of Flashback Friday! One of my favorite things to do with friends is meet up for camera dates in the city. My friend Jen and I love picking neighborhoods throughout Manhattan to explore and photograph together. We challenge ourselves to set our cameras to manual mode and take our time capturing the perfect shots as we chat and wander. During this camera date last August we spent a couple hours in the Lower East Side. We stopped along the way for pudding at my favorite bakery, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, and kept our eyes peeled for interesting street art as we walked. I am hoping that camera dates are a good activity with baby this coming summer and fall!

See mine and Jen's last camera date here.

12 Dates of Christmas: On the fifth date of Christmas...

... I spent the day enjoying Christmas in Manhattan with my friend Jill, who was visiting from Minnesota.

We started our morning bright and early with a delicious breakfast at Norma's in Le Parker Meridien Hotel. Their cheesy french toast is honestly one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten- I have been thinking about it ever since our visit! After breakfast we shopped around at the Union Square Holiday Market, visited Tiffany's, and saw all of the beautiful holiday windows on Fifth Avenue. We also stopped at the Plaza Food Hall for some treats mid-morning. The pink and white cookies (or red and green during our visit) from William Greenberg Desserts are ones of my favorite treats in the city! It was so wonderful having Jill in New York City for the day. We have been friends since fifth grade and it was awesome to catch up and get lots of baby advice from her! If only she lived on the East Coast... come back and visit again soon, Jill! 

Love, Brunch, and Whiskey

When my friends Brianne and Lindsey asked how I wanted to celebrate my upcoming wedding in New York City, I knew I didn't want a typical bachelorette party. I much prefer daytime activities around the city to nighttime activities at bars and clubs. So, we worked together to plan a "Daina Day," full of my favorite things! We started our day together with a delicious brunch at Vinegar Hill House. Lindsey brought a fun game to play while we ate and the girls also wrote down mystery memories for me to share. We also enjoyed some yummy cupcakes that Jen brought at the end of our meal.

After brunch we walked to the Brooklyn Navy Yards to tour the Kings County Distillery.

The tour was super informative and interesting! We learned all about the history, culture, and process of distilling bourbon. We also got to try lots of samples! 

Lindsey, Jacqueline, and I walked down to DUMBO after the tour for coffee and cookies at One Girl Cookies. We don't get to spend time together often, so it was so nice to catch up! Enjoying ice cream in the park was a part of our original plan, but the cold and misty weather was not ideal for chilly treats. We will just have to return to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory together once I am a Mrs.!

Thank you to all of my New York City ladies for such a wonderful day! 

Showered with love.

At the end of April my sisters, mom, and best friend Amy threw me the most beautiful bridal shower. They were so thoughtful about every single detail of the day, from the lunch menu to the decorations. It was a wonderful afternoon with many of the most important women in my life!

Each guest came with a favorite memory written down on a Project Life card, which my mom knew I would love to put in my scrapbook. This was one of my details the girls planned! After everyone arrived I read the cards one by one, guested who recorded the memory, and introduced her to the group. It was a great way for everyone to get to know each other. 

Amy found the cutest handmade soaps on Etsy for favors. Each bag was stamped with a bride and groom or a heart, depending on the kind of soap. It was such a great gift for the guests to take home.

Amy and I have been friends for over twenty years. I am so lucky to have her in my life! 

I wore my grandma's locket at my shower. She got it when she was 12 and gave it to my on my thirtieth birthday. 

It was so nice to have my mom, grandma, aunt, and sisters at my shower with me. 

My sisters knew that having just a cake was not enough for a dessert-loving bride, so they creating a dessert bar of some of my favorite treats! My sister-in-law Jamie picked up cinnamon sugar and frosted donuts from A Baker's Wife, whose donuts were voted among the best in Minnesota! Amy brought macarons and my mom made my favorite sugar cookies. It was such a delicious spread!

After lunch we gathered to open gifts. I received so many lovely things, including these Minnesota gifts that will always remind me of home.

My Maple Grove ladies, who stuck with me through every questionable decision I made in elementary school, junior high, and high school. We have been through a lot together! 

I cannot thank these ladies enough for all of the love, support, and memories they have given me over the years. I am so excited to celebrate with them all at my wedding!