Merry Christmas you filthy animals...

and a Happy New Year!

As awesome as 2013 has been - turning 30-teen, getting engaged, moving to NYC, getting married and buying our gorgeous pooch Margot (who wants to give up biting my ankles if she knows what's good for her!) - Mr Stone and I are looking forward to a slightly more relaxed 2014, filled with food, wine, friends, more food and wine and hopefully a honeymoon at some point. In fact, the New Year ball may not have dropped at Times Square yet, but since touching down at JFK this December, lets just say we've hit the ground running. Actually, there's been no running whatsoever, more a why-have-I-eaten-so-much-again? amble, but you get the picture. Margot's already hiding her head in shame at her new parentals.

So the story so far goes a little like this: I landed, Jonny landed, we went to 'look' at some puppies on possibly the snowiest day we've experienced so far in the city and decided it would be a sensible idea to buy one and get her back from the Upper East Side on the Metro (the power of the puppy dog eyes - watch out Daniel Whyte, I could see they got to your wife). Little did we know our new bundle of joy was suffering from Kennel Cough (a nasty hacking cough, that sounds as though she's about to keel over and can turn into pneumonia in small pups). Anyway she's on antibiotics now and it's kinda cleared up but it did mean we were stuck in the apartment for a good few days, so when the Turk, biddy and sister arrived for Christmas we were ready to get our festivities ON! The evening they were due to arrive we headed to the Italian-American area of Brooklyn known as Dyker Heights with one mission, to hunt down the most AMAZING Christmas lights we have ever seen, and boy did we find them (thanks for being tour guide Pip)!

My pictures really don't do the decorations justice, it was like Lapland on steroids, and the perfect evening to get us in the festive spirit. In fact I think Jonny went for at least an hour and a half without kindly asking whether anyone was feeling thirsty? and suggesting we warm up in the nearest public house. That night Santa arrived early (2.30am early) with a special delivery of one Lucy Margrave who hopped straight onto the blow up bed we had ready, while the Mother and Fathership checked into the hotel round the corner. Next morning Luce went down a storm with young Margot, which she was particularly delighted by given that whenever she has come within an inch of an animal before my mum pipes up: "animals don't really like Lucy." Well this one's got your back Luce!

And it worked out handy for us too as Jonny and I were off to join some friends at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for some American football action - bye Aunty Luce.

I'm still not 100% sure I fully understood what was happening on the pitch - it seemed to me that the cheerleaders were getting more of a workout than the New York Jets - but it was a great day out and an excuse to drink beer, eat hotdogs and catch up with the girls. American football game. Tick!

Now everyone knows the Margrave family like to treat themselves, especially when it comes to dining out, so understandably the next few days resulted in just that, with a few Christmas traditions thrown in for good measure, namely singing carols at Washington Square Park and checking out the lights on 5th Avenue (check out the Tiffany's star and Saks Fifth Avenue 3D Light display projected on front of the building). I'm not sure we appreciated them as much as we should as we raced along the road, with a full belly courtesy of TAO, on our way to the Motown Musical - bloody awesome! Obviously the food on Christmas day at Chez Stone was a culinary feast, minus the Yorkshire Puds and pigs in blankets -we made do with mini hotdogs in pastry - but of particular note was the burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries that we had at The Spotted Pig in the West Village on Boxing Day, washed down with half a pint of mulled wine. I think this review sums up it's deliciousness. 

Saying goodbye to my fellow Margraves was a wee bit hard this time around but absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder so I can't wait for their next visit. Anyway, we have this lovely pair visiting in January and we can't wait! - bring on the Steak.

Happy New Year to you all, I promise to bring you many more blogs in 2014!