fighting in italian

There's something about this commercial. Every time I see it I don't get the feeling that I really need gelato (more than the usual feeling that is).

All I can think about is how I'd love to be the woman in the commercial. Preparing dinner in my summer dress one minute and spouting off a tangent of beautiful Italian words the next. 

There's just something so so romantic about Italian....even when it's angry. 

I love it. 

And every time I see this commercial I make a little wish that someday I'll be able to know any Italian at all. Even if it's for fighting.

stuff

Last weekend my family was kind enough to help me out by driving me and some of my belongings from home back to NYC. Now that I have my own room I could decide what stuff I wanted  to have in it. Stuff like my queen sized bed, my sewing machine, my record player, and my dress form. Stuff that to some, sounds trivial or unnecessary or not worth dragging across the state of New York. But drag we did and over the last week it's been a daily task of mine to get things organized and in their proper place. Sometimes I think things should look one way and the next day I've changed my mind entirely. Naturally.

Looking around my room as I type this now I see all my stuff. The stuff that made the cut. And I realize, it's not just stuff. It's who I am. Right now. It's the things I've specifically chosen to speak on my behalf. It's crafty and quirky and a little vintage. It's everything I could want my room to be for the gal I am right now and the joy that brings me is slightly indescribable. Ya know, you don't realize how important having your own little space is until you sleep in a lofted bed above your best friend for a period of time. It's a real eye opener.

So, after a year and a half of living in this city, the last piece to the puzzle is in place. MY stuff. Some of the things that make me feel my most me. I can officially stake my claim on a little chunk of this town and really feel like it's my own.

And it feels fabulous.

auntie

The biggest thing that has happened these past couple weeks didn't even really happen in these past couple weeks. It was merely announced to the public. I'm officially going to be Auntie Sarah. That's right folks, my sister and brother are expecting their first child. It's funny that as I type this my eyes are welling up...something that hasn't happened since the day they told me. I'm just so happy for them and for my sister especially. If you should know anything about Cassie (Trostle) Jindra it's that she was put on this earth to be a mother. Having children is not a marital duty for her, it's a personal necessity....something to make her truly complete. So knowing that it's happening for her, really happening, fills me with so much joy that it seems to squeak out of my eyes at times. Then add to that the fact that this will officially make me someones Aunt...happiness overflow.

The one thing that saddens me about this glorious event is that I live as far away as I do. I never had to give much thought to the idea of my niece or nephew growing up and not really knowing who I was. It always seemed like a distant idea. But now it's here. I know technology is great for staying in touch and skype is a wonderful tool for that, but it's just not the same as being there in person to see the cute facial expressions and hear the baby noises first hand.  And what about cousins?? I'm not having children anytime soon so who knows how much older this child will be by the time I get around to making my own. The thought of mine and my sisters kids not being able to get along because of their age difference is sad. Cousins are an awesome thing to have and they can even act as extended siblings. Will mine and Cassie's kids have that kind of relationship? On April 13, 2014 I'd have to say probably not. And that makes me sad. More so for our kids than for me. Maybe these are things I shouldn't worry about too much but when you're one and only sister gets pregnant for the first time, it happens.

Of course this also means that I will have LOTS of baby knitting to do! Chickpea (as we're affectionately calling him/her) will need a good amount of handmade things from Auntie Sarah and so far I've already picked our patterns and yarn for an adorable baby blanket as well as the cutest hedgehog sweater in all the land(my sister has a pet hedgehog...my first nephew Huckleberry). Chickpea will be the cutest thing in the world! I'm actually really excited to get into making baby things. They're just so cute!

All of our lives are about to change come September and it's going to be absolutely thrilling. I can't wait to meet this little Chickpea and be a part of his/her life. And until I meet a wonderful man I may or may not use Chickpea for a little advertisement. Can you blame me??

as of late

The last 2 months have been an absolute whirlwind. I'm only now starting to feel like the dust has settled enough for me to look around and see the results. First the big move at the yarn store. To call it an undertaking is a vast understatement. It was an overtaking. An overtaking of my time, my body, my life. I worked everyday for 2 weeks straight and while it was exhausting, it was really, really rewarding. Now that I'm full time at the store, being able to be totally hands on and involved in how it all came out made me feel like a little part of it was mine too. Gives me the sense of being a big girl, at my big girl job. I work full time! At 1 job! And it's awesome.

Once the store re-opened it was on to the next big move. Finding a new apartment. Since one event occurred right after the other, I somehow managed to get out of being the one who stressed about finding a new place. Unfortunately my roommate did not. We looked at a few places, all of which were less than stellar. Then with 2 weeks to spare we found it. THE apartment. Our now home. And in the most ironic twist of fate, our new apartment is 2 blocks down from the store. Same side of the street and everything. Meant to be.

So for the second time in 2 months I packed, moved, and unpacked. While it wasn't at quite the same scale as the store, it was still an exhausting couple of weeks. And while we're officially in the new place, the work isn't done quite yet. Next weekend I get to go home for Easter and my Dad, Poppop and Sister will be driving back to NYC with me and the rest of my things from home. Such things as my QUEEN sized bed and best of all, my sewing machine. It's like having a limb returned to me. I just can't wait to have it here. I already know where I want it to be in my room and have even commissioned my dad and poppop to make me a swell pegboard for the wall. I'm pretty sure it's going to be awesome!

Amidst all the moving, I managed to turn a year older, meet a swell new gal pal and my roommate accepted a great new job on a cruise ship! While I'm so so happy for Karlin and her new job, it's definitely going to be an adjustment being by myself for 6 weeks at a time. That's a lot of Sarah time. But I think it will be good. A time to grow. And not wear pants!

So yeah, I'm not dead and I haven't forgotten about this space. I'm slowing getting back to center and it feels really great. I've been knitting up a storm, managing to have a little fun, and today I even went for a jog. Life isn't good....it's great. And I can't help but feel like it's just going to keep getting better.