brooke's nooks.

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.)

• Bentley. she gets more precious with age & even precious after recovering from surgery & ever more precious after being groomed & even more precious when she’s reunited with me for the holiday.
• Coffee dates. don’t have a lot of time around the holidays? commit to a cup of coffee. last weekend, Emily, a dear friend since the 4th grade, stopped by while in town from Chicago. we shared a cup of coffee, caught up on life, & then parted ways, but that hour spent together made my day.  it wasn’t a huge time commitment but sure was an impressionable one.
• Crock Pot. Mama got a beautiful slow cooker as an early Christmas gift & this week, i made Salsa Chicken. have any great Crock Pot recipes? I’d love to have them!
• Holiday shopping. as much as i love online shopping, nothing brings joy to my heart quite like receiving an extra 30% off in store the weekend before Christmas (<—i’m lookin’ at you J.Crew!).  plus, you add in the unruly strangers, those waiting in life for a picture with Santa, & the ability to use rushing around the aisles as an excuse not to work out for the day… man, i love this time of year!
• Mini Marshmallows. add in a 1/4 a cup to diet hot chocolate…hello, new nightly addiction!
• Plaid. between plaid & polka dots & everything else printed, i can’t get enough.
• Selflessness. it’s not always about me (how shocking!) & sometimes, i need someone to point that out. thank goodness, i surround myself with people who are often times just as blunt as yours truly. & nothing being said can hurt when you know it’s the honest truth.
• Snow. we had our first snow in Indy last night & it is beautiful!  plus, thanks to my yearly HOA fees, the handsome men driving the Bobcats outside don’t make for a bad addition either!
  
• Tamales. i’m not talking the candy. i’m taking the deliciousness that is masa filled with sweet corn or chicken or spicy pork or whatever else you chose. The Tamale Place on the Westside is one of the best dining spots we’ve discovered in Indy.  & last night, i found myself in a tamale coma & it was fabulous.

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.)

• Accepting the past. there are some aspects of my past that i will never be able to change. would i like to? of course. have i accepted that i need to live with current situations in order to move on? of course. but when it comes to people, not actual deciding factors, it all seems more complicated. & perhaps it is- & that’s the challenge of moving on & dealing with it, regardless of preference.
• Dermatology. if you’re gonna have a mole removed, it’s always better to let a crushworthy doc do the work.
• Friendly competition. there were roughly 15 participants, cookies ranging from nutella filled chocolate chip to candy bar filled sugar & in the end, yours truly won a $50 Visa GC for 3rd place & walked away with a little prize & a major sugar rush.
• Friendly neighbors. i was totally taken aback when i received a gorgeous poinsettia the other night. but more than that, the realization that there are still good people in the world is always a more humbling experience.
• PTO. only four more days until i’m off work for almost 2 weeks.  & while this is exciting news, i am becoming more & more aware of the fact that this time last year, i was constantly stressed by my holiday retail hours…go grateful this holiday break will be spent in more relaxing conditions!
• Starbucks BOGO. while i’m not a huge fan of the holiday offerings, i am a big fan of using their menu as an excuse to take a break, at some point, during the 2-5 time slot.
• TSA employees. i appreciate your willingness to be thorough with a search, but i could not be more thankful that those 5 overly awkward minutes of my life are over.  there has to be a better, less all-up-in-my-business way…especially when your victim is wearing skinny jeans, a skin-tight tank top, & hair in a higher than the sky bun.

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.)

• December. i can’t believe this month is already here, but man, am i glad it is.  full-time job was already offering PTO the week of Christmas, but now, we get NYE off, too!  you know what this means right? starting the 21st of the December, i’m on holiday break & don’t go back in the office until January 2nd.  pretty amaze, right?
• Friends. having a couple reliable friends has always been wonderful, but when you find yourself in a predicament that leaves you truly needing your people and they actually show up to help in every sense of the word…speechless.
• Funny Bone. spur of the moment, i landed in Nebraska yesterday afternoon & found out that one of my favorite morning personalities Kenny Zimlinghaus from Wake Up! with Taylor on Cosmo Radio was performing in Omaha that night.  Paige got us tickets & we made our way to the Funny Bone. i hadn’t laughed that hard in ages at both Kenny & Ian Bagg.  it was such an unexpected Thursday night but a fabulous one at that!
• Huskers in Indy. while Nebraska got absolutely dominated at the Big 10 Championship game, seeing so many Husker fans walking around my hometown was unreal.  We’ve lived in Indianapolis since 1993 & there has never been a moment when being a Hoosier for Huskers has been more thrilling…if only we would have walked away victorious!
• Planes. i often forget how nice it is to read a book on flight instead of driving for hours & hours.  i finally started my boy Junot Diaz’s This is How You Lose Her & closed the last chapter when i touched down in Lincoln. & much like his previous work, these stories were just as captivating. 
• Six miles. that’s been my jam on the treadmill as of late & i’m definitely not mad at it.

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.)

• BMV. if you have to get a new mugshot taken, it’s nice knowing a long wait will not be necessary.  i was in & out of the BMV in less than 15 minutes. i’d call that a win…if only they would have let me smile in my snapshot.
• Christmas decor. i’m not the cutesy type when it comes to holiday decor. i don’t want smiling snowmen and ruffled rudolphs- much like my everyday style, i prefer classic, simple, & understated elegance. thank goodness for finding inspiration in magazines like Pottery Barn & on websites like Pinterest that make all of my decorating needs that much more simple.
  
• Closet clean out. by Sunday afternoon, I should have all items listed on shopBrookesNooks. even if i don’t sell it all, the fact that i’m downsizing makes my heart go pitter pat.
• December. i’ll only be working 11 days this coming month. last year, i worked 24. in my book, this qualifies as a slice of heaven.
• Giveaways. i may not be a fan of all giveaways, but when cashmere is involved, i’m in.  have you entered? this one ends at noon EST today!
• Heat. as previously mentioned, spending time in my home has been a struggle- that was until last weekend when i was finally in my house for 24 hours straight. that’s when i realized i had little heat. that’s right. & while i realize there are people who have it far worse than yours truly, i’m thankful for a warranty & a nice man named Mike who came to the rescue & diagnosed the issue: a faulty pipeline. now.. to fix the pipe.
  
• Hot showers. (please see previous bullet point.)
• Mini chocolate chips. this week summarized in three words: mini chocolate chips.
• Working close to home. being able to stop in for lunch makes the whole packing a meal the night before very easy to avoid. it also makes for a great excuse to watch the previous day’s Bold & the Beautiful while munching on pretzels & hummus.

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.)

• “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual…O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.”  -Henry David Thoreau
• “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” -Gerald Good
• “Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” -Alfred Painter
• “If the only prayer you said your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” -Mister Eckhart
• “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” -Cicero

Happy Thanksgiving week! xo, B

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.)

• family drive-bys. BR & Mama J are only 15 minutes away & on those nights when i least expect it, they occasionally text, asking if i’d like a couple visitors (meaning them & Bentley). it’s nice to have my own space with family close by, something i never imagined possible, really.  i always thought i would live in some city miles & miles away- just like when i went away to college. so, it’s nice to have their presence even now that we’re in separate homes.
• hard boiled eggs. last weekend, i exploded eggs in my kitchen. i’m not being overly dramatic. i seriously made eggs explode. in a fit of frustration, my attempt at making hard boiled eggs miserably failed; thus, the not fully cooked eggs were transported into the trusty microwave. BIG MISTAKE! 3 of them exploded in the microwave & then one stubborn egg waited until i was cutting into it- BOOM! egg everywhere. why didn’t someone tell me this was possible?  thank goodness that Bro #2 has found me a new fool-proof method to hard boiling eggs. whoops.
• movember. my loving father has been rocking a mustache for years. i’ve never seen him without one (either has Mama). there’s something very Tom Selleck about it & it works for him. needless to say, i don’t hate on the stache. & now, a group of guys in our office have aken on the Movember challenge & while i support their cause, they’re creeping me out a bit. but a great cause always outweighs the creep factor, right? right. keep growing those handle bars, boys!
• nannying. the 3 young ladies i nanny keep me on my toes & i think it’s great for my sanity.  over the last couple months, i’ve had so many little things on my mind that shifting my attention to their needs is a nice & healthy deterrent. Weekend #2 of this month’s adventures starts this afternoon!
  
• overstock.com. talk about a decorating life-saver & free shipping?!? this site is amazing.  the bench i just added to my bedroom? overstock. the entry way table to be delivered next week? overstock. the throw blanket to accessorize my bedding? overstock. seriously, addictive & amazing. & did i mention free shipping?
  
• phone dates. i’m not a huge phone talker.  i’m big on communication, but i’m horrible at picking up the phone to talk. maybe it’s because once i get started, i can’t stop (hello, 1/2 an hour minimum!) or maybe it’s because i’ve gotten so used to sending emails, texts, & snail mail? whatever it is, i’m thankful for predetermined phone dates (especially with long lost friends in California! hi, Amanda! xo)
  
• running (see also: a treadmill in a dining room). early on, i deemed it unnecessary for me to have a proper dining room. instead, i wanted to make it a work out room. as the treadmill delivery man said, “maybe if i took your approach, i wouldn’t have gained so much weight.” perhaps that’s the main motivator, but i’ve gotta say, getting back into a running routine has been a very welcomed edition to my life. & regardless if i have yet to switch out the chandelier from the dining room, the ability to hop on a treadmill in my own little work out studio is well worth it!
  

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.)

There’s so much I could write up about this past week, but I think it’s more important to simply say, Thank you! 

I never know who will acknowledge a day like I had on Wednesday, but I am truly grateful to all who did!

Checking my mail box (& inbox) became a highlight as each & every day there would be a note from a loved one. 

the 7th snuck up on me this year, so I was even more humbled by those who remembered the day and made it what it was. 

Thank you for your kindness, it meant more than a post can adequately convey.

xo,

B

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.)

• Alarm. the fact that i have accidentally set off my own home alarm is somewhat mortifying; however, the fact that i now know the alarm properly functions is quite fabulous. (& major props to the two kind men who called within seconds of the alarm sounding to make sure i was okay) whoops.
  
• Dance lessons. last night, i stopped by my parent’s house to snatch up Bentley & before i took her for my portion of joint custody, we took her on a walk through the hood…like old times. as we were strolling by the neighborhood’s clubhouse, we noticed there were elderly couples inside taking dance lessons.  naturally, we both paused & admired the happy couples learning how to waltz.  it was a good moment. i’m not sure why it struck me as so precious, but it did.
  
• Emergency Compliment. having a downer day? need a pick me up? my boss sent me the link to this site last week & i should probably be ashamed to admit how often i’ve opened the site for a quick compliment, but i’m not. it’s awesome.
  
• Snail Mail. i’ve always loved receiving snail mail (almost as much as i love sending it), but opening my own legit mailbox & discovering mail? it’s like the bounty of all bounties.
  
• Target. enough said.
  

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.)

• Austin Collie. i can’t think about AC without saying, “poor guy.” there have been so many concussions in his life as of late, it makes me real sad. however, you know what doesn’t make me sad? frequenting the same super market as Austin Collie. on Thursday night, as i was picking up some essentials, i spotted AC scanning his groceries in the next lane over. & i may or may not have taken a picture. he didn’t notice. he’s got great arms. that’s all.
  
• Fresh start. the thing about moving is that it’s naturally a new start. with all of the new noises, new scents, new everything, it’s hard to overlook the start of what can only be a great future.  i mean, when you’ve felt such support over the last several months leading up to a particular point, it can only continue to go right, right?
  
• Movers. thank goodness for Two Men & a Truck.  they have a clever business model where they wayyyyyyy over-estimate what it’s gonna cost you so when they end up only taking 2 hours instead of the projected 4, you’re so happy that you didn’t have to move boxes, didn’t have to sweat like an olympic tri-athlete, & didn’t have to do much except sip coffee & direct traffic, you decide to over-tip them & sign whatever dotted lines are necessary because you chose movers over breaking your back!
  
• Protein, i think. this week, i decided to take on a new food challenge.  who doesn’t love a food challenge that coincides with a fresh start?  needless to say, ask me in a few weeks how i feel about said diet.  6 days a week, it’s no carbs, no sugar, no Brooke-prone foods. instead, it’s protein protein spinach & protein.  it honestly hasn’t been that bad & i can already feel myself getting healthier by the minute (insert sarcasm here). & you better believe that 7th day, the cheat day, is going to be well received by this girl & her pumpkin-loving ways!
  

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.)

• Endorphins. i may not have received A’s on all of my biology tests, but i learned two things while enrolled in that course, the professor was handsome & endorphins=happiness. this last week, i decided to get back into working out for both a healthy cause & for happiness. i think that decisions alone deserves high marks.
• Flu shot. did you get your shot yet? you probably should.
• Road trips. they never get old. granted, the 10 hours spent hungover in a car on the way back can be brutal, but a day or so after that, you forget about the discomfort & focus all attention on the memories made while at your reached destination- at least, that’s typically the case for me. no matter how much planning is involved, or miles need to be driven, it always seems infinitely worth it in the end.
  
• Taking chances. lord knows i am a planner to the core, but lately, i’ve been surprising myself with my ability to let go & see where the invisible road takes me.  so far, i’ve been ridiculously happy with the results.  so much unplanned goodness has found its way into my life & i will never turn that down.
  
• Weddings. i had known the groom since we were little kiddos.  our parents were both part of the “Fab Five” as they referred to themselves-five college couples who would come together every year. as the years passed, all of their respective kids soon got carted along.  all eleven of us have spread out around the country, but whenever there is a wedding, a few of us tend to make it back. this last weekend in Nebraska was no different- beer was guzzled by the gallon(s), laughs were shared, & undoubtedly, glory days were relived through stories of resident halls & late night rendezvous’.  i always value that time limited together as a bulk of the weddings have already been had.  & considering i let the precious little flower girl catch the bouquet, i don’t think i’ll be next in line just yet!