I turn 30 on Thursday. Yiiiikes. Also exciting; I’ve always looked forward to my thirties. My twenties were…well…up-and-down, to say the least, and I’ve always felt hopeful that this decade would be a great one. And once, back in the fifth grade, a boy that I had a crush on told me that I’d look like Heather Locklear when I was 30. We can always hope.
Anyway, since I’m a) on the fence about birthdays generally and b) have a baby shower coming up later this summer, I figured I’d skip having a big party and just do a lovely dinner with my family on Thursday. And in June Kendrick is taking me up to Ogunquit for the weekend, so between dinner and that: beyond perfect. But I have wonderful friends, and ended up having a couple of mini-celebrations this weekend that – yes, cheesy but true – totally made this birthday one I’ll remember forever.
On Friday, Francesca came over with some lilacs and a couple of tops from Obvious’ new maternity line, Nokt (more on that later), to take me out to lunch.
She thought Lucy looked spectacular with her new haircut (and bows and bandanna). I agree. (P.S. That thing hanging on the wall behind me is actually something Francesca gave me on my last birthday – a handmade bag of Herbes de Provence that I dip into occasionally, but mostly like to leave hanging at head-level because it smells so wonderful. To learn how to make your own, click here).
I have to show you the candle she brought me – it’s Fresh’s Cannabis Santal scent, and it is incredible. Very sexy and perfect for the bedroom, it’s got notes of dark chocolate, vetiver, patchouli, and vanilla, and is just intoxicating.
Francesca told me to dress comfortably, because we were going on a sort of faraway adventure. I brought my biggest umbrella to defend my Keratin-free locks (sigh) against The Great and Hideous Mist that’s been terrorizing NYC for the past few days. It didn’t work, but it sure looked funny.
And this is where we ended up going for lunch: Marlow & Sons, a place I’ve been dying to try out for ages, ever since I read this NY Times review. Their menu changes daily based on the local offerings, and is described to you in loving detail by knowledgeable staff who seem to absolutely adore their jobs (our server told us that she decided she wanted to work at Marlow & Sons after eating an incredible meal there one night). And they offer adorable little gratis touches, like peanut butter-and-jelly cookies…and there’s a general store out front with things like artisanal olive oils, fancy chocolates, and organic baby clothing.
I wish there was some way to FedEx each and every one of you a bite of this sandwich, so that you could fully appreciate its genius. I like Cubanos and all…but this was something else entirely, with ramp mayonnaise and pickles mixed right into the tender, salty pork. And I don’t particularly care for salads – especially side ones, which are, in my experience, usually dry and boring – and I ate every bite of that green stuff. That says something right there.
(We also had the grilled cheese with nettle mustard and olives, which Francesca declared the best she’d ever had.)
And then on Sunday, I got all gussied up in my new H&M dress ($19.99!!) for brunch with a few more friends (and Mom) at Sojourn. (Kendrick took our bi-weekly tummy-progress polaroid, above, before we headed out.)
The brunch at Sojourn, FYI, is a great little UES secret – for $28, you get an entree, a side, and unlimited cocktails (if you skip the deal, as I obviously did, entrees are around $12-$14). Mom brought my favorite cupcakes, which was the icing on the…yes.
(Thank you for sending on photos, Melissa!)
