brooke's nooks.

a hazy (& frigid) morning in indianapolis calls for the following:

• hitting the snooze button [at least] three times
• snuggling the warm sheets for as long as humanly possible
• thanking baby jesus that i have a garage for my 142,000 miles-driven ride.
• picking up a venti blonde (light cream, 1 raw sugar)
• L’occitane hand cream
• Uggs gloves
• a high ponytail (yesterday, my hair looked like i had my finger in a constant electric socket)
• layers, layers, layers
• oversized sunnies (i’m constantly daydreaming about these by Tom Ford)
• my favorite, favorite, favorite down coat
• a countdown to Florida 

you ever have one of those weeks when you know things are gonna be good?

this week, that’s how i’ve felt. 

• i’m back in a regular work-out routine
• the heat has arrived at my house just in time for the warmth outdoors
• my holiday decor is doing wonders for my spirit
• my hair has been cooperating despite the lack of attention it’s been getting
• it’s a new month which means free chocolate from Godiva
• my closet feels so much lighter (i also can’t believe i once wore some of that stuff)
• i’ve been making a conscious effort to eat more healthy before the holiday cookies take over my diet
• the Mucinex i popped seems to be taking full effect
• i’m still in love with the bright pink shellac i purchased a couple months ago
• i picked up a couple donation cards to shop for two little kiddos in need of holiday cheer
• i finally received all of my glasses (hello, clear world!)

& last, but certainly not least…

• i have a three day work week because tomorrow, i’m headed back to the cornfields of Nebraska (!!!).

what’s good in your life this week?

seeing as today marks day one of my 28th year, i’ve decided to kick it off by making a list of twenty-eight fabulous things that made year twenty-seven one of the most eventful years yet!

(in order of happenings)

1. dumped a boy & some necessary words
2. gave up my Christmas & NYE holiday in order to earn a decent paycheck
3. decided to make Indianapolis my home
4. finally hooked a full-time job
5. Superbowl hysteria
6. deleted a bad life decision & overcame the temptation
7. went on a blind date
8. watched a bestie find her dream wedding dress
9. said Goodbye to #18
10. Shamrock shuffled my way through the city
11. attended opening weekend in St. Louis
12. got robbed while nannying
13. watched & re-watched a gorgeous video
14. created my own nook
15. dressed up like an Easter egg
16. planned a delicious & festive bridal party
17. dealt with the C word
18. witnessed the baptism of a beautiful baby girl
19. started building a house (!!!)
20. started day dreaming about the future
21. celebrated grandma’s 80th birthday
22. became a Professor
23. raised a glass to love
24. sat runway side at FNO
25. smashed my MOH duties
26. took a chance on an inclination (spoiler alert: it was worth it!)
27. cheered on my beloved Huskers to victory & met Herbie
28. closed on said house (!!!)

twenty-seven was such an unpredictable year.

just when i thought life would settle down, there’d be a shift in events leading to unexpected delight.

the challenges led to undefined strength & the goodness led to genuine gratefulness.

currently, i’m in a very, very happy place & i know life won’t always be so euphoric,

but for now, i’m holding on as tight as possible because really, twenty-eight has no excuse not to kick twenty-seven’s ass!

November has always been my favorite month of the year.  

Besides it being my birth month (hello, 7th!), i love so much more about it than just that one day.  

This year, November is even more exciting because my weekends are booked with autumn goodness.

All of the following (plus the unexpected) will make this month fabulous:

• Starbucks red cups (trivial yet appreciated)
• crunching the leaves on the ground
• crisp (read: cold) mornings
• the necessity for a stylish jacket
• noses turning red when chilled
• two weekends spent nannying the little munchkins
• Thanksgiving (!!!)- all the turkey & stuffing that Mama can prepare
• Pumpkin pie (non of that store-bought stuff!)
• the morning of Thanksgiving when a pot of coffee has been brewed, jammers are still being worn, & make-up is definitely not applied
• candles that smell like home
• expressing genuine Thankfulness for recently transpired events
• hot chocolate & chai tea
• catching up with friends who happen to be in-town to visit their own families
• decorating for fall (& decorating, in general)
• prepping for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving
• helping Mama decorate their house with old school heirlooms (aka Popsicle stick art pieces that i concocted in kindergarten)
• utilizing a fireplace
• listening to Christmas music (make me swoon, Michael Buble!)
• lounging around in comfies whenever there’s time
• chunky emerald-tone scarves
• scruff on a guy- that 5 o’clock shadow gets me every time. (thanks to my girl, Joanna, for reminding me! how could i forget this?)
• fleece-lined leggings. all day. every day.
• putting the double oven to good use on the weekends
• finally crossing off titles from my “books to read” list
• long walks & occasional jogs
• turning down the heat & piling on blankets & blankets

What are you looking forward to this fall?

today, this last day of the London Olympics 2012, was for the following:

• sleeping in until 9 a.m. (heck yes, eight hours of beauty sleep!)
• partaking in the consumption of coffee that i did not brew (thanks, Pops)
• watching CBS Sunday morning
• cooking up a couple poached eggs
• re-filling said coffee cup
• slumming around as five hot boys (read: the Men’s Olympic Basketball team) battled Spain to victory
• driving through Mackey’s to collect fountain drinks for the whole fam dam
• sweating to the oldies for two straight hours. <—oh, so necessary.
• cleaning up in time for a Nebraska-worthy dinner (pork chops, mashed taters, homemade milk gravy, & a side of lemonade)
• walking Bentley around the hood
• admiring, in complete adoration, David Beckham- i mean Vicky & the Spice Girls. my love for that girl-group, when i was in middle school, cannot possibly be explained in one bullet point.
• getting to bed before midnight
• wishing, hoping, thinking, praying that this next week will bring me back to my old jovial self. last week was draining, y’all.

(pictured: the London Olympic Cauldron from the inside out via)

A few things I love about summer:

• cool watermelon & sweet cherries
• Always an excuse to wear pretty dresses
• Evenings spent grilling outdoors
• Concerts on the lawn
• The countdown to football season
• Precious kids selling over-priced homemade lemonade
• S’mores. Always s’mores.
• Flickering fireflies
• Daylight for hours and hours
• Casual bike rides
• Early morning golf rounds with my pops
• The expectation of fireworks (related: the increase of interstate billboards that advertise firework stands)
• Road trips to the country-side
• Oversized sunnies that double as headbands
• Coconut-scented sunscreen
• Crayola-colored flowers
• Visiting farmer’s markets on brick streets
• Iced tea
• High, high pony tails
• old-school fudgesicles
• Wedge sandals
• The returns of Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness
• Wavy, air-dried hair
• Yoga on the grass
• Sprinklers that double as amusement
• Bright nail polish
• Big, floppy hats
• Sleeping with the windows open on crisp, cool nights
• Going to baseball games (read: the consumption of a beer & a hotdog)
• The State Fair’s deliciously buttery corn on the cob
• Driving with the top down
• Acquiring new freckles
• Waking up to the 7 a.m. lawn boy across the street
• Birkenstocks (oh yes, I said it)
• Creative projects around the house
• Perfect blue skies
• Hummingbirds that zoom like crazy

(Source: instagr.am)