thanksgiving 2014

we had such a great thanksgiving yesterday.  we spent the day cooking, eating, and relaxing with our family.  even leko got a special thanksgiving treat.  hope your thanksgiving was lovely!

love, laurie

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previous thanksgivings: 2011, 2012, 2013

happy thanksgiving!

happy thanksgiving!  we have so many things to be thankful for and it is so nice to have a day set aside each year to reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives.

we are hosting thanksgiving at our house today and we are looking forward to cooking with my mom, spending time with our family, and of course eating!

have a wonderful thanksgiving!

love, laurie

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nyc: max brenner restaurant

while we were in nyc on sunday, we had lunch at max brenner in union square.  it has been on our list of restaurants to try for a while now, so we were excited to be able to check it out.

as soon as you walk into the restaurant, you feel like you are in the middle of willy wonka's chocolate factory.  there is chocolate everywhere you turn, and the entire restaurant smells amazing.

 ^i fell in love with their two orange espresso machines and the awesome lights hanging above the chocolate bar.^

 ^if you don't want to wait for a table, there is a to-go line.  one of the things they sell is chocolate in a syringe!^

 ^there were so many options on the menu and everything sounded so good.  it was hard to pick.  for lunch ryan ordered the cheesestake sandwich which was served on a homemade rosemary waffle.  it had caramelized onions and a five-cheese sauce on it, and it came with onion rings and waffle fries too.  the waffle fries were dusted with cocoa powder and chili powder!^

 ^i ordered the quinoa, chickpea, avocado, cherry tomato, and arugula salad which was served on top of a homemade corn waffle and tossed with a honey dijon vinaigrette.  it was such an delicious combination.  i can't wait to make it at home!^

 ^of course we couldn't leave without having some chocolate.  the chocolate dessert menu is 24 pages long!  this place takes their chocolate seriously.  for dessert, we ordered dark italian sipping chocolate.  the hot chocolate was served in a "hug mug" which is the cutest thing ever.  it is shaped so that you hug your hands around the mug to keep your hands warm.  we loved it so much that we bought two mugs to take home with us.  i can't wait to make hot chocolate and curl up on the couch to drink it in our new mugs.^

^now, there's a motto i can get behind!^

love, laurie

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other pictures from our day in nyc on sunday here and here

sunday in the city

we really enjoyed seeing the radio city christmas spectacular when we were in nyc on sunday.  before the show, we walked around the city and soaked up the surprisingly warm weather.  it was such a nice break from the crazy cold temperatures that we have had lately.  even though it's only november, most of the city was already decorated for christmas.

lights were wrapped around trees and the christmas decorations were on display outside of radio city music hall.  we love seeing the giant christmas ball ornaments and the giant strand of christmas lights along 6th avenue every year.

we visited grand central station to see the annual holiday train show at the ny transit museum gallery annex and store.  we saw the train display for the first time last christmas, and we loved it so much that we wanted to see it again this year.  the trains travel over 34 feet of train tracks on two levels.  it's so elaborate and the detail is incredible.

we also stopped by macy's on 34th street to see their famous christmas window displays.  while we were there, we saw the local stage hands union setting up for the macy's thanksgiving day parade too.  it was such a nice sunday walking around our favorite city.

 ^the giant strand of christmas lights are huge.  they're much taller than ryan!^

 ^seeing all of the trains makes you feel like a little kid again^

^it's always a treat to see the macy's window displays along 34th street and broadway^

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love, laurie

nyc: the radio city christmas spectacular

yesterday, we took a trip to our favorite city to see the radio city christmas spectacular.  it's been nine years since the last time we saw the show, so we were excited to be able to see it again.

new things are added to the show each year, but certain numbers like the parade of the wooden soldiers and the living nativity have remained the same since the rockettes began performing the christmas spectacular in 1933.

the rockettes were amazing, as always.  it is jaw dropping to see 30 rockettes dancing in perfect unison.  i don't know how they do it!  seeing the show definitely put us in the christmas spirit.  i can hardly believe that christmas eve is just one month from today!

^radio city music hall does such an amazing job decorating their lobby for christmas.  the tree, which hangs from the ceiling, is a giant chandelier of swarovski crystal ornaments.  as the tree slowly rotates, the crystals reflect light all over the lobby.  it is beyond beautiful!  here is a cool video showing how this year's swarovski tree was assembled in the lobby.^

^before the show, we enjoyed seeing some rockettes' memorabilia displayed around the building.^

^radio city music hall's theatre is unbelievable.  it's so huge and beautiful!  we got awesome mezzanine seats for a great price thanks to groupon.^

^it is so pretty to see radio city music hall lit up at night and decorated for christmas!^

love, laurie