The weekend, belatedly (and not so briefly)

So it's December! Thursday feels like Monday! Posting will happen whenever I can manage to make it happen!

We got hit with a confluence of real work, holiday festivities, general festivities and family needs. I looked at my calendar last week and started to throw up my hands, thinking that we'll just have to power through this month and hope to sleep in January. Or maybe February.

But that isn't very festive. Then the Border Grill, as part of their ongoing quest to make up for our wedding (they really are very nice, you guys), invited us to their holiday cooking demonstration/meal. I wrung my hands at D for about half an hour (via chat) going back and forth about how it wouldn't work out, we couldn't spare the time. And then I realized it was time to man up, make a decision and stop thinking about it or justifying it. So I declared that we would take Saturday off from everything, go to this class and go slowly, via public transit. It was awesome.

{library}

{lights}

{cranhattan!}

{downtown}

We bought day passes and took the bus + subway across town (I know this is LA, but this is easier than people believe it to be - I did it that entire month I had jury duty), walked the few blocks up to the Border Grill. The cooking demonstration was hilarious, the food delicious, the drinks strong. And when we were done at 4 pm, we wandered around downtown, got holiday macarons at Bottega Louie (they have eggnog and peppermint right now!), hit up Más Malo for a couple of leisurely happy hour drinks (the pinata smash is AMAZING) and then meandered back across town, hopping off the bus for a YogurtStop fix and even managing to squeeze in an errand at Century City.

We still fit in some dog time and helped my parents get a jump start on their holiday decorating on Sunday.

{snowy head}

{lenox snowflake}

My parents are working on simplifying, so this year in lieu of a tree they're just displaying their collection of Lenox snowflakes. They've been buying one each year since they got married. Awww.

This week, I've been getting home from work each evening and immediately putting on my apron. Because this weekend is kind of a big deal around here. (Listening to the David Bowie/Bing Crosby station on Pandora, which can be hit or miss, but is definitely festive)