Somehow, it’s already September.

Which means summer is practically over. And my wedding is in 9 days.

What. The. Hell?

So how about I fill you in on my summer, and then you can fill me in on yours. Cause I miss you guys.

So let’s start with the job stuff- I started my new job in June and I really like it. It’s really close to home, and I work mostly daylight. I work a few evening shifts here  & there but I don’t mind usually. I’m pretty lucky too when it comes to weekends. I only work every once in a while on a weekend and usually it’s just one day. Unfortunately this weekend I am working both days. Boo. The only thing that kind of bums me out about my job is I’m considered a stand-by employee. What that means is I’m not full time, or even part time. I don’t get any benefits, and my hours aren’t guaranteed. And while my boss is really awesome about giving me as many hours as possible (36-40 hrs a week), it’s always in the back of my mind that something might happen. So far, so good though and I hope it stays that way.

And then there’s the house stuff-We closed on our first house June 14th, and moved in the following weekend. Being a new homeowner has had several ups and downs and it’s only been a few months. We didn’t have a fridge the first week and a half we lived here because Best Buy proved once again what an incompetent company they are. The other appliances that were installed by our builder were wrong, but were quickly replaced with the right ones the next day. And then that one week when it was really hot? Yeah, our brand new air conditioner broke. And we found out the ventilation system in our second floor was installed backwards. I had a bout of gardening, but the heatwave killed all my plants. We have wild turkeys wandering around, and I’m convinced they’re planning an attack on us. But despite all the issues, having our own space is great. It’s nice having a big townhouse that you only have to share with one other person. Our neighbors are all very nice too. We’re still getting settled in though, so there’s still a few unpacked boxes and unfinished rooms. I’ve been bad about taking pictures, but hopefully after the honeymoon we’ll get everything unpacked and put away.

Speaking of the honeymoon-I still can’t believe in a little over a week I’ll be married. We’re going to Canada (Toronto & Montreal to be exact) for our honeymoon and I can’t wait to just relax. This wedding planning business has really been testing my patience and my sanity. On the other hand, I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself once it’s over. I’ve been in wedding planning mode for over a year now, I’ll probably go through wedding withdrawal. Do they have drugs for that?

I did other typical summer things like spending the day at Kennywood, and lounging by my aunt’s pool. And of course reading.. but when do I ever stop reading?

So now that I’ve caught you all up on my summer, fill me in on yours! I’ve been terrible about reading blogs lately, but I’m making an effort to bring it back into my routine. Did I miss anything especially exciting or unusual?

I know I’ve been pretty absent from the blog world. I’ve pretty much fallen into a black hole.

But let’s face it, there’s enough negativity floating around on the internet & in the world in general. I wasn’t about to sit here & blog day after day about how I sit around most days and do nothing. I’ve probably piled some of the most stressful things you can put on yourself all at once- job hunting, wedding planning, and going through the process of buying a first house. But today I can take a step back and take a breather…

Image c/o Pink Cake Box/Flickr Creative Commons

Tomorrow I can return to my quarter-life crisis, but today I can forget all my cares.

Oh-I got a pretty awesome early birthday present..

I GOT A JOB!!!!

I am such a procrastinator.

I always wait until the last minute to do just about everything. Luckily, it’s always seemed to work for me. Whether it was waiting until last minute to write a paper due in an hour or get ready to go out, it seemed to work out in my favor. Today, I’m up to my old procrastinating tricks.

I leave for a trip back home to Pittsburgh in, oh, 6 (ish) hours and is my suitcase packed and ready to go? No. Is all my makeup/toiletries neatly packed away? Nope. Is there a chance I’ll forget my toothbrush in my haste (again)? Most likely. The only thing I haven’t procrastinated on was checking in and printing my boarding pass, but I can’t really count that as a win since technically Chris did it for me. If it weren’t for him, I’d be in boarding group C stuck in between a lady and her crying baby, and probably someone just a little too big for those airline seats.

Also-guess who just spent the last hour updating my resume and fighting with the printer? Yep, me again. I could’ve done all of this when I got home from work but instead I decided taking a nap was the best thing to do at the time. Speaking of sleeping-if I forget to pack my Ambien I’m gonna be one cranky girl over the holidays.

So when I get up at 4am tomorrow, I’ll be thinking of how I’m jealous that all my friends are probably still all comfy in their beds and I’m running around like a madwoman yelling at Chris. Tomorrow is a big day-Chris & I are looking at houses and I also have a semi secret thing going on. After that it’s relaxation, and spending time with the family.

Do you have any big Thanksgiving plans? Are you traveling anywhere? I wish you all a happy and safe holiday!!

*PS: On Monday, I’m going to have a special guest post from Matt at Life Without Pants. I’m super excited to see what he has in store for us all!

Well, this is my 100th post and I was hoping for it to be something upbeat and excited.

Instead, all I feel lately is frustration.

It’s been two weeks since my latest post. For me, that feeling is frustrating. Every time I sit down to write something, the words just slip away. Or sometimes my brain is swirling so fast, all I can pick out are random words. If I tried to lay them out, it would just be a jumbled mess. Maybe that’s what I need to do, because I feel like that would be an accurate representation of my life right now: A jumbled mess.

Planning a wedding from 450 miles away is challenging.Things have been falling into place lately, but there certainly have been snags along the way. It took 3 trips to Pittsburgh just to pick a venue. We’re only about halfway done with our marriage preparation that’s required by the Catholic Church. The bridesmaid dresses turned into an ordeal in itself, and brought out my inner bridezilla for a bit. Luckily that crisis has been smoothed over, and all the dresses are hanging safely in a closet at my mother’s house along with mine.

Chris and I have made the decision to go back to Pittsburgh. As much as I absolutely adore my friends here, I miss my family. And realistically Chris and I cannot afford to buy anything in Chicago. I figured if we’re going to end up in the suburbs anyway, we might as well go back to Pennsylvania and be with family. So now we’re beginning the process of looking for houses. With that comes looking for cars for both of us, looking for new jobs, and planning a whole different budget than what we’re used to. Even though I know moving back is probably the best decision, I can’t help but feel disappointed. I thought moving away from Pittsburgh would be a life changing experience where I would grow as a person. While it definitely has been, I never expected things to come full circle and have me end up back where I started. But on the plus side, Chris and I will be getting a place with at least 3 bedrooms so all my friends will have an open invitation to come stay with us anytime.

The super secret project I may (or may not) have mentioned finally launched a few weeks ago so I can finally say I have been doing some freelance writing for Appolicious and it’s been a lot of fun. But I do notice on days when I’m writing my reviews or doing research, my own blog suffers. I just feel frustrated that sometimes I’m not a constant fountain of words and ideas that continue to flow and never dry up. But guess what? I’m only human, and I realized my brain does have its limitations.

And wow-for someone who’s feeling frustrated at my state of writers block, those previous 475 words just poured right out. The whole purpose of me blogging from the very beginning is to use it as an extension of myself; I don’t ever want it to feel like a job or a chore. I don’t ever want to be like “ugh, I haven’t written a post in a week. I really need to go home and write one” because obviously I shouldn’t bother writing one in that case. I have enough frustrations in life and blogging is supposed to help me work through that, not add more frustration to the mix.


No apologies here though. No excuses.


Just a little insight, and some explanation.

I’m ambivalent.

I’m unsure.

I’m frustrated.

I’m excited about the future.

I’m also nervous.

I’m trying to be a good friend to both of my friends who are going through a separation/divorce.

I’m sad for them.

I’m homesick.

I’m self conscious.

I’m grateful.

I’m a bride-to-be.

I’m a redhead.

I’m trying to face up to some major life decisions.

I’m trying to find the courage.

I’m a mom to some cute kitties.

I’m an older sister.

I’m a coffee addict.

I’m an aspiring golfer.

I’m a book lover.

I’m a lover of sleeping in.

I’m sarcastic.

I’m fiercely loyal to those I love.

I’m honest.

I’m loving.

I am loved.

I’m just me.

Who are you right now?

Happy belated Labor Day! I know I’ve been MIA, but I’ve been having a kind of difficult week. I’m still debating on writing a full blown post on that, but nevertheless I am BACK!

Things I’ve learned in the past week:

• Never EVER under any circumstances trust David’s Bridal when they tell you not to worry about your bridesmaid dresses being discontinued. Better yet, have all the bridesmaids order their dresses at the same time. (thank god my friend Christina works there & helped me out. She is truly a saint)
• Helping a friend through a separation/divorce is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done for a friend.
• Having said friend pack up and move away after she decided to leave is even harder even though you know it’s the right thing for her. There was lots of kleenex this weekend.
• Check your bag for keys before leaving your apartment. I spent 3 hours wandering around chicago makeup-less because I got locked out.
• Never under any circumstances should any type of alcohol come in contact with your vagina. Same rule applies to KY his & hers supposedly. (NOT that I’d KNOW or anything, but so I’ve heard)
• Bribing friends’ doormen with brownies probably isn’t the best way to get into your friends’ building. (Yep, that’s me-bribing good ol’ Walter with brownies. Now I’m probably on his blacklist somewhere. I know he mutters about “that crazy redhead” under his breath now)
• Sometimes it’s nice to spend time away from the future mister.

Things I have yet to find an answer to:

• Why is my couch a nap monster? I cannot sit on it without being lured in for a long nap. Damn you couch for being so tricky!!
• Why I can’t legally adopt Nicole and have Doni live here?
• Why can’t Pumpkin Spice Lattes be made with sugar free syrup? Or be available all year round?
• Why does my hair prove time and time again its will is stronger than my own?
• Is it possible for my IUD to perforate my uterus from, um, having “vigorous” sex?
• Can tomorrow fast forward so I can be in Pittsburgh already??

So tell me what’s happened to YOU in the last week that I may have missed. Any life lessons learned you’d like to share?

Just because I’m in one of those moods:

• plain M&M’s. I can’t resist their chocolately goodness! and they’re just a simple pleasure by nature.
• kittens. technically any baby animal, but I squeal with delight when I see a kitten. seriously, it’s kind of embarrassing. ask chris.
• a good nap. double points if it’s on a rainy day. triple points if I never have to get out of bed all day.
• a good cry. As a girl, sometimes you just need one.
• Bonfires. Living in the city makes me realize how much I miss them.
• Long pointless car rides with friends. Not really having a destination, just enjoying the journey. Another thing I miss since moving to Chicago.
• Hugs. Seriously-who wants one?
• all of my friends, but especially these two girls.
• the baristas at my Starbucks because they know my drink order by heart.
• The aroma that fills your house when you are cooking/baking something
• Staying in to read a good book in PJ’s instead of going out and doing something.
• the moment I realized things will never go back to the way they were, and realizing I’m finally okay with that.

So…What are you loving? What makes you feel better on those days?

This past Saturday I went to Velika Gospa, which is the Croatian Festival held at St. Jerome’s in Bridgeport. I’m half Croatian, but until recently I haven’t given much thought to that part of my heritage. The other part of me is Irish and of course I know a lot about that heritage. Up until recently I’ve always tried to identify myself with this half, asserting myself with my Irish heritage. I’m not sure the exact turning point when I started becoming more curious about the other half occured, but I think it had something to do with my distant cousins finding me on facebook. That sounds really lame, I know. I’ve always known I still had distant relatives that lived in Croatia because my dad had gone to meet them wayyyy back in the day, but it was really cool to have them reach out to me like that and get to know one another.

Going to Velika Gospa was quite a cultural experience for me. I’m sure what I experienced on Saturday is similar to what goes on in the old country. Everyone knew everyone. Guys that looked like my dad and uncles were everywhere. Even Chris made comments about how he thought he actually saw my dad a few times. They were holding High Mass when we tried to duck into St. Jerome’s to take a look around so I got to hear Mass being given in Croatian.

Then there was the food. OHHHH the food! First of all, in a semi secret location, they were selling whole lambs and pigs, or selling them by the pound. This lamb and pig stuff was serious business. The guy in line ahead of us had called in a special order and he paid $180 for whatever it is he ordered. $10/lb = this dude ordered 18 pounds of meat!!! Sadly, they had sold out except for special orders by the time I got to the front of the line. Next year. But then I came across this goody:

Those, dear readers, are pork ražnjići. I’m not generally a fan of pork, but these were absolutely to die for.

Then for dessert: Fritule!

Basically fritule is just deep fried dough balls rolled in powdered sugar. They’re so delicious and popular the line wrapped around the entire stand and down the sidewalk.

We wrapped up the afternoon with a trip inside the church. It was absolutely gorgeous. I wish the church I was getting married in resembled this:

Religion is a very important part of Croatian culture (something like 85% of Croatians are Roman Catholic) and it shows. The church in this neighborhood is clearly the center of the community. It felt like I was at a giant family reunion and I loved every second of it.

Going to the festival definitely gave me a whole new outlook on my culture. Now more than ever, I am pushing Chris to choose Croatia for our honeymoon. Not only does it have beautiful beaches, but delicious food, and maybe I’ll get to meet my family!

**there are more pics up on Flickr! check them out here.