Can anyone relate?

Although we do not have any children yet, I am already playing the role of an imaginary being who magically appears to make others happy. I have realized that my husband (despite the fact that he is wonderful), never replenishes anything in the house. As a result, here is the list of the few "fairies" that I have become:

• Bar of soap-fairy - I love getting into the shower, rinsing off, going to reach for the soap, only to realize that it is a thin sliver of nothing. Then I have to step out of the shower (soaking wet) and reach in the linen closet for a new bar of soap.
• Shampoo-fairy - the same scenario, delete thin sliver of soap and substitute empty shampoo bottle.
• Liquid soap-fairy - It's great when I want to wash my hands and I pump the liquid soap dispenser only to get air and tiny spits of soap in my hand.
• Crumb-fairy - Everyday when I come home from work, I notice crumbs all over the counter (right next to the sink). This is obviously where John makes his lunches. He claims that he sweeps the crumbs into the sink...but the evidence speaks to the contrary.
• Toothpaste-fairy - We use Mentadent, which comprises of a dispenser and removable cartridge fillers. Again, I grab my toothbrush, hold it to the spout of the cartridge, push as hard as I can, and get nothing. The other night was classic: I knew we were running low, I went into the bathroom and realized that the empty cartridge was was removed and in the garbage (WOW!), but then the new cartridge was place on the counter right in front of the dispenser...why it wasn't placed nicely in the dispenser remains a mystery to me.
• Mail-fairy - I detest clutter, but John doesn't mind allowing all sorts of paperwork to pile either on our kitchen counter top or kitchen table. I can let it go for a few days, then I have to go through all of it, organize the important stuff, and trash the junk. I love clear counter tops and tables!

I guess this will just be good practice for when I become a mother, huh? So, I am just going to suck it up and get used to it. What kind of fairies have you become?

You know that your husband loves you when...

...he agrees to watch "Bridget Jones's Diary" with you instead of watching the Penquins game. John usually has class until 8 or 9 on Friday nights, but he got home quite early last night. I already had my night planned out, which included watching "Bridget Jones's Diary" on Bravo. When he got home earlier than expected, I offered to watch the movie upstairs so that he could watch the play-off game. To my surprise, he insisted that I say in the family room with him and agreed to watch the chick-flick as long as we could check the game during the commercial breaks...DEAL!

Now that's true love!

Success!

John's birthday was a total success. What I didn't mention is that we did end up having a mini-surprise party for him. Every Thursday, my immediate family (mom, dad, sisters, spouses and children) gets together at my parents' house for dinner. It's something that we have always done, a tradition that will never die. When it's someone' birthday, we usually dine out all together. Well, my mom had the idea to plan on going out for John's birthday, which obviously is not out of the ordinary for us. But the secret twist was that she invited John's parents, sisters, and grandmothers. It was a great evening. Oh...and he loved the Steelers picture (as you can see)!

Here's a link to the rest of the pictures from the party:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=224048641/a=40662473_40662473/t_=40662473
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Weekend plans:

John has class all weekend (he's getting his Master's...almost done!)

• Friday - cutting the grass (which I actually enjoy!), catch up on "Grey's Anatomy" since we missed it last night due to the birthday party.

• Saturday - laundry and cleaning, church, Valley High School Musical "Beauty and the Beast" (a bunch of kids from the swim team that John coaches are in the production, so we are going to show our support)

• Sunday - Misty's (John's sister) baby shower...she's having a boy!

I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

John turns THE BIG 3-0

Today is John's birthday, and as the title of the post indicates, he is 30. I recently celebrated my 30th birthday earlier this month on April 1st (yes, I know, I am a fool!). Despite that John is merely 23 days younger than I am, he loves to rub in the fact that I am older than he is. This year was especially fun for him...for the last 23 days, he was still in his 20's, while I was already 30. What a turd, I know!

Even though he tormented me, I still wanted to make his 30th special. He threw me a huge surprise party for my birthday. Disappointingly, I knew about it, but the real surprise was seeing all the people who attended...there were 50 of my family and friends in our house. I threw a surprise party for John last year, so doing it again this year would just be redundant. But don't worry, I do have a surprise planned.

Since we have been married, John and I have not exchanged any gifts for any occasion...this is due to buying the house and purchasing necessities for the house. We figured that we will just spend money each occasion for things that we need, not that we want. However, I am going against that pact just this once. John is a HUGE Steelers fan...we even decorated our basement in a Steelers theme. He hung numerous pictures of various Steelers logos, players, and memorabilia on the walls. My surprise to him is a personalized wall hanging, and here is a picture of it:

Here's a closer look at the personalized aspect of the picture:

What do you guys think...good gift?

The Results

A few posts back, I expressed my excitement for an Ann Taylor Loft shopping spree. My friend from Allegheny, Jill, commented that she wanted to see what I had purchased. So, I found pictures of some of my purchases online, and here they are:

There are some items not here because I could not find their pictures on the site. Like I said before, I was trying to find clothing suitable for the cruise...considering we are going to be visiting a lot of churches and museums with descriptive dress codes (i.e. knees and shoulders must be covered in St. Peter's Basilica). The dress is for dining on the ship, but all of the other items are for the excursions all over Europe....can't wait!

O.F.T. = Obligated Family Time

The above term and abbreviation was introduced to me by John's 17-year-old cousin, Jordan (who is hilarious!). I thought that it was the perfect title for this post considering what our Sunday was comprised of...a double-dose of OFT.

OFT - Dose 1 (the Polish Dose)

We got up early to attend mass with John's family in East Vandergrift (where John grew up) at 8:30am. John and I usually attend mass on Saturday evenings to allow for leisure Sunday mornings, so this was early for us to get going on a Sunday. Anyway, the mass was special because it was a memorial mass for his maternal grandfather, who passed away a few years ago. There were 18 family members at the mass, and then all of us congregated at King's for breakfast afterward (which is where I heard Jordan use "OFT" for the first time). Although there were 18 of us there, and that seems like a pretty decent crowd, that was only about half of the family who would normally be there. It was such a nice morning. John's one cousin Meghan (who happens to be Jordan's older sister) recently got engaged, so we were indulging in wedding-talk...which can keep me happy for hours! Unfortunately, we had to leave breakfast a little earlier than everyone else to move onto:

OFT - Dose 2 (the Italian Dose)

After we left King's, we made our way to Dani's house for the twins' birthday fiesta. On the way, we picked up 3 cakes and a few dozen cookies from Oakmont Bakery...YUM! We helped Dani and her husband, Dino, set up and get ready for the party. It was a total success. Dani was set with a caterer, airbrush tattoo artist, and animal balloon maker. The kids had a blast...as well as the adults. However, I must make one little side note...if there is any couple who is on the fence about having children: attend a birthday party for very small children...it will definitely weigh in on your decision (READ: best birth control EVER!). Fortunately (or unfortunately...depends on how you look at it) for me, it didn't phase me in the least.

I have to clarify this post...please do not think that I consider family time an obligation. Because the truth is...I live for days like this one. When I heard Jordan describe the morning as OFT, it was just too funny (and blunt) that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use it!

Guilty Pleasures...

So, anyone who knows me well knows that shopping is not my thing. However, 3 simple words can turn me into a shop-aholic for a few hours: Ann Taylor Loft. I swear that about 80% of my wardrobe is from ATL. Luckily, I have neighbors that share the same obsession, and we have organized a day out for the girls: shopping and dinner. Of course, ATL is on the agenda...and it doesn't hurt that I received multiple ATL gift cards from family and friends for my recent birthday. This is also a big incentive:Tomorrow is the big day, and I am so excited. I plan on purchasing attire to be worn for the upcoming cruise...light, pretty, and suitcase friendly. Well, it's time for me to get back to my Friday night activities: dusting and laundry...there is something wrong with me! Have a great weekend everyone!

Birthday Girls!

Today, my twin nieces celebrate their 1st birthday! Everyone, I would like you to meet Domenica ("Nica") and Antonella ("Toni"). As you can tell, they are not identical twins. They totally have their own personalities and are so much fun! My sister, Dani, is super-mom. In addition to these adorable birthday girls, she also has another daughter (Gabriella - "Gabi") who will be 3 in May. Dani is throwing them a HUGE birthday party on Sunday, so I am sure that I will have stories for you all afterwards! It's hard to believe that they are 1 already. For my pregnant friends...it goes REALLY fast!

I had to include these pictures because they are so cute:

Here's sisterly love at its best: Gabi and Nica

And here's Toni with her cast (she broke her arm trying to walk last month!).

My Big Fat Family Vacation

So, for the past few summers (minus the summer that we got married), John and I have been going on vacation with his family and friends to Nags Head. The average attendance is about 40 people. We get a few houses and really have a ton of fun. Despite the fact that John and I truly love relaxing on the beach and spending time with his family, we decided that this year we wanted to try something a little more extravagant. My Mom has been hounding my Dad about a Mediterranean cruise for years. When I mentioned to her that John and I would be interested in going if they were serious, she lit up and my Dad was game. My sister, Marina, and her husband, Bill, decided to join in on the adventure. So, it is set. We are going this summer to Rome to board the Carnival Freedom (pictured above) and sail all over the Mediterranean.

The ports of call are as follows:
1. Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - going to the Vatican
2. Naples, Italy - going to the Island of Capri and the Amalfi Coast
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia - kayaking and swimming in the Adriatic Sea
4. Venice, Italy - going on a Gondola ride and all over St. Mark's Square
5. Messina, Sicily, Italy - going to climb Mt. Etna
6. Barcelona, Spain - going on a tour of the city and tasting tapas
7. Cannes, France - going to tour a glass blowing factory
8. Livorno, Italy - going to Florence and Pisa
9. Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - going to travel some more...

Once back in Rome, we are renting cars and driving to my parents' home towns. They are only about 30 minutes from each other (yet my parents met in Pittsburgh...talk about fate!). It's going to be a great trip, but the only bummer is that my other sister, Dani, and her family won't be joining us. She has her hands full with 3 girls under the age of 3. So, it would be a crazy trip for her. She hopes to get to Italy with my parents when the girls are older.

This is my ultimate excitement for now, so I am sure that there will be more posts about it due to my extreme anticipation.

Nostalgia...

It's nice to return to a place that was so important to you and where you made so many memories. And when you arrive at that place, you get this feeling of butterflies in your stomach, like you are a little kid again, going to Kennywood or something. This is how I felt this past weekend when John and I drove to Meadville, PA to my Alma mater Allegheny College. The new swim team coach organized a pretty remarkable reunion for the swim team alumni to honor the former coach, Tom Erdos, who resigned last year after holding the position for 31 years. The turn-out was fantastic...almost 40 alumni showed (spanning from the graduating classes of 1976 to 2007). The best part of the weekend was the participation of most of the alumni in a friendly swim meet against the current team. I am sure you are thinking...what a joke. Despite the fact that it was quite humorous...it was great fun and not as embarrassing for a lot of the "older folks." Almost all the guys swam (John even joined in the fun, as an Edinboro swim team alumnus, he swam at the Gator pool a few times as an opponent). Only 6 girls were brave enough to darn our Speedos, caps, and goggles (yes, I was one of them). At the end of the meet, a few of the members of the current team complimented us by saying "We hope that we are in as good shape as you guys are when we are older." Although the fact that we are old was thrown back in our faces, it was nice to hear.

There was just something so nostalgic about swimming in that pool again. I even found myself missing it...not the pool itself, but what it represented. And what it represented is what made those butterflies flutter in my stomach...the friendships, the teammates, the fun times, and even the hard times. I cherish those memories that were made at Allegheny, and I always will.

Since we have been home, John continues to comment on the weekend and how much fun it was and how he wishes his team could do the same. They did try to do it this past winter, but we didn't attend due to short notice. We decided that we will definitely go next year if Edinboro tries to plan another one. In these conversations, he even wonders what would everything be like if he went to Allegheny instead of Edinboro. To this I say - please don't wonder, our paths met up at a certain point for a reason. If our pasts were different, we probably wouldn't be where we are today: in love, married, and perfectly happy!

The Initiation

So, I guess that I have been resistant to join the forces of the Blogger-World, but alas, I have surrendered. Since I am so bad at keeping in touch with friends via phone and even email, I figured that this has become the next best alternative. My 3 roommates from Allegheny College started their own blogs (see their links here), and I have found that it is a great way to remain updated on the current events of their busy lives. So, I hope that those who check my blog will have the same satisfaction. I encourage comments, and please don't think that I am going to stop checking and sending emails, because I will continue to email for more personal matters. Now remember, I am new at this, so I am trying to format the layout and get everything right. Therefore, please excuse frequent changes. And those of you who are veterans at this, tips will be much appreciated!