Saturday Swag

Wine Lounge Girl's Night by brittanytoll featuring a military style jacket

A girls night at a chic wine lounge affords the ultimate opportunity to tune into your inner sophistication. For me that looks like deep red lips and a chunky stack of bracelets that I just barely manage to squeeze into the arm of my military blazer. I may live in Tulsa but I'm finally starting to grow into my own style. Oklahoma provides me the perfect landscape to take just enough of a risk and try new things out. 

Don't let your environment determine your style, let your style* determine your environment. 


*style isn't just a garment or something you wear.

late night talks & mismatched socks,

Kicking Off The Week

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have an adventurous and meaningful week-

Saturday Swag

Forever Young Saturday Swag by brittanytoll featuring kitten heel boots

Lazy as can be and looking forward to the OKC Thunder vs. the NY Knicks game with some of the greatest company I could possibly imagine tonight. I drank my first soda in 2012 with my mac& cheese lunch (thanks to Mike) and it was delightful. I slept-in & took a nap all before 2pm. I've been wearing my charm bracelet again & today I'm going to wear my frozen yogurt charm since this has become my greatest obsession lately (Mmm... Cherry Berry).  I love enjoying every second of my youth.

have a fabulous MLK weekend,

voices & choices

shel silverstein

I've recently become very interested in my "voice" and have made more of an effort to listen and control it.  Perhaps this newly discovered fascination has been provoked by the article The Secret Rule of Changing Anything combined with the book I'm currently consumed by, The Art of Choosing (both are very insightful reads). Every time I'm about to do something that I know I may regret, or that I know isn't important, I force myself to pause and then answer the question "DOES THIS MATTER?" Almost 99% of the time it doesn't....& then I move on and carry on. I always end up feeling much better than I would have after I'd chosen to do whatever I "thought" I wanted to invest my time and mind into. I'm not perfect with this practice yet but I try to be a little bit more conscious every day & I'm starting to feel really good.

&

Today as I was walking out the door I caught myself thinking about all of the things I end up regretting at the end of a day. This discomfort prompted me to stop,  put my things down, and sit down at my desk for a moment. I grabbed an index card and a Sharpie and wrote out 5 non-negotiable rules for January 12th, 2012. I folded up the index card, tucked it into my pocket, and then continued back out the door to start my day. All day long I could feel the card in my pocket, and I could feel the weight of the rules above me. I was determined to not break any of them.

Sure enough I followed all of my rules and I'm sitting in bed much happier than I have any night this week. I have nothing to regret about any of the choices that I made today. I also managed to be more productive, healthier, and more responsible by following these rules. By addressing them and writing them down before my day started I managed to keep myself much more accountable and committed. I'm eager to write another set of rules tomorrow...

love & learning,

Stackable Resolutions

2012 I resolve...

It’s none-too-typical that one finalizes their resolutions mid-January. With traveling and readjusting from the holidays I find it much easier to start off on the right foot after I’ve set the foundation to do so. Now that I’m back to the swing of things in my little ole life in Tulsa, Oklahoma I’m finally ready to unleash my resolutions in full force. This year I’m trying a new approach- stackable resolutions. 

Every year it’s the same song and dance… sometime in late December I sit down with a pad of paper and a pen and write out a long lofty list of resolutions… and then every year in January I am usually so overwhelmed that I can’t even strive to resolve even a handful of them. Well, this year I’m stacking them & making them happen as best I can while making the most of the adventure of learning new skills and enjoying more opportunities. 

Though I’ve only merely read the first chapter of The Happiness Project I was intrigued by the method of the creator. Focus on a new skill or area of growth each month, and let each be mastered before tackling a new one. As one month’s goals are mastered it’s time to move on to the next month, while still maintaining the resolutions from all previous month(s). Sheer Brilliance! So here is what I’ve got in my effort to do things better & make 2012 as exceptional as it’s destined to be….

Each month I’ve picked an area of focus, and then crafted a list of mini-goals within that focus. This way my energy is narrowed into one place and I can truly make the changes I’ve been longing for year after year.

January

Financial Fusion

• Create a budget and stick to it
• Make a plan to be debt free by December
• Spend only the money I possess, no more credit cards
• Journal gratitude every night, depend less on materials
• Give generously

February

Romance Myself

• Write my own manifesto/mission statement
• Figure out what I truly want
• Journal 3 things about myself that I love every night
• Plan outfits & wear more colorful lipstick everyday
• Be content in the approval from myself rather than others

March

Healthy Habits

• Eat more fresh fruit & vegetables daily
• No texting and driving
• Exercise 6 times a week for 1 hour+
• Get 7 hours+ of peaceful sleep per night
• Floss teeth nightly

April

Create Order

• Clean out closet & purge all items I haven’t worn in a year
• Make iTunes playlists that I actually enjoy
• Write a list of all of my hopes, dreams & ambitions and then prioritize the most important ones
• Organize all files on all of my computers

May

Seek Wisdom

• Read the news for 15 minutes each day
• Listen to NPR in the car
• Study something new once a month (prepare for the GRE)
• Listen to a TED Talk at the start of each week
• Read at least one book of my choice per month

June

Love What I Do, Do What I Love

• Take more risks at work
• Wake-up every morning energized & inspired by the movement
• Infuse more of myself into my efforts at work, be more creative with my job
• Plan a very detailed approach for the 2012-2013 school year
• Write a vision that I’m utterly passionate about

July

Live Young

• Go skinny dipping
• Apply sunscreen every day
• Color the tips of my hair in rainbow ombre
• Do something that terrifies me
• Learn more jokes & laugh more often

August

Spirituality of Life, Self & Creation

• Meditate every morning
• Live in the present, read Be Here Now
• Study a new religion, commit to openness & learning
• Breath more
• Listen to others, really listen
• Create & adopt affirmations

September

Happy Brittany

• Plan my blogs a week ahead
• Make a new friend
• Paint weekly
• Celebrate my 26^th birthday in bliss and pure excitement
• Plan a trip to somewhere new
• Create an audacious goal and draft clear & measurable steps towards achieving it

October

Fear Less & Plan Ahead

• Decide on and apply to graduate programs I want to pursue
• Make more choices, be less passive
• Be open to new and unplanned opportunity, positive thinking
• Speak up more about what I believe in or think
• Figure out what my next adventure will be

November

For the Love of Others

• Get to know my brothers better
• Seek to understand the perspective of others, ask questions
• Reconnect with someone from my past every week
• Write a card to a friend or loved one every day
• Smile at strangers 

December

Awaken Self

• Reflect on another blessed year
• Enjoy the company of the ones I love & who love me
• Plan for 2013
• Celebrate progress & growth and embrace memories of sweet adventures & happenings from 2012

I know these are quite vague & some are even ambiguous but I plan on drafting an even more in depth plan before each month. At the conclusion of every month my hope is that I can share my experiences (in all of their vulnerability). Things may change, life may reroute, but in any case this is my projected plan. There are also things on these lists that I’m trying to begin already (ehem, no texting & driving) but it is the hope that by the end of their respective month I will be a master of said skill or effort or at least to have learned valuable lessons.

I’m incredibly excited about all of these resolutions and 2012. I've got a really good feeling about this year. 

What are you resolving in 2012?

Winterfy Your Humble Abode

I’ll be the first to admit that I dread the cold. This year I am taking proactive steps to combat ole Jack Frost and winterfy my cozy little loft…

1.

Stock up on candles- No doubt the dim flickering of a candle automatically makes me feel warm. But even more satisfying is the sweet aroma of winter. I’ve fallen madly in love with the Cranberry Pear Bellini holiday scent from Bath & Body Works. It’s subtle yet sweet & clean and of course, and even better that the wax is a soft pink so it fits right in with my décor.

2.

Draw the blinds- I only put my blinds down during sunset but I especially love that I keep them up through the winter. First of all I love falling asleep by the glow of winter nights. Second, I love waking up to blankets of white outside my window. And third, letting the sun in during the day will actually cut back on heating costs.

3.

Keep your slippers by the door- After you’ve trudged through snow and wetness all day the first thing you do when you get home is take off your dreary boots. Be prepared by leaving your slippers by the door on your way out- your toes with thank you.

4.

Stack up a pile of books- Need an excuse to read? Stack up the books that you want to read and put them next to your bed. The calmness of the winter nights and the fear of leaving the indoors will draw you back to this stack consistently and please your somber little heart beyond words.

5.

Pull out your winter sheets- Wherever they are wash them and prep them so that you are one step ahead of the cold. Nothing makes me happier than a fluffy, cozy bed on a cold January night.

6.

Always keep the kettle full- Make it simple enough to just turn the knob. Keep your water warm and your tea bottomless. Warm your belly as often as you can. Sipping tea can also be a meditative opportunity, try this: sip slowly and calmly and meditate on the taste of the tea, the present moment, or the sound of tea flowing into your lips. Take deep breaths and breathe in the aroma.

7.

Hang a hook for your pajama sweater- I’ve found that hanging up my night sweater leads me less towards the “UP arrow button” on my thermostat. Having it within arms reach makes my life all the more simple, and having a place to put it before bed also allows me to wake up to less clutter.

8.

Get a plant- I love the satisfaction of giving my plants water and life. I have simple generic house plants from Home Depot but I really do enjoy the life they bring to my home, especially during the dull months of winter. 

snow globes & silk robes,

*All photos taken using Instagram

Lessons Learned on New Year's Eve

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just a few lessons learned from a fabulous New Year's Eve....

have no expectations, epic is what you make of it: 

One thing 2011 taught me well is that from limited expectations come bountiful bliss. Why I forgot this on New Year's Eve is beyond me. Fewer expectations gives greater outcome, you're often less disappointed & more open minded. Now this can't always be the truth but I must remember to know when expectations are necessary or not.... this will be my experiment for 2012.

do wear sparkly shorts instead of a skirt: 

What a beautiful thing it was not having to constantly battle with a skirt that hikes north. I did not envy girls with their restricting outfits, no sir I did not. Low-maintenance is always in fashion. 

make friends: 

So often New Year's Eve puts you in new places with an abundance of strangers, which was no different last night. Embrace the company and have a good time. Given that I'm usually shy around large crowds of new people (it's all a forceful act people, I really am quite shy), but this New Year's Eve would have been miserable if I didn't open out and enjoy the fine company I was surrounded by. This is always a good game plan. 

don't punch the wrong passcode in your iPhone multiple times: 

My phone crashed on me last night after the strike of midnight thanks to this foul party move. I was completely helpless. Apparently if you punch in your passcode incorrectly too many times your phone decides to reset, costing you all of your data until you can connect to WiFi or iTunes. Bad news on NYE. #lessonlearned

do yo thang: 

Who are you? What do you want? Then do it. Remember how much fun you are? Don't forget that. I know this lesson all-too-well... and if my phone hadn't gone all Y2K on me this may have been easier... but let's be real, I can't blame my phone for this. Lesson learned and reaffirmed for the year ahead. 

play the dancing game: 

I love to make up games and this is one of my favorites. Get behind an unsuspecting male victim and get jiggy with him without him knowing. It's HILARIOUS. I'm going to make more attempts to do this more often off the dance floor too. Have more fun. Be more child-like.

don't be dramatic: 

You're not the starring role in the hottest new romantic comedy.... so don't act like it. Do you want me to repeat that Brittany? No, you've learned your lesson. The cocktails and flashing lights probably didn't help though, in your defense. 

don't wear red lipstick: 

I had it on & took it off. No way did I want to deal with that gnarly red outline and endless reapplications. It's beautiful and all but- thanks but no thanks. Not on NYE.

do celebrate a blessed year: 

Going with the flow of no expectations don't forget the beauty of the year you bid adieu to. Celebrate a new year but don't neglect the past. You've learned too much to start over.

live & learn and do it better next time: 

So you added a lot of pressure, had expectations, and forgot a few rules. Oh well. Another experience learned, try something new next time and use what you've learned to make it better. Don't dwell on what has already happened, it's not worth it. That baggage can be left in the old year. Remember how you actually had a really great time? 

resolutions start on January 2nd:

Make them count. End of story. 

Well that was fun. What's next? Here we go, 2012...

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keep calm the new year is here,

mirror, mirror

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The end of the year is always such a reflective time for me. What's most unique about this moment of reflection year-after-year is that the reflections are paralleled with a projection of what's to come. I reflect on how I've been leading my life thus far and then spend countless hours crafting my resolutions to better my life for the year ahead. I always find it so silly that I do this only at the start of the new year, but there is something so refreshing about a new start. There is also something so comforting about knowing your not alone ion your endeavor to resolve various elements of your life as this has become a cultural tradition of our generation. 

I've also done a lot of thinking and reflection on the simplicity of strengthening my own self awareness. One way I have found the ability to do this is through understating why I choose the keep the company that I keep. By understanding this I am better enabled to tune into what it is that I enjoy and how I can simply strive to be my ideal self by being the self that I myself would enjoy. 

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This reminds me of the golden rule... "do unto others as you would have done unto you." But we also often forget to "do unto you as you would have done unto others." The resolutions are brewing and I am consistently more and more blissful about the marvelous company I've been blessed enough to keep and also efforts towards bettering the company that I give myself.

2012... I'm comin' for you.

sugar plums & spiced rums,

B's Top 10 Books... Baby it's cold outside...

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…and whenever that’s the case all I want to do is crawl under my down comforter with a mug of tea and a good book in hand. I have the reading fever right now so I’m currently lost in the middle of Room, The Happiness Project, Other People’s Children & The Hunger Games. This splendid book hugging got me thinking about my favorite books. Some are favorites because they have simply entertained me, some have tipped my perspective on life, and some just put a nostalgic grin on my face when I hear the title. None-the-less I offer to you my top 10 list of favorite books (simple books, but significant to me)…

The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom): I remember reading this book years ago and feeling so enlightened about life. I am always making the effort to be conscious of my every interaction with people, no matter how grand or petit they are. No other book I have ever owned has been dog-eared, highlighted and tabbed as much.

Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell): I first read this book in the 4^th grade and picked it up again two summers ago. There is limited dialogue which I was surprised to be entertained by but I enjoyed it just as much as I had in 4^th grade. This beautiful story was the perfect read for a warm summer’s night…. I refused to fall asleep until I had finished it.

Letter to my Daughter (Maya Angelou): My mom sent me this for Valentines Day two years ago and I couldn’t get to a cozy seat and fold the cover back fast enough. I absolutely LOVE this book (my favorite passage: Commencement). Maya Angelou’s words consistently warm a small place of my heart and have a direct impact on my daily actions and reflections.  

Helter Skelter (Vincent Bugliosi): I must confess, I am fascinated by fear. I love sharks, dark nights, and criminal minds. What better entertainment than 700+ pages of investigation from the Manson Murders? Helter Skelter doesn’t miss a beat- from the history of Charles Mansion’s upbringing to the prosecuting attorney’s lengthy case of evidence I was completely consumed.  

The Shack (William P. Young): My mom gave me this book a few years ago and said to me “It’s weird, but I know you’ll like it.” Sure enough it was the right kind of weird for me. As someone who identifies as faithful rather than religious I absolutely loved the spiritual insight in this book.  I felt so enlighten and intrigued, this is one book that I can honestly say changed my life at an internal capacity.

Tao Te Ching, The Book of the Way (Lao Tzu): I was enlightened by Taoism after I read The Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff) and adopted quite the craving to learn more. While this is a quick read there is so much to learn from the simplicity of the scripts and the truth of the words. I often keep this within reach and pull it out when I’m looking for something to provoke thought or settle my mind.

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee): While I haven’t read this since my freshman year of high school I’m still pleasantly haunted by the good soul of Atticus Finch and often find myself asking WWAD (What Would Atticus Do?)… I must reread this gem in the not-so-distant future.

The Four Agreements (don Miguel Ruiz): Yes it’s a “self-improvement” book but I love this it and what I have learned form it. I’ve blogged about it before (along with 28 Days to a More Magnetic Life another FAVORITE of mine) but could not let it miss the list. I love the agreements and how “tangible” they are and applicable to apply to your life.

Something Blue (Emily Giffin): Emily Giffin is my favorite author. Her writing is so relatable; I can easily connect with so many of the characters and experiences in all of her books. Something Blue has been my favorite yet. It’s the sequel to Something Borrowed and if you’ve read/seen Something Borrowed you must get Something Blue in your hands to find out what happens next. I also love the reminder that every person hosts the ability to grow and change through self realization and that there are always two sides to every story.

Mythology (Edith Hamilton): In high school we read Edith Hamilton’s version and in college I studied the generic text book but none-the-less I am a self classified Greek Mythology geek (I also have two Mythology Bowl championships from college to back up that proclamation as well).  I love the characters, the stories, the lessons, and everything else in between. I love pulling out these tales on a rainy day and relating them to my own adventures.

& I'd love to hear yours....

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Blogging from bed…

& I'm Back Again

Phew. Life got a little bit crazy there for a moment... here's how it went down, according to my iPhone....

I spent some time in San Fransisco and all over the fine state of New Mexico...

...In New Mexico I spent time with my college sorority sisters, former students, and crowned the new Miss New Mexico USA (who is FABULOUS by the way...) and now I'm officially a retired pageant queen and humbled by my generous experiences. Nothing tops spending time with the people I most adore (*college friends, pageant friends, family, and my former preschoolers).

Good company in New Mexico.

Then I took a road trip to Denver with my Tulsa crew to spend Thanksgiving with my family (& gatos... purrrr). I loved seeing my family, touring the Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma and coming to know even further how blessed I am to have Mike, Ryan, and Maile in my life here in Oklahoma.

...and now here's life.

I thought I'd never unpack all of my luggage remnants and get my loft back in order... but sure enough I did and even decked the halls with some festive lights. Life feels controlled again.

I also thought I'd never get back to Happy Brittany... but I've had major withdrawals and forgot who I was without it. Well I'm back and fired up, I have lots of new posts just waiting to be published and I'm more equipped to make Happy Brittany a lifestyle rather than a hobby and I'm excited to hear from you all and share more & more adventures. Live to learn and learn to live.

 See you tomorrow gems...

.

Oh.... and I spent Sunday night in Tyler, TX.... but that's a tale for a future time. *wink