NYE Recap

You know what really gets you motivated to unpack, clean, organize, and just prepare your new house only two weeks after moving in? Hosting a dinner party on New Year's Eve for six, that's what!


{our dining room, ready for the party!}


{my grandmother's Russell Wright set, plus our silver goblets...and remember these?)


{appetizers, my favorite part of any meal}

What was on the menu? For starters we had a great cheese plate (smoked Gouda! Camambert with mushrooms!) that Christy brought, along with her infamous deviled eggs and red peppers. I also made feta salsa, rosemary cashews, and put out a simple vegetable platter.

For dinner? A light berry, walnut, and goat cheese salad (thanks, Colby!), polenta with leeks and mushrooms on the side, and rib roast as the main event. Before everyone arrived, I took a very European stroll down the street to our neighborhood coffeeshop/bakery and came back with two crusty baguettes to accompany the meal. And for dessert? Bittersweet chocolate pear cake.

How was your New Year's Eve?

P.S. I'm posting my pictures, unadulterated from here on out (no filters, no feeble attempt at lightening them in photoshop), until I can either a) figure out how to work my camera so none of that is really necessary, or b) I realize my camera is just cruddy and that I need to buy a new one. Camera pros: what's wrong? I shot these on the manual setting, no flash, high shutter speed (is that right?) since I figured it was best with the natural light coming in the window (not the last shot, of course). I put the macro setting on for the closeup. But blah! So grainy and just yucky looking. Wanna help me out? I'm starting to think I need to take a class.