p.s.

Recognize this guy?

Um, yeah. 

This is the one and only Matthew Lewis, aka Neville Longbottom.

RIGHT? 

My love for these characters will never die.

Especially when they turn from nerdalicious school boys into dapper young men. 

Just sayin.

happy friday

So here is the deal.
Life is sweet. Plain and simple.
And here are just a few things I have to be happy about today:

- Jenny and I ran a 7:20 mile a few nights ago. Be impressed.

- Also we took advantage of a buy one, get one deal on froyo. Who doesn't love that?

- Best friend gets married next week. Which means....
- Road trip! EEP!
- I have the best job ever. Can you say carnival themed office party?
Yes, it was as fun as it sounds.

Isn't Kimber just so cute and happy?! I seriously have the best coworkers on the planet.
Don't argue.

- It's a beautiful day, AND it's almost the weekend.
That alone should be enough to keep a smile on my face.

- I get to go to SLC tonight! Not going to lie, I love this state's little urban capital.

Finally, I discovered the best little trick a few days ago.
If you are ever feeling blue-sy, or tired, or mad, or sad....
..... basically anything opposite of happy......
Just force yourself to smile.
Sounds so cliche, right?
Seriously though, it works!!
Try it, and be amazed.

boom! there's the flavor!

I watched Hot Rod for the umpteenth time this weekend. 

Here are a few things I learned. 

First, I forgot how absurd and random the whole movie is. 

Which is why it's so stinking hilarious, obvi.

Also, the part where Denise, Jonathan and Rod are all in the diner and they order flaming Dr. Peppers, and then Jonathan takes a drink and says:

"BOOM, there's the flavor!"

(a la the title of this post. har har har)

Yeah, that's probably the funniest part of the whole movie to me. Don't ask why.

When you watch something that many times, the word "hello" becomes hilarious. 

C'est la vie, no?

Also, this weekend was full of shinanigans that I'm sure you are dying to hear about.

 Went to Rubios.

(Fish taco, will you date me??)

Saw "Source Code"

(Jake Gyllenhaal made the confusing movie worth it)

Proof

OD'd on sugar, via shave ice. 

(Mega gross. I won't be doing that again any time soon.)

BBQ'd with aunt, uncle, cousins, and company (aka all the crazy neighbors you can imagine. Fireworks included).

Had the laaaazzziiieesstttt Sunday afternoon in memory. 

It was awesome.

Had the day off work yesterday

(HOOOORAH for Utah holidays!)

Spent time at the pool with partner in crime Jburk,

I used to get mad when my parents would tease me for having boat feet. Was I that blind that I couldn't see they were telling the truth? Hello, giant flippers!

and hung out with my favorite Modern Family. 

Get it?

So yeah, basically it was a really chill, summery, fun, and MUCH needed weekend. 

And finally, just to throw this out there, I bought 3 things online today.

I think I do that (online shop, that is) for 2 reasons.

First, because who's NOT trying to browse page after page of cool things?

Second, I like

.... no.... 

LOVE..... 

getting things in the mail. 

And if someone isn't going to take care of that, well then gosh darn it, I will do it myself!

five senses friday

Seeing: The usual slew of EFY kids. And lots of sun. Both of which make me undeniably happy. You know what else makes me happy? (Or WOULD, if I were actually participating....)The fact that the Fleet Foxes are in Utah tonight. Performing an outdoor concert.
It's too bad they don't accept limbs or kisses as a form of payment instead of actual tickets....
 

Tasting: (Or rather anticipating the taste of) Friday night shave ice! Or frozen yogurt! Or any other frozen treat! Yay summer! And apparently exclamation points!!

Listening: Earth, Wind and Fire. Who's NOT trying to start their weekend with a little soul? That's the real question here. And the answer should be no one. 
Because lets be real, this song is the BEST.

Smelling: The brilliance of Marc Jacobs. 
Bless that man, and his wonderful fragrance line. 

Feeling: Very tired and sore from this week's workouts. 
How are my hamstrings still crying from a weight class on MONDAY? 
You tell me. 
Because no amount of Tylenol has brought me relief.

So there you have it. 
Another boring list that probably only I care about. 
But who cares because only God can judge me. 

so I guess this is a weekly thing now

Dear new running shoes,

Probably I should adopt Jenny's habit and buy new running shoes 6 times a year instead of just one.

Because I am obsessed with you!

(And just for the record, these are the best running shoes I have ever had. Srsly.)

Dear Modern Family,

You have had me endlessly entertained over the last 3 weeks. And now I am left waiting for season 3 to start. I don't think I can handle aka I'm just going to watch season 1 and 2 again. 

p.s. Phil, you are my fav :)

Dear hair,

I am this close to chopping you all off....... must..... show...... self...... control......

Dear people I work with, 

You guys are so fantastic. How did I get so lucky?

Dear school/fall semester,

I can't believe I am admitting this, but I am getting kind of excited for you. There is something magical about fall in Provo. And even the thought of school is a little enticing.

I'm sure I will be eating my words later, but until then, I will continue to get a little more excited every day.

Happy Thursday.

those awkward things you try to forget

Everyone has them.

Some more than others 

*cough me cough*

One in particular has been haunting my brain this morning.

Rewind, to sophomore year of high school. 

*insert flashback noise from LOST*

I don't know why, but I had this thing for UBER comfy clothes. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved cute clothes. 

(cute-ish . I don't think Old Navy polos could neccessarily be defined as "cute" these days.). 

I just loved comfy clothes a little bit more. 

Which is why I developed this weird habit of wearing the same outfit EVERY Friday. 

You heard me. 

Every. Friday. 

Queue description of stretchy black yoga pants and an "I heart NY" t-shirt. 

Tacky-ville much?

Things got out of hand one day when my friend Crystal noticed and commented on said outfit. 

It didn't bother me until the following Friday when she showed up wearing the exact same thing

Her response to my horrified look:

"I wanted to see if you really do it every Friday like I noticed. 

And you do!

And now we are twins!"

Needless to say, as much as I loved the girl, I stopped doing it after that.
Another super embarassing thing I did in high school involved eating lunch.... 

.....by myself.....

.....in the bathroom.....

.....for the whole first week of school sophomore year.

Rough year all around, right?

What do you expect?

I was the new kid for goodness sakes!!

viva la monday, and hey-oh to a boring week. thankfully.

First, I just need to apologize for the melodrama-saturated post about Harry Potter. 

Obviously I need to learn my limits when it comes to venting about my passions. 

I'm working on it.

Second, this weekend was great. And here is why. 

Friday night, Harry Potter party.

(Although, as much as I loved throwing a tribute to my favorite fictional character, I don't think I will be doing something like that again for a while. 

First, we made way too much food. 

Second, we spent way too long shopping, decorating, cooking, etc. 

And I'm just not all about making 50 cupcakes and using my grocery money to buy 6 liters of cream soda.)

Next time, I will just read the book or something.

Saturday, I slept in for DAYS. 

I forgot how much I love that. 

Oh wait. 

No I didn't. 

Because I remember that every morning when my alarm rings at 6:30.

Anyways. 

Then Saturday night was my bff's bridal shower. 

I love that girl so much, and I'm freaking pumped to be at her wedding in.....

19 DAYS WAAAAAHHHHH!

Also, how adorbs is this little room? Courtesy of The Chocolate.

Then yesterday, I was a recluse. 

Took a 2 hour nap. 

BOMB.

Spent 2 more hours on the phone with my mom.

MORE BOMB.

(Obviously I am going through family withdrawals...)

And watched the Parent Trap.

How 5th grade of me, right?

And now here we are. At the beginning of what is thankfully going to be a very uneventful week. 

Basically all I plan on doing is a lot of cooking, biking, running and swimming. 

And probably Modern Family watching.

Simple pleasures, right?

reasons why Harry Potter is friggin awesome

Also, reasons why Harry Potter is more than just a book/movie.

Not to get all emotional and super sentimental....

But yeah, I'm going there.

As has been made apparent by the rest of the world, the final Harry Potter movie came out last night. 

Honestly, one of the most incredible, defining events in my life. 

And before you think I'm more of a super-nerd than I am,

(I can admit it!)

here is why there is so much more meaning to the series coming to a proverbial "end" than we may realize.

1. We grew up with these characters. From 4th grade to my senior year of high school, I always had a new book, a new story, to look forward to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione became more than just people on a page. They became my friends. Friends that I could relate to, and love. 

2. Harry Potter has brought millions of people together. 

All united in our obsessive love for the same magical world. 

That is one thing I LOVED about the midnight showings. Everyone was so crazy and passionate. It's things like that that make life worth living. Things that we can put our whole heart and soul into, and then share that with others that we may otherwise have nothing in common with. 

3. Who DOESN'T love a good fantasy-magic-related-tugatyourheartstrings story?!

4. These characters actually teach us something valuable about life. 

Hermione shows us that being a bookworm and having a love of learning, is a wonderful thing. 

Ron shows us the meaning of being a loyal, loving friend. 

And Harry shows us the value of love, bravery, and diligence through difficult times.

Try finding all those lessons in the Twlight series.

(yeah I went there too.....)

5. Finally, Harry Potter has defined this generation. 

The books and movies have literally taken over the world. . Delivered hours of entertainment. Shattered records. And finally, provided a beautiful escape from reality.

Just like Dumbledore so profoundly states:

"Of course it is happening inside your head. 

But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

It's moments like last night that make me so thankful for the little things we have been given. 

Little things that deliver so much unadulterated joy.

So thank you Harry Potter. 

Thank you for defining my childhood and changing my life.

UPDATE:
Someone at work (we will refer to her as she-who-must-not-be-named) just informed the office that she has never seen the HP movies, nor read the books.
Also she has never seen Lion King or the Emperor's New Groove.
And to top it all off, not only has she NOT SEEN THEM, she is morally opposed to all of them.


A part of my soul just caught fire and died.

UPDATE 2: 
Remember how I was supposed to see Owl City on Wednesday night?
Yeah well instead I decided to avoid heatstroke and projectile vomiting
(neither of which are something I'm trying to do every day)
and Jenny and I left early. 
Boo, summer heat and overcrowded venues. 
BOOOOO.

postcards from far away

Dear Adam Young,

I have to admit that the last time I saw you in concert, I was a little weirded out.

I adore you.

But I was weirded out nontheless. 

Well here I am 2 years later, and I'm ready to see you again tonight. 

Don't disappoint me.

Dear Harry, Ron, Hermione, and every other bad-ace HP character from my childhood,

I'll see you tomorrow. 

Most epic night of my life? 

PROBABLY

So dapper. ILU bbyz!!!!

Dear bff, 

We will be reunited in 2 weeks. Kill me with joy. 

Dear Arizona, 

I really miss my hot early morning workouts with you. 

What I wouldn't do to ride my bike through the desert right now.....

Dear pool at 24hourfitness, 

I hope you are enjoying my frequent visits. Because I'm sort of addicted right now.

All I want to do is smell like chlorine, all the time. 

Is that too much to ask?!

Dear sleep, 

I'm not going to be seeing much of you until Saturday night. 

I hope you can forgive me.

Also, pretty sure my nickname until then is going to be "walking dead".

Awesome. 

family-palooza and such

Sometimes (aka all the time) it bothers me when people apologize for not blogging. 

I mean, I know my life is interesting *insert sarcasm*, but I seriously doubt that you guys get THAT stressed when I don't blog for a week.

GASP!

So I'm not going to apologize. 

The end. 

So the fam was in town this week. And man alive, it was fun. I spent a few days up in Park City, enjoyed some rain, lots of time with the extended fam, and had a fun-filled (and sweat-drenched) time at Lagoon.
I love my family.
They are too adorable for their own good. 

 Don't mind my cheese ball smile. Apparently I'm one of those over-enthused ferris wheel riders.

 

 Lagoon day was the kind of day I wish I could bottle up and turn into a perfume or something.

 It was as perfect and summery as they come. 

Lots of sun. 

Family. 

Lemonade.

A little rainstorm.

BBQ food.

Amusement park rides.

Sunburn.

Fireworks.

BLISS.

P.S. wanna hear about the kick-ace week ahead of me?
Tomorrow: a.m. bike ride. FINALLY.
Wednesday: Mat Kearny and Owl City. My love affair with Adam Young is about to be taken to a whole new level.
Thursday: HARRYPOTTEROMGI'MGONNADIIIIEEEEEE
Friday: Harry Potter Party. Yes, it's going to be as epic as it sounds.
Saturday: Bridal Shower for bff Nicole. Out of control girl time. My favorite.

I'm out of breath just thinking about it all.
And those are just 5 more reasons (as if you need more!!!) why summer is the best thing on the planet.

scenes from the weekend, via my phone

Sorry I am too lame to use an actual camera. 

Forgive me. 

Friday: free frozen yogurt, show for friends Kyle and Phil, fireworks, and Modern Family midnight marathon.

Saturday: hardest workout of my LIFE, trip to the pool, dinner with the fam (YES they are in Utah!!) and rooftop Stadium of Fire viewing. 

Sunday: Church with the fam, dinner and reunion with aunts, uncles, cousins, g-parents, and the likes

Monday: Quiet and lovely 4th of July afternoon with cousins in Morgan Utah (aka the most beautiful little town you will ever see. Above 2 pictures for deets). 

Also, I can't believe how adorable cousin Aleesha's little baby boy is! 

It's weekends like this that make me a very grateful woman.

 

And you know what else I am really grateful for today? 

Epiphanies.

Specifically the kind where you realize something about yourself. 

Like when you thought you made a terribly foolish mistake. 

But suddenly, you are given a broader perspective, like seeing things from a car verses seeing things from a plane. 

And then everything makes a little more sense. 

And not only are you filled with peace, but the future suddenly looks brighter too. 

Yeah, I'm really thankful for that. 

raise your glass of lemonade

To this beautiful summer month!

Honestly, it's my favorite, next to October of course.

And what a better way to kick off the month than waking up to this?!

Seriously I was pumped for about an hour.

Simple pleasures, right?

Please excuse the cool checker pattern. This was taken from my bedroom window, hence the screen.

Also, I've never noticed all the power lines behind our apartment complex until I took that first picture. 

GROSS.

Also I just have to say something. 

Actually, first just look at this. 

Hey Brooke, when was the last time your room looked like this?

OH WAIT. 

Never!

I'm so embarrassed.

Also, obviously really terrible about unpacking after a trip. Having my own room is a problem, because it apparently makes me the biggest slob on the planet. Don't even worry, my family will be in town tomorrow. Which means guess whose room will be clean?

Oh yeah. 

This girl's.

Finally, if you are looking for a soundtrack to your weekend, LOOK NO FURTHER!
Warning:  Someone's feeling a little hood throwback today.
1. Mo money, Mo problems- Notorious B.I.G.
2. Izzo (H.O.V.A.)- Jay Z
3. Changes- Tupac
4. All My Life: K-Ci and JoJo
Just listen to these on repeat and enjoy!

HEY-OH AND HAPPY FRIDAY PEEPS!