Tis the Season

So, thanks to the holiday season John and I have been on the go non-stop for the past 2 weeks. That also means, that there's a lot to catch you up on. Lets start from the beginning.

John and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Renwick Gallery Gala celebrating the opening of the gallery following an extensive period of renovation. While we sipped on drinks from a Prosecco bar, ate fabulous food and watched magic shows and acrobatic acts, we also got to have a first look at the opening exhibit, "Wonder".

At the end of last month, I was fortunate enough to play a small role in the annual V.A. Ladies' Night Out event along with fellow D.A.R. members. I had the super fun job of ensuring that all of the lady veterans felt glam for the evening by distributing Mardi Gras beads and costume jewelry.

Then, it was onward to sweet home Alabama for Thanksgiving in Montgomery. While there we enjoyed sweet tea, BBQ, family and Alabama football. We also got to kick of the holiday season by watching "A Christmas Carol" at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. What more do you need?

One of my favorite things to do is to trim the tree and decorate every inch of our tiny abode. This year, we invited the Browns over to enjoy some Ho Ho Punch (champagne, strawberries, and ginger ale), homemade sweets, and to hang ornaments. We even threw in some festive dreidel (I learned to play with my friend Devorah, who celebrates Hanukkah and wanted to share the tradition with our friends).

The next morning we awoke bright and early so that we could march with D.A.R. in the annual Alexandria Scottish Walk Christmas Parade. The ladies were kind enough to let tartan clad John march along with us and pass out candy to the younger parade observers. Afterwards, we looked around the Arlington Christmas Market before catching a train home.

That evening we attended our first Christmas party hosted by our friends, Katie and Kris. They went all out and had the most festive decor and food, including the fabulous homemade tacky sweater cookies photographed below.

After attending Oktoberfest at the historic Heurich House in Dupont Circle this fall, we won two tickets to the Heurich House Chriskindlmarkt. So, we cashed in our tickets and made a Sunday afternoon of eating traditional German foods and perusing stalls full of local artisans and their work.

Monday marked the start of my first book club adventure. I've never been a part of such a club, but look forward to burying my nose in our first book, Girl on a Train to kick off the new year.

On Tuesday, we dressed up and attended the D.A.R. Manor House Chapter Christmas party at the American Dental Association.

Wednesday was the National D.A.R. Open House. The building itself is beautiful on any day, but especially so when it's decorated with Christmas decor. Afterwards, we walked a few blocks down for a festive night cap at Off the Record at the Hay Adams.

Thursday was an event that I had been looking forward to for a while, the DCSSAR. holiday dinner. It was held at the beautiful Capitol Hill Club on Capitol Hill. I just love any excuse to get dressed up (and to see John get spiffied up in a tuxedo).

Friday, we attended our first ever Hannukah party. There was dreidel spinning, latke making, and menorah lighting to be had.

Saturday morning came very early, but we crawled out of bed before the sun had risen and took the crowded train ride to Arlington National Cemetery. It was all worth it for the honor of laying wreaths on graves in the cemetery. It was a part of the Wreaths Across America event which celebrates the lives of those of have served our country by allowing the public to remember their service while laying wreaths on gravestones in the cemetery.

That evening, we had none one, but two Christmas parties. The first was to celebrate our friend Skye's birthday. She went all out and had a Pinterest worthy party complete with a stunning dessert table, DIY photo booth, fire pit (with S'mores, of course), hot cocoa bar, and a spread of food fit for a king. She also requested that in lieu of gifts, that people take the opportunity to give back by donating to Toys for Tots (how sweet is that?). After we had our fill of hot cocoa and fun, we went across town to my friend Hannah Beth's for a tacky Christmas party. She had the most delicious homemade punch and finger foods that were all family recipes.

After a week plus of holiday parties and festivities, Sunday equaled rest and relaxation. After copious amounts of napping, I did muster up the energy to have an evening of holiday baking with John while watching White Christmas before turning in the for the night. This week is filled with more parties, volunteering and Christmas fun. While exhausting, tis the season and it only comes once a year. So, cheers to another week of happy exhaustion in the District!