Christmas Eve 2009!!!!
I miss my family already.
I can’t wait for New Year’s Eve to see everyone again, especially my new little cousin S.
The food was delicious, and the company even better. And for once we did the right amount of food so that cleanup wasn’t insane. We were prepared this year!
Santa was a highlight too. It seems his outfit was missing, so a fake Santa was torn apart to create a new, interesting outfit.
The kids were all gorgeous and full of smiles.
It was so nice to spend some time in Rhode Island. I was there from Monday (major airline delays) until Christmas morning. It was a great Christmas Eve!
And I present to you, Christmas in Rhode Island:
The night I arrived my cousin Raz had my dad and I over for a delicious dinner, including a Giada pasta recipe!
I love her mantle.
The rest of the week was a blur of family, friends and preparation.. the best kind of blur that exists.
Presents for PB and my dad:
Tree at my dad’s house:
Entryway at Dad’s:
My mother in law sent photos of their doggies with reindeer antlers for Christmas!
My dad and the bottle of Greygoose my father in law got him… Guess they didn’t have enough at our wedding?
The dining room ready to go. One of the artists from my dad’s gallery (Royal Gallery in Providence, RI) made this gorgeous Father Christmas piece that my dad borrowed for Christmas. There was a buzz about it!
Last minute centerpiece I created for the kitchen table:
POM pomegranate and walnut salad ready for dressing and mixing:
My sister in law’s special cheese tray. It had honeycomb, rainforest crisps, and yummy cheeses. It was a big hit!
Hazem, Kristen, and baby S! Isn’t she gorgeous?
I love her Santa hat!
I laid out a bunch of copies of our favorite wedding photos for anyone to take. I thought our relatives and friends would like that, and sure enough they did! I printed enough for all of our family (both in Philly and Ri) to have some:
The rest of the appetizers… My sister in law’s other cheese tray:
Fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato:
Tray of dates and raw almonds:
Lemon drop martinis by my sister in law:
Lemon drop martini bar:
Santa’s little helper!
All of the appetizers together: shrimp cocktail, prosciutto, fresh vegetables with my dad’s hummus, SIL’s cheese trays, dates and almonds, caprese salad, za’atar bread, and fresh parmigiano:
Auntie Linda double fisting the cheese crackers!
Cousins:
A gorgeous family friend! She posed!
Auntie Linda and my SIL:
I loved all the kids so much!!! They were all so adorable.
Auntie D:
K and R:
Board games!
Piano playing:
The finished salad with Lucini Fig Balsamic and Olive OIl:
‘
Auntie’s roast:
The famous lasagna! Made by Auntie D:
The dinner display:
Bread, silverware, plates, etc:
All the cousins except Kristen who was putting the baby to sleep:
The girls:
Newlyweds!!!! 5 months married!
The guys:
The most gorgeous family I’ve ever seen.
Desserts! Lots of fresh fruit and Pastiche cakes:
Pastiche apricot cheesecake:
Pastiche cranberry lemon tart:
Strawberries:
And the funniest part of the night. We couldn’t find Santa’s outfit and had to come up with an alternate plan. Santa decided to pull apart a full size singing Santa to make his outfit. It. Was. Awesome.
Everyone was cracking up!
Well… not everyone.
Santa and his “wife”:
The full planned menu of the evening can be found here.
Christmas Eve ended super late, but by the time we went to bed the house was spic and span (worth it). Early in the morning PhillyBoy and I got up to drive back to Philly, first to PB’s mom’s house and then to his aunt’s house. The drive to Philly is actually a nice tradition now and we get to have a nice morning chatting and singing Christmas songs (well, one of us likes that part ;)). We got to PB’s mom’s house in 4.5 hours and had the best time!
Christmas Day at Auntie Rose’s (my mother in law’s house)
It was so much fun and also so beautiful:
I have my own stocking. I feel so blessed to have such a fabulous family!
My mother in law has so many carolers! I love them.
My dad gave her this piece of art. It is from the same artist as the ones my dad has in his dining room!
The gang: Auntie Rose, Adrina (my SIL), Ed, Zach, and PhillyBoy!
Somehow I didn’t take a photo of the meal but I didn’t forget dessert! My MIL made an amazing apple and berry crisp. It was the best crisp I have ever tasted.
PB and I brought a Pastiche cookie tray. If you are ever in Providence, RI make sure you go to Pastiche! It is so amazing. My favorite two items are the lemon squares and the fruit tart.
PB and I apparently got super dressed up for Christmas… not. Whoops! We were too tired to change after the drive!!!
Adrina & Zach:
After my MIL’s house we went to PB’s aunt’s house where we played a nasty game of Wii Monopoly (a gift from PB) with friends. I was a little intense, but I don’t like people who try to swindle me out of property!!!! If you have the Wii the Monopoly game is pretty fun.
Christmas was so nice. I loved this first married Christmas together, and I can’t wait to make and share more memories.
Oh, and Happy Birthday to my Dad and Auntie Maria, who both have Christmas birthdays!!!!
I hope you all had a nice time too, and I wish you all days filled with laughter and smiles.
All of that food looks incredible!! Your family is beautiful – I can’t get over all the cousins! Your dad’s tree is so pretty, too – really classy!! π
What a beautiful family!
I love that picture of the little boy scared of Santa. Be sure to keep that around to show his future girlfriends!
Glad you had such a wonderful holiday π
I think you offish have the most GORGEOUS family in blog land.
Everyone is SO beautiful. I would cower in shame at such a gathering.
π
What a beautiful holiday celebration! The gorgeous food! The gorgeous people! The gorgeous smiles all around! And I really love that you put out all those wedding pictures to share with everyone!
omg your family looks so fun. i wanna join!!! π everyone looks so genuinely happy! you are looking beautious as always!
WOW so many wonderful pics your family is beautiful!!!! I just love your blog!!!
oh my gosh, whata great christmas! such gorgeous photos and stunning people and delicious food~glad you had such a great time!!
What wonderful pictures- your family is gorgeous and you and PB are just way too cute together! Looks like you had a fantastic Christmas Eve and Christmas Day- I hope your New Years is just as good!
What a beautiful holiday with some amazing looking food!
I have to say, I LOVED your idea about the photos from the wedding! We did some in our Christmas cards, but printing out a bunch of different ones is genius! Might be stealing that idea from you – before it’s too late – we’re only 3 months from being married for a whole year already. Yikes!
I’m with Whit, there is not an unattractive person in the bunch. Simply gorgeous. But I can also tell that your hearts are as beautiful as your faces!
beautiful family! im glad you had a good christmas!
Dang, your family knows how to party! π
What an amazing looking feast! Your family puts my family’s Christmas dinner to shame!
You, your family, friends and food are ALL so gorgeous!
Wow everyone and all the food looks amazing! Glad that you had such a great time π Love the lemon bar area!!!
Mega post!!! Looks like an awesome holiday!
BEAUTIFUL fam and pics!
that cheese platter looks amazing!
great post!
HOW CUTE ARE YOU and how much do I love that you miss your family already.
family friends health and happiness are what life is all about.
The food, the decorations, the family!! It looks like you guys enjoyed a lovely holiday π
What a gorgeous spread! (And BEAUTIFUL family!) Looks like you both a lovely holiday!
Love the recap. Your family looks amazing π
looks like such a fun and wonderful holiday!
guess gorgeous girls just run in your family π
have a great night!
great pictures & recaps, we really enjoyed every minute of xmas eve, & the food & company was awesome, thank u so much for having us part of ur wonderful family & great celebrations, happy new year to u , Antranig & ur whole family.
Sabri- I’m obsessed with this particular post! It made me miss your family so much and wonder when I’ll get to be with them all again??!