Pumpkin Bunny

Nate bought pumpkins!

Riesling wasn't too happy about having one on her bed.

NYC!

Ah! Long weekends! Nate and I spent Columbus Day in NYC this year, visiting all the beloved New Yorkers we have been promising to visit for years now. After we arrived Saturday afternoon, Mandy and Reid took us on a Central Park adventure. Complete with lunch at Shake Shack (yummy burgers, fries and shakes), and snacks at Magnolia's for delicious cupcakes!

We met up with my cousins Betsy and Kyle, and Nate's friend Tori for dinner at Artisnal that night. The food was delicious.

Betsy, Kyle, Mandy and Reid had a lot of fun with fondue.

Tori enjoyed a lovely steak au poivre. I had butternut squash soup with an entree of short ribs (my favorite!). Nate had a pumpkin risotto that was amazing... and also fought to keep the cheese plate on the table well after the waiter tried to take it! He was happy; he got his cheese.

On Sunday, Mandy, Reid, Nate and I met up with my friends Sharon and Paul for brunch at Five Points. Wow, the food was amazing. I was very impressed by my eggs, bacon and biscuit. And you should have seen Nate's salmon eggs benedict! In puff pastry! It looked wonderful (minus the fish part...)

After a lovely brunch, the six of us hopped on the Circle Line for a 2-hour water tour of NYC. We got to see Lady Liberty up close - and most of Manhattan!

It was really windy, but a really nice way to spend a lovely, sunny afternoon.

After a little nap back at the apartment, Mandy, Reid, Nate and I headed to Chelsea. We walked along the High Line - a new program in NYC to convert old elevated train tracks into pedestrian walkways. The space is incredibly green with plants lining the entire length. There are benches (and chaise lounges) everywhere, making for a really relaxing place to take a walk or read a book.

This section had really neat lighting features - and a coffee bar! It really seems like a lovely way to recycle the unused traintracks. Definitely worth the walk!

We followed our walk with dinner at Buddakan.

Wow. The entire place is just amazing. The atmosphere is gorgeous, decorated in an Asian scheme. Everything is completely artistic, from the lighting to the food. And the food was delicious! We ordered several appetizers to share, and then wound up sharing all the entrees as well. I can't imagine a more delicious meal! It was also really fun to have dinner at such a chic, "New York" restaurant!

In all, Nate and I had a fabulous weekend. The food (notice a trend here?) was amazing everywhere we went. And I finally got to see a little more of New York than Times Square and Rockefeller Center at Christmas!

The best part? We got to see so many friends!