Saturday, March 12, 2016

Carmel-by-the-Sea

This was from last Fall with the rest of our California trip but I am playing a bit of catch up on our travels. If I could dream up a fairytale town, it would look a lot like Carmel, CA. My mom grew up in Northern California and told me we should make a trip to this little town and I am so glad we did. This top picture is a sweets store. Seriously? I felt like we were in Disneyland but we didn't have to pay $100 to enjoy it. There's ivy covered buildings, blooms everywhere and secret little alleys between the cute shops that led to secret gardens and little seating areas. Lyle compared the hidden passages to Diagon Alley and I have never been so proud in my life. An architect built several fairytale cottages throughout this cute town (Lyle is standing in front of one of them) but I felt like everything looked that way. We had the best hot apple cider while we explored this little town and I wish we could go back already.

Love, Cait

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Christmas 2015

This year was a dang good one. After coming home for a few weeks after our long trip we got to enjoy some fun Christmas activities in Utah. We saw the Christmas lights at temple square, went through the Festival Of Lights, went to the Festival Of Trees (which I loved!) and watched tons of Christmas movies!
one of our favorite "gingerbread houses" from the Festival Of Trees! 
How cute are these macaroons?!
Then we got to spend some days in one of my favorite cities! We went iceskating in Central Park.
Also, I got super excited because a NYC instagram featured this photo!

The weather was unbelievable. I have gone to NYC at Christmas twice before and it was unbearably cold and this trip it wasn't very cold at all!
Central Park photoshoot.
I got to introduce Lyle to Levain! Back in May my family ate here and it was so good. The cookies are gooey and warm and huge. The Christmas decor everywhere was my favorite!
We ate at the Black Tap and it was SO good. It's a small (literally tiny) little bar but the food is so good! We split a burger, but the real reason we went is their amazing milkshakes! They have all the ordinary flavors, but the menu inside has some crazy fun ones. It's a first come first serve place, you can't make reservations. I have a huge list of food places I want to try in NY and I am excited to try even more of them next year.
Lyle and I went to our favorite Italian place, Patsy's. We stupidly went without reservations and they were booked the whole rest of the day but luckily we were able to make a reservation for the next day. The pasta is all done from scratch and literally amazing. I got the fettucine alfredo and Lyle got the linguini pesto. Our server asked us if we wanted dessert and we thought about it but just didn't have space for something big. He then brought us out these mini cannolis on the house with a simple "Happy Holidays." When we told him we were from Utah he said he knew we weren't from around there because we were so nice haha. He told us he had met a couple from Utah a couple weeks ago and they were nice too. I absolutely love this place.
Out of all the times I have been to NYC I have never been to the Brooklyn Bridge! Crazy I know, its beautiful! We got caught in a crazy rainstorm during these pictures.
Also in Brooklyn, we went and saw all the amazing lights in Dyker Heights. It's streets of all these homes with crazy, elaborate decorations! It was so fun and such nice weather to wander.
Grand Central Station.
More Christmas lights.
Lyle and I saw The Radio City Spectacular Christmas show. I am obsessed with the Rockettes.
Lyle was SO excited about his Christmas Eve sweater haha.
My Christmas day cinnamon rolls from scratch! We always have cinnamon rolls and eggnog! My mom makes the best eggnog ever.
The cute HP inspired onesie I got for my niece Harper! We are so excited for these babies to come!
Lyle got a little creative with my presents...
I love how much my nieces and nephew just adore Lyle. I could never sit next to Lyle because Connor was glued to his side. The girls kept saying how funny lyle was and always wanted to hang out with him. Lyle even said he was going to the bathroom and Bray asked if she could go too haha. We let them choose our activity with them and picked Chuck E Cheese again, watched Inside Out and played with makeup. Being an aunt is the best.
We got the girls matching coats as one of their Christmas presents and they were so excited to be matching me!
 they are so in love with Murphy! Everyone fights over who gets to walk him and they all want to hold him.
my little squad. I love these boys
Thanks to my mom for taking some last minute Christmas pictures for us! We loved how they turned out! It was so fun to play cards, bake treats, watch Christmas movies, see Star Wars and spend almost 2.5 weeks with my family. I love how much they love Lyle and we can't wait to see them again soon!
xo Cait