'Tis the Season...

I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!

So many activities going on...so much to see. Literally. For visual people like me, there is sooo much to take in during the holiday season. Lights and color everywhere. Movement in every direction. I just seem to absorb the energy from everything around me. The feel of fun just floats in the air.

Last night a group of friends and I headed to Bellevue Square for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (one of my faves!), a quick dash into Macy's for Frangos (a holiday candy tradition), and to watch the outdoor performance of Snowflake_Lane.

Then we headed across the way to visit the Bellevue Botanical_Garden for their annual Garden D'Lights. It is amazing! Volunteers spend most of the previous year creating spectacular flowers and plants out of holiday lights and then begin "planting" them throughout the gardens in early October. The event is free, although donations are encouraged and parking is $5 in their lot. It is worth the visit! Even a little rain couldn't dampen the fun! Shannon and I took tons of pictures and both are thinking we need to return again before it ends on New Year's Eve. They even have a little Christmas shop that sells ornaments and decor (as well as a video of the garden lights!) and I found a few ornaments to add to the tree this year!

It was a fun night and I am glad we all decided not to let the bad weather conditions keep us from going. I really look forward to our Girls Night Out events. During the holiday frenzy we have to remember to take time out for ourselves...and our girlfriends.

Update: I added a couple more pics that Shannon got with her camera. My battery died half way through the light tour so I didn't get as many photos as I would've liked!

enjoy your holiday happenings!

-dw