new year, new beginning

Our New Years was so fun this year! Normally we are really boring and lame and go to bed early and I always think, "next year I'll do something really awesome" but it never would happen! A few weeks ago some of my best friends and I decided to throw a dinner party at Lela's house when we were all talking about how it would be really fun to do a "fancy" dinner where we all dressed up. We never do stuff like that now that we're all married and moms and planned this evening - it was really fun to put on a dress and heels and eat off our special china.

I brought my fancy china that we paired with Stephanie's gold chargers and awesome vintage gold flatware - I want that set so bad! I also made these menus and place cards. 

The menu was delicious and so easy since we all brought something. A mixed greens salad with cranberries, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and pear vinaigrette, 

herb crusted pork tenderloin with apricot balsamic glaze, 

mushroom leek risotto with thyme and Parmesan 

roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli and cauliflower 

and a salted caramel chocolate toffee trifle for dessert (which sadly always looks disgusting once it's on a plate). I'll share the recipe tomorrow or the next day - it's delicious!

I thought we might end up playing games and doing some fun activities but, as it always happens, the girls congregated in one room and talked about girl stuff (child birth, sinus issues . . . you know, the usual) and the guys congregated in another room and they talked about guy stuff (who knows what that entails?). We did do a few things that were really fun though. I made a "New Years Resolution" sheet where we all wrote done a few things we wanted to do that year and then we went around the table and shared them. Some were funny, some serious, some sweet.

Then Stephanie brought Wish Papers. We each wrote a wish on it, crumpled it up and rolled it in a tube. Then we went around the table and each lit the paper and watched it burn. Then it floats into the air and you catch the ashes. I love this tradition!

And what New Years Eve party would be complete without some bubbly? Well, we don't drink so we had this and it was fun. I love my girls.