Cows to Camel Toes

I have learned there are some things about your childhood that spill over into your adulthood. 

This is going to be a delightful story of how such magical things happen.

As a child, work ethic was high on the priority list. We worked for what we wanted. 

So in the mornings we would get up early to mow lawns (my family had a landscaping business) and we would go slop the pigs, walk the property, check the hen house, feed the cows, feed the horses, put compost on the worm bed, check the peach orchard, the grape vines, go through the garden, cut potatoes to plant them in the ground again to grow, check the bees, feed the dogs, feed the cat, check the oil/gas in the weed eater/lawn mowers/chainsaws and a few more chores....

Needless to say these events did not require getting dressed up. Actually quite the opposite. Comfort was key.

So let's fast forward to present day Los Angeles, CA. The City of Angels Grooming.

Any time I walk my dog Falkor or have to run errands...I do not see the need to get dressed up. 

And if I have on makeup...it is probably from the night before. Don't worry...I shower...just no need to before a work out.

There was on particular morning I woke up extremely early. I had this crazy burst of energy to go work out. There is this place in Los Angeles called Runyon Canyon. If you have not been or if you come visit...you have to go to Runyon Canyon for the best view of LA.

PHOTO VIA: http://runyoncanyon-losangeles.com

Runyon has different ways to go up the mountain. So this particular day I thought I would be aggressive and take the steep side, especially since no one was around to see me potentially fall and roll down the mountain.

I went full force. All the way up the side of the mountain without stopping.

I get to the top. It was peaceful. It was quiet. Except for my heavy breathing....

So I am hunched over....breathing like I am taking my last breath...

My hair that was once in a groomed behind-the-head ponytail is now in a messy 80s side ponytail.

PHOTO VIA: http://www.80sfashion.org/side-ponytail/

The makeup from the night before looked like I was taking on the role as Alice Cooper because I was sweating so bad.

 PHOTO VIA: http://www.wapl.com/index.php/Interactive/Blogs/Road_Show/R/2507

And then to top it off...I had what I call the WORK OUT CAMEL TOE. That is when your work out pants bunch up from lifting your legs up and creating a camel toe. 

GIF VIA: http://www.moderngent.com/media/before_after_camel_toe_300x269.gif

So here I am in all my glory. But I was ok with it because no one was around.

Or so I thought.

I look up through the sun rays and saw a figure that shortly followed me up the side of the mountain. 

It all happened in slow motion. So perfect. The sun hitting just right. I may have heard angels singing.

But none other than Ryan Gosling running without his shirt on. 

GIF VIA: http://giphy.com/gifs/ceCPZAH6sCUU0

He casually comes to a stop. Of course he does because only on a day that I looked like an 80s-Alice Coope-Camel Toed-Sweatball would he stop. 

And did I mention I am pretty sure he was not sweating or a hair out of place.

So he looks over at me and smiles and says "Hey.."

GIF VIA: http://giphy.com/gifs/mUtefiUpJHUfC

I say "Hey..." back in a very breathy way...not because I was trying to be sexy...but because I could not breathe after scaling a mountainside....

Now most would take advantage of this time with Ryan Gosling...

Instead of doing so...my reaction was well...dumb...

Out loud I said "Awwwww fuck it...I give up...just keep moving on....yeah...go on..." as I am waving Ryan to pass me while I was hunched over like I was about to go to the bathroom on top of the mountain. 

Of course he laughed and said "Oh ok...have a good day..." and continued on....

And yes as he ran off I did take a look over my shoulder...you would too if a half-naked RG was running past you...

After a few minutes I collected myself and then proceeded down the hill. 

I wish I could tell you that I learned my lesson to be a bit more presentable when I go out because you never know who you are going to run in to...but..... 

Oh and if this blog entry happens to make it to Ryan Gosling...call me...

Farm to Fashion

There are a few things to point out along the way when seeing old photos of me as a child. 

I was rarely wearing clothes. Not sure why, but hated being bound by them...I was a young hippie by heart.

A couple of my favorite outfits were the Wonder Woman Underoos and the Star Wars Underoos.

 

But in most cases like the photo below...I was half or fully naked rolling around in the dirt.

 

When growing up in small of a town as I did. Fashion was not something high on the list. It was more about utlity and being comfortable. 

Weatherford is a farming and rodeo town. 

Needless to say many of the clothes I have today would have never made it on the farm.

The only labels that people would drop names on were John Deere, Levi's, Justin, Lucchese and so on. 

Now days I look for styles and fashion of Chanel, Diane Von Furstenberg and Dior. 

Not by any means have I become a fashion expert or snob. I feel you can mix both high end and affordable items. 

I remember learning about all the fancy schmancy brands. 

In some cases I felt like Elizabeth Berkely learning to say VERSACE in the movie "ShowGirls." 

It is cool though...what I have learned is that many people are in the exact same shoes I am. 

Very few have actually grown up in that fancy atomsphere. But you do have your share of posers who think they are above everyone and everything else but stepped right out of the trailer park. 

But I have learned to appreciate a good stitch, quality fabrics and tailoring. 

 

56th GRAMMY Awards: 

DRESS/Diane Von Furstenberg

SHOES: Steve Madden 

53rd GRAMMY Awards:

 DRESS/Diane Von Furstenberg

SHOES: Diane Von Furstenberg 

D.J.'s JACKET: Scully

Btw...in the photo above is my friend Danny Ray Latham (D.J.)...a fellow Texan I met at the University of North Texas. You will see him often since he is one of my best friends. 

I wish I could say I remembered watching fashion shows on TV. But I can't. We really did not watch TV. 

We would play outside making grass tunnels and crawling around for hours. (Grass tunnels are taking long waist-high grass and tying the ends creating tunnels.)

Weatherford, TX

Not until recently did I realize how much my life has changed.

I am just a country girl from a really small town in Texas no one has ever heard.

My name is Brandy. I grew up on a farm/ranch outside of Weatherford, TX currently living in Los Angeles, CA.


I was born at Harris Hospital — Fort Worth, Texas in 1978.

Here is a photo of my parents in 1978 standing in the house they built by hand. 

I am actually in the photo below. My mom is pregnant. And just a few months later....I was born.

This is just the begining to an amazing and beautiful life. 

And many embarrassing stories to share along the way that I would have never been prepared for...but the learning is what has made my experiences...just that...experiences...

One last thing...you may ask why share this? How am I different than any one else? 

I am sharing because when I was growing up my parents told me life is anything and everything I make it. 

That if I want to live in a small town I can. If I want to conquer the world I can. 

I am doing both...but doing it my style...