mervus interruptus

We interrupt Uncle Merv's relentless blathering for a little festivus of the New Year's variety!

We arrived home on the morning of Dec 30 after a night of travel that included a missed flight, an airport sprint at 4am, and missing luggage. We were happy(ish) to be home, and just a little weary. We were beyond thrilled that our bestestest neighbors and friends were hosting a family friendly New Year's Eve celebration that we could walk on over to join. It was a great group of friends and families, and we wouldn't have dreamt of any better way to ring in the new year. The invitation was simple and straightforward: bring whatever you like, and put it on a stick.

A fun and festive table was set, and as each of us arrived, we added our impaled foods to the smorgasbord.

I made the mozzarella/kalamata/artichoke numbers.. skewered ON thyme springs, mind you!  Becky's righteous caprese sticks are over there on the top left.

Candace and Hector made pizza on a stick!

Those were goooood.

Salad on a stick!

It wasn't all about sticks and food, though. It was, after all, New Year's Eve! And we were thirsty. The fab five of us had gotten together just a few weeks prior, if you recall, for a night of dangerously delicious cocktails, and a couple of us contributed a variation of those new faves for this auspicious occasion.

My contribution was a faux La Pinta, wherein the part of fancy infused pomegranate tequila was played by Puerto Vallarta Blanco with some pom juice dumped in, shaken with ice and lime then poured into a glass of champagne. Result: y.u.m.

Desiree was much more ambitious - she undertook none other than the cotton candy cuban!

The artist formerly known as "raw sugar fairy floss"

Here's Desi daintily filling glasses with cotton candy without sharing any with our chagrined children

Photo bomb.

Watch the magic as she pours a bucket of booze on top!

I love science.

Meanwhile, back at the sticks

 There were things wrapped in  bacon, green beans and tofu... each one of us brought enough to feed an army. My NY strip kabobs didn't even hit the grill until 2012.  

Tanja made thai chicken satay that was insultingly delicious, and Desiree's honey mustard chicken was to die for. There are my sausage/shrimp in spicy cilantro glaze on the left.

Corn dogs have sticks!

It was such a fun party, complete with maniacal toddler dances

an obligatory show

And bodacious babes everywhere you looked!

My friends are so gorgeous!

You know what happens when gorgeous people procreate?

Gorgeous Grrrrrrrlz

At midnight, we rushed outside for our annual pots and pans parade of bashing and kissing

And then we went back for more... more sticks, more dancing, more bodacious babes

But no more 2011.

I don't care how many digits are in the date, I'm still wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

I've got a good feeling about 2012.

xoxo