BriannaGlenn's Blog - Yardbarker

22
Sep
Running of the Brides

About a month ago I went on the craziest, wildest, most extreme hunt for a wedding dress I've ever been a part of. Unfortunately, the dress search wasn't my own; or for any of my close friends or family for that matter. I was down in Boston at Filene's basement event where thousands of women from all over the world come to find their dream dress at bargain prices. Bulls have nothing on these ladies. And one lucky bride, Shann, had been chosen to be a part of this with help from the Rachael Ray show. That's where I came in…a tie in to the Olympic Games and her own personal "runner" to help her find her perfect dress. It was madness as I've never seen before but in the end she found her dress and all was good in the world.

The episode aired today and while I knew in advance it was going to be on, I hesitated on putting out the bulletin beforehand. There was a chance it was going to be extremely cheesy and embarrassing and I didn't know just how much of the 7 HOURS OF SHOOTING!!! would be aired. Luckily it was edited down to maybe five minutes with minimal speaking parts on my behalf and just a few gratuitous shots of me running around in a sports bra. Slightly cheesy? Yes. But not my most embarrassing public appearance to date. If you watch the clip you will notice that they call me Brianne and that they refer to me as a National Championship Runner, or something along those lines. I told them not to use "Olympic Runner" as was there preference and the other title is what they came up with instead. It really makes no sense but I'm sure only a few people on the planet will notice that.

Overall it was a fun experience and I had the opportunity to help someone find the dress of their dreams all while fighting with and stomping over other Bridezillas in the process. Not bad for a day's work.

I found the clip on the Rachael Ray site so if anybody is interested in viewing my television debut, please CLICK HERE
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22
Sep
Picture of the week: vacation album

I will tell this story with pictures...because lord knows I have enough of them...so many in fact, that I have been sitting here deciding just how long I could keep people's attention when all I'm doing is changing outfits and changing my bathing suit. This vacation was far from being jammed packed with adventure. We had ideas of adventure to be sure, but laying around doing nothing turned out to be much more enjoyable. I figured pictures of the amazing hotel as well as the beaches and pools without my mug in them could be found on the internet, so I always like to include a person (namely myself) to jazz it up a bit.

The hotel we stayed at Me by Melia, was an absolutely fabulous hotel. Here is a view of our room and a view of our view--which I am proud to say saved us a few hundred bucks since we chose to look at water without waves (the lagoon) versus water with waves.

Now let's take a look at my bathing suit options with there respective backdrops. (the pool and the beach)

I happen to be partial to this particular shot for reasons obvious to probably everyone. This is by the pool the first day when we realized the sheer genius of renting one of these fabulous beds with thatch roofs for the day and doing nothing except laying there and occasionally taking a dip in the pool

This little blue number is the kind of suit that is only suitable for vacations and really should be worn with a coverup over it unless you are actually going in the water. It only gets worn in places not on American soil.

Me...in a bathing suit. That's about it.

You see that dot there? That's me. The ocean is competing with me here so you really can't make out the infamous red bathing suit I'm wearing. But I this the ocean deserved this great pic and I probably just ruined it.

A few shots in the infinity pool...

I never tire of taking shots in these pools because they always look so amazing. I will spare you the other 5323 that we took though...

And our one day excursion we managed to fit in out there was jet skiing. Nikkie is a bit of scaredy cat so I was the driver but I think she enjoyed herself just hanging on for dear life back there.

At night we tried to change our outfits enough to justify the overflowing suitcases we brought. But we still came home with probably five outfits unworn. Here are just a few because I'm sure I am losing your attention by now.

One thing we did realize though...is that we are a little on the mature side for Cancun nightlife. So we didn't do any spring break style partying. We just found reasons to get dressed up and enjoyed the company of mainly each other.

So that is my vacation in a nutshell. I had a great time, I was with a great friend, and I took great pictures. :)
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22
Sep
A message to my readers...

I am a known hothead. My buttons are not only visible; they light up, rotate, and have their own personal buzzer to alert others where to push. This is not news to anyone who knows me. I am not the silent type, and life does not seem complete if I do not have the last word on any subject that is close to my heart…or close to my orbit for that matter. I am known to possess an inordinate amount of stubbornness and as I'm sure my friends and family can attest to, it is not one of my best qualities.

All of this to say that I know that there are times that people write things simply to get a rise out of me. And against my better judgment, I give it to them. And in this growing mix of people who don't see the point in thinking anything I do is worth writing about and yet still take the time to read and comment, and those who come out of left field and add nothing to the conversation, and those who are simply just morons, I find myself directing way too much energy where it isn't needed. I prefer that people stop by for positive reasons and because they see a benefit in doing so. If you don't, that is totally okay but please know that you can leave quietly, without so much as a peep to let me know you were here. I know I have no control over this but I have to think that it serves no real purpose to waste moments of your life subjecting yourself to something you find bothersome.

Furthermore, I would like for the focus of my blog to not keep drifting away from its intended purpose. I assume people stop by to read about what's going on in my life and there is no reason for anyone to think they are getting something different. I write about my life because that is what I know. I do not claim to be the most interesting, to have the hardest struggle, to be the most accomplished, to have the best writing skills, to be deserving of this or that. And I really don't think it's fair that I constantly have to go on the defensive for sharing my story with the few of you who continue to have problems with it.

So since I'd like to continue this blog for a little while longer because it is something I find enjoyment in, I am going to try and rid it of the things that take away from that pleasure. I don't want to be annoyed every time I read my comments. I don't want my friends and family to have to go off on folks for being ignorant and not respecting that at the end of the day this is my way of simply sharing my experience with those who care. I know it's not a good look for me to be combative and I don't think it adds anything except getting me fired up for no good reason. This is a free world but at the end of the day it is MY blog. I know I am speaking to the minority but I felt it needed to be said before it got out of hand. To everyone else, I truly do appreciate the moments you spend here and I hope that you continue to do so.

***The comments will be moderated for the foreseeable future...I don't mind thoughtful differences of opinion or respectful disagreements, but the other stuff does not have a place. Anyone is free to contact me directly by email and say whatever your heart desires if you choose to put a name to the thought.
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22
Sep
Ten Years Later...

THEN...

High school was a great time for me. I had an amazing group of friends and we made the most of the four years spent together, making memories that would last a lifetime. To say we were involved might very well be the understatement of the century. The six of us had a hand in virtually everything that went on in that school. If there was something to be president of, captain of, member of, or queen of, we were all over it. The Bomb Squad, our self-appointed moniker, was a force to be reckoned with. We made our way onto the Senior lists being voted Ms. LMHS, best athlete, best body, most original, most likely to be famous, and most resourceful. And while those inconsequential titles don't mean much after graduation day, it's funny to see just how closely most of us have maintained those same attributes that were evident back then.

But here is the great part. I am immensely proud of all the things the ladies I grew up with have accomplished and the beautiful women they have become, but it brings me greater joy to be able to have had the opportunity to experience it all first hand. I can go listen to my best friend speak to hundreds of captivated women, I can turn on the T.V. and see her singing and dancing her heart out, I can watch the Olympics and see her rule the world, I can see her grow a business through sheer will and determination...all of it is inspiring but it's tenfold because it is happening to my favorite people in the world. These ladies have become my family. And while it's often true that the friendships you have in high school drift apart over the years as people change and grow in opposite directions, we have all become cornerstone's in each other's lives. We became best friends in high school and as we have matured as individuals, our friendship has grown as well.

Last week the five of us got together for lunch and marveled at where all the time has gone. This past weekend was our 10 year high school reunion and while we all have done many amazing things in this span of time since high school, it still blows my mind that it's been ten years since prom, since cheering at football games, since dressing up for spirit days, since first loves and first heartbreaks, since the beginning of friendships that will most surely last a lifetime.

There are many times when I sit back in wonder at what we've all become and just how grown we really are. We don't seem grown. At least not to me. Sure, among us there are a couple of husbands, a kid, prosperous businesses, gold medals, singing careers, passports with a million stamps on them, etc. But get us together in the same room and it feels like just us. The us from back in the day at La Mirada High School. The us from the hundreds of pictures I have overflowing out of my photo albums. This same group of girls who sat together in the quad and dreamed about their successful futures are the same women that I look at now living out their dreams. So while reunions are a nice way to see those who helped shape your high school years, I am lucky enough to have those who shaped mine the most in my life on a consistent basis to remind me of who I am and to help me to always strive to be better.

NOW...
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18
Sep
Running of the Brides

About a month ago I went on the craziest, wildest, most extreme hunt for a wedding dress I've ever been a part of. Unfortunately, the dress search wasn't my own; or for any of my close friends or family for that matter. I was down in Boston at Filene's basement event where thousands of women from all over the world come to find their dream dress at bargain prices. Bulls have nothing on these ladies. And one lucky bride, Shann, had been chosen to be a part of this with help from the Rachael Ray show. That's where I came in
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