Sync!

Hi There!!!

Tonight kicks off SYNC 2015

I am pumped.

Today Faithy is out at a kick starters class, so I have free time to do whatever I want really. So naturally I start by blogging. What do you expect right?!?

Sometime today, I am going to meet up with my friend Whitney! YAY

She and her family just moved a few months back. Im super excited about seeing her and her daughter sweet Charlee Bea. CB is the cutest thing. Swear by it. 

So from what Faith tells me, I should probably really enjoy today while I can because things get crazy from the moment the conference actually starts. 

I love new things. I'm so excited to honestly just be in the same breathing space as other creatives. Sometimes working for yourself...from home can be lonely, especially as artists. All of our creativity feeds off of each other and its something I miss terribly about working in the same room as Faith, as well as Frannie, Chris, Melissa, Donnie, Etc. Sometimes its trouble too haha :) But I have really realized how much it does make a difference creatively to surround yourself with creative people. Otherwise, it can make it easier to become the norm. And dear God, I don't want that....at all!!!

So yeah! Its going to be a fun filled next few days.

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS

bye now

B's

Claire!

Here is a new illustration for you!

This is my friend Claire. When Claire saw my ibB Fasion Kiddo illustrations, she left a comment that said, " ummm I am not a child but I would LOVE to commission you to do one of these for me!" So of course I just had to do one of her. Plus she's super fashionable, a really cool gal, and Pretty!!

This was FUN!

I hope you all enjoy.

tootles

bB***

Family Time & Epic Time

Hey Hey!!! A freaking fun and very blessed weekend is what I have had.

Here are a few photos from all of my fun. 

Here's the run down.

1. I got my hair cut Friday. I have the best boss who recommended Aleesha Crowe to me. THANK YOU FAITH. I now have my own hair stylist in Florence FINALLY after eight long years! haha

2. My jewelry on my counter was a mess...but it sure was a beautiful and pretty mess.

3. My Rae Rae Surprised me. I knew my mom and my auntie were coming to florence to visit me but I had no idea that my sweet Raeghan was coming. When I opened my door and her smiling face was standing there, my heart got SO happy. Gosh I just love that girl and glad she's BACK to Raeghan!!!

We went out to dinner. We had the Pie Factory. It was Awesome!

We talked and talked and talked about life and everything that is changing. I don't know what I would do without my family. They mean more to me than anything. I trust their advice and always take it to heart. 

4. Raeghan ducking in the back seat hiding while her mom was embarrassing her. GAH those two are hilarious. 

5. Late last night I found Dirty Dancing on T.V. Oh Patrick you are stunning. 

& Nobody puts baby in the corner. 

6. I got to do Zombie makeup today at church. I LOVE Epic. Like seriously I don't  think I could ever put into words how thankful I am that God led me to Epic that random Sunday when I was probably at the lowest point in my spiritual life. I was deep deep down in the dumps discouraged and ready to throw in the towel. I never ever imagined finding a place where I not only would find a church, but a church filled with his presence, filled with people who seek only his presence, a place where I have a FAMILY, a place where I have made some of the best friends I could ever have prayed for... I could go on and on and on. 

As always, God has showed me that if I just trust him with every single direction of my life, he will be faithful and he will put everything in my life that I NEED. {not want..but NEED.Huge difference}

So see. I've had a pretty fantastic weekend and sure hope you have too.

Be back later

B's

OH and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

my day was made today! I was grabbing some coffee at church this morning after I finished up zombiefying the Kelleys. As I was getting my coffee that sweet lady that was serving the cafe, said "I just love reading your blog." and it made my heart so incredibly happy.

You all have no idea how much that makes me want to cry. It means the world to me when someone enjoys my little space here. I've kept this blog going for quite some time now. I started out doing it just so my family would feel connected to my life while I was away for school. I had no idea what a huge impact my little blog would have on my life. It has become part of my being and I am so grateful for all of you who read it and continue to support what I love doing. 

Thank you all so much!!!

Spicy Cola Chicken

Hey there! If you have been reading my blog for a good bit, you probably already know that Chicken {&spicysalmonrolls} is the only thing that stands between me & vegetarianism. So, I think it's safe to say, I l o v e chicken. Like most people, I don't like to eat the same ole chicken, cooked the same ole way all the time. I am always looking for new {h e a l t h y} ways to give a new spin on some chicken!

Here is a delicious new recipe 

SPICY COLA CHICKEN

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 Chicken Breasts

1 Cup of Ketchup

1 Can Diet Coke {or Coca Cola, or Dr. Pepper, or Pepsi, Etc.}

1Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

WHAT YOU DO:

In a bowl, mix Ketchup, Coke and Pepper Flakes all together. Set aside. Place Chicken Breast in a Crock-Pot then pour the Cola Mixture over the chicken making sure the chicken is completely covered with the mixture. Pop the lid on, now let this cook away for a good four or five hours. 

After the chicken is cooked thoroughly,  remove the chicken from the Crock-Pot and put in a square casserole dish. It doesn't have to be a big rectangular one. Now, shred the chicken using a fork. This should be very easy because the chicken should be very tender at this point. After the chicken is shred, pour the sauce from the Crock-Pot over the chicken and mix together to coat all of the chicken in the cola sauce. and thats it! You're donezo!!

Serve the chicken over your favorite rice!

This chicken is fantastic with Wild Rice, but you can serve it with whichever rice ir your favorite OR you can eat it solo. 

It's absolutely delicious and come on, does it get anymore simple?!?

I put mine in the crock-pot over my lunch break and let it cook the rest of the day while I was at work and while I went to work out.

It's great to come home to a meal that is almost finished cooking!

If you give this recipe a try, please let me know what you think.

OH and HAPPY FRIDAY! So glad its the weekend.

Bye now, 

B's

Overwhelmingly

I just had an INSANE vision for my new series of paintings.

In the middle of 2011, right before my 23rd Birthday, I was really hurt by someone who I trusted with everything in me. I was completely blindsided and never saw it coming. If I'm being completely transparent right now, that situation had a lot more of an effect on me than I ever played out. I'm pretty good at pushing things to the back of my mind and pretending they didn't exist.

The previous five years before that, I had been at the TOP of my creativity level and I felt like I was just beginning. Those five years prior I had spent in the company of this person while I was creating, creating, creating. He saw my work from conception to birth and I thought he was my number one fan...and at the time, I know he truly was. No question. But people change, people grow apart. We had done both.

Since then, I have been in this struggle with creativity. I guess somewhat as a defense mechanism, I had put up a block, scared to be back at that place that I was. You know a "creativity-block" just like "writers-block" that you hear writers talk about. Artists have that same problem every once in a while. I read something the other day that said, "When life sucks, don't pretend that it doesn't - but make sure the sucky-ness has a limited shelf life." Just what I needed to read. The shelf life of this Creativity-Block is WAY out of date and is being thrown out. I've been reading, digging, and burying my head in inspiration and I am finally reaping the benefits of those late nights and early mornings. {thankthelord} I feel like my creativity pot is boiling now and soon will be bubbling over. This is who I used to be. The Brianna that I know. That I am. 

Here are a few things that are at the top of my ways to stay inspired list:

. Share your smile, and most likely you will get one back in return . make eye contact . cook . write an inspiring word, then write your own definition of that word . have a pen pal, or two or three . be kind and help, share, give, motivate others . be confident . Surround yourself with like minded {creative} people or just some very good company for that matter . and make fried pickles with them .

Thanks for stopping by and STAY INSPIRED. 

bB***

"...at the end of this rope and I'm letting it go."

hey hey 

I've been reading a whole lot lately.

AND the best thing about that is I've been more motivated and inspired than I have been since I moved here. I don't know why it has taken me so long to get back into my creative thinking and being. Where have I been over the last year. 

I've always thought I was pretty good at change and getting in the groove of new things, but over the past year I have had a hard time. I haven't been able to put my finger on exactly what has been in my way and I don't know that I ever will know. But what I do know is that personally, I have come to the very end of this rope and I'm letting it go. I'm over being complacent. I'm over being average. I'm over thinking inside of this box of normality. I'm getting back to the heart and soul of everything I have ever worked so hard for. 

What have you worked hard for? What are you awesome at? Is something standing in your way of being the best at what you do? Is it doubt? Is it certain relationships? Is it your current job? If so, join me in demolishing it. Get rid of it and do what you were created to do. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake up when I am 50 and say what if I would have... I don't want to be that person. So I refuse to be.

Sleep on this, and wake up tomorrow with DRIVE. MOTIVATION. and PASSION to live the life you've always wanted.

The life you desire is absolutely doable. believe and know you can make it happen.

bB***

Chili-Lime Southwest Wraps

Chili-Lime Southwest Wraps {turned healthy}!

The lovely Paula Dean has a WONDERFUL Recipe for Southwest Wraps.

Here is {Paulas} Recipe: 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt •1TBS Lime Juice •1 TSP Chili Powder •3 Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken {see recipe} • 1 Can Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles {Drained} • 1 Can Whole-Kernel Corn, {Rinsed & Drained} • 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro • Whole Wheat Tortillas

For the Shredded Chicken you will need 1 pack of Fresh Chicken Tenderloin Strips and a pack of Taco Seasoning. To make the shredded chicken is super simple! Just boil the chicken tenders until they are thoroughly cooked. let cool...After they are cool enough to touch, shred the chicken with a fork and knife. Place the shredded chicken in a pan on medium heat. Pour a 1/4 cup water over the chicken and the taco seasoning packet. you can use half the packet....but I like using the entire thing. I also buy the hot one;) I love spicy food!! mix well and thats it!

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, combine the greek yogurt, lime juice, and chili powder. Stir in the Chicken, tomatoes, beans, corn, and cilantro. Now fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture {about a spoonful} rollup the tortilla, and cut in half. You can secure the tortilla rolls with a tooth pick!

OH btw, there are a few things I altered from the PD recipe. She uses Mayo instead of Yogurt. She also uses flour tortillas rather than whole wheat!

These will be a GREAT recipe for any football party or tailgating you are having:) FUN TIMES! I know Frances & her man are having somewhat of a football get together this weekend....this would be a fantastic and impressive little dish Francelina!

Well I'm off to get dressed for work.

Happy Wednesday everyone. AND please share any football tailgating recipes yous have:)

Bye now

bB***

Eye

Carolina Herrera made my saturday morning with her beautifully said TRUTH. It's just so good to hear such a successful designer speak of the exact thing that has always driven me mad. It was also encouraging to read everything she had to say about simply having an EYE...a God gifted eye, not something that was learned through class after class after class. Simply having an eye. Such an encouraging reminder!

It's going to be a GREAT saturday. week. month. year for me. 

Happy happy saturday loves!

B's

Black White & Billy Jean

Just a few Black  Whites from my reuniting with my sweet babies. I finally got to go see sweet Katy Bug & Harps at Frannies house this week! Harper has gotten SO big and hejust cuddles cuddles cuddles. It was the sweetest thing.

I love those babies so much:) and the entire Adams fam. I've missed being around them as much as I was before I moved!

LOVE YOU ADAMS FAMILY, Yall are too sweet to me! ♥

So as a parting song....here is my friend Justin playing Billy Jean as Swampers in Florence, Alabama. Such a fun time. Justin is super talented and swampers is such a cool atmosphere. I love it! Watch! and ENJOY!

Bysie for now my friends.
B's

Etsy Shop Love

Stop by ArtLab on Etsy!

She has the coolest {edgy} merchandise.

i am loving all the scarves and it makes me ready for fall...NOT winter! FALL!!!

What do you think of my selections. Arent they super cool!?!? I do believe so. My favorite happens to be the nomad Scarves. So so soooo awesome. I have a newly found obsession with screen prints.

Bye for now.

bB**

Underestimated

Sunday afternoon, I went and had some asian food with my long time friend Will. Will & I have known each other our entire lives basically and he was one of my best friends all through High School. When they brought our checks of course they brought us fortune cookies. Usually I open them, halfway read them and laugh because they are usually pretty silly. This one however, really struck a chord.

Since Sunday I've been thinking about how I view myself. Just to be honest, I have zero confidence in my talents and I underestimate myself too often. I know they saying we are our own worst critic, and its such a true statement, but for me...I do nothing to critique myself on. I'm just wasting my talent doing the same thing day in and day out. just over and over and over again. And who's fault is that? No ones but mine!

I think the problem is that the goals I set are so easy for me to achieve. I set goals that I know I can accomplish....Yes, when you set goals you should set realistic ones, but they should at least be challenging. Mine aren't and thats no ones fault but my own simply because I underestimate the things I can do, and I am terrified of failure. Again, just wasting talent because of fear. It's ridiculous. I really need to re-evalute my life and the plan that GOD has for me. Somehow I've run off thinking I can do this myself...my own way and guess what, I can't. I want Gods plan for my life, not Brianna's. So whatever that is, I'm ready and willing to do whatever I need to.

"...Everything is possible for one who believes." - Mark 9:23

"...What is impossible with man, is possible with God." Luke 18:27

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose." Romans 8:28

I am praying for a new confidence in myself and confidence in the talents that God has given me. He gave them to me for a reason and it wasn't to sit them aside and let them collect dust. Thanks for letting my get a few things off my chest and thanks so much for reading and loving me:)

bB***

HAPPY MONDEY

Hey Friends!!! It was the BEST monday.

Work was so fun. Didn't stop all day...only long enough to have a great lunch break at City Hardware. I might or might not have crashed some major "Bro Time". 

After lunch I didn't stop...at all. 

Tonight was such a blast.

We celebrated sweet Raney's Birthday at the Skate Center:)

Nice good work out haha. Helping kids skate takes skating to a completely different level.

After skating we hit up Miami Ice.

Love Love LOVE the people God has put in my life!

b l e s s e d beyond.

I have school work to finish up!

B's

AWESOME week!

Umm can you say AWESOME week?!? Yep I do believe so.

I was a little overwhelmed at the beginning of the week with so so sooo much work. I might have had a few breakdowns. Thank GOD I work with my best friend in the entire world. Frances understands it. So, she can talk me through anything that might be driving me insane on a stressful busy day!

Wednesday was the B O M B. 

About an hour before my break, I hear the door to PSI open.

From my computer in the very back of the store, all I could see was a silhouette of a very familiar hat.

THE BEST SURPRISE EVER.

J came to see me!!!

He's so stinkin precious. I just love him to death! I didn't want him to leave. gah. BUT he'll be back in  TWO weeks for Handy Fest. <3<3

P r e c i o u s Guy!

Thursday was BUSYBUSY helping Frannie Mae get ready to go off and stock PSI up with some fantastic Merch! She is gone to the Gift Market in Atlanta. 

She has sent me some pictures of GREAT things that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Well I dont know what the plans for the weekend are...Homework, illustrations, and hanging with friends is what I am thinking. 

OH and meeting Baby Charlee Bea Tomlin and visiting her momma and daddy!!!

HEY incase I haven't said this in a while 

I am B L E S S E D beyond belief. 

HAPPY WEEKEND FRIENDS.

B's

i love artsists

The Brilliant Vincent Van Gogh is very motivating at the moment.

p.s. I miss Dr. Kirch's class and studying these brilliant minds.

sigh.

bysie for tonight!

B's

GREAT start

YAY for Saturdays!

My weekend started off pretty awesome.

Just chilled with this handsome guy.

It was MUCH needed. He's too much fun:)

Today it's a pool day! 

& tonight I'm going to hear John & Jacob play in Birmingham.

Yeah buddy. awesome day ahead. 

Can't wait until tonight either!

alrighty I'm off for the pool.

B's

TOP TWO: Lover + Friends

Hi hi hiiii

It's notw time for sometop two love and 

this week TOP TWO is all about Lovers + Friends

Here are my looks for this week

NUMEBR ONE

Because I'm Addicted Dress.

This dress is super sophisticated and pretty. I love the length...although the length on the model and the length on this shawty would be completely different. It might actually reach my ankles. 

NUMBER TWO

Bombshell Blazer in snakeskin is a Fantastic way to make casual a little bit more fancy. I am head-over-heels for the colors in this blazer. so great!

And you know I always have more than JUST two.

Heres my bonus

Call me Crop Heart Tank! I love this whole look. She is STUNNING. The shirt is simple and cute. THE SHORTS., I LOVE!!!

Well those are my top two (and bonus) for this week!

What are your favorite look of the week?

bB***

Top Two!

oopsie! I miss TOP TWO on Tuesday!

Better late than never...

Top Two this week is about Ruche<3

NUMER ONE

The Oregon Road Trip Striped Cardigan

NUMBER TWO

Never Alone Striped Sweater in Olive!

Both of these entire looks are totally, well, ME! ha. I adore them.

And how perfect is it that in the last look she is hold a canvas. Melt my heart.

What are your top picks from Ruche?

Share away.

bB***

Father Daughter Time!

Tonight I have a FASTHER DAUGHTER Banquet with the best dad ever!!!

I am SUPER excited. Last year there wasn't a FDB for some weird reason and I hated that we didn't get to go!

So this year:) We are having one and I can't wait to dress up and have FUN with my dad!

This year is a western theme!!!! Here are a few inspirations for tonight;) Enjoy.

OBSESSED with all of these looks!

Can't wait Can't wait Can't wait to get ready for tonight.

Happy Saturday Love Bugs

bB***

First FUN weekend of June...{my birthday month}

Happy Monday to you my friend!

I had a fun weekend in Huntsville with Frances. We went to stay at her Boys.

We worked worked worked until our hearts were content.

On Saturday we went to an amazing a m a z i n g wedding dress shop in Huntsville called White Dresses. There selection was to die for. And of COURSE my favorite dress was a stunning Marchesa. Go figure!

No no this wasn't the Marchesa, BUT it was the dress in the mane window and I loved how unique the stripes were....and you know me and stripes.

This dress is by Hayley Paige.

Later on Saturday we went shopping for random stuff. BUT we ended up going to this random restaurant...kind of on a whim. It was called Rolos Cafe.

OH MY LORD it was delicious and I can't wait to go back!

I got a side salad and homemade veggie soup! I forgot to snag a pic of the soup before I ate it! oopsy! Frances had the Cobb Salad! 

The croutons...perfect! And believe me I know a good crouton!

We ended Saturday with a movie! We watched side effect and it was such such SUCH a great movie.

That was my Saturday in a nutshell. SO much fun!

tootles for now

B's