When I look at a cup of water, it's half empty, not half full.  Do you have a problem with that?  I'm the girl who runs, not walks, away from situations where I *just may* get my feelings hurt or, worse, get my heart broken.  I expect the worst, to a fault; but somewhere, deep down, I hope for the best.  I find it rare to have two absolutely incredible days, much less two weekends, back-to-back. 

Stop.  Put away your tissue boxes.  Because this isn't going to be one of those "woe is me" posts - quite the opposite, in fact.  Believe it or not, I'm here to tell you all about my past two weekends that, just so happened to be fun, fabulous, and exciting. 

The first of the two back-to-back weekend "honeymoons" was kicked off with the celebration of my friend, Theresa's, 30th re-do birthday extravaganza.  She literally handed me the event-planning reigns and, armed with only a couple of her personal non-negotiables, I got to spearhead her 48-hour birthday extravaganza.

Saturday, July 9th, was the celebratory pinnacle of the weekend: cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres, at the Trump Soho'sDuplex Penthouse Suite's grand indoor/outdoor space, were served from 7:30pm - 10:30pm.  Menu highlights included: a serviced ceviche bar (red snapper, lobster, ahi tuna), and the signature cocktail of the evening, white sangria. 

From there, the party continued at The Box until the wee hours of Sunday morning. 

Trust me when I say that it took me a couple of days to recover from Theresa's birthday party.  Ugh, I'm not 21 anymore!  And, just when I thought that I had finally regained my stamina, it was Friday again.  "Round 2" was a bachelorette weekend in Portsmouth, RI, celebrating the upcoming nuptials of my dear friend, Tara.  The bride-to-be's aunt and uncle graciously "ghost hosted" Tara, plus seven of her friends, at their sprawling beach house.  And where were they during the 48-hour-long bachelorette debauchery?  At their primary residence in Boston.  Smart couple!  :) 

Since I had to put in a full day at the office on Friday, I was the last of Tara's friends to arrive in Rhode Island.  The nearly 3-hour Boston-bound train from NYC to Providence, RI was, single-handedly, the most breathtaking and picturesque that I have ever experienced within the US.  The vivid, moving scenery just beyond my window looked almost as if it were fake: rolling green hills were dotted with colonial-style homes and red barns - sea grass swayed to the music of the wind - navy blue ponds and pools were sprinkled with pale-green lily pads - wooden docks, reaching as far as the eye could see, were tied with small, colorful rowboats, that floated atop water as smooth as glass.

The weekend, itself, was mainly spent relaxing, bonding with old and new girlfriends, eating and drinking, laying by the pool, and celebrating Tara, at the beach house.  But, between all of this, we did find time to head in to Newport on Saturday evening for dinner and drinks.  And, speaking of dinner, if you happen to find yourself in Newport, RI, then I highly recommend checking out Cafe Zelda to sample their famous "chicken-fried lobster."  It was, truly, unforgettable and delicious.

*A big "thank you" to Cousin Kerry for planning this incredible girl's weekend!

Good stuff, right?  Trust me, I was pinching myself the whole time!  Glitz and glam aside, here's to many more incredible back-to-back weekends!   

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle