our last day in cali started out quick. our flight out was in the early afternoon, so that left us with only a few hours to do a few things before we had to head out to the airport.
first things first: eating. we wanted to go to a place called tart, but in typical fashion, huy and tashina got there before us and said it was a two hour wait…whaaaaa?! no thank you! i really wanted to try tart but we did not have the time to wait around nor would we have if we even had the time!
so, huy and tashina had us meet them at king’s road cafe. it is a cozy little restaurant, not very big…what you see down below in the photos is what you get. our tables were right next to the kitchen counter, so not a lot of space! the coffee was strong and delicious. the food was good, typical breakfast fare. tashina and huy ordered and ate first because tashina needed to get to a dress fitting within the next hour. did i mention that she is a dress designer & stylist?! so ah-maze and talented! check out her website here. oh, and i’ve said it before…my brother is an accomplished and incredible photographer, so together they are quite the powerful, artsy, brilliant couple!
anyhoo, after brunch, tashina left and we met our brother at the LACMA. waaaayyy cool. thuy and lan actually went there the night before…when kim and i were pooped out and wanted to shower and go to bed {yeessssss, we were tired}. they took some pretty cool pictures that night…obvs, a light installation is much cooler in the dark!
[sneakers, flats, and taps oh my!]
i really wanted to see the rock. huy and tashina told us a story about the rock the night before at dinner. i was totally intrigued. how it took so much money {$10 million in total} to transport this rock to it’s home, they literally took apart signals, utility lines, and cables to allow this rock to be transported to the museum because it was so big {it took up three highway lanes}. bananas.
of course we took a gazillion pictures of the rock and then we walked around towards the light installation. as i said before, pictures at night would have been cooler but taking some in the daylight sufficed!
i am so glad we stopped by the LACMA…it was the perfect ‘last day’ destination. i had such a good time exploring some unique artwork. i love art! there is always something so dark, inquisitive, mysterious, thought provoking, enigmatic about the artwork you see. it makes you curious about the madness behind it. it makes you excited to see people’s creativity, vision, and the final product that they conceive.
[the 340 ton boulder | michael heizer’s levitated mass]
[ahhhhhh, green grass & the warm sun]
[light installation at LACMA]
[thuy hitting up the light installation the night before]
and that’s a wrap! we had the most wonderful time celebrating thuy’s birthday in L.A. it was a pretty awesome weekend! i am very thankful we also were able to spend it with my brother and tashina. they totally made our weekend fabulous {thanks to them for taking us around!}.
on our second day {the temperature was puurrrrrfect}, the sun was shining and i couldn’t wait to let it hit my skin {spf anyone?}! we got ready and headed out to our first destination of the day – bottega louie.
oh em gee. i was in heaven. i love, love this place. it encompassed everything i love: white, light, delicious food, coffee, ambience, interior design, pastries, gifts, candies, cakes, and macarons. beautiful, colorful, tasty, perfectly made macarons.
my sister kim had found this place and put it on our list of things to do. we arrived early and there wasn’t a wait. i couldn’t get past the first few feet, running directly into the macaron cases! they were being seated and i was still straggling around in the front.
[beverly hilton hotel]
[ready to parrrtayyy!]
[we found olive’s street!]
[diiiiirty sidewalk. ew.]
[almost there! eeekkkk!]
[so excited…the pastry cases alone had me in heaven!]
[auhhhhhhhhh! nom nom]
[beignet appetizer with a raspberry compote]
we sat down and ordered the beignets as an appetizer. i die. i ordered, as usual, an orange/grapefruit juice mix and a decaf americano. for my breakfast, i selected the belgium waffles and a side of bacon. natch. it was all soooo good. i loved the scene, the food, and the company.
after we ate, i went up to the cases of pastries to purchase a selection of macarons. i bought the birthday girl a box of pistachios and then myself, a mix of flavors to take home. i wanted to buy so much but i always have to calm myself down and get real. one person can’t eat two dozen macarons in a few days {well, to keep this figure, one can’t do that!}.
[belgium waffles, seasonal berries, chantilly cream {vanilla bean: i die}, and vermont maple syrup]
[i wanted one of everything]
[decisions, decisions, decisions]
[strawberry, raspberry, lemon, espresso, and vanilla bean]
after brunch, we met up with huy and tashina and they walked us around downtown L.A. i had the best time. there was so much to do and look at. the first place we hit was the bench from the movie, 500 days of summer. it was fenced off {no trespassing!} but that doesn’t stop us. at least not me. i’m such a rule breaker {or very antiauthority…it does get me in trouble sometimes}, so naturally, i jumped the fence. what?! the worst anyone could do…tell me not to be in there? well, i was willing to face that. it was fantastic. we snapped some great photos! i loved every moment of it!
[whaaaa? you can never have too many designer purses on at once!]
after we visited the bench, we walked around the area. we stopped by a pretty water court, made a pit stop at MOCA {bought some great gifts for olive and the boys}, and spun by the disney concert hall. we snapped fun pics all along the way!
[water court downtown L.A.]
[frank gehry]
[i love simple|cute|fun packaging]
i had to stop by the car {for a mommy pit stop} while the group hit up the bradbury building {a cool, antique space}. after visiting the building, they went into the grand central market. i met everyone there, it was sooo busy and crazy inside. we walked around for a bit, exploring before we narrowed it down to what we wanted to get. lan, thuy and i decided to get ice-cream {from mcconnell’s} while kim got tacos.
decadent. the ice cream was so smooth and creamy. it was filling and sweet! we sat around outside while we ate our food, enjoying the beautiful weather. ahhhhh, i can’t wait for summer in chi town!
[grand central market]
[wexler’s deli]
[mcconnell’s icecream]
after our escapade downtown, huy took us to the area where he usually bikes {up a mountain}. it was a crazy route there. we were on our way to the griffith park observatory but before we got there, we made a stop at a coffee shop. huy stated that we would totally love the quaint little coffee shop and he was right. yes…this is where we were shoulder to shoulder with beyoncé, solange, and little blue ivy. can you believe it?! as tashina put it, it was like finding a unicorn! yes it was!
they were with two other friends and their kids. i was standing right next to solange. i kept thinking to myself…wow, do i know her? why does this girl look so familiar?? duh! by the time i realized it was them, they were already walking down the path to the street! boo! i can’t believe i missed the photo op! after we got our coffee and hung out a bit at the coffee shop, we walked back to the car. this is where i realized they were still hanging out around the area! i was able to snap a few photos from afar but hey, it’s better than nothing!
[the trails…the infamous spotting of beyonce and solange!]
we drove another two miles to our next destination…it was cuckoo. the road was so tight and it was cray crowded but we finally made it to the griffith park observatory! the views were ah-mazing! now, i am scared of heights and being so high up freaked the sh*t out of me but it was so worth it. we nabbed some awesome photos, created some great memories, and checked another awesome view off our list!
we then headed back down and hit up another shopping center! glendale galleria and americana way. it was like a mini vegas. seriously. it felt like i was in vegas with the way they had built the buildings, all the lights shining all around us, and how crowded it was.
[griffith park observatory]
[our view of downtown L.A. from the griffith park observatory]
[deluca’s italian deli at americana way]
we stopped for a snack before we headed out to dinner. yes, we did eat before we ate. hehe. anyhoo, we explored the malls for a bit and finally headed out to our final destination: the boiling crab. huy and tashina got there first and text us that the wait was two hours and forty-five minutes?!!!!! wtf. no thank you! they then suggested a place across the street called banh mi cali. yes, please. we were sooo in the mood to eat pho and bun bo. it totally hit the spot. no wait, delicious phood 😉 , and it was $5 and change a bowl. woot woot.
[pho at banh mi che cali]
that was our last stop of the day. phew!!! what a whirlwind day. we squeezed in so much and it was perfect. i had the most wonderful day with my sisters, brother, and friends. we visited so many awesome places and i was a happy camper {well, i don’t camp and if i was camping, i probs wouldn’t be happy…so, maybe i should really say happy as a clam but are clams really happy??…okay, okay…i’ll stop analyzing now.}.
the time had come to head out to l.a. we had booked this trip months ago and it came upon us in a blink of an eye.
i wasn’t ready. i hadn’t done much of anything to get ready. it was going to be a short trip {to celebrate my sister’s birthday!} over the weekend but i typically prepare, think about packing, and get random stuff {purchased} to go on vacation with but this time around i didn’t. i was having a little anxiety about leaving little miss olive. i knew i was going to miss her incredibly! nonetheless, i got myself ready {pedi and mani all set!}, packed my clothes, and went to bed. i was definitely ready for some warm weather, relaxation, and yummy eating to ensue!
we arrived in cali {golly, it felt like the longest flight evah?!}, rented our car, and skedaddled on our way to the beverly hilton hotel {thanks so much to thuy…she was the driver the whole time!}. we relaxed a bit before we headed out to the grove. we freshened up and went on our way. it was sooooo lovely out. the weather was fantastic. sunny and warm. ahhhhh. i was loving it!
we got to the grove and went straight to the farmer’s market! we were so hungry! we walked around to weigh our options and decided on some delicious gyros. i love the farmer’s market. it’s so quaint and fun. there are so many shops and tasty places to eat at. i also couldn’t get over the beautiful weather. i was in heaven sitting outside, all toasty, eating my food. after we noshed, we walked around a bit to get something sweet. i bought toffee for my dad {although we snuck in a few bites}, thuy and lan grabbed some doughnuts, and kim purchased a coffee. perfect.
[the ubiquitous cali shot]
[i always fancy pastries]
[the original farmer’s market // we are so into it…well, at least me!]
[yum]
[these toffee’s were divine!]
[of course i had to take a pic of bennett’s ice cream shop!]
after eating, we walked the grove. we stopped into a few shops…i needed to get a few errands done. it’s funny how i live at a mall at home but yet i never stay long enough to pick up anything that i need! i’d rather get home to my family than stay and shop. so, i took advantage of this moment to get some things i needed to get and get done.
[the grove: coffee and pastries will always do]
we shopped until huy and tashina arrived at the mall. we all met at morel’s for dinner. our usual stomping ground when in cali. it was soooo great to see them! i was excited to spend some time with them while we were here. we ordered up a storm, toasted to thuy, and drank our night away.
[face timing the boys at morel’s]
[cheers to being in l.a. for thuy’s birthday!]
[charcuterie plate]
[i wear my sunglasses at night…especially when i eat a burger]
[the gang]
[left only! directing traffic…]
our evening was short lived. although we were out until eleven o’clock {hey…that’s one o’clock chicago time!}. we were spent. traveling always takes a toll on you! we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.
it was a pretty good first day! we had a great time exploring the farmer’s market, getting around town, and eating a tasty dinner with our brother and tashina at morel’s! until tomorrow {next post 😉 }.
in lieu of our trip to l.a., i thought it was fitting to reminisce about our first trip together to the golden state. here, waaayyyyyy back in 2008 {don’t we look the same? or am i just being hopeful?!}, we are in california on our way to santa barbara. look at reagan, just look at the little dude. how cute is he?! omg…so stinkin’ adorbs. i love, love this picture of him…those cheeks, so chubby!
anyhoo, it was a total family trip. mom, dad, everyone. it was sure a cray trip all around. we were on our way up to the mission in santa barbara with my uncle khai and his husband don. my aunt and my brother huy were also with us {they live in cali and well as my uncle}, so it was quite the posse traveling together. you can only imagine the shenanigans that ensued with so many strong personalities together!
it was a great trip overall, we had a chance to check out a lot of fun areas in california. i loved so many places we visited. at the time, my brother huy lived right next to the grove and i loved their farmer’s market area. there were so many yummy food stands and it my first time trying the ‘hip’ pinkberry. according to my {hipster} brother, it was already passé. so, apparently i was behind on the popular trends {hello, i should have come out to california earlier!}. c’est la vie! regardless, i was in love. it was so yummy, sweet, and fresh! i chuckle when i think about that story. passé or not, i’m love what i love! 🙂
alright lovies, i wish warm weather upon everyone {soon!}! yes, truly with all this coldness all around us, we will be california dreaming! happy friday y’all!
december was a pretty awesome month. i love december. i love christmas, i love nye, i love the holiday hustle and bustle. there is always so much to do!
we really did have a wonderful month. we were able to fit in many fun activities, such as going downtown to experience the holiday magic in our wonderful city of chicago. did some yummy baking. decorated. had a lot of guests over. my brother huy and tashina visited. ate a ton of sweets. exchanged fun gifts. celebrated my birthday {woot woot}. plus lots and lots more! you can check out december in my sidebar of ‘ride thru memory lane’ if you would like to peep into the past!
olive had her ‘first’ christmas. well, she really had her first christmas last year but she was barely four weeks old! she’s grown up so much alreadyy {this past month} and she was so cute when we opened up her christmas gifts. she was saying “ooohhhhhhh!!!” with each present. oh, how i love her.
it’s the strangest feeling…when i’m with her or when i think about her. i am filed with soooo many emotions, it’s weird! i’m so beyond happy, filled with love and joy but yet i’m sad and feel bittersweet at the same time. i dunnoooo, maybe the mommies out there will understand or get what i’m trying to say {but not being very articulate!}.
with each passing moment that i have with olive…i’m sad it’s gone but so happy to have another moment with her. i love her to infinity and beyond that i don’t want to lose a single second, but when that moment passes…i want it back! yet, the present is the best time to cherish and revel in. or maybe it’s about the fact that this past year has flown by and i can’t believe how fast she has grown and changed; i just want her to slow her roll!
thinking about her becoming an adult scares me a little bit. i wish she could just stay little, cute, adorable, and sweet. i love her hugs and kisses. i love that she follows me anywhere. i love that she just wants to be loved, cuddled, and in my arms. i don’t want that to change and time is working against me {darn you father time, darn you!}.
anyhoo….this post has now become more of a momfession than it is about our wonderful past month of december. so, back to our december snapshots: below is filled with many fun photos of this past month. check out the candid moments and olive craziness we captured!
[digging for gold]
[o christmas tree]
[look ma…i’m feeding myself!]
[birthday!]
[gulp, gulp, gulp…ah, no we didn’t let her drink a bottle of pop]
[over indulging during the holidays]
[her play corner]
[reagan and olive ~ so cute!]
[having fun at papa’s]
[pitching a fit]
[cookies with gramma // i hide under things like a cat]
[that sweet pout]
[wild]
[yummy pudding]
[i’ll just smash the cupcake into my face]
[work holiday party]
[birthday gifts from andrea, jamie, and ollie]
[catching up on world news]
well, my lovies i hope you enjoyed our december snapshots! everyone, please have a wonderful wednesday.
“shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
wow…this picture definitely makes me wish for summer. look how tan i am?! it’s probably remnants of a vegas trip we took prior to this photo op anndddd, lookey at little grace! she’s so tiny and cute.
we were at a wedding {hc’s best friend michael & ruth} and it was a very warm day out! i had been on a crazy hunt to find the dress grace is wearing in the picture {don’t we look so cute matchy matching?}. it was definitely an unpleasant buying experience at a major department store that shall remain unnamed. my only friend who probably can recall this event {the almost throw down i had with a sales associate} is matt. if i am correctly recalling the incident, i do remember meeting matt for drinks and dinner after the purchasing debacle and duly venting to him about my crazy experience and terrible, terrible service i had received.
anyhoo, i finally received the fun dress in the mail for little grace and we all got bedazzled for the wedding. we had a grand ol’ time eating, drinking, and dancing the night away. i do remember grace getting down on the dance floor with gramma! it was very cute to watch.
ahhhh, such fond memories. well, enough randomness and ramblings from me. i hope you have a wonderful friday and weekend! stay warm chicago friends…i hope our chiberia ends soon! brrrrrrrrrr.
my brother and his girl tashina came to visit us for christmas up until new year’s eve. it was pretty awesome to have them around. huy doesn’t visit very often, maybe twice a year if we are lucky. i love seeing him. we all miss him. plus, he is sooooo wonderful with the kids too!
huy moved out to cali quite some time ago. i can’t even remember…it’s been nine years now?? anyhoo, life suits him just fine out there. he’s so l.a. now…such a hipster. well, he’s always been a hipster but whatevs.
he’s been a photographer for quite some time now. he’s super talented and has done some amazing work. you can check out his website here.
on one of the days they were in town, hc invited everyone over to our place for supper. we ordered uncle bub’s for dinner and had a swell time hanging out together. i came home and only my sisters and the kids were home. soon, everyone else slowly trickled in. hc and terry were out picking up the food and arrived home last.
we got down to business! the table was set and the food was ready to be served. we noshed, imbibed, and conversed about all sorts of topics. it was fantastic just to hang out and enjoy each other’s company.
[feeding the garbage disposal]
[boy band brothers]
gosh, family is so great. i feel very fortunate to have a large family. i sometimes, still can’t believe my parents did what they did. raising a large family with the means that they had. it’s pretty awesome to have brothers and sisters…people you can go to when you need them, people you can hang out with, people you can rely on, people who help you out. siblings are like built in buddies, non? and you know what really tops the sundae off? when your siblings are with/marry some more awesome peeps. the family grows larger and better. life does have it’s not so great moments {irritations, fights, disappointment}…don’t get me wrong, sometimes it sucks but i love having the glass half full. it only makes me feel more fulfilled, loved, and happy. i’d rather count my lucky stars than think about the pile of shit i just stepped on.
a lucky star i’m thankful for?? my little babes, olive. i love watching her play with her cousins. it’s just the best and cutest times evah. *sigh*
[silly kids]
[silly faces]
[ba going in for a kiss]
well, it was a quick but lovely time with tashina and huy. we enjoyed them being in town and spending so many great days with them. it definitely went by too fast. lots of love to them both…we can’t wait to see y’all again!
every year, it’s been our thing to go to the city to celebrate nye {or the fact that we were living in the city}. for the past {over} six years we have been together and seven new year’s eves together, we have always had dinner in the city. for almost two decades, my sister and her hubs have done the same. celebrating nye in the city was a no brainer for us, always.
but this year was different. this year olive joined the party {being the older and wiser gal}, this year we bought a house {in the burbs!}, and this year we were slightly not feeling it. it was a whirlwind holiday season and before we knew it, new years was creeping up on us very fast. we weren’t sure where we wanted to celebrate it…what restaurant? what time? oh, all the decision making was overwhelming or rather, not interesting.
so, we thought, why not have it at our house? it’s close to everyone, we love having people over, we love hosting, and it would be a lot more fun and relaxing! we all wanted to dress up and cook a delicious dinner! how perfect!
anndd at our house it was, hc and i got up super early {or rather, olive got us up} and we started preparing for the party. we cleaned, set up all the tables, decorated, and bought any last minute supplies {ice, flowers, etc.}. our place was starting to come together!
right after 5 pm, people started to trickle in. we set up appetizers, served up drinks, and slowly started to cook up our lovely dinner. it was great to just chill, relax, and move at our pace.
the kids were having a blast hanging out {down in the basement or screaming upstairs}. us adults mingled and nibbled on apps. our friend, lan {owner of the krispie bakery}, brought over the most awesome kettle corn that she had made. it was soooo stinkin’ yummy, i couldn’t stop eating it.
[dapper dudes]
[beverage area]
[the addicting kettle corn lan made]
[yummy cheese plate by kim]
in between the apps and cooking, we went a little nutso with our ‘photo booth’. warning: there are A LOT of pictures coming your way! hold onto to your screen!
on the menu for our nye dinner was a caprese salad, arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette, sautéed green beans with sliced almonds, mushroom ravioli sautéed in a brown butter sauce, and a savory seasoned pork tenderloin. mmmm mmmm.
we all sat down for dinner and i toasted to our fabulous evening! it was such a wonderful event to have everyone gather around for. everyone looked so pretty in their festive attire and the kids were able to scream and play together with ease. a perfect combo for a perfect evening.
[new year’s eve tablescape]
after we ate dinner, i cleaned up and i placed out cookies and coffee for dessert. i purchased the tasty little morsels from whole foods! i love their cookie/dessert section at the store. once desserts were out for the adults, i got crackin’ on the kids sweet tooth’s. i first made them little sundaes and then they got super excited at the idea of a root beer float! so i made mini root beer floats for them too! yum!
[cream and sugar set from anthropologie]
[mini root beer floats]
the kids were sooooo impatient. they wanted to count down every hour and we kept telling them, no…not yet! they were itchin’ to use the poppers, the noise makers, and the clappers. so, we decided that we would do the count down with new york city!
[getting ready for the countdown!]
[midnight kiss!]
[the sweet babes leaning in for another kiss]
[we celebrated nyc’s nye but miss olive stayed up to bring in the new year chicago style!]
overall, it was such a wonderful, wonderful night. we had the best time socializing, drinking, nibbling on apps, and making dinner together. it was a total team effort…we all had a great time together and it was perfect way to bring in the new year!
christmas morning was quiet and calm. it was me, hc, and olive doing our usual routine. we really wanted starbucks but the one closest to us was closed {sad face}, so dunkin’ donuts it was; hc got us yummy donuts and {okay} coffee. the coffee was alright. i’m such a starbucks fan and i was totally missing my americano this past christmas morning.
after breakfast {olive was napping}, hc and i just chilled on the couch. ahhhhh, some relaxation was in order. it was quite nice to have some quiet time and do nothing. we just waited and waited for miss olive to wake up and be on our merry way to aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house.
before going to their house, first we stopped off at missy’s house to exchange presents. it’s our christmas day routine. of course, it was mostly about miss olive. she had the most presents! natch.
[miss olive loving the cat]
[here kitty kitty]
[my cutie]
when we arrived at missy’s house, olive was totally smitten by the kitty cats! she was so delighted! she smiled and petted the cats, she was loving it. it was too cute to see. i love seeing her amazed by simple things and how sweet she can be when she’s so curious, intrigued, and happy.
[olive loving her new vacuum]
[my gift from dick and jane]
[quilted olive pillow!]
[she loves her the winnie the pooh wooden puzzle]
[papa opening his gift: a whole year of salami!]
[cousin daniel]
[aunt missy and olive]
after missy’s place, we finally arrived at aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house. the party was in full swing. we rushed in and greeted everyone. a lot of hugs and ‘merry christmas’ exchanged amongst everyone. we made our rounds of hello’s and settled in. we were only there for a little bit before dinner was ready. every year, vicki makes her famous stuffed shells…they are so rich and yummy. it’s like a heart attack on a plate but oh so good.
once dinner was served, we all hung out and socialized. it was great to see olive in action. she is always so scared, attentive, intense, and observant when she is in a place that is unfamiliar. she has to assess her situation and get comfortable before she decides if it’s a safe place. once she is sold that it’s not a scary place, she will start to explore. that is when she becomes herself and starts to enjoy her surroundings and people.
[chocolate martini]
[kaitin and lisa]
[chunker cheeks!]
[heart attack on a plate]
[lori, kait, lisa, and missy]
[jay and morgan]
[rich’s godson, jake]
[lori and moi]
[parents]
[kids]
[grandkids]
after a few hours of hanging out with the fam, olive was a bit spent and it was time to go. she was getting super tired and when that happens, she gets into these crying fits. that is when we know she is dunzo! so, we said our goodbyes and off we went.
ahhhh, it was christmas eve! i love christmas eve. it’s the most wonderful time of the year! every year, it’s at my parent’s house. we gather there for food, fun, and gifts!
hc and i got ready {while olive was napping away}. i was hemming and hawing over what i should wear. i wanted to be festive and fun but i couldn’t figure out what my ensemble should be. well, i got a little dorky and totally went all cheesy chritmasy with my outfit du nuit. red and green it was. it was a bit loud, bright, and crazy but i totally rocked it like nobody’s business {no comments please}.
olive’s outfit was a bit classier. she wore ralph lauren plaid. yup, the cutest little red dress with a plaid ribbon, sparkle tights, and a red flower pin. hello, she had to match her cousin’s outfits!
once we got there, we said our hello’s to everyone and i went downstairs to see if my sisters needed help with dinner {they were chugging along quite nicely}. in-between helping with dinner, we were visiting with everyone and clinking our drinking glasses on this very merry evening.
we did a lot of goofing around, taking photos at every chance, and just relaxed. a perfect evening to sit back, unwind, and slow down from this hectic, hectic holiday season. it was pretty cool to just chill with our family. i was so tired that i actually fell asleep sitting up on the couch. what?! i never do that, like never. just ask hc. but never say never ’cause i just did!
[red and green!]
[the boys]
[cheers!]
[i found this picture quite funny. mmmmmm, wine…]
[why, yes there is a tent in the middle of the room. and santa and rudolph were visiting olive]
[super auntie thuy and olive]
[tashina actually holding olive! or i mean, olive letting tashina hold her]
[sweet baby girl]
[silly faces]
after much waiting, dinner was finally ready! yum! kim always creates the most wonderful entrees. everything is always so flavorful and delicious. we had a wonderful seasoned beef tenderloin, buttery mashed potatoes, savory mushrooms, corn, brussel sprouts, and a crisp, fresh kale salad. it was all so tasty and good!
[christmas tablescape]
[dinner place cards]
[matching ralph lauren plaid outfits]
after dinner, our little elves changed into their pj’s. oh so cute. could this be any more adorbs?! we, of course, went photo crazy. after much admiration of them, we finally trekked upstairs to open up christmas gifts. it was so crazy and fun. of course, the kiddos went first. that’s the best part! olive, reagan, and bennett opened up all their gifts and ooh’d and ahh’d over all their goodies. the cutest part? olive learning to ooh and ahh herself! she would squeal every time we opened up a present…it was beyond precious to watch and hear her! i just about melted every time she did it.
[santa’s elves]
[this picture cracks me up! i laugh every time i look at it!]
[elf feet]
[gifts!]
[presents, presents, presents]
[my gift from hubby charming]
[prints from rifle paper co.]
[bose sound system]
[christmas booty]
[how many christmas presents can i wear?]
[pout]
[what a cool dude]
after the kids opened up their presents, all the adults opened up their secret santa gifts and had to guess who their secret santa was! score…i got mine right, it was tashina! ha! i’m so good. 😉 so, as usual, everyone tinkered with their christmas gifts and/or reveled in the kids excitement of new things.
thuy and i then brought up desserts and coffee for everyone to nibble on while we continued to play around with our new toys. oh what a night…it was a pretty awesome eve together. spending time with family is precious and it was definitely a christmas eve to remember! merry, merry indeed!
