Follow My New Collaborative Blog

Now I know that I've been MIA on this blog, but I hope that you will all check out my latest project with my twin sister, Kelcy.  It's a collaborative fashion, design, food, music, media, & worldly inspiration blog.  

It's called BKC².

Follow our blog & Twitter and please tell your friends!  We will be posting daily!

Let me know what you think :)

kinda obsessed with....

People have a sort of love-hate relationship with country music.  I went through my ultimate country phase back when Shania Twain and The Dixie Chicks were the hot, new artists.  For the next years, I kind of conformed with those who are ashamed to like country.  HOWEVER, I recently set my pre-sets in my car, and I added the local country station to the list.  I've gotta say, I don't know why more people don't like country!! The lyrics are genuine, sweet, they make you smile, and they remind you that the right guy might really be out there.  Below are some of my favorites with a little blurb about what I think about when listening to them.

Just A Kiss--Lady Antebellum

(This song's just cool because it's a duet.  It reminds me of a love/lust that only happened for a short time, but both the boy and girl want it to be more than just that night.)

I Don't Want This Night To End--Luke Bryan

(I love the chorus of this one.  It's what every girl hopes a guy is thinking while she's singing to the radio, instead of "shut up."  It also reminds me of Spring/Summer/anytime where you can ride in a jeep without being cold.)

A Woman Like You--Lee Brice

(The song just proves that no matter what guys say, they all want to be married at some point in their lives, and that they will be happy about it.)

Does this change your mind about country music, or what?!

what happens in vegas, stays in vegas...kind of

Everyone always comes back from Vegas saying that they can't wait to go back.  I'm totally one of those people.  It being my second trip to Vegas, with most of the same crew, it's safe to say that I had an AMAZING time.  Everyday was a new adventure. YOLO was the motto.  And I can't stop looking at pictures from the weekend or unpack my suitcase because I never want it to have to end.  

And now, a recap of the weekend.  Not everything...but enough to fill you in.

THURSDAY:

Olivia, Kelcy, and I drove to Vegas.  We got there once the sun was down, which was perfect because Vegas is way prettier at night!  We met up with the Thursday crew (the three of us and four of the boys) at the Cosmopolitan and didn't wait too long to get the night started.  We went to PURE nightclub at Caesar's Palace, and it was hard not to quote Allan from the hangover all night long.

the best boys you'll ever meet

"the magnificent seven"

FRIDAY:

Lunch at Holstein's at the Cosmopolitan with Kelcy and Olivia for the best burgers and shoestring fries I've ever had.  Everyone we knew happened to be in Vegas that weekend too, so we met up with Natalia and Chelsea at O'Shea's to get some beer pong in.  Mikey and PJ joined us too!  It was like we were in Arizona, only we were obviously in Vegas...you could tell because of all the flashing lights and casino sounds.  After meeting up with friends, we joined the boys at Planet Hollywood to meet with the rest of the boys that showed up to party Friday and Saturday and the ten girls who were there for Friday night only.  Stephanie, our roommate last semester, met up with us too! We all went to Chateau that night and met up with a friend from Arizona living in Vegas, but we didn't stay too long.  Even so, we didn't get to sleep until the sun was already up and chewy bars were thrown at passing taxis that were giving us obscene gestures through their half-cracked window.

Chelsea & Natalia!

PJ and Mikey!

the second half of the best boys you'll ever meet
minus the guy in the middle...he wasn't part of the crew

another amigo from AZ!

Stephanie!! :)

SATURDAY:

Breakfast/Lunch with the boys, Deborah, and Sharina.  We then went to the famous Fat Tuesdays to get the even more famous "Yard drinks."  We hadn't been outside yet, so some of the crew decided to take a walk along the strip.  I don't know who's idea it was, but it was genius.  Our next stop was New York, New York to ride the roller coaster. Yeah, it was $14.  But it was SO worth it.  By the time we got out of NY, NY it was already dark.  We made our way back to the hotel to shower and get ready.  Then, it was time for Marquee!  Dancing, jumping, glow sticks, raining money...needless to say it was probably the best night of the weekend.

SUNDAY:

We woke up from our slumbers and made our way back to AZ.  We stopped at Chipotle, of course, before getting onto the freeway.  And Starbucks coffee drinks were involved to make up for the lack of sleep we'd gotten all weekend.  Vegas gives you special powers though, it can make 3 hours feel like 8.  

  

I can't wait to go back!!

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

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.