I hope you all had very merry happy holidays! I definitely had the very best Christmas yet. My whole family was together, there was lots of amazing food, and love was all around.
Oh, and Chris and I got engaged 
Yay!!
We were celebrating the anniversary of when we first met at Grafton Street in Harvard Square, which is also where we met, when he proposed. Of course I said yes And I’m still on cloud 9.
It’s been a crazy few days with the holidays and the massive amount of phone calls I’ve been making. I still have more people to call, but figured I’d make the blog announcement since I’m pretty sure everyone knows from Facebook anyway. Isn’t it a strange time we’re living in??
OK, so really Chris and I kind of sort of met through social media and he announced on Twitter that he was proposing to me right before he actually did it (You can see my personal Twitter account at @Susie if you want to see how that went down) Also, huge shoutout to the absolutely lovely family sitting next to us at Grafton Street who bought us a bottle of champagne and were just the sweetest people ever.
So, now we’ll be planning a wedding! I’m super excited, though we have no idea when it will be, where it will be, where to even start, etc. We’re pretty sure we want something right in Boston since we met here, but that’s about it (though if I had to choose my dream wedding, I’d definitely say Boston Public Library). But I’m a total planner and think we’re going to have so much fun looking at all our options (and wedding cakes! I’m obviously excited to try cakes!). I’m sure I’ll share some of my planning, etc. here on the blog. Chels already bought me a subscription to Martha Stewart Weddings (yay!) and my sister bought me Boston magazine’s Weddings and Brides magazine, too. I’m already a magazine fiend, so I’m loving it! And I’m also loving the fact that I’m marrying my best friend!
Also, I’d LOVE to hear any wedding planning advice from our WANM readers
Anyway, back to Christmas! Chris stayed in Boston this year, which was so fabulous for me. We’ll be heading to Virginia to celebrate the holidays with his family in a couple weeks. So, on Christmas Eve, we went to our family friends’ party we always go to and then headed to the Andover Inn for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas morning, Chris and I spent at my parents’ house and then in the afternoon, we all headed to my sister and brother-in-law’s apartment (they had to work Christmas morning).
It was my first Christmas not celebrating the whole day at my parents’ house, but it didn’t matter because we were still all together. And my sister and Adam did an awesome job decorating and making us feel at home. Their tree was beautiful.
And we all managed to lug all our presents to put under their tree (it wasn’t hard… they live just blocks away from me!).
We started the afternoon with some appetizers and drinks. We finally tried Clown Shoes Pecan Pie Porter and it was the perfect holiday beer!
Then we got into some present unwrapping!
My sister crocheted Chris this awesome hat! She made me a scarf for my birthday and is currently making me a matching hat. I love it!
I think everyone was totally thrilled with their gifts… I got tons of lovely things, like a super fab new pair of winter boots, which are much-needed with the blizzard we’re currently having in Boston!
After all the presents were opened (I’m pretty sure that took 2.5 hours), we sat down to a huge feast.
Involving perfectly cooked beef tenderloin.
Stuffed shrimp.
And potatoes gratin with fennel.
I kind of love this photo because it looks like the entire table is mine!
We also indulged in a delicious Yule Log from Party Favors. I was going to attempt to make my own, but things got a bit crazy and I knew Party Favors had an absolutely perfect one. And really, could I ever make a Yule Log that looks this cute??
We made sure to take lots of family pics, too!
So yes, it was a pretty perfect Christmas all-around! 2010 was such a good year and now I’m really looking forward to all that 2011 brings. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one!!
Like I said earlier, we’re in the middle of a blizzard here in Boston, so I’m pretty much taking a snow day. I’m going through tons of food magazines, drinking lots of coffee (got a new Cuisinart Grind and Brew for Christmas!), and doing lots of reading.
What was your favorite part of this holiday season?
[Sues]
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Congratulations on the engagement!!! What a great way to start the holidays:-)
Ah – congrats to you two!!!! How exciting
I love you.
MAZEL TOV!!! How exciting
Merry Christmas! And congratulations!!! BPL is my dream wedding too… but it’s waaaayy too expensive, unfortunately. I’m in the midst of wedding planning right now. It’s both fun and overwhelming!
Woo hoo, congrats!! Beautiful ring! I had so much fun planning my wedding and planned my brother’s this past summer (It’s not my profession, just love researching things
). I’ll include links to my favorite wedding sites full of unique inspiration! http://www.oncewed.com/ http://www.stylemepretty.com/ http://greenweddingshoes.com/ http://www.erineverafter.blogspot.com/
Congratulations!! Your ring is so pretty! Martha Stewart Weddings was my favorite magazine to read when I planned my wedding. I also really liked The Knot. Have fun planning & enjoy your engagement!
Congrats Susie! I have about a gazillion wedding magazines I’ve read through so next time we reunite at Adam/Beth’s..they’re all yours if you want them!
Congrats again, Susie! I have a lot of advice so don’t ever hesitate to shoot me an email
Glad you had such a wonderful Christmas!
Congrats! Yay!
Oh my goodness, that’s so beautiful! Congratulations, I’m so happy / excited / ecstatic(!) for you! I hope the rest of your holiday is filled with much joy and good health. =)
Congratulations, Sues! That DOES sound like the Best Christmas Ever!!
AWESOME!!!!!!! Congrats! Can’t wait to hear the deets unfold. Um, and NICE RING!
Congratulations! The best resource I found when planning our wedding was weddingbee.com. The forums are great if you have any questions. they also have bloggers who are in different stages of planing, vendor reviews, and a ton of other resources!
wow, it really does look like the most perfect christmas! CONGRATULATIONS! how exciting! enjoy this time. xo
Congratualtions!! I saw the tweets real time (well, after I left dinner with Fun and Fearless) and was so excitedf or you!!!! I was waiting for the blog announcement to give my congrats. You are glowing in these pictures. so glad you had a great time with your family! I used to always want to get married at BPL, but then the fact that every girl in Boston wanted to and the um price, it lost some luster….
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats!
The grafton is awesome! What a great place to meet!
And the pumpkin pie porter? I had some at the Boston beer summit a few weeks back, it was great, and I’m not a big beer fan!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a beautiful ring!
Congratulations and good luck with your wedding plans!
CONGRATS!!!! so exciting for you two
glad you had a fabulous christmas!
Congratulations Sues!! Looks like you had such a lovely Christmas!
Congrats! Your ring is beautiful
Oh my goodness! Several things: 1) congratulations!!!! what a wonderful surprise to celebrate the holiday
2) GORGEOUS ring. your man did well! 3) LOVELY manicure. well done to go along with the GORGEOUS ring 4) beautiful photos – sounds and looks like an all around great holiday!
Sues!!! SO EXCITING! Congrats
.
Congratulations!!!! I’m SO happy for you guys. I got married this year, and I found Destination Weddings & Honeymoons to be another great resource, as well as Real Simple’s annual wedding book and, of course, StyleMePretty.com. Good luck!
Congrats Sues! The ring is beautiful! Have fun with the planning! My only tip to you is just have FUN with it and don’t let anyone stress you out, its a day for YOU and your future hubby!
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Congrats!!!! So perfect! your ring is gorgeous and you are just glowing
Glad you had such a nice Christmas. The potatoes gratin look especially yummy. I will FINALLY be posting again on Wednesday 
Congrats on getting engaged!!! Planning a wedding is SO MUCH FUN!!! I found a TON of wedding stuff on Etsy, including my cake topper, jewelery, gifts and my clutch for the big day!
weird, we had the SAME Christmas menu! Roast beef, baked stuffed shrimp, potato fennel gratin! Must be a boston thing
Oh, and congrats!
Congrats Susie!!! Your ring is gorgeous!
congrats susie!! can’t wait to see how the wedding planning evolves!
i know i’ve already said it twice, but congrats again susie, so excited for you! and i know you’re going to be one hell of a wedding planner, i can’t even wait to see what crafty things you think of next
I KNEW IT! as soon as I saw the double smiles on facebook! congrats, sues! what wonderful icing on the holiday cake!
Congratulations! You must be over the moon! Being married is so much fun (like having a slumber party every night!) You’re going to loooooooove wedding planning too. I sure did. Best advice – though it’s not very fun, is to make a budget before you start and to stick with what makes the two of you happy. Oh and scour Style Me Pretty and The Knot, and do lots of research before you settle. (our biggest mistake was with the photographer, we had to pay him for the day, and then pay him for each photo we wanted in our album) I don’t know if thats what most photographers do, but at $28 a picture it added up fast!!!
love the ring- congrats to you guys!!! super exciting! I looked at several places in boston and the north short so let me know if you need any advice. my friend got married at the bpl… I reviewed it on my blog. She had to have the dancing and dinner in separate rooms- something I didn’t love. I got married at The Danversport Yacht Club on the water. ITs super affordable and the ballroom is gorgeous- check it out!
OMGOSH Sues, seriously congrats! what a gorgeous ring too. ok you win for best christmas ever. fabulous!
Wow, congratulations! And a seriously beautiful ring!
My favorite parts was spending time with my hubby and family and my amazing new camera.
Congrats, Sues! That’s excellent news
I can’t wait to see the fun wedding plans!
Awww. You two are too cute. Congrats!!! I am so jealous of the prospect of the BPL. I absolutely ADORE that space. It’s so gorgeous and unique and it’s always been one of my favorite buildings in Boston. If I were you I would definitely go for that!
A friend of mine has a sister who started a wildly successful wedding blog called the budget savvy bride. seeing as you seem to be quite the DIYer (i just found about about this delightful blog yesterday) o would like to recommend her to you. Congrats on the engagement,
http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/
or on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/budgetsavvybride
Merry Christmas!
Congrats on your engagement!
That ring is stunning
Congratulations on the engagement!!! We got engaged just before Christmas 2 years ago and while it definitely added a little stress (all those phone calls!) to the holidays, it also added magic.
Happy for you guys.
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you and can imagine the excitement. What fun it will be to plan your wedding. Martha Stewart’s book is such a help.
It looks like you had a wonderful Christmas with friends, family, decorations AND food!
Happy New Year!
Congrats again Susie! I can’t wait to talk weddings with you!
I’m so happy for you and Chris!!! I’ll see you soon!
Congratulations lady! Beautiful ring! I’m engaged too, and the only advice I can give you is to track every penny you spend (my fiancee and I share a google spreadsheet – so easy), use every connection you have (my sister-in-law is a pastry chef and is making the cake, our friend’s boyfriend is the photographer, etc.), and TAKE IT EASY. People get so crazed, but if you just take a breather and have fun it is so much easier.
Yay! Laura
Wow! Congrats on the engagement! Your ring is absolutely gorgeous! I’d say my favorite part of this holiday season was spending time with both my family and Andy’s family! It was hectic, but well worth all the good times!
Ahhh I still get so excited when hearing about your engagement!!! You are going to have the best time planning this wedding. Cannot wait to see these wedding update posts to follow
WANM is going to need a new Tab on the main page
Congrats on your engagement! I love the story of how you met. The ring is gorg too of course and I love your nail polish – what color is that? Looks like a lovely Christmas too!
I’m SO excited to hear about your engagement
I’ll have to think up my wedding planning advice for you!
Yay! Congratulations, so excited for you.
Happy Christmas!
congratulations on getting engaged!!! yay!
i’ll come up with some wedding planning advice for ya!
You sound like you are walking on cloud nine. Hugs and best wishes to you both. Have a wonderful day and enjoy the rest of the holiday. Blessings…Mary
Oh my goodness, CONGRATS!!! What a fun time to get engaged. I love your ring and also your nail polish!! haha
Congratulations!!! It’s so exciting!
Have fun!!
One thing: I just got married at the Boston Public Library in September so if you have any questions, just ask – I’m more than happy to help!!!
Wheeeeeeeeeee! Congrats!!!
Ok, now I can finish reading the post
Oh you know me, still all kinds of gushing. Ring is beautiful, everyone looks so happy (and I know you ARE happy so that certainly makes sense). Also, that prime rib looks phenomenal and we also enjoyed some beautiful buches this year!
You know what’s funny? I remember eating dinner at Foodbuzz and discussing marriage/engagements. Speak of the devil
Congrats!!!!!
P.S. I can fully contribute my services as assistant cake-taster. I have a pretty extensive list of credentials.
A very merry Christmas and congratulations to you!!! I’m about to hit 5 months married and the best wedding advice I can give – assign someone the job of making sure you EAT AT THE WEDDING!!! Seriously, if my best friend didn’t run over to me with plates every now and again – I wouldn’t have eaten a single bite.
Congratulations! I live in Nebraska, but when I was planning my wedding two years ago I loved the chattybrides blog – featuring bloggers from southern new england. I recommend checking it out! I’m not sure who the current bloggers are, but if nothing else the archives might be worth a look. Good luck and enjoy!
@Melissa- Thanks! On my nails I used 2 coats of Essie’s Chinchilli and 1 coat of China Glaze’s Fairy Dust. It’s my new favorite combo!
Congratulations! Beautiful ring, we are so excited for you! Welcome to the family Chris!
Best wishes! We’re soooo very happy for you both. Your ring is very beautiful. So glad that you’re marrying your best friend. We think that’s a good idea coming from relatives who have been at this marriage thing for 40 years. Much love and hugs.
Yay yay yayy!! Congrats on your engagement! That is so exciting!! And by the way, that table looks like totally professional – teach me how to do that!
Oh my goodness, CONGRATS!!! What a fun time to get engaged. I love your ring and also your nail polish!! haha
Can’t wait to see you and Chris in January! hmmm…..will be nice to have “a girl” in the family…:) Very happy in Virginia!
BIG HUGE CONGRATS!!!
Congrats! Beautiful ring! Swoon!
So many fun wedding venues in Boston/Cambridge. Check out Style Me Pretty and Wedding Bee. Both websites have tons of great ideas (Wedding Bee has lots of DIY projects/inspiration, and you can apply to blog for them about your wedding planning).
We got married in August at UpStairs on the Square and have lots of local references for video/photo/flowers if you need any.
Congratulations, Sues! What a Christmas to remember! Love the photos
I was so excited when I saw it on Twitter! So again CONGRATULATIONS!! You’re going to have SO much fun planning…I know I did! We were engaged 1.5 years and definintely used all of that time, and it flew by. So yeah I’m here for reference as well
BIG, BIG CONGRATS!!!
Congrats!!! gorgeous ring. Chris did good!
Congratulations on your engagement! What a fun and exciting time!
Chris, I am very happy for you and Susie. Your mom is keeping me filled in and she is so thrilled for you both. We have so much fun when we get together and we are like two little girls having fun. Hope to see you when you come home. Stay warm……….Barbara Ford
Congratulations on your engagment!!!