Fill in the Blank...Sunday and Birthday Recap!

Lauren over at The Little Things We Do does a fun blog on Fridays however, I traveled down to DC for my birthday (yeaaaa!) so I missed it. Here it is:

 

 

1. The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is: check my iPhone for Twitter, Facebook, emails and texts. Then I make my way to the shower and to brush my teeth and of course, get my usual dose of caffeine aka coffee!

2. Today I wish I was: at the Phillies game!!!! We are playing the Cincinnati Reds and I'm really hoping for a sweep!! Let's GO PHILLIES!!!!!!

3. If I had an extra $100 in my bank account today I'd: save it!! Nick and I found an apartment today (more on that at the end) so I know that we need to save as much money as possible.

4. Tomorrow I will be exploring some more of DC with Nick and getting to know our new area of Reston, VA. Hoorayy!!!!

5. Two things that don't go together are the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles (I prefer the latter). Nick and I are finding out that mixing two households together are not always easy:o) Especially when rival sports teams are involved. However, I am doing the decorating for our new apartment so I choose the EAGLES!!!!!!!! lol

6. Something I can never pass up at the grocery store is fruit. If I could, my entire fridge would be filled with fruit. It's so delicious!!

7. The last time I tried something new was last night when Nick took me to dinner for my birthday. I very rarely eat red meat but I ordered a filet mignon and ordered it to be cooked medium...when it came out I thought it was RARE (it was realllyyyyyyy red) but I ate it and my gosh it was AMAZING. It melted in my mouth.

*A Quick Birthday Recap*

Saturday morning, Nick and I left very early to travel to DC (I had to work until very late Friday night). When we arrived I was treated to a wonderful pedicure to start the weekend off the right way:o) AAHHHHHHHHH so relaxing!

 I came back to get changed for a special night out with the love of my life. He surprised me and took me to a restaurant called the Old Ebbitt Grill which is located right next door to the White House!! This is also the place we went to on our first date and my first trip down to DC-so this was very special to me! We had an INCREDIBLE dinner complete with a glass of sparkling champagne and headed off to another surprise...

A rooftop bar at the W Hotel just a few doors down. Nick actually knocked my socks off with this one. I still smile when I think of what I saw when I walked out onto the rooftop terrace of this hotel. It was a complete panoramic view of DC. From the Washington Monument, you could see all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial allllllllllll the way across to the other side of the city. My gosh the view was breathtaking. VERY special! Not to mention the hotel was really posh-the ladies in the lobby walked around with earpieces and iPads--hello!!

To complete the night I was surprised yet again with a tour I've been dyinggggg to do: a twilight tour on a double decker open air bus to see all of the Washington monuments lit up at night. Again, we had an incredible time and I will never forget it. I will post pics later, they are really neat to see:o)

Today we woke up and decided to go look at two apartments to start our search. After researching and getting feedback from websites, we had it narrowed down to a bunch that we knew were winners and in a good area. We went to see the first one on our list and LOVED it! Everything about it was great and in our price range (woohoo! a plus!). We talked and drove around, checking it out some more and decided that this was the place for us!  We filled out our formed, got the approval and we are now OFFICIALLY moving in together!!!!!!! We sign the lease this Tuesday and Nick picks up the keys on Thursday, the 21st. Today's date is 10-10-10 so we decided that 10 must be a lucky number for us:o) Again, pics to follow!!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! What were you up to!?

xoxo

 

The Loss of A Wonderful Guy, My Cousin

Today is Thursday, and normally I would be blogging about "Thankful Thursday"

 but I'm not thankful today.

Instead I am posting about a wonderful guy who I am proud to say was my cousin.

George passed away last night after suffering a heart attack. He was my age and I will always remember his smile and the love we shared for Philadelphia sports teams. You see, I come from a very big family where something even as simple as a birthday party becomes a makeshift reunion...about 3,4,5 times a year. There is always some kind of event going on and George was always there, laughing and having a good time.

George and his fiancee, Kimberlee, were about to be married next Month. It was bound to be the wedding of the year. Kim had worked countless hours to make sure this was the wedding of their dreams. Even the invitation, which still sits on my dresser (I just sent the response out on Monday) was beautiful. She was going to marry the man of her dreams.

George and Kim at an Eagles game

I don't want this to be a sad post, but he died so unexpectedly that I just can't figure out why God would let this happen. I've never really posted anything about religion, I was raised Catholic but I believe everyone believes in different views. But I'm sitting here at work, and my mind is blank yet I keep crying. Kim posted on Facebook last night "had a nice night. Kids were great, guys got fitted for their tuxes and now i'm laying in bed next to the love of my life". I wake up from 3 missed calls from my fam to find out this news. So WHY? WHY would God do this? A MONTH before their wedding?

"Only the good die young..."-Billy Joel

Tonight I'm going to visit my fam, and reflect on the memories that we have of George. Please say your prayers or take a minute to think of my family, but also for Kim who now has to plan a funeral instead of a wedding. RIP George, you will always be in my heart<3

My 1st Sewing Machine!!!

In honor of my 26th birthday this coming weekend, my Mom-Mom decided to send me my birthday gift a little early:o) Boy was I surprised!!!

She gave me my first sewing machine!!!

Singer sewing machine, even a top pick of Martha Stewart (yesssss I'm on the right track!)

Needless to say, I was kind of overwhelmed when I first started looking at it and reading up on all the different parts, patterns, fabrics, etc. But now I'm really excited to learn! I think this is going to be a great project to keep me busy when I move (mannn if I was just lucky enough to have 3 bedrooms or a basement to use as a craft room lol-that will be our next house!!) and the snowy weather starts to roll in. But for now I'm going to research and read up on what I need to know and supplies that I need to get:o)

Ladies, do you have any pointers or tips? What did you do to learn how to sew for the first time? Was it trial and error or did you read up on your knowledge?

My Long Lost Blog...

Oh my lord. I last blogged on August 25th. I am officially a bad blogger. I'm sorry but please forgive me, a lot has happened since August! Whew!

My last blog is now kind of bittersweet. I sent some words out into my blog space to see what would come of it and boy am I sure glad I did. Thank you for your emails and comments by the way! I got a bunch of emails that were encouraging and thoughtful, you rock ladies!

I talked about being in my mid-twenties and not really knowing what I want out of life. I have lots of goals but I wasn't sure what to do with them. I have lots of dreams but didn't know how to make them come true. Well, I can't really say that I know exactly how I want things to happen (that's part of life-somethings you just can't plan) but I do know what I want to experience in this great big world.

It's taken me since August to really sit down and think about things, but I can FINALLY say...I'm ready to do it:o)

Bits and pieces of what's happened since August:

My cousin Dawn welcomed her baby girl, Samantha Grace, into this world in September

Traveled down to DC a bit more

Celebrated Nick's 26th birthday

My dad bought a boat

I started working full time, hooray!

I joined a book club

I am turning 26 this weekend (wowwww!)

and the biggest news of all...

I have decided to move down to Washington D.C to live with Nick:o)

After a LOT of talking and decision making, we have decided to move in together!

We are very blessed to have supportive familes and friends that are just as excited as we are to start this wonderful (and maybe sometimes crazy) journey together:o)

I am moving the first weekend in November, however, we are in the process of looking for the perfect place that we can share (right now Nick lives with two other guys-not really looking to live in a bachelor pad, know what I mean ladies??). We've narrowed down the area-we want to live in the Alexandria area so that we are within a good distance of downtown D.C and the beltway so that we can still make our trips home when needed, especially because the holidays are coming up!

SO, it's been a crazy month and a half!

There has been lots and lots of packing, organizing and cleaning. I've gotten rid of a TON of stuff-that's been the best part yet if you ask me, lol!

Ladies, let me ask you this--> when you first moved in with your beau, what were your thoughts/concerns?? Nick has been great with trying new things, I have as well. What were the biggest changes you made in moving in with each other for the first time??

I'm also trying to figure out how we're going to decorate this wonderful new place of ours which is a WHOLE other blog topic!

So that's the news for right now, I'm SO SORRY I didn't blog for what seemed like years (I began to wonder if blogger was going to cut off my account lol! yikes!)

My dear friend Selma has tagged me in her blog and is patiently awaiting some responses so here goes (sorry girl!)

1. What kind of hair(color/cut) have you always wanted but never had the nerve to do it?

Hmm...good question. I've tried lots of different hairstyles in my life, including colors! I would say the one I wanted to try the most is a really long, sleek style. I always get below shoulder length but never long enough to really get the full effect, I always end up cutting it. I do love being a brunette though! We DO have more fun:o)

2. If you haven't been/or could do it over, where would/did you go on your honeymoon?

Italy. Absolutely Italy. I would even be willing to risk a big fancy wedding in order to make this come true. I would love to spend at least two weeks just traveling this beautiful country just to experience it the right way!

3. What is your dream car?

A Mercedes G-Wagon...at least I think that's what they're called! haha

I don't know what it is but I think they are SO cool looking-very futuristic!

4. If you would move anywhere in the world where would you go?

Well, I'll be moving to D.C in November, so right now that is exactly where I'd want to be! I want to try new things and live in different places while I'm still young.

5. What famous lady would you love to be or be bff with?

Princess Diana. I'm sure most of you know that already:o) She was my idol for as long as I can remember. I'm pretty sure we would have been bff's.

6. What colors did you do or do you want to do for your wedding?

Pinks and greens (my favorite colors) but nothing too bright. It would certainly end up being a very preppy wedding now that I think about it but it would be very pretty:o)

7. What trashy reality show are you embarrassingly addicted to?

Honestly, I don't watch that much tv. BUT, I do love the Real Housewives series. My favs are the Orange County women.

8. Do you remember your first kiss? How old were you and how awkward was it?

Ha! My mom and I were just talking about this the other day, too funny! My very first kiss was when I was 5 years old and it was a kid from my Pre-Kindergarten class haha! I won't mention his name but we did manage to find an old picture of us and I remember the kiss very well. He said "Angela I think you're really pretty" and kissed me. It was not awkward at all, we were young!

If only every guy is like that, right??

9. What is your guilty pleasure?

Coffee. I can drink coffee all day long and be completely satisfied. Yum!

10. What is your favorite chick flick?

You've Got Mail. I loved the corner bookstore and I loved that her favorite flower is the same as mine, daisies.

11. What is your favorite beverage?

Unsweetened iced tea with fresh lemons

12. What is your theme song?

I never really thought about that. Another good question. I think right now it would have to be "Wide Open Spaces" by Dixie Chicks

13. Who is your style icon?

I really don't have one person that I really look to for style because I've always been an individualist when it comes to it. My own personal style is always changing. I like to take certain trends and make them into my own. I will say though, my favorite stores are Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters so I think my style is more eclectic. I really like to layer and play with different pieces.

14. When was the last time you cried and why?

A few weeks ago when I decided I was moving to DC. The news was pretty big and I was so overwhelmed with the support that I got from my family and friends. I'm a very lucky girl at this point in my life. There is nothing more I could ask for, Nick has a lot to do with that.

15. What playlist is on your iPod right now?

Lots of Coldplay and Lady Antebellum. Very random, I know this:o)

16. What is your favorite dessert?

Mint ice cream. Not mint chocolate chip. Just mint, its delicious.

Now I am tagging all of you so I can learn more about each of you! GO!

Daydream Believer

*WARNING*

This is one of those blogs that are straight from the heart;

 I'm not gonna stop rambling until I have it all out and off of my chest, k?

To start, I've always been the eternal optimist...in most cases.

I really believe in the power of dreams.

That if you hold an image in your mind for long enough, it will come true.

Lately I've been struggling. A lot actually.

I haven't been blogging all that much because I don't know how to put it all into words.

I am a go-getter. I try my absolute hardest at everything I do.

But these past few weeks have been tough. I feel like all my hard work isn't paying off.

For the first time in my life I realized I have been doing everything the way that things should be done. Following protocol if you will.

For the first time in my life, I've also realized that most of my dreams and ambitions were kind of in the clouds, out-of-reach. I know I can get there but I have to be realistic.

I am a dreamer.

I daydream.

                                  ...a lot.

So I sat around, read, tried to clear my head, and did a lot of thinking.

And then it hit me.

I've been living out my parents dreams. The lives they never got to live.

You see, my parents had me when they were just turning 20. 20! You're not even old enough to drink legally when you're 20 and they had a KID! They never went to college, instead they raised me. They also got married because they thought it was "the right thing to do". A year later they split up. Luckily I can say my parents are two of my best friends. They hung in there and gave me all the love in the world.

According to their lifestyles, I am already 3 steps ahead of them.

I haven't had children yet.

I am in college.

I haven't gotten married yet.

I will be turning 26 this year and I am proud to say a lot has happened in the past year.

I've overcome a serious heartbreak and found love again (cheesy you say? sorry, my boyfriend is absolutely amazing. there is just no other way to say it).

Paid off another year of school.

Lost some weight.

Met lots of new people, reconnected with old friends.

New babies are being born into my family.

And yet...I'm turning 26. and I'm not satisfied.

I feel like I haven't accomplished anything yet. Which is true, I haven't...yet.

The small things I listed matter, yes, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like enough.

I really don't want to continue pleasing other people just to make them smile. I want others to be proud of me for who I am and what I've done to make myself smile.

I am literally at a crossroads in my life.

I honestly feel like a "negative nancy", "debbie downer", whatever you wanna call it. and I'm sorry for that.

But I've been told that I have to make a decision with what I want to do with my career, my goals, my dreams.

So what do I do?

I wish it were as easy as someone telling me "everything will be alright" (like Bob Marley and those Three Little Birds).

Do I go out on a limb and try new things?

Or do I continue on the path of cushion and expectations that will lead to something I may not really want?

So I will end with saying this.

There is nothing wrong with being a dreamer.

A big believer.

There's a big world out there.

Someone has to explore it for what it's worth:o)

Goodnight friends, xo

Happy Saturday:o)

Kristen, over at After 'I Do' has a very sweet blog, make sure you check it out!

We are listing 10 things that make us happy this week:o)

Hope you join in!

1.daisies (my absolute favorite flower)

2. iced coffee

3. anything pink

4. the sound of the ocean

5. treasures found at flea markets/thrift stores

6. warm sunny weather

7. used paperback books

8. high heels (to feel girly)

9. fresh peaches

10. my wonderful boyfriend<3

Washington Recap

Visiting Nick in DC is always a blast, after all, the Phillies won the day we went to the game!!






Here are some pics from the weekend:



Dinner and drinks in Georgetown on the water



How cute is this bicycle!? Parked outside coffee shop



In coffee house, so sweet:o)


Hello Washington!!



Nick and I in front of Capitol Building



Rose statue in Federal Triangle!

This weekend we are going to his friends housewarming party in West Chester (pa) which we are really looking forward to!

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