First Christmas...

 Yesterday was our first Christmas in New York.

The first Christmas day we've spent in the same place as each other in 10 years together.

The first Christmas for either of us away from home and family.

A very different Christmas!

Of course we missed home but we managed to make it pretty festive. 

We bought a lovely tree and squished it into our tiny elevator.

We regretted the decision to pack all our Christmas decorations into the boxes we have in storage in Dave's Dad's loft in the Borders. But managed to find some shiny things to put on our tree anyway. It's amazing how when the tree lights go on you can't help but feel Christmassy.

In the run up to Christmas we escaped the city for a day to visit some very old friends in upstate New York. I stayed with Anna and Kim on a school cultural exchange trip many years ago and it was so fun to see them, go back to their house, meet baby Abigail and have a great pre-Christmas party with their friends and family.

Christmas Eve tradition means that I really should have been brunching with these lovely ladies in Edinburgh. I was very sad not to be there.

Instead we went for a very yummy brunch at Community Food and Juice round the corner from our flat. One of my favourite places in Morningside Heights so far.

The rest of Christmas Eve was a fun flurry of shopping and cooking and baking to a brilliant soundtrack of Christmas songs. Oh, and some frantic last minute Ebay bidding on a great sideboard. We won!

Dave's night before Christmas job was to prepare the Turkey Wellington for the next day (inspired by Jamie Oliver of course).

And I made some American-style festive and sparkly cupcakes (with the edible glitter I was super excited to discover in the supermarket!).

A very New York Christmas morning breakfast of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and mimosas.

Which was followed by lots of festive Skyping with both our families (thank goodness for video calling!) and a lovely, sunny walk along the river. Sadly no snow to be seen so far. But I wore wellies anyway just to get in the right frame of mind.

We enjoyed plenty of classic American candy.

And a delicious three course Christmas dinner. Was quite impressed with our efforts actually!

And then a very cosy evening of classic Christmas films (including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) and of course the brilliant Downton Abbey Christmas Special.

Boxing Day today (not that it exists here) and we're off to Greenwich Village for the afternoon followed by an evening screening of It's a Wonderful Life at the International Film Centre.

Merry Christmas!!x