brooke's nooks.

this is what happens when you hit snooze on your alarm not once, not twice, but three times & your little furball of a dog was energetically up at the first sound of morning life.

sometimes, i can get her to lay back down & fall back asleep,

but this morning, nope. 

she was all up in my grill.

literally.

when you’re leaving for a long weekend away, what do you typically pack? how many bags do you take?

because when i’m packing for a trip where driving is the only mode of transportation, i can justify the “need” to pack one bag for shoes, one for toiletries, one for clothes, one for nerd stuff (computer, magazines, books, papers, etc) & of course, a fabulous handbag.

this weekend, i’m headed to the cornfields for a reunion with some of my faves.

i’ll be in the “good life” for 3 & 1/2 days & feel one bag per day feels just about right.

is this how you roll? or is this too excessive?

& how do we feel about packing 5 pairs of shoes for the 3 day getaway?

(Source: instagram.com)

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.)

• Chipotle. a salad with fajita vegetables, chicken, black beans, tomato salsa, & light guacamole. yes, please.
• Jimmy Dean’s Delights. while i love the McDonald’s breakfast menu, i typically limit that drive-thru to the mornings post-too much booze. on the days i need a quick fix on the go when my biggest worry is getting to work on time, i grab a <300 breakfast sandwich- less grease, more grain? at least, that’s how i justify my love for these pre-packaged “delights.”
• Love. it’s my experience that there are people that feel bad for the single girl on Valentine’s day. the truth is, for me, i love the day. i love seeing all the beautiful bouquets, i love witnessing flower deliveries & the reactions when the receivers first see them headed their way, i love the fact that you can get most candy, pizza, & desserts in the shape of a heart, & i love that there’s an understanding, for most people, that we should all be sharing the love with others, especially on that day.  most of that was my experience from yesterday- girls receiving flowers at work from their significant others who took time out of their own lives to order them, picking up cupcakes frosted in atypical yet acceptable pink & red frosting, getting together with other single friends last night- friends who would didn’t have reservations with a special someone in their lives, & also, yesterday was a day to reach out to those who have impacted my life- people in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, etc etc etc. February might be a dreaded day for some single girls, but don’t get it twisted, after spending 27 Valentine’s day as that girl, let me tell you, i still feel (& spread) the love every February 14th & regardless of relationship status, i’m convinced that it feels just as rewarding had i been spending it with a handsome man in my life.
• Running. i started running when i was in grad school-an outlet to release some stress, aggression, & tears. some of my best runs, while circling K-State’s gorgeous campus, were those after receiving poor reviews on papers. it’d start out slow, one foot in front of the other, & i’d slowly increase the pace (& the distance) until tears would fall & sweat would pour. that was when i knew that running was the cheapest/best therapy i could afford. after graduating, i reverted to pre-graduate school times. i took up long walks & yoga & pushed running to the side. however, over the last few months, i’ve reunited with my therapist- beautiful shoes & a hamster wheel that sits in what is meant to be a dining room. getting back into the running game wasn’t the easiest transition, but i quickly remembered how rewarding running can feel- knowing the distance is up to you & knowing the euphoric feeling that follows will all be worth it.  over the last few weeks, i’ve been fortunate to recognize how great it is when i don’t feel like working out yet somehow muster the energy to start out slow- 5 & 1/2 miles later, the victory is all mine & sometimes, it’s alright to be selfish- at least, that’s what running my therapist has taught me.
• Today Show’s Steals & Deals. i’m pretty sure it’s an almost-every Tuesday thing, & when Jill Martin presents her budget-friendly picks (ranging from fashion finds to housewares to gizmos & gadgets), there’s typically one item that i adore. this week it was all about monogrammed necklaces & a $300 Restaurants.com gift cards (yours for only $40!). it’s a silly segment to follow (i know Good Morning American has one quite similar) but it’s a great distraction from the Tuesday morning activities that most (i.e. my boss) call “work.”

i had been on the hunt for a new portfolio (hello, nerd alert) for awhile.

every time i’d go into a meeting/interview/etc, 

i would feel like a tool grabbing my documents out of my 97 cent plastic CVS-couture when the other guy/girl would suavely walk in with a beautiful briefcase &/or file folder by their side.

i knew i wanted something classic,

i knew i wanted something leather (sorry PETA),

& i knew i wanted something that said, “i care enough about this meeting/interview/etc that i searched & search until i found, what i believe to be, the perfect document holder!”

a few weeks ago, it was just like any other work day when i received an email from Bro #2, “hey, Alton Brown just tweeted about his new briefcase, i checked out the source, & the company also sells portfolios, looks pretty awesome”

obviously, in the name of a decent folder, i dropped whatever i was working on & checked out “Heirloom Leather” on Etsy-

it’s a shop, started from a hobby, that sells some of the most beautiful leather goods my brown eyes have ever seen.

within minutes, not only had i found a potential pocket folder,

i had sent the owner/creator, Paul, a personal note of admiration for creating such beautiful items.

a couple weeks later, 

i received my branded “Brooke Melissa” portfolio (pictured above), along with a note back from Paul explaining that when he made Alton Brown’s briefcase, he had no idea it was for THE Alton Brown of Food Network fame. 

he kindly thanked me for my business & i kindly thanked him for a classic, leather, “i care about my documents” portfolio.

(related: the portfolio is naturally flawed, buttery soft, & absolutely perfect in terms of its craftsmanship)

check out Paul’s designs here-

they’re all so lovely & my guess is Paul is a pretty great guy, too!

where i prep for a busy week: my place of [glittery deer head] peace…

if you thought leaving this scene would be easy, you’re wrong.

for the last 13 days, this little furball has been my sidekick….well, when her boyfriend BR was busy.

& today, i return to work.

i am ready to get back into a routine of sorts,

but i’ll always miss Bentley’s bark welcoming me home.

the snow has fallen,

homemade chex mix has been made,

& my brown paper packages tied up with string pretty ribbon have been delivered to my parent’s house…

‘tis the season, indeed!

like many people during the holiday season,

i want to enjoy the sweet treats without collecting the unnecessary poundage.

i prefer skinny jeans to saggy sweatpants & would like to keep it that way-

which is why i have decided to give Nike’s Fuel Band a try.

while i know the easiest holiday vacation tactic would be committing to eat less & move more,

but on the days when a comfortable couch & classic Christmas movies seems to be calling my name,

i think i’ll enjoy the challenge that the Fuel Band provides.

i received this little device yesterday and am already addicted to checking my stats-

an early Christmas present to myself that will hopefully keep me on the healthy train…

why not?