brooke's nooks.

if i were to take advantage of the Friends & Family 25% off...

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:40:01 -0400

if i were to take advantage of the Friends & Family 25% off everything discount at Vineyard Vines (use the promo code: BurnsFF13),

i would swoop this beaut.

so simple.

so gorgeous.

daily outfit: the “neon for days” edition. neon +...

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:28 -0400

daily outfit: the “neon for days” edition.

neon + gingham = Monday happiness.

this weekend was lovely.

i was outside for more hours than i was in,

i have a nice little tan going on,

& neon is my everything.

simple enough?

smile friday: this crew (emel, patrick & ben) makes me real...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:18:10 -0400

smile friday: this crew (emel, patrick & ben) makes me real happy.

i’ve been friends with patrick & ben since i was 13-ish years old (oh hey, freshman year of high school!)

they’ve seen me through awkward life stages, given me solicited & unsolicited advice about guys, seen me dressed up at prom & at show choir competitions, we’ve witnessed the highs & the lows, stayed in touch while attending three separate colleges & two different graduate programs…

& while i adore how much these two guys have stood by my side for 14 years, i thank them on a regular basis for introducing me to emel almost 4 years ago.

since our first meeting, our foursome has never looked back—we’re honest to the core, believe that anything goes & we never judge a word that escapes our mouths.

right now, Ben is the only one out of indy, but we’re crossing our fingers he returns real soon.

until then, our efforts to remain active in each other’s lives will stay the same—i mean, after so many years, they have way too much dirt on my life to leave now!

(picture taken last night at Bluebeard where the weather was perfect for outdoor dining & the host was kind enough to take a snapshot of our little crew.)

in an effort to truly recognize the simple pleasures in my life,...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:20:24 -0400

in an effort to truly recognize the simple pleasures in my life, i have compiled a list of random happenings that made the last seven days a lot brighter. (& trust me, they were all very much appreciated.)

Blogger meet-ups. every meet & greet is so exciting & never as creepy as one might think. since day one, i’ve treated this blog as my little keepsake journal so i’m humbled by the fact there are people who actually read it as part of their daily routine.
Client opportunities. 5 years ago, i never thought i’d be working at a company that even had clients- let alone would allow me to work on a fashionable client at that. so this week definitely caught me off guard—in a good way, of course. i’m always grateful for a diversion from my regular routine…especially if it involves a photographer, hair bows & a make-up artist.
Emails from (EXTREMELY mature) 24 yr olds. thus far, Match.com is proving to be the most entertaining venture i’ve ever encountered. i get emails from creepy middle-aged men who are recently divorced living in Utah & then i get emails from college frat boys wondering why i haven’t responded within 24 hours of their original outreach. i’ve seen more selfies from scantily clad men than i ever cared to see & more pleas for attention than i frankly know how to handle. i’m not really sure why i joined Match (except for the fact that it’s #movinonmay), but a week into the commitment & i can understand why people keep subscribing. (you can also follow my adventures using the hashtag #BdoesMatchdotcom on twitter)
Iced coffee. dear afternoon addiction, please don’t ever leave. xo, B
Kindness. it’s really not that difficult to be kind. contain your sass when necessary, stop being a jerk & the whole world will be a way better place. simple enough?
Print media. i have 10 magazines sitting on my coffee table & the Friday morning Indianapolis Star by my side. whoever said print media is dead clearly hasn’t visited my house.

daily outfit: the “crowns & bees” edition. i...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:41:50 -0400

daily outfit: the “crowns & bees” edition.

i love when i can mix comfort with style, & that is exactly what this EmersonMade top helps me do.

it’s silky & it’s lightweight, & today, it seems necessary.

i have dinner plans after work so i wanted something dressy enough, but not too restricting.

i think it works.

it’s become a crucial part of my weekly routine, one i...

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:40:02 -0400

it’s become a crucial part of my weekly routine, one i never anticipated.

i bought a groupon for Pure Barre last fall, let it expire & thought that was it.

then, the biggest loser competition happened, i called the fine folks at the closest (& only Indiana location) & they kindly offered to accept my 10 class pass.

all it took was one Friday morning commitment & i was hooked.

the whole Lift.Tone.Burn workout is amazing—my legs shake, my core quivers & at the end of every hour-long session, i feel a strong sense of accomplishment.

but it’s more than that.

for one hour, twice a week, Pure Barre allows me the opportunity to step away from the madness of daily tasks, social media dependence & all other self-inflicted stressors.

for sixty minutes, i’m not tempted to unlock my phone & catch up on the lives of others—instead, i focus on me (& my often neglected muscles).

over the course of the past 6 months, i’ve purchased 2 groupons (10 classes each). so for now, i’m utilizing those bad boys. after that, i’ll have to decide whether or not i’ll commit to more—my mind is saying yes, but my budget is saying “holy shit, Pure Barre is expensive!” <—& it is.

in the meantime, if you’re wanting to go on a new fitness adventure or you simply yearn for a reason to set down your phone, i would highly recommend taking advantage of Pure Barre’s “first class free” offer.

i mean, if nothing else, who doesn’t lust after the infamous Pure Barre ledge?

as i mentioned yesterday, i was provided the opportunity to...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:20:07 -0400

as i mentioned yesterday, i was provided the opportunity to leave the office for a few hours to work as a stand-in hair model for one of our fashion accessory clients.

while my twitter bio currently reads “aspiring hair model” i never really thought it would be legit.

i will be the first to admit that i am not a model;

however, i am very skilled in the “sit in a hair & let someone play your hair” department.

the event was held in one of the coolest buildings downtown Indy, The Stutz building, & the 4 hour shoot could not have gone smoother.

we did 6 hair styles- all featuring the same hair bow,

& our hair stylist, make-up artist & photographer were all amazing.

these out of the office events do not happen very often,

so the fact that i was asked to be a part of this one was pretty great.

oscarprgirl: perfection: the highest degree of proficiency,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:56:00 -0400

oscarprgirl:

perfection: the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence.

& because it’s called, “BROOKE”

Mama J knows many things about me: the exact time i was born,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:50:29 -0400

Mama J knows many things about me:

the exact time i was born, my favorite color(s), that i’ll always favor a pink lip over a red one, the name of my first crush, the age of my first real kiss, my love for coffee in the mornings, an admiration for hole in the wall restaurants, my favorite road trip snacks, my daily routines & my love for baseball pants, football pants & many other handsomely hardworking athletes in general.

she also knows what i don’t like:

accompanying her on a trip to hallmark, answering her question “what should we have for dinner?”, & perusing the aisles of a greenhouse.

i can justify my dislikes by the fact that i believe shopping for a greeting card & shopping for a floral design is very much a personal choice—there is no real room for my opinion.

the dinner thing? well, i’m just not a foodie nor do i have a typical craving for any particular food item. give me a bowl, a box of cheerios, some milk & i’m golden.

so, imagine my surprise when last night, after a class at Pure Barre that left my muscles begging for a day off, i pulled one tire up on my drive & immediately noticed pot after pot of pink-hued flowers propped against the brick.

i dialed home & within two rings, my loving mother was on the other line, “i know you don’t like shopping for flowers, so i thought i would pick you up a few while i was out.”

random acts of kindness, even from those loved ones who know you better than you sometimes know yourself, are some of the best…

(thanks, Mama. you did good. xo)

if this gorgeous number would magically appear in my closet, i...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:40:14 -0400

if this gorgeous number would magically appear in my closet, i wouldn’t be mad at it.

the deep v.

the color.

the cut.

(!!!)

spotted on Damsel in Dior- available here

p.s. let me know if you need my shipping address.

daily outfit: the “don’t wear make-up to work”...

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:20:12 -0400

daily outfit: the “don’t wear make-up to work” edition.

today is another interesting day at the office because ~~i will be~~ my hair will be used for one of our client’s upcoming social media campaigns (!!!).

my hair will be styled 6 different ways & i will not really do anything except sit there for 5+ hours while my make-up is applied & my hair is beautified.

i.am.pumped.

& thanks to this new-found modeling gig (you & i both know this isn’t a modeling gig),

it’s been requested that i show up to the office in a chambray shirt, no make-up & hair freshly blown out but not styled hair.

this has been the easiest prep-for-work morning ever!

daily outfit: the “swan song” edition. i have no...

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:20:16 -0400

daily outfit: the “swan song” edition.

i have no idea what that saying really means, but i do know the high today is 80 degrees, & i plan on walking around the lake (a couple times) over the noon hour.

therefore, light layers seem appropriate—as does a swan-themed top, right?

&, can i get a golf clap for the first appearance of open-toed wedge sandals at the workplace?

hallelujah it feels like spring…

(side note: speaking of golf, let’s cross our fingers that this weekend will finally be the weekend i get in my 1st round of the year!)

daily outfit: the “purple plaid” edition. the nice...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:40:11 -0400

daily outfit: the “purple plaid” edition.

the nice thing about the unwelcome winter chill is that i can continue wearing some of my fall favorites.

enter: plaid.

i can’t get enough.

& why should i? there’s always a reason for a pop of the mixed hues & frankly, plaid’s preppy print makes me ridiculous happy…even when it’s May 13th, my heater is still on & i almost grabbed for snow boots before realizing it’d be way too dramatic of a clothing option.

i’ll never quite understand why things have worked out the...

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:20:00 -0400

i’ll never quite understand why things have worked out the way they have-

how i ended up building a home ten miles from my parent’s house yet daydream about where i’m going to live next,

or how so much loss can happen in a short period of one’s life- a death of a family friend, a friend’s father, a forever friendship, a prospective suitor, an amount of weight, a pocket full of sunshine or even an exorbitant amount of energy.

i’ll never quite understand why time has to be spent in one place versus the other-

how you can disregard everything that’s been so hard to maintain, how control can be so one-sided or why upfront effort dissolves all because of distance,

or how after years of going and going and going and going, there’s still a strong lean toward keeping busy instead of lounging indoors with self-inflicted thoughts.

i’ll never quite understand how you can feel so content one day and so uncomfortable the next-

how you can fight through interview after interview, butterflies in the stomach crush after crush, move after move, disagreement after disagreement, calorie after calorie, mile after mile, only to realize you should have originally chosen option A instead of B,

or how there can be so much contagious happiness and love one day and so much hate between others the next.

i’ll never quite understand how endorphins can be produced, how cancer can be caused, how a pill can treat a headache, how tears can well up, how goose bumps can appear, and how life can forever change due to an unexpected diagnosis-

how every fall season can make my soul pitter pat just like the first time i stepped onto a college campus all those years ago,

or how an hour long sitcom or late night rom com can make me question my past taste in men more than any thought that has ever crossed my mind or any sound advice my father has not so calmly uttered.

i’ll never quite understand how one without an addiction can continue down the path of insanity—performing the same action over and over again with no change in result-

how things can be so obviously wrong yet feel so obviously right,

or how music can alter a mood without ever having to really understand the lyrics escaping the mouth of a ex-felon.

i’ll never quite understand how my words, my voice and my opinions can be legit equal to my actions yet to some, they are seen as less-

how the dynamics of a family can shift with one move, one disagreement, one victory, one location change, one holiday, one doctor’s visit, one job, one failure, one surgery or one selfish decision,

or how i continue to strive to garner attention when the lights have clearly been knocked off.

i’ll never quite understand…

I wouldn’t have wanted to make it to the front page with...

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:32:54 -0400

I wouldn’t have wanted to make it to the front page with anyone else, Happy Mother’s Day, Mama J! xoxo

daily outfit: the “Saturday smackers” edition. a...

Sat, 11 May 2013 14:59:54 -0400

daily outfit: the “Saturday smackers” edition.

a typical Saturday morning in the house of Brooke usually consists of sleeping in, making a pot of coffee, reading the newspaper & catching up on my professorial duties.

today was different & it’s been awesome.

why, you ask?

my alarm went off at quarter ‘til 6, i dragged my sleep self outta bed, hopped into my dining room (to run not to eat) & pounded out 7 miles.

then, i had a “date” with two pretty, pretty sisters who had discovered my blog a while back & thankfully requested to meet up for breakfast at one of my favorite spots, Petit Chou.

within minutes of meeting the two, i knew this was going to be the first of many, many future meet-ups (!!!).

i’m so thankful for the people i’ve met through this blog & this morning reminded me why.

(Annie & Caroline, your sisterly bond makes me wish i had a sister & you’re both just as gorgeous as i imagined! xo, B)

as far as double chins go, at least this one’s happy:...

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:36:56 -0400

as far as double chins go, at least this one’s happy: http://indy.st/11qbT6l (crossing my fingers for a more flattering print edition on Sunday!)

dear kelsey, without your friendship & support, my inner...

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:08:17 -0400

dear kelsey,

without your friendship & support, my inner shine would be oh, so dreary & dull. over the last few years, you’ve been there for me when i wasn’t sure i could be there for myself, & i will never forget it.

happy birthday, pretty!

i am so, so happy for your 28th year.

xoxo,

in an effort to truly recognize the simple pleasures in my life,...

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:20:29 -0400

balance. in work, in life, in everything. i’m trying to find it & it’s tough. for many reasons, this week’s events brought a lot of my past back up to the surface & i’m very grateful to my friends who were able to listen & give advice. it’s easy to tuck things away & move on, but those times when you’re reminded of what once was? that stuff is always a jolt to the heart.
Florida. it was so nice to escape for a long weekend with Mama. i was hoping my mind would turn off, but instead, Florida acted as the catalyst to this strange week of nostalgia. some good, some indifferent—regardless, new memories made with Mama & i can’t overlook those.
Match.com. yup, that happened.
Splitting the Difference: A Heart Shaped Memoir. i read this while down in Florida & i still can’t get over the beauty of Tres’ writing & how much one person’s mind, attitude & overall being can overcome. i am in awe of her strength, her optimistic attitude & her faith in something bigger than herself. i would highly recommend this one.

daily outfit: the “tech casual” edition. i’m...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:40:17 -0400

daily outfit: the “tech casual” edition.

i’m really fortunate that my company’s dress code encourages “tech casual” work wear.

that being said, i typically lean more toward business casual, but there are days (hello, today!) when i’m glad i can throw on boyfriend cut jeans, classic sperry’s, a polka dot tank, a bright pink belt, a cobalt cardigan & call it absolutely acceptable.

plus, let’s be honest, it’s Thursday, this week has flown by & the thought of wearing something stuffy was not gonna happen at 6:30 this morning.