Our Wedding Day

Hello friends. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would finally do a post dedicated to our wedding day, which was over six months ago already!!! Everyone said that it would fly by, and it really did…but I can honestly say that we enjoyed every single second!!! We had so much fun!

Leading up to the wedding, all I kept saying to everyone was “I have a vision” and my family thought I was crazy! But I really knew the vibe that I wanted and Rob and I made it happen. When we walked into the reception for the first time we were so incredibly happy because our “vision” came to life. It took my breath away. Even my dad commented and said “now I get why you were being so crazy – I see the vision”.

The best thing is, we really did almost everything ourselves and I would recommend that to anyone getting married. It saved us a ton of money and it really was fun to do these little projects. It’s also so rewarding when the wedding day arrives and everything comes together. So this post, I just figured I’d share some pictures, ala Pinterest, and hopefully maybe inspire some brides out there to DIY!

 

Don’t call it a comeback…

Well friends, it’s been a long, long time. I believe my last post was in April of 2015. It is now January of 2016. A lot has happened in that span of time. I got married. I went to Hawaii. I turned 30. I celebrated the Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. And so on, and so on. So why haven’t I posted you ask? Well, there are two reasons why. Number 1 – I’ve been busy as you can see. But I really don’t think that is a good enough excuse not to write. I should make time. Number 2 – I lost my motivation. This is the biggest reason. I guess I’ve been feeling a little blue these days. That probably sounds crazy because of all the wonderful things that have happened in that span of time but it’s true. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly happy with my life and feel very fortunate for the good things I have. However, I’m the type of person who always has and always will question my life and my choices, particularly when it comes to my career. I guess I had been so preoccupied with planning a wedding that I really didn’t put too much thought into my unhappiness with my job. But now that the wedding is over I’ve been constantly thinking about if teaching is the right career path for me. I also feel like the world that we live in is so incredibly messed up lately that it makes me sad. I just didn’t want to bring that negativity on here. To be honest, I almost deleted the blog but then I figured if I keep it, even if I go away for a while, I can always go back and write.

Basically, I need a positive outlet in my life. I miss working out and singing and dancing and doing things for me but because of time restraints, as well as, exhaustion because of my job and commute, I don’t really do anything for me anymore. I come home; cook, clean, lesson plan and then plop myself on the couch for as long as I can keep my eyes open. It’s not healthy and it makes me even more blue. Anyway, writing always makes me feel better so I want to start it up again. And I don’t want to just come on here and complain. That isn’t why I started this thing.

I have a few ideas for a few blog posts that I want to write soon. I need to do a re-cap of my wedding day because honestly, it was the BEST day of my entire life. I also need to do a tribute to Hawaii because I absolutely fell in love with that place when we went on our honeymoon. And besides that, well…you’ll just have to come back to find out what I’m up to!

Hope to see you soon…unless I don’t write for another year…in that case, have a happy 2016 😉

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Hey ya’ll…

Yea, I don’t know why I said that. Okay so Super Bowl Sunday is coming up! And besides the football, everyone thinks about one other thing…BUFFALO WINGS! Well, two things I guess…beer too. Anyways, I’ve been craving wings all week just thinking about the Super Bowl and it gave me an idea for dinner last night. I made Buffalo Chicken Burgers and they were delish!!! And best of all, they were definitely a healthier alternative to fried buffalo wings. You want the recipe? Here it is…

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Ingredients: 

Chicken Chop Meat (1 lb)

Onion (Half of an onion, grated)

Garlic (2 cloves, minced)

Salt and pepper (To taste)

Butter (About two tablespoons, for a healthier alternative use olive oil)

Hot Sauce (1/2 cup, more if you like it hotter)

Carrots, Celery, and Lettuce (For garnish)

Blue Cheese (To taste)

Directions:

1. Mix chicken chop meat, onions, garlic, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Use your judgement -if you want bigger burgers, roll out bigger burgers…if you want sliders (like me), shape your meat mixture into smaller slider burgers.

3. THIS IS OPTIONAL – I took a little blue cheese and placed it in the middle of the burger to give it a “stuffed burger” effect. Totally up to you whether or not you want the stuffed burgers!

4. Place the burgers on a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle some olive oil on top of each burger. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip the burgers over. Bake for another 10-15 minutes depending on how your burgers look!

5. While your burgers are cooking, start on your sauce. Melt your butter (or let your olive oil get warm) and whisk in the hot sauce. Let that cook for about 5 minutes and then shut off the heat.

6. Once your burgers are done place them in the pot with the sauce. Cook about a minute or two on each side.

7. Plate your burgers and pour all extra sauce on top.

8. Take those burgers and do what you want with them! I poured a little extra blue cheese dressing on top of mine and ate it in a lettuce wrap. If you’re feeling fancy you can even make a carrot/celery slaw and put it right on top! If you don’t want the cheese…I’m looking at you paleo people…you can top it with some avocado so you still get that smooth, creamy taste. AND it will help with some of the heat from the hot sauce!

9. As always…ENJOY!

Happy Super Bowl guys!!!  Go Seahawks!!!

Healthy Chicken Parm

I haven’t done a recipe in a while but I made a pretty good one today and I wanted to share…

So when I say “healthy”, the only thing that some people may consider unhealthy is the parmesean cheese, obviously you can omit that if you like, it will still be delicious. But I’m a cheese kind of girl so I added the cheese. Sorry to my paleo friends…but I just can’t do without the cheese. End of cheese rant.

Anyways, here is the recipe for this delicious twist on a classic. I hope you enjoy!!

Healthy Chicken Parmigiana 

Ingredients:

Chicken breast, sliced thin (1 – 1 1/2 lbs)

Grape tomatoes (1 package)

Garlic (2 cloves)

Basil (A few leaves will do)

Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese for my non-Italian friends – 1/2 cup)

Olive Oil (use as needed)

Spaghetti Squash (1)

Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste

Directions:

I need a better camera! P.S. Do you see my dessert back there? Kind of negates the healthy, huh? 🙂

1. Like so many meals that I try to make healthier, I served this over Spaghetti Squash. Before you do anything you want to get that spaghetti squash in the oven. If you don’t know how to cook a Spaghetti Squash click on this link for directions from a previous Lost Girl Post! Spaghetti Squash Directions

2. Once that’s in the oven and cooking, you can make your fresh marinara sauce. Cut up your garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Sauté the garlic in olive oil for about a minute and then add your tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and some Italian seasoning if you have it. Let that cook until it starts to look saucy (aka about five minutes). Add basil and cook for another few minutes. Once that is done set it to the side and begin working on your chicken.

3. I don’t like just throwing chicken in the oven because I always feel like it comes out kind of blah. I like to sauté my chicken in a pan with some olive oil and garlic first – it’s nice to get that golden brown color on the chicken. Before you sauté it, season it with a little bit of salt and pepper.

4. Once your chicken is cooked, place it on a baking sheet. Take your sauce and pour a little bit on each chicken. Then add your cheese.

5. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

6. Serve over spaghetti squash. Add more basil for a nice garnish!

Simple, right? And it was so delicious!!!

Buon Appetito!

Dear Justin Timberlake, I am obsessed!

Every girl at some point in her life (usually around the age of 13-18), will briefly find herself obsessed with a entertainer/celebrity of some sort. In most cases, such as mine, that celeb is a part of a boy band. When *Nsync came out back in the mid 90’s I was in middle school and I fell in love with them. I saw them in concert a million times, I had the tshirts, the magazines, the books, the dolls (yes, the dolls), I knew every word to every song by heart, I knew every dance move to every song by heart, my walls were covered in pictures of *Nsync…I literally could not think of anything else. When Justin Timberlake decided to go solo, I was in my senior year of high school. I was ready to let go of my teenybopper ways. I never thought that Justin going solo would turn into a whole new era of obsession for me. Needless to say, it has. It has big time.

Well I am now 29 and I can honestly say my obsession is probably at its all time high right now. Justin has just finished his world tour for The 20/20 Experience (absolutely the best record he ever put out) which I have seen 4 times. I actually feel knots in my stomach because I don’t know when he will be back with more music. Maybe he won’t. Who knows? But if we are all lucky he will grace us with new music sometime in the near future.

Why am I so obsessed you ask? Well, in true Lost Girl fashion, I have compiled a list of the reasons why JT is the greatest entertainer of our time!

The music. The reason why Justin’s music speaks to so many people, guys and girls alike, of all different walks of life, is because his music is GOOD. His lyrics are good. The beats, the rhythms, everything about it is good. His albums are the kind that you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping over songs. That’s a rare thing to find these days. He is respected in all different genres of music; pop, hip hop, r&b, rap, country…I have heard one of his songs on each of these type of radio stations. That’s pretty rare these days. His voice is amazing. He doesn’t need autotune or any of that, he is naturally talented. He can and will sing his heart out every single time.

He entertains. Have you ever been to a JT concert? If you haven’t you are truly missing out. He will have you dancing on your feet the whole entire time. He puts on an amazing show! He performs so much of his music that he actually takes an intermission and comes back for a whole second set. How many entertainers do that these days? You usually see an opening act, they set up the stage, and then the person you paid to see sings for an hour/hour and a half tops. Not Justin. He hits the ground running and does not stop! The man can dance his ass off! Seriously. And every concert truly is an experience of its own.

He’s versatile. Like I said before, Justin is respected in so many different genres. His music cannot be placed into just one category, it stretches out across the board. Also, something that is unique about JT, every time he puts out a new album it has a TOTALLY different feel from the one before. I remember hearing each and every first single that he released from each and every album he put out. I said the same thing each time “this is so different then everything that is out right now, this is so different then the stuff he has done before”. To reinvent yourself over and over like he has truly takes an artist. Not only is he well respected in the music scene, he also is respected in the acting community. He has been in some major movies with some major actors and definitely holds his own.

He doesn’t take himself too seriously. Celebs these days. They can’t laugh at themselves. Most of them seem too serious. It’s super annoying. But Justin…I mean, you’ve seen him on SNL. The dude is hilarious! There’s a reason why him and Jimmy Fallon get along so well. They are both so hysterical that it just works! There are not too many entertainers that can step out of their comfort zone the way that he can. And every time he does he knocks it out of the park!

He is freaking gorgeous. Okay, so I know this shouldn’t matter but it’s just an added bonus. Justin is absolutely gorge! He has a sense of style, he is confident, and well…just look at him! I could die! It’s too bad he’s happily married. Sigh.

So thank you Mr. JT. Thank you for years of entertainment, thank you for years of obsession and I do hope there are many more to come. And thank you for looking the way that you do. Because well, it’s nice. Very nice.

❤

Hello 2015, it’s great to meet you!

Well, we drank the champagne, we counted down to midnight, and danced the night away…2015 is officially here! And for once, I feel pretty good on this New Year’s Day. I have to say normally, New Year’s Day is my least favorite holiday. It’s just so blah. You’ve been celebrating the holidays since November and then after partying New Year’s Eve, you wake up and realize everything is over and it’s time for winter. No celebrations until Spring. Terrible, right? Well, not so much this time.

2015 has the potential to be the greatest year of my life! Big things are happening this year and I am so excited to soak in every ounce of happiness that it brings.  Here’s what’s coming up for this Lost Girl…

Three Big Things Happening in 2015:

1. I’m getting married! It’s sort of surreal that my wedding is going to be here in six months. I mean you dream of your wedding all your life. Even if you’re not wedding obsessed (I never really was), every girl does think about the day…the dress…the guy…and all the little details in between. It’s almost like a fantasy and then all of the sudden, the plans are in motion and the countdown is on. That’s where I’m at right now. July is coming up fast and I still cannot believe it! I don’t think I will believe it until I’m looking at the pictures after the fact.

It’s funny, I am not a fan of change. It scares the hell out of me. And I will admit there are somethings that every once in a while cross my mind that gives me a little teeny tiny panic attack and then I get over it just as quick as it came on (like changing my name…it’s so strange to me that I am one name all of my life and then all of the sudden I am someone else!). But for the most part, I have no fears. I am ready for the next chapter in my life, in our life.

2. Hawaii! I may be more excited for our honeymoon then I am for the wedding! We just booked our flights to Hawaii. I guess it’s kind of typical to go to Hawaii after you get married and so many people were trying to steer us away from going there because it is expensive…but we have been researching, and planning, and I think the way we are doing everything is perfect for us. We like to explore, and to be active, and experience the culture of wherever we go, so it’s not going to be a typical laying-around-on-the-resort type of honeymoon. We will be running around exploring every island we visit and there is really no one else in the world I would rather do this with, then my soon-to-be hubby!

3. The big 3-0! Well, in November of this year I will be saying goodbye to my 20’s and saying hello to my 30’s. Not gonna lie, I am a tad freaked out about this but I plan on enjoying my “dirty 30” thoroughly…there will be a whole post dedicated to just this topic so stay tuned.

So those are the three big things happening for me. I am so excited for this year!

Bring it on 2015!!!

Italian Wedding Craziness

Hello friends, happy Wednesday! So as most of you know, I am getting married this summer. I had planned on it being a laid back enjoyable experience with little to no stress. I planned on being “the cool bride” who didn’t care too much about small little details that in the end wont matter. Boy, was I wrong. So very wrong! Now let me start by saying, everything started off smooth. My fiance and I decided to take our time planning to avoid the stress you usually associate with planning a wedding. It was going well for a while. Then we hit the one year mark. And things started to get crazy. For one reason and one reason only, my crazy Italian family! What is with Italians and weddings? Why must it be such a crazy experience to plan a wedding in an Italian family? I should tell you that I am the first in my family to get married. I am the oldest cousin on both sides. So yea, I get it, it’s a big deal. But madone everything that I decide on seems to be a problem with these people. The politics of who gets invited…”you can’t invite Cousin Anthony without inviting Cousin Marie”…”how are you not going to invite Jack and Lisa, they’ve been our friends for so many years”…”why are you inviting this guy? I don’t know him! I never met him”. Has the whole idea that the wedding should be about two people who are actually getting married gone totally out the window?

Now look, I’m not trying to be selfish. I want to please everyone but some things that are happening with my family…I feel like these things should have been established from the start. We decided on a smaller place for two reasons 1) we wanted a more intimate/rustic feel and 2) it’s a lot less expensive. Okay great! Everyone was on board…125-150 people max! What the hell happened? We’re at 160 right now and the list keeps on growing. Pretty soon our wedding will feel like a clown car where everyone is stuffed in to a space that is way too small. I wanted to avoid that at all costs!

Italians are crazy!!! They get offended over the silliest things. Who is going to be in the wedding party? Who is doing the readings? Who is walking Nanny down the aisle? If it were up to my family my whole entire family would be in the wedding party. I’m sure everyone else would love to sit through 60 people walking down the aisle at church. I mean by the time I walked down the aisle nobody would even care! I’m told that this is very normal. I’m trying to have patience but it is wearing thin!!!

Part of the problem is me. My fiance knows enough to just yes everyone to death and then we just do what we want. Smart man! Here’s the twist guys…my crazy Italian-ness makes me such a stubborn human being that I literally don’t know how to shut my mouth. So in the end, I’m just as crazy as they are. Isn’t that wonderful?

So I guess the moral of the story is Italians are crazy!!! I love my family but they are beyond NUTS! And so am I! Good luck to my fiance on marrying into this!

November!

Okay guys, first of all, I must apologize. I’ve been a really bad blogger. My last post was exceptionally bitter and angry and I thought about taking it down but you know what? That’s how I felt at that moment in time so it stays. Anyway, the reason I have not been keeping up with this blog is because I have been insanely busy. Haven’t really had much time to write, let alone breathe. Hopefully things will slow down a little bit sometime soon and I can get back to it. Because of the busyness and craziness at work, I’ve been what you call a “Negative Nancy”…another reason why I haven’t been updating this. I don’t want this blog to turn into a series of Kristina rants so I’m trying to spare you.

So, now you know where I’ve been and how cranky I have been BUT there is some good news…it is my favorite month of the year (besides July) NOVEMBER! It is birthday month (yes that’s a thing…I get it from my Mom) and it’s the month of my favorite holiday Thanksgiving. I looooove Thanksgiving! Probably because I am obsessed with food (my Dad is an awesome cook) and I actually really enjoy my family. It’s just such a nice holiday. I love waking up and watching the parade. I love getting excited when Santa shows up in his sleigh (and then the Christmas season is allowed to begin). I love getting ready and heading over to my parents house. I love the way the house smells when you walk in. I love how every year at the end of the meal we say “that was way too much food, next year we have to cut down a course” but we never do. I love how every year my Dad threatens to have it catered because he doesn’t want to deal with all the work but he never gets it catered, he loves cooking too much. I love everything pumpkin (call me basic for that, I don’t care…it’s delicious and you know it!). I love every single second of Thanksgiving from beginning to end.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas too but it’s just so commercialized now. The meaning of Christmas is lost on so many people. They are playing Christmas music and commercials already and we haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet. It’s ridiculous. They skip right over Thanksgiving (I’ve always been a fan of the underdog). I like the anticipation of Christmas. I like putting up the tree and wrapping presents and making cookies but I like it AFTER Thanksgiving.

Anyway, Happy November everybody! Enjoy this nice Fall weather before it turns into…snow (ugggh not looking forward to that).

Until next time…

Still waiting…

I haven’t wrote in a while. A really long while. And truthfully the reason why is because when I started this blog I wanted to fill it with funny stories and thoughts I have…but lately I’ve been so blah that I didn’t want to spread that negativity around. But you guys deserve a post from me so here goes. It’s not going to be pretty. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

School is back in session. As a second year teacher I thought maybe this year would be a little less stressful, a little easier to wake up in the morning, a lot less tears. Turns out I was very wrong. I don’t know. Is it me? Is it my generation? Why do I constantly feel the need to be happy with my job? Is that foolish? I’ve read articles saying that my generation is too big into dreaming and expect happiness and too much fulfillment at work like it’s a bad thing. Well my generation also has to jump through constant hoops for jobs. We have to spend money that we don’t have on a daily basis to take more credits, get more certifications, get more degrees, work as an intern, a student teacher….pay your dues! Yada yada yada….

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that paying your dues is all a part of moving ahead in life and especially in the workforce but just how many dues am I going to have to pay before I can go home at the end of the day and feel like I’m in the right profession? How many dues am I going to have to pay before I feel like I can afford a house and a family and be able to travel and see the world? When is my Bachelor and Masters degrees and certifications and internships and student teaching ever going to finally pay off? It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes I feel like college was a waste. If I had started a company or opened a dance studio or really done anything else, by this point I probably would have been set. Not to mention I wouldn’t have had all this student loan debt!

It’s very frustrating. Times have changed I suppose but I can’t help but feel everyday as I drag myself to work, sit in two hours of traffic, most of the time in tears, for a thankless job, that this is all so unfair! I don’t expect rainbows and butterflies. I know no matter where I am there will be stress, there will be bad days but the past few years I have had literally no good days. Not one day have I laid my head down and thought “hmmm I feel fulfilled” or “hmm I enjoy my job” or “hmmm I absolutely chose the right career”. Every thought has been filled with anxiety and literal fear of having to go to work the next day. I’m worse than a kindergardener on their first day of school. And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way…

Even some of the veteran teachers that I’ve spoke to are miserable. So again I ask…where is the light at the end of the tunnel?! When will I finally feel happy at my job? When will I finally feel that all my “dues” have been paid off? Am I just in the wrong field all together? Should I just shut up and be miserable because I have a job? Or should I do everything I can to find happiness and pay my dues all over again in a totally different career?

I just don’t know.

But I do know right now, whatever is going on in my life career wise makes me miserable on a daily basis. I don’t know whether or not that is normal. And I don’t know if I should just wait it out because that’s the “smart” thing to do…

Sorry for this incredibly depressing post. I promise happier and funnier posts will be coming soon!

O Captain! My Captain!

I, like the rest of the country, am mourning the loss of a wonderful entertainer and comedian, Robin Williams. When I heard the news on Monday night, I was surprised at how upset I was. Of course hearing that anyone has passed away is sad but for some reason hearing about the death of Robin Williams made me extremely sad, especially that he took his own life. I realized that the reason I was so upset was that I grew up with this man. He has been in countless movies that I love, he has played a long list of characters that I love, he has been a constant staple in the world of entertainment for me and so many others. He was the Genie – as a 90’s kid, that alone gives me a strong attachment to him. I thought about laughing out loud watching Mrs. Doubtfire for the first time, I thought about quoting Genie from Aladdin when I was 7 years old, I thought about watching Good Will Hunting and being floored by his moving monologue on the bench, I thought about seeing him on talk shows jump in and out of different characters and voices…I loved everything that he did. He never disappointed as an entertainer and comedian.  He always made me laugh, no matter what. I guess the point of this post, like so many others have done this week, is to pay tribute to Mr. Williams. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for always making us smile. I hope, more than anything, you find peace on the other side. O Captain! My Captain!