Happy Holidays!

Its official! The Holidays are upon us! I am getting excited and inspired by the prospect of being able to decorate my own house for our very first Holiday season together. I want it to look old fashioned and rustic -- I'm looking for ideas on Pinterest, and luckily I have an excess of burlap left from our wedding (Thanks dad!) to make bunting (something I'm really good at) like the bunting in the picture to the left.

Noel Bunting? Easy as pie.

The gorgeous white wash wood walls? Not so easy.

                     
























But first! Thanksgiving. I'm thinking of having a Thanksgiving Feast up here with friends before the big day, and I love the feel of these photo's. Simple, and old fashioned.


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And this? This is so beautiful I could weep. Someday, when Nick builds me the perfect colonial
reproduction house, this will be my kitchen.

Luckily, Nick has already built me the table.

Also, I LOVE this dress for a date night out. Full skirt+long sleeved= YES PLEASE.



Speaking of date night, last night for our anniversary, Nick took me to Moxie in Portsmouth. Nick sells beans to them (in fact, right on the menu was Baers White Bean Dip! Our beans!) It couldn't have been a more perfect restaurant for me, because little did Nick know, its a Tapa's place which means that I got to have a million dishes--all tiny and three-bite size. We ordered the Great Eight menu which featured eight tiny dishes, ending with a to die for mini whoopie pie with chocolate ganache and my maybe-favorite-ever dessert, Indian Pudding. Every single thing that came out was delectable, even the seafood dishes, and I hate seafood. But my two favorites (besides dessert obviously) were the cornmeal pancakes with brown sugar pulled pork shoulder (SO GOOD) and the roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts which were topped with pumpkin puree. To die for. If ever you are in Portsmouth and looking for a bit of a splurge, its well worth it. Granted we won't be eating out again for a month, but still.

We bravely attempted a photo shoot with Lupe and I before we went out-- but sadly this is the best we got. The other ones were mostly super blurry and featured Lupe's bum. Speaking of Lupe, she has reached an all time high of 90 pounds...I'm assuming its mostly muscle since she is a super fit dog and runs with me at least three times a week, and when I don't take her it's because she's at the farm with Nick doing Farm Dog things...that being said...she's going on a slight diet. 

Portsmouth is so beautiful in a rustic, old fashioned way--precisely the way that I love. Moxie was right near the port, so after dinner we walked down to see the GIGANTIC ship that was docked and being unloaded. It was the size of a small city even though it mostly looks just like a mass of lights.

The little side streets with the brick and cobbled sidewalks and the iron staircases are reminiscent of Europe and made me feel quietly nostalgic.

All in all, it was a lovely evening. An evening, of luxurious living! 

And now, the sun is shining and I couldn't be happier that it is November first. Here's to another Indian Summer (maybe??) and a beautiful Holiday Season. Now I get to reread Little Women, and watch the movie seven times! Yes!