Last Day at the Office

It's Wednesday, around 6 and my last full "free" day until I head to my new job on Monday. So it is fitting that I am sitting in Starbucks on East writing this. I used to come here every day for several months. It was more than a place to come and have a cup of coffee, I came here for sanity.

Six months ago I way laid off from my job in real estate and I never imagined I would be unemployed for that long. When I look back it has gone by fast but the day to day from month one through four was pure hell. Thank goodness I was writing. I spent every day from around 2pm on working on getting writing jobs or writing for the jobs I had. It saved me. Because quite honestly some days it was hard to get out of bed. In those first few months I felt a little lost, confused and on the edge of depression. Some days I felt like I wasn't on the edge but down in the deep end swimming around. Although there have been tears, I felt confident in Lord like I have never felt before. It was palpable for the first time.

Through it all, my time in prayer, crying out to the Lord for his hand to hold my heart combined with working out and spending time with friends got me through this unusual time in my life. It was a heart wrenching, horrible and beautiful time all at the same time. I met new friends, let go of others and spent a lot of time writing. During the 6 months I scored over 15 jobs writing, money which kept me afloat. And through it all I was still able to go out to eat, travel and have fun with friends. Somehow the money stretched.

I don't know how to adequately explain all that happened to me in the past 6 months...all that I have experienced and learned, but I wanted to recognize and mark it's end. I am so thankful for my new job and look forward to all that it brings. Maybe I'll write a book someday...:)

Hot off the Press..or Site.

I love this mag. If you look under Real Weddings I wrote about Lindsay and Ashton. :)

Weddings Unveiled


For this mag, I did the story on the hearing impaired couple and the Boudoir story (my fav).

Carolina Bride Magazine

Enjoy!

Confessions of a Product Whore: My Clean Little Secret

At first the word whore seemed a little harsh and then a second glance in my bathroom cabinets and shower floor proved me wrong, junkie was hardly harsh enough, whore was just right.

I have always loved products. Lotions, creams, perfumes, face wash, make up, shampoos, pretty much anything that is sticky and/or creamy, smells good and promises to smooth, clear and clean my skin, hair, nails. One key ingredient...price. Did I also mention I take two showers a day? These two facts I am realizing go hand in hand.

The ironic thing is that although I like to read product labels (I'm weird) and peruse the aisles and magazine pages for new items, I'm becoming more loyal to certain brands. It's like I finally realized what works and what doesn't and have decided to stick with those (cough) few products. Well so I thought.

While showering this morning I took inventory of all of the things in the shower with me. Razors (2), loofah, Kiehls Amino Acid Shampoo, Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner, Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo, Dove bar soap, Johnson and Johnson's Baby Wash in Regular and Shea Butter and last but not least my favorite product line...Organix. I have the Pomegranate and Green Tea Shampoo, Coconut Milk Conditioner and the most recent addition to their family and mine, Mandarin Olive Oil Shampoo. With all of this in the shower, I wonder how I am able to clean myself, much less throw my leg up on the wall (standing shower) and shave my legs. It's a wonder I tell you.

The thing is that I know what all of these products do and I don't want to phase them out of the shower and out of my life. When my hair needs a little extra moisture, Pantene. When I feel like it needs a good clarifying treatment, Tea Tree Shampoo. When I want it to have extra life and lift, Kiehls. And like I said my go-to always makes my hair wonderful and smells delicious, Organix. So what is a girl to do? I am the go-to for my friends to ask about products and I am the girl who recently filled in an online poll on Allure to suggest the Best of the Best Products of 2008. I have a responsibility!! So with this I humbly say, "Hi my name is Brandee and I am a Product Whore."

Because You Will Read It

Five names I go by:
1. Brandee
2. Bran
3. Brandee-girl
4. Beege
5. B

Three things I’m wearing right now:
1. Steven Madden boots
2. My favorite necklace
3. skinny jeans

Two things I want very badly at the moment:
1. A writing desk
2. A tan.

Two things I did last night:
1. Talked to my sis for an hour.
2. Went to see Taken.

Two things I ate today:
1. Eggplant (thank you Trader Joe's)
2. salad

Two people I last talked to on the phone:
1. My mom
2. Kelli

Two things I am going to do tomorrow:
1. Interview a photographer.
2. Meet with a trainer.

My two longest car rides:
1. AZ to NC
2. TX to CA

My favorite beverages:
1. Coke
2. Coffee

I'll Have My People Call Your People

I was without my phone for 50 minutes today. I didn't think this was a very big deal when I handed my precious cell to the kind Verizon salesman to "update" who told me to return in one hour. I didn't have a problem killing an hour in Target or the mall, which were both nearby. What I did have a problem with however, was my forgetfulness within the next hour. Eleven times. That is the number of times I dug in my purse for my precious cell to call someone during the time I was wandering Target. The first occurrence happened the moment I walked out of the Verizon store. Really? Ok so the first one made me laugh. I guess I would have to wait to call my mom back. Then it happened over and over, when I went to call my mom to tell her they had a cute jacket she should get for work, and the time when I went to check my balance on a gift card and then when I went to check the time.

It's not that I need my phone all of the time. In fact, the BEST time without it was on a cruise when I turned it off for 8 days. It was fabulous. After the first 24 hours, you don't think about it anymore. I guess it just made me laugh that I KNEW I didn't have it and yet kept digging in my purse to find it. Either I am weird or this is like when the electricity is blown out during a storm and you still go to flick on the lights when you walk in the room.

This Time I Kept Driving...

"Shattered" OAR

In a way, I need a change
From this burnout scene
Another time, another town
Another everything
But it's always back to you

Stumble out, in the night
From the pouring rain
Made the block, sat and thought
There's more I need
It's always back to you

But I'm good without ya
Yeah, I'm good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around
Give me a break let me make my own pattern
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered
I always turn the car around

I had no idea that the night
Would take so damn long
Took it out, on the street
While the rain still falls
Push me back to you

But I'm good without ya
Yeah, I'm good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around
Give me a break let me make my own pattern
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered
I always turn the car around

Where Laziness Gets You...

There two friends I know that are constantly losing things or forgetting things, Linds and Sim (hi Linds! this is a shout out to you for like 20 Wingate ids in college :). So it was no surprise when Sim called this morning to ask for my keys to get his sunglasses out of my car. Just to be complicated we decided the best thing was for me to lean reallllly far off of my balcony and unlock the car from there, but it didn't reach, so I threw the keys to him, 4 stories down. Success.

Sunglasses in hand, Sim attempted, KEY word attempted here, to "toss" the keys back up to me on the 4th floor. First try and they were close, but a little too far. Second try landed the keys perfectly on the mat of the balcony below me. Crap. I just stared at them. He needed to get on the road and well, I was standing there in my pjs with coffee that was luke. Dang it. So as I put on shoes and a bra, (I haven't met many neighbors and it was a cold morning, I am a lady afterall) I went to see if the neighbor was home while Sim went to CVS to buy string. They weren't there of course, Sim and I are the only unemployed people that can be drinking coffee and tossing keys around on a sunny Friday at 11 am. So he rigs a tri-hooked thingy out of a wire hanger in true MacGyver-style and several tries, spilled coffee, a bloody thumb and 30 minutes later I have my keys.

Now why we didn't just take the elevator down and unlock the car I will never know. But we like to make things complicated.