Christmas in the city.

I'm convinced there's nothing more magical than Christmastime in New York City and our adventures last Monday night confirmed it yet again. Every plaza and is decorated and people seem to be more cheery and spirited. We have a little tradition of biking to midtown for dinner at Burger Joint, followed by a visit to the Rockefeller tree, and a walk down Fifth Avenue to see all of the elaborate windows, particularly the Bergdorf Goodman ones. This year we also splurged on a glass of champagne at The Plaza Hotel's champagne bar and both agreed it'll be another night in the city we won't forget.

Our Christmas Tree!

I think I probably say it every year but this never fails to be one of my favorite nights. Something about getting a tree up six flights of stairs, uncovering all of our favorite ornaments again, and drinking gin and tonics while we listen to Christmas music is just the best. Traditions are so important to me and this is one I cherish every year. It feels like our little tree completes our apartment; not to mention smelling like the best parts of the season. I have all of the feelings over here! Soaking in each and every good thing about this time of year.

See our trees from years past here, here, and here. 

Thanksgiving.

It always dawns on me during Thanksgiving how fortunate Aaron and I to have both of our families gather together. Having our families close in proximity is a huge blessing and makes our life so much easier during the holidays. We also have a great time when we're all together which is an added bonus if you ask me! This year was especially fun because Betsy is at such an entertaining age and her little chats and songs make for a happy holiday no matter what. Per tradition, we took our pre-feast pictures in my parents backyard. See previous Thanksgiving posts here, here, and here.

Our 2015 Christmas Pictures!

The best time of year has come again which means all of our favorite traditions are happening, too! Something we look forward to every year is 'Christmas Picture Day' with Jess and Sam. We've been doing a little photoshoot during Thanksgiving weekend for the past few years and it's always so fun to dress up and get a few good pictures taken. I've said it before, but I love the idea of looking back on these pictures when we're old and adding new ones to the mix every year. You can see previous shoots here, here, here, and here. We've already grown up and changed so much in such a short amount of time. Now let the Christmas festivities begin! 

Thanks to Sam for taking these for us!

When weekend visits make you remember how lucky you are to have siblings and best friends all in one.

Seattle + Portland

One of the best parts of my job (other than work-from-home Fridays ;) is that every few months I choose a few retailers I haven't met face to face and I make a trip to see them and introduce myself in person. It's always so much fun to put a face to a name and to finally meet "my people" in real life.

I've visited most of our retailers at this point, and this week I finally made it out to visit our partners in Seattle and Portland. Given my love for the Pacific Northwest (remember when I lived in Spokane, WA?) I was super excited to be back on the "best coast". After the meetings were over each day, I made time to see a few sights and enjoyed getting reacquainted with the glorious PNW. Here are a few pictures from my time:

(all photos taken via iPhone)