Merry Christmas!

My blog hiatus has been due to a fantastic trip to Dallas, Texas to visit dear friends and have a birthday celebration!

The hubster gave me a new 50mm f/1.4 lens as one of my birthday gifts this year so my primary mission during our visit was to take a gazillion photos...thankfully M and K are exceptionally good sports (and a photogenic pair)!

K's birthday is the day before mine so it turned out that we basically got to have a two day birthdaypalooza!  Sushi for her birthday then steak for mine (we were in TX after all!).

Note K's most fantastic coat...a total steal from an adorable shop that we did our birthday shopping at.  Until shopping there I had no idea that $500 cowboy boots would be something I'd ever dream about owning! (I expect that to just stay a dream though!) 

We also found the most fabulous festive jingle rings for only $5 that we proceeded to wear the rest of our visit...poor hubster and M were hearing bells in stereo- especially since K and I are apparently quite the "talk with our hands" types!

Although a chilly, gray day on my birthday, we made the trip over to the Arboretum where there was much to be seen...     (K knitted that gorgeous chunky scarf I'm wearing in the pic!)

acorns to be nibbled...

 frogs to be kissed...

and birds to be captured on camera!

One evening M also drove us around the neighborhoods with giant homes and even more impressive Christmas light displays!  Couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my birthday this year :)

And so I leave you with the Texan holiday wish...Merry Christmas y'all!