get yer brunch on

so as previously mentioned, i met up with a bunch of fun girls for brunch on sunday. i got the bean dressed and ready to spend the morning with the hub, and then they left for church as i hopped in the shower to get myself ready too.

do you love the argyle leg warmers? ha!

i couldn't find shit to wear. i knew i wanted to finally bust out my new cream juicy couture coat - i'd been petting it in my closet for months, and it was finally chilly enough to rock it. i took out an old favorite sweater - it has a cowl neck, which i can never wear when the bean's around (since i need to have easy access to the nourishment, of course) - changed a few times before going back to the exact same sweater, and then i thought i looked so cute that i had to take a picture. thank you, self-timer.

i packed the boxes of cheerfully packaged truffles carefully in a bag (and they fit perfectly, whee!) and i was off.

the destination was claire's, the cafe at the long beach museum of art. i managed to make it down there in 48 minutes exactly - which was what my trusty iPhone's GPS system promised.

i walked in, glanced around, checked in with the hostess, and found out that i was the first to arrive. i wandered around for a bit before i went back outside to look around, and within a couple of minutes ashley arrived.

we were joined soon after by ssinca, who's in town for the holidays, and then the girls from the OC arrived. we were seated outside, with a lovely ocean view (which i stupidly forgot to photograph, but the monkey caught it), and the rest of our party arrived not long after that.

it was fun to soak up some sun, chit-chat, and relax together. i decided i wanted to splurge, and ordered the steak & eggs. it was a really tender cut, smothered in blue cheese and sauteed mushrooms, with scrambled eggs, yummy potatoes, and a toasted english muffin. and it wouldn't be me if i didn't have a side of bacon to go with it. hey, i was hungry.

i'm almost embarrassed to admit that i devoured every last bite. it was really delicious, and everyone else was just as delighted with their selections (quite a few of them opted for the creme brulee french toast, and there were a few other egg dishes and even an order of fish & chips).

as the brunch wound to an end, i went around the table and passed out my party favors, while diane, who's not particularly known for her culinary skills, surprised everyone with some oreo truffles of her own. they were even packaged in cute little christmas tins - quite impressive! not to mention, the truffles were super yummy. i'm trying to pace myself, but i confess that i only have one left in the fridge. boo.

here's a couple of group pics i swiped from the monkey's blog. you can see her recap (with more and better pictures) here.

food, friends, and favors. such a delightful way to spend a sunday morning!