stuffed...

I'm sure I've said it before, and I'll say it again; if there is anything us Piccini's do well, it's food.   Today being Easter is just another excuse for us to put on a spectacular spread and stuff our faces.   Even Romeo ate nearly the entire morning, from cut up melon, to rejecting goldfish, to a bottle!    We all met at my parents house for brunch.  I had just come from a run with Dana so I, of course, started at the jelly beans and chocolate eggs - I was only a little full when the spread of amazing breakfast like foods went out.   Strada, my favorite Italian spiral sausage, french toast casserole, and fruit galore.   I can't forget the coffee and Savoia's cookies that soon came after.   Oh my, the jelly filled ones dipped in pink colored coconut.... YUM! 

I've been walking around with a food baby for hours... unable to suck in or stick out.   Aside from the amazingly delicious food, we had quite a lovely day.  Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was so warm on my not so tan face.  

How did you spend your Easter holiday?

oh the weather...

is nothing like the photograph above.  It's truly unfortunate that Mother Nature blessed us with 70 - 80 degree weather in the early weeks of March, because now that it's April 1 and it's 40 and raining much like spring should be; I'm sure I'm not the only person who's really disappointed.  

The above photo was taken by Kelly in Santa Monica, CA.  I just keep looking through our camera roll longing to be back in that sunshine.  It's time - time for sunshine.  Especially after such a bloody tease!    

Although the weather report for the upcoming week isn't terrible.... sunny and 50's?  It's not 70, which in my book is the ideal temperature.  Not too hot, not too cold - shaken not stirred (name that flick?).   All I want to do is bare my shoulders and legs - my toes too!!!  (*cough* guess I better pedicure first.. eh?) I just bought a new pair of flips and gladiators that are calling my name from the closed summer closet door.  I also have a new asymmetrical skirt coming from STYLEMINT that I'm super stoked about.  I was bold and went for the pink color instead of my typical choice of grey...  I figured I had enough grey boring clothing in my closet.  

It could be worse I suppose.  

It could be snowing. 

How's the weather by you?

In Review: The Hunger Games

Early March I decided I needed to get a GRIP and read this darn series before the Movie came out.  I didn't want to be that schmuck to started reading them and realized how amazing they are AFTER I saw the movie.  

**CONFESSION: That is how I got into the Harry Potter series... I'm not proud of it, but I only saw the first movie before reading the other books.  All other books I read first.  

Anyways - I decided after seeing the trailer (which, was a bit too revealing for my taste) that I needed to make this my new purchase on my Kindle.  I went home and did just that.  In a week I tore through the book.   I was totally incapsulated into the story of the Katniss and Peeta in the Arena and this fantastical world of Panem.  

I always love getting to know the characters and I find that although Katniss is a bit untouchable and bratty? She is undeniably relatable in terms of girl-ness.  With, of course, her struggle between how she feels about Peeta and Gale.  Her awkward teenager self as she is conflicted with dressing up being a tom-boy.   I'm really, truly torn between Gale and Peeta - especially through books 2 & 3 (Catching Fire and Mockingjay).   I'm a sucker for the epic love triangle.  

Now, if I were to compare book VS movie... I'd obviously have to pick book.  This isn't like the Harry Potter novels where they get all the stuff they can possibly cram into the movies incredibly right.  Or, the Twilight saga movies where the actors playing the characters are so attractive you'd love the movies no matter what... 

I was incredibly dissatisfied with the movie.  Maybe it's because I had extremely high expectations.  Don't get me wrong, it's wasn't ALL bad - there were great parts.  I even got choked up with the relationship of Katniss and Rue... but, I felt like they could have done a better job with a lot of things.   

Please, go read it or see it and form your own opinion because some people really did love it.  I think I built it up too much maybe... 

Don't you have lingering questions though?  Like, what happened to the Earth that Panem was created?  How did some people survive...    

hey, you never know...

So, I've never been terribly interested in playing the lottery... Never really got into gambling, tried the slot machines one time but it didn't do much for me. 


Today the Mega Million winnings broke records - or, they will rather.   Typically I'm not even moved to even pay attention, but for whatever reason today when I heard the cast of Good Morning America boast about how many tickets they bought I was intrigued... 


We're talking George Stephanopoulos - who was a political advisor for President Clinton and is now a journalist taking a seat next to Robin Roberts.  These people definitely have money, yet they were buying tickets for the chance to win at least $540 million dollars... 


That's when I decided I was going to give in. I went to the gas station and purchased $5 worth of picks (like I knew what that meant...).  So, now I'm sort of thinking "why did I do that?" I'm certainly not one to beat the odds...  As several people have pointed out, I have a better chance of getting struck by lightning, or getting cancer...  


However, through the negativity (thoughts of getting struck by lightning or getting cancer) a LOT of Americans went out and purchased their tickets.  $1, $5, some dude even bought $10,000 worth because he thought his odds were better!  It was the topic of conversation at the water cooler today, during lunch breaks people rushed out to get theirs. 


What we actually spent our money on is hope.  Hope that tomorrow will be better than today...  Hope that you'll never have to work again, that you can take care of your parents until they die, that you'll never have to take out a loan, be debt free, hope for a better life?  Wouldn't it be great to win, but is that all you'd need to be happy?  I certainly would love to be able to buy those Tory Burch flats I've been eyeing... But, I couldn't live my life without the hope that tomorrow will be better, love from my family and friends, and that amazing feeling you get when you do beat the odds.  When you rise above the tragedies in your own little life and make tomorrow better from your own struggles.


Did you get your Mega Million ticket?

serious, but to a point of humor...

was the theme tonight.  Every year for our recital we theme our recital - it's somewhat of a dance drama so to speak.   This year our title is Lancelot so naturally we'll have Jousting, and what does Jousting need that the medieval times didn't have?

Cheerleaders.

Yep, my Tuesday night advanced class (who I call the Dublin Team) will be Jousting Cheerleaders.  I just wish the director of A Knights Tale had thought of it... with all that Queen music and all.  We'll be dancing to Trent Reznor's version of Immigrant Song from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack, because I thought it would be oh so Knights Tale if we danced to something truly bad ass.  After all Knights Tale is a modern adaptation of a Sword in the Stone...  Anyways....

So I tell the dancers tonight that their characters need to be serious to a point that the audience thinks it's hilarious - like a comedy scene where the two comedians are trying to stay focused, yet make each other laugh.  They didn't really understand my example, but then we did a small activity of making "funny" serious faces.  Oh my, was that a hoot and a half.  I then made them dance their choreography with these "funny serious faces".  BAHAHA!  I was nearly brought to tears I was laughing so hard.  Needless to say, the audience will have no problems with these kiddos.  Especially when I attach pom pom's to their hands, hee hee.  

Should be a good show :)

life lately according to my iPhone photos

ow..

my feet! 

Tonight I drilled the kids in their hard shoes for about 45 minutes.  I was feeling super guilty for drilling their show routine for the past weeks coming onto St Patrick's Day, and they've been begging me for hard shoe while I just proclaim "soon we'll be able to do hard shoe again!" in my teacher voice!  

If one of my girls came up to me and complained that their feet hurt (kind of similar to how I am complaining my feet hurt..) I would turn to them and say "well, now you're a real dancer!" 

As if to say they weren't before their feet hurt?  I don't know, it's just a trick I learned from Mary... thanks Mar! :)   So, I suppose I'm a real dancer now...  

Either way, it was splendid to strap on my shoes and shout "turn out MOOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEEE"