How To Be A Good BFF : Give A Breakup Care Package!

One of my oldest (in terms of time…) and dearest friends recently had a relationship end and it’s been a hard time for her. Breakups just suck. Period. They really do. About 4 years ago, the boy and I actually went through a breakup/break thingy. It lasted a month. We needed time apart to think about our future as a couple and as individuals. Well, we figured it out after that and I think we both grew up a lot in the small time period.

Anyway. That’s not the point.

The point is, breakups are tough and sometimes you need a little cheering up.

Here’s a quick history lesson! Or story…

This particular friend of mine, well, we’ve been friends since I was 7 and she was 9. We were neighbors and clicked right away, even though at the time, that was considered a bit of an age gap. But either way, we became close friends and although we hardly ever see each other (she lives in LA), we’ve kept up our friendship thanks to email, texts, and Facebook. Thank you, technology!

Well after she text me in the middle of the night informing me of the breakup, I really felt for her. I wanted to drive out to her right then and just be with her. The following day, I still had that feeling. And while I couldn’t drive out to be with her, the idea came to me that I would make a care package for her.

So here’s what I included! This is just to give you an idea if maybe you have a friend that is going through something similar.

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The first thing I chose was a little pedicure kit. Because every girl deserves beautiful toes!

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These are self-explanatory. AND they have lipstick and mascara on them.

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Every girl deserves a good mascara. I wanted to get her the Physicians Formula Fake Out mascara but Target was out. So I chose another goody! And she loves this now!

IMG_9645More self-pampering!

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Cause we’re the best of friends! And it’s a mustache…

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I got a funny looking card. We have a weird history. Get over it.

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I wrote a cute note. It’s what a good friend should do.

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I also included an epic breakup album by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Tristan Prettyman. I then wrote little note for each individual item.

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I then individually wrapped each item in bright tissue paper.

IMG_9654I then put it in a package and sent it off!

Because I was mailing this her, I tried to keep things light. I could have included maybe a chocolate, funny DVD, girly magazine, or even a nail polish, but again, keeping things light! Ish. Haha. I also didn’t want chocolate to melt……

So if you have a friend going through a breakup, this might be a good pick-me-up. Or even for yourself! It’s nice to treat yourself every so often.

My dearest friend, I love you so. I hope you enjoyed this little package. It was fun for me to put together and the moment I put it all together, I wanted to tell you right away, but of course I couldn’t. I hope it brought a smile to your face and cheered you up, even just a tiny bit.

To my readers, I hope you enjoyed this post!

xo, Briana

Milani TANtastic Face & Body Baked Bronzer : My Thoughts!

Goodness that was a long title! But it was required…

and back to my “normal” posting :-) Thank you to everyone who sent a thank you and a congrats to my very recent engagement, which I announced in my previous post! I am still in shock and disbelief but am also SO excited!!

Anyway…

I was meandering through Target as I do. Okay, I was actually on a real errand and was walking through the makeup aisles, because I really did have to buy makeup. But not for me! Ahha! More on that in a future post! So please stay tuned. But…. Oh, the but…

The Milani display doesn’t usually catch my attention, but I was looking at their blushes (I do have a Milani blush) and a bronzer popped out at me….

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I picked it up, read it (or attempted to -see below), and tried to figure out the packaging. It’s slightly bulky. I do like the black writing and whatnot. It looks a bit more luxurious than some other drugstore highlighter/duo products I’ve seen.

So here’s what it’s all about…

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It’s so hard to read with this mirror! Haha.

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When it’s taken off…. ^^

Then when it’s opened!

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I’ve been looking for a drugstore highlighter and so when I saw this, I felt very drawn to it. It was a rather impulsive buy, but I think a pretty good one! It’s so shimmery!

Le swatch!

Le swatch!

Now one thing that really caught my attention when I got this was the packaging. I was very intrigued by it. The mirror is exposed on the backside and it’s just very bulky…

Le mirror!

Le mirror!

I think it’s a bit odd that the mirror is completely exposed. It can easily crack and break. It can also smudge easily.

Was it really necessary to put the mirror on the outside? It’s not safe! I mean, really. It can so easily shatter!

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But this (above) is how it opens up! I actually don’t use the brush it comes with. I find it quite flimsy and not good for application.

However, I find the product itself quite lovely, when applied correctly! I say that because it’s very easy to apply too much of this and you’ll get a rather glittery look, like, woah! Hey! There’s glitter on your face. But! When applied correctly, it creates a lovely glow on your cheeks :-)

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Now the above is a heavy swatch, but it shows the coloring really well.

Okay cool.

On mah face!

On mah face!

Nice healthy glow! It’s subtle enough so it doesn’t look too shiny or shimmery, but it gives that pretty glow :-)

Now the one other complaint I have about this is that it creates a lot of fallout. So when you’re using it, be careful…

Oh, hey...

Oh, hey…

So, while this is a bulky package (nuisance for travel) and it does have a fallout issue (but not on your face! unless you have a heavy hand…), I do think it looks really nice. It gives that healthy glow that we ladies love :-) I haven’t tried it wet (which is supposed to give it a darker appearance) because I want to use it for the highlighting effect, rather than a bronzer.

Like I said, I found this at Target for $7.99. Good impulse buy…

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post! Have you tried it yet? What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

xo, Briana

p.s. Thank you so much to everyone who has read, liked, and shared my posts from this week! It’s put a smile on my face every time I check my email or log on to WordPress. Thanks again!

Note: This product was purchased by me and these are my honest thoughts on it! Milani and Target have no idea who I am :-)

So… We’re Engaged!

It’s true! The boyfriend popped the magical question about 24 hours ago and of course I said YES!

I did put a picture on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter last night, but I know some of you don’t follow me on those.

However! I had to put it on my blog of course :-)

So basically, the boyfriend and I planned on going to the beach yesterday, which we did, but he had a few surprises for me. He surprised me with a trip to Balboa Island and taking me stand-up paddle boarding, which I have never done before! It was really fun and actually pretty easy, but we stayed in the no-wake zone. Haha. Afterwards we walked around the island and went to some boutiques and whatnot.

Enjoying a Balboa Bar with everything!

Enjoying a Balboa Bar with everything!

I actually asked him to take a picture of me because I wanted to document this amazing ice cream bar!

After that we went to Doheny where he surfed for about an hour and a half.

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We long boarded for a bit after that, and then……..

We went on a drive up above Dana Point and parked above the cliffs there.

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This is the panoramic view from his phone.

We hiked along a bit and I noticed him fumbling with his pockets or something. I started to get “those thoughts” in my head. Because, as you know, we’ve been together for 8 years now. It’s to be expected.

At one point of the trail, we found a bench that we actually stood on and just looked out over the ocean, admiring the beauty of it. I was looking away at one point when he tapped me on the shoulder, said he had something for me and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

In a very tearful voice I said yes!

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I had blue chipped nails, no makeup on, frizzy hair, and I didn’t care one bit.

Now the ring is something special. I actually found it myself (haha) on Etsy and emailed it to him, which I’ve done before. Cause he needed to know what I liked! Well, he listened and got the one!

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It’s a beautiful rose gold halo ring. It’s a bit more pink in person. All of these pictures were taken with our iPhones, so the quality isn’t superb, but it’ll do :-)

Now what I love about my now fiance (eek!) is that when he decides to purchase something or do something of importance, he really takes his time because he wants to make sure the quality is only the best. Because he bought the ring on a wonderful Etsy shop (click here for shop!), he was in search of his own ring box. Well, he didn’t find any he liked so he made it!

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After I dried my happy tears and we shared a kiss, we immediately called our parents and siblings, all of whom were expecting it! He talked to both of our families the night before, preparing them and asking for their blessings.

When we came home later that night (we had a celebratory dinner  afterwards at a cute little Mexican restaurant in Laguna Niguel), my parents had champagne ready. Then back at his house, his parents and twin sister made a cute candy gram and a little poster congratulating us.

We are both so unbelievably happy and excited for our future together! We were both overwhelmed at all of the love and well-wishes we received by phone, text, and online. Thank you so, so much to everyone for all of your love and support! And we will continue to need it as we plan our wedding and our future together!

Today I woke up and thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t! I keep looking at my left hand and I see my beautiful ring. He managed to hide it from me for 2 months!

At dinner with my fiance!

At dinner with my fiance!

Have a wonderful week everyone :-)

xo, Briana

Face Of The Day (FOTD) : Summer Sunset

I think it’s funny sometimes how people name their “looks.” Like I just called mine summer sunset when I really could just call it a simple smokey look with a touch of orange. But that says too much and gives it away. Haha!

Here’s the look!

Ooh, look at those cheeks...

Ooh, look at those cheeks…

I really hate how my camera does not pick up the fact that I did blend my eyeshadows nicely. Really, I do know how to apply makeup…

Another view!

Another view!

On my face I’m wearing…

Face:
- Revlon’s Nearly Naked foundation in shade 180, medium biege
- Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles concealer in shade 30, medium
- Revlon’s Nearly Naked pressed powder in shade 30, medium
- Physician’s Formula pH Match Maker blush in Natural
- NYC bronzer in Sunny
- Milani’s TANtastic Face & Body Baked Bronzer in shade 01 (as a highlight and a review is coming soon!)

Eyes:
- Urban Decay’s Primer Potion
- Tarte Special Edition (sorry no longer available :-( ) eye shadows (see below)
- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (inner corner) in shade 625 Sparkle Nude
- Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal eye pencils in Black &  Nude
- L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes in Black (I think)

Lips:
- Flower Cosmetics Lip Butter in Haute Honeysuckle
- Tarte Maracuja lip gloss, not sure of the color because it’s a sample size

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I used the lightest, matte shade all over, followed by the gold (upper right) on my lid. I then used the purple shade in my outer V and a little in the crease, followed by the coral/orange shade on my inner corner and blended it into the purple a little.

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Can you see it?

Can you see it?

I hope you can see it. Ugh. Silly camera.

Anyway! So that’s the look of the day! I like the colors a lot. and I apologize for showing a product (eyeshadows) that are no longer available, but if you want to recreate the look, simply use a burgundy-purply color for the crease, a bronzy-gold for all over, and then a peachy orange for the middle/blending color! So, yeah.

Hope you enjoyed the post!

Have a great day :-)

xo, Briana

Note : All products mentioned were purchased by me. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OOTD: Inspired by Blues & Reds

In my previous post one of my readers and fellow bloggers suggested I create an outfit using a few of the things I mentioned.

So I did!

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I’m wearing my red Toms, my indigo American Eagle jeans, my blue California hat, and Essie’s Naughty Nautical nail polish. I just added an AE top and Von Zipper sunglasses, as well as my Ripcurl watch.

So there it is. Very simple yet cute.

IMG_9628Do I look nervous? I always feel camera shy…

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This outfit is also perfectly acceptable with my other hat :) It says “Keep on Truckin’” if you can’t read it.

Le shoes.

Le shoes.

Le nails and details of jeans.

Le nails and details of jeans.

Thank you to my brother Chris! He was kind enough to take the pictures for me ;-) Glad he happened to stop by, too! Haha!

Hope you enjoyed!

Would you like me to do more outfit of the day (ootd) posts? Let me know!

xo, Briana

Note: I am not affiliated with any of the mentioned companies. I purchased all of the above, except for the watch and sunglasses, which were a gift from my boyfriend ;-)

Colors of the Rainbow TAG!

I was recently tagged by a fellow blogger, the lovely Miss Mariko at Budziak Beauty. She has a lovely sense of style and also has great DIY posts that have already inspired me!

This tag was actually started on YouTube but it has also found it’s way into the blogosphere and I get to partake! I’ll leave a small list down below of people I will tag. Anyway, you basically mention a few favorite products that correspond to the colors of the rainbow, as well as pink and multicolor (because pink is necessary). The products are supposed to be beauty and fashion related, but do whatever you feel suits you! Ms. Budziak included a red wine, which looked delicious by the way.

So let’s get on with the tag already!

RED:
IMG_9589I chose my red Toms (my favorite) and a red hat (from PacSun) that says “Keep on Truckin’” I chose that hat because of my brother, who used to be a truck driver (same one who was a kayak guide!). The same brother that has a tattoo on his foot that says “keep on trucking!” Have you seen the comic? Yes? Maybe?  Anyway, I love red. It’s my favorite color!

ORANGE:

My faaaavorite brand of brushes!

My faaaavorite brand of brushes!

While I have yet to try Sigma or even MAC brushes, these are my absolute favorite brushes, hands down. Most of the face brushes are this burnt orange color. I love them.

YELLOW:

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Now yellow was a hard one to do, because I really don’t have a lot of things that are yellow or even have yellow in or on them! But I did have this, which is a daily facial scrub and I do enjoy it. It smells great, feels great, and helps my skin feel and look better. But the smell… It’s so fresh and woodsy. Yum!

GREEN:

Surprised?

Surprised?

I have raved about both of these products for good reason. They’re awesome! ’nuff said.

Although it was hard to narrow down my green products, but I have a lot that are green! Haha. I guess I like green, too!

BLUE:
IMG_9595I love that hat! Got it at PacSun as well. It’s my favorite to wear at the beach or in the desert. Well, pretty much anytime I’m outside. The nail polish (Naughty Nautical) was a very recent purchase (last night) from Target and I already love it. It’s on both my hands and feet. Haha. It’s so darn pretty!!

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INDIGO:

Ha.. Indigo jeans.

Ha.. Indigo jeans.

Pretty sure these aren’t true indigo jeans, but it’s all I could think of! Haha! I don’t have anything that is indigo!

VIOLET (or purple. Haha):
IMG_9601This is a hoodie I bought from Cotton On a few weeks back. It was on clearance for $10! It’s very lightweight, which is great for summer. The fragrance is from Victoria’s Secret in the scent Love Spell. It’s my absolute favorite fragrance. It’s bright, floral, and super girly. I love it. My one complaint is that it fades very quickly. But I still love it!

PINK:
IMG_9602My super old Conair paddle brush and Essie’s Sunday Funday! This polish would look really good with my other Essie color. Hm… also, I’ve had that brush for a good 5+ years and look at it’s condition! Still so good! I don’t know how it has stayed in such good shape because it’s been used and abused. Haha.

MULTICOLOR:

Lovely.

Lovely.

I chose my UD Smoked palette because I love the neutral shades but the three middle bottom shades? ohmygoodness.

The bottom row of the Smoked palette. I love the greenish teal color.

The bottom row of the Smoked palette. I love the greenish teal color.

So darn pretty! I really want to use that purple shade one of these days… Haha.

I hope you enjoyed the tag! If you do this on your own blog, please let me know! I’d love to see your answers!

I TAG….
Preppy and Funny

The Lace Face

Megz

FancieLand

That’s it for now! lol. Such a small list! Let me know if you do it!

xo, Briana

 

 

Shopping My Makeup Stash

I think it’s normal for a person to get into a groove of things, when it comes to daily routines and whatnot (like washing your face or whatever). This is perfectly true when it comes to makeup.

I have my “standards” that I keep to when I put on makeup. I have my favorite face products, mascara, eye shadow, lip butter, etc.. I’m pretty simple when it comes to my makeup. I know what I like and when I like it, I stick to it.

That being said, it’s easy to forget what products I may have because I tend to stick to my usuals. But this morning, I decided to “shop my stash” (I got that from Emily from BeautyBroadcast.net -love her!). And while I didn’t do a full face of different products, I thought I’d show you what I did use that wasn’t within my “norm.”

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Today I used my Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation in shade 330 True Beige, which is a great summer match for me! This foundation is surprisingly very lightweight, just as long as you don’t apply too much :-) I use my [clean] fingers to apply and blend it in.

I know I’ve said before that lately I’ve been using my BB creams in place of my foundation but since I’ve gotten rid of a lot of makeup lately and am now shopping my own stash, I want to use my foundation a bit more, just to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth! Haha.

The ever popular Falsies!

The ever popular Falsies!

This is another product that I like, but just don’t reach for too often. It’s good, but not my favorite. I just thought it needed some love today :-)

IMG_9542Physician’s Formula pH matchmaker’s blush in natural. This is nice for rosy flush without it being too pink. The mirror is unique in that it has lights! I don’t personally use them, but it’s a cute feature ;-)

Heavy swatch!

Heavy swatch!

Poor little pallete...

Poor little palette…

This unfortunate palette had a bad fall a few months back. A pretty green shade didn’t make it…But! the rest of the colors are mostly intact. Haha. This it the Comfort Zone palette by Wet n Wild. It only costs $4.99!! And the colors are amazing! Pigmented, soft, not at all chalky, and with just the teeniest amount of fallout at times.

Today I used the top 3 shades on the left hand side. And I followed the “directions” as they say browbone, eyelid, and crease.

IMG_9528Can you see them? I hate that every time I try to take a picture of eyeshadow on me, it’s different than what it actually looks like. I need someone to take my pictures please!

But anyway, I like the eye shadows. Haha.

Do you ever “shop your stash”? If not, I recommend it! You’ll rediscover an old love or a new favorite!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

xo, Briana

p.s. Please check out Emily on YouTube or her blog! Beautybroadcast.net She’s awesome and so down to earth!

 

My 5 Favorite Summer Nail Polishes!

This is just my current list, because it seems like I’ve been seeing a lot more colors that I’m wanting! But I have to contain myself… I am running out of space in my little box that holds all of my nail polishes.

Usually, I would go for a darker color, like a deep red or an iron gray. But for whatever reason, my preference has changed to hot pinks, corals, fuchsia, and even blues. Maybe now that I’m out of school for the summer (woohoo!) I just want to wear all the nail polish I possibly can!

So would you like to see them??

So bright!

So bright!

In order, from left –> right : wet n wild in Through The Grapevine, L’Oreal in Orange You Jealous? wet n wild in I Need a Refresh-Mint, essie in Sunday Funday, and L’Oreal in Members Only.

The essie color doesn’t show in the picture, but it has a very subtle sparkle to it, which I really like. I’m currently wearing that on my hands while I have Through The Grapevine on my toes! The Orange You Jealous? is a tad brighter in person. Members Only is also a little more pink in person. I wish the camera picked up the color better, but oh well :-)

You can pick these up at any of your drug stores, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. And the great thing? They’re all pretty reasonable priced! The WNW nail polishes are usually priced at $1.99, L’Oreal anywhere from $4-$6, and the essie is usually between $7.79-$9 or so. I find it’s best priced at Target. This polish by essie was the first one of the brand I’ve ever bought, because I usually dislike spending so much on a polish, but I was really drawn to it… I was sucked it. :sigh:

I also find that these three brands apply the best. They’re smooth, not streaky, and they also don’t chip too badly! I haven’t been using a top coat lately because I find that the polish chips more easily with it! Weird.

What are some of your favorite colors for summer? Let me know in the comments below :-)

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week!

xo, Briana

A List For Friday

1) I finished my first year of nursing school on Wednesday at approximately 2:23 pm. I know because I time myself on my tests because I’m usually the first one done for pretty much every test or quiz. Our final, which consisted of 60 questions, started at 2:00 and I was done in 23 minutes.

I am happy to say this first year of nursing school was a success! Just one more year to go! Went to the pinning ceremony last night with some fellow classmates and I think nearly all of us got teary eyed for the new graduates and ourselves for the near future. Haha.

2) My room is a wreck. So I’m blogging instead of cleaning. Maybe if I turn around everything will be magically put away, dusted, and organized! ….I just checked. It didn’t work.

3) My car is a wreck. So I’m blogging instead of cleaning it. But it’s June Gloom outside, so I shall wait on cleaning it… Maybe.

$) Milo is a lazy bum who hides packages of Ritz crackers in the couch and in my bed.

But he's so cute!

But he’s so cute!

d) I need blogging/video inspirations. Help me?

z) My brother and his girlfriend are on an awesome roadtrip to the Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington. They are blogging about it here! So be sure to check it out! They left last Sunday from San Diego and are driving all the up for the festival then plan on taking their time home, with surfboards of course :-) I’m so jealous of them…

8) Monday is the boy and my 8th anniversary. Can you believe that? So weird. But I think I’ll keep him.

q) I shattered my iPhone last week, did I tell you that? It was a sad, sad day….

photoIt happened in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Isn’t there a song about that?

285) In reaction to the phone dropping (and getting it replaced with another basic iPhone 4 thanks to an eligible upgrade) I bough a Lifeproof case! It’s very bright and waterproof. And shock proof. And dirt proof. And kid proof.

so bright!

so bright!

ii) I need to clean my room. And go to Target.

Later y’all! Have a wonderful and long weekend!

xo, Briana

Why I Love Being a Nursing Student

That’s a weird statement, isn’t it? Most people hear of nursing school as being an extremely difficult time in a person’s life who has chosen such a career (which is true; it’s tough). But here’s another truth : I love being a student nurse.

And while I know my time as a student is brief (one year down, one year to go!), I truly look forward to my future career as a nurse, wherever it may take me. Some of you may know that I would love to be a midwife someday or if I don’t make it that far, I’d be happy doing good ol’ labor & delivery. I have other ideas of where I’d like to head, but the one common theme with nursing is caring for others. I love that part.

I know nurses get burnt out and as a student, I’m exhausted. My brain is tired. My body is tired. My bank account is pitiful. My car has so many miles on it that it shouldn’t have. I miss my family and friends. I see my classmates more than I do my own family sometimes. But it’s so worth it. And it’s a good thing I have such an awesome class :-)

One great perk of being a student nurse, and I know I won’t have this perk once I’m am RN, is that I get to spend more time with just one or maybe two patients at a time. Although I rush around and am super busy some days, I know that I have the benefit of actually spending time with my patients.

If you’ve been following my blog since last fall, you’ll know that one of my earliest experiences as a student then was that I had the chance to sit and hold the hand of a dying patient. A classmate and I were with her when she took her last breath. I read to her her last verse, about encouragement and feeling no more pain. It was a sad, but very rewarding experience. I can’t quite explain it, but I know I’ll always hold that memory in a special place of my heart.

As a student, I able to really connect with my patients and even their families. I’ve been an advocate and a listening ear, as well a small fountain of knowledge. I am able to take my time with my patient, which benefits both of us!

It’s not an arrogant feeling in that I am helping someone because I am able to do so, but it’s knowing that I made a person feel better, whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually. But I think that that is one reason why we’re placed here on Earth; to help those in need!

I know my blog has slowly developed into a slightly more beauty related sphere and whatnot, but I always want to be able to share my time as a student and everything. While I love makeup and what it can do to boost a persons self-confidence, I love even more the fact that as a human, I can help another in their time of need, weakness, and vulnerability and help them improve their quality of life.

The one thing I do not look forward to as an RN is that I know my time will be all the more precious yet constricted when I have more patients and more things to get done. But I know I’ll still make a difference in a person’s life. Right now, I enjoy that I get to know a person, I get to learn of a time that is past. I don’t see just a patient, but a person who lived a wonderful life. I once had the chance to take care of a World War II veteran that commanded tanks when we landed at Normandy. I mean, how cool is that? I thanked him for his service and we both got tears in our eyes. Before I left, he held my hand and thanked me. He said I was the one good thing in his day while I was there. I know he meant it in the sweetest way; I’ll always remember him, too.

Each person I encounter is unique and special. I love that.

If you’re wondering why I took such a turn today in my weekly blog, it’s a poem a classmate read today before we all hit the floor at a precious nursing home. I am unsure as to who authored it, but it’s clever yet eye-opening piece of poetry. It’s simple, yet it makes you think. Hope you enjoy it :-)

Poem By A Cranky Old Man

what do you see nurses? what do you see?
what are you thinking when you’re looking at me?
a cranky old man not very wise,
uncertain of habit with faraway eyes?
who dribbles his food and makes no reply
when you say in a loud voice, “do wish you’d try!”
who seems not to notice the things that you do.
and forever is losing a sock or shoes?
who, resisting or not lets you do as you will,
with bathing and feeding the long days to fill?

is that what you’re thinking? is that what you see?
then open your eyes, nurse you’re not looking at me.
i’ll tell you who i am as i sit here so still.
as i do you’re biddings as i eat at your will.

i’m a small child of ten with a father and a mother,
brothers and sisters who love one another
a young boy of sixteen with wings on his feet
dreaming that soon now a lover he’ll meet
a groom soon at twenty my heart gives a leap;
remembering, the vows that i promised to keep!
at twenty-five, now i have young of my own.
who need me to guide them and have a secure happy home.
a man of thirty my young ones grown fast,
bound to one another with ties that should last.
at forty, my young sons have grown and are gone,
but my woman is beside me to see i don’t mourn.
at fifty, once more babies play ’round my knee,
again, we see children my loved one and me.

dark days are upon my my wife is now dead.
i look at the future i shudder with dread.
since my young are now busy with young of their own.
and i think of the years and the love that i’ve known.
i’m not an old man and nature is cruel…
to make an elder citizen look like a fool.
the body, it crumbles grace and vigor, depart.
there is now only a stone where i once had a heart.
but inside this old carcass a young man still dwells,
and now and again my battered heart swells
i remember the joys i remember the pain.

and i’m loving and living life once again.
i think of the years: all too few and gone too fast.
and accept the stark fact that nothing can last.
so open your eyes, people, open and SEE;
look closer to see NOT a cranky old man…
see ME!!

 

So that’s it.. I hope you enjoyed it :-)

xo, Briana

p.s. Feel free to leave questions or comments below about my experience (so far) in nursing school… I’d love to hear your thoughts :-)