Snowtober

Seriously? The ground is white with snow and its not even Halloween yet. I think this is God's way of prepping me for my trip to Wisconsin next week, and telling me that my new Italian leather shoes are not waterproof so I shouldn't bring them.

The chilly weather isn't all bad though. Today my lunch was a very yummy tomato soup with Cheeze-its. I've also been able to catch up on some indoor projects: I finally put photos frames on my hallway wall- I'm so happy with how it turned out!

And we got to see Trotter in his winter sweaters; I'm so buying more of these this weekend.

Tonight I'll do some cooking to warm up the house and fill up our fridge. Tomorrow- We're watching the rest of Game 5 with the neighbors. Only 1 more win to go for the Fightin's! Go Phils!!

Overflowing Toilets & Free Candy

Last weekend, my college roommate Kelly & I took a much needed trip to Pittsburgh to stir up some alumni memories (and for her to attend a business conference). We got to do all the fun stuff we've missed for 5 years- including walking around campus, indulging in Dave & Andy's ice cream (twice!), and seeing some old friends. It was really nice to get away from regular life and work for a while- I've needed it.

While the entire weekend was fantabulous and we did a whole lot of laughing and catching up, there are two stories I thought I'd share:

While soaking up the sun at Schenley Park reading a book like the old days, we found an abandoned packet of Skittles in the grass. Free Candy!! After inspecting them thoroughly and finding them un-opened, we ate them. Is that weird? While most people would have found that dangerous, we took it as an opportunity to live on the edge. I think they tasted extra good because they were free.

As if free candy wasn't strange enough, the major hilarity of the weekend was the overflowing toilet. Our hotel room toilet was running pretty much constantly for 2 days, so I jiggled the handle. 20 minutes later, it started foaming and spewing bubbles (fortunately that was all) like an out-of-hand school science project! I took a photo to make sure it wasn't the candy giving us hallucinations:


According to the maintenance man, someone put shampoo down the toilet (apparently this happens every so often). I think it was a disgruntled housekeeper- he also mentioned a reoccurring soap bar issue on the 9th floor of our hotel... Either way, don't try that at home!

All-in-all it was a fantastic weekend. I got my much needed dose of both Pitt and girl-time. Now if I only had some more Dave & Andy's.

Decisive Design

One of the most annoying things I find about house decorating is my lack of commitment to one certain style. I like modern, bits of country, traditional and casual stuff all together. I can look at a commercial on TV where they redo a beautiful traditional room (filled with old beautiful furniture and heavy fabrics) into a new modern one (very open and trendy) and love each of them as much as the other. I just hate being in-between.

My friend Kelly, who I would describe as a minimalist in her home decor, pulls together the trendy looks that I love wonderfully, but she doesn't like to have as much "stuff" as I do. But her style is great because it makes it easier to clean (which her house always is! Jealous!). Now my cousin's house is all shabby-chic, filled with old looking stuff that looks awesome together and uber cozy... Completely opposites, but both have a certain (and great) "look" to them. My mother has a country-style house, with pinks and golds and pans on the kitchen wall that she loves; while my mother-in-law loves the traditional bold, expensive, heavy furniture. You can walk through their homes and know what style they like!

My style feels to be a house full of stuff, arranged it into an organized somewhat presentable room without a certain style in my mind. Is there a name for that?? Ugh, if I only was committed to a certain bigger picture, then I could drive my purchases and house projects towards that... I would feel so much more organized and accomplished; maybe I wouldn't buy so much stuff either!

Tall Star Struck

Picture this: I'm getting on the elevator in the hotel, dragging enough luggage and totes to make me qualify as a genuine bag lady, and without thinking I say to the other inhabitant, "Good Lord you're tall. Do you play basketball?" Indeed he did. He was Kendrick Perkins, of the Boston Celtics in Pittsburgh for a pre-season game against Cleveland. So of course my mind reaches for the most un-suave thing I could say: "Wow, my husband would be impressed. I'm from Philly, so I'm not a fan of the Celtics, but good luck today!" Like, I'm not impressed but someone else would be(although I'm sure I looked impressed with that stupid grin on my face), and good luck, but not good luck. I'm surprised the guy didn't run away as fast as he could! He was nice, he asked what I was in Pittsburgh for- and didn't look too surprised at my crazy star-struck attempt at a normal conversation. Hey, I meant well.

So it got me thinking - how would I handle being famous? Would I be able to smile at the crazy people in the elevator day after day? Would I be able to sign all those autographs and take all those photos and travel that much? While doable, I don't think it's something I'd enjoy.

Also, I've seen how short the showers are here- I had to bend my head back to wash my hair and I'm only 5'9". How does someone nearing 7' fit in there? How do they manage the airplanes and the beds that are meant for someone 6'? Ugh, it must be super annoying to be that tall and famous!

Mastercard Funk

This is one of my absolute favorite commercials ever; its one of the reasons I'm thankful to be in marketing. One day I may also create something as awesome as this. Not only are they selling you product and tying it into one of the best ad campaigns ever, but they also manage to teach suave dance moves that as a white girl, i may have never been able to master without this commercial! I mean, how great is the armpit move that the blond kid does?!? (priceless!)

Dinner & a Movie

Dinner & a movie, the perfect date night! Tonight me and the mister are cooking up some love with a Tilapia recipe idea that I stole from 'newly wedded wife' and then we'll kick back with What happens in Vegas before watching the Fightin' Phil's beat LA.

Dinner planning and cooking has been one of the hardest things for me to accept and implement since becoming a new wife. I've never had to do it; my mom cooked, then my sister, then my college roommate and then Bo started to learn when we moved in together. I'm so bad, I made see-through pancakes once. Accidental crepes!

Of course I can (most often) follow a recipe and have it turn out similar to the expected result- but i freak out! I have this feeling of utter hopelessness that it just won't taste the same as when someone else makes it. I actually shake when going into the kitchen. I think part of it is that most things like school, computers, crafts, etc. come so easy to me, that I'm stupefied by something so many others understand and I simply don't get. Does anyone else have this problem, or am I just missing the cooking gene?

But really, the major problem is the planning. I am always starving when I get home, and we rarely have all of the right ingredients in the house, so I go right for the cereal or Oreo's. Its an evil, evil cycle. So, I'm going to try to do the weekly plans, trying out one new recipe each week depending on my travel schedule. Its going to be trial by fire!

Welcome to East Sixth

My first blog is like the first of anything; awkward, often unexpected and exciting. I'll spend the next several weeks thinking: Should I have done that? What could I have done better? Will I keep with it? Does it matter? Oh yeah, I'm a type A alright.

Being a perfectionist, I've only fallen in love with one blog so far in my life: 'The Bering Blog'. it was interesting to me because it was not only reliable, but hilarious and personal as well. That blog is on hiatus right now, so i'm dating two others: 'Newly Wedded Wife' and 'Where's Bob'. One is very reliable and personal, and the other is bordering on hilarious - but you can go for weeks without an update.

This blog is going to be an outlet for me to careen all my scattered thoughts on work, newly married life, home life, and attaining my own personal perfection into one sensible online journal. We'll see how it goes!