B'Squared | Brandon & Brandi

Las Vegas | Bachelor/ette | Weekend

2011-08-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come. What time is it you ask? Time for 30 of us to venture off into the wild...Las Vegas, we're comin' for ya. Since most of our friends and wedding party are in relationships, 90% of our group are all couples. Oddly enough, out of the 30 people going, Brandi and I have only been to Vegas with about 5 of them. How? I have no idea! As far as I'm concerned, it's going to make the trip that much better.

Although we're all going out there together, most of what's happening will be separate. The guys are staying at the Palms while the girls will be at the Venetian.

Friday night the girls are doing their thing while us guys do our own. Saturday the fella's will be doing some hungover karting to hopefully sweat out most of what of the booze that was consumed Friday afternoon/night. After that I'm sure we'll head over to the pool, gamble and of course continue drinking. Once the sun goes down, more mayhem is in store. All 30 of us are going to Bautista's for an Italian feast before we take over LAX for some bottle service.

Given the people who are attending, half of me is as excited as ever, the other half is absolutely terrified.

Around 3am this morning, I found myself wide awake due to the following images running through my mind.

I'm sure you're all thinking that the Hangover movie stuff is all an exaggeration. Let's just say that the last time my brother, who is my best man, took a groom to Vegas for his bachelor party, the Hangover storyline was an exact replica of their weekend, minus to tiger and Mike Tyson. Aside from that, the groom went missing, ended up in the hospital and was not found until the following day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that's going to happen to me but this is Vegas...anything is possible! I have every right to be slightly worried. I even double checked my dental AND health insurance to make sure I'm covered.

Regardless of what happens this weekend, I know one thing, it's going to be epic and a trip nobody will forget.

Be gentle Vegas.

Until next time...

-Brandon

Bar Hopping | Beer Pong B-Day | Vows

2011-08-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Coming off of a 21 day work streak without a day off, I was ready for a normal weekend filled with friends and family.

Let's to the recap!

FRIDAY:

Brandi and I have been on a hardcore saving mission lately so even when we do get free time, it's typically spent at home with each other, eating and enjoying a few drinks. It was nice getting out of the house with some friends and catching up over some bomb food and good beer. Paul and Marie, old friends who live in New York and who are in the Air Force, came into in town. We them and a few others at Henry's Hat in Studio City. The vibe was really chill and although we didn't eat there, the food looked boombastic. The cool part about this bar is how they keep you there. There is a whole section of board games ranging from Candy Land to Apples to Apples for customers to play. You name it, they most likely have it. This is all equals way more fun than just standing around drinking and people watching. Once we finished playing, Paul announced that he and Marie are expecting parents! Talk about exciting news out of nowhere! I couldn't think of a better couple to raise a child. Big congrats to them and best of luck on the new adventure they're now on.

We decided that celebratory beers and more food were now needed. We ended up trying another place in Sherman Oaks called Boneyard Bistro. They're known for their killer bbq food and great beer selection. It was highly recommended that we taste the pork belly skewers. I have to admit, those and a good IPA hot the spot around 12 midnight! We called it a night and headed back to the crib for some much needed sleep.

SATURDAY:

Was all about production and boozin'! We opened up a gift that arrived and anyone who knows Mixie, knows she's a sucker for a box. She wasted no time making herself comfortable.

We headed to downtown so Brandi could pick out some lace for the bridesmaids bouquets. It was back to the valley we went to drop off a swatch at A Sweet Design. Since it was our friend Greg's birthday we made sure to spoil him with some of their cupcakes that are literally to die for.

We headed over to Greg's for a some bbq'ing, pool time and beer pong! I'll admit, Brandi and I got whooped at beer pong. I just wasn't my typical self that day. Tracy on the other hand was on fire all day and night!

Derek and Aly showed up later on to join in on the fun! Dstezzy was all smiles once the beer was flowin'!

SUNDAY:

While Brandi and a few other girls went wig hunting for Vegas, I took this opportunity to do something special. One my favorite places is Willow Springs Raceway. I grew up racing karts out there for many years and it's always been a very special place for me. Many memories involve this race track so any time I need to escape, get away or collect my thoughts, this is where I go. Since Brandi and I are writing our own wedding vows, I knew that I needed to write them at the track. It was an emotional time for sure but considering these will be the most important words of my life, I wouldn't expect this to be an easy task. I'm confident that Brandi will approve of my promise and I feel like anyone in attendance will get my message as well. Tears will flow, that's a promise.

I came back home emotionally exhausted just in time to meet Brandi, Liques and my mom for dinner and beverages at Federal in North Hollywood. Although I wasn't impressed with the chicken salad I got, the Federal buffalo chicken wings were off the chizz-ain. I also snagged a few bites of Brandi's tomato soup and grilled cheese...not too shabby!

That concludes up this edition of 'Weekend Wrap Up' with Brandon Scarpelli. Hope you've all had a productive Monday...

Until next time...

-Brandon

Happy Birthday Greg!

2011-08-06T17:13:00.001-07:00

Let the beer pong and bbq'ing madness begin!

Move | Eat | Learn

2011-08-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most creative ideas I've come across in a long time. Enjoy.

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime.

move, eat, learn

Rick Mereki : Director, producer, additional camera and editing
Tim White : DOP, producer, primary editing, sound
Andrew Lees : Actor, mover, groover

Until next time...

-Brandon

Final Countdown | Wedding Dances

2011-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today marks the official 30 day countdown to Brandi and I getting married. To think that 9 months has already come and gone is a real eye opener that time really does fly when you're having fun! Every day that goes by makes me realize that I am that much closer to marrying my soul mate, junior high school sweetheart, best friend and biggest fan. With how quickly the past 9 months have gone by, I'm prepared for the next 30 days to to be a complete blur.

Recently, Brandi and I have been going over a list of must have songs being played at the wedding. This is obviously a very crucial part of the day since we all know the "party" portion of the wedding is what most guests remember. Good music and an open bar usually help bring out the best dance moves people have in their arsenal of body movements.

Being 1/2 Mexican and 1/2 Italian, dancing happens at any party we attend. Shit, we don't even need to be at a party in order to dance. One person that never seems to mind is Brandi. She's a dancing machine! I'm confident she'll light the floor on fire with her moves...Me on the other hand is another story. Although I am beyond the typical "white guy" snap and bob your head moves without any rhythm, I'm still no professional nor am I going to impress anyone.

Considering I'm the groom, I've been thinking of a signature move for the reception. Let's face it, you have to bust out something to get the guests hyped along with allowing for some embarrassment to be placed on yourself. With all of the weddings I've been to, it seems like an unwritten law for the groom.

With the "shuffle" and "jerk" on the list of popular dances nowadays, they seem to be more and more appealing.

I've been doing some research for inspiration and here's what I've come up with so far. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time...

-Brandon

Boner | Soup

2011-08-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last night Brandi and I did some much needed grocery shopping and then stopped off at Baja Fresh for some take-out before heading home to do something we haven't done in a long time...sit down together and just watch TV. I know it sounds weird but we just haven't had the time to eat dinner, have a few drinks and just enjoy some laughs.

I recorded some stand up comedy a while back that we finally got to watch. The first few I put on were strike out's until we came across Nicholas Swardson: Seriously, Who Farted?...Ummm, why haven't we ever been informed of such a funny ass guy? The title alone had me intrigued! Then again, anything relating to farting makes me laugh.

Needless to say, he was hilarious! Take a few minutes to watch the clip below. He goes through video games, pot brownies, summer movies and later talks about high-fives from a spider monkey. If you like Dane Cook type comedy, this is for you!

Nicholas Swardson: Seriously, Who Farted?

Anyhow, I'm at Keyes Toyota right now waiting for my Scion to finish getting its routine oil change. I have a day full of work to do before a few us are headed back to K1 Speed for some more karting tonight! I know, we're obsessed!

I hope everyone has a productive and positive Tuesday!

Until next time...

-Brandon

Weekend | Warrior

2011-08-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, Monday...

Let's just say I am happy the work portion of my day is coming to an end. Typically, most people dread Monday's because of the catching up and/or large work load that comes with it. Lately, everyday has felt like a Monday. This is week #3 for me of working 7 days a week. The exhaustion is starting to set in and my patience has started to diminish. It's okay though...it all comes down to balance and leaving "work" at work when the days are done.

Let's do a quick weekend recap...

Friday - I worked from home since I had some Formula 1 related stuff to take care of...Sounds dreamy until you need to wake up at 4:45am...

Later that evening Brandi, Derek, Aly, Jered, Eric and myself all met back at K1 Speed in Torrance for some karting. Everyone did much better than I anticipated with a few of us getting on the Top 100 times of July and I actually made the list of fastest times of the week as well. Not too shabby! Going karting 3 times for a total 10 races within 1 month really makes me racing karts as a child. There's just something about it that I won't ever be able to get enough of...Then again, you can put me behind the wheel of any car (except a hybrid) on a race track and make me a happy camper.

Moving on...

Saturday - I was back to doing my Formula 1 duties for a client at 4:45am before heading home to pick up Brandi. We had an early morning appointment at our wedding location to meet with our florist. Mike, our florist, is a pretty amazing guy when it comes to flowers. He knows about flowers and is so passionate about them, it sorta reminds of myself and cars. We went over all of the placements, colors, types of flowers, candles etc. before heading home for a MUCH needed nap. I was crankier than 2 year old who just got their bottle taken away from them.

Feeling refreshed and ready to party, we headed over to my aunts house for a surprise party. My mom put on quite the football themed party for her boyfriend Joe. Cotton candy machine, check! Popcorn machine, check! Nacho machine, check! Hot dogs and hamburgers, check! Ice cream station, check! Fully stocked bar, CHECK! Joe used to play football back in the day and has now taken on the roll as producer for the hit TV show, Necessary Roughness on USA...hence the football themed party...

This was also the perfect opportunity for Brandi and I to bust out our custom Dallas Cowboys jerseys courtesy of my mom. I gotta say, the name Brandi Scarpelli sure does have a nice 'ring' to it! <--- See what I did there? If not it's fine...Brandi is my biggest fan she'll get it...

Needless to say it was the typical group of cousins taking shot after shot before finally calling it a night.

Sunday - Sunday started off at, yep you guessed it...at 4:45am to tackle the Formula 1 race. This time, I took a nap as soon as the race was over so I was ready for a long day. Brandi cleaned out our guest bedroom which was starting to look like a room packed by a hoarder. Granted, it was all wedding stuff but it was beginning to get out of hand. Not anymore!

We then headed over to my mom's house for quick bite to eat and so Joe could open all of his birthday presents. After that, we went to A Sweet Design for some cake tasting. Not being a fan of cake, it's hard to please me let alone impress me. Call me biased, by my mom makes the best cake. We fell in love with the flavors, styles available and of course the how cost effective it is for what you get. We liked it so much that we already picked out our cake, colors and flavors...bought and paid for sucka!

After that we headed off to see Crazy Stupid Love which was actually an awesome movie! Coming from someone who hates movies, that should really mean something!

All and all it was great weekend! The wedding RSVP's are starting to arrive already! The days are tickin' away!

Until tomorrow...

-Brandon

Bittersweet | Moments

2011-07-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's always interesting when life throws you bittersweet moments to chomp on.

For the past 7 or so years, Brandi has busted her buns with 2 companies to finally have the opportunity of a lifetime. She headed of to Hong Kong for international market for GUESS handbags to help coordinate things from the production side of things. I can't explain how excited, proud and sad I was all at the same time. Although Brandi and I have been together for over 8 years now, we have been fortunate enough to not have to spend that much time apart. She was gone for 1 week and while we've managed to get through times like that just like any other couple would, I headed out to Seattle for 1 week the day before she returned. It may sound odd to some, but it was really weird for me to drop her off that the airport but not be there to welcome her home, especially after such an exciting trip. You can see highlights and all of the awesomeness that her trip was filled with here.

While she was gone, I had to keep myself EXTREMELY busy! After work on 7/18, I met with my buddy Eric for some much needed indoor karting at K1 Speed. It had been a long time since we hung out since he doesn't live all that close and I have been traveling so much.

I'll own this helmet forever...

We both managed to make the top 100 times for the month of July. Here are the results from just 1 of our 4 races...Yep, that's me at the top. Typical...

Once the weekend rolled around, I needed to keep myself busy so I ended up shampooing our carpets and cleaning the entire house on Saturday. Sunday was spent washing my car, Brandi's car, Angelique's car and getting Brandi's car an oil change before heading off to the gym. Once I was all showered up, it was time for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory with my mom and Angelique.

The next few days were filled with preparing for my trip to Seattle for Round 5 of the Formula Drift season.

As you can see, Mixie wasn't exactly thrilled I was leaving and she was ready to come with.

Here's a shot of some huge ass mountain peaking through the clouds about an hour outside of Seattle.

Once we landed in Seattle, the first thing I took notice of were the stunning clouds!

Well I wasn't really in Seattle but it's the closest place you'd be familiar with. We drove about 30-45 min. outside of Seattle to Monroe, WA. Let's be real, there's never any cool race tracks near a big city unless it's a street course. The event itself would be held at Evergreen Speedway which had recently been re-done. The owners did a great job to say the least!

Anyhow, we arrived at the hotel to check-in and headed off to grab some Mongolian BBQ. After that we had our staff meeting just had a low key night since we had an early call time the next morning.

Thursday was supposed to be practice for the drivers but rain but a stop to that. It finally cleared up around 5pm and drivers were able to squeeze in a good hour or so of practice before Friday's qualifying session. For dinner, we headed to Bellevue and ate at Tap House Grill which was pretty good. Enjoyed a few Pike IPA's with a solid gorgonzola and bacon burger! Back to the hotel we went for some much needed rest!

Friday morning we awoke to amazing weather and knew right off the bat we were in store for a great weekend of drifting! Here's a shot during the drivers meeting...

Friday night was actually pretty awesome. A few of the staff members headed to K1 Speed for some karting action before eating dinner at Din Tai Fung in Bellevue, WA. If you've never been there it's a MUST! Their dumplings are so bomb! Once dinner was done we went to Lucky Strike for the Formula Drift pre-party.

Saturday was the main event! After hitting the gym and grubbin' on breakfast we headed to the track.

Jose and I drove our go-kart around to check out some of the car show entrants pulling when we noticed this guys skateboard...inverted trucks give this board a super-slammed look. Not exactly great for riding since it only goes straight but mighty original for sure!

As far as staff lunhes go, this was hands the best we've had all season! Both Friday and Saturday we got Hawaiian BBQ and spam musubi! Two of my absolute favorites!

This event brought out record breaking crowds! It was jammed packed! So awesome that the sport of drifting and Formula Drift specifically have come so far!

This event was beyond exciting and I feel so blessed, privileged and proud to be part of such an amazing organization. Having grown up at the race track, the comradery that is shared between staff, drivers and the crew members is something that I can't quite describe. We're all there for different reasons and have different job duties but all get along as if we've known each other for years. Some of us have and some of haven't but you'd never know the way we all get along. I hate being away from home and especially away from Brandi but if I have to, this is the crew I want to be with.

Once the event was over, it was time to head back to the hotel for some sleep!

Sunday morning we all woke up and headed over to one of the best brunches I have ever been to. We ate at Salty's across the bay from downtown Seattle.

We grubbed on everything from king crab legs, eggs benedict (my personal favorite), cheesy hashbrowns, sausage, ceviche, shrimp, oysters...you name it, they not only had it but it was BOMB!

Once we finished it time to become tourists and stroll through the Pike Place. Of course we hit up the fish market and first Starbucks!

After that we decided we wouldn't be full-blown tourists without getting animal t-shirts. Here is my lion!

That was about all the time we had before catching out flight back to LAX! It was a long few weeks away from Brandi and our first dinner back together had to be at our favorite sushi joint!

I am so happy to be home and back to our normal lives! Just over a month from now Brandi and I will be husband and wife! Each and every day that passes raises my level of excitement, anticipation and eagerness to be married! Speaking of which, last night we finalized the invites and filled out our marriage license!

Until next time...

-Brandon

Formula Drift Tech Inspection | Ryan Tuerck

2011-07-21T12:10:00.001-07:00

Ryan Tuerck awaits his mid-season tech inspection during Round 5 of Formula Drift.

Wedding | Work | Life

2011-07-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well....look who has returned. There's been so much that's happened since Brandi and I booked our honeymoon...aka the last post I did in late April.

The amount of work and traveling I have done since then would be considered insane by many. I ended up hitting a stretch shortly after my last post where I worked 7 days a week for 7 weeks straight. And no we aren't talking about typical hours either. The good majority of those days were 12+ hour days on the road. My first weekend off in what seemed like forever was 4th of July weekend. An interesting weekend to say the least but I'll get into the nitty-gritty shortly.

I'm going to dedicate this post to getting you all caught up over what Brandi and I have been up to.

Let's go back to May 4-8 when I headed out to Atlanta, GA for Round 2 of the Formula Drift series. Having never been to Atlanta except to the airport for a quick layover, I was pretty excited since this event was held at Road Atlanta. For me, this is one of the top 10 race tracks I've wanted to visit. The scenery is unreal with tons of trees, grass and a gorgeous track layout loaded with elevation changes.

Just a few weeks after my trip to Atlanta, I was back out on the road June 1-5 and headed to Palm Beach, FL for Round 3 of Formula Drift. This was not only a new venue for myself but this was also Formula Drift's first time holding an event at Palm Beach International Raceway. Florida sure did live up to it's hype regarding the humidity. As soon as we stepped foot off the plane, you could feel it hit you like big slap in the face. Considering I practically sweat in the shower, this was the sign of a long 4 days to come. Luckily for me, my home-base for the weekend was inside an air-conditioned media center. As you can imagine, my spot became the popular place to be with temperatures reaching into the 90's along with 90% humidity. We all thought it was some sort of joke when we were told they had gators around certain portions of the track. To our surprise, this was serious shit!

Just when I got settled back in at home, it was off to Wall, NJ for Round 4 of Formula Drift from June 15-19. I know what you're thinking...NJ? Like 'Jersey Shore Fisting Pumping' status? No, not even close. Take a moment to look up Wall, NJ and you'll see that we were out in the middle of nowhere! Nonetheless, it was a great time with the Formula Drift crew just like always! The hotel we stayed at had a lounge/bar that ended up being where we had out staff meetings and dinner. Little did we know, Friday and Saturday were karaoke night! This place had no idea what hit them! When 100+ drift related drivers, crew, or staff came through the door with only 2 bartenders, you knew right away they weren't going to handle it. Regardless, it was only a matter of time before the singing and laughter began!

Once I came back from New Jersey, things sort of settled down a bit for Brandi and I. We were finally able to finish our wedding registry and she actually had two bridal showers - one with just really close friends and bridesmaids and the other was with all of our female friends and relatives.

I can't explain how much it meant to me to show up to both showers during the gift opening and see Brandi just glow with excitement over everyone celebrating the love we share for each other. When I showed up to the smaller bridal shower, I brought Brandi, my mom, Brandi's mom and all of the girls some flowers to show some appreciation for all that they've done to make this so memorable for us.

They had the smaller of the two showers at a really nice tea house in Santa Monica, CA. No bridal shower at a tea house would complete without some fancy-shmancy hats right? Not to worry, the ladies had this covered!

In between both of Brandi's bridal showers, we "enjoyed" our first weekend together when I didn't have to work. After 50 days of working everyday, to say I was ready to party would be an understatement. I was long overdue for some free time with Brandi, our family and our group of friends. It just so happened to be 4th of July weekend so there would be plenty of things to do. As luck would have it, the Valley would experience 3 days of 105 degree heat when our air conditioner unit decided to catch on fire.

As Brandi was getting ready for work on that Friday morning, she woke me up in a panic smelling smoke. As soon as I got up, I could tell it was electrical just by the smell. After unplugging everything in the house while more and more smoke poured through the vents causing the smoke detectors to go off, it was time to call the fire dept. Turns out that the motor blew and caught on fire but the fuze never blew which would have turned it off. Needless to say, our house stayed at 95 degrees during that weekend even at 10pm. Thus, the 'want' to party became more of a necessity.

That Saturday night was spent at Ashely and Alex's wedding in Culver City. Imagine putting suit on in a house that's 95 degrees...yep, you guessed it...not fun!

Sunday was BBQ day at Maritza's house BBQ'ing, swimming and laughing all day!

Monday was a pool party extravaganza at Tracy's! Many games of beer pong, flip cup and water-basketball were played! Always nice to be around our group of friends who are endless amounts of fun! I should also mention how responsible Brandi and I were that day. Since we knew that we'd be partying pretty damn hard, we decided to skip driving and hopped on the metro. Yep, that's right. We took the bus in our swim attire and a 30-pack of beer on the bus. It's okay...we don't judge you for not being as cool as we are.

Come Tuesday, my hungover self worked from home so that the air-conditioning saviors could fix our unit. Now that we're back in business, you better believe I keep this house as cold as possible!

Just a little over a week ago, Brandi had the larger bridal shower and let's just say it was memorable! Since she's marrying an Italian, it was only right to have it at Buca Di Beppo's. When I made my grand appearance, it was a little more special this time. Not only was I accompanied by my soon to be father in-law, but we walked in during a performance by "Michael Bolton." Long story short, Brandi and I have both shared an incredible passion and many inside jokes about the famed singer. Low and behold, my mom decided to hire a Michael Bolton impersonator to show up and sing a few songs. Boy was everyone in for a treat. Not only did he not look like Michael Bolton (more like Rod Stewart to me), let's just say his voice wasn't exactly on par with what Mr. Bolton would approve of. Putting his non-Bolton-like looks and lack of a singing voice aside, he was incredibly funny and had everyone laughing hysterically. I guarantee you it's a bridal shower that no one in attendance will ever forget!

Here's where I get a taste of my own medicine.

Generally, I am the one traveling between Brandi and I. She has worked her whooty off and finally got the opportunity she's been waiting for! She was asked to go to Hong Kong for 1 week for market where they'll present the newest lines of handbags to different distributors. It's something I know she has been dying to do and I couldn't be any prouder that she has accomplished this goal and getting to experience such an amazing place the way she should be....by that I mean, BALLER STATUS!

I hate to be away from her at this time and of course we wish we could always travel together but regardless, I can't express how proud I am of her for working her way up to this level. She's the one who has pushed me to work harder, strive for what I want and never take opportunities for granted. The opportunities I get to experience right now and the traveling I get to do are because of her. She's pushed me and made me believe in myself more than I ever have. Thank you b...you'll never know how much it means to me that you believe in me so much!

As fate would have it, the day before Brandi comes home from Hong Kong, I leave for Seattle, WA for Round 5 of Formula Drift. It's very bittersweet since I miss her so much but I am happy that we both understand that following what we're passionate about requires sacrifices and a great deal of understanding. One of these days we'll be successful enough to be able to travel together instead of alone. That will be when I can say I've "made it."

Well folks, if you've managed to stick with me throughout all of this, consider yourself all caught up now. That's been the past few months of our lives in a nutshell.

On another note, Brandi and I have accomplished so much wedding planning amongst all of this chaos. How? I have no idea but it's happened. Brandi has really taken the bull by the horns and done all that she could to make our wedding day one that will go down in history! Every day that goes by and we get closer and closer, the more excited I get. I've pictured how this day will go down so many times and I know it's going to be that but times 1 billion.

There's no words to describe how anxious, excited, thrilled and happy I am to have Brandi as my soon to be wife.

Until next time...

-Brandon

Honeymoon | Booked

2011-04-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

The vacation of a lifetime has been booked. Brandi and I will will be celebrating our marriage for 2 weeks in Tahiti! The word excited doesn't even come close to how we're feeling right now!

Life | Work | Dad | Brandi

2011-04-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

Although it's only been a few days since my last "revival" post, my mind has been running at such a crazy pace. Between every day life and work, it's hard not to get caught up in it. Since I am going to use this place to talk about every day life, work, traveling etc., it would probably be wise for me to get you up to speed so you know what I'm referring to. Time to briggity-break it on down for ya!

Life:

Brandi and I have lived together for over 7 years and have dated for 8 years this coming May. We recently got engaged on October 29, 2010 and have been planning our wedding since the beginning of the year. It's been such a great experience and I've learned so much about myself, Brandi and us as a couple. It's crazy to think that I am marrying the girl I dated back in the 7th grade. I see some of my younger cousins growing up and realize I was that age when I first locked eyes on Brandi. From there, I did every awkward, funny (or so I thought) or obnoxious thing you could imagine to get her attention. Clearly, it worked. Here we are many years later planning the biggest day of our lives together.

As much as Brandi and I are independent, we owe a lot of what is happening to the support being offered by our family and friends. They're second to none and we're blessed to share this special time with them.

Overall, the past year has really been life changing for me. Not just because I got engaged but even leading up to the engagement was pretty crazy. Keeping a secret like that was much harder than I ever anticipated. I wanted it to be so perfect and it turned out exactly how I planned. After we got through the crazy holiday season (we have massive amount of family members on both sides), the wedding planning began. Let me tell you how awesome it is being engaged to someone who LOVES event planning. Not to say I don’t know how to plan anything but this is where I have let Brandi take the lead.

This is like the Indy 500, Daytona 500, Super Bowl, World Series etc. all combined into one event for us. With her passion and experience for event planning, what is normally a nightmare for most people has become something the two of us have enjoyed so much. Not only that, we have become even closer to each other. Hard to believe but it’s true. We used to be some wild and crazy kids and don’t get me wrong, we still have it in us but nowadays (like this past weekend), it’s staying home together watching TV sipping on a fresh vodka/soda that seems to make me the happiest.

Work:

Being far beyond passionate for all things automotive, my career path over the past 6 years has been exactly that; all things automotive. From selling lifts and heavy-duty shop equipment to shops and overseeing a NASCAR sponsorship for GES, my most recent venture was with WebRidesTV. I handled many aspects from online advertising, car reviews, photography, event coverage, video production etc.

During those few years, I thought I had the perfect gig. In many people’s eyes, I did. But with the support of Brandi and her knowing my true potential, I started to look elsewhere. I had pretty much soaked up all that was being offered and hit a plateau so to speak.

After months of discussions, I was given an opportunity that I have wanted for a long time. A place where I could plant my feet. Some place that was going to test me like I haven't been tested before yet offer me opportunities that only hard working, determined and focused people get. Well, lucky for me, I landed it. Since then, I've been doing things and going to places that just a few years ago were dreams of mine. I'm now with the ID Agency based out of downtown Los Angeles. We are a PR and Ad Agency that focuses on the automotive and motorsports industries. We have some very large clients that will remain nameless for the time being. My duties can range from event coordination, social campaigns, online advertising, media buys and overseeing website development.

With the amount of clients we work with and the amount of projects that are being done simultaneously, I found out very quickly that balance is going to be key. Not just balancing work related things, but balancing work and my personal life. Although I give my all to work, I also need to give my all to my fiance, family and friends. But if I'm giving my all to one thing, how can I give my all to other things?

Balance.

It’s already been an interesting, challenging, exciting journey that I am grateful to experience.

Happy Birthday Dad:

My dad is actually one of the main reasons behind my automotive/motor sports infatuation. Let’s put it this way, my mom was pregnant with me and they were already taking me to the track. Growing up as a child, I spent more time at a racetrack than doing anything else. I wouldn’t change that one bit! The track was my dads “happy place” as it is for me. It’s the one place I can go and feel most connected with him; especially Willow Springs.

Yesterday was actually my dad’s 60th birthday. He passed away in Dec. of 2002 so days like yesterday are generally rough for me. I typically psych myself out a week or so prior and constantly remind myself, it’s okay, he’s watching over us. But with how hectic things have been, I guess I just forgot. Not about his birthday but about mentally preparing myself to just get through the day without being a wreck. Not that there is anything wrong with being a wreck, but it’s just not me.

On my way to work, I decided to stop off at Forrest Lawn where he is buried to pay my respects and wish him a happy birthday. My ritual for visiting him is to make 2-checkered flags and stick them in the ground in front of his head stone. It’s my way of letting him know I was there. As I stuck the flags into the grass, I quickly found myself in tears. With all that is going on in my life, it’s so hard to grasp that I can’t physically share this experience with him. For his entire life, he fought and worked so hard get what I am now experiencing. I hope that in heaven, people are able to feel proud while watching over us. Thank you dad for putting me on the right track in life and hope you had a good birthday.

After such a mentally exhausting day of working and thinking so much about my dad, Brandi and I ended the day by a sharing a nice Italian dinner with my mom, sister and cousin Vanessa. I definitely need it, that’s for sure.

Thank you Brandi:

Every so often, someone will ask Brandi or myself how we do it. How are we only 28 years old and have been together longer than most marriages last (at least in Los Angeles). There are many reasons but here is just one of them.

I went to open my closest door this morning and found this miniature note taped to the door handle.

The fact that Brandi knew the type of day I had yesterday, while she’s fighting the flu, she still managed to take the time to make sure I have a good day. Things like this mean the world to me! It’s not about the materialistic things; it’s about showing you care. That’s exactly what she did and that is just one of the many reasons I am and will always be her biggest fan. I love you Brandi.

Executive | Decision

2011-04-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well....look who decided to revive 2brans and bring it back to life. Betcha didn't see this coming. Although I may seem new to the blogospere, I've done my fair share over the past few years but it's all been work related. As you probably know, the other half of B'Squared is my fiance Brandi (who gets her blog on here). She's been blogging long before it became trendy, let alone a way for corporations to communicate with the outside world.

Secretly, I've always been somewhat envious of Brandi for having a well-known place to express her feelings and let the world know how truly awesome she is. Ya see, I've never been the type of person to just open and let others in on what I do, who I am, etc. Guess it's time for this kid to step outta the box.

This blog was initially started by Brandi and I as a 356 daily photo blog. Take a picture every day and post it. Sounds easy doesn't it? Go ahead, try it. Not to say it's not possible, but I guess we didn't realize what we were in for. We got about half through the 365 days before it seems like life, work, life, more work and life all got in the way of us accomplishing something so simple.

I've decided to make the executive decision to not only bring this blog back to life but to also call it my online home.

After getting engaged in October of 2010 and starting a career in January of 2011, our lives have never had so much going on. After thinking of all the great things that have happened since we've been engaged and how exciting it all is, I thought to myself, if there is ever a time to start documenting all of this from my perspective and sharing it with the world, it's now.

So, here I am. Blogging. Welcome back 2brans.

Buckle up, hang on and enjoy the ride into yet another glimpse into the life of B'Squared.

DAY 139

2010-05-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

STILL HOOD

DAY 138

2010-05-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

SITTIN' ON 22's

DAY 137

2010-05-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 10 (7 year anniversary!)

DAY 136

2010-05-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 9

DAY 135

2010-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 8

DAY 134

2010-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 7

DAY 133

2010-05-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 6

DAY 132

2010-05-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 5

DAY 131

2010-05-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 4

DAY 130

2010-05-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 3

DAY 129

2010-05-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 2

DAY 128

2010-05-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

JAMAICA: PART 1

DAY 127

2010-05-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

DAVID GUETTA

DAY 126

2010-05-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

SMOOCHES

DAY 125

2010-05-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

PHOTO BOOTH FUN

DAY 124

2010-05-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

SHOT?

DAY 123

2010-05-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

KEEP IT REAL

DAY 122

2010-05-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

LAKE BALBOA SUNSET

DAY 121

2010-05-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

WEEKEND CRUISE

DAY 120

2010-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

WORLDS SKINNIEST PALM TREES

DAY 119

2010-05-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

HEAVEN DOES EXIST

DAY 118

2010-05-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

THE STICKER SAYS IT ALL

DAY 117

2010-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

MOTEL ROCKS

DAY 116

2010-05-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

GUARD OF LIFE

DAY 115

2010-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

2010 MITSUBISHI LANCER RALLIART

DAY 114

2010-05-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

STRATTY McGEE

DAY 113

2010-05-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

LOVE TO SPOON

DAY 112

2010-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

SHARING IS CARING

DAY 111

2010-04-30T15:46:00.001-07:00

HELMET KISSES

DAY 110

2010-04-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

WELCOM TO THE WILD WILD WEST

DAY 109

2010-04-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

BESTQUOTEEVER.

DAY 108

2010-04-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

OUR HOOD

DAY 107

2010-04-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

BACK SIDE

DAY 106

2010-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

SUPER CAR SUNDAY

DAY 105

2010-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

MEANT TO B ♥

DAY 104

2010-04-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

LAKE BALBOA

DAY 103

2010-04-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

ALWAYS BE MY BABY-MC.

DAY 102

2010-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

CBL

DAY 101

2010-04-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

EDIBLE GLITTERED CHAMPAGNE

DAY 100

2010-04-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

HOUSE MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS, NO SALT.

DAY 99

2010-04-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

COLORS IN THE SKY!

DAY 98

2010-04-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

RESEDA & HATTERAS

DAY 97

2010-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

CASA DE B's

DAY 96

2010-04-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY...

DAY 95

2010-04-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

THE BEST SNUGGLE BEAR IN THE WORLD.

DAY 94

2010-04-08T16:48:00.002-07:00

A DOG'S VIEW

DAY 93

2010-04-08T16:48:00.001-07:00

NICE A$$

DAY 92

2010-04-08T16:46:00.002-07:00

TAKE IT TO THE TRACK

DAY 91

2010-04-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

TAKE A WALK WITH ME.

DAY 90

2010-04-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

OLDIE BUT GOODIE

DAY 89

2010-04-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

PERFECT TIMING

DAY 88

2010-04-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

MELROSE DINING

DAY 87

2010-04-08T13:43:00.002-07:00

THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THIS?

DAY 86

2010-04-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

BUTTONWILLOW, CA

DAY 85

2010-04-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

SHOE MATES ♥

DAY 84

2010-04-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

...AND MANY MORE

DAY 83

2010-04-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

GAG!!

DAY 82

2010-04-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

AND BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE

DAY 81

2010-04-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR.....

DAY 80

2010-04-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

DAY 79

2010-04-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

WHEN I DIP, YOU DIP, WE DIP.

DAY 78

2010-04-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

TIME STOPS FOR YOU.

DAY 77

2010-04-08T11:33:00.001-07:00

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

DAY 76

2010-04-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

MAGICAL

DAY 75

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

HOLD ON TO THEM HATS AND JACKETS.

DAY 74

2010-04-08T11:28:00.002-07:00

WHY DOES TIGGER HOP THROUGH THE FOREST? SO HE DOESNT STEP ON POO.

DAY 73

2010-04-08T11:28:00.001-07:00

BEST JOB EVER!

DAY 72

2010-04-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

BRANDI'S PERSONAL TRAINER!

DAY 71

2010-04-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

sexy right?

DAY 70

2010-04-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

B's in love!

DAY 69

2010-04-07T10:53:00.001-07:00

WE LOST THE CAMERA. THEN WE FOUND IT. THANK GOD. THE GUYS VICTORY POSE!

DAY 68

2010-04-07T10:51:00.001-07:00

WE GOT THIS!

DAY 67

2010-04-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'M A LITTLE TEA CUP..

DAY 66

2010-04-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

100% TRUST. ALL SMILES. TRUE LOVE.

DAY 65

2010-04-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

WORKING HARD.

DAY 64

2010-04-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK THE DRYER!

DAY 63

2010-04-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

...HI

DAY 62

2010-03-04T10:50:00.002-08:00

VICTORY LANE!

DAY 61

2010-03-04T10:50:00.001-08:00

THUNDERBIRDS

DAY 60

2010-03-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

ALWAYS VIP

DAY 59

2010-03-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

FACTORY CLEAN, NO SLUDGE!

DAY 58

2010-03-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

KEVIN HARVICK

DAY 57

2010-03-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

FAST LIKE A NASCAR!

DAY 56

2010-03-04T10:25:00.001-08:00

NASCAR-LVMS

DAY 55

2010-03-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

COOLEST BEER TRICK EVER!

DAY 54

2010-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

TWO CRAZY KIDS ♥

DAY 53

2010-02-23T09:54:00.001-08:00

CORNER POCKET #2