pits + peaks //

PITS : seeing Jeff for maybe 15 minutes every morning in passing. Today he said we had to hug for twenty whole seconds because we actually never see each other. We lasted 12 before one of us...well, tooted. Ha. // not sleeping...I might need to cut back on the caffeine. // Forgetting my lunch forever and always. // Watching lame shows that no one else watches so I can't discuss them ad nauseam (90 Day Fiance? Anybody?) // Breaking out because of my new Clarisonic (apparently that's a sign it's working? Maybe? Internet, don't fail me). // Having a mountainous pile of laundry to sort through. I am overwhelmed! // Uncomfortable shoes on concrete floor all. day. long.

PEAKS : my birthday! I was feelin' the love. // My dad's cute email yesterday. // Bacon + eggs for breakfast three days in a row, hoorah! // Having a new go-to drink at Sodalicious // sweet Kenna packing us snacks on our trek back from St. George // A long lunch with Rose // visits from Avery // the next Bridget Jones Diary // Key + Peele on Hulu. Ha! // watching all of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee // 'fancy' sweatpants that are work appropriate // spying on my friends on Spotify // holiday music (particularly Beyonce's Christmas tunes which we play at work) // ripe pears // talks with my mom + sister on my commute // the beautiful (yet confusing) weather we have been having (why is it so warm? Is the world ending?) // city league basketball in American Fork with my cousins

SHOPGIRL

Oh, the life of real employment. I missed it (the discount). 

Just kidding. But can we please start calling me SHOPGIRL? Please and thanks. 

And no, not hiding in the dressing room.

Never.

(P.S. Come visit me at work + hear my super peppy retail voice! 

Mildly horrifying but, hey.)

A double mirror selfie because, hey. I'm not above it.
And that is exactly the time of quality you get on this blog.
Don't forget it.

...also it looks like I have a twin! Like Mary Kate and Ashley. Ashley is clearly the peppier, more-fed one on the left while Mary Kate is all sad. And hungry. Mostly hungry.

THE END.

2 people at Applebee's who don't really want to be at Applebee's...

Last Saturday, Jeff picked me up after a particularly grueling shift at work (how grueling can retail be, you ask? You haven't seen how badly thirteen year olds can destroy a dressing room, have you?! Have mercy!) + declared it was time to eat dinner.

"How about Chinese?"

"Or burgers? I'm in the mood for a burger."

"Maybe Thai food?"

"What about Cheesecake Factory?"

"...I hear there's a yummy Mexican restaurant downtown..."

...this continued for five minutes until we looked across 

the street and saw Applebee's.

Applebee's?

It was a booty call of sorts. Convenient. Open. Ten feet away.

The food was...Applebee's + our waiter told us he thought the 

Frugal Gourmet was a pedophile + we just scratched our heads and ate.

Applebee's, guys.

IT'S MY PARTY // 22 years, people.

- - - - -

Today is my 22nd birthday(!!!!). 

I remember being ten + thinking by the time I was 22 I would surely have

three kids + graying hair + a four-car garage. I used to think 22 was 

so old. Now that I'm here + reporting live, I can firmly say : 

I still feel like a 10 year old.

But my birthday! Today was great. In classic Brooke fashion, I locked my keys in 

my car this morning...spoiling my day full of errands + TREAT YO SELF-NESS. Ha. But you know what? I am glad I did. Today was full of long (LONG!) walks to get my caffeine fix + long baths (yes, plural) to be extra indulgent + long sessions on the couch, catching up on all the television I have missed these past couple weeks. And then Jeff came home! I ran to him like a puppy to its owner -- KEYS! CAR! LET'S GO! We went to Alamexo in SLC where I decided I, for no reason at all, wanted to be the most favorite person in the restaurant + tried to win the love of our waiter (have you ever had that desire? Sometimes I get the itch; I imagine the waiter going back to the kitchen and bragging about how they have the best table ever + how they are so lucky -- ONE DAY!). We dined on fresh guacamole, corn, salsa, and enchiladas. Oh! And the best churros I have ever had in. my. whole. life. 

We ended the night on Temple Square where I begged gaggles of adolescents to take our picture. Ha. Twenty points Jeff for obliging and for twinning with me.
(also, let it be noted, he started my birthday fiesta with a plate of salty, burnt bacon...MY MAN!)

(If you don't like your bacon burnt to a crisp, you ain't livin'...)

...and now, finally (this was going to happen eventually)...

I'M FEELIN' 22! 

Ha...

I've waited all year to say that. 

Anticlimactic. 

Candid. //

OH. You thought we were sharing this?

Mmmm.

Walking + reading intellectual girl : not achieved.

Having fun isn't hard... 

When you have a library card!

Unless you live in Utah, home of the ever-changing weather 

(seriously, 22 degrees quickly turns into 58 degrees!)

and you decide to walk to the library wearing your huge parka, a fleece sweater,

a thick beanie, and your thermal socks. 

SO SWEATY. SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

SO focused on trying to read while walking...

not because I really wanted to read, but because I wanted people to see

and think : Wow! What a cute + intellectual girl...

Walking AND reading. 

Hrmph. 

Happy December // Brrrrr...

HAPPY DECEMBER! 

I have been so looking forward to this month.

I feel like this December is going to be one for the books. I'm turning 22 + can finally use and abuse Taylor Swift's song lyrics (you have to! You're feelin' 22!), Jeff + I are headed up to Idaho for two weeks(ish), and I can now openly indulge in all things Christmas. Because I've been hyping my December up, I made a list of things I wanted to do/see/eat. Here's a few :

|| Go iceskating (I used to hate iceskating; I'm blaming it on sexual tension?
Too much pressure to hold hands. NOW I'm excited to just blade, y'all)
|| MoTab Christmas Concert // Savior of the World
|| Survive working seasonal in retail (oof...)
|| work my way through the 'Folksy Christmas' playlist on Spotify. SO GOOD.
(...and Justin Bieber's Christmas album. Ha. Ain't no shame.)
|| See the lights at the Temple + in Lewiston, Idaho (...almost the same thing, ha).
|| Visit CDA + hike Tubbs.
|| Ski!
|| Read the B.O.M. every single day for at least 30 minutes.
|| Go see Unbroken, Selma, + The Christmas Story (at the Kenworthy)
|| TURN 22!

- - - - - - - - -

p.s. Jeff + I are back in Utah! Why is it that any time you finish a road trip, you feel the need to ravenously eat? We were basically plum out of food, so we had some interesting combinations from our pantry (peanut butter + figs are shockingly tasty, wouldn't you know?).

p.p.s. this picture was taken last January in Coeur d'Alene with my mama; we were hiking/walking Tubbs hill + it was so freezing but so pretty...a star jump was an obvious choice.