Tell Your Story

As I was sitting on the train this morning, I noticed that it was a little less crowded - such a normal Friday observation. Especially in the summers, Friday commutes are always less congested, less hectic and less stressful. Majority of people decided to either work from home on Fridays or completely take they day to kick off the weekend early. With less people smooshed into one subway car, it is easier to see the faces of my fellow commuters. I can see who is still tired from a thirsty Thursday happy hour last night or who had their morning coffee already. Some commuters are reading books or kindles, some play games or read emails. Others close their eyes to relax or blast music for the rest of us to enjoy...or loathe.

But as I look up from my own book and look around at the people in their normal morning routine, or so I assume, I wonder where they are really going. The train, second, train I take to work has about 250,000 riders per day. PER DAY! That is a lot of people riding on and off all day long. And I wonder, where are you all going? Where are you coming from? It may sound like a strange or creepy question to ask but I am so intrigued by people's stories. I love meeting new people and listening to where they grew up or went to college. It's interesting to me to hear where someone went to college, how they chose such a far place from home, and where their college career led them to begin their actual career.

 

Call me crazy but it is so interesting to me. Maybe that is why I enjoy blogging so much. Meeting so many people from all over the country and the world and getting to read about their travels, struggles, accomplishments is so fascinating. I love learning of people's journeys and what they have learned along the way. Can I learn something from them and their experiences? Maybe listening to someone talk will change my life forever? Or maybe make me see something in a different perspective I never could have imagined.

There is a familiar saying I hear every so often..."Never stop smiling, you never know who might be falling in love with your smile."

To that I say, Never stop telling your story, you never know who's life you may change by sharing it".

 

 

 

What's In My Beach Bag??

Since I had my first big trip to the beach the other day, I figured I could share what I bring with me! I love going to the beach but I HATE carrying a heavy bag while treking through the sand to the water. My list below is a quick grab and go of some of my favorites in my beach bag.

 

 

TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen :: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick :: Floppy Hat

Suntan :: Sunglasses :: Book :: Ziplock Bags :: Snacks

 

 



TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen :: This stuff is a life saver. It is a normal part of my daily face cleansing routine, morning and night, but I also throw it in my bag when I am out by the pool or at the beach. It is so ligh feeling on my face, it contains SPF 35 and it is something I am putting on my face daily so I trust it to work and to not glog my skin like some other sunscreens do.

 

 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick :: I have raved about this stuff once before here and I will continue to say how amazing it it. It continues to keep my lips moisturized with extra vitamin E throughout the day while the sun is beating down on them. Plus side is they have an SPF version which gives my lips the extra protection it needs. Have you ever had sunburnt lips? Happens to my dad all the time and it is no buenos.

 

Floppy Hat :: I am all about getting as much color as needed but some days the sun is super hot. I love having my floppy hat to block the sun from my eyes and face. Whether I am reading, walking the boardwalk or just had enough for the day this hat is perfect and really comfortable.

 

Suntan :: I was very intimidated when I first tried this product. My cousin had it at her house and when I put some on my hand it was straight orange gel! I absolutely no way wanted to be orange, hence why I avoid spray tans so I was really hesitant. WELL let me tell you this stuff is great! It is an orange gel, but once you rub it into your skin it just looks like a hint of oil is on your skin. The tan you get from this stuff is remarkable. Greatness!

 

Sunglasses :: I have had these babies for a few years now and they are my go-to for the beach. Always have to protect your eyes from the sun and from squinting. I know for a fact that without sunglasses you will 100% get more wrinkles around your eyes. Who the heck wants that?! Not me! Sunglass for the win!

 

 Book :: I love love love reading on the beach! Especially, when we have been there for awhile and the afternoon breeze starts to roll in. Ahh! Perfect time to relax with a good book. I am currently reading Book 2 of Game of Thrones and there is no stopping me now. Perfect time to bang out this one and the next 2 so I can catch up!

 

Ziplock Bags :: LIFE.SAVER. Phone, money, cards, keys all get thrown into a sandwich bag before we step on that sand. This has been great when the waves come too close to where we are sitting, when suntan oil leaks in the bag, or from any sand getting stuck anyplace it shouldn't be. I usually put my phone in a separate one and I can still use the touch screen through the bag if I need to. No sun block or lotion on the phone, no sand stuck to it for days. Try it!

 

Snacks :: For some reason when I am on the beach or by the pool I never really get that hungry. I don't know if its the water, the sun or just relaxing but I just never want to eat. We love brining snacks though! Nuts and fruit are my go-to and what makes me think of summer most. They are east to pack up and fill me up without over eating. Who wants a sandwich gut in a bikini?!

 

 

Anything else you would throw in there?!

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Kay Beauty Consultant

When I graduated college I had no follow up job to run to. I was working as a waitress during my summers and school breaks and that's where I ended up, back at the restaurant - waitressing. My cousin felt this was a perfect opportunity to sign me up as a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I couldn't agree more! I was honestly sick of working at the restaurant for just tips and my student loans were about to kick start repayment in about a month. 

God seriously works in mysterious ways. 

I started selling Mary Kay back in 2010 and I am still selling to this day. I started by purchasing my starter kit, which by the way is the most amazing investment I could have bought myself. At the time I thought $75 was ridiculous but when I saw all that I was getting for just a measly $75 - so worth it.  I hosted my first party, invited a bunch of girlfriends, my mother's friends, aunts, cousins, neighbors and anyone else I could get my hands on to come and see my little debut. Not expecting much of anything it turned out to be such a fun night! I made snacks and sangria and of course displayed all the items in my new kit! We all played around with the colors and skin care and I practically didn't have to do a dang thang! That stuff seriously sells itself. It is the funnest job I have ever had. After that first night I swore I wouldn't pressure myself to be a top seller, host a certain amount of parties a month and all the other things your supposed to do to be successful. I just wanted to have fun with it and thats what I do.

 

I just graduated college and my type-a personality/organized/control freak self told me I had to put that baby to use and go into the corporate world in NYC and get a 9-5 job. Not saying I don't love that but this was just a hobby that I didn't think I was ready to do full-time. Which is TOTALLY fine!! 

It is fun and as I said I still sell to this day - especially to myself! 

This is something that I don't openly talk about. Why? I don't know. I am not the type of girl to force things on people or pressure them into doing something they feel like they have to do. Just not me. But I figured having a blog and talking about my life is a part of me and this was a big pick me up that I never thought I was looking for. Maybe you need a pick me up too? I am not a crazy seller lady, even though that looks like so much fun to just quit my job and run around with makeup all day. But I do sell it regularly and I want to share the opportunity with all of the fabulous ladies I know and love. 

So without further adieu I will provide a link to my website for anyone....anyone at all that would like to check out our amazing products, purchase anything or would like to join this empowering company. Please feel free to contact me about anything and everything you would like to know about.. anything!

Website: http://www.marykay.com/cdelvecchio

Check That Off

So this past weekend I was looking forward to laying around doing a whole bunch of nothing. I got my haircut watched some soccer with the family and then we decided to hit up the beach on Sunday. Sounds perfect right? Wrong.

My friend came up with an idea, which sounded great at the time, to walk from one of Jersey's most popular beaches to another one. This trek is about 12 miles on the beach, one way, which would make this whole adventure 24 miles total back to the car. We all work out regularly so we figured it would be a great workout and a great way to catch a tan. Well some great ideas turn into the most idiotic // dumb ass of ideas...ever!

Let me shed some light on this fabulous trip we were about to dive into. Please note, Google will not map anything on the beach so I had to use the streets that run along side the beach but you get the idea. Also, I enlarged as much as I could to fit it on one screen. Now I get it, it looks like a far walk but who doesn't like a nice walk on the beach, looking for shells and sea glass? There was no way we were running the entire thing, we just wanted a nice walk on the beach which seemed absolutely doable.

 

Well nice walk it was not. The miles never ended!!! After a few miles you could see the Seaside boardwalk but it never seemed to get any closer. Ever. And if that doesn't convince you as to just how miserable it was here is a mini list as to why I will never do that again:

 

 

1. With about 4 or 5 miles left, the arches in my feet were killing me. Like limping.

 

2. My calves were on fuego. Seriously, not normal workout burning but actually burning.

 

3. Back pains were out of control. Child labor I am ready for you.  

 

4. It's fun the first few times a big wave comes to cool you off, not after wave 87. Over it.

 

5. Sunburn. Enough said.

My Italian skinned self was too embarrassed to take a real picture as to how burnt I got. (And I put on SPF 30 - twice!!) Here shows an example of what I look like on this lovely Monday morning.

Legit. No joke. Exact tan lines.

 

 

How was your sunny weekend? 

Five on Friday!

Today I am linking up with Natasha, Christina, April and Darci!

 

one :: As I was away for a few days, I have fallen behind on my blog reading - and work has been no help in that department as it has been keeping me way too busy. I plan on playing catch up this weekend as I miss reading some of my favorites!

two :: The beach!!! I am finally getting my butt to the Jersey Shore this weekend and the weather man couldn't have predicted better weather! Hopefully it doesn't change as it so often does. Can't wait to get my toes in the water!

three :: Student loans how I loath thee. I found out that my interest rate has increased without my knowledge so my big Friday night out will be spent at the bank trying to get a new loan with a lower interest rate. How do they ever expect us to get out of this mess?!! Any advice is welcome :)

four :: NY/NJ has been H.O.T. the last week and I am not going to complain for a minute. I have been waiting for this weather all winter ... and it was a long one! Which reminds me how much I need to update my summer wardrobe. Between working out and items in my closet that are just too worn, I find the need to add a few extra items this summer. Now all I need to do is find time to get to the malls or browse through some websites.

five :: GAME.OF.THRONES.  I am reading the book and watching the seasons on hbogo.com Can we say obsessed much? Jon Snow = swoon! I can't read these babies fast enough to catch up to the end of season 4. I heard the finale was ridiculous. But that is expected! Anyone else love it as much as I do?!

What does your weekend look like? Hope you have a sunshine filled one!

Goodbye Virginia, Hello World

This past weekend I got to spend a few days with my little monsters because we don't know how long we will have to wait to see them again. We decided to head down to Virginia Beach for the last time, sadly, because my boyfriend's brother, sister-in-law and four nephews will be headed to Arkansas on Saturday - to live - forever - 18 hours away from us! Unfortunately, last minute my boy was unable to miss work on Monday, so I headed down I-95 solo.

The problem you ask? Well I love driving anywhere. It's relaxing, I can listen to entirely too much music, sing my heart out and think about anything life has brought me at the moment. But, I tend to get a little bored sometimes - which led me to a glorious $90 ticket. Cool. After I had my meltdown due to the rude ass police officer, I was even more anxious to just be there and relaxing.

Most of the weekend I helped them pack and keep the kiddies busy while momma packed. It is always fun to see them and it's amazing how much they change in the few short months I last saw them. They all have completely different personalities and I just love each one of them so much.

We started our weekend with an impromptu photo sesh!
 

These boys LOVE taking pictures! We could have played with the cell phone camera all days and they would have been on cloud nine! It doesn't hurt that they have the cutest faces and their giggles while taking pictures just melts my heart.

 

Sunday we needed a break and headed over to the playground for the afternoon. As expected they had a blast. I don't have my own kiddos but living through these boys really brings out the kid in me. I know this is something I want to eventually do full-time.

 

 

The best part of the playground trip, one of the boys trying to be a show off and getting stuck on top of the jungle gym. HYSTERICAL. Hey even momma was laughing so I felt the need to be the mean "auntie" and document this moment for futures girlfriends to indulge in. We were all getting ready to leave and head over to the car when he wasn't going anywhere. I walked over to tell him "Lets.Go." but little did I know he was crying because he counldn't get down. Perfect.Picture.Moment. Don't judge me.

 

Stuck

  

 

And it wouldn't be a packing weekend without finding some old school gems. We ended up finding some old photo albums and they were great! For all my Ellen Show lovers you may be familiar with a little segment she does called "Hot Glam, Girl!" Basically, this is a segment where fans will send in terrible glamorous professional photo shoots to Ellen for her to basically laugh at and show how ridiculous people in the 80s and 90s were with pictures. WELL I will be sending my first photo to Ellen this weekend for "Hot Glam, Girl!" You are lucky enough to get a frist look at the lovely Laura back in her high day before children. Bahh! I die. Look out for this fancy pants on Ellen! 

 

 

 

 

So now that they are moving in two days, I will probably have no reason to ever visit Virginia Beach...ever. Unless I have someone new to visit :)

 

So long Virginia it was nice getting to visit you for the last few years, but I will not miss your drive.

 

 

 

 

 



I'm Laughing at....

So if you know me or have met me, you know that I am a giggler, meaning I kind of giggle at just about anything. I think a lot of stuff is funny or clever and I show my recognition by providing a little giggle. Haha! This whole speech just made me actually laugh. Lame. Anyway, I decided to share some things that are making me laugh lately, since everyone needs a good laugh now and then!

 

 This just kills me because she knows the name of the song but sings it wrong! I die!

 

Enjoy my little friends :) 

Love It or Hate It: Chapter 4

So if you have been keeping up with this little chapter flow I've been working on, I last spoke about a chapstick I was not so fond about. You can read alllll about it here. Since that didn't work out so well, I went back to my favorite essential piece that I have been using for years. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Vitamin E Swivel Stick!

 

To say this stuff is amazing is not saying enough! I have been using this as chap stick since high school.....I will not tell you how long ago that was and it has never left me down. My lips have never felt chapped while using this stuff. It lasts forever, I never lose it in my bag and it smells delicious! Also, I hate when chap sticks or lip glosses make my face feel greasy. I have oil combination skin to begin with, and especially in the summer the last thing I want to feel is my chin or around my mouth is greasy from the chap stick. 

A few of my friends have made jokes that it looks like a glue stick, and that is actually what we call it now "Hey! Can I borrow your glue stick?" But after all the jokes, they eventually went out and bought their own and haven't looked back since. Seriously, this stuff is great! Moisturizing, smells nice and hard to lose. 

Win! Win! Win!  You can purchase it pretty much at any drug store, Walmart, Harmon etc. If you give it a try, let me know what you think! 

Happy Hump Day!! :) 



 

Charleston, SC - Part II

If you missed the beginning of my trip to Charleston, you can find Part I here.

 

So for some strange reason the battery on my camera died and when I tried to switch out the batteries it was stuck and wouldn't come out. I was NOT going to be coming home to tell my boyfriend I broke the camera trying to get the battery out like an idiot so I tucked it away and used my cell phone for the remainder of the day.

 

We decided to continue our walk through town and head towards the water. It was a pretty hot day and the cool sea breeze felt amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked along the water as we headed back toward the center town and it was just beautiful. After the drama with our flight it was just so nice to stroll around and relax. As we walked along the water we ended up in a part of Charleston called "Rainbow Row". This is a street of homes that are all painted a bunch of different bright colors. These homes were built back in the 1700s and it was, again, so cool to see such history. Plus the fact that people were so fun and clever back then to paint homes this way.  

 



 

 

 

 

Since we were only staying for the day, we didn't want to waste the entire day on a carriage doing a tour. After the fact I realized, we probably should have done it but we were strapped for time. I highly recommend doing the tour! Like I said there is SO MUCH history here it would have definitely been worth it. Since we were walking around seeing everything we possibly could by ourselves, we took advantage of the tours happening around us and we would stop and listen to hear what the guide was saying. Can we say perfect timing on this house below. We just so happened to catch the guide telling his tour that parts of The Notebook were filmed inside of this mansion! As well as a bunch of other famous movies. He lawyer who owns the house now actually allows tours throughout the house if you are interested. If we never had stopped we would not have known that fun fact! So much history. I will definitely be doing a full tour the next time I get to visit. I can only imagine what else there is to learn about this little place. 

 

 

Below are just a bunch of beautiful mansions we walked past and I had to capture to show my family back home. A girl can dream can't she?!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see Charleston was amazing!!!  I seriously can't wait to come back and visit again and get to see many more amazing things about it! If anyone is traveling and would like so recommendations let me know!