Tips for Holiday Hosting

Happy Monday readers!

8 days...can you believe it? Christmas is nearly here!

Those who follow along on Insta know that we hosted my family for Thanksgiving this year.

While I've had a lot of practice hosting dinner parties, book clubs, and other gatherings, hosting your family for a large holiday meal is a little different. I picked up some tips and tricks this first go around and I thought I'd share today, given that you may be hosting your family in the coming week for a Christmas meal!

These aren't rocket science by any means, but I hope you'll find a tip you've never thought of before in today's post.

ONE

Choose your menu with preparation in mind. What I mean by that is to consider: What items can be prepared, or even fully cooked in advance? What are the various temperatures items need to be baked at? How much space is in the fridge for items you prepare in advance or need to be chilled? Are there dietary restrictions to be aware of?

For example, we chose to skip a turkey and the intimidation factor it brings. Instead we opted to get a honey baked ham (pre-sliced) that would just need to be warmed up and to roast a chicken. We also included baked brie as an app, homemade yeast rolls (recipe coming soon!), a brussel sprouts salad (recipe here), sweet potato casserole (recipe here), and French silk pie (recipe here).

The night before, we baked the pies, prepped the sweet potato casserole so all it needed was baking, and also shredded the brussel sprouts. The morning of, we baked the rolls so all they'd need was to be reheated at mealtime; the rest we were able to do in the afternoon before guests arrived at 5:00 pm (a time I chose so we'd have all day to prepare and not feel rushed).

We finalized this menu about 3 weeks in advance and shared it with my family, asking others to also bring a dish to share.

TWO

Staging is also key in advance of hosting. We live in a small cape cod, so figuring out seating, traffic flow, and food presentation took a little creativity. The day before we worked through a few different layouts and set the table. 

The first item we tackled was seating. The most we can fit at our dining table is 6, and that's a tight squeeze. We had 9 coming, so opted to flip our dining table lengthwise and add a card table at the end. I set both tables with white linens and a matching table runners to make the tables feel cohesive and put similar flower arrangements in blue and white on both tables. (Speaking of flowers, magnolia is your best friend for holiday arrangements. It is so easy and makes a beautiful statement!)

The next item to think about was bar and appetizer placement. I wanted to avoid too much traffic in the kitchen, as last minute cooking and prep would be happening, so set a bar up in the living room. This doesn't need to be fancy and really any old table will do. Bryce's nightstand is a drop leaf table, so I literally cleared that, brought it downstairs expanding the leaves, and threw a fall tablecloth on top (underneath the fall cloth, I first layered a padded water resistant cloth to protect the wood)! The bar was self serve with wine, lemon water, and some nuts. On the back patio, we had a Yeti cooler stocked with beer, soda, and LaCroix, again self serve.

Given our limited space, I opted to place appetizers on the card table. I staged the 3 place settings for that table in the sun room, as well as the folding chairs. A few minutes before it was time to eat, I simply cleared the apps to the kitchen and was able to quickly set the remaining three places and put the chairs out.

Finally, part of staging is also planning how you'll serve the meal. We opted for a simple buffet in the kitchen. Since we had prepped everything requiring our stand mixer the night before, we hid that in the pantry, and cleared the counter tops as much as possible putting serving platters out the night before. 

Another staging tip is to have a few versatile serving platters pulled out and handy in advance. I keep our serving platters in the corner cabinet of our dining room which was not the most accessible with the Thanksgiving table set up. Knowing that some of the "pot luck" items may need platters, I pulled a few out in advance and had them within reach in our pantry. One item I realized we were short on, in the moment, however was serving utensils! While people will sometimes come prepared with serving platters for the food they bring, many people don't bring serving utensils. We were able to improvise with wooden spoons and such, but I do plan to buy a couple more serving utensils between now and our next holiday hosting.

THREE

Have a clean up and leftovers plan. This may be a no brainer, but clean up as much as you can as you prepare the meal and also be sure to have an empty dishwasher in advance of your guests' arrival. One of my tips, that sounds silly, but I've gotten compliments on, is to have a pretty dish towel ready for whatever last minute non-dishwasher safe dishes you may throw in the sink. I didn't do this at Thanksgiving, but at other parties in the past, I've simply draped the dishtowel over the sink to hide the mess from guests. In terms of clean up, Bryce and I don't have a problem leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight (I know some folks can't sleep if a dish is left in the sink...this is not us!). We typically will do whatever clean up is absolutely necessary at the end of the night (ie: putting food away, loading the dishwasher, soaking dishes, etc), but then will tackle the rest, and putting dishes away in the morning. One of my favorite moments after hosting an event is sitting down on the couch with a glass of wine after clean up!

For leftovers, be sure to buy extra tupperware in advance, or do what I did and send a BYOT (bring your own tupperware!) message to guests in advance of the event. Also make sure you're stocked with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and ziplock bags. It's also good to have a few grocery or shopping bags at the ready in case people need to pack their leftovers.

FOUR

The final tip is to enjoy yourself! The holidays are all about time spent with family, so do as much prep work in advance, and choose a menu that allows you time outside the kitchen with your guests. And at the end of the day, if you do have a recipe flop or snafu, it makes for a great story!

Have you hosted your family for the holidays?

What are your go to hostessing tips and tricks?

Have a great day!

Shagbark Soft Opening

Happy Tuesday, readers!

Good weekend?

The most exciting part of ours was getting the chance to attend a soft opening at Bryce's stepbrother's new restaurant, Shagbark! We are so proud of his stepbrother, Walter, and let's just say the new restaurant did not disappoint!

We ate at a high top table in the bar area, and I have to say, it's my favorite space in the restaurant. There is lots of natural light, gorgeous grass cloth wallpaper, custom lighting, and stunning oil paintings!

The name Shagbark pays homage to a Shagbark Hickory Tree which was used to create the communal table in the restaurant. Our hightop was also cut from the Shagbark, as you can see above. The tree used for the project came from a property on the James River. It's important to mention this, because the entire restaurant pays homage to the bounty of Virginia. The shagbark tables, the art on the walls, and just about everything on the menu is hyper local, from right here in Virginia. 

We sipped on cocktails while salivating over the menu. Bryce had the Shagbark Sour pictured above and I had the Shagbark Smash.

We started with the Manakintowne Farms Squash Blossoms and Chicken Fried Chesapeake Bay Oysters. The squash blossoms, were fried with an herbed goat cheese, roasted peppers, tomato coulis and basil oil. The goat cheese reminded me of a creamy pimiento cheese and complimented the blossoms so well! We were also, as always, excited for Walter's oysters! He fries them up regularly at family dinners, so I was pleased to see how he put a restaurant spin on them. They were served with Byrd Mill stone ground grits, shoots & sprouts, dill pickle remoulade, and Tabasco butter. The oysters were scrumptious, and it was a real treat also getting to indulge in some grits!

For entrees, I ordered the Pan Roasted Carolina Grouper and Bryce chose the Autumn Olive Farms Berkabaw Pork Chop.

I can never resist a well prepared fish dish, and well prepared this certainly was! The grouper came with Victory Farms spring leeks, Florida rock shrimp, sweet corn, parmesan risotto, and champagne-citrus butter. I ate every bite.

Bryce's pork chop came with black sticky rice, roasted sweet potato, garlic broccolini, and lime-scented coconut curry broth. It was so juicy and good! 

And of course, we couldn't resist dessert! We shared the dark chocolate tart, which came with chocolate ganache, banana ice cream, and candied peanuts. It was heavenly and I especially can't wait to enjoy the banana ice cream again sometime soon!

Before leaving, I had to snap a photo of these gorgeous Shagbark panels!

To get the recipe for Walter's delicious chicken fried oysters, which was featured in Garden and Gun, click here. 

You can read an additional Garden and Gun spread from a couple of years ago, featuring Walter, as well as several other top Southern chefs here. The piece, titled "For Love of the Game" shares a hunt on the same James River farm where the Civil War-era Shagbark Hickory in the restaurant originally grew.

And last, but not least, my favorite piece leading up to Shagbark's debut, can be read here.

For those of you in the Richmond area, Shagbark officially opens to the public for dinner service tomorrow. However, the restaurant is unofficially open to the public tonight. If you're in the mood for an amazing meal tonight, stop by! Your tastebuds will not regret it!

Are you a local?

What are your favorite Richmond eateries?

Have a great day!

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2015: The Year of Doing My Thing

Happy New Year friends!

First things first, today is the start of the Lilly After Party Sale! Click here to shop ah-mazing deals!

Wow, I took quite the break from blogging these last few weeks. School has been so demanding this year, that I needed this break more than ever before. Little did I know that would mean a break from, well, everything, including the blog.

I also will admit, I've been hesitant to sit down and write this post. I knew that my next few posts would reflect on the past year and also look forward to the new year ahead. That task has been more daunting than in years past. As I've mentioned before, 2014 has been a tough year. It has been the hardest year of both my and Bryce's lives. As I've stated previously, I don't feel at liberty to share the details of our challenges from the past year, but I will share that what has made this situation unique is that most of the challenges we have faced have been largely out of our own control. Our relationship (and sanity at times, ha) was put through the ultimate test, yet it was not due to something either of us did to the other. Rather, it was a series of outside struggles and stress that put a huge strain on our relationship.

I've done a lot of thinking about the past year. There are so many sayings about the tough times in life--"What does not kill you makes you stronger," "Everything happens for a reason," "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain," "Yada, yada, yada!" I don't mean to sound cynical (and maybe I am), but while I think these words have meaning, I also think sometimes bad things just happen. I don't think there is some divine ultimate reason for everything. I wouldn't even say that I am necessarily stronger than I was a year ago; in fact, in some ways I am probably weaker. I would say the "positive" from the past year has been assurance. I now can say with complete assurance that I am strong, that my relationship with Bryce is strong, that my relationships with friends and family are strong. Does that make me better though? I'm not so sure.

All that being said, my motto for 2015 is "Do your thing." So much of my past year was spent trying to ameliorate and control the situation I was in...a situation that was largely out of my control. Throughout much of the year, I felt like I had lost a sense of myself. I developed anxiety. I was unhappy and I was a glimmer of the person I believe myself to be. The last few months have been much better, and moving forward, I am vowing to simply do my thing. To be myself, and focus on what is best for me...in some ways, regardless of others. That may be selfish, but after the past year, I think I need some time to be selfish. To expand on my motto a bit:

via

And now to not sound totally cynical, and self absorbed, I'll do some reflecting on last year's resolutions and share my other goals for the year ahead. To read in detail my goals and resolutions for last year, click here.

In short, below you will find my goals for 2014 and a brief reflection:

REVAMP MYSELF AS A BLOGGER

All in all, I would say that this goal was largely successful. 2014 was a bit of a rebirth of my blog. I recreated myself as "Alexandra Bee Blog" and got a pretty new design courtesy of Laura Wyatt Designs. I also largely maintained my goal of posting 10x per month. I missed the mark in both September and December, posting only 8 times those months, however, life was busy and I posted more than 10 several months so I think it all comes out in the wash.

MAKE OUR HOUSE A HOME

This goal was largely about focusing on my relationship with Bryce and the new step we took by choosing to move in together at the beginning of last year. Because of the year we faced, I can honestly say that the exact particulars of this goal were not my focus. Much of our focus in our relationship over the last year, was really, for lack of a better word, survival. We had to fight to stand by each other's side for most of the year. It was tough, but ultimately, we prevailed and our relationship is now stronger than ever. And honestly, I'd say that has been the ultimate success. 

TAKE CHARGE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS

Well, you can probably infer from my reflections at the beginning of this post, that I didn't totally succeed in this goal. I set out with high hopes for 2014 and the first short six days were great. I was proclaiming the benefits and power of positive thinking and confident moving into the year ahead. Then on January 6, that all changed. I've learned a lot though and feel confident I can find more success with this goal in the coming year.

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KEEP TRYING NEW FOODS

I would say that goal was hugely successful. I consider myself somewhat of a reformed picky eater and will eat most anything these days. I'm still not the biggest fan of fruit, though, haha!

And now for 2015. I was tempted to make no goals and just say that my resolution for the year ahead to make it a better year than last, but that's just not in my nature.

FOCUS ON POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

If the past year has taught me anything, it's how important a support network can be. I am so lucky

to have the unwavering love, friendship, and support of Bryce, my family, and some seriously amazing friends. There is no way in hell I would have gotten through the past year without my support network, so my goal moving forward is to really focus on continuing to cultivate positive relationships and to pay it forward. I want to make sure the people that have helped me so much know just how much their appreciated and loved by me.

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SPEND MORE TIME INTERACTING WITH OTHER BLOGS

I am so proud of how far this blog has come, but over the last year, I have really struggled to find the time to read, comment, and connect with other bloggers. I have tried hard to do a better job of emailing readers in response to comments and questions, but I can most certainly do better in the new year. Additionally, I am constantly inspired by others and miss reading blogs regularly. That being said, I am hoping to be able to carve out some additional time each week to connect with all of you beyond my posts. 

GET BACK TO HEALTHY EATING

Womp, womp, womp...this is the boring goal, but it's a necessary one. In the last year, as I've become less and less picky, Bryce and I have really become foodies. Richmond's food scene has also been booming and we've had an influx of amazing new restaurants at our fingertips. All that being said, we've probably been doing a little to much eating, drinking, and being merry, haha! I am hoping that the new year will bring better meal planning and more healthy eating.

BUILD UP MY SAVINGS

Another boring, but necessary one here. This year, I really want to work hard to spend less and save more. I am very fortunate to have little educational debt which my parents are helping with and no credit card debt. I also am proud to say that I already put away for retirement each month. That being said, there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of saving. I had the habit for a while of putting a huge chunk of my paycheck into savings at the beginning of each month, however, I got out of the habit over the last few months. I plan to make it a habit again and focus less on material, more on meaningful.

So there you have it! My goals for 2015..the year of doing my thing! New year, I'm ready for ya!

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How was your past year?

How do you cope when the times get tough?

What goals or resolutions do you have for 2015?

Have a great day!

And just because I am saving, not spending, doesn't mean you have to! Shop some of my Lilly favorites that may be included in the sale below. I will also tune back in after school this evening with more!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all you turkeys!

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I can't get enough of this Thanksgiving tablescape!

Today (and everyday), I have a lot to be thankful for. As y'all know, 2014 has been a particularly rough year for me. I've griped, whined, and cried a lot over it. I've wallowed in self-pity. That being said, this Thanksgiving, I am trying to be especially mindful and grateful for those things that I have that are taken for granted on a day to day basis. While things have been hard for me this year, they certainly could have been harder; and despite the challenges I have faced, I have always had the basic necessities in life.

First, I am thankful not only to be able to feast and stuff my face today, but to be able to eat every day. I read in this article just last night that "1 in 4 children lives in a food-insecure household."

Second, I am thankful, not only to have clothing, but to have a closet full of pretty things to choose from. As I debated what to wear for today's festivities there are women in parts of the world who don't have that luxury. Women who are required, due to social code, to cover up, to not be seen nor heard.

Third, I am thankful for my literacy. I started reading at a young age and since then, haven't stopped. I feel like something is missing when I don't have a book. Clearly, I also love to write or this blog wouldn't still be around more than 3 years after its start.  Literacy is improving globally, but according to UNICEF (here), there are still 126 million illiterate youth and in parts of Africa, literacy rates fall below 50%. I learned in a training last year, that 3rd grade reading proficiency is a predictor of prison populations. Nelson Mandela said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nuanced and flawed as it may be, one cannot deny the power of free public education in America.

I could go on and on and on. One can always find something to be thankful for, but that's enough seriousness for one day!

And finally, lat but not least, I wanted to take some time to thank all of YOU, my readers, today! This blog has become a passion of mine, a fabulous creative outlet and a place to be completely me. I have been so excited by its growth in 2014 and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the people you love!

And finally, I figured I'd close with some Thanksgiving funnies after a more serious post!

What are you most thankful for this year?

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for details on all the best Black Friday sales! (Trust me, the irony of that announcement after this post is not lost on me!)

GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

#BloggersforBCA, Part Two

Happy Hump Day readers!

This week is going by at a sluggish rate.  It feels like it should be at least Thursday by now, if not Friday. Each day the kids are getting a little more wild with the excitement of Halloween coming as well. I'm excited too, though, so I can't really blame them.

I can't believe that the end of October and Halloween is already here. It seems like just yesterday I was scouring the internet for all things pink to share with you for the #BloggersforBCA project. Today I have one  more post and this one is near and dear to my heart, as it is in honor of my mom's best friend and my second mom, "Aunt Sue."  She is a person whose advice I value above others, especially in tough times. She is very wise, while also knowing that you can't take life too seriously....and, best of all, she makes a wicked grilled cheese- the best in the world, hands down! Aunt Sue is nearly a ten year survivor of breast cancer and I am incredibly grateful that she fought and overcame the disease, because I can't imagine life without her.

That being said, those of you who follow along on Instagram know that I've been on a spending freeze this month. The one exception I made to the freeze, however, was purchasing two pieces from Accessory Concierge as part of #BloggersforBCA. The first was the Tough as Nails Necklace for me and the second was the Here Comes a Fighter Bracelet for Aunt Sue.

This past weekend I paid her a special visit to give her the bracelet.

Here you can see a close up of the Tough as Nails Necklace; I also pulled out my prettiest pink nail polish for the occasion, Essie "Miami Nice"

A fighter indeed!

Have you shopped for the cause this month?

Has anyone near and dear to you survived breast cancer?

Have a great day!

The ABCs of Labor Day Sales

TGILDW....(thank goodness it's Labor Day weekend)!

This post is getting to y'all late.  Teacher work week made things crazy around here!

In honor of my first day of school on Tuesday, however, I thought I'd share the ABCs of Labor Day sales with y'all...

A
is for

Anthropologie 

Extra 20% off all sale items between now and September 1st: Shop here!

*Also worth noting, Richmond teacher friends: Our local Anthro is offering 15% off in store between now and September 7th with your teacher ID!

Manda Dress

Was $168, now $71.95

I am picturing this with tan riding boots for fall!

B
is for

Baublebar 

Up to 50% off several jewelry styles between now and September 1st: Shop here!

Acrylic Links Punch Pendant

Was $42, now just $28.

This necklace reminds me a lot of this Stella & Dot necklace I have been eyeing, but is just a fraction of the price!

C
is for

C. Wonder

30% off full-priced items, 50% off sale items:  Shop here!

Python Silk Blouse

Was $128, now just $89.60.

And this comes in a fabulous lavender color, too!

Will you be shopping this Labor Day weekend?

What are your go-to shops for Back to School fashion?

Have a great LONG weekend!

Shop even more sale picks using the widget below!

Nana's Peach Cobbler

Happy Hump Day readers!

Hope you're having a great week!  I am trying to soak up these last few days of summer, while also getting lots of housework done.  The first few weeks of school are crazy, so I want the house in the best shape possible before I have little time to give it attention.

Today I have a delicious recipe to share with you:  Nana's Peach Cobbler.

This recipe is from a cookbook that Bryce's Nana put together for him as a gift.  It is so delicious! Believe it or not, I have never made it myself.  This is one Bryce always makes.  I had been begging him for one all summer and last week he surprised me with one....y'all it was gone in less than 24 hours!  It is that good!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup  milk

3 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter

1 quart of peaches

Directions:

Preheat oven to 370 F.

Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish.

Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder (sift together).

Add milk and mix well.

Meanwhile, heat peaches on stove over low heat.

Pour batter mixture over the butter.

Pour hot peaches on top of batter.

Bake ~25 min or until brown on top.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

This recipe can also easily be adapted with other fruits...it is also great with mixed berries!

Do you have any favorite family recipes?

What are you go-to summer desserts?

Have a great day!

Easter Brunch Menu

Happy Thursday friends!

Are y'all ready for Easter?

My mom and I have been talking back and forth the last few days to plan our Easter brunch menu.

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I thought it would be fun to share some of our planning and also wouldn't mind hearing your ideas and plans!

On the menu for sure, is my favorite hash brown quiche, recipe here.

Also on tap for the day is some sort of yummy baked good.  Here are the contenders so far...

Lemon Icebox Easter Cake

Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick

Glazed Orange Bundt Cake

Glazed Poppyseed Muffins with Strawberry Butter

As far as drinks go, people will probably make their own choice-- mimosa, juice, coffee, milk, etc--but, all drinks will most definitely be garnished with a Peep!

How cute is that?

My mom already has her Easter decor out and ready, but I couldn't help sharing some of these cute ideas:

These could double as both table decor and favors!

This adorable garland and other Easter decor DIY ideas can be found here!

I'm also a big fan of this jelly bean tree DIY!

And finally...is this not the cutest Easter bunny you've ever seen!?

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Swoon.

Do you have Easter plans?

What are your go-to recipes for brunch?

What's your vote for a sweet baked good?

Have a great day!

2013 in Photos

Happy New Year friends!

I took a bit of a holiday blogging hiatus.  Bryce, is typically at work late every night and also just received a big promotion that will put him on the road a lot.  He did, however, take off for the entirety of my vacation, so I have been soaking up every little bit of time with him, as well as time with family.  I'm back and pumped for blogging in 2014!

I, for one, am happy that 2014 is here!

2013 was a tough year so I'm excited looking ahead to the future!

Today, I thought I would share a month by month photo tour of the year, hitting some of the highlights of each month.

Doing this has been fun and has given me an opportunity to reflect on the year and all the positive parts of a challenging year.

I'm also happy to report that this is my first blog post written on my new MacBook Pro!  If y'all remember, I have been in need of a new computer for more than a year.  My dad gave me an old laptop as a loaner, which allowed me to take the time to save up and invest in what I really wanted.  That being said, I have been merging photos, music, and files from 3 different computers over the last week or so and am finally starting to feel "settled" on this new computer.  Having a reliable computer also means that I am better able to blog moving into 2014 and I have quite a few things to blog about from my past year that are way overdue.

So here goes...look forward to reading more about some of these events in the coming months!

JANUARY

We kicked the year off with a getaway to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

It was our first trip, just the two of us, and we had a blast.

(full posts here and here)

 We enjoyed the James Beard Foundation dinner that Bryce's stepbrother put on at Lemaire.

We went to the Chihuly exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

We enjoyed a little snow.

We sadly lost sweet Honcho after he was hit by a car.

FEBRUARY

I visited my best friend, AMF, and we explored Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg, Virginia.

(full post coming soon)

Bryce and I "camped in" for Valentine's day.

MARCH

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with friends at Shamrock the Block.

Bryce turned 26 on a snowy day at the end of March!

APRIL

I visited one of my oldest friends, ARS, in Orlando.

(full post coming soon)

We did lots of gardening and yard work...

MAY

We celebrated my mom's 50th!

I enjoyed my first Teacher Appreciation Week.

I hosted Mother's Day brunch at Bryce's house.

(full post here)

 AMF visited over Memorial Day weekend.

 Bryce went to London for 10 days and I surprised him with dessert and champagne al fresco on the night of his return!

 I went to the Richmond Greek Festival for the very first time!

We danced the night away at an engagement party for Bryce's cousin.

JUNE

We kicked off my summer with a weekend trip to Charlottesville for a friend's wedding.

(full post here)

We celebrated Father's Day with brunch at Strawberry Street Cafe.

Bryce and I watched the sunrise on a weekend trip to Big Meadows in the Blue Ridge Moutains.

(full post here)

JULY

We enjoyed Fourth of July at the rivah with Bryce's family.

(full post here)

We celebrated our 2 year anniversary of dating with dinner at Can Can, the location of our first date!

I celebrated CLW's engagement with a bunch of girlfriends!

We headed to Nags Head for our annual beach trip with Bryce's dad, stepmom, and grandmother!

(full post coming soon)

AUGUST

We celebrated my dad's birthday with dinner at Edo Squid followed by dessert at Bryce's!

We celebarted CLW's birthday with an RVA Brewery Tour!

We bought lemonade from The Cuties.

I made my first pot roast!

 I went back to school for Teacher Work Week...our theme this year is "Rockin' Our Way to SOL Success" and Kindergarten was assigned the 50s!

SEPTEMBER

We spent a weekend at the rivah for Bryce's cousin's wedding.

We walked to brunch one morning!

Bryce and his best friend brewed their first pumpkin beer and also won some awards in the Dominion Cup brewing competition!

OCTOBER

Our friends, Sarah and Chad, got hitched!

Bryce was a groomsmen and won the skeet shooting competition before the wedding!

Courtesy of Chris Frick Photography

Courtesy of Chris Frick Photography

We hosted a Pumpkin Carving Party!

(full post here)

Bryce came to school and carved a pumpkin with my kiddos!

We were disappointed by the first annual Boulevard Pumpkin Festival...where were all the pumpkins!?

Bryce made these candy corn rice krispy treats for a charity bake sale at work!

 We celebrated Halloween with friends.

NOVEMBER

We spent a weekend at the rivah and went to the Virginia Wine and Oyster Classic.

(full post coming soon)

We spent a long weekend in Easton, Maryland for the Waterfowl Festival.  My favorite artist from the Festival last year was the featured artist this year!

(full post coming soon)

 I surprised Bryce with a date night-in, picnic style!

(recipes coming soon!)

I turned 25 on Thanksgiving!

CWC spent his wedding eve with us and we spoiled him with a big brunch on the morning of his big day!

Later that night, we handed out programs, danced the night away and had an amazing time at their wedding!

DECEMBER

We went to some Christmas parties...

Commonwealth Club Christmas Open House

Bryce's Work Party...right after he was announced as the new Regional Business Manager!!!

CLW and I at the party she and her roommates hosted!

I made an ornament wreath!

(directions found here)

Bryce and I checked out The Jefferson's Christmas decorations and then made our way to 3 different restaurants all in one night!

(full post here)

We made a pit stop in Williamsburg for the day en route to CLW's engagement party.

Lunch at The Trellis

We ate, drank, and were "marry" at CLW's party!

I tried Rent the Runway for the first time and was thrilled with this Shoshanna pretty!

Bryce made eggnog with his family's recipe that is 150 years old!

I made Christmas cookies with my cousin!

(recipe found here)

 I enjoyed a mimosa on Christmas morning and the rest of the day with my family.

We patched up the gallery wall spot and moved my stuff out of the apartment...Bryce and I are now officially roomies!

And finally, we rang in 2014 with some of our best friends!

(full post coming soon!)

Has it been a busy year for you?

All this reminiscing has really caused me to reflect on the past year.  Come back next week for my reflections on 2013's resolutions and to hear what I'll be focusing on in the year ahead!

Have a great day!