Spoiler Alert: I’m Actually A Princess

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

Last night was a monumental night when it comes to sisterhood and my two best friends from town; we are all officially single! You would think at 23/24 years old we would be a little nauseous over the fact that we’re not about to be heading down an aisle, but that’s not the case. As my friend’s relationship ended last night, the other one joyfully said, “Welcome back to the fun zone!” Ain’t it the truth! So like the mature adults we are, we ordered pizza, popped some bottles, and turned on a 1959 classic; Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Less than 20 minutes into the movie we all realized how much we related to this tiny waisted, luscious locked, sings to animals, princess. Aurora was prancing around with her animal friends talking about the man of her dreams, “…he takes me in his arms, and then I wake up.” An instant, “same girl” came out of all our mouths. I began thinking, so in what other ways am I basically a Disney Princess?

So here are the ten reasons that every single 20-something year old is basically a Disney Princess.

#1) Enough said…

#2) It’s normal to dramatically throw yourself on the floor or nearest bed whenever you’re upset. The more dramatic, the better, the more princess like.

#3) When you need to get something from a dude, compliment him and look super pretty while doing it.

#4) It’s okay to see a guy one time and tell everyone you love him… even if he never saw you.

#5) Going to your pets for emotional support is completely okay.

#6) Getting a lot of unwanted advice from family members and friends because they don’t understand…

#7) …that you’re actually okay with being single.

#8) When you think you’ve met a guy who is “normal”… So your friends have to set you straight.

#9) Losing personal belongings when you’re leaving a party is actually pretty glamorous.

#10) But no matter what, you’re strong, don’t put up with crap and know that you are the most important person in your life.

28Oct2015

Rejection.

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

“You have rejection and you have to learn how to deal with that and how to get up the next day and go on with it.”

Rejection beautifully explained by my girl Taylor Swift. If someone as successful as T-Swift can grasp the concept of rejection, why can’t you and I?

For starters, it’s an ugly word. Reject; one definition literally means ‘to cast out, or eject; vomit’. Even worse, ‘to discard as useless or unsatisfactory.” Is that how we’re supposed to feel when we don’t get something we really work for and want? Like useless bile? No wonder a girl will lay in bed for days when her crush doesn’t ask her out, a guy break down when he doesn’t make the sports team, and High School students stop caring when his or her dream school says, “sorry, we don’t want you”. But what about that twenty-three year old who thought she found her dream job, successfully completed two interviews and then woke up to the “We would like to inform you, we found someone else” e-mail? I felt like my ex was breaking up with me all over again. “Be a man! Call me or say it to my face!” “I’m too good for this anyway!” “Is this really happening?” “Now what?” “I need a drink!” Truth be told, needing a drink applies to almost any situation in my life. Anyway, I asked myself, “Is it the rejection that’s upsetting me or the fear of the unknown?” I guess you really can’t have rejection without some sort of fear. After my five-minute freak out, yes it literally lasted five minutes, I was back on the job hunt.

Maybe it’s my super positive and super annoying attitude about life, or maybe it was all the rejection I have dealt with growing up. Never-the-less, I was fine. What would being upset and bitter do about the situation? Maybe it was the vino, but I started thinking, “well if I didn’t get this great job, I can’t wait and see what better opportunity God has for me”, “I’m only 23!” and in the words of a close friend, “You’re still pretty”. Take it from the queen of rejection, you’ll be fine. Life truly is full of ups and downs, but only you can decide what counts as an up and a down.

Honestly, life isn’t short. It’s the longest thing you’ll ever do. So, the next time you’re faced with rejection, pour yourself a glass, take a deep breath, look in the mirror, smile and say, “I’m super pretty”.

22Sep2015

Just A Little Update

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

Hey all! Just thought it was about time to update my “about me” 🙂

9-22-15 UPDATE

Emily Bracey, lover of everything in her life and so excited for what the future has in store. The past year has been a roller coaster. I went through some super low moments, but the one’s that were high were sky high. I have learned from all of those moments. It has taken 23 years, but I am finally completely satisfied, happy, and in love with the person I am and have become. Just a few days ago I was talking to my best friends about how blessed I am to call my group of friends ‘my best friends’. Yes, I have my super close, sister-like best friends. What I mean is, I have rid my life of all the fake, superficial, and anything and anyone who was bringing me down and or bringing negative energy into my life. One of my new favorite quotes, and possibly a future tattoo (sorry, mom):

“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”

Isn’t that beautiful? When I said it to a friend her initial instinct was, “oh is that about your ex?” and then I thought to myself, wow I never realized how that also applies to certain people in my life. To me, it’s about things always being okay because nothing is completely set in stone. If you are unhappy, make a change. But, unfortunately, sometimes you don’t realize how unhappy you are until you make that change. One big aspect of my life is my health. There are days where I can run miles and miles, but then for a few weeks I wont be able to get out of bed. Those days where I’m running outside, I feel so blessed to have that weight off my shoulder for the time being. I know I have blogged about this in the past, but I will always remember when my best friend told me to be selfish for once in my life. For my whole life, I always put others first. So yes, I have become a little selfish this past year because I have been focusing on me. That freedom is the best freedom. Something as simple as stating my opinion on, “where do you want to go for dinner?” is sometimes all it takes. School, oh school. I have been in this ‘real world’ now since May of 2014 and wow, that has done wonders. I have learned that not everything has to be perfect and it’s okay to mess up because that is how you learn in life. I truly feel sorry for those who also feel that way, I wish I would have figured that out sooner in life.

Yesterday I told my mom, “I would rather be struggling and happy than an emotional anxious wreck doing something I really don’t want to do anymore”. At this current moment, I’m not seeing living in NYC in my future, but that’s 110% fine with me. My dreams have changed since I graduated and I couldn’t be happier. Of course, me being me, I still want to do something in the fashion industry. I have decided to have my own brand and store. I’m going to start online and have it up and running hopefully by Thanksgiving 2015 and then when I’m older and decide where I want to settle down, I’ll open up a physical store. I want to be my own boss. I want to be able to travel and see my family.

Maybe in the next few years that will change again, but for the mean time I am the happiest I have ever been. I am me.

Please check out http://www.embraceablecreations.com

9Sep2015

Go Out Broke, Come Back Drunk

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

I would like to think that I am a girl of many talents, one of those talents are being single. It truly is a gift and I’m super good at it. I could get all gushy and tell you about how I have learned to love myself, blah blah blah, but I have more important information… How to get guys to buy you drinks without using brute force! I have three methods that work every time.

Method #1- This is all about timing and stalking your prey, as in the dude. Never go up to a guy who has a full drink, if you do, you’ll have to talk to him a lot more than necessary and who wants that? I use to ‘2’ rule. If there is less than two inches left in the glass, he still has time to get away and that would be a waste of your efforts. 2, that should be how many drinks he’s on, typically. If he’s on his 11th this trick doesn’t work so well because your man is about to be in a coma. Anyway, when he has two inches of his drink left in his glass or bottle is the perfect time to approach him. This works best with guys you don’t know very well, so you can do the basic introductions, “hi, how are you” ect. Let time do the rest and wait for him to finish his drink. Once he does, like the compulsive guy he is, he wont be able to stand with an empty drink for more than 3 minutes. He’ll say something like, “I need to get another drink” and 9/10 times that is followed by “do you want me to get you one?” or if you’re from an area like me the guy will awkwardly nod his head, look at your glass and say, “ya good?”

Method #2- If you like shots (and who doesn’t?) this one is for you! It’s pretty simple, like a guy’s brain. After midnight there is always that one guy who is too drunk and insists on buying all his friends shots. FIND HIM! Don’t come on too strong, he might think your eye contact is the start of a new relationship. When he’s at the bar ordering his shots, gently go up net to him making it look like you’re ordering another drink. Let’s get real, you’re not because you spent your drink money on the jukebox to play “Shake It Off” for the 5th time. Next, tap is arm or nudge him and say, “so which one is for me?” More than likely he’ll get nervous and actually think he offered to buy you a shot earlier because he’s so drunk. There ya go!

Method #3- Finally, I call this the Lindsey Method because I learned this from my best friend, Lindsey. She is a genius! It has a 100% success rate! (This works best at a busy bar) It’s almost like a combination of the two previous methods. Find a guy who is buying a drink by himself, for himself. If he is buying this for his girlfriend, I’m not responsible for her ripping your hair extensions out. Anyway, do not get his attention. Wait for that moment the bartender sets his drink down… and ya take it!

Cheers!

31Jul2015

Rants Of Retail Part One: Let’s Get Some Shoes

Posted in Rants of Retail by EmilyBracey

I love shoes. I love shoes way too much and I’m not that picky. I love flats, boots, heels, wedges, sandals, sneakers… you get it, I really love shoes. I probably spend no more than 15 minutes deciding whether to buy a pair or not. I rarely even try them on. When I see a pair I love I get a feeling inside that most girls my age get when they see their boyfriend or husband. (But who’s really winning here, shoe’s don’t talk back and are always there for you) Anyway, what I’m try to get at is, shoe shopping should be fun and easy, but lately I feel like I’m the only one who sees it that way.

Stores, 100% of the time, have a shoe on display with the other sizes either in the back or somewhere near by. Where I work we stack a size run in order and have a random size on top, because well, that’s what works for us. I guess It’s a super hard concept to understand tho because daily I will get a customer who picks up the one shoe on top and says “This is not my size, you don’t have my size”. The stack of boxes under that shoe is just there for fun, you’re right.

I like to compare shoes to jeans, different brands are going to fit differently. You may be a size 7 in one brand and a 6 in another. No big deal, but apparently when I suggest to go up or down a size I also have snakes crawling out of my eyes, because that is the only explanation for the dirty looks and reactions I get.

Three. Hours. Later. Not one or two, three. That is the longest amount of time I have spent with a customer while they were deciding on one pair of shoes. I used to think the one hour customer was crazy, but that’s a daily thing lately. “That spot under my arch up by my little toe feels odd,” a comment like that doesn’t even surprise me anymore. So, why don’t you walk forward like a typical customer… No, no, no… we must also walk backwards, side to side, shuffle a bit, do the hokey pokey and turn it all around. Three. Long. Islands. That’s what I need.

Is there a word that just makes you cringe? One of my friends hates the word “moist”, so I say it a lot. Ha ha. The word that gives me the heebee-geebees lately is “bunion”. You would have a problem with it too if you heard it at least 20 times a day.

“Does this shoe come in sizes?” I’m not kidding, I’ve gotten that question more than once.

This last one is hard for me to write, because I still don’t believe it actually happened. But, it has… not once… but twice. “I like to buy my shoes a size bigger than needed because I forget to clip my toe nails.” I apologize to anyone who was eating while reading that or planning on eating anytime in the future.

I was blessed with an easy going personality, way too much patience, and a love for cheap wine. Those three things keep me sane, loving my job, and loving what I do.

20Jul2015

Rants of Retail- Introduction

Posted in Rants of Retail by EmilyBracey

As many of you are aware I am one of the very few in the world who genuinely love working in retail. I enjoy it so much that I am making a career out of it, but that’s a blog post for another day. For the past three summers I have been fortunate enough to manage the best women’s boutique around, GG My Love, in Chautauqua Institution. I love everything about my job; my boss, co-workers, the location, opportunities, and even the customers.

Whenever someone walks into the store I treat him or her as if I’m shopping with my best friend, minus the part about talking about guys and deciding what bar to go to later. Anyway, I don’t do it just to make a sale. I do what I do because I love making other women feel empowered and beautiful, even getting some ladies to step out of their comfort zones. My typical customer- “lake mom”, mid forties, married, complains about shopping, but has an endless cash flow (so I vicariously live through her husbands charge cards and do my thing). Complain about shopping? Apparently it’s a thing. I see more and more women each year who hate shopping and it usually revolves around one of two things. One, they know nothing about fashion and just wear designer athleisure wear. Or two, they are way too critical of their bodies. That’s where I come in. Just like people, clothing comes in all different shapes and sizes and I will never let a customer leave feeling down about their body just because they don’t look how society tells them they should.

Okay, I’m going off topic, so back to this introduction. It takes a special person to love working with people in general, especially in Chautauqua. What is Chautauqua you ask? Well, according to the all knowing Wikipedia.com…

“The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres (3 km²) in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State. The Chautauqua Institution Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was further designated a National Historic Landmark.”

According to the user submitted, but highly accurate Urbandictionary.com, Chautauqua is…

“An over hyped relic of the past that seems to live on its own self importance. Mainly due to the fact that the rich and upper-middle-class overextended (wanna be rich) have made massive real-estate investments. Located in Chautauqua, NY… Chautauqua is a place where rich to upper middle class suburbanites from Ohio, NY, Pennsylvania, … congregate during the Summer to put on a show that they are “cultured” and attempt to be somehow relevant. All the while their alcoholic neglected children drink their asses off and cavort with each other all Summer (read: massive party). The whole time saying that they will never be like their parents, and then returning to Chautauqua in their mid-life to repeat the same process.”

So there’s that.

I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing people in the world, and the worst! I have been invited to vineyards in Napa Valley, lunches with Dean’s of universities, get to hear love stories from widowed ninety year old women, and have to decline to get set up with customer’s sons almost daily. With the same smile on my face, I get called unintelligent, have merchandise thrown at me, get ignored, I hear the word ‘bunion’ way too many times in one day, and people are just down right mean to me. But, in the words of a powerful public figure,

“And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.
Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off”

All of my jaw dropping experiences that no one believes me about are going to now be blogged about and called, “Rants of Retail”.

17Jun2015

Focus on the Good

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

To be honest, I wasn’t too fond of 2015 at first. Within the first week I thought the good life I have had was falling apart. I didn’t realize at the time what a blessing it all truly was.

What changed? My attitude. My best friend gave me some of the best advice I have ever been given; “Be selfish for once. Put yourself first for once. Just focus on you and don’t care about other people so much.” It took some time, but once I did, everything began falling in place. “A bad attitude can literally block love, blessings, and destiny from finding you. Don’t be the reason you don’t succeed.” Just a quote I found on Pinterest, but I love it! I have never been so focused on my present and future. I have been blessed with knowing what I wanted to do for my career since I was ten, and because of that it has turned into my passion.

There are reasons things “go wrong” in life, but really it all will work out in the end. And if things aren’t right, it’s not the end. 🙂

16Jun2015

On a Rainy Day like Today

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

25Feb2015

A New Me with the Help of Katy

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

The start of 2015 had a plethora of changes, ups, and downs; All within the first week. At the time I was heartbroken and didn’t know how I would be able to live a positive life (yes this is about a boy), but after almost 2 months has passed I am happier than ever. For the past four years he has been a great supporter in my life, a best friend, but at the same time he was also very toxic. The day came and he told me I was no longer going to be apart of his life. It was also the same day I signed up for Katy Hearn’s Winter 2015 Fitness Challenge. Unless you are a girl between the ages of 15 and 28 who uses a lot of social media, you probably don’t know who Katy Hearn is.

^Katy Hearn^ is a 23 year old personal trainer, fitness model, and all around amazing woman. She believes in a simple way to get/stay healthy and achieve ones fitness goals; thru a well balanced diet and training in the gym. Yes, training, as in lifting weights. Lifting weights will not make girls bulky and huge if it’s done without any hormones and medication. She targets different muscle areas everyday and adds in cardio every once and awhile. When I acquired my fitness plan and meal guideline I also received the following and support from all the other amazing women partaking in the Winter Challenge. We all started at different levels/ with different goals in mind, but we all have one thing in common, we all want each other to succeed. Having a bad day? In one post on our fitness accounts you will receive over fifty comments and messages of positivity. We are all here to remind each other what Katy has told us:

Yes, my diet is a lot more balanced than it has been in the past. Yes, I have lost weight and my body fat percentage has decreased. Most importantly, my daily happiness has increased. The physical changes are so rewarding and give you that cliche, “I can do this” feeling. You learn to rely on yourself and become more independent. In the words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde…

Thank you Katy for providing us with this opportunity to improve ourselves in every aspect of our lives 🙂

Follow Katy on Instagram @Katyhearnfit

27May2014

Adult Life.. Here I Come!

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

But lemme go to the beach first 🙂

After surviving finals week and final projects… I am officially a college graduate! From two different universities! So how do I celebrate? Goto the beach of course 🙂