happy new year

we had a fun weekend bidding 2010 goodbye, and welcoming in 2011.  last year, we celebrated in australia, but this year we stayed home for the holidays.  we decided to ring it in gussied up, out on the town with friends... my favorite kind of nye! the day kicked off with the delivery of an elaborate cake from ben's folks... 

new year's cake

...and ended in good company.  we dined at a new restaurant here in town, the rafine, with some new & old friends

a dark picture of the group

we enjoyed quite a meal from the prix fixe menu. the meal began at approximately 8:30 and ended just in time for the ball to drop!  all in all i think we were served 6 courses, each more delicious than the last.

mezze plate with dolma, dill-covered scallops and a carrot salad

it was fun to get dolled up and go out on the town for the night.  the restaurant provided plenty of cheer with pomegranate champagne, masks, noise-makers and live entertainment.

sean, ben & i posing with our masks

the ladies

throughout the night lots of laughs were shared, (and technology tips traded, among the guys)

plenty of silliness ensued

dessert was served in an interesting style-- surrounded by chocolate slabs with a sugar-encased chestnut on top.

happy new year! nice face, ben.

on new year's day, friends agatha & eric hosted a dinner party.  agatha's mother was visiting from greece, and together the two prepared an amazing feast!

there were so many kids there, it was both overwhelming and fun to watch all of the personalities and ages interact with one another.

after dinner agatha brought out the special new year cake, a greek tradition, in which a coin is baked into the cake to bring luck to whatever family is served that piece.  the cake is surrounded by pomegranate seeds, to bring good fortune to all.

agatha & her lovely mother, who was busy in the kitchen the whole night!

the cake was cut by eric, the head of the household!  they first cut three pieces (one for their own family, one for the virgin mary, and one for agatha's mother, who prepared the cake), then one for each family there.

the children were quite enraptured by this process... i think because it involved cake.

the lucky coin was in this little girl's piece.  what a fun tradition to enter into the new year with!

however you celebrated the new year, we hope it was surrounded by loved ones and with much merriment!  we had such a fabulous 2010, complete with visiting far and distant lands, getting married (twice!), and meeting new friends & family, while deepening existing bonds.  it is our new year's wish to see all of our loved ones at least once, and for health and happiness for all, in 2011.