Fell in love...

Ok so don't worry...pigs aren't flying...I'm not getting married or going on a date for that matter! :P It's just my catchy title to show off my cutie-patootie nephew! He's one big reason I was so excited about coming back from Greece. And since that's pretty much what everyone does on a blog, is show off babies, I figured this is the closest I'm going to come for a while. So...here's Sawyer, who just turned 1 on Oct. 4th. Poor Sawyer had colic for 6 months of his baby life and I left right when he was getting rid of it, so to me he's a totally different baby. So happy, happy now! He's grown so much while I was gone and totally developed a personality. He's crawling, pulling up on everything and loves, loves going up the staircase at my mother's house and eats any food you put in front of him! He's got 2 dimples but the second one only shows when he's super happy.

He looks like a little bit of everyone in our family i think. He definitley has my sister's coloring, pale skin, gray-blue eyes, blonde hair (for now at least). But some days I think he looks like my BIL's mom and like my Dad, probably b/c of the dimples. And on a good day, like his auntie Brandi but that's mostly me who sees that! haha! I have been helping my mom a lot with Sawyer since she keeps him 1/2 the week. My favorite thing is when I go get him up from his nap and he gives me this sleepy, dimple smile like "oh yeah I forgot Aunt Brandi's here, i'm so excited she's getting me out of this bed to play!" He is seriously has me smitten!! And I'm already the cool Aunt Brandi who gives him sugar his mother doesn't! HAHA! Added a few pics, he's gonna be a guitar for Halloween but his skeleton onsie is just too cute, especially with Brooke's rainboots. Love him!!!

Brother & Sisterly love!

Ok, so sadly I've been watching too much TV lately. Now mostly there's only reality TV that junks the tube, which don't get me wrong some days I love. But my true, true love is Brothers & Sisters!!! Seriously, I started watching this show on the second episode to ever come out and I fell in love immediately. If you've never watched it I would totally suggest checking it out one Sunday night. However, there are so many family memebers it's kinda hard to figure it all out. But the characters are all wonderfully played by many famous actors, like Sally Fields, Calista Flockheart and Rob Lowe.

The family dynamics are just so amazing. I guess the thing I love the most is that one moment you're laughing and the next you're crying. One of the better written shows I've seen in years. I don't think I've loved a show this much since Friends. Anyways...just got done watching it and felt the need to let the world know that I love, love it!!! :) Hope you all got to enjoy a great show this week!

Right on Target

Ok so this is totally random b/c the real post i'm working on i'm having trouble getting my thoughts together. So instead y'all get a special of the week at Target!!! As most of y'all know the lovely new Target off 150 is open. Being inspired by Brooke's blogging about it, I decided to give it a whirl...attempting not to spend money of course...just look! Luckily none of the clothes tickled my fancy. However, I was looking for a small gift for my sister. And voila, I found it! GLOVES!
Now i know this doesn't sound exciting but for me who's trying to not spend money this was fabulous because they were 2 pairs for $1.50. They had a hodgepodge of colors too and it was 2 pairs of them! So i got my sis the pair with a white and green set! I mean what an easy lil gift for someone you love. And to make my day even greater...they were only $1 when I checked out! Plus i mean how often do you wear gloves in Alabama so if you only wear them once you got your money worth! LOVES it!! :) Oh and don't tell my sis what's she getting for her b'day! hehe!
p.s. they are so cheap i couldn't even creep a picture of them off target.com b/c they aren't on there! ha!)

Budget living

Ok so, an issue that needs to be addressed here...my unemployment. So I'm not going to lie, I've been putting this whole real world reality thing off for a long time (a summer's worth obviously). I'm beginning to think I might have Adult ADD since I've not been able to focus on this whole job-hunting thing. But I'm sure my parents and many friends will be happy to tell me it's not ADD. Unfortunatley, I have very muddled feelings about what the heck I wanna do. Although I'm beginning to realize it might not be a matter of WHAT I want to do, so much as who the heck will hire me at all. Looking online and talking to a few friends I've realized how many people are not hiring and those that are I'm not so qualified for the jobs. So, yes....I'm slowly beginning to freak out...slowly.

One of the main reasons being the lovely budget. I have been blessed enough to be reciving unemployment, which is about almost $300 a week. (i have no shame in saying how much y'alls taxes give me weekly) However, I'm realizing how dang quickly that money goes away! Immediately with paying rent and bills..wow...I have like nothing left for the month. I guess I've just always taken advantage of the fact that I'd have a constant flow of money coming in. So even if my checking account got a little low when I bought a plane ticket or went on a shopping spree, I'd have money coming in the next week to not sweat it!

It's just soooo annoying that everything I want to do, everything, invovles money!!! It's so annoying to not even be able to go to Auburn without knowing that I'm going to drop at least $100, probably more by the time I pay for gas, eat out every meal, drinks and game ticket. So yes, obviously, I'm going to lose my social life and be eating beans (literally i bought black & pinto beans galore b/c they were the 2/1 at Publix last week) for many weeks. I'm beginning to join the coupon circle full force. And trying to talk my mom into taking me "back to school" shopping again! ha! Unfortunately, I got the bug for traveling, it's gonna be hard to budget w/ my Uncle Sam pay check but I'll figure it out.

So...if you hear of anything out there for a PR/Marketing/Education/Training/Anything cool, let me know! Also, if you know anyone who needs a babysitter I take cash and can still get my unemployment! haha! I continue to remind myself that there are so many more people in the same situation and most are much worse off with many more responsibilities than I. But gosh the Lord has spoiled me a lot in life, so it ain't easy!

My Last few hours @Pink Palace

So after 4 months of being at the Pink Palace (PP), it was finally time to head home. It was a bittersweet exit for me, considering all the amazing people and memories I'd made and the excitment I had for heading home. We had had a few other staff members leave before me and it's always a big to-do b/c everyone's sad and it was another reminder that the summer was coming closer and closer to an end!

My last night was on Saturday, which in PP terms Saturday night=Pink Toga Party night=best night of the week! So I knew it was giong to be fabulous no matter what! I was the first of the staff at reception to leave also. So that morning they made me do all my last things. Like when we had new arrivals I had to do the welcome spiel to them. (picture ABOVE) I had to rent the quads I had to do it all, which of course I loved and got so excited and sad to do for the last times! That afternoon I went to the beach to say goodbye and then had to go pack b/c i"d done none of that. My roomie Judie joined me and kept me entertained. My bag was freakin' huge too by the way! Then I went back to for my last evening of hours of work. I really didn't work I just flirted a lot and played at the reception bar! (what i normally do during my night time hours! hehe!)

Then towards the end of my shift I was eating a piece of bread & Haley grabbed it from my hand and threw it in the garbage and said " you don't want to go home fat, don't eat that" i was like WTF??? I knew something was up. Next thing I know I get pushed into the back room of reception where everyone yelled SUPRISE!!!! They had this awesome spread of food & drinks set up!! It had a cherry theme (inside PP joke!) with cherry cake, and Haley made chicken salad & homemade cheese straws b/c they're my favorite! Everyone came over and we had champagne. I gave a lovely rhyming speech about all my reception girls I work w/ and how much i love them, thanking them for everything.

As if that party wasn't enough...it was still Toga night. Every toga night Haley's fiance, Christo, does the Greek dancing there and every week they choose a different person to put in the middle to give a few Ouzo shots to and then break 8 plates on their head. Hard to explain kinda but it's a big fun thing for the guest,etc...So of course on my last night they choose me!! It's crazy, but fun! Then I was at the bar while they were cleaning all the plates off the dance floor and this really cute Australian guest came up & we were chatting and he was like "oh yeah I have a suprise for you, it's the first song that's gonna come on" I thought yeah right... (b/c the DJ never plays the songs you want him to) And what do you know, I hear....SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!! How great was he!!! He pulled me on the dance floor and all the staff surrounded me, it was truly one of the best moments of the pink palace summer! Then they played Fergalicious b/c my reception girls called me Brandalicious all summer. It was fabulous!!! The night continued forever!

Since I had to leave the PP at 5:30am for my flight...I just didn't go to sleep! haha! I stayed up all night with other guest and a few other fabulous staff members!!! I'll never be able to put into words how much every gesture that went on that night meant to me. But the whole day/night summed up my summer in the most perfect way...work that I loved in a strange way, people that I grew close to from around the world, partying with people i love, lots of super fun dancing and singing in pink togas...all on an island in Corfu, Greece! Oh and love lots of love in so many forms and fashions!!!

Back in Action...kinda

So in case you haven't seen or talked to me yet...I'm BACK! (in Alabama that is!) To be honest I have absolutely no idea even where to begin with this blogging lifestyle again but i'm just gonna push through. I have a feeling my blog might turn into lots of random stories from my summer abroad, over the course of time.

So, I've been back for a few weeks now and to be honest I'm having to take things slow. I knew it would be a lil different coming back home and the many differences but that's an understatment to what i felt. I literally was in a "pink bubble",as us fellow Pink Palace employees always joked about. (fyi-the hostel I worked at for 4 months was called the Pink Palace) Literally I ate, drank, worked (7days a week), played, slept and went out all at the Pink Palace. Now don't get me wrong, I ABSOLUTELY loved my summer and wouldn't change a thing about it. But coming back to Birmingham and facing the realities of responsibility that exist here, was a bit much. Not to mention the tons of little things like: i hadn't really "watched TV" in 4 months now i'm slapped with 100 options, driving a car after 4 months, sleeping late, having a weekend, air-condition bedrooms( our staff rooms had fans only). So those are just a few things that I've taken in and readjusted to...of course most of them are all fabulous readjustments, so not complaining, just having to reprogram my mind back to reality.

So I do admit I stalk a lot on facebook these days...just hunting for a photo album to relive my summer of fun in Greece! I"ve successfully found some untagged pictures of me and have loved looking back at all the faces I met over the 4 months. Some moments it still amazes me that I actually lived on a Greek island for a summer of my life and I LOVE IT!!!! I'll leave that as enough for now but I hope to stay more on top of my blog with stories from my amazing summer with pictures! I"m sooo gald to be back though and see everyone I love and catch up to life in the U.S.ofA!

Leaving on a jet plane

(sorry this is short and random b/c i have limited internet time and i'm trying to hurry)
Ok, so for those of you who haven't heard yet...it's official, i am actually going to come home! haha! I can't believe a whole summer has gone by with me being in Corfu, Greece! I always thought i knew the saying "time flies when you're having fun" but living here has put a whole new definition on that. I mean 1/2 of the things i don't remember but yet most of it seems just like yesterday. Also before you all ask for my day to day and every detail about my summer...remember i have the worst memory in the world!!! haha! but as haley keeps reminding me...it's all about the experience being here...and that is one thing i won't forget! no matter what i have new friends, new memories and new prespective on life overall, which i think will come in handy as i come back to reality of a jobless life at home! :( not looking forward to that job hunt!

I leave here on September 6th at 7am, fly to Brussels Belgium...random i know but it should be a cool city to see for 2 days! i'm excited about that! Then i leave September 8th and arrive in Bham around 6pm on the 8th! Everyone get excited! i have so many people to catch up with and see i wont' know where to start! when i finally get home i'll be putting up lots and lots of post and pictures! So everyone get excited about that! i miss my 24/7 internet access! ok gotta run...beach time! :) love to all!