Six Senses Saturday

I thought this was a really fun post that Neely did today:o)

To join in hop on over to The World is My Oyster

Right Now I'm...

Tasting:

green tea because I found a new drink that we carry at work now, yumm!

Smelling:

food. I'm at work (I work at my Dad's restaurant) and I'll be here allllll weekend long

Seeing:

the beautiful weather outside that I would love to be playing in

Hearing:

the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack. I went to see the movie yesterday with my Mom and I absolutely love the music from it (I wasn't so keen on the movie though, probably because I LOVED the first one!)

Touching:

my iPhone, since I got it it's been glued to my hand lol

Feeling:

soooooo sleepy, I stayed up WAY too late last night waiting from my little brother to get home from a party. figures, next time I'll let HIM wait up for ME:o)

Hope you're all having a nice weekend! Can't wait to hear what you did!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that in 10 days I will be leaving for vacation and I'm already more than halfway packed:o) (is that bad? Lol)

I am thankful that we installed an outdoor projector screen on our patio so I can watch movies under the stars at night.

The weather has been in the 80's here in my little corner of the Earth so I am thankful that Mother Nature has sent my friend summer to visit for a little while!

I am thankful that the outdoor summer concert series starts in my development on Tuesday. It's free and artists like Lisa Loeb, Entrain and John Legend have performed here!



Our Philadelphia Flyers have made it to the STANLEY CUP FINALS!!!!! I am SO thankful and SO proud!



Sex and the City 2 comes out tonight. I am SO excited to go see it!!!!

What are you thankful for today?
Happy Thursday!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Holiday Plans???

Hi Friends! I'm back!

This weekend was another busy one. My little sister, Deanna, made her first holy communion on Saturday. She looked absolutely beautiful! I have to say, helping her get ready felt like a flashforward to her wedding day but it was so special! We had a party for her on Sunday, with a total of about 90 people or so. Thank goodness the rain held off and the beautiful sunshine came out to celebrate with us! Nick got to me my stepdad's big Italian side of the family and a bunch of people from my Mom's Polish side of the family (its a great mix, let me tell ya!). 

Can you believe that Memorial Day Weekend is THIS weekend!? Holy cow! As we all know, it basically symbolizes the start of summer (especially for us up here in the North as we had a LONGGGG snowy winter). What are your plans for the holiday weekend? I volunteered to work Friday and Saturday so I don't have to deal with the hassle of traffic to go anywhere. Sunday and Monday I will be laying out at the pool and going to a picnic that my friends are having at their new house! 

The countdown is on, Nick and I leave in ONE WEEK from this Sunday for our vacation to North Carolina. Of course talking to my grandparents this weekend made me oh-so-anxious to get down there as soon as I can!

I planned the whole week for us so I can show Nick just about everything that I love about Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. I think the best part of our schedule will be the beach days that we get to just lay on the beach, tan and be two beach bums:o)

We could not be any luckier, we were offered the beach house next to my grandparents for the week for us to use while we are visiting. It really doesn't get any better than that. We were also told that the family who owns it (also my grandmother's former boss when she worked in PA) are looking to rent it for about 4 years or so until they are really able to live in Wilmington and enjoy it...hmmmm, I will def keep that in the back of my mind as something to think about when I'm down there! I'm really hoping Nick loves Wilmington as much as I do, I could see us possibly living there someday!

Sex and the City 2 movie comes out on Thursday!!!!!!! I am DYING to see it! I was always a fan of Aiden I thought he was super sexy and just a down-to-earth "real" guy. Obviously, I have no idea what happens but according to the previews, Carrie DOES run into him while on vacation (odd? yeah I think so too).

Hope your week is going well so far, if you'd like to join in a fun post today, hop on over to Taylor's blog and tell us what your Top 2 Favorite Dates were/are!

Happy Tuesday Friends:o)

Where I Live Wednesday-Philadelphia, PA

Krysten over at After 'I Do' did a fun blog post today. Hop on over to check it out and join in if you'd like!

Name: Angela

Blog: Angela Kolachny

Location: Philadelphia, PA

How long have you lived there? All my life! Born and raised a Philly fan:o)

What's the climate like? We certainly get a mix of all seasons, that's for sure.

From November through February/April we get winter snow...more than likely.

From late April through late May is the only time we really get warm Spring weather.

Hot Summer days start from June all the way through September in most cases.

Then late September through late October is our Fall season. It's very windy and chilly.

What are some of your favorite things to do on the weekends where you live? I work during the week and then one day during the weekends if our restaurant is really busy, so the last thing I want to do is cook. I love being able to go out to eat and not worry about what I have to make and clean up. However, Sundays I do cook for my family at my Mom-Mom's house:o) I enjoy going to the movies on a rare occasion but when the weather is nice I like to be outside. I live near a small lake so I will go there to take my dog to swim or kayak (if the water is warm!). Otherwise the weekends are time for me to catch up on things I didn't get done during the week such as cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc.

What are some of your favorite restaurants in your city/town? In Philadelphia my favorite restaurants are Steven Starr restaurants, especially Buddakan and Morimoto. Of course my favorite place to get a cheesesteak is Geno's:o) In my town, my favorite places to eat are Green Papaya (a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant) and Four Dogs Tavern (a place that only the locals know about!)

Favorite shops? Too many to name! But ones that stand out are Anthropologie, Initial Designs (a little monogramming gift shop near my house) and of course, the King of Prussia Mall!

Suggest some places for an out-of-town visitor:

Longwood Gardens

Valley Forge National Park

King of Prussia Mall

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Comcast Center

Boat House Row

30th Street Station

City Hall

Olde City Philadelphia

Edgar Allen Poe's House

Rocky Statue

Italian Food Market

Philadelphia Sports Stadiums

Tell us why you love your town/city?

Quite honestly, maybe I'm biased but Philadelphia is an amazing city.

We are the "City of Brotherly Love", meaning:

you will be treated like family as long as you are not wearing a hat or jersey of:

New York Yankees

New York Mets

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Penguins

Boston Red Sox

Boston Celtics

Historic Philadelphia (aka Olde City) is absolutely beautiful.

It's really neat to walk on the crooked bumpity cobblestone streets (except in stilletos!!) and think "wow, William Penn and Ben Franklin walked on these same streets". I'm a history major so I'm crazy for all of that stuff.

Anything else someone should know about where you live? I go to school in West Chester, which is about 40 minutes outside of the city of Philadelphia and its also historical. Our "claim to fame" in this small town is the show "Viva la Bam" and "Jackass" (sad, I know. Bam Margera has a house in town.) The movie Marley and Me was filmed in the area that I live, I got to see Jennifer Aniston running down the streets in West Chester for her snow scene. VERY cool:o)

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday!!

It's the Simple Things in Life

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all"-Laura Ingalls Wilder

(picture from weheartit.com)

Lately, especially in the past week, I have been so overwhelmed with happiness I can't even begin to explain why.

Babies are being born into this beautiful world (3 to be exact, from 3 friends just in this week alone!)

High schoolers are going to prom

People are graduating

The sun is shining

Life is just...good. great:o)

You know, with all the hate and violence that takes place in this world every single day, you have to sit back and wonder: why are people so unhappy? Why be miserable?

Obviously we all have bad days that we can't control but to bring others down with you isn't cool. I've been reading some blogs that really put a smile on my face and for that I want to thank you all! It really could be something as simple as a blog to make me laugh or smile.

What are some things that make you happy?

For me, I'll just list a few:

Fridays (woohoo! happy Friday!)

daisies

children

sweet tea

love. unconditional love.

my boyfriend.

the beach. the ocean. the sand.

candles.

poems

high heels

my family

my friends

music

nostalgic heirlooms

southern life

warm summer sunshine

the scent of coconut

my dogs

coffee

handwritten letters

books

pictures both new and old

I'd like to wish ALL of you a wonderful, fabulous, HAPPY weekend (wherever you are)

I'll be blogging again on Monday:o)

xoxo

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that two of my friends had their babies this week, everyone is healthy and well! Katie announced that her daughter, Emeline Kay, was born on May 10th (now her very own Mothers Day!). Mallory welcomed baby girl Emery Grace into the world on May 12th. I know both of these wonderful ladies from growing up and I am SO very happy for them! What a great week! And two girls no less:o)

The top half of my screen burned out on my Kindle this morning (I guess I use it way too much) so I am thankful that Amazon's customer service is AWESOME and they are sending me a replacement as we speak. Thank goodness!

I am thankful that tomorrow is Friday and my amazing boyfriend doesn't mind going to see a chick flick once in a while. We are going to see Letters to Juliet after I'm done work! I'm like a little kid, I haven't been to the movies in MONTHS!

My little brother is a junior in high school and was asked to go to the SENIOR prom, so I am thankful that he's a rockstar and he decided to go. Don't you miss prom?? That was so fun! I will share pictures on Monday!

I am thankful that I have really buckled down and started to put a tiny dent into my summer reading list. I made a list of 20 books that I want to read by the time I start student teaching. So far, I have finished two (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell) and this week I'll be finishing The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (in honor of my trip down to Wilmington, NC-even though the book falsely portrayed the town and I'm kind of annoyed by it).

I am OH-SO-THANKFUL that I have met some fabulous ladies through my blog! Just last night I was emailing back and forth with a new friend that just happens to live a few minutes from me! Who knew!? Life is just too good:o)

Hope you're all having a wonderful Thursday! What are you thankful for today?

Heaven is a Place on Earth

In just a few weeks, Nick and I will be flying south to visit my grandparents in Wilmington, North Carolina. Or as I call it, my very own Heaven on Earth.

To some, Wilmington & Wrightsville Beach is too simple. The life is too slow. Living is, well, too easy. To others, its just perfect. It's just enough to make you appreciative of the good life but the people are interesting enough that you won't go crazy.

Wilmington is a gem, a secret, a treasure. Hardly anyone knows about it (thanks Nicholas Sparks for starting this new craze of tourism there...*sarcasm*) due in large part to its location. You may recall the TV show, Dawson's Creek which was the first popular show to be filmed on location there. Now, One Tree Hill episodes are still being shot there, giving many people the itch to visit the area.

My visits in the past have all been wonderful. But this trip will be even more special.

Nick has never been to this part of North Carolina before and I could not be more excited to show him what makes Wilmington so magical for me. As corny as that may sound, its so true. I can't wait to show all of you the pictures when we get back. So cross your fingers that May flies by as fast as the other months have so far! I've been sending Mother Nature some hate mail in order to bribe her for some sunshine in my little corner of the Earth. It's about time that we get some warm summer weather and a chance to wear all of those sundresses we spent so much money on:o)

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday!

Top 2 Tuesday...Dream Houses!

Top 2 Tuesday: Dream Houses

1. Southern Plantation Style

I

 I have ALWAYS dreamed of living down South, and I'm pretty sure one day that dream will come true. This picture has been on my computer for years, it to me, is the definition of a true Southern home. I absolutely LOVE it.

Of course, I would need a big kitchen...

.

...and a beautiful bedroom

   2. Beach Cottage

...with a beachy feel to it

 ...and a beautiful bedroom

To join in the Top 2 Tuesday fun, visit Taylor's blog!

...and don't forget to enter in her giveaways too:o)

Happy Tuesday friends! 

TAGGED!

I got tagged by Kelly in this fun photo game!

Rules:

1) Go to your photos files and select the 8th file.

2) Select the 8th photo in that file.

3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.

4) Challenge 8 blog friends to do the same.

 This is my brother, Brendan, and I after his first football game as a junior in high school. As the quarterback, he did amazing. I cheered for Downingtown High School and could not be more decked out than I was for that game. I had my gold ribbon in my hair, face painted with his number, shirt, glitter and of course...my loud cheerleading voice. Only difference is, I was the one in the stands. Luckily, Brendan said he could hear me from the field cheering him on. I'm pretty sure that's what made him win:o)

Proud big sister.

 I challenge these lovely ladies to join in this fun game:

Jenna at Daily Loves and Laughs

Taylor at The Undomestic Momma

Neely at Neely's Nothings

Selma at Crazy Little World of Mine (who just recently visited Philadelphia!!!)

Sarah at Little Mrs. Newlywed

Heather at Live.Love.Laugh (who just found out she's pregnant!!)

Elle at Bubbly Moments

Sara at A Note on the Screen Door (and fellow Twitter gal pal)

GO!

Fill in the Blanks...

Long overdue, I know. Now that I am done finals, I can finally get back to doing what I love best...reading and blogging:o)

1. My favorite book growing up was: Charlotte's Web. I started reading at the age of 3 (no one could believe my Mom that I really and truly could read-so I was handed the book Charlotte's Web and I read it-only missing a few words here and there) To this day it is still one of my absolute favorite books. I give it as a gift at just about every baby shower that I go to.

2. The funniest book I ever read was: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler. I just love Chelsea Lately (her late night tv show) but when she wrote this book I thought to myself "she just keeps getting better!". If you need a good laugh, go get it!

3. The one book that has truly changed my life is: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This book was given to me by one of my high school history teachers. He was seen as a miserable old man to most students, but I got along with him very well. He taught me a lot and retired the year after I graduated. He gave me Tuesday with Morrie to read and ever since then I keep many of the quotes in the back of my mind.

4. If you're looking for a real tear jerker you should probably read: the Notebook by Nicholas Sparks or My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Both books made me cry and the movies didn't help one bit.

5. If I could meet any author living or dead it would be: Ernest Hemingway or Jodi Picoult. I know, I know. Why would I pick two completely opposite writers? Well for one, Hemingway will always be one of my favorite writers of all time. He was just brilliant if you ask me. I can read his stories over and over again and they never get old. Jodi Picoult is a modern-day author and her books fill you with suspense and anticipation then shock you at the end. She is very talented, writing about present-day issues that we face (such as school shootings, rape, medical challenges, etc). She has degrees from Princeton and Harvard-she knows her stuff!

6. The next book on my "to-read" list is: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It was on Oprah's Book Club list. I bought it. I started it. It has 983 pages, so it intimidated me. Now I'm done finals and I'm determined to read it.

7. If I was snowed into a remote cabin in the woods and could only bring 3 books, I would bring: The Catcher in the Rye, Pride and Prejudice and Remote Cabins for Dummies (hahaha just kidding, probably the Bible).

Happy Monday everyone!

Weekend Recap:o)

Nick came home this weekend, I was so happy to see him! He had been traveling for work for 2 weeks so Friday night we had a date night, just the two of us<3

We went out to dinner to watch the Phillies and Flyers games (two wins, yesss!). We also went to visit his grandmother for Mothers Day, gotta love meeting the fam!

My sister won her tennis tournament 3 days in a row, she placed second in the finals on Sunday after playing against an 8 year old Russian girl (my sister is only 9).

Mothers Day was wonderful, I took my Mom out to lunch and headed to the country to cook Sunday dinner at my Mom-Mom's house for my family. Nick loved his surprise I gave him, a Fossil watch that represents "time" in our relationship.

Can you believe it's so chilly in MAY!? Wow! I'm so ready for summer!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you who are mothers or moms-to-be!! I hope your day was special<3

Katie, a friend of mine from high school, was blessed to deliver her baby girl yesterday. Congrats to Katie and Declan! Xoxo

Super Fabulous Giveaway!

LADIES!

Taylor over at the Undomestic Momma does really fun giveaways every Wednesday!

This week is one that I absolutely LOVE!

She is giving away a $25 gift certificate for Paisley Pineapple which has really cute monogrammed duffle bags (my favorite!!), kids art aprons and shopping cart covers!

This is a really neat idea for those new moms-to-be for Mother's Day or maybe just something to spoil yourself with too:o)

Hop on over to Taylor's blog to check out the details on the giveaway! Good luck!