Sunday, June 30, 2013

Such a Great Saturday!

I haven't had such a great day in so long!  I started out my Saturday by taking a Spin class!  My friend Kim had told me such good things about Spinning and I really wanted to try.  It was such a great workout.  I usually don't push myself out of my comfort zone, but I'm so glad I did.  Little things like this make a difference :)
Before and after first spin class selfies.

When I got back from the gym, I rewarded my hard work out with a nice egg omelet, one of my favorite things to make.


Later in the afternoon, I went to get a hair cut.  I've been growing out my hair for a while but it was time I did something to liven up my hair.  I was very happy with the outcome :)


At night, my family and I went to my good friend Gianna's college graduation party.  It was at a beautiful restaurant on the water.  There was good food, music, and dancing, and it was so much fun!  I really had a great night.


This morning I got up early and took another Spin class!  I was just a littleee bit sore from yesterday's class and dancing the night away in heels, but I pushed myself anyway.

Having a great day just puts me in a great mood!

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

P.S. I'm now on Bloglovin!

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

My Beach Day Favorites

Since I'm still pretty new to the blogging world, its taking me a while to edit pictures and such to post on the site.  But have no fear, I have finally finished my image for my beach day post!

I absolutely love going to the beach.  Whether it be a day trip, a weekend trip, or a tropical vacation, if there's sun and sand, I'm there!  Here are some of my favorite things to bring with me to the beach:


1. My family has been using Hawaiin Tropic Tanning Lotion Sunscreen for years.  It isn't super sticky or oily, and stays on for a long day at the beach.  The coconut fragrance also always puts me in a new mood.

2. A love a good read on the beach.  Every summer I read at least one Nicholas Sparks book, and so far this summer I have read Safe Haven.  His books are so good, and perfect for the summer months.

3. One of my current obsessions is Coke Zero.  I'm still not sure what the difference is between Coke Zero and Diet Coke, but I have to have at least one a day.  If I leave one in the fridge the night before a beach day and put it in a freezer bag, it is the perfect drink to have on a hot day.  

4. I always make sure I update my iPhone with the latest music.  It helps just in case I start to get antsy while laying out and need something to distract me.  Gotta get my tan on!

5. You will always find one of these bad boys in my purse.  Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Sanitizing Hand Gels are the perfect size to fit in my bags but also last so long!  I have always get them for gifts in sets of 3 or more, so I always have one ready to use.

6. Baby Lips by Maybelline is my go-to lip balm.  I use it for day-to-day and under my lip stick or lip gloss.  It is especially perfect for beach days because it has spf 20!  No burnt lips for me :)

7. I had never thought of using my Longchamp bag for the beach, but I'm so glad I tried it!  It was roomy enough for all my beach needs but not super bulky and heavy.  I can't wait to use it again!


What are your necessities for a beach day?

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Fun in the Sun!

Yesterday was such a lovely day!  Two friends that my sister and I have known for years came over for a pool day.  I was very excited because the night before I went on a little shopping spree in Old Navy!  I got many needed clothing pieces for this summer that I have been looking for.  I wore lots of new pieces yesterday for a fun day in the sun :)


 


I also got my nails done in the morning & got a new phone case in the mail!  Both were the color blue.  Can you tell what my favorite color is?  Now today I will hopefully spend another day by the pool.

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Selfie Sunday

Today was a great day!  I started out my day with my usual breakfast, and then the family and I headed out to mass.  After mass, I went to go help out at the convent associated with my old high school.  I have to do some hours for community service, so I've spent the past three days helping the sisters out with their garage sale.  What started as community service turned into a great weekend.  The sisters were so grateful for my help and it truly was a delight to be around them all weekend.  I definitely will be returning to visit them throughout the summer.  Here's what I wore to mass and the convent:


After I got home, I did an outfit change and then went to my friends' house for a BBQ!  It was at the twins' house, and they had tons of little kiddies over with some family friends.  Barbecues are one of my favorite things about summer, and I'm hoping to have more during this summer!  Here's my outfit from the BBQ:

When I got home I worked on a big puzzle I started last night and now I'm watching TV with mama.

I'm working on a post about the new separators I put in my drawer the other day! :) 

Xoxo, 
Brown Eyed Girl

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Pre-prom desserts!

I know I promised I would do a post about the desserts I created for my sister's pre-prom last Wednesday, so here it is!

I really wanted to make something dipped in chocolate.  So I decided to go out and get blue candy melts (they sell these in Party City or Michael's), white and dark chocolate morsels, pretzels, marshmallows, and strawberries.  It is so much fun to do chocolate dipped candy! (and yummy too :P)


For my pre-prom, one of my friends brought these tuxedo chocolate strawberries.  I wanted to try to make them myself!  I think they came out pretty good right!?  My desserts were a hit, and all of our friends and family loved them!


Lately I've become a HUGE fan of dark chocolate, and I love pairing it with my favorite desserts and fruits.  With the leftover chocolate I froze some banana slices and dipped them in chocolate too.  I kept that stash for myself though, hehehe.  

What's your favorite desert!?

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Baby Daddy and Burritos

Hey friends!

I wanted to fill you in on my day today!  I ended up sleeping in a little later than I wanted to (I snoozed my alarm until 10:30).  When I woke up I had my breakfast and watched a little Kelly & Michael that I taped this morning.  At 12 I walked down the street to our friend's house to do their daughter's makeup for her 8th grade graduation.  She looked so cute!  I came back and decided to walk on the treadmill.  I walked for 1 hour!  This is pretty long for me because I really hate walking.  While walking, I caught up on the show Baby Daddy on ABC Family.  During the commercials, I decided I would run.  Watching the TV show on my dad's iPad really helped make the time go by faster.  



I'm glad I decided to work out because my friend Stephanie and I decided to go out to dinner.  We went to a Mexican restaurant called Burrito Bar.  We eat got burritos and they were huge!!  & so good.  Definitely worth it. :)  After dinner we met up with our friends and had a bonfire in our friend's backyard.  


Now I'm watching some T.V. and will probably head to bed soon.  Hopefully I'll have a productive day tomorrow!

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

What am I eating?

Good afternoon bloggers!!

I really am trying to stay on top of my blogging; it just makes me so happy every time I write a new post :)

Today I was very mindful of wanting to do a food post, so I made sure I took pictures of everything I've eaten today.  Today was the last day of a diet I have been doing for the past two weeks.  It has taken a lot of will power, and I am so proud of myself!  Sticking to the plan gets easier once you start seeing the results you want.  After the first two weeks, you're supposed to switch to another plan of light eating, but it allows you a little more flexibility with what you're choosing to eat.  I have made progress so far, but I really want to lose a little more.  I have cut back my eating a lot, with smaller portions and snacks of only fruits and vegetables.  No junky or processed foods at all!  I realized I have to really incorporate a workout routine into my day.  I can't get myself into workout tapes, so walking outside is really what has worked for me.  Unfortunately the weather hasn't been great lately so I am considering getting a gym membership, so I can workout on the treadmill or elliptical.  I really want a bikini ready body this summer!

Here are some images for my breakfast today:

Toast with no spread.
Chai tea in my Keurig.  I top it off with two Spenda packets and a little milk.

Here's a picture of my lunch:
Bowl of fresh fruit: bananas, grapes, cantaloupe, & watermelon

I am very glad I stuck to my meal plan today, because I sneaked a little sweet something while I was baking for my sister's pre-prom tomorrow-- oops! (there will be a post to come about what I made today)

Now I'm off to continue watching the Ellen Show!

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl


Monday, June 10, 2013

My Manicure Monday

Happy Monday!  However, it's not exactly a pretty Monday in New York.  It has been pouring all morning!  Its June, isn't it supposed to be sunny out!?  My little sister graduated from high school this past weekend, and it poured both days of her ceremonies (Thursday was a graduation mass and Friday was the actual graduation).

This special occasion called for me to get my nails done!  Lucky me :)

Thursday afternoon my mom and I went to a different nail salon than we usually do, that was recommended by one of my friends.  It was great!  I got a gel manicure and I love how it came out.  I don't know the name or brand of the polish, but it was a perfect pink!  I am a fan of pink nails in the summer time, and I'm usually rocking some bright shade.  This shade was perfect for my age, and professional enough for the graduation.

Here's my mani-- dressed with my high school and college graduation rings!

Now I'm off to help my mom clean the house.  We're supposed to host my sisters pre-prom on Wednesday!

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Reflecting

So this morning I was watching Kelly and Michael, as per usual, and for some reason it really made an impact on my thinking.  I think it would be so cool to work on a TV show like Kelly and Michael.  Sometimes it makes me regret giving up my passion for journalism that I had when I started college.  I switched concentrations because I did not think I was a strong enough writer and that it would be too much of a competitive field for me.  I never really liked writing which also made me nervous, but three years later, I realize that I am a much stronger writer than I was then.  This is all thanks to taking time to write for my blog, and perfecting papers I had due for school.  Also, a lot of people I have known make fun of Communication and say it is a joke of a major.  I have gotten in fights with people because of this and personally take offense to it.  It makes me upset when people undermine a major which I personally enjoy.  And I won't say its easy!  I've had to struggle to do well in some of my classes.  Sometimes I'm even ashamed to say what my major is.  Ashamed!?  There is no reason for this at all.  I am PROUD to be a Communication major with a specialization in Public Relations.

Actress Beth Behrs was on the show this morning, and she was talking about how she did voice overs for Monsters U, the prequel to Monsters Inc.  I think it would be SO cool to do voice overs for a movie or show, and have had a lot of fun doing voice overs for a Greek Week skit for my sorority.  When I am thinking of my career, I always focus on time. I don't want to waste any of it but still make the best decisions possible.  I have had two internships so far; one which was amazing and one which I wasn't the biggest fan of.  This has made me worry that I don't want to waste my time doing another internship if it won't do anything for my future.  But I came to a conclusion: time is so important, but I'm focusing on it the wrong way.

For the past year I have been convinced that I want to pursue a career in advertising after the internship I held last summer at a big advertising agency in NYC.  It was one of the best experiences I've had and I would be privileged to work at that agency in the future.  However, do I really know that this is what I want to do in the future?  No.  I am 20 (going on 21 in less than 2 months), and I don't have to be certain of what I want to do.  I have taken classes in a wide range of my Communication major and have enjoyed a lot of them.  Today I finally realized that it is okay if I don't 100% know what I want to do.  I have changed my previous outlook on time.  Yes "time is of the essence",  but I should be living life in the time I am in.  I should be taking advantage of each moment I have and do things that make me happy, and maybe one day, this would lead me to finding the career that I truly am passionate about.

I love to sing and dance, and would do anything to perform on stage for a living.  I am very creative, and am filled with joy when I look at my own completed crafts.  I love making movies and videos, editing the music and film until it blends just right.  I think its cool to be the liaison between a company, the media, and the public.

Yes I may be going into my senior year of college, but its just that, I have one more year.  One more year to make everything count.  To go the extra mile and think outside the box.  Look at more than what I'm used to and think of something different.  I am making it my goal as of today, Thursday June 6th, to stop being hard on myself because of my major and be proud of my choices and my accomplishments.  I, Nicole Rose Puccio, will be successful  and do not need anyone to tell me otherwise.

Thanks bloggers, for making me realize what I have had within myself and what I truly am capable of.  If it wasn't for this blog, I don't think I would've had any other way of seeing this for myself and sharing it with others.

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sunny days and musical nights: my weekend filled with beach days and concert nights!

Hello Bloggers!

Sorry I have been a little absent lately.  This weekend was very busy, but it a good way!  Thursday and Friday were both spent on the beach and on Saturday and Sunday I went to concerts.

Thursday I reunited with a close family friend, Chelsea, who I haven't seen for a few months.  It was so nice to catch up with her and spend the day on the beach!  The next day I returned to the beach with two of my best friends Samantha and Kristen.  Both days had perfect beach weather-- it was 90 degrees but with a little breeze which made it bearable.  I got a little burnt both days but I know that it'll soon turn into tan!

Beautiful beach

Saturday night my mom, sister, and I went to a Pitbull & Ke$ha concert!  My sister is a huge Pitbull fan so she was very excited.  The concert was in Long Island and it was very very cold-- so cold, that we had to buy a Pitbull blanket!  Despite the weather, he put on a great show.

My sister and I with our new Pitbull blanket

Sunday was concert day two!  My friends Christina, Samantha, and Stephanie, and I went to see Rascal Flatts and the Band Perry at a venue in Jersey.  After a delayed start (the doors didn't open until an hour after they were supposed to) we got seats on the lawn and then grabbed a bite to eat.  The show opened with Cassadee Pope, a winner of the Voice!  She had such an amazing voice.  Next was the Band Perry who was also great!  While they were on, we started to see some lightning here and there and the clouds starting getting dark.  Finally was Rascal Flatts!  Unfortunately, it began raining a little and the weather was pretty bad at home, so we decided to head out and beat the crowds. 

The girls and I waiting online
All in all, it was such a great weekend!  I'm hoping this is what the rest of my summer will be filled with: friends and fun!

Xoxo,
Brown Eyed Girl