The Cadbury Thief

Abby, the Cadbury Creme Egg Thief

Abby, my sweet-natured and sneaky Boston Pug, apparently thinks she's the new Cadbury bunny.

In the dead of the night last spring, Abby crept out of bed and stole the last of the Cadbury creme eggs (that's how I learned how high she could jump).

The forensics gave her away — in a manner wholly unbefitting her namesake, NCIS' world-class forensic scientist Abby Sciuto, my Abby left a trail of melted chocolate, squished creamy insides and torn foil wrapper all over the apartment.

Luckily, she only had an upset tummy and was back to her normal laziness the following day.

But this year, we just had to photograph Abby in her Cadbury bunny glory.

What's in a name?

I get asked about the origins of my name all the time. Seriously. Most people think it's Italian (which I think is great since I ♥ Italy). Actually, the story is even better: it was the creativity of an eight-year-old boy.

Living next door meant that Jeremiah, the son of my mother's best friend, was privy to the endless name discussions... Serena, Sabrina, Gabrielle, Arielle, Ariana, Jacinda... The list went on.

"Why don't you just name her Gabriana?" asked Jeremiah in exasperation, still wishing for a boy.

And, at once, everyone knew that was the name.

As a kid I was called by shorter versions, which I never much liked. (A best friend's grandmother was the only one to call me Gabi, may her memory be a blessing.) But when I turned 13 and had my Bat Mitzvah, I began using the full name.

I've found it's rare to meet another Gabriana (only once actually — her mother sought me out on the name connection and we became friends). I enjoy having a unique name, even if it means people get it wrong all the time. It's also a little too easy for blind dates to find me online.

All things considered, I love my name and am thankful for Jeremiah's early genius (he grew up to work with Jerry Bruckheimer), which allows me to get away with just using one name.



This special birthday (week) post is dedicated to Jeremiah, the baby-namer.

Happiness is a warm puppy

So it shall be written, so it shall be done

True confession: I did not go to a Passover seder last night. In typical Jewish fashion, I felt guilty about skipping this important annual ritual feast. But we did mark the night as different from all other nights.

Instead, my mother and I resurrected an old favorite tradition from when I was a kid. We watched The Ten Commandments, the story of the exodus from Egypt. The old school version, featuring the epic Charlton Heston, used to play on TV each year around this time and we would faithfully watch as part of our Passover observance. For weeks after, I'd often parrot the line made famous by Yul Brynner as Pharoah Ramses: "So it shall be written, so it shall be done." (What can I say? I was a strange kid.)

Since the 1956 version was not readily available on Netflix Instant, Redbox or Blockbuster, we went with the more updated Ten Commandments TV Miniseries. Though I'm not sure this was what G-d had in mind for how we celebrate the redemption of our people, the movie version proved to be excellently executed. The lessons were clear, the actors captured the tumultuous emotions and arguments with G-d and the miracles seemed supernatural yet somehow realistic at once.

When the almost-three-hour-long movie was over, we experienced a similar feeling to the one you get once you're done retelling the exodus story duing the Passover seder. At that moment, we decided to incorporate watching this version as one of the two seder nights going forward (Jews in Israel only have one seder, but in the diaspora we have two).

So it shall be written, so it shall be done.

Happy Spring

Favorite Finds: Banish Dry Skin

Spring may finally be here, but perhaps no one told your dry skin?

Well, you simply must try my new favorite lotion, which you put on while still in the shower! This amazing In Shower Body Lotion left my skin smooth, moisturized and fresh all day long without feeling too heavy or leaving any awful residue.

I hate to sound like an ad and I promise you that I have no connections to Olay, but this lotion even greatly minimized my (lifelong) eczema so I simply had to share. After all, I gushed to the cashier in Target all about it when my mom and I cleaned out the store's supply.

Here's an instant coupon and another deal to try it out on the cheap! I love a good deal.

A Wee Tip: Make Flowers Last Longer

USC Alumni Event (leftover) centerpiece

If a lovely vase of flowers arranged just so brings a smile to your face, but you just wish you could make them last longer...

TIP:
Every day or two, cut off a half inch from the bottom of the stems. Cut at an angle since flowers can only absorb the water through the ends of the stems.