OY! KRISTEN

We spent the quickest, most refreshing weekend in Mobile, Alabama! My bff Natalie and her husband Darin operate a Chick-fil-A there (if you live in Mobile, go see them! 3244 Dauphin Street!), and I really wanted to visit and see her life there. We have grown up together and remained close since we were 12 years old. She's one of my oldest friends and the dearest kind of soul - she listens so well and keeps an incredibly open mind about things, which is something that is a rare treasure in a friend. She always gives a balanced opinion and sound advice, and has been a steadfast friend through the ups and downs that the years have brought. Over the past year, I think I had more surprise Amazon deliveries from her than I ordered for my own family - because she knows that gifts are my love language. What a thoughtful, generous, loyal gem of friend she is. And I'm not an idiot; if you have a friend this good, you hold onto her for dear life! I am grateful grateful grateful for her sweet self.

Everett fell head over heels for Miss Natalie when he was a baby. He always looked at her with these big puppy eyes and would actually stop crying when she was near him (which is more than I can say about myself - oh, the years of crying Everett...) So he was super amped to visit her. He loved her cats.

We had grand plans to explore Mobile over the course of the weekend, perhaps even trekking over to the blessed town of Fairhope (a southern treasure, and most certainly worth the drive if you ever get the chance!), but it ended up pouring rain the whole weekend. Which you know what? Was kind of wonderful. Her home is on the water and is the kind of place that has that dreamy, lived-in, warm southern charm. A brick archway, woven rugs, distressed furniture and carefully chosen antiques - her home should be photographed! It's truly a wonder. I loved curling up on her soft couch and clutching my coffee cup and listening to the rain fall while catching up on everything going on in her heart. Our husbands wrangled my children (and a few cats) while they played ping pong and talked dude things.

I am usually a hard-core traveler, eager to see (and eat) as much as possible that is local and charming. But this was a different trip, a time to revel in the goodness of a well-worn friendship and feel at home with the heart of my dear girl.

I will say that when the sun came out for a few hours, we had the chance to wander through the famed Charles Phillips Antiques, a local dealer that imports his goods from all over Europe. It was mesmerizing, being taken back in time and surrounded by thousands of flourished french doors and heavy steamer trunks, cases of glass bottles and stacks of letters from World War II. Every item is steeped in history, emanating stories from a past age. It was rather intimate, rifling through someone else's jewelry boxes, torn recipes, tool bins and office supplies. I was overwhelmed by the experience, and found myself tearing up as we walked to our car to leave. I couldn't even buy anything, I didn't know how to choose. It's definitely the kind of place that you want to visit if you're furnishing a house. But bring a trailer on the back of your car, this stuff is amazing.

I'm feeling more and more like myself everyday. My postpartum experience this time around has really challenged me, and I am grateful that people like Natalie have been patient with me as I've come back to myself. Spending such a rich time with this girl who is truly family to me made my heart happy. It's a rare thing, to have a friend this good. If you're reading this and one of your dear girlfriends comes to mind today, send her a text or a quick letter in the mail! Who doesn't love hearing from their dear old friend, just for the heck of it? Lots of love to all of you today, friends! xox

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Unfortunately my romper is sold out and my kimono is past season, but I linked to a few similar styles :)

One thing that I love about New York City is how there is always a new "latest and greatest" thing to try, do, see or eat. Always. It's the city of change, and there is a constant, bubbling rotation of trends in every industry. You certainly don't get bored, no matter how many times you've visited or how long you've lived there. There is always more to explore.

The recent visit my family took was no exception, and we made it our mission to try all the latest eats (that were relatively kid-friendly, because c'mon, I'm not going to take Everett to Mercer Kitchen and let him terrorize the pristine-ness). But we found some great spots and were introduced to a few new ones by our best buds from the Upper West Side (who we keep trying to convince to move to Atlanta - it never works but I'm taking the it's-a-marathon approach and hoping that eventually I can convince them). They are legit foodies and always steer us in the right direction. They took us on this East Village food tour last time, and obviously, it lives on in my memory as one of theeeeee most righteous nights in NYC.

Annnnnyways, we ate and ate and ate and ATE. And Everett truly shocked us with his endurance. That boy can hold his own! I fear for my future grocery bills. They are rising, people.

Stumptown Coffee (hairbender is my favorite blend) and a Black Seed Multi-Everything Salmon Bagel. BEST BREAKFAST EVER. And that was just the start of the day :)

Oh the fame. We just want a tiny piece of it. In the form of a croissant perhaps.

Really glad my kid slept through the ice cream part of this field trip, or else he would have demanded some of his own. And I wasn't about to share this delicacy.

Look at who's re-opened since I moved away! One of my first New York memories is from eating in this restaurant with my dad and Aunt like a million years ago. And now it's back and better than ever!

We made friends sitting at the communal tables and sharing brew. And watching Everett flirt with all the girls. And stuff his face with sauerkraut.

Hudson Eats! It's like a food court except way more awesome, with some of the most famous/delicious restaurants in NYC represented.

Eating outside at Brookfield Place, so you can watch the sun go down over the water and dream of owning one of those phat yachts. Yes, I said phat. PHAT.

BFFLS. FTW. Who cares if the photo is blurry. The friendship endures.

A few spots (where we devoured) that are worth trying:

Black Seed Bagels - Get anything. Just flippin' anything.

Dominique Ansel Kitchen - Try the Sumac Chicken Salad Toast with Parsley Tabbouleh! Oh, and of course the crazy famous Burrata Ice Cream. Dear God, that ice cream.

Stumptown Coffee at the Ace Hotel - Always a fave. Great place to buy coffee as a gift, too.

Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place - We devoured burnt ends at Mighty Quinn's Barbeque, catfish from Num Pang Sandwich Shop, shopped at bit at Le District, and reveled in the glorious crepes from Financier Patisserie.

Landmarc - I actually ate here twice with friends. It's fancy, but a good option for kiddos because it's stroller-friendly and extremely spacious. Plus, you get a view of the Upper West Side!

Burger and Lobster - Oh my goodness, why didn't I know about this when I lived there?! LOBSTER ROLL FOR THE WIN. And sangria :)

The Beer Garden at Tavern on the Green - German style pretzels (totally made me remember this little jaunt over to Munich), awesome beer, and Everett eating more bratwurst and sauerkraut than me.

Let me know if you visit one of these places on a trip to NYC! I would love to hear about what you tried/loved/hated!

*Other posts about NYC eats and food tours: munching through Alphabet City, tasting through East Village, Cruising through West Village, testing the CRONUT, enjoying high tea at the Plaza and high tea at Alice's Tea Cup, first time at Black Seed Bagels, feasting on outdoor eats in Soho, barbeque in Harlem, pizza in Brooklyn, and a fancy meal option on the Upper West Side, just to name a few :)