best hair dryer ever?!

About a month ago, I was given the opportunity to test a hair dryer that was given outstanding ratings from users around the world.  It appeared like a Christmas gift at my door, and I was more than excited to try it out.  

The hair dryer that I am speaking of is "The HANA Air Premiere Hair Dryer," and it's sold online at www.misikko.com!

You don't have to take my word for it, just search using Google or Bing and you'll find that everyone who has tried this hair dryer LOVES it.  Personally, my hair just feels soft after using it.  I've always thought that I have pretty hair (after it's straightened at least), but I never felt confident about the softness of it.  After using this hair dryer, I finally have that soft-to-the-touch feel that I've been looking for!

I would send you a picture...but I'm too lazy to put make up on.  However, in my next posts, if you're ever thinking to yourself, "Dang! Her hair looks so soft and frizz-less!", it's probably because I used my new favorite HANA hair dryer that morning.

www.Misikko.com doesn't only sell these amazing hair dryers (it's their best one), but they  also specialize in salon grade flat irons! 

The following link words will take you to exactly where you want to go: 

Professional Hair Straighteners

Curling Irons

Hair Dryers

You will not regret this purchase!! Let me know if you've ever used one of their products and how you liked it, or let me know if you're planning on going online to purchase one!  Good luck girls!

my favorite song lately

I feel like I've been MIA for way too long...but there has just been so much going on!!

This post is to let you all in on what my favorite song is right now (thanks to Kelcy for showing me this song on the train to Florence!)

This post is also to train myself to start blogging more! 

Expect a post about my Christmas in Florence and New Years in Venice with my lovely family! 

And about what it's like to be back. 

There will also be a post reviewing an amazing hairdryer from Hana!

But without further delay, here is my favorite song right now:

students gone global

This post is for those of you who love to travel.  

Are you studying abroad this semester?

Do you know anyone that is studying abroad in the future?

Please let them know about the cool, new alternative to Blogger and Tumblr that is specific to students, all over the world, who are studying abroad.  

Click on the logo below to learn more!!

The site will be launching soon, and we need bloggers!  It's going to be a great site, with lots of traffic, and an unlimited amount of pictures, information, and everything study abroad!

Tell your friends about it!  They will thank you later :)

life is what you make it

"This life is what you make it.  No matter what, you're going to mess up sometimes, it's a universal truth.  But the good part is you get to decide how you're going to mess it up.

Girls will be your friends - they'll act like it anyway.  But just remember; some come, some go.  The ones that stay with you through everything - they're your true best friends.  Don't let go of them.  Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world.  

As for lovers, they come and go too.  And babe, I hate to say it, most of them, actually pretty much all of them, are going to break your heart.  But you can't give up because if you give up, you'll never find your soul mate.  You'll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything.

Just because you fail once doesn't mean you're gonna fail at everything.  Keep trying, hold on, and always always always believe in yourself, because if you don't, then who will, sweetie?  

So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."

--Marilyn Monroe

i wouldn't call us boring.....but

There's a reason I haven't blogged in a few weeks.  And it's not because I've been busy having fun.  In fact, it's quite the opposite.  I have been "Boring Brooke" for the past couple of weeks.  Group presentations and studying for final exams have taken the place of shopping and going out on the town.  

Sheri and I have realized how little days we have left to have gelato.  Therefore, we spend our weekends studying so that we can treat ourselves to a "cono medio con stracciatella e java" at Cioccolati Italiani or a paper bag lunch at Luini's Panzerotti.  If we're feeling a little crazy on a Saturday night, we go for aperitivo either together or with friends.  Long gone are the days, however, where we stay out dancing until 6am.

I've also been experiencing the Italian culture a bit better!  I met a nice boy a week or so ago, and I've been able to practice my Italian with him and his friends over dinners, karaoke, and exchanging our favorite music videos on YouTube.

aperitivo with friends

our favorite "bar" (the Italian word for cafe)

a little present from my friend! filled with baci chocolates!

we partied together. we basically live together. and now we study together.

how to: make the best zucchini "pie" ever

The other night, Sheri's roommate, Valentina, had her friends over for a dinner party.  Sheri and I watched her as she made this amazing looking zucchini dish.  We had her walk us through it, and two days later, we made one of our own!  It was so easy, and it tasted so good that I am still craving another bite.  

See below for instructions:

Step One: buy three zucchinis, a container of ricotta cheese, flaky dough, and two eggs.

Step Two:  Make slices of the zucchini.

Step Three:  Let the zucchini sit in oil and cook.

Step Four:  While it's cooking, crack two eggs open and fork/whisk them until you can't see the difference between the yolk and the egg whites anymore.

Step Five: Once the zucchini appears cooked, add in the ricotta cheese.  And then the whisked eggs.

Step Six: Lay the soon-to-be flaky dough onto a oven-safe dish. Then place the mixture you just made in the middle.  And if you like it spicy...add some crushed red pepper flakes!!

Step Seven: Make the pastry look pretty by scrunching the sides and making the dish appear more "pie"-like. 

Step Eight:  Put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (I'm guessing because we used a Celsius oven).  Keep your eye on it, and when it is GBD (Golden Brown & Delicious), take it out and enjoy!! :)

Courtesy of your favorite chefs: Brooke & Sheri

currents

I've been seeing this on quite a few blogs lately, so I thought I would make one myself <3

current guilty pleasure:  I'm re-watching the Twilight movies.

current nail color: Charcoal Grey

current playlist: my own "just relax" playlist

current read: only school books :(

current drink: green tea, peach tea, espresso, and cappuccinos <3

current food: ortolano pizza: margherita pizza + zucchini, red peppers, and eggplant

current favorite show: Revenge & Gossip Girl

current wish list: for Kel to get a new car, so we don't have to share anymore with our busy schedules!

current needs:  a new iPhone, since mine mysteriously disappeared

current triumphs: waking up before noon

current bane of my existence: group projects.....

current celebrity crush: Andrew Garfield, Josh Bowman, everyone under the sun haha

current indulgence: triple chocolate ice cream

current blessing: having a best friend in milan, and my friends & family at home

current outfit: zildjian t-shirt, striped pj shorts, urban outfitters slippers <3

current excitement: the reunion i'm about to have with everyone in a month :)

current mood: hungry and sick with a cold...but happy!

current link: i'm obsessed with tumblr. check mine out HERE.

the past two turkey days

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I've got to admit, I haven't had a "traditional" Thanksgiving for the past two years.  Last year, my Dad was out of town.  But we still managed to make it to my Aunt's, and then Thanksgiving night consisted of Spinach dip and Keeping Up With The Kardashians with Mom, Kelcy, her boyfriend (Nick), and moi.  

The kitchen can be a dangerous place :)

This year, I'm in a place where they don't even celebrate Thanksgiving!  Luckily, the friends that I've made living in the international dorms, Arcobaleno, organized a pot luck Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope you all have a great day! Enjoy the time you have with your friends and families...it's on this day that I realize how important that is :)

spontaneous village trip

This past weekend was incredible!

Sheri and I received a text from our friend, Lorenzo, on Thursday morning inviting us to his hometown from Saturday until Sunday!  We decided to take him up on the offer, and we boarded the train for Arona on Saturday afternoon!

Once we got there, we visited the town of Arona, Lago Maggiore, and then made our way over to Orta Lake! 

Once we got to our friend's town, we started preparing a classic, Italian dinner: risotto con i funghi.  It was complete with red wine from their personal wine cellar!  After all, in Italy "you cannot cook well without a good glass of wine in your hand." We continued to have a dance party to our favorite songs (including Demi Lovato: our latest guilty pleasure).

The next morning, we got our things together to head to the Alps!  We thanked Lorenzo's grandpa for letting us stay at his place, and he showed us his old American Western movies and the shrine he had set up to commemorate his late wife.  It was precious.  Once at the base of the Alps, in a town called Premia, we went to a thermal spa!! It was a huge public swimming pool (indoor and outdoor) that had natural hot water!! It was amazing!  We did a bit more exploring, and then boarded the train back to Milan.

It was an unbelievably spontaneous trip, but I am so glad that we got to experience "Classic Italia"!!

bella roma

This past weekend, Sheri and I went on our first trip EVER with ESN (the exchange student group).  After magically making the bus at 7am, when we didn't wake up until 6:30am, we had ten hours of sleeping, listening to music, and being awoken for food and bathroom breaks.  And then...we were finally in Rome.  Here's a recap day by day :)

FRIDAY:

We embarked on our 10 hour bus ride to Rome.  Once in Rome, we went on a walking tour, and ended up at our restaurant in Piazza Navona where we enjoyed an all inclusive, delicious meal.  After arriving at the hotel, we had literally 10 minutes to get ready for a night out with 2000+ exchange students from across Italy.  We rode the metro to where the busses would be transporting us to the club.  There were was a huge student to bus ratio, and so we ended up waiting in the cold for 2 hours! After getting pushed, shoved, and trampled by people running to get into the new busses, we decided to take a cab back to the hotel and call it a night.

SATURDAY:

Today was the day for sightseeing.  After waking up and grabbing a cappuccino, we went to the Vatican.  It was beautiful!  We didn't sign up for the tour, but we got to see where the Pope comes out and greets the people around Christmas time, etc.  We asked some guards how to get a better view of St. Peter's Basilica, and they advised us to walk around the wall of the Vatican and we would find it.   Unfortunately, we didn't.  But now we can say that we've walked the perimeter of Vatican City.  After, we went to Piazza Navona, had gelato on The Spanish Steps, and tossed coins into The Trevi Fountain.  It was beautiful.  We went back to the hotel, got dressed for another amazing dinner (complete with wine this time!), and got ready to go out on the town.  We opted not to go with the exchange students, so we went to a beautiful club called Art Cafe!  We met some nice people from Calabria studying in Rome, and it was an amazing night!

SUNDAY:

We woke up bright and early to board the busses for our tour of the Colosseum (Il Colosseo).  It was beautiful!  And so many memories came back from being there 5-6 years ago with my family over Christmas.  The rest of the day involved walking around, grabbing lunch at a restaurant where the waiter LOVED us, and riding the bus all the way back to Milano.

It was a short trip, but it was perfect.  Rome was beautiful--so much more beautiful than Milan.  It was amazing to see the city that made me fall in love with Italy--and brought me to this exchange program.  I loved it.

i pray you

I stole this from the lovely Kristen...check out her blog.
 Not only is she smart, beautiful, and my friend, but she inspires me <3

{weheartit}

"I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.  

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.  

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.  

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest joys in life may appear bigger.  

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.  

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.  

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye."

"me" day

If you follow me on twitter, you may have noticed that all I've been talking about is the rain.  It's so different from Arizona.  In Arizona, the rain stops.  In Milan? It's been non-stop for probably 48 hours.  And according to weather.com, nothing is changing until Thursday.  

Even though I wanted to be a bum in bed ALL day, I ventured out in the rain to do a little shopping.  On the way home, I decided to treat myself to a french manicure.  My nails look so clean now, and it feels great!!  

P.S. I miss my iPhone!! Can't wait to be able to use it as a phone and not just as a wi-fi "computer"

Sometimes it's important to just have a day for yourself.  It's a time to reflect on your past, but also to plan for the future.  

I'll leave you with two quotes that I've been liking recently:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." 

--Steve Jobs

"Sometimes you need to step outside, clear your head, and remind yourself of who you are and where you want to be."