September 30, 2016

|REAL TALK|


Most of my life I've been in a rush to get to the next stage. Rather it was out of fear or embarrassment, excitement for what's ahead, or just plain discontentment in my current season of life... day dreaming is a concept I know well. Arguably too well. I've been told my head is too into the clouds and that I basically am like a real life Disney princess...

I'm impatient, anyone who knows me well knows that's a fact. You know that scene in Bridewars when Liv runs into her boyfriend's office screaming and demanding why he can't ask her to marry him already. That's my life, on the inside I'm ready to have a panic attack at a moments notice.

I can see it now: I show up innocently holding a pumpkin. I smash it into the grown while screaming like an actual mad woman, ASK ME OUT BEFORE I TURN INTO A PUMPKIN. *dramatically falls to the ground and sighs heavily*

That's me in a nutshell.

Great now I sound crazy, you're ready to click that red x in a hurried panic, and I just word vomited all over my little corner of the internet. Before you think I actually go around screaming and smashing pumpkins, I totally don't.. :) I'm just a tad bit dramatic...

I half blame Disney movies (I'm a giant Disney princess fan) and I have a theory that I like to call the Ariel principle. She had three days to make Prince Eric fall for her (AND IT WORKED??) so basically I give myself three days for anything until I'm discouraged.

Okay that's a bit of an exaggeration because I know things take time and you work hard for what you want. 

My head also is in the clouds a good 99% of the time, so I know what holding out hope for the impossible means. In the little areas of life though, I'm the most impatient. The waiting for a response when you sent it .3 seconds ago, slow drivers (this is my downfall and where I need to pray to the Lord for the strength and forgiveness), impatience because food doesn't make itself (Can I get an amen!?), etc.

Here is what I realized lately though, none of this matters Brooke- get out of your own head (!!!) Life is so much more than those defining moments, getting what we want, or feeling like we will never amount to those things we wanted to do or be. Life is about taking the time to enjoy the ride, to lean on God when you feel like you might break down and start acting like a two year old in the middle of a beach... life is about embracing the wait. 

I admit for a couple of days I was wrinkling my nose like a four year old being forced to eat broccoli because all my life I put off learning patience. I mean this is embarrassing to admit, but I would strategically word my prayers so I would never ask for patience (yes, I can be that stubborn) I heard the horror stories you wait in agony for days, weeks, sometimes years. I thought I was going to be kicking and scratching my entire way through this lesson, and I know it's only the beginning- but I feel oddly comforted. I wake up eager to figure out what I'll learn for the day and I can't wait to open my journal and talk to God.

Yesterday I was overwhelmed and burnt out and was journal-ing a prayer out to God when I felt him speak to me (and it was incredible, it was the first time in a long time I felt like I was slowly figuring out life) and he whispered to me "You wait Brooke, that's all you do,"

So here is where I am now, waiting and trying to learn all I can. I'm not one to give up hope easily, so I am embracing the hope to learn and the hope to become patient. Let's see what happens...

I will leave this post with this quote from a Proverbs 31 devotional "Embrace The Wait"
God steps in to be our portion for that day. He is in the wait and we'll sense that if only we will look for Him rather then always looking ahead to the next stage of life.

May we embrace the wait and be strong together
xoxo 

September 25, 2016

The Perfect Getting Ready Playlist with Airtime


There's something special when you and the girls gather one place and all trade and swap clothes, have the music blaring, take shots together, and post way too many photos in your snap story ((oops...)). Typically, it's those nights that begin with a full out getting ready party that end up being the most memorable.

So when the app Airtime reached out to me, I was excited to learn about an app that had video message, group message, and Spotify all in one! In today's day and age how many times have you sent "What are you wearing?? Should I look cute or casual?" only to show up and evidently peoples meanings of cute, casual, and dressy are vastly different?

I remember one night this summer in particular that seemingly started off as a girls night in. I got the text that Kelli was having people over and I could swing by too and spend the night. Naturally I picked up a bottle of wine and mike's margaritas (if you've never had them they're the bomb.com... thanks John B for the suggestion) Now if you think you're going to an innocent girls night and you ask one of your friends "Should I dress cute or casual?" and they respond that they're in basic gym attire... you would not be prepared to see boys.

So there I am in an over-sized t-shirt, no bra, and terry cloth booty shorts looking as hot as ever when my friend Skylar runs out and says the dreaded words "I invited lifeguards, they're coming." With only a thin coat of mascara and my hair in a pony-tail I was ready to barricade myself into a room and never come out. No amount of margaritas or countless rounds of kings would prepare me to meet a cute boy for the first time ever looking like I escaped prison.

Of course my other friends arrived in tank tops and cute shorts- evidently I was the only one who wanted people to wonder rather I was actually a boy or not. If we had had airtime on our phones, the video chat feature would have saved me from a lifetime of embarrassment.

Don't you worry though- I still rocked out to Broccoli and didn't let the blooper ruin a good time. Me and my friend used to joke that if a man still found you attractive even after seeing you in a fanny pack (a daily accessory for work), I think the same can be said for over sized t-shirts at a raging party. Don't worry that next Monday I made sure to notify all involved that I actually know how to dress and look presentable and I think that worked just fine.


I was inspired by Airtime and the apps tools to create my own getting ready playlist on Spotify that pump me up even to do the smallest of actions (like getting ready to take on a full day of nannying). It's full of songs that reminds me of friends and summer. Chance are most of these songs I heard daily because my friends loved them so much and i just really miss them alright?? (... so please check it out and let's all thank God for Summer 16... Summer of Surprises.

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