Merry Christmas to You and Yours

We've just wrapped up the last of our Christmas celebrations and we couldn't be more thankful and appreciative that we got to spend time with both of our families once again.  Last year, I did a pretty extensive play-by-play of both trips, but I got inspiration from my mom to do a quick recap in just a few words and of course...a lot of pictures!

Texas Christmas = Family, Mike and I beating everyone in Logo, welcome dinner @ Via Real, patron floaters, matching outfits, 600 colored lights from CVS, Griswalds Christmas Vacation, Moose Mugs, matching PJs, mom's Chanel necklace, endless Christmas music, the Book of Joy, wine, homemade Baileys, 2lb live Maine Lobsters, Bear's game, self timed pictures, sing-a-longs, a $19.99 guitar from CVS, snuggling, 6 people and two dogs on one couch, 5 lbs of pistachios, dogs waiting for Santa Paws, parking in Downtown Dallas, Mike's first encounter with a chameleon, Burton's Christmas tie, cozy sweaters, Yankee candles, eggnog, more wine, and posing by the Christmas tree.

Burton's Christmas tie

Christmas Eve PJs

Matching...again!

A Very Son's of Anarchy Christmas

A CVS sing-a-long

Christmas Part 1

Looking for Santa!

Moose Mugs & matching outfits!

The Board of Directors

A family Bears Game

The first Christmas that all 3 of us have been together!

On Christmas Day, Mike and I took the first flight out of Dallas during a crazy thunderstorm (which later yielded a few inches of snow, I'm sorry we missed it!) to NYC for part II of the Mobley's 2012 Christmas holiday.  I've mentioned in a few posts, how excited I was to host Michael's family in our city and celebrate Christmas for the first time ever in our apartment.  They were here for a few days and our NYC Christmas can be summed up in the following few words:

NYC Christmas = Family, Christmastime in the city, snow, diamonds, a Metallica guitar surprise, Iron Maiden Vans, Vadar cufflinks, a vintage Jim McMahon shirt, Starbucks Christmas blend, scotch, a new red coat, our first Christmas night with our little family, lead soldiers, stockings bursting with gifts, English crackers, One if by Land Two if by Sea, Christmas songs on the piano, Gramercy Park hotel breakfasts, the Holiday, goose dinner at Rolf's, mulled wine, our electric fireplace, Fair Isle sweaters, bourbon, tea, Les Miserables on a cold day, a lot of red & green tartan, colossal beers at Zum Schneiders, cousins, Old Fashioneds & martinis at the Campbell Apartments, coffee and Baileys, a 42 Year Anniversary, PJ Clarks, an Hermes scarf, a snuggly bulldog, the Kennedy Honors, and more scotch!

Christmas part II

Mike with his favorite gifts!

The Campbell Apartments

Rolfs of COURSE!

 

So excited for GOOSE!

  

Das Boot!

Family at Zum Schnieder

Happy with my family & friends

A magical candle light dinner @ One if By Land, Two if by Sea

This has been a season full of love, a lot of laughter, and quite a few surprises.  We are grateful for all that it has brought to Michael and I and we couldn't have asked for a more memorable Christmas in our second year as a family.  From our family to yours, we hope everyone had a blessed Christmas with their loved ones and a joyful holiday season.   

It's Christmastime in the City!

I can honestly say that I have spent more time with my co-workers during this holiday season than my husband (don't worry my Mindshare peeps...I still love you tons!).  Each day that I'm staying after hours trying to plow through hundreds of emails or cross items off my multi-page to-do list it irks me slightly that this is taking me away from soaking up all the festivities. We were robbed of our Halloween this year, and Thanksgiving came and went in a flash.  My last post stressed how adamant I was about making time to take it all in, so Mike and I made a night out of it!

By 6:15 last Tuesday, I wrapped up my day and headed out to meet my most festive husband for a few cocktails before heading to Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.  Each Christmas, I see all of the commercials and I make a mental note to have it on my Christmas to-do list...but guess what?  You got it, I've never gone.  My sweet husband bought us 5th row tickets back in November to ensure that we kept this commitment to each other and to the season. 

If you haven't seen the Christmas Spectacular, and you love a little Christmas spirit, it's a must see. I don't want to give a lot away or ruin any surprises, but let me just say that the live nativity was a major highlight. I'm not sure where in New York they had the storage to fit multiple camels, some donkeys, and quite a few sheep, but it was pretty magical.  AND, there are some 3-D moments, so if you had a few cocktails before going to the show, like we did...I'd just wanted to give you the heads up!

I also mentioned in my last post that I had never seen The Rockefeller Christmas Tree.  After the show, we took a little stroll hand-in-hand to go see the tree for the first time.  Yes, we were surrounded by tourists & it's virtually impossible to get a photo without some stranger in the background, but it was pretty breath-taking.  I think we take for granted how this giant tree in the middle of a very busy plaza can epitomize the spirit and the romance of Christmas.

Rockefeller,  probably the most famous Christmas tree in the world, is less than 2 miles from our apartment, and we JUST got out to see it.  I hope that we can make this Christmas date night a yearly tradition to ensure that we are taking the time not only to enjoy the magic of New York City at Christmas, but also to take time for each other during what can easily be one of the most stressful months of the year.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family & we can't wait to share photos from all the festivities of the Mobley's 2012 Christmas vacation.

5 Things - A Christmas Edition

There are just too many festive things going on to write about any one topic.  In fact, it was hard for me to even narrow it down to just my "5 Things".  It's the most beautiful time of the year, and after a grueling week at work and the tragic events in Newtown, CT, I find myself being more and more grateful for the little things in life and the trivial things that make my heart smile.

1.  Annual Christmas brunch in Connecticut.  It has been a crazy long week, like...the longest week of my life.  All the days started to blend into each other, but knowing that I would see my family on Sunday gave me something to look forward to when pulling a few 14 hour work days.  For the past few years, I've taken the train out from Grand Central to join my Connecticut family for a festive brunch.  Mike and I obviously spend Christmas with our parents, so this has been our mini holiday celebration before we begin our travels.  Everything about spending time with my family is happy.  But that weren't enough, Santa makes an appearance at brunch every year.  It was such a sweet sight to watch all the little children in the room rush to the window to press their little noses and tiny fingers up against the glass waiting for Santa to arrive on his Harley Davidson (this year it was a golf cart due to the weather conditions!).  The joy and wonder that fills children as they wait for Santa and count down to Christmas is one of the most beautiful gifts of the season.  My heart goes out to all the families in Newtown, CT who lost their little angels last Friday.  May they all rest in peace.  

2.  The first snow of the season - Yes, this was back in November, and ironically, it was just days after NYC was pounded by superstorm Sandy.  I have talked before about how snow is really the only thing that can slow down the fast-paced lifestyle of Manhattan, and this was just a small storm, with just a tiny bit of accumulation, but I wanted to make sure I documented it, because the first snow of the season really is magical.  We didn't have much snow last year, and I have yet to see even a flurry since the snow in November, but I'm looking forward to cozy winter nights snuggling at home with my little family over the next few months...and hats!  I just love fun winter hats.  

3.  A visit from my dad & brother!  My dad & brother were in New York all week for work and a few meetings to close out the year.  Even though all of our schedules were full of corporate after hours events, we made time to meet up with each other just for a drink and to enjoy the festivity that makes New York such a special place at Christmastime.  Of course, I took my pops & Garrett across the street to my favorite & most cozy pub in the city, Molly's.  It was such a treat for me to see these guys, even if it was just for a few hours. 

4.  This guy!  Who doesn't love brand new clothes?  I really can't resist anything Fair Isle this season, and why spare Winston from winter's most festive fashion trend?  I'm not sure if he wants to kill me in this picture, or if that's just his normal face, but I really can't handle how adorable he looks with those antlers.  He's such a trooper for letting me dress him up like a little doll.  Don't be surprised if this sweater shows up later this month in a family shot.  

5.  Christmastime in the City - I get to see this view every day during my walk home from work.  That sparkling tree, surrounded by city lights and garland dripping in tiny white bulbs is a breathtaking view that can leave you in awe no matter how often you've seen it.  Mike and I fill our schedules to the brim during the holidays, and I'm embarrassed to say that after almost 3 years of living in the city, I haven't ever gotten up to Rockefeller Center to see the TREE!  We live in a city where people visit from all over the world to soak up the magic of New York in the City, and we haven't even had time to take advantage of all the festivities that are right in our backyard!  I vow not to let it pass me by this year and I'll have a little extra time to take it all in before we welcome 2013!  

A Little Jingle Bell Rock

Love my Kiddles

If there is anything that Mike and I love more than Christmas, it's our friends.  Last year, we had a small little get-together with a few close buddies to celebrate the end of the year and toast to good cheer.  The end of the year gets crazy with corporate and family holiday events, and this is usually the last time we'll get to see everyone before heading to our prospective homes for the holidays.  So this year, we did a repeat gathering at the Mobley household.  This year was extra exciting because we had a special guest coming in from Austin!  My dear friend Kendal was in town with her boyfriend to enjoy the festivities of New York at Christmastime and of course they made an appearance at the Mobley's Christmas cocktail hour.

Mike prepared the eggnog and I made a sweet little champagne concoction, and we were armed to the teeth in Christmas tree clad glasses, and of course, the famous moose mugs.  My father-in-law had pipes over-nighted to New York so that the boys could enjoy a festive holiday smoke out on the patio.   And of course, Mike and I deliberated for a few hours about our choice of outfits for the evening, but our selections landed us up there with Mr. & Mrs. Claus themselves.  

Of all of our sweet friends, not one person came to our home empty handed and each time the doorbell rang, I was so thrilled to see the smiley, festive faces that met me on the other side of the door.  Winston greeted each visitor with the wiggliest hiney and the occasional jump.

Winston on his little throne while the party goes on all around him!

I'm always amazed at how many people we can fit in this tiny little apartment.  I often find myself feeling like there isn't enough room even for just the three of us.  But having our friends all together in one room was anything but claustrophobic.  It was warm, but in the happy way, not the sweaty way.  It makes my heart smile to host some of my favorite people to celebrate the holidays and another year of great friendships.   

I'm pretty sure we took this EXACT picture
last year.  But Winston looks much cuter
in this one!

It's easy to get caught up in all the stress of the gifts, or the anxiety of closing out the year with work, or the nightmare of holiday travel, but a few hours with our friends in an apartment decorated to the nines, really grounds you in what the season is all about.  In a few weeks, we will be spending a full week with our families and enjoying the Christmas holiday with both sets of our parents, and I couldn't feel more excited and more blessed.  But I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Mike and I love our friends, each and every one of them.  You all make our lives such a better place and each day is better because we have you all in it.  We wish we had more space and we missed those of you who were unable to make it.   

 

Thank you to all of those who came out and thank you for all the gifts. Last night was full of memories that I will cherish forever. We love you all & wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. 

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

The refrigerator may still full of Thanksgiving Day leftovers, and we may have still been in November, but it's never too early to start decorating for Christmas.  As soon as we returned to the city from Connecticut, Mike was down in our storage unit unpacking boxes and boxes of Christmas treats.  Last year, during all the post-Christmas sales, Mike stocked up on some surprises that I hadn't seen, and he was giddy with excitement to show me after keeping them a secret for almost a year!

In no time, we had the balsam & ceder candles burning, the Christmas music blaring, and some bourbon cocktails on ice to better set the scene for decorating.  Every year, we look at all of our decorations after they've all been unpacked, we feel like something is missing.  So the decorating is also met with countless errands all over the city to Pottery Barn, the Union Square Farmer's Market, Duane Reade...and anywhere else that can help us put the finishing touches on our Winter Wonderland.  

One of my favorite parts about decorating is the unpacking of the ornaments.  It's like a mini-scrapbook of our lives and our relationship together.  We have so much fun reminiscing over the amazing places we have been to and all that we have done together.  Yes, Michael has a few ornaments that I'm not in love with (i.e. the Santa Homer Simpson, or the terrifying vintage Santa of which Mike is so proud because it's "the exact ornament that Clark Griswold has on his tree in Christmas Vacation"), but we have amassed quite a collection during the 5 Christmases we have spent together.  We almost couldn't fit them all on this year!  Each ornament is one of my most cherished possessions and a collection I'm extremely proud of.  

My husband is a holiday decorating genius.  This is his THING.  Before November even ended, our little Manhattan apartment was transformed into the North Pole, and no detail was spared.  We even have special Mr. & Mrs. Claus coffee mugs that we use during the month of December.  Perhaps what is most impressive.... it's all controlled by a remote!  With just the push of a little button, the interior & exterior illumination fills the apartment!

The festivities for the holiday season are already in full swing and we have a month long of celebrations ahead of us.  This year, we were especially detail oriented with our decorations, because for the first time ever, we will be in New York City on Christmas Day!  We are so lucky to be able to see both of our families again this year, but Mike's parents will be coming to New York on Christmas Day.  We couldn't be more excited to host them.  

It is pretty magical how such a small space can be transformed to  feel so complete and so warm.  No, we don't have a mantle where we can hang our stockings, and our fireplace is electric, but it's an absolute holiday dream at apartment 2F.  Each day, I look forward to ending the day at home with my little family, enjoying the cozy festivity in our apartment and admiring the view with a holiday cocktail.  It's an instantaneous overdose of serotonin!  This is going to be a beautiful season and I'm so excited for all that is to come this year.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!