Teresa Giudice is all smiles with daughter Gia in first post-prison red carpet appearance

After spending nearly a year in prison, Teresa Giudice hit the red carpet on Thursday, and the Real Housewives of New Jersey star looked simply amazing.

The 43-year-old reality star stepped out in style in her first public appearance since her release from prison three weeks ago, and was joined by her 15-year-old daughter, Gia.

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The mother and daughter duo basked in the spotlight at the grand opening of fellow RHONJ star Melissa Gorga's fashion boutique in Montclair, New Jersey.

Teresa and Gia spoke with ET outside the event, where they opened up about how life has been now that Teresa is a free woman.

"Everything is going good," Teresa said, smiling. "Really good."

"[It's] amazing," Gia added. "My mom is home!"

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According to Gia, the best thing about having her mom home is "having her around. It's just a totally different feeling having your mom around."

So what was the first thing they did when Teresa finally came home after months behind bars?

"[We] hugged," Gia shared.

"And kissed," Teresa said, adding that they also went shopping for clothes for the event.

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Teresa, who was released from jail just days before her daughter's 15th birthday, marveled at how much Gia has grown.

"I can't believe she's 15 now," Teresa said. "Sweet sixteen next year!"

And, it sounds like Gia already has big plans for her milestone birthday, even if she doesn't know exactly what the special day will entail.

"I'm like still thinking about what I want," Gia admitted.

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For more on Teresa's time behind bars and how it impacted her family, check out the video below.