the hostess with the mostest

Decorating the tree is a lot more fun than putting away the decorations and throwing out the tree. So is finding the perfect gifts and giving them verses finding places for new things and making returns at crowded stores. Surprise, surprise :). Since I'll only really be spending these next two days doing the less fun holiday to-dos above, I figured I'd recap two of my favorite parties of the season.

The first was less of a party and more of a brunch. Anna invited Leslie, Katie, and I over to her new apartment to delight in the delicacies of Silver Moon Bakery and her own breakfasting skills. She is quite the host let me tell you.

She offered the chocolate chip brioche (above) alongside arugula salad with goat cheese and cranberries, French bread with an assortment of jams, and her family recipe for spinach-ricotta frittata. As for beverages, Leslie prepared my beloved Blue Bottle Coffee, Katie provided orange juice, and I brought a bottle of champagne for mimosas which we ended up deciding against.

It was the first time I didn't have a light breakfast before brunch. Usually, I wake up at a normal hour with a voracious appetite and am unable to wait until 11, or 12, or 1 to eat my first meal. This particular Sunday, however, I slept in rather late (I blame it on the fact that I'd been gallivanting around the city dressed as a reindeer the day before) so I had to help myself to seconds. Oh well...

We all stayed at the table long after we'd been satisfied. You know that great conversation you only have with really good friends? Well, that was happening. And somewhere amongst it, Anna brought out festive sugar cookies for dessert.

Once we were finally were ready to leave, she also handed out peppermint bark. It was amazing. For the next week, I enjoyed a piece a day and was very sad when I came upon my last. Like I said, Anna is quite the host... especially compared to me. In the past I've always gotten too carried away beforehand and stressed myself out along the way as I anxiously made sure everyone was enjoying themselves. For as much as I love playing tour guide, hosting doesn't seem to be my thing. Moral of the story: I'm so glad to have friends to depend on for good times like these.

P.S. There are only six hours left to comment on this post for a chance to win $100 towards your next restaurant meal. P.P.S. I joined Pinterest! Follow me, please?