Celebrating and being celebrated!

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It's been a wonderful two weeks. It all began on November 16th with a surprise 30th berfday party pour moi, which included my parents, many dear friends, and an amazing gift: a beautiful blue & white cruiser bike with an "S" on the seat for "Stine" (well, the S is really for Schwinn, but whatever)! I love it! Most of all, I felt loved and honored, which was the best gift a girl could ask for.

The fun continued on to Thanksgiving/my actual birthday and then the ritual of decorating for Christmas! Here are some photo highlights...

First, the surprise party.





After the party, a bunch of people came back to Casa de Bailey where we sat around the firepit in the backyard and talked until 3am. For some weird reason, I still awoke the next morning at an early hour and made my way to the kitchen as I dodged bodies scattered all around the house under mounds of blankets. We gave a wake-up call and decided that brunch was in order. After all, Tara Leigh was staying over, and we know how important brunch is to New Yorkers! Bodies started rustling, doors started opening and closing, and soon enough we were all ready. So we headed to one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas: Breadwinners in Uptown. Our friend Paul generously treated us, too! The food and coffee were scrumptious, and we even saw a woman eating with her toes at the next table over. Seriously.

For some reason, this photo makes me look like I just had Botox. Haha! I know I just turned 30, but I swear I didn't!!!


Random cute hubby pic:


Here I am showcasing a few birthday gifts...an amazing apron from Anthropologie and the book, Eat Pray Love: A Woman's Search For Everything Across Italy, India, & Indonesia from Victoria, and a cute dandelion tee from Amy! Also notice my new favorite pair of footwear, these amazing slippers from Target. I want to wear them everywhere. I tried riding my bike with them and wearing them to bed, but Steven wouldn't let me. Darnit.


On Thanksgiving, we were visited for the third year in a row by our dear friends Chris & Julie Bennett. Here, Julie and I are being domestic and about to go on a sugar binge with freshly baked Yummy Cookies:


...and how could a single holiday go by without the lips face???


A few days later, we spent some family time decorating the tree at my brother's house with my nieces. Here's Ashley with her favorite ornament, the ballerina of course!


We all think my brother looks exactly like Mr. Incredible. What do you think?


My cute mom & sister-in-law...


And each of the girls with their Aunt Stine...



Ashley thought I was turning 13 on my birthday, by the way. 17 years off, but I'll take it! I still feel 13 on the inside, especially when I'm riding my new bike!

Back at the Bailey residence, we decided to spontaneously paint our front livingroom on Saturday! Justin & Autumn helped us, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's the perfect brown called "Chocolate Sparkle".



Here's the view from the Chocolate Sparkle room into the Warm Glow livingroom that I posted before...


Then it was time to decorate for A Bailey Christmas!






"Though I questioned the sky, now I see why..."

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"...had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view
Looking back, I see the Lead of Love"

This Caedmon's Call song has meant a lot to me throughout the last decade. It's been blasted from my '86 Oldsmobile with the plush red seats as I left my college home in Nashville for the freeways of Houston. I sang it aloud as I then drove away with Houston in my rearview mirror back to Nashville. And it made me cry a little when I left Nashville for the second time to embrace my grown-up life in Dallas.

On Thanksgiving Day, I said goodbye to the twenties and turned Thirty Years Old. I left behind a decade that has formed me. In my twenties, I became an adult. I have been blessed with friends near and far. I began to find out who I was and what I wanted my life to be about...what my gifts were and how to best use them...how weak I am and how much I need to continue becoming a better person, friend, daughter, wife.

I admit, there is a small aching feeling deep in my chest when I realize I will never in my entire life be Twenty-Something again. I can't ever take back all of the moments I spent in college or living a carefree life of single girl in Houston and Nashville. Turning from 19 to 20 is so different. It's more like, See ya later teenage years, don't let the door hit you on the way out. But turning 30 is such a watershed moment in one's life. I thought I was becoming an adult when I turned 20, but what I'm learning is that I haven't really become a woman until now. Even though it's bittersweet, today I would not trade the confidence I have as a 30-year-old. I do like who I am. I look forward to finding out how God is going to use my little life in this world.

I love this time of year, too. Not only is the weather cooling to the soul, but it's such a time of celebration! I have several friends with birthdays including my mom, sister-in-law, dear friends Jenni and Brett, and new friend Victoria. It's so fun to celebrate them. I remember sitting on the floor of Brett's apartment in Houston in the summer of 1998 when I asked her age. She answered, "25." Nearly 5 years older than I, she seemed so much wiser, more like a mentor than a peer. Now, she is 35, I am 30, and many things have changed. I am blessed with an amazing home, family, husband, doggie, several kindred spirits, and more friends than I can count scattered around this globe.

A few months ago, I started making a list of all the things I've done or accomplished in my twenties...like "Lost 50 pounds," "Bought a house," and "Traveled to India, Kenya, Uganda, France, Italy, Monaco, and Switzerland." I considered posting them all here but decided to keep them in my journal to enjoy on my own. Who am I, if my last ten years is just a list of things I've done and seen? As I was reminded last night while reading When The Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd, who I am is not defined by what I have, what I do, or who is in my life. Because what if it was all taken away? Who would I be then?

I am thankful I can look back and genuinely smile, laugh, and thank God for where I am today. There has been struggle and sadness, and there are circumstances in my life that I would not have chosen on the front end...but everything that really matters, I have securely, and that is a gift. So really, what else needs to be on that list other than "I Learned to Love And Be Loved"? As I face the next thirty years, I hope this is the one thing I keep in sight.

There's nothing like Autumn in the Northeast (final chapter!).

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(See part 1...)
(See part 2...)
(See part 3...)

The rest of our trip was spent in lovely Jersey. My parents took us to Lake Hopatcong and Lake Mohawk which is just a short drive from our house in Madison. It was gorgeous. Many people would be surprised to know a place like this exists in Jersey!





Lake Mohawk looked like it could have been a hamlet in Germany or Switzerland (except for the speedboat - ha!)...





We also got to spend time with my most favoritest cousins in the whole world: Paula and Steve, and their kids Brian, Colleen, and David. Paula is my first cousin. This is me with Colleen and Paula. We are definitely cut from the same cloth!


Me and my Godson, David:


Our mutant family. See where I get it??


This is one of my parents' 3 cats, Sarah, a.k.a. The Fattest Cat You've Ever Seen. She could feed a family of four with plenty for leftovers.


She likes to perch against the arm of the couch and "direct traffic," as my dad says.


Next, we went to the gorgeous Princeton University campus to visit an old dear friend, David "Keas" Keasler. What a wonderful, refreshing time we had - strolling amongst historic buildings, admiring beautiful tall trees, and talking about life and faith. Perfect.










And finally, an autumn walk around my parents' house and the town of Madison, NJ. The backyard of my childhood...




The variety of leaves we found on our walk!







H A P P Y A U T U M N, F R I E N D S !

Dancin' the night away!

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So You Think You Can Dance...LIVE in Dallas. We were in the 7TH ROW!!! I lost my voice. Bonnie and I sat on the edges of our seats with our jaws dropped open the entire time. It was stunning, moving, beautiful, and inspirational!

I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos from the night. They said not to use a flash, but somehow mine just happened to turn on all by itself. Oopsie :)

A contemporary routine with Kameron and Lacey, the first one that was on the TV show...


Then Sabra! So much strength in a tiny body.



This dance gives me chills everytime (wait for it to load - it's so worth it!) This contemporary dance with Danny and Anja is the one I saw on the show and decided it was time to stop saying, "I want to do that" and actually start attempting it. Please God, can I learn to dance like this one day?

The way they move their bodies really is an art form.




Loved the 80s corduroys in every color of the rainbow!

This might seem kind of shallow, but one of the things I realized I love about dancers is their bodies. They are not Hollywood fake skinny, but they are strong. The girls were normal and healthy sized. Some of them even had cellulite, which was oddly comforting. I thought they were beautiful exactly how they were!

It was just a joyful night! Thank you Jeny & Steven for working so hard to arrange it!


On the way to the car, we kept saying, "That was so amazing. Oh my gosh, that was so amazing." Then Bonnie said, "I want to enroll in ballet classes right now. And when we build our dream house, you better believe there's going to be a dance studio in it," and I knew she'd caught dancing fever. I love these vows we make after we've had an inspirational night like tonight. I just know that I went home a happy girl, excited for next week's class when I get to try to be a dancer once again.

There's nothing like Autumn in the Northeast (part 3).

/

(See part 1...)
(See part 2...)

Our second day in NYC was relaxing and lovely. Steven just had to have an authentic New York bagel for breakfast, so we went to one of those places that don't really have a name but just say "BAGELS" on the front. The line was out the door, so we figured it was a good choice. I must say, the hazelnut coffee was surprisingly good. This picture below just says "morning" to me. I love how in New York, you walk out the front door, and you're immediately in the middle of the bustling activity. There's something exciting stirring in the air!


We strolled around the Upper East Side admiring the gorgeous homes...





Here's another unique thing about New York City, besides their obsession with cupcakes: they are also obsessed with brunch. And you know, when in Rome, so we moved on to Tara Leigh's Next Brilliant Recommendation, Danal, which she also claimed was her favorite restaurant in the city. That's quite a claim, and Danal lived up to it completely!

From the outside Danal is almost unnoticeable. You descend a few steps from street level to walk inside, and you're instantly transported into a cozy restaurant in the French countryside. A smile crept upon my face as I quickly scanned the room. It was filled with intimate tables with charming lamps and flowers, ready for coffee-filled conversations between friends or dates. Our restaurant aficionado told us to ask to sit on the back patio, so that's what we did. Here it is, nestled in between tall buildings like a little oasis. Look at that Japanese Maple...it must have taken 50 years to grow that tall!


The menu was presented in a 5x7 picture frame standing upright on the table - cute! Mental note for future restaurant: menu in a frame, menu in a frame. The first thing I spotted on the menu was your own personal French press of coffee. Yes, PLEASE. We were giddy as we perused the menu and agreed that we couldn't think of a more perfect place to be at that moment, together, on a lovely patio in New York City. The French press arrived with a perfectly frothed mini pottery pitcher of milk. That's what I'm talking about. It was one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had...or three.



As you can see, it made me very happy :)


And then came the most delicious Eggs Benedict I've ever had in my life, with a side of cinnamon apples!!!!


Thoroughly stuffed, we then set off for Thompson Street to visit with my dad's 80-year-old Cousin Connie, affectionately known as "Cuz." I just love Cuz. She calls me "tuts" and "dahhling" and has lived in the same exact teeny tiny apartment in Greenwich Village her entire life, so you can only imagine the stories she has. She used to work at Warner Brothers and stays in good shape by climbing her 4 flights of stairs twice a day. She carries Italian bread in her purse to every restaurant, even Chinese. I never get tired of hearing her tales about all the mafia guys who owned businesses on her street and seeing celebrities like Robert Redford in the elevator.


After a sweet visit with Cuz, we headed back to the Upper East Side to eat some great New York pizza for dinner and passed Tara Leigh's "boyfriend," The Chrysler Building, shining in the early evening sun. Somewhere along the way, I bought some cute black flats at Macy's.

Continuing on...

There's nothing like Autumn in the Northeast (part 2).

/

Continuing our Northeast journey... (see part 1)

Once we arrived in New Jersey, the first activity was a country drive to view the gorgeous fall foliage. Yes, New Jersey is much, much more than Newark Airport. Although the trees weren't completely turning yet and it was raining off and on, my home state was lookin' gorgeous. See?

We cozied up in the back seat of my dad's Lincoln Towncar as it gripped the winding roads at what felt like 60 mph! "Geez Dad, slow down!" we yelled from the back seat as our luggage went flying. "Calm down, will ya? I'm only going 29!" It was true; I saw the speedometer.

The next morning we set out for my beloved New York City for a few days with our "virtual tour guide" Tara Leigh only a phone call away. I tell you, Tara Leigh is batting 1000 with her New York restaurant recommendations. But more on that in a sec.

As soon as we left the train, we sprinted for Central Park, which was glorious in the fall weather. We walked around the reservoir and all through the park, enjoying the mums and tall sycamores...



This is the whimsical castle from the movie Stepmom...



I just love the one leaf in this photo, resting gracefully atop the orange mums...


Then, it was off to lunch at Tara Leigh's Brilliant Recommendation #1: Penelope. You MUST go to the website to see how adorable it was. It was just how I would want my restaurant to be, if I ever had one...



Next, we walked around and made our way over to a scrumptious cupcake place (apparently cupcakes are extremely popular in The City, who knew?) called Billy's Bakery. Now, I know what you're thinking right about now: Did you do anything on this trip besides eat? And the answer is, Yes. We walked a lot too. Walked and ate. :)

Billy's Bakery was teeny inside, but it was cozy. And going by the photo on the wall, Katie Holmes apparently thinks the cupcakes are quite scrumptious too! I loved the butter yellow/pale aqua color scheme and the huge tower of eggs that you could see in cartons in the open kitchen. I like restaurants where you can see them cooking or baking. They can't spit or sneeze in your food if you're right there watching!


Next, we trekked several avenues over to Chelsea Market, the mecca of the Food Network. But don't worry, we were too full to eat anything else! Instead, we ooh'd and ahh'd at the intricately carved pumpkins and fantastic specialty food shops in this indoor market. I have to admit, I also sashayed past the Food Network a few times to see if I could get a glimpse of Giada or Rachael Ray. One strange thing I noticed while we people-watched inside Chelsea Market...everyone, and I mean everyone was wearing tapered leg jeans. What?! I don't care who you think you are, New York City, but that is one trend I won't be adopting anytime soon.



By the time we had dinner that night at another TLC recommendation, a thai restaurant called Spice, I was so stuffed that all I wanted to do was sleep :) Our dear friends, David & Shawna, were in Texas at the same time we were in NYC, so they let us stay in their cozy apartment on the Upper East Side for a great night's rest before we hit the city for Part 3....next!