T-2 days!!

Ok, so it has been a LONG time since I have written an entry-life has just been an exciting whirlwind. Between juggling my job, doing some side designing work (yay!) and oh yeah-planning a trip to Europe-it's been busy!

On Wednesday-yes, as in 2 days!-Jon and I will be jet-setting off to Paris for two and a half days, then hopping on a plane and going to Italy for six and a half days. We are totally excited, but certainly nervous. As I keep telling people-I don't consider myself to be a very "worldly" person, so this should be an experience. One I won't soon forget, I am sure.

In Paris, we are hoping to see the traditional tourist attractions-the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, etc. We have also reserved a bike tour to see the city from a different perspective.

In Italy, we will be spending majority of our time in Rome. The primary reason we are travelling to Europe is that Elizabeth, my fabulous sister-in-law, is currently studying abroad in Rome. Yay-perfect reason to go. We haven't seen her since February 1st, so we are stoked to see her and see what her life has been like for the past couple months. So exciting!

I will do my best to blog while on the trip-a real time account of the travels-but if that doesn't pan out, I will certainly blog about our adventures when we return!

Au revoir and Ciao!

We Are...PENN STATE!

Last night, Jon and I, along with some friends, travelled up to the bustling city of New York to watch our beloved Lions battle the Fighting Irish in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden. Not having gone to any of the regular season games this season, we joked about how of all the games to see, this was a good one. The Lions looked good-especially in the first half where they out rebounded, out ran, and outscored the Irish. The second half, although not quite as "suave", still stayed in Penn State's favor. The game ended closer than us Blue and White bleeders would have liked, with a score of 67-59, but hey-it's a "W" and that's all the matters, right?

The crowd was, without a doubt, Penn State proud, making it feel much like a home game. It was exhilarating to be hanging out in a huge venue like Madison Square Garden, but be feeling nothing but Penn State love. Even JoePa made the trip to NYC-and he was feeling the love too as his face shown on the big screen numerous times, each time the arena ROARING with applause.

It was a great experience and although I am EXHAUSTED today, it was all worth it. Next up for the Lions-NIT final game vs. Baylor-Thursday 4/2- 7:00 pm.

WE ARE....PENN STATE!!

Happy Birthday, Bro!

I wanted to take today to wish my "baby" brother a special Happy Birthday. It seems like only yesterday he was in diapers and as of today, he's an official adult. Over the years, he has provided our family endless comedic entertainment, been my partner in crime in uninhibited sessions of sheer goofiness, and has kept our saintly parents on their toes. It is hard to believe that in a few short months, he will be embarking on his journey through adulthood-serving our country in the Air Force, and touching hearts with his warming smile everywhere he goes.



I hope its a good one, Bud. You deserve it!! Love you.



~Anda

An 80th Birthday Celebration

On Saturday, we held a surprise 80th birthday party for Jon's grandfather. It was a couple months in the making and turned out better than any of us could have expected. My mother-in-law, aunt-in-law and myself took on majority of the planning, and I must say, we make a killer team.


I was in charge of more of the creative elements, which meant, I was in my element.


It had been planned that we would have an Italian theme, more specifically, a small Italian restaurant theme. We did our best to carry the theme out from start to finish-or in this case, from the invitation through the dinner. We had white string lights draped from the ceiling, red and white checked tablecloths, white taper candles, and foliage all around.


Here is the room pre-party:

In keeping with the theme, I designed the invitations using a simple black, red and white design. I used one of my favorite (although now that I am learning the Adobe Creative Suite, not my number one favorite anymore) program, Microsoft Publisher. It affords the opportunity to design so many different documents, and really exercise a lot of creative freedom.

Here are the invitations:

I was also in charge of decorating the place mats. Wanting to keep with the theme, and trying to tie everything together, I adapted the picture that was on the invitation and used a wine bottle and glass on the place mat. It was a time-consuming task, but well worth the outcome.

Another personalized touch we added to the decor was the use of a variety of pictures of the guest of honor through the years. We had pictures from the age of one, through his mid-70's- each in a simple black frame, and spread throughout the room.

The food was catered by a local family that used to own an small Italian restaurant in the Williamsport area. It was a restaurant that Jon basically grew up in--going there at least once a week with his entire family. Unfortunately, due to a tragic loss, the restaurant closed, leaving a hole in so many Williamsport hearts. I was lucky enough to have had the chance to experience it before its closing, and for that, I am thankful. So, to create a truly nostalgic feel, it seemed only fitting that we have this delicious food for this monumental occasion.

The party was the celebration of a truly great man, and his life. It was a great chance to mingle with people who knew this man for many years, and a great opportunity to spend time with family we don't always get to see. I felt so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful evening.

March Sunburns

On the Eve of St. Patty's Day one would not expect me to be writing about sunburns, however, here I write...

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day in good old Williamsport, PA, so Jon and I decided to take Mr. Max out to enjoy this seemingly long, lost weather. It has been a terribly long winter, and we were craving the sunshine and general warmth, so we opted to go for a walk in a local park. This particular park is great-with endless paths to trek on, many of which run along the Susquehanna River-which made Max happy since we are pretty certain that he has never had the opportunity to "float his fanny in the Susquehanny" before. (Quite honestly, before joining our family, we are pretty sure he never had many opportunities to do much of anything. So sad.)

Our outing lasted around 2 hours, after which the three of us were happy and tired-not a bad combination at all. It should be obvious where this is going in terms of sunburns. Anyone who knows me knows that, unfortunately, I am very fair skinned-a prime target for the sun's rays. After being outside in the sun for 2 hours, despite being March, Anda gets sunburned. Shocker, I know. Now, I am having very mixed feelings about this "phenomenon." There is a part of me that thinks, "Well crap, I got sunburned." BUT, then there is part of me that thinks, "WOO HOO! I got sunburned!" I am only able to feel this latter part because it was nothing like the normal sunburns I would expect (and will expect) to get in the summer-this is totally minor. The important thing to note is the fact that the sun's rays are now able to sunburn me, which tells me that Spring is just around the corner!!

And that, my friends, is all we need to know...Woo hoo!!