A fun-filled weekend with my oldest and dearest friends, in the middle of the holiday season – what could be better? Pretty much nothing!

It all started last year when my dear friend Lindsey had her sweet baby girl Adeline and I knew I had to visit (and introduce them to Sean for the first time!). Her sister Stacey, another dear friend of mine, came down from Alaska with her husband.  We had a great time and sort of unofficially decided to do it again this year – but with more friends and more of Lindsey’s and Stacey’s family. 

This year, Stacey flew solo to Atlanta and spent a day with me! Sean and I took her to Desta Ethiopian Kitchen where we dined on traditional dishes and ate with our hands using a soft bread called injera. So fun! 

Stacey adventured to Piedmont Park and the Virginia-Highlands on her own while I went to work the next day, then we headed up to Charlotte in the late afternoon.

We were so happy to be there! Stacey snuggled with Adeline and played with her mom’s dog Ivy. And yes, this is the cutest baby ever and she is in a ridiculously cute outfit in this photo!

 Stacey and Adeline (grump face!).

The reunion got even bigger on Saturday when two of our other friends, who we also grew up with, joined in on the fun. Nicole came up from Orlando, and Tiffany came down from Ohio. We had a girls’ afternoon at Painting with a Twist where we sipped wine, had snacks and painted a wintry scene on a canvas.

 And, of course, we had fun being creepy.

 Yup.

Minerva even got to show her artistic side and Lindsey became Captain America (from the neck down).

 What an awesome event for the ladies.

And isn’t it amazing how, no matter how far apart and how long it’s been, your friends from childhood always know you and it’s like no time has passed at all? Yeah, that’s how it felt. Amazing.

The next day we did some shopping around NODA, and of course the baby got to be the model for all things sparkly holiday!

Masks are a thing with us. We just love them, and don’t care who we scare! lol.

 Apparently, we only mildly amuse Adeline while we crack ourselves up.

 Yup, cracking ourselves up is the name of the game! Oh, and a random pick of Nya.

On my last day there, Nicole and I got to babysit Adeline while Stacey and Lindsey took their parents to the airport. We dressed her in the new outfit I got her so she could try to answer the burning question “What Does the Fox Say?”

 I don’t think she found the answer, but she did find two aunties who were delighted by her company and sweet smiles. And by the fact that she insisted on having the hood on!

And, upon leaving, I was given a wreath that Lindsey made for me. I love her wreaths so much that I wrote an entire blog post about them and where you can get one. I’m so excited that I’ll see this beautiful creation on my front door all season (maybe even all year!).

 

 A merry, joyous and spirited weekend for all. A happy holiday, indeed!