Make the rules up as you go...

I've recently discovered that life is an insanely unpredictable, crazy, turn you upside-down, chew you up and spit you out, kinda thing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something happens to knock those rose colored glasses right off your pretty little face. 

Now hear me out, i'd love to see life as a glass half full kind of person. I'm attempting to be on a really big positivity kick lately, and I wake up every single morning and the first thing I do is list all the things i'm grateful for, but sometimes...life SUCKS!

The other day I was browsing Pinterest, and like always, looking for the best, most kick-ass, life empowering quotes I could find. As I was reading all of these quotes I began to think to myself, 'who came up with all these rules?' 'who says how someone will best deal with a broken heart?' There is no instruction manual for life, but through the years I have come up with a couple truths that I always come back to and I thought i'd write them out so I have them in one place, and so I can share my wisdom with you all;

Danielle's rules for making it through this thing called life:

• The only person who can truly make you happy, is YOU. 

thats right, not your boyfriend, not your best friend, not your mom...YOU!! at the end of the day, you're the only person who reallllllly knows what goes on in that mind of yours, all of your wants and desires, your loves and distastes. never rely on someone else for your happiness. ever.

• Misery loves company. 

we've all heard the saying, and I promise you, its the truth. 

• Make sure you have a good support system. 

I can count my good friends on one hand. but I will tell you this, when I need them, they are there for me. To wipe my tears, to laugh at ridiculous things, to get drunk on boxed wine, to have my back. There will plenty of times in this life that you will not be able to get through alone. So make sure the friends who know you best, know you love them.

• A little lipstick goes a long way. 

best make-up advice I can give you, is you don't need it. I promise you you're beautiful as is, but with that being said, a swipe of lipstick can brighten your mood, and make you feel a million times better about that messy bun look you're sporting to work for the 5th day in a row. even if i dont have time for my normal makeup routine, I make sure i have lipstick on. you never know who you will meet on a day to day basis :)

• Know your worth. 

pro tip: You are amazing. and funny. and one of a kind. never, ever, ever let anyone make you feel any different. and when I say anyone, that includes yourself. do not settle for anything less than the best. Do not let people take advantage of you. Do not tolerate disrespect. Hold yourself to high standards, and hold the people in your life to high standards. 

• Travel...often. 

to the next state over, to NYC, to Europe..travel anywhere and everywhere you can. By plane, by car, by boat. Just travel. It will enrich your life, and teach you irreplaceable life lessons. This life is too short, and the world possesses too much beauty to not be seen. The people I have met, and the things I have seen in my travels have shaped my life in indescribable ways. 

• Try new things. 

have an open mind. try things you're scared of. eat brussel sprouts ( they are so good, really!) go on roller coasters, listen to music you never thought you'd like. Don't limit yourself. besides you'll never know, if you never try it.

• Tell yourself you are beautiful everyday. 

It's as simple as that, because it's the truth. Don't let yourself forget it. 

• Always back-up your computer. 

this may seem trivial, but in this day and age, we keep our lives on our computers, phones, iPads, etc. and the day you lose those photos from the last 5 years, with no back up, will break your heart. I know from experience. So just do me a favor, and back your shit up. 

• Appreciate your parents. 

They brought you into this world. They will have your back when NO ONE else will, they will always think you're the prettiest person in the room, and they know just how amazing you truly are. They work hard, and we sometimes forget to let them know just how much we appreciate them. Life gets busy, but make time to call them at least once a week, you have no idea how happy you will make them.

• Live music will make you feel. 

Go see your favorite band live. a good concert can make you feel things nothing else can. music is a universal language for a reason. It touches us all. It can break your heart, make you feel alive. I can't explain it, but your life will be forever changed by live music. I promise you.

• Buy yourself flowers. 

You don't need a dude to buy you flowers. take a page out of the Cher Horowitz playbook, and buy yourself flowers, but instead of doing it to make someone notice you, do it to brighten your room, and remind you of the beauty in the world.  I buy myself flowers at least once a month. Flowers make you happier, its a proven fact.

• Don't take it all so serious. 

This is the most important rule. Because in the end everything will work out exactly how its supposed to. and no one makes it out of this life alive. Remember to have fun, and don't sweat the small stuff. 

xo,

Danielle.

It's that time again...

Babe Friday is upon us...

It's no secret that i am a HUGE SF Giants fan, and it's also no secret that the LA Dodgers are our mortal enemies...but no one can deny the babeness that Matt Kemp exudes...

I mean, look at the man.

and on top of the the fact that he is really, really good looking. he has a pretty big heart...

Swoooooon. 

xo,

Danielle.

Thank God its Babe Friday.

Thank. God. Its. Babe. Friday.

because my love for Seth Cohen never died, I am dedicating the first Babe Friday to the always delicious Adam Brody. That Leighton Meester is a lucky girl.

If you haven't yet heard he will be in movie coming out this summer, Some Girls, with the always adorable Kristen Bell, and I for one cant wait to see it.

Watch the Some Girls trailer.

xo,
Danielle.

W.W.J.A.D.

Recently, I have been going through a sort of rough patch, a transitioning phase if you will. It's one of those times in life when *excuse me while i be dramatic* everything around you seems to be crumbling, and the only thing you can think to do is seek shelter. 

Now I don't know about you, but when i'm experiencing something unfavorable in life, i like to look at those who seem to have it much worse, and find comfort in knowing that if they can make it out alive, so can I. Remember the Britney Spears umbrella wielding head shave meltdown of 2007? yeah, things were rough for B. but look at her now! the girl is making a comeback, and it ain't a bad time to Britney...bitch. Maybe you can relate better to the current state of my favorite train-wreck, Ms. Amanda Bynes...you guys, if she can get that eye webbing removed, and come out a hero...there's hope for us all!!!

What i'm trying to say is sometimes it helps to have a beacon of light to look at, to remind yourself that everything is gonna be alright. 

My relationship of 2 years just recently ended, and I really cant begin to explain the range of emotions i've been going through. (but my heart pretty much feels how Rihanna's face looked post run in with Chris Browns fists.) So I thought of the one person who has had the worst relationship luck in Hollywood...Jennifer Aniston. and I told myself that if she could end up with her soul-mate after the infamous Brad & Angie home wrecking divorce, somehow managing to make it through a relationship full of Vince Vaughn's jokes, and an on-off romance with The Heartbreak Kid himself John Mayer...There has to be hope for us all. Not only has Jen found herself a smokin' hot dude to call her own, but she has the most bangin' bod in the business, and she's amazingly talented and funny to boot. So if you find yourself feeling particularly down, maybe you're going through some relationship woes yourself, im ordering you to get up, go look at that beautiful face in mirror, and ask yourself...What Would Jennifer Aniston Do?

xo,

Danielle.

Thank you for being a friend.

 So you're sitting at lunch and your best friend texts you and says her and her long term boyfriend Frank broke up. You immediately excuse yourself and call her in shock. What?!?! They were supposed to get married! Yes, like any other couple they had their ups and downs. All you know is you have to be there for your girl. Here's a list of what you can do to help her through the healing process.

1. Get her completely wasted.
  I know I know. Alcohol is a depressant. But let's be real the next 48 hours for her are going to be surreal anyways, why not help numb it a bit? I recommend Tequila. Let her talk in circles, go from being happy to sad and have random outbursts of crying.

2.Have a dance party.

  Step away from the Adele album. Nuh uh!! No sad music here!!! All it's going to do is remind her of him and she will start overanalyzing the lyrics or start reminiscing about the time they saw The Xx  together. I was going to walk down the aisle to Angels at our wedding. And you're going to have to listen to it. Put on some Tupac (rap music never makes anyone sad), or some Ellie Goulding and remind her that she is a bad ass B that any MAN,not boy, would be lucky if she gave him the time of day.

3. Kanye's work out plan.

 Kanye's work out plan has changed lives people. Make her go to the gym. She has more time to do things for herself meow. No excuses of hanging out with the D-bag ex. The natural endorphins will also help her sad state plus it will give her confidence if she sweats her ass off and gets hot. Break ups. Best diet ever.

4.Encourage the whorenado in her.
 Ok listen. Listen! We all know that one of the hardest things to get used to after a break up is the fact that you're sleeping alone and ain't gettin' no lovin' no more. Once  she is able to leave the house and make it through a shift at work without crying, get her back out there and make her hook up with someone. What's the saying? The easiest way to get over someone is to get under someone. I personally vouch for this.

I've done this role for many friends and have had plenty other wonderful people do the same for me.

"But I don't think I need you!"

-Ellie Goulding.

xo,

Katya.

                         
   

Write what you know.

I was sitting here on my couch, having a hills marathon, catching up on Kimye's baby and what the wonderful Amanda Bynes was up to, trying to figure out what I wanted my first post to be about. When the quote, Write what you know popped in my head. So, here goes.Sorry guys this is gonna be a long one.

I recently moved back from LA 5 months ago back to Las Vegas. I felt defeated in life,in major debt,lost and had no idea what my next move was going to be. I landed a bartending gig through connections and was working towards finding a second job to get myself out of debt. I was out wasted one night with one of my besties at a great hole in the wall bar in Chinatown called Money  Plays.(Great craft beer list fyi). I hear a couple talking restaurant lingo a few barstools down and me, being sooo shy, turn around and jump into their convo full force. I come to find out the Irish gentleman I was speaking to was an investor in a new restaurant on the new upcoming block in Downtown Las Vegas.Immediately I'm interested. I am from Las Vegas born and raised and I love the renovations they are doing to DTLV. I've been a downtown girl for years, stumbling in and out of my favorite watering holes on Fremont street. He loved my personality,(obvi what's not to love?), we exchange contact info and boom I had an interview. The next week, I go in,interview and land a bartending job. I'm stoked. I was going to finally lift the burden of owing people money!! Then it happened. I get a call the day I was going into fill out my paperwork to prove I was legal to work. I was then presented with opportunity to become a manager.Now let me clarify for you people who have never worked in a tipping industry. Servers and Bartenders make great money while a manager usually makes less than them with 10 times more the workload.I took about 10 minutes to consider this and decided this was going to be an amazing opportunity for me in life. The next three months were a blur. Long hours,hard work and we got this restaurant off the ground. I was so happy and proud of what I was apart of. I felt humbled I was given the opportunity to even be apart of it. I felt as if the universe brought me back from LA so I could do this. Fast forward to this past Thursday. I was called in early way before I worked usually and was told I was being laid off due to cutting labor. They couldn't afford my salary anymore.I was crushed. Was I ever going to get a break in life? I had put my heart and soul into this place and all of a sudden it was over. All because of money. I felt like the boy I was just starting to really really fall for and maybe he could be "the one", just broke up with me. I, of course, go into panic/healing mode. I first decide to tell close friends and family the new turning point in my life. Then I decide a 24 hours pity party was in order. To get completely drunk,listen to nothing but rap music and feel as sad as I wanted and talk in circles if needed and not one person say a thing about the inevitable but just hang out with me. Mission was accomplished that day. I started to think about what my next move was going to be. I feel a bit left behind honestly. Where everyone sends condolences and gives me their two cents on it, it's ok you'll land on your feet or I'm so sorry but are secretly glad it isn't them. I get it. I know it's a business and there isn't anything I could of done differently to change this outcome. Also I am dreading the, "so how's work?", question I will get from people.So now what? Let me tell you what I do know. I know that no matter how bad this sucks, there is a reason I wasn't supposed to be there anymore. It might take time for me to figure out what it is, but I am a firm believer that the universe puts you in certain situations or brings people in your life for you to learn lessons from. The upside to all of this is I can now get out of debt. I'm also simultaneously updating my resume while writing this post. I am excited to see what my next move is in life and hope that when another opportunity presents itself, I am prepared for it. In the meantime, I am going to listen to rap music and take the advice of the late Tupac, "keep ya head up."

xo,

Kat.

                
                                    

Homemade Smoked Pizza.

Last night the boyfriend and I decided to experiment and make dinner instead of going out. After the daunting task of agreeing on what we felt like eating, we decided on pizza. Im not the worlds biggest pizza fan, but this one turned out so good I knew I wanted to share the recipe with you guys. 

Ingredients:

-Store bought thin crust pizza dough (we went with boboli, but any kind will work)

-Ricotta Cheese

-Grated Asiago Cheese

-Salami

-Small portobello mushrooms

-Pesto

-Sun-dried tomato spread

-Can of diced tomatoes

**We started out but making our dough a little thinner than it originally came by pressing it down with a meat tenderizer, cause we like it really thin. :) 

1. Spread the sun-dried tomato spread all over the dough.
2. add as much salami as your little heart desires.
3. take a spoon and dollop the ricotta cheese all over (we put about 8 small dollops.)
4. slice mushrooms and put them on top.
5. drain the canned diced tomatoes, add to the pizza.
6. sprinkle asiago cheese over the whole thing.
7. put pesto in a ziplock bag, cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag, and drizzle on the pizza.

We then put the pizza in our smoker for approx. 15-18 min. (until the cheese and crust were golden brown)

**If you dont have a smoker, you can make this in the oven. pre-heat to 450, and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!! 
xo. Danielle

You guys...

The first post is the hardest.  

Our goal here at Bridges and Bright Lights is simply to share our lives with you. To gossip about Miley and Liam (are they off or on?!?!?), to discuss last weeks episode of every reality tv show ever created, to share the delicious concoctions we whip up in the kitchen,introduce new music, to vent about work, and to just take you along with us as we try and navigate through life as twenty-somethings, having fun, and working hard in our respective cities. (San Francisco and Las Vegas..hence our super creative blog name.)

We hope you guys enjoy following along as much as we enjoy writing about it.

xo.

Danielle&Katya