A Snooki-fied Halloween

Dedication: To my favorite reality star and halloween costume, Snooki

Snooki 

Some people have no idea who they'd like to dress as and channel on this wicked day. Others (me) know exactly who they want to be. 

When our friend's Gabe and Yisel invited us to their halloween bash, I automatically knew my costume; America's favorite 4'9 girl, Snooki. In order to complete the Jersey Shore/Snooki package I needed a hot gorilla juice head. Therefore Patrick (prince charming/my better half) had no choice and was the designated Jionni. For those not following The Shore, Jionni is Snooki's boyfriend.

(Snooki and Jionni)

Here's our rendition of the reality couple...

(Jionni and Snooki aka Patrick and I) 

(My rendition of Snooki)

Many thanks to Gabe and Yisel for the fun get together. All I have to say is DENZEL WASHINGTON!

Happy Halloween!
Grace

Bracing the Elements

Dedication: To the world's greatest coach, Coach Rudy.

A few weeks ago I shared how I was inspired to fulfill my new year's resolution of running a 5K. Please know this has not been an epic fail, on the contrary, I've been rigorously training for the race. I'm not up to a 9 minute mile or remotely close to it, but I'm running without stopping. Trust me when I say this is a big deal for a 4'9 girl who always comes in last.

Training hasn't been easy and juggling it with my crazy school schedule has been even harder. However, I have an amazing coach (shout out to Rudy Fernandez), who although he's miles away does everything possible to inspire me to keep going (i.e. text, email, call, etc.).  This weekend as winter decided to come early, I thought how does a girl from sunny South Florida run in the cold?

This is how....

(Me with way too much clothes!)

I swear it was a tough run and the longest I've ever done without stopping!

I'm in for an interesting few weeks as the weather will only continue to drop, but no worries. I got lots of gloves and headbands (courtesy of Nikki and Katrina) to keep me warm throughout my runs.

Hasta next time,
Grace

On The Edge of Glory

Dedication: To my partners in crime-my fellow classmates. 

It’s one of the most dreadful times in the semester, midterms!

 To say this week is utter chaos is a lie, it’s hell on wheels-it SUCKS! Mugar (BU’s library) has become my second home, Starbucks has made far too much profit off of my caffeine need and workouts aren’t enough to burn my stress.  You’d think I’d be jumping up for joy realizing I’m almost at the edge of glory (glory = graduation), instead I’m on roller coaster ride full of twist and turns, highs and lows, and jolts that can give you whiplash. 

Midterms are not just tests that weigh heavily on your grade; for a last semester grad student they’re the realization that the end is almost near. It’s a big sign, which screams, “GRACE GET IT TOGETHER.” It’s a reminder that you’ve got two months till the commencement of the rest of your life, two months to pray someone will hire you, two months to study for the COMPS and two months to enjoy noon runs to the BU pub. I haven’t had the opportunity to realize this is all happening till now because my nose has been buried in this...

ALL WEEK!

Now that midterms are over, I think I’ll get it together. I’ll let you know how it goes. If nothing else, I’ll enjoy the edge of glory while sipping on a 2-buck chuck glass of pinot!

Hasta next time,

Grace 

Manic Monday

Dedication: To the brave and always stylish Giuliana Rancic.

Monday’s are always chaotic! For some reason, I always hit the snooze button way too many times and manage to wake up nearly 15 minutes late; today was no exception.  Although I woke up late, I still engaged in the traditional routine just a whole lot slower. It’s usually coffee, hair, make-up, 20 minutes in front of the closet pondering what the heck to wear and occasional toggling between The Today Show and Good Morning America. Today I was eager to turn on the television recalling Bethenny Frankel had tweeted she would be on The Today Show. A huge fan of the blunt, former NY Housewife I decided the switching would be left for another time and listened to the The Today Show.

In those 20 minutes in front of the closet, I happened to hear Ann Curry tease an interview with Giuliana Rancic. Like most of you I thought the news would be jubilant and something Giuliana fans have been eagerly wishing for her. (It’s no secret that the E! News anchor, reality star and fashionista has been struggling with fertility issues. She’s courageously shared her struggle with viewers via her Style Network reality show, Giuliana and Bill.) Instead I heard a shocking revelation; Rancic, 36, has been recently diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. I, like so many others, watched her bravely share her story and encourage women to get tested.

As mentioned in a previous post, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I ask you to please take a few minutes to watch this morning’s Today Show clip. After you’ve watched it, make sure to call, email, text and ask all the important women in your life whether they’ve scheduled their yearly mammogram. It only takes a few minutes! Early detection is extremely prevalent and can help save a life!

Giuliana- thank you for sharing your story with fans, viewers and the world. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this trying time. You’re a strong fighter and inspiration to us all. 

Rockin Road Runners

Dedication: This post is dedicated to two rockin runners, Elise Kovi and Yisel Acevedo. There are no words to describe how unbelievably proud of you I am.  You are true inspirations!

Elise Kovi, B.A.A. Half Marathon Rockin Runner

(10/9/11) 

Yisel Acevedo, Tufts 10K Rockin Runner 

(10/10/11) 

Lets get real, it’s October and new year’s resolutions are a vague memory.  I can honestly confirm mine sure was till it resurfaced this weekend.  You’re probably asking how did something you commit to in January just resurface.

First, let me start off by sharing what was my new year’s resolution- there were actually two. The first was to donate to a charity that was near and dear to my heart.  I can gladly say I’ve donated some money and my time to three very amazing charities in New England. As for my second resolution I was to run a 5K. That resolution quickly fell to the waste side and resurfaced as I watched my two amazing friends, Elise and Yisel cross the finish line this past weekend.

Elise and Yisel have been rigorously training for a half-marathon and 10K for the past few months. On Sunday morning and Monday afternoon I stood by the sidelines and cheered them on as they successfully completed their races. I was filled with pride to see them fulfill their goal and I was motivated beyond explanation.

After much contemplation and a huge push from my amazing friend and coach, Rudy, I’ve decided to complete my new year’s resolution. On Thanksgiving Day I’ll be running the 5K Turkey Trot in Miami, Florida. It’s going to be an interesting journey, but one things for sure I’ve got some really awesome friends to push me along.

I’ll keep you informed on my training!

Hasta next time,

Grace 

October - Pretty in Pink

Dedication: This post is dedicated to all the special women in my life. Particularly my all time favorite lady, my Mami. 

It’s October baby! The leaves are starting to turn, the weather is beginning to cool and fall is in full swing.  I’m getting ready to rock the scarves, boots and jeans that have been happily collecting dust over the summer. This month, my wardrobe will get a hint of blush, a pink blush; all in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

I promised I’d make these posts light and bubbly, but as a woman I can’t help but bring awareness to a cause that’s affected so many of my fellow sisters. Each year over 190,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer.  In 2011 there will be more than 39, 000 deaths attributed to the disease. 

There are many things you can do to help spread the word and educate yourself, along with the women you love, about this illness. Here is a list of a few things I’m doing to celebrate breast cancer awareness and contribute to the cause.

•              Educating myself. I’m researching trustworthy websites and organizations on breast cancer   risk factors and prevention.

•       I’m calling the women I love and care about and reminding them to schedule their yearly mammograms. (Mami, si estas leyendo esto por la quinta ves…Ya llamastes al ginecologo?)

•       I’m donating to organizations such as Susan G. Komen, American Cancer Society and Avon’s Foundation for Women who support and conduct research to find a cure for or prevent breast cancer. 

•             I’m purchasing items which portions of their proceeds will go towards breast cancer research, awareness or prevention. Scope out a few of my personal favorites. Whip out that debit/credit card and buy yourself a treat in the name of a great cause.

o   Forever 21: Pink is Courage Collection 

o  Yoplait Yogurt 

o   Avon’s Pink Power Nail Polish

o   NFL, Miami Dolphins t-shirt 

Now that you know what I’m doing, what are some of the things you are planning to do or have done in the past to bring awareness to the cause?

OMG I’m Blogging Peeps!

Hola and welcome to Grace-Full Thoughts!

You’re probably wondering how the hell this chaos came about. Well its simple, thank Professor Steve Quigley at Boston University. He’s my New Media and PR professor and made this part of my course grade. 

When given the assignment I stressed for days on what the heck to write about that would capture the attention of the virtual world. I thought about shopping, food, coffee, purses, reality television, cause marketing, corporate social responsibility and the list goes on and on. It turned out I wanted to write about a plethora of things, but I wanted to write it for the people I cared about the most; my family and friends. The reality is, I spend countless hours speaking to many of them on the phone about my hectic life here in Boston and my crazy last semester schedule really doesn’t allot the time. So here is the solution, a way for them to stay informed. I write and you comment-PLEASE!

Aside from my cool family and friends, trust me when I say they rock, this blog is for anyone who’s ever left home and wants to stay in touch. Let this be an example of how you can speak your mind, hopefully earn and A (hint, hint Professor Quigley), and keep connected with those you love.

I promise this will be a fun, spunky and bubbly read-just like me.

Hasta luego,

Grace

P.S: Every post will include a dedication- someone or something that sparked my writing bug.

DEDICATION: This post is for you, yes YOU-because you are awesome and reading this blog!