Rachel & Rachael

(think Julie & Julia, except I made a Rachael Ray recipe for the family) 

Oops... I forgot I had three of these... Thanks Grandma Hiltz!

 Before:

AFTER!!!

Oh ya know. Just a little proud of my housewife-iness in the making. ;)

Recap Sunday

a.k.a.

Easy-Going Sunday

Waking up to raspberry scones, a surprise visit from Uncle Eddie, grapeleaves, chilling on the couch, and a much needed back-rub, Sunday was the refreshing break I needed before heading back home. We attempted to fill the time by heading to the boat club to fish, but between the light drizzle and family gathering under the patio, we decided against this plan and I think it was for the better. Being able to just "veg" allowed me to absorb every minute of time we had left-- I didn't want to schlep along my journey back to OH.

I feel like we should have had Jack Johnson playing the entire day. Jack Johnson is more than a musician; he's a feeling, a state of mind. "Makin' banana pancakes...< la la la la>...'cause you're my little lady. Lady, lady, love me, 'cause I love to lay here lazy. We could close the curtains, pretend like there's no world outside" 

               ---> so I edited the lyrics... but they go along those lines, right? You get my point. 

I guess the point in all of this is (note that it is another pinterest quote... I need to find new sources of wisdom):

All I want to do is nothing with you. 

Recap Saturday

Saturday, May 26th:

(aka Tuesday)

Saturday was action packed. I think that if we tackle it in chronological order, it'll be manageable ;)

First things first, I slept in... oops. But it was lovely. 

Mrs. Girata's family came over around noon for a cookout. Over the delicious meal, I was put through the wringer by David... mini example:

David: What bars do you go to?

Me: I don't go to bars. I'm 19.

David: But do you drink?

Me: Huh? I'm 19.

David: But of course you've had something to drink before, no?

hahaha he was quite the tricky gentleman. But I'd like to think I passed the test. Uncle Ozzie kept winking at me and Grandma remembered a good deal of personal information from our previous meetings (meaning I'm memorable, right?).

After lunch, Mike and I hit the road for the city. Touring the Heinz History Center, at first we walked through the extensive sports section-- I wasn't sure if he was tricking me into going to the sports museum, but there was more stuff to come. After looking at baseball cards, old jerseys, and football helmets, we reached the area where I (somewhat) shined: the football toss. I actually got it in! I surprise myself sometimes. 

Yeah... We're the athletes of tomorrow...

We then continued to explore and learn about Lewis and Clark, the French and Indian war, the Heinz company and their array of products, and Pittsburgh in general. The oddest part of the museum, I must say, was the section devoted to nuns... I don't mind nuns. I love the movie Sister Act. But this was gosh darn creepy. They had mannequins in nun garb, but the figures didn't have faces. They were covered in cloth and could very easily come alive and kill us (with the ominous nun hymns and organ music in the background). 

But probably the most educational part of the museum was a talking robot that taught us Pittsburghese. 

This little dude explained that a gumband is a rubberband, Jine Iggle is Giant Eagle, yinz is the equivalent of y'all, Stillers are the Steelers, dahntahn is downtown, and I wrote down nebby in my notes but I can't remember what that one means... oops. 

Not only was he smart, but he was cute to boot!

After the museum, we headed to Station Square and walked around (greatly missing the museum's air conditioning). We explored the mini-mall, holding hands and chatting, and then made our way to the river and sat on a bench in the shade. After cooling off there for a bit, we headed to the Monongahela Incline. Though stuffy inside, the ride was most definitely worth the $3.10. The top gave the most beautiful view of Pittsburgh, and taking a walk along the edge allowed us to leave the crowd and have some alone time up there. 

On the ride up...

At the top :)

Please disregard the disheveled hair... on Mike's part. Mine totally looks perfect.

We got back to the bottom and finally started to feel the beginnings of hunger so we headed to one of my very favorite restaurants, Olive Garden. Being the boring person that I am, I ordered the "usual" Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. But if it ain't broke, why fix it? It was a delightful meal, made only more delightful by the boy across the table from me (and the schizo waiter who almost gave us the meal for free).

After getting home and showering, we joined his parents outside on the back porch while the sun was setting. I really do love his family (and I am sooo lucky to be able to say that. I've heard horror stories about other crazy "monster in-laws"). Mr. and Mrs. Girata surely do not fit that bill. 

We finished the night watching America's Funniest Home Videos and the end of the Pirates game. It was a full day, brimming with activity, and this calm close to the day was absolutely perfect. (and the Pirates won) haha 

A Wonderful Weekend: Recap Friday

Please don't be confused. Yes, today is Monday, May 28th... But I'm going to travel back to Friday, May 25th. Tomorrow will be Saturday and Wednesday, Sunday. I figure this would bring no objections... Who doesn't want to live in the weekend? (and if you do have objections, I don't really care. I'm writing this already. Too bad. Be psychic and voice your opinion before I post next time).

soooo where were we?

Friday, May 25:

Friday, friday, friday. The day I got to go to PA to see him, to be in the same room as him, to spend time with the people who raised him (and treat me like a princess). And finally to spend an extended amount of time with those people who he grew up with, joked with, and ate lunch everyday of school with: his friends. I must say, they are an enjoyable bunch. Whether we were watching March of the Penguins in Erin's loft or pointing out Matt Paul's beautiful eyes and joking about the "hockey bond" outside, I was completely comfortable there, and especially glad for one thing: to have this boy by my side. 

I am such a lucky girl to have him in my life. 

Thanks for an amazing weekend (with more details to come later). xoxo

Kurt Vonnegut & Happiness

Kurt Vonnegut has been on my mind a good deal today. (Yes, I will admit, I found this picture on Pinterest... but that shouldn't diminish its value) 

When am I happy? Well lets see. Today I woke up, rolled over, and stared at the clock to realize that I could go pee and crawl back under the sheets--being that it was 5:45am. Though early, that made me happy. I  got to sleep for another hour! After eating a banana, I headed to the gym with mama. Running on that treadmill, jamming to "You Make Me Want To" by Luke Bryan, I probably looked extremely stupid, but I couldn't stop smiling. Endorphins do amazing things; they can even trick you into enjoying a workout (well that and being early enough that I was half asleep, any pain I was experiencing was numbed).

Driving to Target, roaming the aisles, and finding the perfect top for this weekend makes me extremely happy (happier than it probably should make me), up until I get to the cash register. That part stinks. But hey. $14.99 for a top really isn't that much... its the other essentials on my shopping list that rack up the bill. Buying face wash, razors, shampoo, and deodorant do not make me happy. and they still cost me money. Then again, the effects of these products allow for happiness... For one, they allow me to enter society and not reek and nauseate those around me. This allows me to visit my boyfriend and not have him think "Is that pile of festering dirt, oil, and grease my girlfriend? Ew." And when my boyfriend is happy to see me (smelling nice and sans greasy hair), I am happy.

And what makes me buttloads of happy? Guess where I'm going to be this weekend? That's right! You're so smart. I'm going to Beaver County to see that special boy who enjoys my cleanliness, Michael Girata! Buttloads of happy right there.

P.S. Kurt Vonnegut seems like a pretty smart dude. I might pick up Slaughterhouse-Five. All thanks to Pinterest. Thank you, Pinterest. 

Little Moments

A trip to the neighborhood Skyline results in the recollection of family memories.

I've only ever been to Skyline with my family. Sometimes a few close friends tag along, but there always are at least four of our seven member household in attendance. Everyone has already figured out their favorite dish, and have been ordering it over the years (the only thing that changes is an increase in portion size).

Yes... that is my typical order above. I promise there are noodles underneath all of that cheese. 

So, we fail at taking pictures... Grace had hot sauce before Hannah 

snapped the pic (in remembrance of Tyler's drinking of hot sauce 

when he was young thinking it was ketchup. It ended badly both times), 

and Adam refused to have his face on the internet. (he better get over 

that before the cruise... there are going to be tooooo many pictures posted!)

But all in all, I guess we can be cute... occasionally.

Prom: a time for comparison

It's one of those very special days for my teenage little sister, Bekah.

It's her...

............................................................PROM!!...........................................................

Such a momentous occasion requires one rather terrible thing...

Pictures. and an endless stream of them.

 Bekah and her boyfriend, Austin, looking pretty in pink, are a lovely pair. Mainly, this is due to the fact that Austin is tall enough for Bekah to wear her first pair of heels! I feel odd walking around the two of them... They could squash me so easily, these two beautiful, and I suppose friendly, giants. 


Among all of the crazy picture taking, one goofy photo of the prom goddess (Bekah), Hannah, and I was taken. It made me smile, until I noticed something. Hannah and Bekah have the same silly face! 

...and there I am making my ridiculous fishy lips. The oddball.

I suppose I've always been the oddball though. The unathletic one. The sarcastic one. The one who read her biology text book before bed. Heck, even my genes set me apart. I have brown eyes, while the rest of my siblings have blue! (and if you look at the genotypic qualities of eye color, this is truly against the odds... brown eyes are dominant to blue. With my mom's Bb and dad's bb, the punnett square of such a mating would result in a 50% chance of Bb, 25% BB, and 25% bb. That means, 75% chance each individual has brown eyes, and 25% that they'd be blue.) Sorry for that gush of whatever that was... frustration channeled into biology? It's soothing... don't judge me. Promise? okay.

Even if I may stand apart, I still love the constant chaos that is my family... and I'm pretty sure they love me.

The Hunger Games

I have become consumed. 

When I can chew through every bite, I am content. 

When away, the thought of it eats at me.

I am straight up devouring The Hunger Games, and the games are devouring me.

Over the past two days, I've done little but leave these books. I take it with me to the dinner table, to the porch outside for a little vitamin D; I bring it to bed with me, and yeah, it has even ventured to the porcelain throne. I almost proudly admit, The Hunger Games  consume me.


One of the more curious side-effects of this book-addiction has been gnawing on me for quite some time. Katniss, the books' protagonist, is always detailing either 1) her intense hunger, or 2) the meals she's being fed by the Capitol/from her own trappings/Peeta's warm breads/all of the banquets. You get the picture. And this causes a rather ironic problem: while reading the book, I am constantly hungry! (Note the bowl of spaghetti in the picture above. This picture was taken yesterday before I even became aware of how much I have indeed been eating.)


And this hunger doesn't stop when I put the books down. Today, I was blessed to visit the always amazing Terese and Jay at OSU. (Pictured below in all of their instagrammed glory. You're welcome, Jay) And of course, we went to Chipotle. Normally my vegetarian burrito is enough to induce intense fullness only three-quarters through the meal, but today, I was aching to go back for seconds.

I love them. and so does the camera ;) cuties.

I'm not sure whether this hunger was due to the Games or merely the fact that I only had an english muffin for breakfast, but for now, I'm going to blame it on the books. I am currently on page 189 of Catching Fire, the second in the series. And I better finish them quickly, before I gain 15 extra pounds. 

 P.S. we're just all around photogenic people. Wouldn't you agree?

Taken for Granted

Today I am venturing into the great state of Pennsylvania, my long missed home-away-from-home. But today, I'm not headed there for joyous reasons. My loving, beautiful, and amazing sorority sister, Marah, lost both of her parents last Friday in a horrible car crash on their way to pick Marah up from Westminster for the summer. I can't even imagine the pain she is going through; my thoughts and prayers have traveled her way for the past week.
For more information on the accident:
http://www.wcn247.com/deadly-traffic-accident-claims-the-lives-of-westminster-student-s-parents-1.2871290#.T7Ott-umjd4

At Hannah's dance competition on Sunday, one dancer performed to the song "I Died in a Car Crash" and it just seemed like the worst timing. 1) It was Mother's Day, so I was already thinking about how grateful I was to have my mother with me. 2) I felt guilty knowing that Marah could no longer celebrate Mother's Day with her mom, or Father's Day with her dad for that matter. 3) That song came on, with its powerful lyrics tied to the beauty of dance, and the waterworks gushed.

With a total seven hour drive in front of me, I am looking forward to the journey there, for it will bring visits with the boyfriend, my best dude Ethan, and the sorority girls I am dearly missing. But the ride back, I know will be filled with reflections: on my life, on my parents, on how different my world would truly be without them. Although I am an adult now, I couldn't imagine growing up further without them to point me along.

Starting Out

As my first (technically second) post, I have decided to recap this weekend. Being that it was the first one home since Easter, the family still loved me--holding my breath that this phase lasts for a while longer.

Saturday: was spent just Grace and I. The others have lives and jobs and extracurricular activities soooo we decided to eat food.

Miss Lou Freebush at the local Noodles&Co.

My delicious plate of Pad Thai and the Izze that Grace was kind enough 

to open for me. My bottle-opener from Westminster has been replaced! ;)

Then, of course, to entertain ourselves, we ventured to "the strip": Kroger (for "fizzy fruity water"), Hallmark (to play with the fake flowers that open on command for mother's day), Petland (to play with the puppies), and then finally Goodwill, where we tried on fabulous glasses and looked at others recyclables, which we considered to be our own treasures. Grace kept pushing for me to buy her this lovely stained glass jewelry box.

p.s. please do not judge me for this face. 

Later Saturday, Grace, Hannah, and I went to see "This Means War" at the dollar theater.  (Can't you tell Mom and Dad were at TOSRV and gave us their credit card?) This was a very well spent $3 though. The movie resulted in many giggles, gushing, and quoting, even after  we left the theater. 

(Today, Hannah spent a good portion of the day texting me: "That means he has a Mike&Ike for a penis" "I don't think Dad's a travel agent" "Good luck hunting" "It's a screwdriver. There's vodka and maybe a little leftover apple juice in it" and Grace's favorite... Reese: "I'm going to hell." Her best friend: "No you're not. and if so, I'll be there to pick you up." ...Obviously she pays attention in school)

 BUT! I almost forgot! Before the movie, we wasted time fooling around in the Petland near the theater since Zoo traffic held us back from making it to the 5:15 showing... here's how we stayed busy till 7:45:

hehe

Speedy, the turtle

She didn't like the cat. Cat didn't like her.

Sunday: Hannah had a dance competition in the morning. She's beautiful; Dad agreed, but couldn't keep himself awake for the rest of the dancers. So we decided to go once again to the dollar theater, but this time to see Phantom Menance 3D with all but Mom and Hannah. I must say, the theater employees probably know me by now.

That shiny blur? That's my sister!!

Stylin' in those glasses. 

Don't bother the boys with picture-taking, Rachel.

They just won't be bothered with such trivialities.

pretty girls, if you ask me.

Bekah discovered what happens when you place the 

two lenses on top of each other!! Trippppy

Welllllllllll, that's all for now. Phewf!! Quite the weekend :) Ciao for now.

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