josh groban diaries part II

I pulled out my old journals again today and guys. 

I've got another gem for you. 

The ever-so-evil-Amanda

"Sunday February 2, 2003

So I was on the web* today and I was reading more things on Josh Groban. He apparently had a date to the AMA's!!!! :( It showed a picture of them hugging!!! :( I about cried when I saw it. He's supposed to be single!!!! Her name is Amanda, and I guess she sings too. Do you know how many people on his forum* want him and her to do a duet together?!?! They were all trying to be nice and supportive about it, but me, no!! I'm just thinking "I saw him first Amanda. Buzz off!" Now I know that is mean.... But I love Josh for pitys sake!!!! There was also a thread on a Groban forum about everyone's favorite Josh songs and if you will turn the page..... (page turn)....."

This is followed by another full page of explaining my favorite Josh Groban songs and why. I will spare you. 

You should know, however, that I signed this entry as GROBANGURL, surrounded by a gaggle of hearts. 

Naturally.

You should also know that a few entries later I get even classier by signing
"GROBANORBUST"

Heaven help us if our teenage girls are anything like me.

*apparently I didn't know it's actually called the internet

* what website was I looking at that was purely forums?! Such the noob.

beauty product win #2

I don't know if I am the only woman in the world with greasy eyelids...

(Try not to barf as you read that. 
Also try not to picture me with bacon grease dripping from my lashes...)

But for the LONGEST TIME I hated wearing eyeshadow because it would be completely gone by the end of the day, or completely smeared into my eyelid creases.
 Blerg I hate that so much! 

Then one day about 5 years ago, I came across the gem from Sephora, and it changed my make up wearing routine forever.

I give you Urban Decay's shadow priming potion!

(Cue magical music)

GUYS.
It's unreal how unreal this stuff is.

You've probably heard of it already, but I'm here to be your personal witness that the stuff works miracles, and it's totally worth the 20 bucks.

So head on over to your nearest Sephora, buy a bottle, and prepare to party until 2 am...

Because that's how long you will look amazing, courtesy of this stuff!

tales from my childhood: the titanic

If you were in elementary or middle school during the 90's, I'm sure you remember the tremendous hype that surrounded the movie "Titanic".

I was not spared from that phenomenon. 
Which actually makes no sense to me in hindsight.
Did I know ANYTHING about the Titanic, except for that it sunk?
Did I know who James Cameron was?
Did I yet appreciate the music of James Horner?
I mean, did I even know who Leonardo DiCaprio was?

The answer is a resounding NO to all the above.
I just knew all the words to "My Heart Will Go On"
(because literally 40 kids sang it that year at our school talent show.
also, didn't everyone know all the words?)
and that Leo was so dang handsome that my 7 year old heart throbbed at the sight of him.

Thus, I was determined to see the movie just like the rest of my friends.

You guys. 
I just have to tell you the depth of my obsession.
I remember one night going to bed crying because my mom wouldn't let me see the movie with my cousin Natalie. So instead I just listened to the soundtrack on repeat.
(Still jealous, Nat)

this is how old young I was when that happened. Such the emotional baby! Literally I was like 7!

Also maybe sometimes I would even wear red tights on my head and pretend I was Rose, because I thought she was the most beautiful woman ever.
(That was before I knew Kate Winslet was actually blonde. All I can say is RUDE hollywood.)

AND. 
When the Titanic exhibit came to the Arizona Science Center when I was in 6th grade, my best friend Nicole and I were the number 1 and number 2 people in line.
Our life long dream was now coming true.
WE COULD BE APART OF SOMETHING TITANIC RELATED EVEN THOUGH WE STILL HAD NEVER SEEN THE MOVIE AAHHHHH.

The best part?
She bought a Titanic chocolate bar and I bought the Titanic board game at the end of the exhibit.
Which we proceeded to play immediately upon our arrival home.
All while listening to the soundtrack.
And pretending to write letters to Jack.
While holding a fan in front of our faces so the "wind" would blow our hair around dramatically.
Other times, we would put on an old wedding dress and butler clothes and pretend we were actual travelers on the Titanic.
(Sorry for always making you be the boy Nicole. It's about time I apologized for that)

But this was also coming from the girls who played with Mary-Kate and Ashley Barbie dolls until they were in 8th grade, so maybe that's not surprising at all.....

weekly wellness

One of my favorite bloggers ever, Laura Marie, started a wellness series this week on her blog.

Well, I'm all about that!

Especially since this week was all about hydration!

(and I'm sure some of you know how passionate I am about water. And drinking tons of it. I know I know, just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder...)

Anyways, about a year and a half ago, I made it a goal for myself to drink a gallon of water every day. 

At first it sounded incredibly outlandish, but it has made the BIGGEST in how I feel every day!

If my stomach is bothering me, I just need to chug about a liter of water and it subsides.
If my skin is looking peaky, I just drink and drink for a few days and I'm positively glowing!

If I'm suffering from the 3 o'clock blues, another of liter and I'm happy Helen.

If my mind feels a little hazy, another liter and I'm like freaking Albert Einstein.

My point is, I've that drinking A LOT of water is incredibly good for you.

And I definitely notice the difference on the days when I slack. 

So even though I'm a cheater and this week because I didn't really have to make any lifestyle changes to accomplish a hydration goal, I still stuck with it and still felt great!

Try it.

I dare you.

You won't regret it for a minute.

halloween lovin' granola girl

So yesterday I went to the national arboretum....

And the granola girl in me near went insane.

(This is a big deal. Normally she's rather reserved. Something about abhorring sweat and bugs??)

YOU GUYS. 

It was so unbelievably beautiful!

And there was this precious garden that had the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements and colors....

I just had to take a million pictures.

Sorry about the following onslaught, 

but humor me and appreciate this gem of wilderness in the middle of our nation's capitol.

In other news, I am so freaking excited for Halloween I can't even stand it. 

I'm not even going to lie and tell you I haven't been listening to Thriller at least 4 or 5 times a day.

Because I totally have.

Here's the thing about that song. 

It was the first music video I ever saw. 

Fall/Halloween is kind of a big deal at my house, and at the impressionable age of 9, that song has since immortalizes a lot of my halloween-ish memories.

And let's not forget that my birthday is the day after halloween, which is awesome too.

So basically I'm spending the next few weeks getting pumped for the month of October by listening to Thriller because it's about the only Halloween song out there other than Monster Mash.

And who's trying to listen to Monster Mash more than once a year, amiright?

hot or knot?

What up bun head?

So I have this thing with pulling my hair up.

I did it every day, all summer log.
And thanks to some very warm days and long walks to work, I still can't kick the habit.

I just can't handle my fine tresses all over my neck in muggy DC weather! 
*Wimpy alert!*

Poor husband has to REQUEST for my hair to be let down these days. And when I do, it's the grandest event.
(Secretly I LOVE going a long time between "down hair" days. 
Christian is way more obsessed with me when I don't look like a 
librarian!!)

So when life presents you with the question 
"Hot? Or knot?"
What do you do?
Am I the only woman destined to look like a secretary for the rest of my days?
Or am I on the fast track to a short hair cut, because I'm simply can't take this any more? 

Oh, to have these 1st world problems!

beauty product win

Here's a little secret about myself...

I am marginally obsessed with beauty products.

For years now,  I have been on the hunt for the best shampoo, hairspray, facewash, nail polish, makeup primer, mascara, lipstick, self tanner, perfume...

Basically anything and everything you can spend money on to make yourself feel better about life.
And worse about your bank account, but that's a different matter entirely.

And although I haven't struck gold on all of these yet

(I'm still stuck on the mascara for some reason....)

I have found a lot of products that work great. 

And seeing as how I am the citizen of the year, I'm about to share some of these with you!

Hold the applause, I'll be here all week.

First, I give you:
Best volumizer 
(especially for thin or fine hair)

Toss up between Aquage uplifting foam and Bumble & Bumble thickening spray.

Both have proven great for several reasons. I can absolutely feel added volume to my hair from both products.
Aquage gives a lot of texture, which at first I didn't like because it made my hair felt dirty. But after using it several times, I was able to use that to my advantage. It made styling SO MUCH easier, and it lasted all day.

Bumble and Bumble is nice because it doesn't feel quite as heavy as Aquage does. The only downside is that is doesn't give you as much texture, which makes styling a little harder than when I used Aquage.
Both products are GREAT, it just depends on what you are looking for and how "naturally thickened" you want your hair to feel.

Now before you choke on the price of these products, I just have to say that you CAN use them sparingly enough that they last forever and still do the job. Like, I have had my bottle of B&B for a year now.

And for all you thick haired ladies out there..... take your smirk somewhere else because A) I'm so jealous of you and B) you are saving money all over the place because this stuff is priccceeeeyyyy.

But it 's so worth it, seriously.

Now if you would excuse me, I have to take this phone call from Allure magazine....
They said something about a job as assistant beauty editor??

And while I'm at it, I'm gonna wipe this sarcasm up off the floor because it is just DRIPPIN in here!

same old same old...ish

- Lots of work, which included:

About 6 games of dodgeball, breaking up angsty teenage fights, pulling the little ones off my ankles, and lots of yelling instructions..... specifically of the "stoooop taaaaalking"  and "siiiiiit doooowwwn" kind.

 Oh summer camp. 

(For Christian, it included early mornings and lots of running around the back rooms of Target.)

- A normal, blissed out summer night.

Filled with burgers, warm weather, swimming, and a dip in the hot tub.

(maaaayyyybe that's where I spent the majority of the time... I can't seem shake my warm blooded tendencies. Arizona forever!!!!)

- Playing the LOST quote game with my brothers as they drive across the country. 

The rules:

They text me a LOST quote and I'm supposed to guess which character said it.

I'm inclined to answer Sawyer and Hurley for every quote, but I'm quickly learning that is the fastest way to losing, so I'm trying to branch out.

Also, I'm so happy my family is still as obssessed with that show as I am

- Running.

Christian and I are currently training for the International Peace half marathon in D.C. in September.

As fast and tough as he is, I'm BEYOND thankful he is my running buddy. He pushes me through all my cramping, head-achy, sweaty glory.

Also, I ran on the beach for the first time ever this week and WOW.

As much as it STANK for my poor flat feet and blistered toes, it was amazing.

Such a serene, beautiful place.

Also I'm getting these shoes this week.

LOVE. MY. ASICS.

Half the reason why I love running so much, let's be honest.

- Watched my adorable sister in law Maddie perform as Jane in the musical Mary Poppins.

Let me tell you, that girl was BORN for the stage. 

Watch out world, Madison Carter will be a household name one day, I tell you!

- Relished in Christian's continued growing appreciation... and dare I say LOVE.... for country music.

Mayyyybe we have listened to Kenny Chesney on repeat all week. And maaayyybe I loved every second of watching him sing along. 

Priceless. 

And in the forecast for next week, we're seeing:

- Lots of fireworks on Wednesday. Slight chance of a picnic, more country music, and an outing with family and friends predicted as well.

AMURICA.

- A high chance of seeing my wonderful family from Fri-Sun in their new home of Coral Springs, FL.

Weird weird weird..... but my selfish side also thinks it's so awesome that they will be so close!

- And finally, 100% chance of spending more time with crazy kiddos, wonderful coworkers, a dear familyu-in-law and my cute hubby.

It isn't a perfect life.

It isn't an easy life.

But gosh darn it, it's a good life.

tales from my childhood: knee problems

I ran cross country when I was in high school. 

And by "ran", I mean jogged most of the time, but then ran the last 5 minutes of each race. 

But who's keeping tabs right?

Anyways. I've had knee problems since about 6th grade, due to my exceptionally flat feet. 

(This girl wouldn't have ever been successfully drafted in the army, HA!)

So at the beginning of my cross country season, my doctor gave me orthopedics for my shoes, as well as knee braces. Yep. One for each knee.

This was also about the time i considered changing my name from Brooke to Gertrude. 

Old lady to the max. 

Also, these weren't just any knee braces. 

They were bright cobalt blue. 

With velcro. 

Classy as they come guys.

 And I decided that I needed to wear both of them to my first day of practice. After about 15 questions and lots of stares, I decided that I would never EVER do that again.

Poor Christian also has very flat feet, aka our children are doomed. 

Sorry in advanced, chilluns.

tales from my childhood: I'm athletic and stuff

When I was 13 years old, my parents got me a gym membership.

Something about wanting to teach me the importance of staying healthy or something??

My dad used to wake me up at the buttcrack of dawn and haul me to cycling classes.

I never really felt out of place because let's be honest, when I was 13 I looked like I was 21.

Also, I am a natural born athlete. 

Joking.

Also, what 13 year old is actually cognitive and paying attention to things at 5:30 in the morning?

That's the most important question.

Needless to say, after many hours of painful classes and a very sore tush, my parents instilled within me a love for physical activity at a very young age.

Also, one of the few times I was allowed to go to the gym with a friend WITHOUT adult supervision, 

the number 3 funniest moment in my life happened. Allow me to paint the picture:

I walked into 24Hour Fitness like I owned the place. 

Promptly decide that the stair master looks like a good idea.

After about 3 minutes, I became ultra bored with my meandering pace.

What goes through my head?

"I will turn it to the highest level for optimum workout success!!"

Or something like that.

In no time, I was sprinting and feeling awesome.

There was just one problem.

I was now moving so fast that I couldn't get close enough to the buttons to slow down.

Aka I was trapped on the stair master.
For a good, and very frightening, 2 minutes.

Thankfully, my friend was on the ball and reached over to stop the machine before I was exercised to death.

That would have been awkward.

So there you have it.

Thankfully I have mastered the art of going to the gym without it being a troubling experience.

And it only took me 10 years to do it.

 Also, if you really wanted to by me this retroawesome Cannondale, I wouldn't even be mad about it.

That's all.

weird things you probably never wanted to know part 3

- Looking at color pallets brings me unnatural happiness.
No, not just happiness...
More like and unadulterated bliss-seizure.

Seriously the website www.design-seeds.com is like my version of crack.
(And my google search stats just got a lot sketchier...)

- I haven't gone longer than 2 days with unpainted toenails...

SINCE 6TH GRADE.

Hi, my name is Brooke, and I'm addicted to nail polish.

- My favorite books are Harry Potter, the Fountainhead, and I Capture the Castle. 

Here is the weird part. 

I bought I Capture the Castle when I was 16 because my movie star idol Emma Watson claimed it was also one of her favorites. I know. I am still laughing about that.

- I sneeze when I eat minty things.

- I am an ambassador for the cancer awareness group SuperSibs!
And I will be organizing anf speaking at 2 public events this year.
Gasp, I am such the celebrity.

- I can't eat a whole banana to save my life.
I'm sorry folks, but the whole weird texture thing is just too much for me to handle.

- When I was in 3rd grade, I won 2nd place in a national art contest.
What happened to my skillz?!

- Once I ate a whole jar of pickles in one sitting.
Okay, maybe that has happened more than once.....

- When I was younger, I used to skip school to practice the piano.
TALK ABOUT ENTHUSED.

- I have NEVER been skiing or snowboarding.
And I live in Utah, home to "the greatest snow on earth"
Oops........

And lest I bore you any further.....
THE END.

this is a post about Harry Potter

 Cool scooters, guys.

I'm obsessed with the books.

Obsessed with the characters.

Obsessed with the movies. 

And pretty much everything else associated with the wizarding world.

(Obsessed might not even do my love justice)

So I am rereading the books for about the 10th time.

Thus, my brain is in constant Harry Potter mode

(ps. if you are ever looking for a sure-fired pick-me-up and you are a Harry Potter-head like myself, reading those books is the best way to turn any normal day into the BEST day ever)

I came across THIS the other day and just about died of laughter. 

Pay special heed to all the captions with the pictures... and sorry in advance for some marginal crude-ness.

Enjoy!

sometimes

I watch guilty pleasures like Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. 

Honestly, you would think I would get sick of watching him eat another "game-y bull testicle".
But it NEVER gets old folks!

I'm glad it's warm outside because my mood goes up with the temperature!
Seriously, I ran outside today for the first time in months. Talk about unadulterated bliss.
Plus, I am just really tired of wearing the same coat every day.
My wardrobe needs some serious rehabilitation. Thanks to the weather, this is now a possibility!

I wish I could just pay someone good money to go to work for me (ironic much?)
 Seriously though, can't I just sit at home, read Harry Potter, and cook all day?

Sheesh.

I love discovering unexpected movie gems like Men in Black. I don't know what it is, but that movie makes me laugh SO HARD. Quoting Edgar never gets old.
(You probably don't even know who Edgar is. It's ok... you also probably haven't watched that movie and absurd amount of times)

I feel like a 5 year-old when Christian and I talk to each other. Seriously, our ridiculous voices are out of control. There is a reason why we don't use them in public.

At least very loudly.....

I feel like it's one of the world's great injustices when my alarm rings before 6 in the morning.
Seriously world? Such an ungodly hour.
Hence the reason why I never shower before work these days.
Don't come too close....

I write a blog post and realize that I'm pretty boring.
And sometimes I annoy myself.

Also, that I have turned into one of those women.
You know, the kind who unfailingly and incessantly talks about their significant other...
(or soon-to-be-husband. whichever title works...)
...all. the. time.
I'm sorry, blogosphere. But when your engaged to a man as incredible as I am, it would be a crime NOT to talk about his amazing handsomeness. Maybe it will wear off one day.
Or..... maybe not ;)

I feel inspired to be a better person when I read my old journal entries.
Like, 9th grade kind of old.
I have always been a religious journal keeper
(seriously, of epic proportions)
and it's tremendously helpful when I can go back and read about a happy or hard time in my life, and seen how I have been able to pull through.
And not just pull through, but do it SUCCESSFULLY.
It's very comforting to realize that if your 15 year old self used the scriptures for guidance,
SO CAN YOUR 22 YEAR OLD SELF.
Sometimes we need those self-propelled reminders, you know?

(Courtesy of YoungPeopleinLove)
And there you have it.
"Sometimes" part 1.

paradox

I have noticed something that has me kind of stumped. 

I am a pretty emotional person, but I have never been a crier.
However, ever since Christian and I started dating last summer, I feel like I cry about EVERYTHING. Literally....... 

ev-er-y-thing
Happy, sad, bad, and everything in between.

It's like he has sent my every emotion into an overdrive that my tear ducts just can't handle.

*which I guess could be considered a good thing??*

 To put it in Kristen Bell's words, "if I'm not between a 3 and a 7 on the emotional scale, I'm crying"

Anyone else experience this?

And the more important question....Does it ever change?

Or am I bound to be a blubbering, cry-baby wife for the rest of my days?

Because if that's the case, I feel like Christian needs some kind of warning....

Either that, or an instruction manual.

(Which would include things like:
"Proper care and feeding includes but is not limited to: copious amounts of chocolate, moose tracks ice cream, foot massages, episodes of Bizarre Foods, flowers, shopping and kisses". But, you know, those are just a few ideas)

And for your viewing pleasure, to credit the aforementioned Kristen Bell...
And simply because this video is hilarious...

a melody, a memory

The Playlist of Life
*and the happy things it reminds me of*

"Alla Luce del Sol" Josh Groban- Being obsessed with aforementioned Josh Groban. Art and drama classes. Height of nerddom, and loving every blessed minute of it.

"Ocean Avenue" Yellowcard - How cool was 8th grade?! And EFY dances?!

"Blue Side" Rooney- Running in beautiful Florida. Softball practices. Beach days.

"Why Georgia?" John Mayer- Brooding over another move. Asking myself that same question. Falling in love with that beautiful Southern state.

"The Authority Song" Jimmy Eat World- Running in beautiful Georgia. Fall on the golf course.

"Danny Boy"- Choir. New York City. Wonderful friends.

"Come On" Ben Jelen- Sitting in the kitchen. Mom and cancer. Cross country. 

Hard, but great times.

"A Dios le Pido" Juanes- Obsession with Latin culture. Spanish classes out the wazoo.

"Without Love" Hairspray soundtrack- Driving to school with Nicole. Texas Caviar. Laughing..... A LOT.

"Hands Down" Dashboard- Driving pretty much anywhere with Nicole. Lake Powell. Laughing some more.

"So Bad" Making April- Freshman year. Cannon Center. Late nights. 

Height of retarddom, and again..................loving every blessed minute of it.

"Inevitable" Anberlin- First inklings of feelings for Christian..... what would become a full-blown romance in a matter of months.

Yay.

"Hot Air Balloon" Owl City- Summer. Arizona. Moving. Working. Waiting. 

"You Have my Attention" Copeland- Rexburg. Freezing.... ALL. THE. TIME.

"Fix You" Coldplay- Business classes. Roomie Claira. Back in Utah.

"Mo Money, Mo Problems" Notorious B.I.G.- Summer in Provo. Sonic. Triathlon.

"Charlie Brown" Coldplay- Falling more and more in love with Christian. Fall. BLISS.

 (Also my most current favorite song? Probably......)

And this, my friends, is why I am so in love with music.

Lady Antebellum said it best...

"It was a perfect day"

DISCLAIMER: Engagement story and serious cheese ahead. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Christmas break 2011 was looking pretty normal when I got home last Wednesday night. 

Little did I know how NOT true that was. 

Thursday we prepped for Christmas. And my poor family had to deal with grouchypants Brooke because I am a baby and I missed my boyfriend. 

What are you gonna do?

Friday the 23rd started out like any normal day at home. I hauled myself out of bed a little earlier than usual in order to make it to a morning hair appointment, thus resulting in an even 

grouchier-than-the-day-before-Brooke. 

Sadly yes, it's possible.
Like I said, I'm just the baby of the century and couldn't get over missing my significant other.
And yes I wear pull-ups, thanks for asking.

After returning home and mulling over the rest of the afternoon, grandma suggested we go on a little "nature walk" of sorts.

Fine by me, I love the desert. 

Little did I know.....

So we made our way out to the beautiful Usery Park near my house and begin our trek around the baby mountain. Apparently my family was getting super anxious (WONDER WHY) and I in the meantime, had no idea what was going on. As made apparent by my blank stare. Note the dramatic faces because they knew what was going to happen literally 2 minutes later.

Just around the corner, the biggest and BEST shock of my life was waiting for me... as I was greeted by this absolutely wonderful sight.
*sidenote: moments before I saw Christian, I was talking SUPER loudly about him to my family. Everyone on his side was really entertained by this.*

He had flown to Arizona to surprise me! 

A Christmas miracle!

I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest from happiness and shock. Obviously.

And then he proposed!

You know what happens when you put butter in the microwave too long? Or a marshmallow? Or both? Yeah. That's what happened to my entire world when I saw him standing there. 

Such a silly, lucky girl.

Mom cried, dad cried, I cried, Christian cried (almost-ish. I saw a few teary blinks!)
and basically I'm still reeling.

Christian Carter, you are a dream come true. I love you times a million, and I can't wait to have you as my hubs... forever and ever!

And thank you Sydney Ulrich Photography for the wonderful photos!

git yer boogey on

When I first typed that, it said "git yer boogeyman on" haha. 

You can do that too I guess. 

So basically one of the biggest reasons why I love running is because of my great workout playlist. 

It gets me almost as pumped as frozen yogurt.

Or Happy Hour at Sonic.

Or watching Modern Family.

Or Josh Groban concerts.

Or no school.

Ok so maybe I get pumped easily. 

Anyways, I thought I would share. You can thank me later!

1. E.T.- Katy Perry. I should probably be embarrassed. But I'm not. When you run to this song and see your mile time improve, you can add it to your playlist too. 

I won't even say "I told you so."

2. This is All Now- Taking Back Sunday. Again, just another great song to help you improve your mile time!

Plus the guitar riff is so catchy.

3. My Time- Fabolous and Jeremih. 

If you didn't feel like it was "your time" before listening to this, I GUARANTEE you will afterwards.

I'm so funny.

4. A Beautiful Lie- 30 Seconds to Mars. 

Definitely the BEST sprinting song on the list. 

Try it. In tempo with the song.

I DARE YOU NOT TO SWEAT YOUR BRAINS OUT.

5. One Time- Justin Bieber. 

Ok how could I NOT have a biebs song on here? Honestly?

6. Love is Only a Feeling- The Darkness.
Did you know these guys are still touring? 

Color me surprised, I had no idea they had done anything significant since "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"

Check it. This is probably the second weirdest music video ever.

7. The Show Goes On- Lupe Fiasco.
K so maybe he ripped off a Modest Mouse song, but this is still great to run to.

8. Little Secrets- Passion Pit.
The first 15 seconds of the song speak for itself.

9. Hysteria- Muse.
If you don't feel like you are in a Bourne movie while listening to this then....
Well, I'm sorry. You are just plain missing out.

10. Kings and Queens- 30 Seconds to Mars.
The BEST song on the planet to end an epic run with.
Again....  Try it. Your life will be changed.
I'm not even trying to be dramatic, for once in my life.

Ok well, now that I have been all reconnected with this playlist, it's time for me to go be hardcore.
Aka MATH FINAL DOMINATIONNNNNNN.

instagram favs

Here are two things I have learned since I started using Instagram.

1. I am obsessed with it.

2. You can take some pretty bomb photos without trying too hard.

The following pictures are testament to both of these things

As much as it looks like I took this picture from a t.v. screen, I totz  didn't. My bedroom window is just BEYOND dirty.

Also, just so you are aware.... a bunch of B-vitamins got wet in my bag yesterday and now it STINKS.

Literally, my bag smells so awful. And in turn,so do my notebooks, gloves, planner..... you get it.

Problem with this situation...

What on earth were B-vitamins in my bag for????

I guess I should just be glad it wasn't a fish oil pill right?

peace out

I'm done with the blogging world.

......

............

........................

KIDDING.

 But guess what I AM done with?! Fall semester 2011, Arrrriba!

Now just to tackle finals. Which really, I'm not all that worried about.

(My philosophy is to keep telling  myself that and maybe it will happen. Probably)

Next time you hear from me, I will probably be wasted on either egg nogg or *Starbucks caramel apple spice,

spending all my free time with my very own Christmas miracle aka the ever so handsome Christian,
prepping to leave for AZ,
meeting the rest of the Carter family,
and just frolicking in all-around Christmas break bliss. 

*sidenote: I honestly think that drink is what happiness tastes like. Either that, or Felix Felicis. Fist-bump to all you wonderful HP nerds who are nodding in agreement.

other sidenote: this is my 200th post. I feel.............. proud?

Or maybe the word is..... lame? Because here is a secret. I still keep 2 other journals.
Yeah, I'm like freaking Mia Thermopolis.

other other sidenote: I have officially, OFFICIALLY, decided to revert back to my original advertising major.

*squeeeeee of excitement*

My name is Brooke, I am 22 and I am still figuring out life.

It ain't no thang.

So long, so long

Just channeling my inner Dashboard-Emo-Ican'tbelievesummerisover self today. 

OBVIOUSLY.

But seriously, senior year of college, starting Monday?!

Mind=blown.

But I'm grateful. 

So so grateful. 

I have had great learning experiences this summer. I have learned a lot about patience. About love. About the importance of family. About the blessing of close friendships. About service. About the aesthetically pleasing nature of sunshine and green trees. About my love for the swim/bike/run. About the hilarity of Modern Family, the awesome-ness of Park City outlets, the blessing of happy songs, the beauty of summer rainstorms, the bliss in Saturday afternoon pool-time, and the joy behind Sonic's happy hour.

Yes, this is my cup holder filled with Sonic straw wrappers. 

NO SHAME.

It's been a good 4 months. 

And although I am reluctant to say goodbye to the lessened responsibility and beautiful weather, fall semester is looking mighty good. 

SO BRING IT.