KARA'S STORIES

This Weekend I'm....

2012-02-10T23:00:00.001-06:00

Spending the weekend at the Julian lake house....

A little getaway is much needed....

Even if it's just a 30 minute getaway....

We're indulging in bad food and good wine....

Playing beauty shop (like always)....

Making s'mores by the campfire....

And major relaxing. Happy weekend y'all!

Yesterday

2012-02-09T06:43:00.001-06:00

Hey-O! This post comes to you veeerry early--6 AM to be exact. I'm WIDE awake. I considered going to the gym and getting that over with for the day but my bed feels very cozy so I'm opting to stay put.
When I first woke up, around 5:30, I was surprised to see Holly wasn't in bed with us. She normally wakes up to potty around 2 then asks me to put her in bed. I tossed around then realized there actually was a little furball snuggled between Scott and myself! I guess she asked him to put her in bed instead of me. It's always such a shock when that happens! Oh hello there Holly. Glad you made your way up here!

Speaking of Holly, she went to the beauty shop yesterday! She looks so cute!! She always looks younger to me when she gets a little haircut. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to a 8 AM appointment. Holly doesn't wake up until 11:30 & I don't even think about getting dressed for the day for a solid 2 hours after 8. But when people ask if I can be there by 8 I don't know how to say "no that's way too early for us do you have another time slot available?" so I always just say yes. Poor Holly was nearly still asleep when I handed her off to Gail--her hairstylist. I asked her if Holly just stands there all pitiful like while she's grooming her and she said "oh yeah she's like a statue." The look on Holly's face when she's getting a bath (or groomed too I guess) is so funny to me. She looks like she's getting abused and turns so sad and sulky. Silly girl! I try to tell her that everyone has to take baths but it doesn't make her feel better.
I bet Gail thinks I'm so homely. I don't think she's ever seen me with makeup on and I always have makeup on. The first time I took Holly I had just left the gym and was surprised she could squeeze us in so quickly. Last time I was sick as can be and only able to keep down 6 saltines in a 2 day period. Scott was so busy at work so he couldn't take her and I didn't want to cancel so I somehow managed to get a small ounce of energy and take her there. And this last time.....I mean, the Johnson household doesn't get dressed before 8 AM unless it's for an airplane ride so....
One of these days I'm going to look presentable. I bet she thinks I just love Uggs, sweatpants and my Northface fleece.
Listen to what I ate yesterday. A CFA spicy chicken biscuit for breakfast, chili and a baked potato from Wendy's for lunch, and half a quesadilla from Flying Burrito--with a side of queso--for dinner. What the? Hello Rotunda!! Isn't that horrible/embarrassing. I don't know what got into me but I woke up thinking "ehh, I don't care what I eat today." And of course I didn't work out because what's the point after eating like that. I've got some major damage control to take care of today.
Alrighty well, I'm going to try to fall back asleep for another hour or so. I hope you guys have a great day!

Truth

2012-02-07T21:04:00.005-06:00

I love this picture of my sweet girl! It's a rare shot of her playing with toys that aren't her Snake or Ball. Holly has had Snake and Ball her whole life and she's very loyal to them and never plays with any other toys. Momma brought these toys up this weekend. Holly got them for Christmas a few years ago but like all new toys she gets, she enjoys them for maybe 2 minutes then moves along. I was so shocked to watch her run to the little pink piggy, in the middle of us playing with Ball, and ask to play with that instead! It was a moment. I had to take a photo.

Today was a rough day. I've had a lot of those lately. I seem to be more sad than happy the last few months which is really not like me. I guess everyone feels that way a few times throughout life right? It seems to be taking a toll on my body though. I think I have a pinched nerve in my neck and my heart is, what I can only describe as, fluttering. My (doctor) Uncle wants me to see my primary care physician but I feel like I go all the time and they'll be like, 'oh here's that girl again.'
So the stress of my stress is stressing me out.
Someone put this on Facebook today and it broke me when I read it. You know how sometimes you feel like things are said or happen just for you? I felt like the Lord put this on Facebook for me today. It's from the song Blessings by Laura Story.

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise.'

It was just what I needed to be reminded of and I'm going to try to remember that.
And if that song weren't enough to make me feel better than this adorable face is. Because I could never look at my sweet Holly and not instantly get happy. She's everything.

Super Bowl Weekend

2012-02-06T23:46:00.001-06:00

I had a great weekend! My parents came to visit and I so enjoyed their company! We were very local this weekend. I wanted to introduce them
to some of my favorite local restaurants that they hadn't been to before. On Friday night we ate at Basils and it was delish!!! Of course. Saturday we had lunch at Tusk and Trotter which is on the square in Bentonville. The Five and Dime, which is just around the corner of T&T, has recently been renovated so we decided to check that out. It was so neat!! We probably spent an hour in there. It's a little mini museum on how Walmart has evolved. I highly recommend going to see it. Just knowing that the biggest company in the whole wide world started just a few miles from where I live is so cool!! For dinner we ate at one of my favorite locals, Table Mesa. Scott's Dad joined us for the evening and my Dad could not stop raving about how much he liked Table Mesa. It really is so yummy. We didn't have time to go to Crystal Bridges unfortunately. One of these days I really am going to go!! It's so embarrassing that I haven't made it yet.
My parents left town fairly early on Sunday but we squeezed in an early lunch at Fish City Grill (see, all local) before they left. I just loved that they came up just to see me, Holly, and Scott. Usually when they come to town it's for business so I felt extra special that they made the trip to NWA.
We held a little mini Super Bowl party at Randy's since he has the big theater room. We catered Flying Burrito and it was a fun time. I was glad the Giants won and I thought Madonna put on one of the best halftime shows I've seen in a looooong time.
I have to wake up early tomorrow so I'm in bed and ready to lay my head on my pillow. I need a good nights sleep so I've distracted Holly with a Chewnola and she's currently chewing it in her little bed. Hopefully she stays there a while. I LOVE my little snuggle bug and there's nothing like cuddling with her but she knows how to seriously disturb my sleep by hogging my bed space and I'm in desperate need of a really good nights rest. I know I say it all the time but it's so amazing how a little 7 pound furball can take up so much space??!! Anywho, this weekend was great! Looking forward to a good week. It's pretty non eventful but should be nice nonetheless. Until tomorrow.....

What's In My Bag?

2012-02-03T15:07:00.004-06:00

Well hello there. Long time no chat huh? Sorry about that. I felt a little under the weather this week and just didn't feel like blogging. I still have a little bit of a sore throat but I'm feeling much better now....just in time for the weekend! My parents are coming up this weekend and I am so excited about that. I'm taking them to one of my favorite restaurants in Rogers, Basil's, tonight and I'm really looking forward to it! They've never been and I know they'll love it. We also plan on touring Crystal Bridges this weekend as well. It's kinda crazy that it's like, 2 miles from my house and I've never been so I plan on fixing that tomorrow. My little doodlebug is doing good! She is very spunky today and won't stop following me every where I go. The last two days she slept literally like, 21 hours each day. She's obviously very rested which must be why she has some extra spunk. She told me she really wanted to go bye bye with me and since I don't know how to tell her no, I took her to Macadoodles! I love that she's so wittle I can just put her in my bag! I also love that she will totally make herself comfterable and just hang. She's totally content sitting in there. I honestly think if she had to sit there for an hour she would happily stay put. I should take her more places actually because she's so easy to tote around and nobody seems to care if she's just chillin in my handbag!! I love this picture of her with her one little arm propped up. Haha. It gives me the chuckles.
Alrighty well, my parents will be here shortly and I need to run a few errands before they arrive. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Fun Weekend--Finally!!

2012-01-30T23:22:00.006-06:00

I have discovered the greatest candy ever. These little Valentine sour candy hearts are so so so so good!!! They're tart, and tangy, and sour and delicious. I've never seen these before but they have them at the candy store at the mall and I randomly picked them to put in my sack and YUM-O. I'm going to stock up so I never run out. I love candy!!Girls night on Friday was so much fun. Like always. We gathered together at Jaclyns and all of us brought appetizers for dinner. I was in the mood to go with a skewer theme so I did kebabs of all kinds. I had some leftovers which have made for super yummy snacks over the weekend! We spent the evening chatting, wining, dining, and watching many YouTube videos.
Per usual, Scott and I slept in Saturday and lounged in our PJ's through lunch. I convinced Scott to not work and spend the day with me instead! We decided to go to Fayetteville. I really wanted to visit Savoir Faire so that was our first stop. I got two super cute little dresses. It always makes me laugh when I go to a womens boutique on a Saturday. There were tons of ladies shopping in Savoir Faire along with the boyfriends/husbands all huddled in the same spot keeping themselves entertained with their iPhone. I don't know why that makes me chuckle but it always does.

After making our typical Fayetteville rounds we headed back up to quickly get ready to spend an evening out with friends. Scotts friend, Trey, invited us to go bowling with him and his fiancee, Elyse, and a few other couples. We grabbed some pizza then went to Fast Lanes and had a blast!! I love going there. We rode go-carts and bowled and it was so much fun! I met a few new couples and they were so great and nice and I would love to get together with them again. It was just so nice to be out of the house and in the company of friends all weekend long. Seriously, best weekend I've had in I don't know how long. Scott kept going on and on about how much fun he was having. Yeah life's really cool when you don't have to work 24/7!! Of course I felt really sorry for my little doodlebug because she was basically home by herself all day long on Saturday. I always feel so guilty when I do that which is why I never do that. Saturday was a bit of exception although I was a nervous wreck all day. I'm just always so worried, given her age, to leave her by herself for too long. I made it up to her by giving her a Mini Busy Bone while we watched the SAG Awards. This was Holly's 5th Mini Busy Bone (her all-time favorite treat) and she is totally a pro now. It normally takes her 2 hours to tackle it but she over excitedly grabbed it out of my hand and went after that thing and finished it in an hour!!! She can be so rude while chewing it though. I can't even say "Holly is that tasting SOOOO good to you???!!!!" without her responding with a growl that says "Stay away it's mine and I'm not sharing." So rude. She got in trouble for that behavior one time. I grounded her from the Mini Busy Bone for 15 minutes. I don't care how old she is, it's not acceptable to growl at someone for simply asking if they're enjoying their food. She was super sad to be grounded and very, very sorry. The Mini Busy Bone must taste ridiculously good.

Awards & BFF's

2012-01-27T16:32:00.004-06:00

My little buddy won the Outstanding Citizenship award at school today!! I'm so proud of him even though I'm not quite sure what it means. Haha!

Tonight I'm gathering with these girls...

....and we're going to have a grand ol' time. Just like we always do. Girls nights are a necessity and I'm so grateful I have such an amazing group of ladies to call my best friends! Enjoy your weekend!

Unconditional

2012-01-26T20:06:00.003-06:00

Do you think SaraLee would mind if I took Scott's computer and threw it as far as I could? I'm so stinking tired of looking at that stupid thing. We're going on 4 straight months of 80 hour work weeks and I am totally over it. Scott sits in the same dining room chair every night while working. The other night a little bit of our floor broke where that chair is and I'm totally not kidding. I love this little one so much. I find myself very emotional these days about her. I have a moment every day where I look at her and think "gosh I'm going to miss not getting to look at that cute face one day." I'll miss giving her kisses and getting her kisses. The way she looks at me when she wants a treat. Her "I love carpet" dance after getting a bath. The way she perfectly curls up in my curve at night. All the water dripping from her face after she gets a drink. How she runs away and hides from me when I tell her she stinks. Taking naps together. Hearing her little feet on the hardwood. Licking her lips when I say a yummy treat word she knows. How she stands in the kitchen the entire time I'm cooking. That she sneezes to get my attention instead of barking like most dogs would. How excited she gets to get the mail. The way she pays so closely attention to me when I'm talking to her. And how she always knows she gets a treat when we go to the bank. Or simply watching her take a snooze. Plus a zillion other things!! My time with her is so limited and it breaks my heart. If I let myself think about it too much I'll just ball my eyes out. I try to tell myself that I can't control it and to just savor every moment I have with her and not worry about the (near) future. Holly has captured my heart in a way that nobody else has or ever could. I will be absolutely heartbroken when my life doesn't have her in it anymore. Okay let's stop talking about it before I make a mess of myself.
Holly got a Mini Busy Bone yesterday and just take a look at how messy she made herself while eating it!! All over her paws, her face, and the blanket which is precisely why I made sure I put one down before giving it to her. She just LOVES the Busy Bone.
What she doesn't love? Getting her picture taken 46 times a day. Look at her giving me 'the look.' She's like, Kara I am SO over having my picture taken today!! She's so funny. Sometimes she doesn't mind but sometimes I pull my phone out and hold it up to take a photo and she'll totally turn her head and won't even look when I ask her if she wants a treat! She's crazy!! I love it.

Our Three Year Anniversay Date

2012-01-25T20:33:00.005-06:00

Scott and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary yesterday with a nice bottle of champagne and a lovely dinner. We always drink Vueve on our anniversary. Scott had a bottle waiting for us in our wedding night suite and every since we've just made it a tradition to splurge on it! We only have it once a year so I always really enjoy drinking it.
We decided to try out a new (for us) restaurant in Bentonville called the Petit Bistro. I've 'liked' them on Facebook for quite some time and the photos they post of their cuisine always look divine. Since it was our anniversary we wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been before to help make the evening feel really special. I'm so glad we choose to go there because we loved it! The atmosphere was so neat (very Napa like) and the food was incredible. We got Grilled Brie for an appetizer and I believe I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it. I got a filet and Scott got a ribeye. I left stuffed but satisfied! We will definitely go back and I encourage everyone to try it out! I've heard their outdoor space is so amazing so when we get great weather I can't wait to try it out! The food is just as good as it looks! I'm so excited we've found a new place to eat especially since it's in Bentonville. It seems like all of the good restaurants go to Fayetteville. Petit Bistro is definitely a new favorite!

After dinner I was so tired. I attempted to stay awake for a little bit but couldn't keep my eyes open so I got in bed at 10 and slept like a little baby! It was so amazing since, as you all know, I suffer from insomnia. However, the good nights rest caused me to wake up super early today. After laying in bed about 45 minutes I made the decision to put on my workout gear and hit the gym....at 6am. After a good workout on the elliptical and a few pushups and situps, I grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Panera for Scott (since Panera is in my gym's parking lot) ran by Walmart quickly to grab a few groceries then made it home in plenty of time to enjoy the morning with my sweet husband before he left for work.

I LOVED waking up that early (energized) and getting stuff accomplished. I wish I always felt that good in the morning and that became my daily routine. It made me feel so good about myself today. I actually talked to my doctor about my insomnia and he's given me some medicine to take for two weeks and he said my body should get on a good sleep pattern after that. I also learned after talking to him that insomnia is hereditary. Thanks Mom and Grammy!! I haven't taken the medicine yet but hopefully it works.
Holly is begging me for a treat (what's new) and I need to catch up on Dance Mom's. Until then...

Three Years

2012-01-24T11:32:00.006-06:00

Three years ago today I married my best friend and soul mate. The day was perfect in every way. It was emotional and surreal and full of fun and laughter. I hope that the day will always stay as fresh in my mind as it is now. I want to always remember as many details and moments about it as possible. The ceremony was sweet and beautiful and the reception was one big party!! If I could go back and relieve the entire day all over again I would many, many times! It truly was one of the best days of my entire life.I love Scott just as much today as I did three years ago. It's really interesting to watch our relationship grow over time. I feel like we're very grown up. We depend on each other more than anyone else. We're best friends. He takes care of me, and I take care of him. We're exactly where I thought we would be after 3 years of marriage. I love this time in our lives where it's just us and we can come and go and do as we please. While I can't wait to have babies and watch Scott be an amazing father, getting to have this time where our family is just us two is so special to me.
I am so lucky that God blessed me with such an amazing husband. He's got such a sweet and kind heart. That's what I love the most about him....his sweet spirit. He's so patient. He makes me laugh and I can tell just by the way he looks at much how much he loves me. I don't know what I would do without him. Even if we have our ups and downs, I never look at him and wish he wasn't mine. We've grown so much in just these three years and I can't wait to see what the next three bring us.
No matter how many years have gone by I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching my wedding video. I definitely plan on watching the whole thing tonight with my husband, of three years, and a nice glass of champagne. Here's the highlights for any of you who may not have seen them before!

Glasses

2012-01-23T23:11:00.001-06:00

Something strange has been happening to me with my contacts the last few months. My eyes get really irritated if I leave them in too long. I've been wearing contacts for about 10 years now. I've always been really bad about never taking them out and waiting way longer than the 2 weeks allotted before changing them. I'm always very honest about that with my doctor and I always get a little scolded but my eyesight hasn't changed the whole decade I've been wearing contacts so I've always been pretty blasé about it. Plus, contacts are expensive! I started noticing my eyes getting irritated in the summer and I asked my doctor about it. He said it doesn't look like anything is wrong. I figured out a solution though. My eyes don't itch and water if I take my contacts out every night and I try to have 1 day a week where I only wear my glasses. It's annoying but I guess it's for the best. I've always felt guilty that I neglected my eyes. Now I'm forced to be good to them!!

Now that I'm finished with that exciting story I'll move on to another. Our weekend was really great! It was so nice to have Scott all to myself. We stayed in Friday night and watched a movie. We had a super lazy day Saturday then had a nice meal out at Basils. When we got home at 9:30 Scott went to bed. He has been in major need of sleep and I hope he got caught up this weekend. Sunday morning was one of those where everything was crazy. We left our house for church 4 minutes after the service had already started!! By the time we made it, it was 25 after. I decided we should maybe skip out. I felt bad but we were just so late. We didn't go to church last week either. I set my alarm but decided Scott really needed the sleep so I didn't wake him up. Maybe next week we can actually make it!! I always feel so bad when I don't go.

Finally, Holly never wants to go outside but she stood by the front door looking at me for a really long time. I took the hint so we enjoyed some fresh air together! It was nice.
That's about the extinct of my life this weekend. See you here tomorrow!

Carefree

2012-01-20T17:31:00.001-06:00

I have a feeling this weekend is going to be a good one. Why is that? Because Scott doesn't have to work! Yay!! You have no idea how much that thrills me.

This weekend I'll relax, watch some movies, eat some good meals, and hopefully I'll get a chance to read these!

This little one's weekend will most likely be the exact same as mine with a little more snoozing.

Enjoy your weekend!

Fajita Pie

2012-01-19T15:11:00.015-06:00

Hello friends! Thanks for coming back! I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes with you guys today! It's really easy to do and one of the first things I learned to cook. Actually, when I was Miss Teen Arkansas I went on Good Morning Arkansas and cooked this so it will always be a fun and special recipe for me simply because of that!

My Mom is the brain behind this meal which she named Fajita Pie! It came about when she was cooking our family fajitas then realized she didn't have any tortillas but she did have pie crust. So she decided to try using the pie crust instead and what came from that was a Luttrell family classic. Let's get started!

Step 1: Put a pie crust in your pie pan, trim the edges, and bake it in the oven 5-7 minutes or just long enough to get a touch brown.
Step 2: While that's baking, prepare your fajitas in a skillet just like you would normally do.
Step 3: Ones your fajitas are fully cooked, place them in your pie dish.

Step 4: Top it with cheese. You can use however much cheese you prefer. I prefer a lot!
Step 5: Place another pie crust on top and trim the edges. Bake using the same temperature and time the pie crust says. It's usually 450* for about 15 minutes.
Step 6: Cut yourself a large slice and thoroughly enjoy every bite! Add sour cream or salsa if you prefer!

It's that simple! I promise you'll love this fun twist to your regular old fajitas and I think it tastes even better the next day! If you leave enough for leftovers that is. One time we didn't. And by we I don't mean my Luttrell family I mean my Johnson family. As in just Scott and I. I know, there's no excuse for that type of eating behavior. Except for the fact that this is so delicious you sometimes can't bring yourself to stop!

Even Holly got to enjoy a little slice of it last night! I wasn't sure what she would think, but as you can tell from the pictures, she finds it incredibly yummy as well. She didn't even leave the peppers and onions and gave me 'the look' that insisted she devour another small slice. So she did! Because you know I don't know how to say no to that face.
So that's it! The famous Fajita Pie. I hope you all try it out! It's a great family recipe and like I said, so simple to make. Please email me to let me know if you make it! I hope you enjoy!

Releasing Tension.

2012-01-18T12:16:00.003-06:00

You know how you have those things in life that are super irritating? I thought I'd share mine with you today because I'm having one of those days where they're almost intolerable.

---My shower. Oh My Goodness ya'll I can't take it anymore. We don't have anywhere to put our shampoo, body wash, etc because there aren't shelves in our shower. The over the shower head things don't work because they won't fit on our shower head right. So we have to use these suction cup shelves and they fall all. the. time. ALL THE TIME. The worst is when they come crashing down in the middle of the night. They fell today and the Dove body wash that I just bought on Sunday crashed down with it and busted. Soap was everywhere. EVERYWHERE I TELL YA. These suction cup shelves with be the death of me. I'm going to Bed Bath and Beyond today to try and figure out something else to do. I literally can't take it anymore.
---Voicemails. What are those about? Hang up and send me a text.
---Cleaning up Holly's poop and pee. She goes on puppy pads and while I definitely prefer that to her going outside for convenience purposes, it gets old changing it 6 times a day. Imagine changing your baby's diaper except you have to do it for 15 years. It's just like that.
---Laundry. How can two people create so much of it? Better yet, how come Scott creates so much? He'll wear something for an hour and throw it in the dirty clothes. 80% of the laundry belongs to him. When I was single I probably washed my clothes once a week. Now I do at least two loads a day. Ugh.
---This weather. I don't like this going back and forth between winter and summer stuff. It's January. Bring me a few inches of snow and let me take advantage of my wool pants.
---Email. I have three. One for personal, one for this blog, and one for spam (aka J.Crew, Tory Burch, Shutterfly deals etc.) When people email me they send to 2/3 of my emails and it bugs me SOOOOOOOOOO bad. What's the worst is when they send to multiple people and everyone 'replys all' and I get like, a gogillion of the same email over and over with everyone's new response. Why would you send me two of the same email? How do you politely say "pick one email address for me and stick with it please?" I guess I just did. Hopefully they get the (not so subtle) hint.

And a few more things.....
---Scott was asked to attend a work dinner on our anniversary. When he informed them it was his wedding anniversary that day they suggested I just come along. Mmm hmm. Cause that's exactly what I want to do on my wedding anniversary.
---My neighbor across the street gets her mail at the same time every day and she always brings her two yorkies with her. The strange thing is, she holds them the whole time. Walks out the front door holding the two yorkies, gets the mail, goes back inside while still holding the yorkies. Why bother bringing them? I just don't understand...
---My other neighbor. Trash day is Monday. Could you please take your trash can back to it's designated spot once your trash gets picked up or do you just like leaving the can on the side of the street until Friday?
---A new story surfaced about Mitt Romney. In the 80's his family took a vacation and drove the 12 hours to get there. They took their dog. He rode in a kennel on top of the car for that 12 hour drive. First of all, I'm against kennels to begin with. Combine that with the dog being stuck in it for 12 hours on top of your car! Cruel and unusual punishment. You officially lost my vote in the primaries. Not that you necessarily had it to begin with.

Today's Opinion

2012-01-17T19:58:00.009-06:00

I may be a few days late but I still thought I'd share my favorite Golden Globe looks. It's always so hard for me to pick my absolute favorite because there are so many gorgeous gowns but I think I have to go with....Sofia Vergara. I wish she would have done something different with her hair but I thought this dress was beautiful.
This award show I wanted to mix it up and talk about some amazing looks that I feel like probably got overlooked. I thought Octavia Spencer looked absolutely stunning. The dress, hair, earrings, bag......everything about this look is perfect. I was so happy to see the E! Fashion Police nominated her as one of the best dressed because I think she just looks outstanding.

I also thought Ariel Winter from Modern Family looked perfect! She's 14 years old and I don't think any 14 year old has done a better job on a red carpet. This dress is Oscar de la Renta. Hello! She looks adorable and so age appropriate and I think she should get some major props for this fantastic Golden Globe look.

A few people have asked me to weigh in on Miss America as well. I mean, what is there to say? Are we ever excited about the winner? No. We always want the 1st or 2nd runner up. The winner is never the cute, spunky, beautiful, talented, fan favorite. She obviously wins the judges over in interview and that's all well and good. Her job is as a public speaker after all. I'm sure the girls are always super sweet and do a really great job. But let's skip the uber smart and serious girl for once and go for a Kelly Ripa type one of these days. That might liven the system up a bit.
And that's all I have to say about that.

All Work, No Play

2012-01-16T22:52:00.001-06:00

I almost let Monday go by without blogging! Today I had a client come over for a haircut. She ended up staying at my house talking for 2 whole hours! It was nice visiting with her. She's in her 40's and so sweet. We've always gotten along really well.
Other than her coming over and getting in a really hard workout, my day didn't really involve much else. I probably wasted working out today with what I cooked for dinner. Fried chicken tenders from the Schwans Man, Au Gratin potatoes and Leseur Peas. I don't regret it. Plus, I'm trying to get rid of some food that's been in my house for forever. Mom bought me & Scott like, 10 boxes of Au Gratin Potatoes that were on sale super cheap over a year ago! I still have two more left. I also finished up those fried chicken tenders too. Im glad. That was totally an impulse purchase. Who has friend chicken just laying around their house?! Haha.

In exactly a month I get my husband back. He's been slaving away at work for....well I can't even remember how many months it's been. He worked 20 hours this weekend. You know, most peoples Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday hours worth of work. Ugh. So ready for this to be over. This has been the worst relay we've had so far and it's been really, really hard. Sadly it runs into our wedding anniversary which is one week from tomorrow. We'd always planned to celebrate our 3rd anniversary in Jamaica. Obviously that wont be happening. Maybe we can squeeze in a quick dinner at Sonic. Ha! See how I made a joke there? It's my attempt to pretend like I'm not bitter about it. Just another month. If he can do it I can too.

If It Makes You Happy

2012-01-14T19:31:00.008-06:00

Earlier this week I mentioned how much Holly loves to chew a Busy Chewnola. Well, that can now take a back seat to the Mini Busy Bone. I gave her one for the first time last night and the little booger wouldn't part ways with it all night long. She chewed on that thing for so many hours and would not let go--even when I picked her up! A little after midnight I told her we had to go to bed and she could get a new one in the morning. Bright and early at 6am today she woke me up asking for a bone. I obviously ignored her (it was 6am!!) so instead she used her sniffer all over the entire house to try to find her bone (which I had thrown in the trash--oops!). Silly girl!
A few other things making me happy this weekend...

Five dollar flowers from Walmart! I usually get two different types to mix together and they always look so pretty! Not too shabby at all for a $10 bouquet of flowers huh? I always tell Scott if there's ever an occasion where he wants to get me flowers to please just go get some of these from Walmart instead of spending $100 at a floral shop. I can arrange them just as pretty, it saves a bundle, and I enjoy them just as much.

My new found love for Waterfall Braids! I mastered this look last week and I love it! Maybe it's time for another tutorial? It's much easier to do than it looks. I'll see what I can do about getting a video together soon!
Holly's love for a heating pad always makes me chuckle. I pull it out every now and then for her to lay on. I feel like it's good for an old dog's joints. I usually put a blanket over it but it was just laying out on the sofa today and Holly went and plopped herself right on top of it! I took that as a hint so I turned it on and she's currently snoozing on a very nice and warm surface!
Finally, this beauty arrived on my doorstep yesterday! I am super picky when it comes to handbags. I never buy them because I rarely find one that I just really love therefore I tend to carry the same one every day for months and months and months. However, when I saw this in Vegas I knew it should be mine. It's huge (a requirement) and even though I wouldn't typically carry a bag that's a bright color, this raspberry shade was just too pretty to ignore.

Miss America comes on in just a few seconds. Better get going!

Chinese Secrets

2012-01-13T20:25:00.003-06:00

Boy am I glad this week is over. It was a toughie but it's done and I have a feeling next week is going to be much better. My weekend will be spent relaxing, lots of movies, the Miss America pageant, and a little bit of Tebow football. Let's face it, we're all obsessed with him.
I'm excited for Miss America tomorrow night! I like the judges this year. Lara Spencer (one of the judges) did a little behind the scenes piece today on GMA and she said Miss America is "the queen of class." LOVE that! Very well said Lara! This years judges are helping the pageant get a lot of promotion which, let's face it, it needs it. You know what I wish would happen? The new Miss America would go on Dancing With The Stars! It's perfect timing since Mark Ballas is a judge AND the pageant is on ABC now. Miss America used to be a celebrity and every girl wanted to be her. It's lost it's relevance a bit. I think a stint on DWTS could help bring back what Miss America used to be. Okay Scott and I are going to watch Moneyball now. We're having a very lazy night which included Chinese Take-Out from Panda Express. Yes you heard that right. We've never had it before and Scott wanted to try it?? So we did. The drive through line was so long which made Scott declare "Oh my goodness if there are this many people here it must be REALLY good." I LOL really hard on the inside. And just so you know, it tasted just like any Chinese food you'd find in the mall--however your taste buds feel about that. BY THE WAY, I have a little Chinese food in the mall secret. If you're ever shopping and you want a little snack you can just go to the food court, walk slowly in front of the Chinese stands and pretend to look interested in their food and they'll offer up the free taste testings like it's no ones business. I taught Scott that trick and he always wants to do it when we go to the mall now. He's amazed at how easy it works. Seriously, try it.

Keep Calm & Write A Blog

2012-01-12T13:16:00.007-06:00

It's been hard for me to come up with anything to write about lately. Life the last week or two to be honest, has kinda sucked. And when you feel bummed about life it's hard to write about anything fun and carefree. Not that I want to cry and complain here now. That's never fun for anyone to read. But in case you're thinking to yourself that that this blog is getting pretty snorefest just stick with me and I'll try to make it better!
The Schwans Man just stopped by. I got some chicken pot pies and tomato soup. I thought those would be good wintery foods to have in the house. I always like to keep a lot of food in my freezer for just in case purposes. Especially now that I've seen the movie Contagion. If a crazy outbreak like that happens here I won't have to leave my house for at least 2-3 weeks.
I've been really into working out lately. I go through intense phases and I'm in one right now. I'm wanting to lose about 5 pounds so I've been spending a lot of time in the gym. I don't know if I've lost yet or not. Scales scare me so I stay away until I know for sure the number will be low. Haha.
I've also been addicted to Pinterest these last few weeks too. I've loved Pinterest for a really long time now but I find myself spending hours browsing for anything and everything. I used to get on there purposefully looking for something. Now I look at anything from people's weddings to homes to babies birthday parties and funny quotes. It's been keeping me incredibly entertained.

Finally, are ya'll watching Dance Moms? The second season premiered Tuesday and all weekend before that they were having a marathon and I totally got sucked in for hours and hours and hours. Dancing now is so different than it was even when I was doing it. These girls are incredible! I've always said I would put my daughter in dance classes, of course. That was all I knew my whole life growing up. But I won't be a crazy dance mom and hopefully the instructors and entire dancing experience will be different than that show. I could not handle my daughter getting verbally abused like that. I'm all about pushing someone to do their best but Abby Lee is a little extreme for me. How do those girls not cry more?

Same

2012-01-09T23:13:00.001-06:00

Today was just my average day. Same as yesterday, same as the day before that....and the day before that. I did stop by PetSmart to stock up on goodies for Holly. She hasn't been devouring her Kibbles like I prefer her to. She thinks she can only eat people food right now. SO I'm hoping to solve that with some Little Caesers meals. They fill her tummy up and even though I'm sure they're incredibly unhealthy I feel like it has to be better than people food. She's 15, whatevs. I also got her lots and lots of bones. When I got home I set everything on the floor and we had a serious sniff fest. I asked her which one she wanted and after careful deliberation she attempted to open the Chewnola (her favorite new treat). No surprise there! If you haven't given your dog a Busy Chewnola then you must drop what you're doing right now and go get one. Every dog I've given one to has been obsessed!

Since I was right by Lifeway I picked up a new devotional book to read. It came highly recommended by everyone who worked there. It's called Experiencing God Day by Day. Im looking forward to diving in!Finally, this will be the first and last time I say this but---Roll Tide! Watching them beat LSU so incredibly bad was a very beautiful thing to watch.

Exactly.

2012-01-07T22:38:00.001-06:00

Slept in. Had lunch. Got back in bed for an hour. Got dressed. Went to Barnes & Noble. Worked out. Came home.

Watched House Hunters International. Did Pilates. Got dressed. Date night at Bordinos.

Went wine shopping at Macadoodles. Jammed to Super Bass on the drive back. Came home.

Snuggled on the sofa with my favs about to watch Contagion. My day exactly. It was a pretty good one.

Morning Dreams

2012-01-04T23:24:00.001-06:00

Today I had to take Holly back to the doctor to see if her ears are better after a month of medicine. The left one is perfect, the right one needs ANOTHER two weeks. Shes really, really starting to hate getting these drops in her ears.Holly acts like such a crazy dog when we go to the vet. It's so embarrassing. They always say "she's just full of energy!" What they're really trying to say is "you have one hyper dog." I've never even tried to attempt to tell them that she's beyond chill and anyone who's ever around her always comments on how calm and well behaved she is. They would never believe me. I don't know why she acts like she does when we go there but she ALWAYS has. Shes never experienced anything traumatizing at the doctor--just normal check-ups. Silly girl.

I got a lot accomplished today even though I slept in pretty late. I've done that the last few days. I must need a lot of recovery sleep from Vegas. I didn't get much while I was there. I always feel so lazy when I sleep in. I never set an alarm because I usually wake up when Scott does. A doctor on Oprah once said you shouldn't feel guilty or lazy if you sleep in really late. It's your body's way of letting you know you need sleep. I thought that made plenty of sense so I try not to feel guilty if, once a month or so, I sleep in.I'm off to bed now! Hopefully I can get good sleep and wake up early. One of these days I hope to think Scott and I will be so grown up that we wake up around 6:30, sit at our kitchen table in our matching robes and slippers, reading the paper, sipping coffee, and nibbling on a homemade omelet and piece of toast with a side of fruit. Doesn't that sound like a lovely morning? Maybe that can be our 2020 resolution. Please don't tell me if your life is already like that. I would feel pretty bummed about myself if you did. We sleep until the absolute last second until we have to get up then scramble and get into each others way while we rush to get ready. Most people my age are that way right?

Wide. Awake

2012-01-03T23:59:00.001-06:00

I'm wide awake so I'll blog quickly! Today I had a super hard workout which made me so hungry so Scott and I had dinner at 4:50. Yup. Then at 7:45 I crawled in bed and fell asleep. It's nearly midnight and now, of course, I'm wide awake. Why can't you just stay asleep when you go to bed that early? I wasn't trying to take a nap! I for real wanted to go to bed. Boo!! Looks like I may be depending on my friend, Ambien, tonight.

Holly has been a mess tonight. For the first time ever I've had a hard time getting her to sleep. She kept asking for treats and couldn't make up her mind where in the bed she wanted to sleep. She's all settled now and her and Scott are sleeping very soundly. Hopefully I'll be joining in on that soon!!

De-Cluttering

2012-01-02T23:36:00.001-06:00

Who's been watching the bowl games all day? Its all the Johnson household television has seen today and I've really enjoyed it! Scott did let me squeeze in a 2 hour sesh of The Bachelor. Looking forward to seeing you on Bachelor Pad Jenna! So far I like horse girl, Texas yellow dress, and brunette sparkly mini. Pageant girl seems cute too. Lose the sash though honey. That is way embarrassing! I believe the model is the new Michelle. Looking forward to this one! It amazes me how much I LOL while watching that show.
I took down all of my Christmas today. It's a little sad seeing my snow village gone because I enjoy it so much but it feels good to be back to normal. I also took the opportunity to clean out my two guest bedroom closets while I was going up and down the attic. Now my guests can actually stick their suitcase and hang their clothes in there! Ahh. So much better. Good thing only Mom, Dad, and Grammy have stayed with me lately. I would've been embarrassed if anyone but them saw my closets in their previous conditions. I don't like clutter so it's impressive I allowed so much of it in there!
We've had a rough day with Holly. She had an accident in my bed, her bed, AND she threw up on the sofa. She always thinks she's going to be in so much trouble when that happens. She never is nor has been so I don't know why she cowers away like she does. Once she sees she's not in trouble she just wants you to hold her for an hour. Poor baby. I don't think anything is wrong with her because she's acting totally okay. These things just happen sometimes....to all of us. That's what I tell her. Because its true.
I'm heading to bed. Night!

New Year! Let's Do This 2012!

2012-01-01T19:27:00.002-06:00

Well Happy New Year everyone! I don't know about you but I had a great 2011. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2012 will bring me! I have a feeling it's going to be a neat year with some fun changes.So have you made New Years resolutions? I used to, then I stopped, then I picked them back up last year. I've decided I like making them! Usually I just make one or two but I made a few this year.
1.) Do Yoga or Pilates at least 3 times a week.
2.) Get more involved in my community and church. I always want to and just never actually get out there and volunteer my time. Since I have plenty of it available, I should do some good with it.
3.) Spend a significant amount of time in daily conversation with the Lord. It's easy to let that slide and that's so sad. He's my Father and I should spend more time with him.
4.) A little cliche but just to try to work on myself and try to be the best person I can be. I say that every year but I think it's a good one! I made the traditional New Years meal for dinner. I'm a little superstitious about it actually! Plus I think it's just fun to eat: Collard Greens for money, Tomatoes for health, Black Eyed Peas for luck and Corn Bread for gold. I love the tradition of eating it! I will always have it on NYD.
Here's to a happy, lucky, and wonderful 2012 from myself and Holly. Who has, for some reason, decided that it's really fun to hide under my skirts these days.
Oh and Happy Birthday to my Grammy! She is 72 today but doesn't look a day under 55!! :) I LOVE my Grammy! She's one of my best friends.

Home Sweet Holly

2011-12-31T21:50:00.003-06:00

I experienced a major Holly moment when I walked into my parents house after arriving home from Vegas yesterday. Mom and I walked in the door and headed straight to Holly's room {aka the closet where her bed is}. A few steps into my parents bedroom Mom and I started freaking out. We could hear Holly howling and moaning and it scared the crap out of us. I started running for the closet then stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't want to see it if something bad was happening. In the meantime, Mom is screaming for Dad to go in there. Scott said Dad just dropped his bags mid air and took off for Holly. Little miss must've heard the dramatic commotion and came running to us with her tail wagging.
Shocked and relieved, Mom and I grabbed her and sat on the sofa to give her a one over and try to assess what in the world had just happened. That's when we realized Holly had been crying. Because she literally would not stop giving me "I'm SO Happy to see you" kisses for 10-15 minutes. Usually Holly is happy to see us when we've been gone but she's over it in 3 minutes. She would not stop loving on all of us. It broke my heart!!!! I've never known Holly to cry. Poor little thing. She was SO sad that she laid in her bed and cried! That just crushed me. It's sweet that she missed me that much but I never want her to feel like that again.

After that Holly would literally not let me out of her sight. If I was going somewhere by golly she was going too!! I think the older she gets the more stressful it becomes to not be with her family. I've decided I just can't leave her anymore. With Mom and Dad would be okay of course but I think Holly had major separation anxiety this trip. Grammy said she acted normal and more spunky than she had in a long time so I don't know what the deal was but I can guarantee Holly it wont ever happen again!

I also think she was homesick. The minute we walked in the door, Holly asked to be put on the bed then comfortably placed herself on the clothes I was unpacking and passed out for the rest of the night!
My poor baby! The already spoiled little one has been even more spoiled now since her traumatizing abandonment moment if you could possibly believe that. Case in point:

I separated all of her Kibbles from the Bits for her today. Holly will only eat Kibbles & Bits now. Problem is she only likes the Kibbles (little round balls) and spits the Bits (bone & stick thing) on the floor. Well my princess doesn't have to deal with that anymore. Because I spent 30 whole minutes today prepping her food exactly how she likes it by taking two whole Kibbles & Bits bags and making it Just Kibbles for the doodlebug. If you guys don't get my love for her by now I don't know if you ever will!!
Happy New Years Eve! I can't believe 2011 is over. So crazy! Scott and I are staying in tonight. Relaxing after being gone for so many days + the combination of Holly's traumatization = a much needed night sitting on the sofa, watching TV/Movies, and just chillin. I hope you have fun tonight. See you back here tomorrow to go over resolutions!

Vegas Wrap Up

2011-12-30T19:37:00.001-06:00

Our last full day in Vegas was my favorite way to spend time in Vegas. Start at the far end of the strip and work your way down while stopping in every hotel.

First we tackled In-N-Out burger. Yum! It was my first experience and it was good. Scott's friend used to live in California and he knows the In-N-Out lingo--stuff that's not on the menu but they'll make for you. Such as our fries "animal style." Gotta love feeling like a cool local! Ha!!

Next came The Cosmopolitan hotel which Scott and I love!! We'll be staying there the next time we go. We hung out and played blackjack for about two hours and apparently it's my good luck hotel because I walked away a winner!

Even though Scott's been to Vegas many times he's never caught the water show in front of the Bellagio. This time we made sure we got a chance to see it. It really is so beautiful and impressive!

After Bellagio we hit up Caesars to do a little shopping. I really didn't get much on this trip. I got a cute little Kate Spade bag for my toiletries and some makeup from Mac. I love a stand alone Mac store. They have stuff you can't get anywhere else.

We took a stroll through Venice and paused for a little afternoon vino. Very Italian of us.

Finally we got dressed up and ate an incredible dinner at Lavo. I highly recommend eating there if you're in Vegas! It's Italian and pretty divine. I LOVE good food!!

Last but not least, we enjoyed a little show after dinner. Jersey Boys!! It was great. I couldn't believe how many songs I knew that The Four Seasons did--like--all of them!! Some I didn't even realize were by them. The show was great! I would recommend going to see that one!
I stayed up until 3:30 playing blackjack. Four whole hours of it! I've never been able to play for that long. I've totally got this game figured out now. I have strategy. I had more than doubled my money at one point but got all greedy and lost it all. UGH!!! That's Vegas. It's so hard to walk away though! I kept thinking "I'll get it all back." I should remember that Vegas isn't built on winners but I guess I didn't think that rule applied to me last night. Stupid. I had a lot of fun though and Scott walked away a big winner so I guess that makes up for it right?!
We're on our way home now. The trip was a blast. Gotta love Vegas!!!

Vegas Celebration

2011-12-29T11:24:00.009-06:00

Vegas has been great so far! We arrived to our hotel The Palazzo, around 5. Scott and I ate an incredible dinner at TAO. It was so unbelievably delicious. It's impressive that as many times as I've been to Vegas it was my first time to eat there but it's true. I've never been able to get a reservation before!! So glad I finally got to enjoy TAO!

After TAO Scott and I hit the blackjack tables and did really great! I was up $175 and decided I better walk away and go to sleep. I never win, so I was pretty excited!!
Yesterday was the most important day---Mom turned the BIG 5-0!!! Mom, Scott and I hung out earlier in the day. We shopped and enjoying the great city of Las Vegas!!
For lunch we chose Maggianos, one of mine and Scott's favorite. The birthday girl didn't have a preference so she let us pick! We wanted to save room for the scrumptious dinner that awaited us later that evening so we all shared an appetizer, salad, and entree and still had leftovers!! The portions there are HUGE! It's so good though. I wish SO bad we could get a Maggiano's in Arkansas.
Before dinner at Auerole we all gathered at The Champagne Bar in our hotel and toasted to Mom while she opened presents! A cute little Kate Spade bag from yours truly and a Shutterfly photo album from Dad (which I made....just throwin that out there!!) full of photos of Mom from the day she was born until now. She loved it of course! It will always be a great keepsake.
Dinner was, of course, incredible. I splurged on a filet--I never eat red meat--and it was amazing! We were there for many hours, many courses, and many many many bottles of wine. Hey, it's a celebration!!! We all went into the kitchen to give our compliments to the chef and decided to make a photo op out of it! Everyone loved Auerole and dinner with all of us was an absolute blast!

After dinner Scott and I tackled the tables again where I not only lost the $175 I had won the night before but also an additional $100. BOO!!!! Gonna try to win it back tonight. Wish me luck!! Vegas Baby!

Vegas Here We Come

2011-12-27T17:29:00.002-06:00

Hey-O! I'm excited because I'll be in Vegas in just 45 minutes!! We left Little Rock this morning and surprised my Mom at the airport. Dad flew all of their couple friends out to Vegas bringing our group total to 14! Woop Woop! It's gonna be a fun week y'all!! I wanted to share that with everyone earlier but didn't want to spoil the surprise since Mom reads my blog obviously.
Now I'm all set in some new Christmas duds and ready to take on Vegas. I love this city!

I also love this picture. I'm kinda obsessed with it actually. My sweet little ones!! Holly will actually let Landon hold her now. He's so excited! Of course her face looks like this when he does hold her...

Which is pretty hilarious but at least she's learning to tolerate him a little better! Plus he's learning to be more gentle. Good compromise!
Landon went back to Tampa today, Grammy's watching Holly and we're going to have ourselves a grand time all week! Vegas Baby!!

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T21:29:00.001-06:00

Scott & I woke up bright and early (6am) today. We had breakfast with his Mom then drove to Little Rock to see my family. We got to LR around noon and it's been a wonderful day! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've had a perfect day filled with love, family, thanksgiving, and happiness!

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-24T23:47:00.001-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas..............

Scott and I celebrated our typical Christmas Eve....

We started the day with a scrumptious lunch with Jodie....

And Bailee too of course!

We watched the girls play together and chat while holiday music was playing in the background...

Then we left Grandma Jodie's and headed to Grandpa Randy's....

We enjoyed a non-traditional Christmas meal consisting of Rib eye and Asparagus while indulging in many glasses of vino!

Then topped the night off with great friends!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
AND most importantly----HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE GERRARD!! Just happy birthday. Not Merry Christmas too. Because you don't say "Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas Too!!" to me on my birthday in May. So why would I say that to you on your birthday??!! Right??!! Just Happy Birthday Jake! XO.

DahliaLynn

2011-12-23T23:28:00.001-06:00

Tonight was such a fun night! Anna, Christina and I went to a DahliaLynn {see blogs I read} trunk show in Ft. Smith!

(Me, Anna, & Christina With Mrs DahliaLynn)
After we purchased some beautiful goodies, we had dinner and a glass of wine at Rolandos. Between that and the 2 hour drive there and back we were able to squeeze in lots of girl talk that was much needed! I love my girls! They're the best and tonight was way fun!
Ready for Christmas everyone? Mine starts tomorrow with Scott's family. It'll be a super busy day but I'm looking forward to it.
Okay it's 11:30 and Scott just stopped working. I better take this opportunity to snuggle on the couch for just a bit and enjoy his company....and Holly's too of course!

All Finished & Ready To Go

2011-12-22T22:42:00.001-06:00

I finally finished all of my Christmas shopping today. I just had to get two little gifts so it wasn't too tough. It's crazy how hard it is to find a parking spot at the mall though!
Scott is working so much right now. Everyone in his office has tomorrow off except Scott. I feel sorry for him....and me. It would be nice if someone else in his office knew how to do what he does so they could share the workload. He's always in a relay at Christmas which really stinks because we never get to enjoy the holidays together. He even has to work while we're in Vegas and I haven't even discussed New Years with him as I'm sure he'll be working then too. Scott got in bed last night around midnight and I snuggled up to him, gave him a kiss and said "I miss you."
It's not like we've had to rough it a week. This has gone on for 2 months and we've still got one more to go. It just really stinks especially around the holidays. I think the last time I spent more than 2 hours with Scott was on Thanksgiving. Totally not kidding. I'm more than ready for this to be over.
I'm taking it easy tonight and getting in all the Christmas movies I can before time is up! Tonight Holly and I are snuggling in bed together and watching A Christmas Carol. I can't believe Christmas is in three days!

Wrappings

2011-12-21T23:11:00.001-06:00

I'm pleased to report I'm feeling much better today! I'm still really weak so I basically laid around all day today. It must have been some 24 hour bug. I'm glad it's over though! I haven't been that sick in probably 6 years. No fun. I'm really starting to look like a hypochondriac these days huh??!!

I'm loving the style of wrapping paper I went with this year! I always do a Santa theme to go with my tree. I always like to tie some sort of ornament onto the present. I do a different ornament for everyone that way I don't have to use name tags. I loved that I found a big L for Landon this year. I showed it to him on FaceTime the other night and he got a huge smile on his face. I figured he'd like that! Landon gets five, yes five, presents from Kara and Uncle Scott this year. He's our only nephew--I figure it's okay to spoil him!

I didn't think it could be possible but this little one is actually tired of laying around for 2 days! She keeps trying to convince me to get OUT of bed. It's always the opposite! She did tickle me last night though. I wanted to get really good sleep. We're 50/50 with Holly on sleeping arrangements. Half the time she sleeps in her bed all night then asks to get in bed with us around 4-6 and half the time she wants to sleep with us all night. I never get great sleep when she sleeps with me all night and I really wanted to get good sleep last night. So I told Holly she couldn't sleep with me even though she wanted to. At about 2 she scratched on my bed like "now?" and I said No Holly. She turned away and came back at 4..."now?" No Holly. Came back at 5:30---"now?" I finally gave in to the persistent cutie and said yes. The little face is pretty hard to resist and it made me laugh at how frequently but nicely spaced out she seemed to come back to ask. She's a mess!

Sick

2011-12-20T21:55:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd blog really quickly. I've been SO sick. Something bad has gotten ahold of me. I started feeling bad around 8 last night and I was up sick all night long. I've basically slept all day long today and I'm still so exhausted. My diet has consisted of about 6 saltine crackers and 1 sprite zero and doing something so simple like washing my hands feels like running a marathon. I feel better than I did this morning so I'm crossing my fingers that I wake up in the morning A-Ok. I'm going to bed now. Night friends!

PS this little one went to the beauty shop today. Doesn't she look pretty! She's been my napping buddy today. Holly has taken real good care of me. Such a sweetie.

Hemmingway

2011-12-19T22:32:00.001-06:00

I had to take Holly to the doctor today for a little check-up. If you recall, I took her two weeks ago with a cancer scare. Turns out it was just a pimple (still so embarrassing) and while we were there we discovered she had a little ear infection. We had to go back today after two weeks of drops to see if she was better. She is better but not 100% yet so we're going to do another round.

After the vet I came home and gave Holly a bath. She was such a stinky girl!!! I usually bathe her every 5-7 days and I had probably gone 10 without one. About 20 minutes after I washed and dried her, I got a call from her groomer saying she had a cancellation tomorrow if I wanted the spot. Poor Holly! Two baths in two days. She's not going to be happy with me but at least she'll be all beautified for Christmas!

I have discovered a fun new cocktail thanks to Table Mesa in Bentonville. It's called the Hemmingway Daiquiri. Apparently this was Ernest Hemmingways favorite cocktail so it's been named after him. I don't typically like a lot of cocktails because I don't like the taste of hard liquor. However, this one is so delicious that I had to beg the bartender to give me the secret recipe. I've decided to share because it's too good to keep it all to myself!
---1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime
---1 1/2 oz dark rum
---3/4 oz cherry cocktail syrup
---2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
Shake together and enjoy!

I really did freshly squeeze the juice. I just did a bunch at once so it wouldn't be a hassle. I don't think it would taste as good if it weren't fresh. What's funny is I don't like grapefruit but I LOVE this cocktail! You should try it! I know you'll love it too. Cheers!

Blog Email

2011-12-18T17:23:00.002-06:00

I'm excited to say that my readers continue to grow every single week! I figured I would set up a new email address in case anyone ever wants to contact me. I'm getting more and more Facebook messages from you guys. Whether it's a question, blog idea, comment, or simply to say that you enjoy reading on a daily basis, I love hearing from you all! I'm considering allowing comments--still can't decide on that one. In the mean time though, how about a personal little Kara's Stories email? I think this will be a great new tool for anyone who wants to easily get in touch with me. Thanks for continuing to read my little blog. It means the world to me that so many of you keep coming back!

www.karasstoriesblog@gmail.com

My Friday

2011-12-16T23:14:00.005-06:00

Hey Friends! Today was very productive. I woke up, made fresh squeezed OJ (seriously) and lounged in bed for the whole hour of Live! With Kelly. Michael Buble was the guest co-host today. I could eat him up! I saw him when he made his first appearance on the show and I fell more in love with him then. He's adorbs. Amaze. Redic. Perf. Hister....Okay I'll stop. But for real. He's such a great co-host. Definitely brightens up my morning! I'm so glad I get to watch that show every day. It literally brings me joy.
After it was over I hit the gym. It's the first time I've been all week. That fact has given me major anxiety. I'm super into working out right now. However, I've found myself very busy this week and have literally not had time to workout. I know that seems like a lie since I'm a certified housewife but it really is true. I've got projects. Lots.
I left the gym and had to go straight to Dillards to get make-up. I was 100% out of my Chanel Double Matt Perfection whatever it is. Slightly embarrassing having to enter a store bare faced but whatev. I kinda wanted to be all celebrity like and sport the sunglasses all the way through my store visit but I didn't. Because I'm not a celebrity--and I could never get away with that. Even though I really wish I was cool enough that I could...
Once I got home I worked on tweeking my outdoor Christmas lights. Holly really wanted to join me. So I told her "Okay Holly. You can come outside with me BUT you can't sprint down our sidewalk like you always do and run down the street. If you want to go outside you can only stay on the porch. Okay Holly. Do you understand?" She looked at me very intently, said yes and guess what? She obeyed me. Ha!! Brilliant.
Whenever I ask Holly if she wants to go outside or get the mail she says yes, runs to the front door, I open it, and she runs crazy fast down the block. ALWAYS. But! I told her she couldn't do that today. And she obeyed. I know you all probably get annoyed with my Holly bragging but I just have to remind everyone about how incredibly smart and fabulous Holly is--always--all the time. Because it's truly remarkable. It really is amazing how great Holly is.
Later that evening my Uncle Rex and Marge Anna called to say they were in town and wondered if they could stop by to say hello. They had mentioned they would be in town weeks ago and I just totally forgot! I gave them directions and told them to pop on over! Uncle Rex, Marge Anna, Audry, Amelia and (I die because I forgot her BF's name....I hope they don't read this) all popped over. It was so fun. We enjoyed some Presquile and visited and it was SO lovely!
Wanna know what was even more lovely? I put on my Cinderalla face and cleaned my house spotless earlier today. THEN, for no good reason at all I got all fixed up--just because. When does that happen? Spotless house, all dolled up, unexpected company. Never! Whew!

Legos

2011-12-15T19:09:00.004-06:00

I took this picture when Scott and I were in Crested Butte in January and I just love it! It's my ipad background right now. So festive.
Turns out I'm not a Scrooge after all. I finally got Christmas lights put up outside. I didn't do much at all. Just lots of colorful lights in the bushes. At least it's something!
While I was putting the lights out a lady asked me for her help. Her little Yorkie, Bentley, was running all around my yard and she couldn't catch him. It was like a scene from Marley and Me. I couldn't get him either. I chased after that little booger for about 10 minutes. He just kept going round and round. I finally enticed him with a treat and was able to grab him and give him back to his Momma. Holly is such a good dog. She would never do that and even if she did all I would have to do is yell "Holly" very sternly and she'd stop cold in her tracks. She won't even go out the door unless I tell her she can. I could leave it open all day long and she'd just stand at the door step until I gave her the okay. I love dogs and feel as if I'll always have one but what if I got one like that???!!!!! Anything will be a huge adjustment compared to Holly no matter what because Holly is seriously the perfect dog. I asked how old Bentley was and she said he was one. Ehh, that has a little something to do with it probably but Holly has always been as calm as a cucumber. Hyper dogs are hilarious--when they're not yours. Oh goodness.....I already feel bad for my future dogs. I'm sure they'll hear "why can't you be more like Holly?" all the time. Who knows, I'll probably be so traumatized when I don't have Holly anymore that I'll never have another dog again. It honestly wouldn't surprise me even though I love dogs so much.

Today I tried to find Landon one last little Christmas present. I'm going with a Harry Potter theme this year since he loves it SO much. I got him a new Harry Potter game for his DS and a Quidditch Lego thingy. I want to get him one more Harry Potter Lego but they must be super popular this year because they're super hard to find. Landon's favorite toys these days are Legos and I've found it to be my favorite toy for him. You see, Landon is kinda like Bentley the Yorkie. If he has a Lego though he'll work on that thing for hours in total silence. So nice.

Okay, I'm going to enjoy my evening now. Have a great night friends!

Chatter

2011-12-14T16:56:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness yall. I've wanted to blog all week but I literally have nothing interesting to say. It's been a pretty boring week. Scott's in his relay at work so he's super busy with that. I feel like I hardly see him.
I do have something fun to announce. On December 27 I'm going to Vegas Baby!! My Mom's 50th birthday is December 28 and we're going to have a little shindig out in sin city. Who's excited? Me! You know I'm always up for a little Vegas vacation!
I can't believe Christmas is so soon. I love the holidays but I'm kinda ready for it to be over. My house always feels really cluttered with all of the Christmas decorations. I love them and I enjoy looking at them but I'm ready to get my house back to normal.
Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge this year. I still haven't put lights up outside and since it's so late I guess I'm not going to. I'm always annoyed when people don't put lights up. Where's your Christmas spirit you know!? Guess I'll be annoyed with myself this year.
I basically have all of my Christmas shopping complete. I haven't found anything for my Mom though. I usually don't have a problem finding her a gift. It's a challenge this year for some reason.
Who's already ready for the presidential election campaign to be over with? I mean, it's the only thing the news can talk about and it's only going to get worse. Don't get me wrong, I love politics but all those ads and debates and what not get pretty old pretty fast.
Speaking of ads, lets talk about Phil Votaw the lawyer. He has so many commercials up here in NWA. He prides himself on not being a typical lawyer. You know, he only cares about you--not money. His commercials are annoying and the fact that he tries to prove his point so hard by wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt is so ridiculous. I would never hire a lawyer who wears an A&F shirt in his commercials--Fail Phil Votaw. Fail.
The microwave just beeped which means my dinner is ready. Last weeks cooking accident has traumatized me just a touch. I'm not ready to handle a skillet quite yet. Luckily though, my hand is healing quite nicely. Much better than what the doctor said so that's good! I do have three scars on my palm though and I really wonder if they'll ever go away. We shall see. Enjoy your night! Barbara Walters most fascinating comes on tonight. I always love watching that.

Baking

2011-12-11T14:45:00.001-06:00

I spent my day yesterday baking up a storm! I was in the mood for some reason. I tackled what I call Kappa Spinach Dip first. My friend and fellow KKG sister, Hannah, got it from our cook, MaryAnne, and recently posted the recipe on her blog. It is such a yummy spinach dip recipe. I used to LOVE eating it and I'm so glad I have the recipe for it now. It was so easy to make.

--10oz of spinach, thawed and drained (pat with paper)
--1 can of Rotel
--8oz of cream cheese
--8oz Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
--1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese Shredded
--1/4 cup chopped purple onion
--Cumin to taste
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
So easy and so delicious!

Then I baked peanut butter and Heath Bar cookies. I got the recipe off the back of the Heath Bar bits package. I believe that was the first time I've ever made cookies from scratch. Even more sad, I got to use my nice beaters for the first time--you know, the ones that I got for a wedding gift--3 years ago. They worked so well! I enjoyed baking the cookies. It took a long time though! I didn't have anything else to do so it was fun. However we have like 50 cookies now and I have no idea what to do with them!!

And this was my little helper for the day. She supervised and taste tested for me. She approved!

Diagon Alley & Jelly Belly's

2011-12-07T19:24:00.002-06:00

Today was a good day. First of all, my hand has not hurt one little bit and I haven't had to take anything for it so that's good. It's starting to resemble a good mixture of Dobby and Lord Voldermorts skin but you know....whatevs. Speaking of Harry Potter, there's an alley way on Dickson street (between Farrell's and Wasabi) that doesn't have a name and since a lot of businesses are starting to go there the Fayetteville City Council has decided it probably needs to be named something. Word of this got out to the UofA students and they started this petition to have it named Diagon Alley and the FCC said they would highly consider it. So fun right! I'm so glad I'm on the Harry Potter bandwagon now. Life was definitely not complete before.

Today I had lunch with my mother-in-law at Tusk and Trotter. Afterwards I went Christmas shopping at The Promenade then came home and called it a day. Now I'm anxiously waiting for my shows to come on while playing with my puppy. She is so happy and spunky today! It could be sugar overload. We have Jelly Belly's in our house right now and Holly thinks they're incredibly delicious.

Klutzy Kara

2011-12-06T17:25:00.001-06:00

Last night I went to the ER and this is what my hand looks like now.

What happened? Well I was cooking a dish from Cooking Light for dinner. The recipe said to cook some chicken in a skillet on the stove for a few minutes then stick it in the oven to continue cooking. Once the chicken was finished and I got it out of the oven I went about my merry little way to finish the recipe. I needed the same skillet to make the special sauce so I grabbed the skillet and attempted to move it to the burner I wanted it to be on. Suddenly it registered with my brain that the handle was hot and I just dropped the skillet mid-air while it collapsed to the floor.
I immediately ran to the sink to let cold water run over my burned hand. Talk about agony. I've never experienced pain like that. Scott was there when it happened and insisted I go to the ER. So we went and they told me I had second degree burns. They wrapped me up, told me what to expect for the next 2 weeks, gave me some serious pain meds and sent me on my way.
It was such a careless accident on my part. The handles on my pots don't get hot so I'm always picking them up or holding them while I'm cooking and I never stick them in the oven so I just wasn't thinking.
I was so worried that I would have a hard time operating with just one hand but it's surprisingly easier than I thought. I can't do some things--like put my hair in a ponytail--so I enlisted Scott's help with that and this was the result.

Quite an interesting version of a ponytail huh?!
Today has been pretty easy considering I'm without a hand. Luckily it's my left hand that's hurt so that's helpful. I just feel like such a klutz these days and I'm totally over the injuries. This should be healed in 2 weeks. I'm already anxious for the next two weeks to fly by.

We got a little dusting of snow in NWA today. So pretty! Talk to you all tomorrow!

Paranoid Momma

2011-12-05T17:35:00.001-06:00

Today has been one worth writing about. Holly made a trip to her doctor today. I was giving her a good massage last night when I felt a knot on her neck. I freaked out (of course) immediately. It wasn't protruding outwardly but I could feel something. I was so worried it was a knot on her lymph node and discovered via PetMD if it was cancer it was bad. You can't really treat cancer of that kind on a 15 year old and it spreads very quickly. Of course I followed my usual routine: tears, sick to stomach, prayer...
Scott said he'd go with me to see Dr Brown in case it was bad news. I told Mom this morning and she was so upset and told me to call her as soon as I found something out.
Her appointment was at 2:00 and Dr Brown was so sweet as always. She asked me what was going on and I told her about the knot and I was worried it was cancer. She felt around on it, looked at me and said "that's a pimple."
Die!! Of happiness first then embarrassment. Scott said "I'm taking PetMD away from you." Ha! Well. You never know....
Of course Holly is fine. Dr Brown is always so impressed by Hollys health----and my paranoid overreacting behavior too probably. I called Mom to tell her all was fine. She was so happy but immediately said "Kara!!! A pimple? I've been crying all day." My bad! You can never be too careful though. Anytime something seems strange I will take her to Dr Brown. That's just the way it is!

On a lighter note, Holly discovered her Christmas present under the tree today and she wants to open it SO bad. She always knows when the present belongs to her but she never will open it. She goes crazy on Christmas Day when she finally gets to tear into it. I swear y'all she's a 4 year old trapped in a dogs body.

Finally, eek! Could you die over Holly's new coat? It's SO cold up here and if she's outside (which she hardly is) for even 4 seconds she shakes like someone just put her in an ice bath. This lovely red down jacket with fur hoodie prevents her from shaking. She looks like such a pretty girl in it! And always gets tons of compliments :)

(press-KEEL)

2011-12-02T17:42:00.006-06:00

It's the weekend and I'm pretty pumped about it! It has, so far, been off to a great start! I went to bed pretty early last night and I'm pleased to report I actually got a good night's sleep!! I was so refreshed when I woke up and have had a ton of energy all day long. Those of you who get good sleep every night should feel very lucky and not take it for granted. I slug around basically every day so feeling totally rested and rejuvenated is an amazing feeling!
Scott decided to work from home today. He does that occasionally and I love it! Even though he's working it's nice to have his company around! While he worked I got in a good sesh of Yoga followed by a 40 minute walk (Just wasn't in the mood for a hard cardio today). After lunch I got ready to go to Fayetteville for a wine tasting.
A Presqu'ile wine tasting to be exact. I got an email from them saying they would be in Fayetteville so I marked it on my calendar and made sure I made it down. I love Presqu'ile! The Murphy's, of El Dorado, are the winemakers of it and Matt (who I went to high school with) was in town today for the tasting so I thought it would be fun to go and talk vino (and the Razorbacks) with him. We visited for about 20 minutes while I sipped a little Pinot, Chardonnay, and Rose' and it was nice to catch up! Of course I walked away with an armload of Presqu'ile. You can't go to a tasting and not buy the wine right?

I'm excited about my new purchases and I know I will get a large amount of enjoyment out of them! So what does one wear to a mid-day wine tasting? I dunno. But I went with this.
M'kay, Scott isn't going to work tonight so I'm taking advantage of that and insisting on a date night. My preference is Basils. My favorite restaurant in Rogers also known as Scott's least favorite. Boo! He doesn't like the atmosphere. He thinks it's too quiet. Sometimes quiet is romantic don't you think? Enjoy your weekend folks!

Fresh Air & Blissful Sleep

2011-12-01T22:22:00.001-06:00

Today was a lazy day so I don't have much to share but this....

Holly has this thing where she sticks her nose in the crack of the door and sniffs in the fresh air. She does it a few times a day. It truly cracks me up. She's so silly! AND giving me the eyes right now. Shes ready for bed--my bed. She's waiting me out. I love my snuggle bunny but she hogs my space. It's amazing how much room Holly manages to take up. And it can get so frustrating losing sleep because of her. Until I look at that little black furball, all snuggled up in my bed and sleeping so soundly and looking so comfortable that her being happily sleeping seems much more important than me being happily sleeping.
And that my friends is true love.
Alright Holly, let's go night night.

FIVE

2011-11-30T20:58:00.001-06:00

Five years ago today I went on the perfect first date.

That's right. Five years ago at this very moment I was sitting in a romantic booth at Theos, eating an amazing meal, drinking great wine, and watching the snow fall outside while I was getting to know my future husband. We had the perfect first date! I knew after that date that we were going to be something special. About 2 weeks later I knew I was going to marry that amazing man. Just like that. No and's if's or but's about it. He was for me and the moment I realized it I got goosebumps and was literally brought to tears.

Our love has been perfection from the get go. Not to say our marriage is perfect--nobody would believe me if I said that! But I love our love. It's everything I always hoped and dreamed true love would be. Scott is my everything. My hero. My best friend. My companion. I wouldn't know how to live life without him!

I'm a sucker for always celebrating big moments. Today I wanted to cook a special meal. So I whipped up some delicious green beans, creamy corn (Scotts fav) and a tender and juicy filet with a crazy good sauce courtesy of Mrs Paula Dean. And just FYI, That filet came from the Schwans Man and it is was incredible. It competes with the Buther Deli for sure. So tender and juicy! You guys have just got to jump on the Schwans Man band wagon with me! Anywho, our meal was mighty delicious and still fit in my calorie budget for the day! Cheers!

(My greatest attempt in getting Scott involved in a photo op while he's working. Do you even have to ask? Of course he's working tonight. He set aside two whole hours for us to have a nice meal tonight though. Nice huh?! Ha!)
I love November 30 and will never forget that this is an important date in my life. After this day my life changed forever. And I'm so grateful that this day happened.
Five Years Babe! Five More? Plus Five More? Plus An Additional Fifty??!!! I LOVE You! And I'm glad you read my blog now since you can 'easily access it with your new iPhone." XO!

Hey Head! Go. To. Sleep. PLEASE!

2011-11-29T20:59:00.003-06:00

First Things First: Happy Birthday to my favorite big sister Hannah!! Love you sweet friend! I hope your day has been fabulous!

If you're looking for a good new blog to read you should check hers out--Sweet Tea & Stilettos! It's on my sidebar along with my other favorite blogs. Hannah's is a good mix of food and fashion---which just so happen to be my two favorite things---so her blog is basically perfection!
Nothing much to report today. I did manage to be very productive this morning. Yoga, cleaned house, changed sheets, did laundry...all before 11 AM! Not bad considering I get zero sleep thanks to my insomnia. I have no idea why I suffer from it. I've found nowhere that says it's hereditary. That would be the only thing that makes since, since Mom and Grammy suffer from it too. I'm not depressed, stressed, or anxious. I don't have Parkinson's and I'm not bipolar. I don't feel emotionally flat and I haven't recently gone through a traumatic experience. What gives?! I'm so tired of being tired! I bet this is how Nadya Suleman (aka Octomom) feels. There's no way to treat it. I don't want to get dependent on sleeping pills so I'm seriously considering hypnosis. I've heard it works! I've just gotta find someone here in NWA that does it which could potentially be tricky. I have to figure something out soon though! I can't think of much more miserable things in life than being utterly exhausted and not being able to fall asleep!
Anywhoz, enough of that. Time to watch the Victorias Secret Fashion Show and feel bad about myself.

Merry Monday

2011-11-28T21:43:00.001-06:00

Hey-O! Hope everyone was able to easily get back into the swing of things after the long break! I did a little Christmas decoration completion today. I wanted to do something different for my dining room centerpiece this year so I searched Pintrest for ideas. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and wanted to use a lot of ornaments that I already had. After getting a few ideas via Pintrest I went with this.

Different candle sizes and heights, colorful glass ball ornaments, a gold strand of beads, all sitting on this huge serving platter I received as a wedding gift. It matches my casual china pattern and I absolutely love it but I've only been able to use it once. So I'm excited it's getting some use for the next month!

Okay this little one is currently buggin. As you can see she's chewing on a bone. She ALWAYS chews her bones at the very edge of the sofa and about every two minutes it falls off. Then she looks at me like "could you get that for me?" This goes on and on and on for an hour--sometimes two. I try to show her that it won't fall if she scoots back but she doesn't want to listen to me.
We've been chewing lots of bones lately. Holly is sorta in need of a teeth cleaning but both her NWA doctor and LR doctor don't recommend putting her under (unnecessary) anesthesia given her age. We cleaned her teeth 2 or 3 years ago. They aren't bad but there is definitely some plaque build-up which can potentially make dogs sick. The solution is bones. They can scratch the plaque off and also keep teeth healthy. Holly is thrilled with this news. She LOVES bones! (What dog doesn't?) However, it takes her FOREVER to eat. When I took the above photo she'd been working on that one for an hour. You can't even see bite marks on it! She'll go about two hours then get tired of it.

The healthy diet has been running smoothly. I've tried to be creative so I've turned to Cooking Light. I love that magazine! I made plain grilled chicken and had Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots on the side last night. Ehh. Just okay. I've had better tasting brussel sprouts before. However....

I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastically delicious! Pan-Seared Chicken with Tomato-Olive Relish and Balsamic-Glazed Green Beans and Onions. Both were super easy and the green beans were kinda to die for. They're in the November issue. I highly recommend you try my tonight's meal soon! Yummy yummy.

Christmas Decorating

2011-11-26T20:51:00.001-06:00

Today has been a nice and lazy day. Rose went back to her house this afternoon. She's a sweetie. We FaceTimed with Jaclyn the other night and Rose totally got it. She kept trying to break through the screen to give her Momma kisses! It was cute. I love FaceTime. It's my new thing....

I decided it was time to decorate the house for Christmas so I tackled that today. I got my Santa Claus tree up first. It's pretty easy to decorate and doesn't take long at all since I don't put much stuff on it. I always love the way it turns out!

After the tree I set up my snow village. I've been collecting the Department 56 Original Snow Village houses for many years now--since I got my own place in college actually. I buy one new one a year. This year Scott went with me and I let him pick. He went with the diner....

It's super cute! I love my snow village and I go all out with it. It's probably my favorite part about my Christmas decorations. I use 'bead board' and shave it to make it literally look like snow. You can find it at any local hardware store usually and its inexpensive but really adds that extra oomph! to the village.

We've officially run out of room for anymore houses--in this house. Hopefully we'll be in a new home for Christmas next year so it won't be a problem! (Can you tell I'm super ready to move?)

Now Scott and I are relaxing on the sofa with some wine and we plan to stay here for the rest of the evening. We ate our version of the last supper tonight. We've had a good run the last few days on 3,000 calorie per bite meals. It's over now. Like I said I would do, I threw out all of the leftovers and our fridge is now stocked with chicken and vegetables ONLY. We both feel disgusting and I'm pretty sure I gained 1 pound per day since Thursday. I literally could be mistaken for a pregnant lady. Needless to say, I will be sticking to fish, chicken, fruit, and vegetables ONLY until Christmas. I'll probably throw in a cappuccino every once and a while though--I love those too much to say goodbye for a month.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thanksgiving + Ark v LS...

2011-11-25T23:48:00.001-06:00

Well I hope your Thanksgiving was perfect! Mine was wonderful. I woke up around 7:30 and popped right out of bed. I had to tackle my great-grandmothers famous Noodles. I've mentioned them on here many times before. Grammy and I are the only ones in the family who know how to make them and they're a staple at any holiday meal. Once you do it a few times it's easy to do but it is very time consuming. I set a new time record and did it in just under an hour this time! I was proud of myself.
We got to Jodie's (Scott's Mom) around 11:30. It was just the three of us celebrating together. Our food was delish! We catered Turkey IN Dressing from the Butcher Deli and my taste buds decided it was the best dish of the entire day! Jodie said we'll make getting that the new tradition and I couldn't be more happy about it. They make a killer Turkey IN Dressing. Combine it with a Honey Baked Ham, Ma's Noodles, and the other traditional 'fixins' and it was a perfect meal! Scott and I decided to bring our Wii because Jodie had never played one before and we knew she'd love it. She did--and is keeping it to play for a few days! Haha.
We left Jodie's, dropped the pups at their homes, then headed to Randy's. Grandma is totally over cooking the whole Thanksgiving meal by now--so we catered. They came to the house when we were ready to eat--set it up--left--we ate--they came back--cleaned up--AND put the leftovers in Tupperware for us to take home. Hello!! Niceness!! The food was incredible....enough for 15 people, not 6--but incredible! Grandma and Grandpa have used them (Pfeiffers) for years. Needless to say, we've accumulated GOBS of leftovers. My refrigerator literally can't hold anything else. I kinda want to chunk it all tomorrow. It's all heavenly but I just can't keep eating it all!! It's outta there by Sunday for sure. Sorry Scott!
Today we gathered at Randy's--again--to watch the big game. Some of Scott's best friends who are in town for the holidays came to watch on Randy's big screen and brought their parents too! It was a fun watch party. I had major anxiety leading up to the game---followed by disappointment. I'm still SO PROUD of the Hogs! We've had an amazing and fun season. Even though I DESPISE lswho, I'm going to be okay. Of course I wrote a little complaint letter to CBS. Their completely obvious and over-whelming love for LSU was freaking annoying and not professional from the beginning. The final straw was the replay--slow mo--Bobby Petrino clip where he expressed his feelings towards Les Miles. Really CBS? Normally I'd be bothered that our coach said that. BUT they didn't even accidentally catch it live. They replayed a clip that a different camera caught that nobody had to even see. Way to keep it professional and classy CBS. You continue to remind me that you are not only a biased station in your politics but in your sports as well. You Bleaux.
Go Hogs!

Preparations

2011-11-23T11:52:00.001-06:00

Hey guys! Sorry for the blogging absence this week. It's been a crazy week getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm sure you can relate.

Im blogging to you from my new iPhone 4S!! I've been needing a new phone for SO long now!! I think I've mentioned before how slow my phone had gotten. I love the new features the 4S offers!! Last night I FaceTime'd with Mom and Dad. I felt so out of touch with the tech world because I couldn't stop going on and on to Scott about how cool FaceTime is!! I believe Mom and I will use it a lot.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This is Scott's year for Thanksgiving so we're staying here in NWA. We're doing lunch with his mom and dinner with his Dad, Grandparents, and Uncle Brian. Scott's family is so small!!! It's definitely different from my huge family holiday gatherings. Today I'm going over to Randy's house to decorate the table for Thanksgiving. He wasn't planning on having even a centerpiece but I can't handle that! Whenever my family has holiday gatherings the dining room table looks like a display table in Pier 1 or Pottery Barn. You have to make it pretty and special right!!? It's a holiday! So I'm just going to take it upon myself to decorate. He won't care and I know he will be pleasantly surprised at how nice it is to have a pretty decorated table! If nothing else, Grandma will appreciate it.
Finally, we have a guest staying with us this weekend....

Miss Rose Julian is staying with us for the week while her Momma and Daddy are out of town for Thanksgiving!
Okay folks, I've got just a little more cooking and preparations left so I better get moving. I hope you have a blessed day tomorrow!

One. Two. Three.

2011-11-19T23:54:00.001-06:00

---Today Scott & I went to Randy's house to watch the game on his massive screen in his theater room. I now understand why my husband insists on putting one in our (future) house.
---I've never in my life cheered so hard for a team that wasn't the Razorbacks. But I was a USC and major Baylor fan tonight. Woo Pig! Number three! Be still my heart....
---Anyone else get so bewildered when people are born and raised in Arkansas but cheer for a different team in the SEC? I don't understand it even if you choose to go to that school (which, PS, why would you do that) but especially if you went to the UofA. I truly will never be able to wrap my brain around this.
---Scott thought he wanted to go to bed early tonight so while he was in bed watching the OU/Baylor game I was in the living room. I thought he was asleep the whole last half. However, once the game was over he came into the living room to say "NUMBER THREE!!!!!!!" then grabbed a snack size bag of ranch doritos, followed by a mini rice krispy treat, devoured both, announced nachos sounded good then turned right back around and went to bed without saying anything else. Umm....???

Sanitary Fail

2011-11-18T20:00:00.001-06:00

TGIF! Since I skipped on blogging yesterday why don't I catch you up with that day first. As I previously reported, the battery in my car needed to be replaced so I drove to Acura in Fayetteville to get it fixed. Scott told me to have them check my tires since I've not gotten new ones since I've owned the car (3 years). After waiting in the lobby for the quick 20 minute battery change, they came and told me my tires were bad. In tire terminology, they're supposed to be at a 12-10 and mine were a 3! They said it would be dangerous to go much longer without a change so I told them to fix me up. O.M.G. I had no clue that tires were so expensive!!! It was sickening. I could have gotten that Chanel bag I've been craving for the cost of those 4 stupid tires. THEN, they said it would take about 3 hours and they didn't have a loner car but a shuttle could take me to the mall. Better than sitting there for sure but 3 hours at a mall is a very long time especially when you aren't in a shopping mood. Anywho, my car is all fixed up and call me a guy but I actually can tell a difference with the new tires.
Today was interesting. I was very excited/sad to watch Regis' farewell show. I've grown up watching that show and have hardly missed an episode in the last 6 or 7 years. Just as expected, the tear flows started the second I saw Kelly Ripa's sad face. I thought the show was done perfectly and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. Well, I would change one thing. I guess I forgot to mention that while all this was going on I had a cleaning lady at my house. Its Randy's cleaning lady, Esperanza, and it's the second time she's cleaned my house. I noticed when she was here 2 weeks ago that she never used my little Scrub n Bubbles flushable toilet wand so I assumed she just didn't clean the inside of the toilet. Still, I was concerned that maybe she cleaned them last and used the regular bathroom brush but forgot to tell me so I threw them out and bought new ones just in case. So today, in the middle of Regis and Kelly, I saw her cleaning the spare bathroom. I heard the toilet flush so I peeked around the corner to see how she was cleaning it. I was horrified to see her use the bathroom brush to clean the toilet then head straight for the sink with the same brush!!! AHHH. Die. Literally. I called Randy to tell him and he was just as disturbed as me. If you know me, I hate an awkward moment so I just didn't say anything and decided I would clean it after she left. THEN, later on I saw her sweeping the floors with a broom she found in my garage. You know, the outdoor broom you use to sweep away dirt, leaves, dead bugs, etc. By this point I'm just plain grossed out. Needless to say, the second she left I did some serious sanitizing in my house. Even though she's super sweet, she wont be back. I paid her to clean my house then had to go back and clean it myself. The saying is totally true---If you want something done right you just have to do it yourself. Unless a really good (sanitary) cleaning lady can do it better. Randy and I are officially on the hunt now. If you live in NWA and have a cleaning lady who knows how to properly clean a house please Facebook me!
Have a nice weekend everybody!

Pressure

2011-11-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

Today was interesting. I was out and about running a lot of errands. I decided I'd finally had enough of the "Tire Pressure Low" message my car has been showing me the last few weeks. My tire pressure gets low probably once a week in the winter. It's so annoying because the little alert button will not go away until you fix the problem. Grrr! So I pulled into a gas station to fill up my tires. Since I have to do this frequently in the winter, I'm getting to be an expert. Except today's experience threw me a curveball. I was trying to get the gauge to say 30 (like its supposed to be) instead of 28 (which is what it was....kinda ridiculous my car freaks out over 2 little points but whatev). I get to filling up while checking the gauge and it kept going backward on me! By the time it said 17 I gave up and called Scott. He couldn't leave work to help me because he had a deadline so I called my father-in-law. Randy was quickly there to help me fix the problem. In the middle of airing up my tires BAM. Car died. What is happening here!!! Randy found some cables and was able to jump the car off. I followed him to the dealership and sure enough I need a new battery. Luckily I'm still under warranty so it won't cost anything. Whew! Maybe they could fix the HUGE scratch I have on my passenger door while they're at it. Someone at the mall two weeks ago very obviously hit it really hard with their car door. So rude. At least leave a note saying "Sorry! --Anonymous."
On a happy note, I found Holly a super cute Christmas sweater today. When I got home, I pulled the sweater out of the sack and holding it up to her by its mini little hanger I said "Look what I got for you today Holly!!!!!!" To which she responded by immediately running away to hide. Haha! Why you gotta be so smart Holly? She doesn't like getting her arms through the holes. But she does secretly enjoy it once it's on because it keeps her warm. Silly girl. It made me laugh really hard. Here's her new outfit So cute!!

Jibberish

2011-11-15T21:10:00.001-06:00

Greetings! I hope your day was fab! Mine started out pretty early. The doodlebug always has a way of waking me up while she's still comfortably sleeping her little head off. And if you listen closely, she sometimes has a pretty good snore going on! Holly stays in my bed snoozing away until about 11:30. She'd stay there way longer but I get to a point where I'm ready to make the bed. It's definitely true that old dogs sleep a lot. I bet she sleeps 16 hours a day! I sometimes make her stay up and keep her active as much as possible and she doesn't mind. Holly loves to play with her toys, go bye bye, and get the mail. She's just bored I think. That's what I'm going with....
Today I spent way too much time making my Christmas 2012 playlist. It's good. I bought the Glee Christmas album today and it's something everyone should purchase! Every cast member has their own song which helps to mix it up and not make it seem like it's the same person singing on the whole album. Not that, that's a problem as I thoroughly enjoy Michael Buble's new Christmas album very much as well. With the new songs I got today and the ones I have from last year, I have plenty of Holiday music to listen to without hearing the same songs over and over. Very riveting stuff huh?

Finally, this pretty little girl is making an appearance in my backyard right now. So gorg!! I love an Iris!
This post just put me to sleep.....

Where's My Card?

2011-11-15T00:18:00.001-06:00

I experienced such an embarrassing moment today. I went to Walmart to get groceries for tonight's meal. The girl checked me out, I had my sacks in my cart, and when I opened my wallet to pay--OH NOOOO!!! I had not one single thing in my wallet to pay for my groceries. I had taken out my credit and debit card along with my drivers license and a little cash and put it in a smaller bag that I took to the Razorback game. I put them in the little zipper pocket on the inside of the purse and forgot to take them out.
I tried to give her the card number so she could type it in but Walmart doesn't do that. I had two people behind me and was so humiliated! I didn't want to drive home then come back and re-do because that would be really annoying. I was at the checkout that was right next to the Arvest so I told the girl I had an Arvest account and I could get some cash. She agreed to let me leave the groceries in my cart while I got money so I could pay.
Dying of humiliation at this point, I go to the bank teller, explain my condition and cross my fingers. I cross my fingers because Scott and I NEVER use that account and I wasn't even sure there was anything in it. Not only do we not use that account, it's technically not my account. Just Scotts. They won't put me on it until I prove we're married and bring in our marriage license. Well that piece of paper is matted, framed and hanging on a wall. The idea of grabbing my marriage license off the wall and taking it to Arvest to prove I'm married to Scott--for an account we don't even use--is too much of a production for me. So I've chosen not to do it.
I explain all of this to the teller and he gets on the phone to talk to important Arvest people. Long story short, 30 minutes and a huge long line of people waiting behind me later, I'm allowed access to our account which actually does have money in it. Whew! This is a huge victory since Scott, the account holder, isn't with me, I don't have an ID and I know ZERO info about the account including the random address thats linked to it (which turned out to be Scotts Dad's address for some strange reason). Now that I think about it, the Arvest guy was pretty irresponsible for letting me access it.....
Regardless, I got my cash, paid for my groceries, and walk out with a red face. The only thing that helped numb the embarrassment was the bank teller informing me that it happens all the time. I hope I never allow that to happen to me again. It was stressful and humiliating.

WPS

2011-11-12T21:46:00.001-06:00

True Story: When WPS first became popular, I had no idea what it meant for the longest time. Today I finally learned that when people say SMH it means 'Shaking My Head.' I've been wondering for so long now!! Gah! I'm getting old and out of touch with the coolness and it's happening more often than ever. When the students at the first Razorback game starting doing the tight little dance to 'All I Do Is Win' Scott looked at me and said "I'm so old and not cool anymore. Not only do I not know the moves but I've never heard this song before." "Don't worry" I replied. "Neither have I." We both quickly got on board and know the moves + own the song. Keepin it real as long as possible....
Today was a (semi) typical Razorback home game day. We got up and moving and were on The Hill by noon. About 10 minutes of tailgating in, I told Scott I wasn't sure if I could take the coldness and EXTRA hardcore wind. I actually become an angry person when I'm cold. I can't take it. If I was that cold when the sun was shining, there was just no way I could handle sitting on a cold metal bench--in a freezing outdoor stadium--for 3+ hours. The fact that I knew I would leave Holly home alone for nearly 12 hours helped the rationalization in my head that we should probably just watch the game at home. So we wussed out and did just that. I don't regret the decision.
I do regret that I took not one single picture while tailgating!! I was just not on my game today. It makes me extra bummed since Ashley and Mallory were in town! We all gathered together for dinner last night with Braclyn and Ashleys brother & girlfriend and it was lovely! I love a large gathering of friends. Oh well! I did manage to get one photo today. I decided on a whim to actually purchase a true Razorback outfit. I was in the Razorback store a few weeks ago and spotted a black sweater with a little Razorback on it. I thought it was really cute and very festive so I got it! It was fun to wear a Razorback today even though nobody saw it because I had a coat on the entire time. Oh well. At least you could see my cute new shoes! Pair it all with red lips and a little braid and I was all set and ready to call my Hogs. WPS!

Three Elevens

2011-11-11T15:23:00.001-06:00

Happy 11/11/11, Veterans, Harry Potter DVD release and Crystal Bridges opening Day!

I have a slew of magazines to read. It's stressing me out because I don't appreciate them laying around my house but I can't bring myself to throw them away without reading! #housewife problems.

OPI has come out with this and I of course had to snag it up. It's 10 of their most popular colors in little mini's. Perfection.

I had to reorganize my closet the other day. I'm growing out of it. It's time to move. Take a look at that bar. It's literally bending.

My new shoes could quite possibly be the reason for it. I have no more shoe space so I had to buy this organizer shelf at Target. Again, it's time to move. Actually it's time to build our house. Could that possibly be in my very near future? ;)

I've also run out of jewelry space in my little jewelry box. However, I've found that rolling up a Marie Claire is the perfect way to neatly store my bracelets!

And you know I could never do a post without mentioning this little one! So adorbs.
Okay. Off to pick up Scott at the airport. He's been in Philly all week for work and I'm beyond excited that he's home now. I've been very lonely without him!

Hello!!

2011-11-10T21:10:00.007-06:00

Let me start by saying that today is my Dad's birthday! I'm celebrating by having a bottle of this...

It's one of my Dad's favorites so I felt it would be appropriate. Cheers Dad! Happy Birthday!

How cute is this little one? 15 years later and Holly's overwhelming cuteness still gets me! I seriously wonder how many times a day I tell her how cute she is, how much I love her, how sweet she is, and how many kisses I give her. I would ballpark around 50. Not kidding. And to be honest, I think Holly kinda gets tired of me kissing her cheeks so much. She sometimes gives me a "it is so annoying that you do that to me so often" look. I just can't help myself.
Today I got my mani/pedi. I typically save the mani/pedis for Fridays but I don't think I'll have time tomorrow so I did it today. I used to NEVER get mani/pedis. It's a new thing I've been doing the last year or so and I've found that I really, really enjoy them! I just go to a little place at the Promenade--ProfessioNail. (Haha. That name never fails to make me chuckle). The prices are great--I'm pretty sure they're the cheapest in town--and they always do a good job. There was a lady in there today who was a loud talker so I couldn't help but overhear her conversation with her nail tech. She had just moved from Texas, finished a late lunch at PF Changs and searched in her phone where the closest nail salon was and that's how she found ProfessioNail. Then she asked the girl if there was a mall in Rogers. Umm.....you're at the mall. Did you not notice all of the clothing stores surrounding you? Hello!
Speaking of Hello moments....when Mom and Dad were up here last weekend for work they borrowed my car to get around town because they were in the Image One van/bus (oh yeah! We've got a bus now and no lie, it's kinda tight). Anywho, they both mentioned to me that the temperature gauge in my car was broken because it always said 66 and they knew it was much colder outside than that. I thought that was odd but figured it would be no big deal to fix it. A little bit later, we all piled in my car to eat lunch and Mom and Dad pointed to the temperature in the car and were like "See....66." Umm.....Sorry Pops and Gamma, that's the temperature of the inside of the car. Hello!

Dashes

2011-11-09T23:13:00.001-06:00

-----Hey-O! Just saw a commercial for the Victorias Secret Fashion Show. Ugh. Nothing could make me feel more bad about myself. The hair, make-up, bodies--GAH!! Of course I'll watch--I always do. I find it very entertaining for some reason.
-----Brangelina is on E! News right now discussing what countries are their kids favorites. I hope my kids are that well rounded in the travel world. I doubt we can be as extreme as them but I definitely want them to have the experience of seeing many great places.
-----I know I'm SO politically incorrect for saying this but I don't think Dr Murray should have been found guilty. I LOVE Michael Jackson but I'm sorry--he was the one wanting Propofal and he should be held responsible for using it. Was Dr Murray a "bad" doctor for giving it to him? Maybe. Should he have been more responsible? Yeah. Do I think MJ woke up while Murray wasn't in the room and took more Propofal? No. I just don't think Dr. Murray should spend time behind bars for doing something MJ wanted and would no doubt find a way to have no matter who gave it to him. Getting his license taken away--maybe. Prison? No. My husband is cringing as he reads this. He thinks my viewpoint on this is sooo distorted. Sorry. That's how I feel. You shouldn't fuel an addicts behavior but really, shouldn't the addict be held the most responsible? Now that you're all annoyed with me I'll move on.....
-----Holly is so cute today! I love her little haircut and she's acted extra adorable all day. I had to get new heart worm pills for her yesterday. I walked in the Rose Animal Clinic and the girl said "I know you're Holly's momma I just don't remember your name." Haha! Aww. I find it a huge compliment that they know Hol so well. However it's also quite sad that my little girl visits so often that they know who we are. It's partly my fault. I make unnecessary appointments out of worry but still! Sweet. I love that clinic. They told me I'll soon be receiving an AARP card in the mail so we can get discounts. Die! How cute.....and score! Holly costs a fortune but it's worth every penny.
-----Christmas decorations are up in NWA. Not to be a Scrooge but isn't it a little early?
-----Speaking of NWA, it is so gorgeous in the fall. It's beauty never fails to amaze me. Fall is truly my favorite time of the year!
-----That's all.

Arkansas vs SC + My Great Weekend

2011-11-08T18:51:00.010-06:00

Hey Friends! Today I'll tell you about the fantastic weekend I just experienced. It was one of those that seriously couldn't have been more perfect and the reason for that is because it consisted of me hanging out with so many of my great friends!!

(Does anyone else think Hannah and I could pass for sisters in this picture?)

Friday night Scott and I drove to Fayetteville to have sushi at Sho Gun with Jax, Craig, Christina, Ashley and Hannah. Ashley and Hannah spontaneously decided to come up to NWA for the weekend and it thrilled me to pieces! We enjoyed our meal then went to Jax and Craig's and stayed until 1:30 am talking! It was great.
Scott and I slept in and excitedly got ready to head down to The Hill for the big game. We stopped by Jaclyn's and picked up her and Jake (who also made me happy by coming into town) then met up with Ashley and Hannah at Slim Chickens (per Jake's request) for lunch. Too many chicken fingers, fries, buttery toast and a large amount of cayenne ranch consumed between Scott and myself later, we headed for campus to get our tailgate on.Last weekends tailgate wins as best ever this year. I loved having all of my friends to spend it with--we got there super early--and had a blast. There is nothing like a fun tailgate before a college football game where your team is ranked in the top 10.
The game was a lot easier on my nerves than I thought it would be. I was worried it would be neck and neck but the Razorbacks went easy on their fans for once and proved to be a much better team than SC. All in all, the weekend was seriously so perfect. I wish every weekend could be like that. My parents were in Harrison for work and drove to our house Saturday night to stay with us. We got to spend a little bit of time with them which was just the cherry on top. I love my friends and family and their company always makes me happy. Of course the weekend wouldn't be complete without Jake and I making sure we got a picture together mimicking Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves in all of their Twitter pictures. We (maybe just I) really enjoy doing that and for some reason it cracks us up so hard---it doesn't take much....

Chitter Chatter

2011-11-04T00:08:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all. I didn't do anything super exciting today. I did purchase some new black suede booties--Sam Edelman--Spikes on the back--they're kind of amazing. However, they are not comfortable in any way and a little hard to walk in but so worth it. I've had a shoe problem lately. I've purchased 5 pairs of shoes in the last month. I never do that. It's more along the lines of 5 pairs a year. They were all irresistible though!! I had to re-organize my closet to make room. So worth it.
I'm looking extra forward to the weekend! Friends are coming in town for the big game....which I'm already nervous about by the way. I'm really feeling the Razorback perfect winning (except that 1 game) pressure.
OOOHHH! I lied. My day was exciting. The Schwans man was in the neighborhood and I totally bought all kinds of yummy goodies from him. My Mom gets stuff from the Schwans man and one night when I was at Mom and Dads, we got home late so Mom threw together a meal consisting of 2 canned veggies, those crazy yummy Betty Crocker Au Gratin potatoes and a Schwans breaded (not fried) chicken breast. It sounds so simple but it was such a good meal to me. It felt so cozy and comforting. I've craved it ever since then so I recreated it tonight! It was one of those moments where I was really sad that the food on my plate was gone. Anywho, our freezer is stuffed with Schwans food--and Lean Cuisines. Because that's what I eat for lunch EVERY day....and have for almost 3 years now. And I love it. I find them to be SO delicious. I missed my Lean Cuisines like crazy when I was in China.
Speaking of food, I found a new breakfast item that I don't think I can ever live without now. I used to never eat breakfast. Maybe I'd get a cappuccino or pour a glass of OJ but that was it. So I was watching one of those weight lose reality shows and one of the trainers was expressing the importance of eating breakfast. Yeah, yeah most important meal...we've all heard it...blah blah. THEN he said one way that helps Sumo Wrestlers get so big is by skipping breakfast. I nearly fell off my sofa when he said that. Ever since I've made sure I eat breakfast even if I'm not hungry.
Anywho, here's the point in that whole story. I love a warm breakfast. I've discovered Jimmy Dean D'Lights and I'm obsessed! They're breakfast sandwiches--just like at McDonalds--but they're only (max) 240 calories. So Yum! Also so yum--Jimmy Dean Breakfast Skillets. Scott and I make them every weekend. We love them! AND, Jimmy Dean is owned by Sara Lee so it's like a bonus--and the reason I know so much about these yummy breakfast meals. Seriously, go to Walmart right now and buy them. You won't be sad about it.

A Beauty Shop Visit + 4 Years

2011-11-02T20:04:00.001-05:00

I took Holly to a much needed groomer appointment today. She has a girl in Little Rock who does a great job but I don't know when Holly will be in Little Rock again and it just couldn't wait. I decided to take Holly to the same hair salon Rose Julian goes to because her Momma, Jaclyn, recommended it. I was a little nervous to take Hol to a new person. I'd taken her somewhere up here once before and they totally butchered her. I actually had to look at Holly really hard to make sure I had the right dog. Horrible! Lesson learned--take a picture so they can see what she's supposed to look like!
Gail (the groomer) was so sweet. I could tell immediately she knew exactly what she was doing. THEN she told me she specializes in old dogs and those words were like music to my ears. After a good consultation I left my doodlebug to get all beautified! Gail called an hour later saying Holly was ready and when I saw her I was thrilled because she looked perfect!

Gail said Holly was so good and sweet and won lots of brownie points with me by raving on about Hollys "beauty." I get cute all the time but Gail's right--she's beautiful as well! :)
THEN, something happened. As we were leaving, Gail leaned in close to Hollys face and told her bye to which Holly responded by giving her a kiss on her nose. My knees almost buckled and I nearly hit the floor. Holly does NOT give kisses to anyone except me, Scott, Mom, and Dad. I still can't believe it. I called Mom and Scott to tell them about it. Mom's response was "Oh WOW!" and Scott's was "No Way." Top 10 Most Shocking Holly Moments Of ALL Time. She must've really liked Gail which made me so happy! Especially since Holly despises getting groomed.

Finally, four years ago today Scott and I got engaged! It was such a sweet proposal and a wonderful and unforgettable night that he planned so perfectly! I'm a very lucky girl that such a great guy wanted to marry me! I love Scott SO much and not only do we continue to have a beautiful marriage that I'm so grateful for but he becomes more and more of a best friend to me every day and I wouldn't trade my friendship (and marriage) with my best buddy for anything!! I love you babe! I'm so incredibly blessed that God chose you for me. Thank you for asking me to marry you!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T22:40:00.002-05:00

Happy November!! So crazy huh?! I think I love November just as much as I love October. November means Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away and Thanksgiving just happens to be my favorite Holiday! I think it's the Macy's Parade + the fact that the 'Thanksgiving Meal' is my all time favorite meal EVER. I'm already worried about how big my belly will be that day. I have a real problem with the amount of food I consume on Thanksgiving.

Halloween was fun last night! We don't get a ton of Trick-Or-Treaters.....maybe 15-20 but I LURVE handing out candy to the kiddos! One little boy came by, maybe 8 years old, around 8:30. It was so late and he had maybe 3 candies in his bucket. It made me sad. I felt like time was ticking and he hardly had any candy! I don't know why the reason for that was but I felt sorry for the cutie so I gave him A LOT of candy. Like, probably a whole bag worth. Hopefully that boosted his Trick-Or-Treat experience!

I don't have much else but maybe I'll comment on Kim K since, as you know, I love anything to do with celebrities. Okay so 72 days? Really? Really?? You didn't even try. Maybe you should dabble in a little marriage counseling before calling it Kaput. I'd noticed the rumors speculating trouble for a week or so now. It definitely raised my eyebrows especially when People and TMZ did stories on it. But I really didn't expect a divorce.....so soon. I think this will hurt her image even though PR people on GMA this morning said it wouldn't. What do I know though? Because I'm totally looking extra forward to watching Kourtney and Kim Take New York this season more than ever. How much should we bet they're re-editing all scenes right now to make Kris look like a total jerk and Kim look like she made the biggest mistake of her life? M'kay I'm done.

All About Hair

2011-10-31T00:55:00.011-05:00

So I finally get to show off my haircut decision. I know you've been sitting on the edge of your seats all weekend waiting for the reveal.....

As it turns out, I did decide to chop off a few inches of locks. Not a ton--3 inches--maybe 4 with the layers. However it feels SO SHORT to me. My hair hasn't been this 'short' in forever. I get that it's still considered to be long hair but it feels short to me. Pieces fall out of my pony tail....I can't remember the last time that happened. I like it though. It feels so fresh. Very healthy. It's a good change even though it's not a huge change. I like.
(Shirt--J.Crew. Jeans--Rich & Skinny. Oxfrords--Staccato (China)

Since we're talking about hair, I thought I'd share my favorite hair products. I get asked what my favorites are A LOT. When I say I've tried all the hair products out there, I'm not exaggerating. So here we go on my opinion of the best products out there.

Let's start with the products I could never live without. Big Sexy Root Pump and Bumble and Bumble Grooming Cream. The BS Root Pump is my all-time favorite product and has been since my first week of beauty school. It elevates your roots like non-other. Some people don't like the way it feels the first few times you use it--it definitely has that 'I can tell there's product in my hair' feeling but if you use it a few times you get over it. And it's worth it.

The B&B Grooming Cream is what I use when I curl my hair. Again--I put it in wet hair. It really helps in molding hair the way you want it to look. It's also my favorite product for men who like to have 'messy' hair. I put it in their hair dry because it doesn't give them that 'wet' look but the perfectly 'Brad Pitt I Didn't Try Hard' look.

Shampoo: I honestly love a lot of Shampoo's. I switch it up a lot. But if I could recommend a brand that's very consistent with great shampoo/conditioner that I'm never disappointed in it would be Redken and Bumble. I could say a lot of wonderful things about both but I'll just say both brands are winners.
Hairspray: While I mix it up a lot with my shampoo I tend to stick with my favorites on hairspray. Big Sexy Spray & Play, Bed Head Masterpiece, and Sebastian Shaper are my go-to's. Shaper is the firmest, followed by Big Sexy and Masterpiece plain smells delicious.
Just Because: Tonic from Bumble is wonderful. It's the greatest smelling product ever. It's like a lotion for your hair--spray it in wet hair daily. Equally great for guys and girls. It's also a good product for spiffing up your do and giving it a little revival in the middle of the day especially if you wear your hair naturally curly.
Poof Help: If you have that difficult hair that can't seem to hold a poof--put this in your hair. Aveda Pure Abundance. It's a powder. Sprinkle it in your dry roots and it helps give it that little oomph that your stubborn hair needs to get a good lift. Not gonna lie, you will very much be able to tell you have some type of product in your hair.
Healthy Help: Finally, this is for all of those girls out there that need a little help in the unhealthy department--Particularly those blondes who get a lot of color frequently. It's A Ten is what hairstylists call a miracle product. If you have damaged hair, you will be able to tell a difference in your locks by the time you finish this bottle. It's like a leave-in-conditioner (by the way, I recommend EVERYONE use a leave-in-conditioner) and it helps repair your hair in a really great way. Spritz in every day before you dry your hair. If you have really damaged hair, or if you get your hair colored a lot, I highly recommend a deep conditioning treatment at your favorite salon at least two times a month. I'm really big on keeping hair healthy.

If nothing else, please use conditioner. I can't tell you how many of my (former) clients don't use a conditioner which is so crazy to me. Your hair will get VERY DAMAGED if you don't. They always say "If I use conditioner my hair gets too soft and I can't fix it." I get it--but that's what products are for!!!

China Photobook

2011-10-30T19:44:00.016-05:00

Here's a few shots of China I took with my camera I thought I would share with you guys. I don't have a lot from Hong Kong because my battery ran out. PLUS, this camera is so stinkin heavy and literally makes my back ache if I carry it all day! So I didn't take as many photos as I probably would on a trip but I got enough to get the jist. Enjoy!

Delay

2011-10-27T23:17:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to blog all day but Blogger is being difficult and won't let me upload pictures. Therefore, I cannot reveal my hair decision to you yet. Blogger messes up all the time! I'm so over it.
Other than my hair appointment and a little Halloween costume tweaking, my day didn't involve much. I had 3 episodes of Greys Anatomy to catch up on. Ive been watching that show since the very first episode but I'm kinda over it now. I play with my phone while it's on almost the whole time but I don't want to quit watching it. It's like a book for me. Once I start it, I have to stay committed.
Time for bed. No Ambien tonight. Crossing my fingers I can actually get good sleep. Excited for the weekend tomorrow! It's going to be a very, very fun one. Will explain next week. :)

Costumes & Haircuts

2011-10-27T00:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Hump Day! I spent my day searching for a Halloween costume and I managed to find (almost) exactly what I was looking for! Scotts friends are having a party Saturday night and I always love a good Halloween costume party. Scott typically hates getting dressed up because he always feels stupid but I think he's okay with our costume choice this year. I originally wanted to go as Mary Poppins and Bert because I saw a super cute couple dressed as that on Pintrest but Scott ax'd that idea. Bummer. It would have been so adorable! You can steal that idea if you want.
I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow and I'm having such a hard time deciding what I want to do. I never really make it a big deal because I typically just get a good trim. I can't decide this time if I want to do the same and keep letting my hair get longer OR copy Lea Michele's do circa SAG Awards 2011. Tough choice....
I'm addicted to Ambiens I think. My doctor got me some for China and I took one every night to help with the time change and I slept SO good!! Then, I took two on the flight back from China and slept 12 straight hours! Amazing. The 15 hour flight suddenly became 3 hours and I was beyond delighted when I woke up as the pilot announced we were descending. Greatest flight moment ever.
Since I've been home I've taken 2. I have a lot (sorta) left and I know once they're gone that'll be that. Mom told me to be careful and not get dependent on them. It's just so nice to be able to fall asleep within 20 minutes of taking it and actually STAYING asleep. It's a whole new way of sleep for me and I really, really like it. Ahh to just be normal and sleep well like most people do. That would be so nice.
M'kay this is starting to kick in. I'll let you know what my hair decision was tomorrow. :)

Happy Birthday Holly!!

2011-10-25T20:43:00.001-05:00

Today my sweet, loyal, precious, adorable and perfect little girl turned 15.

Holly Luttrell I love you more than you could ever know! Then again, I think you know how much I love you. Your sweet and loyal heart is why your family loves you as much as we do. We had no idea that 15 years ago, a 7 pound furball of spunk would capture our hearts as much as it has. We also didn't know that we would be lucky to have you in our lives as long as we have! I don't know what I did to deserve as good, smart, sweet and perfect dog--for so many years--but I thank God for such a wonderful blessing every single day. He knows how much I love you and how much happiness you bring me and I think that's why he's let you bless my life for such a long time! There will never be another like you. They say you only get one great dog in your life. I know without a doubt you will always be that one great dog that I'll think of every day and will forever hold a special place in my heart. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you and nothing I would change about you. You are my everything. Happy Birthday Sweet Holly!!

Back To The States

2011-10-21T19:09:00.001-05:00

It looks as if I'm doing two Friday posts but it's Saturday here so that's just not the case! I'm sitting in the airport waiting to go home. I'll arrive in Little Rock in exactly 24 hours. Then there's the dreaded drive to NWA which I'm hoping I'll be capable of doing when I touch down. If not, I'll stay at my parents house but I'm VERY anxious to give my two favorite people lots of hugs and kisses so I'm praying for sleep on the plane and plenty of energy! I'm going to take an Ambien on the flight this go-round. I didn't on the way here and couldn't sleep well at all and was SO TIRED by the time I got to Shanghai. I just hope it can really knock me out and not make me just groggy. That would be miz!!!

My China trip was good. About what I expected. The food was a bit of a disappointment, like I said yesterday, but it wasn't horrible. Mom and I finally had a good meal last night. We went to Mortons and it was heaven!! Plus, the view was incredible. Top that off with a bottle of Schramsberg and we ended our trip to China in a pretty fab way!

I'm coming home with an extra suitcase full of artwork, clothes (from H&M and Zara), and lots of fun goodies that you could only find in China! I can't wait to show Scott all of the fun stuff I got! As you can tell, I find myself at a loss while on a vacation without my husband....

I think my favorite part of Shanghai was the secret little market Grandpa told me about. My favorite part of Hong Kong was the view at the Stanley Market. I won't miss the crazy cab drivers who are confused and think they're in the Indy 500...or whatever that car race is called. Nor will I miss the smell. No offense Hong Kong but you are very smelly!!

Finally, I'll say I've never in my life encountered nicer people than the folks here in China. It blew my mind how helpful and kind they were. All of them! So, So, SO nice. Oh and all of the ladies have Crazy Good style. They're just all around fabulous!

Time for home!

Hong Kong Day...I've Lost Track

2011-10-21T02:59:00.001-05:00

Ni Hao! How's America doing today? I'm a little homesick for it to be honest! No worries, I'll be heading back tomorrow. I've thoroughly enjoyed China but I'm craving my home.

I miss my husband and my sweet little doodlebug. I think if he were here I'd be content but he's my buddy and I miss my buddy.

Mom and I seem to do the same things over and over every day. I'm not really into doing shopping I can do in America. Other than a little stop by H&M and Zara of course. I love all of the authentic stuff which is limited to just a few areas so we seem to keep going back to those spots. We've been here for so long--we've seen all there is to see. May as well keep going back to our favorite spots!

I must say the food has been a bit of a disappointment to me. I feel like I haven't had a good meal in over a week--and I'm not a picky eater! I always look forward to what I'm going to eat when I'm in a new city. Theres just nowhere here (that I can find) that seems appealing. We have eaten at a few local spots that were good but not incredibly delicious by any means.

Mom and I are on our way to buy a new suitcase because we've bought so much stuff! Whoopsie! Shopping here can be a bit addicting. It's like "well, I really don't need that set of 8 chopsticks but they're cool and it's very China-like so we should probably get it." Oh well! I'll probably never come back unless Scott wants to visit it so I guess it's okay.

As you can tell, I really don't have much to say. Better devote my time to soaking up my last day in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong Day 2

2011-10-19T19:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a really fun day. Mom and I went to this place called Stanley Market. It has a lot of clothes, bags, electronics, etc. Mom and I weren't really interested in anything there but the artwork did catch our eyes. There were about 4 different artwork stores and we spent the majority of our time in those. We both purchased a lot of really amazing artwork. The paintings are so textured and very unique--like nothing you could find in the states. They're done by a famous artist here in China so not one piece is the same. I'm really excited to show Scott!

Speaking of Scott, I really miss him! We're really only able to communicate via text. I've hear his voice once since I've been gone. I'm ready to see my sweet husband again!!

The Stanley Market is right on the ocean and there are a few outdoor restaurants to eat at. After we were shopping we decided to sit in those chairs and enjoy a glass of wine while looking at the incredible view in front of us....

I always have a moment where I go on a vacation and see a beautiful landmark and think to myself "I'm so lucky to get to see this" and yesterday was that moment.

After spending about 4 hours at Stanley Market we set off for The Ladies Market.

I'd seen The Ladies Market on an episode of Gulianna and Bill once! It only comes out at night from 7-11 I think, and the best way I can describe it is sort of like the fair. Everyone has tents set up--all of them selling different things. Again, the artwork caught mine and Moms eye and we bought even more beautiful paintings!

That was just about the extent of our day yesterday. I don't know what we'll do today. I think I'm FINALLY adjusted to the time change so I have a lot more energy now to get out and about and explore!

Hong Kong Day 1

2011-10-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

Nothing too terribly exciting to report from yesterday. I flew on a China aircraft which was an interesting experience. They're really no different than an American airline except they're much nicer. Everything over here is nicer and more thoughtfully planned.
The flight was only 2 hours but you know how flying is--it's seems to last all day. We got to our hotel in time to eat dinner and shop around a bit. We took this old train to The Peak Tower. It's the highest point in Hong Kong and we dined at a restaurant overlooking the entire city. It was very beautiful!

A little shopping around the area later, and we were tired and ready for bed. We go to bed so early and get up so early. Definitely not used to this time change!!
Off to do more shopping!!

Shanghai Day 2

2011-10-17T19:40:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! Yesterday was incredible! We visited old Shanghai and it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life.

We stayed for many hours and took tons of photos!

This was one of my favorite spots. So colorful and what you always think of when you think of China!

The detail in the architecture is incredible! I can't imagine how long it took to build these buildings way back when!

It was a hot tourist spot. So many people were there! Not many Americans though! I've gotta say I've never felt so outnumbered!!

After we spent many hours there and collected many souvenirs, we went back to the secret spot Grandpa told us about to pick up just a few more items.

This is what it looks like! It almost looks like a sketchy flee market but if you look inside of their tents...

They're super nice! Lots of silk clothes, bags, chopsticks, jewelry, etc. etc....

There's too many cool things to choose from! I love these little men but decide not to get one. There's only so much space in my suitcase sadly...

I've only seen these "brushes" at the market grandpa told me about. I've bought a ton of them! They're so neat and colorful and I feel like they're very special since I've never seen anything like it before. I'm going to put them in a clear vase and display them in my home. A very cool China keepsake if you ask me!

Love all of these old clocks! Wanted to get one for Scott to put on his desk but they're quite heavy and pretty expensive.

Beautiful china pieces--one of a kind and hand painted!

Tons and tons of jewelry. Of course I've stocked up!

Trying to talk the lady into giving me a cheaper price! It's not too hard to do. They start out with a crazy high number and you always talk them into half...of half of half! Haha.

Shanghai at night! Stunning!!!
Okay! In the cab and off to Hong Kong. We'll have all day to explore and I'm looking forward to what's in store!

Shanghai Day 1

2011-10-16T18:53:00.003-05:00

Hello from Shanghai! Let me tell you all about my trip so far!

The 15 hour flight was bearable for the first 10 hours. After that I wanted to go crazy!! It wasn't as bad as a 15 hour car ride but it still wasn't fun. I was really hoping I was going to get more sleep than what I did. I slept for maybe 3 hours on the plane. I was utterly exhausted. We arrived in Shanghai around 6 pm and got to our hotel around 8. By 8:30 we were all in the bed and by 9 we were passed out. I slept good and hard! We all woke up around 6 am the next morning and got dressed, ate a big breakfast buffet at our hotel (Hilton), and headed out to see the big city!

I wanted to go to this place that Scott's Grandpa had suggested I see. It's called the Dongtai Antique Market. It's this secret little place that isn't touristy and filled with all unique things that you could only find here. We got there and were immediately intrigued! FOUR hours later we left. We found the neatest things and I feel so lucky that Grandpa used to live here and knew to tell me about it.

After the market we went to the "5th avenue" of Shanghai. It was really neat to see but we didn't want to spend a whole lot of time there. We're more interested in the more 'local' stuff. We headed to the Pearl Market after and spend probably 3 hours there. It was way cool and I got TONS of goodies that I'm very excited about!

A nice Italian dinner later, we were exhausted and went to bed.

It's 8am now and we're going BACK to the Pearl Market and Dongtai. We won't stay as long but we all decided there were a few things that we really wanted to get but didn't! Ha! Okay. Dad wants to Skype. I wanted to Skype with Scott but he's not home. Bummer. I miss him and Holly already! Talk to you guys tomorrow hopefully!!

Shanghai--See You In 15! (hours)

2011-10-14T14:13:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! I'm in Detroit and getting ready to board my 15 hour flight to Shanghai. Yes I said 15 hours.

I've been up since 4 AM this morning. We've had a very long layover here in Detroit but the airport here is very nice and since Kyle is so special in airports we've been able to take advantage of the Delta Sky Lounge which is crazy nice by the way. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world because just a few short minutes ago I was able to take a shower. If you know me at all, you know how happy that made me. I'm all refreshed and ready to go!

I've got two books to keep me entertained. Ellen's--Seriously I'm Kidding and Rob Lowes--Stories I Only Tell My Friends. Plus 3 magazines--Lucky, People, and Us. And 4 movies provided by Delta. Hopefully those will keep me entertained! I'm crossing my fingers that I can get some good sleep as well. I managed to pack a pillow & a blanket PLUS sweatpants, t-shirts, makeup, jewelry, toiletries, socks, undies (TMI?) and a cute little dress in my little carry-on. Rock Star Packer? I think so. And just so you know, I find it funny that my checked bag was lighter than my brothers--by 20 pounds!!!!!

M'kay. I better get lined up. I'm kinda dreading this flight but I get all of the free alcohol I want so that makes it a little better. No judging! You would be grateful too if you were confined to a tiny seat for 15 hours. Cheers! I'll try to blog the whole time I'm there to keep you all updated!

China Preps & Date Night

2011-10-12T23:18:00.001-05:00

Today was full of getting ready to leave for China. Which I'm doing on Friday. Early. I'm flying with Mom and Kyle out of Little Rock so I'm leaving here tomorrow. I'm not really in a hurry. I think I've gotten everything done. Since I'll be gone for SO long, I want to stay at my home sweet home as long as possible.
Holly is staying with Scott. She's pretty much a full time resident at the Johnson household these days. Sorry to my parents but she likes being here better. She makes it known. And how could you possibly make her life anything but ridiculously happy? Speaking of happy puppies, Hol enjoyed the remainders of my Ruths Chris filet tonight.

Scott and I had date night tonight. We decided we should enjoy each others company in a very lovely way since we won't see each other for a very long time. I'm sad about it. And I felt a little sick to my stomach for a minute today thinking about leaving Holly at home--without me--for so many days. I know her and Scott will be okay but it just makes me anxious to leave my little girl for so long. Scott will no doubt be fine. He asked me to fix him up at Walmart and I think I did.

Holly and Scott will be okay for two weeks without me I'm sure! To be on the safe side, I got an international phone plan so I can constantly stay updated!
M'Kay. I need to devote my time to the new E! True Hollywood story on Kate & Pippa. I'm intrigued with both! This is sure to be fab!

Just How It Should Be

2011-10-12T00:22:00.001-05:00

Today was, yet again, so busy. Who would have thought I could be THIS preoccupied as a housewife...with no kids?
Randy has been moving into his new house this week and he's enlisted my help. Not just with the picking out of things but with closet and kitchen organizing/decorating as well. It's been too much fun. Exhausting--but fun.

{Randy's new house! Bad angle--the moving van was blocking the good one but you get the drift.}

When I was in high school I used to say I wanted to be an interior designer. Then, I found out it was a very expensive major. So I went with Political Science instead--An equal love of mine. I was SO sure I was going to move
to DC and quickly become the worlds greatest White House Press Secretary. I ended up becoming a retired hairstylist turned housewife at the age of 25. Go figure.
Want to know something though? If you had asked me 10 years ago how I pictured my life--I would say exactly the way it is now.
I always knew I would meet a tall, dark, and handsome man who went to the UofA--majoring in business--wanting to live in NWA--working for a supplier. Call me crazy but I truly always thought--and knew--this would be my life. And it is! I wouldn't trade it for anything. Of course I get bored sometimes and think "okay you aren't having kids for a while and you can't keep doing this until then so you've gotta do something!!" And it can sometimes stress me out but I'm okay. I'm grateful that my husband doesn't care what I do or don't do. Although he frequently encourages volunteering. I think that would be so cool. I just need to be assertive and go out and do it!!
Anywho! That's my life. It's not a big/successful Press Secretary, a world renowned decorator or a hair stylist to the stars--but it's exactly what my heart always wanted. And because of that, I think I'm a very lucky girl!

Typical Fall Weekend

2011-10-10T23:14:00.001-05:00

My weekend wasn't too terribly eventful. I got new furniture...

Gorgeous sofa and ottoman...

New dining room table----obsessed.
AND I went to a Razorback game--duh.

Where I ate naughty food....

Enjoyed the victorious game with my husband....

And caught up with friends....

A church service, lunch out after, and piddling around during the afternoon followed by AFV, Home Makeover, Desperate Housewives, AND a Kardashian wedding later, it rounded out to be another typical and quite fab weekend!

Chili

2011-10-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

I have a problem.

I had this for lunch today--again. I probably eat it 2-3 times a week. So Yum.
My report is uneventful. I didn't keep myself very busy today. Scott & had dinner with Randy tonight and came home to watch movies--our Friday night tradition.
I'm excited to go to my first home game of the season tomorrow. It blows my mind that I'm just now going to one. That's never happened!
I leave for China 1 week from today. What what!

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

2011-10-06T22:35:00.007-05:00

I had a fun day yesterday! I was a little personal shopper for my father-in-law, Randy. He's been building this beautiful home for himself in Pinnacle and he's FINALLY moving in next week. I say finally because this house has taken him 10 months to build! I live with a sense of urgency. I would be so impatient and anxious to move in by now if I were him!!
Anyways, Randy is getting rid of everything and getting all new! So fun. Scott and I are actually taking some of his hand-me-down furniture. However it's hardly hand-me-down. It's all from Lighting Emporium and hardly used. We're getting his dining room table. I'm way excited because I've always told Randy I want it when he's done with it. It's beyond beautiful. I secretly think he's getting a new dining room table for himself because he knows how much I want his. He would never admit it but I know I'm right. So sweet! Randy is also giving Scott and I his sofa. I'm almost as obsessed with his sofa as I am his table. Almost. I despise the sofa I have now. It's Scott's bachelor sofa and I've suffered with this ugly thing long enough. Thinking about it now actually, I'm very surprised with myself that I've lived with it for 3 years.......hmmmm.....Excuse me.......I'm having a moment.......Moving along.
Randy has probably sat on the sofa and used the dining room table MAYBE a dozen times. They're basically brand new. Seriously. I feel very lucky!
SO, since he's moving into this great new house, he wanted me to shop for him and get his house ready. From sheets, to silverware, to pots and pans and bath towels....I did it all! And I loved it! It was so fun! Randy gave me cash and a few directions on items he needed and I took off and went shopping!
It took me all day long and I was excited about all of my purchases! Randy is such a bachelor. I mean, he's been one for almost 20 years now! To say he's a minimalist is an understatement. He has empty closets, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and zero clutter. Zero. Scott and I go to his house a lot and we all cook together and it's so hard because I'm like 'where's your casserole dish? Do you have a mixing bowl? Measuring cups? No? Okay...this is challenging." So I went to Bed Bath and Beyond, Dillards, and TJ Maxx and fixed him up. When I brought all of it over to his house to show and explain to him what I bought and why I bought it, he was almost mesmerized. Example:
"Whenever you have leftovers, you can put it in this tupperware and it will keep it fresh for a lot longer."
"OOOOHHHHHH!I will definitely use that. That's really cool."
Ha! When I say I got him everything, I got him everything. It cracked me up because he was like "you're so good at this." I just hope he uses it. For fathers day last year, I bought him oven mitts and kitchen towels because he literally didn't own them. I got him cookie sheets yesterday because he cooks stuff in the oven and only uses foil to put it on. See. Minimalist.
So that's what consumed my day yesterday. I had fun and Randy is really excited about all of his new stuff. Now I'm excited to help him decorate. He usually has someone from Lighting Emporium decorate his house for him but I'm going to help him this time and it'll be fun. We both have the same taste so it should go well.

This is a long post but I can't sign off without saying how much Steve Job's death (surprisingly) affected me yesterday. I've obviously never met the man but he literally changed the way I live my life. He's today's Ben Franklin! I found it so powerful that this/is Apple's website right now. Wow. So moving.

He changed our world, our lives. I've always been a Apple/Mac girl. I had the iPod right when it came out, I learned how to use a computer on a Mac because it's what my Dad has always bought. I got the iPhone right when it came out--as well as the iPad too basically. He's a genius and will go down in history as one of the greatest Americans that's ever lived--who changed our world in a really awesome way.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish!

2011-10-05T00:33:00.001-05:00

Ummm.....I have nothing because my life is pretty much uneventful. Holly is still looking all cute and I'm still suffering from insomnia. My foot is SO much better. I'm walking normal now but there are still limits. I can get out and walk around but only for a short amount of time. My foot keeps revealing new bruises--3 weeks later--but it's all good. I'm just happy it's healing. There was a moment there last week where I thought this could be a problem for 6 weeks but I don't think thats the case anymore. Whew!
I'm leaving for China in 10 days. SO Exciting!!
The announcement of the new iPhone came out today. I was hoping for the iPhone 5 but the iPhone 4whatever will do plenty fine. My 3GS is dunzo. I don't even look at Facebook or Twitter on my phone anymore because the updates are entirely too slow. Tragic, I know.
My Mom says she calls me--I have no missed calls. Sometimes, my phone shuts off and restarts itself on it's own--without me requesting it--while I magically watch it happen.
I have weird problems with phones it seems. I tend to wait out the newest cool phone therefore causing my older phone to get so ancient in the mobile world, it acts all crazy.
I had a blackberry that, not kidding, magically called people. My Mom had the same problem--with the same phone--which helped me feel better with the weirdness. A few times, I tried to text someone, and it chose a different person than I wanted to receive it! Seriously. I woke up a (concerned) aunt at 2 AM & a (non friendly) ex. BUMM-ER. Both texts were evenly crunchy and super accidental and I almost wanted to sue AT&T for the embarrassment but felt that would be a lot more trouble than it was worth.
Anywho, I'm getting the new iPhone because mine is SO SLOW!!! Scott is getting one too. His first iPhone. I'm overly excited. I can actually text him pictures now! Scott even said he may join Facebook AND Twitter. I die if that happens. We should throw a party. Scott is VERY (VERY...VERY) private so Scott Johnson participating in social networking would blow my mind. Of course he would never update and be sure to install all of the privacy settings but still!!
Tired. Odd to bed now,

Bullet Points

2011-10-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

•I'm glad Amanda Knox was found not guilty today. I've been following this case for four years...even going so far as recording/watching the Lifetime movie about her starring Hayden Panettiere. I don't think she did it. I don't know. There's something a little odd about her story but I don't think she's a murderer. I can't imagine being locked up in a foreign prison with a foreign justice system. So scary! This is neither here nor there but I do wonder if she'll ever have the desire to visit Italy again? She clearly loved it before all this happened. Maybe that's the travel bug coming out of me. Am I so ridiculous for even wondering that? Most likely.
•Holly is so stinkin cute to me. I love her sweet face and her petite little body! Precious.
•If you suffer from insomnia, Pintrest is a great way to help pass the time until you feel sleepy again. Just FYI.
•I'm addicted to a large chili from Wendy's.
•Got a random phone call from a Memphis friend today saying she was trying out one of the recipes I gave her and had a few questions. I loved the surprise phone call. Oh, and she's preggers! They aren't going to find out the sex of the baby until he/she is born. I could never! My curiosity would get the best of me!!
•Speaking of kiddos, Scott and I get the "when are y'all going to start?" question ALL. THE. TIME. As Scott says, we seem to be on the rolling 5 year plan. Since the day we got married we said "probably 5 years." We still say "probably 5 years." Ha! However, nothing makes me grin bigger than seeing a baby/toddler/kiddo. They're all just way too cute!! I feel that way about dogs too though so I don't know what that says about me. I can see myself being like No. No. No to kids then magically waking up one day and being like "Let's do this." So I guess you never know....

Stroller For Holly

2011-09-30T19:30:00.001-05:00

Scott and I were out and about all day today! It felt good to get out of the house but I'm afraid my foot is suffering for it. Just yesterday it was starting to feel SO much better. I better stay off it tomorrow.

While out and about, Scott and I were talking about how we wish we could have brought Holly with us. I hate leaving her for long periods of time. Even though I'm sure she's sleeping the whole time we're gone. Regardless, I decided I should carry Holly around more so we went to Petco and got her a dog stroller! Hehe.

A lot of people in NWA tote their dogs around and now, I'm going to be one of them! Holly LOVES to go bye-bye and she's such a good, calm, and quiet dog so I think she deserves a dog stroller. And PS, she loves it. I knew she would because when Landon was little he always wanted to put Holly in his stroller and push her around and she happily obliged.
A little ridiculous? Maybe. But I don't care. I think this stroller is going to come in very handy....

And as if Holly hadn't already had a fabulous day, Scott made her a dessert with her favorite treats: Ice cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Beggin Strip. He wanted to know what she would tackle first. I was a bit against it, I mean, that's a little extreme, but my curiosity got the best of me and I gave in. And just so you know, it went Ice Cream--Beggin Strip--Chocolate Chip Cookie.

A Walk In The Park

2011-09-29T20:12:00.006-05:00

Scott and I took Holly on a little adventure today--The Bentonville Bark Park. She loves the Bark Park but sadly, I don't take her that often. Holly definitely enjoyed herself! She loves to sniff and explore so the Bark Park is perfect! The fun little obstacles are a bit tricky for a 7 pound lady but she attempted and enjoyed anyway. We stayed for about 20 minutes which was plenty of time for Holly. She's an indoor kinda gal. She enjoys an adventure but is always excited to get back home. After a quick stop by Sonic to get her some water (she was panting like crazy) we headed home....Tonight Scott and I had date night at Bonefish! It was much needed. I haven't been able to really get out and about since my whole foot ordeal and I've very much missed a night out. I had a bit of trouble getting dressed because most of my 'going out' outfits require heels. Getting ready was sightly traumatizing because of my lack of options but I pulled something together and decided it would do--would have looked way cuter with heels--but good enough.
Since Scott and I always watch movies on the weekends, we've put ourselves in a bit of a predicament. We've run out of movies to watch!!!! It's a little embarrassing that we've literally seen all the movies. So we decided to go to Best Buy after dinner and purchase the first season of Mad Men. I've heard it's so good and I think it could (potentially) be a show Scott and I will both enjoy. Of course we had to stare at TV's while we were there for a good 18 minutes but you know....that's normal...
Time for Mad Men! Fingers crossed that we love it! We need something to watch on the weekends that's not a Disney/Pixar film. Not that I don't thoroughly enjoy those actually....

Kibbles, Cookies, and Tabloids

2011-09-28T19:06:00.001-05:00

I am a very happy girl because my husband isn't working for the rest of the week! He decided to take 2 days off. He's got nearly 20 vacation days left for the year so he wants to use them up as much as he can. It's going to be a nice, LONG, weekend and I'm very excited about it!

Holly and I enjoyed a little vitamin D today. Holly isn't very outdoorsy. She loves to get the mail and go for a walk but she doesn't just love hanging outside. However, we must have spent 30 minutes in my backyard enjoying the lovely weather.

Holly is so funny though--she won't get in the grass. She walks all around the patio and stands at the edge to sniff the grass but she won't walk in it. She does the same at my parents. Silly girl.
Also, I think I may have found something Holly will eat. Kibbles and Bits! She used to eat those when we first got her then we switched her to a much healthier food--Science Diet--and she's been eating that for a decade or so now. I wish she would eat a little healthier but I guess it doesn't really matter at this point. As long as she's eating, I'm happy.

Speaking of healthy, or lack thereof, look what snuck into my cart at Walmart today! I may have gone a bit overboard but I always buy cookies when fall strikes. It's my tradition!

And finally, I saw this when I was waiting to check out. Good Grief! Sadly, some people will actually believe that. Remember what I say--you can only trust People and TMZ and the majority of the time, US Weekly gets it right but not always.
Happy Modern Family Day!

Pumpkins & Appetites

2011-09-27T13:32:00.001-05:00

I'm bored. And not to keep talking about my foot but it hurts--STILL! I try really hard to stay off it and when I do it feels sooo much better the next day. But sometimes you can't just sit on your bottom all day. Aside from the going crazy part--theres just some things that need to get done. Who would think that going to church, Walmart, Target and a doctors appointment last week could irritate it that bad? OVER THIS.

I'm loving that it's cooler but don't you think it should be a lot cooler by now? I know it never is but I always feel like by the end of September it should be boots and long sleeve weather.

Speaking of "Fall" I got this candle at Target for $10 and I'm obsessed with it. It has lasted such a long time and it makes the entire house smell so good. $10--can't beat that. I plan on getting a few more so I can have it all through November.

This little one is stressing me out. She has, for almost a week now, decided that she doesn't like food anymore. Just like that. Holly has always loved food and she lives for treats. It's so bizarre! I have, of course, spoken with her doctor about it. She said a lot of older dogs start to do that and I need to just keep trying all kinds of things and mix it up for her. She said if Holly doesn't want dog food anymore than feed her people food. But even some people food she won't eat. I gave her a filet--nope. Philly steak & cheese--eww. Cake--no thank you. Scrambled eggs--not her favorite anymore. I don't know what to do!!! I have found that if I sit and hand feed her some things she'll eat it then. I hope it's just a phase. I thought it was her medicine but her doctor said that shouldn't affect her appetite. She acts totally normal other than not eating and I know she's okay since we just did all of that blood work. Stressing me out Holly!!!

Holly's Friday

2011-09-23T20:26:00.001-05:00

{New Sam Edelman Flats. I'm a bit obsessed. Not only because they're ridiculously cute but they're super comfy. Something you don't always find in a flat.}

Greetings and Happy Friday! I'm glad it's the weekend so I can have Scotts sofa company. Holly and I have had an eventful day...

I watch Holly like a hawk. I observe her every move. She's (almost) 15--I have to if I want to make sure my sweet baby is happy and healthy. Last week I noticed she was licking her lady bits--something she never does. After a day and a half of that--off to Dr Brown we went. After a urine sample we discovered that Holly had a UTI. No surprise there--she gets them all the time. Bless her little heart. They have a shot to give now so we did that and off we went.
The last two days I've noticed Holly has been drinking a lot more water and going potty way more. "This is it" I told Scott "she has diabetes." Right when I woke up this morning I made an appointment with Dr Brown--Again. A blood test later proved she's A-OK. Whew!

I probably jump the gun a lot--therefore causing me to spend unnecessary money at the vet--but I just can't help myself. Holly's my baby and I would rather have a piece of mind than an extra couple hundred bucks. Poor Holly hates going. She shakes like it's -48 degrees and hides from the doctor behind my feet!
To top it all off, just a minute ago, Holly and I went to get the mail when she spotted a (very) large dog and took after it to say hi. The typical sniffing of one another was going perfectly fine when the other dog bit Holly on her butt lifting her right in the air. The owner slapped the dog and he immediately let go of Holly. I ran and picked her up and she was literally in shock. That's never happened to her before! The girl was humiliated and apologized over and over. I was traumatized, so was Holly, but she's okay. I honestly think the dog was trying to play and it didn't leave any bite marks on my doodlebug. Holly insisted I carry her inside immediately.

Aww....my little survivor. She's doing perfectly fine now and is ready for me to stop blogging so we can all watch Bridesmaids together...and get that tootsie roll I promised her. I think she deserves it.

Today's Update

2011-09-22T17:52:00.002-05:00

This is what life looks like from my perspective these days. I don't know how people do it when they're on bed rest for months and months. I seriously think I would freak out. I think my foot is getting worse. Its so painful that it makes me a little nauseous at times. As long as I'm A-OK for China then I can try to patiently sit on the sofa for the next few weeks.

I was over-excited to receive new magazines in the mail yesterday! I haven't been so grateful for a magazine read since beauty school--also known as the most miserable time of my life. Almost all hairstylists feel the same as me--fair warning to anyone headed to Beauty School--it's wretched.

Hey speaking of hair--don't you love Lena Heady's haircut? She looked so fabulous at the Emmys on Sunday and I think her do is way cute especially for someone who's around my Mom's age. Love it. If I ever get crazy and decide to cut all of my hair off I'd definitely consider this style.

Confession: I have a bit of a girl crush on Camilla Belle. I think she's so gorgeous and she's got great style.

I'm so blessed to have this little girl in my life. I thank God for giving her to me--and for allowing her to be in my life for such a long time--nearly every day. She is so, so sweet and I cannot imagine life without her. Holly is truly one of the greatest blessings in my life. I love her more than anyone could ever know.
Greys is back tonight! So happy all of my shows are starting to reappear.

Bed Rest

2011-09-21T16:29:00.001-05:00

I've officially been put on bed rest for the remainder of the week. I made my foot worse yesterday because I haven't really obeyed my doctors orders of staying off it as much as possible for 2-3 weeks. I could walk fine so I figured it was no problem. Wrong! I've made it so much worse. My foot is now green and yellow and the shower water hitting it this morning stung. And I'm back to limping. I could really use a hoverround right now!

Today hasn't been too boring. I've kept myself entertained by reading magazines and countless hours of television. I also baked a few goodies for Scott.

Banana Nut, Chocolate Chip, and Blueberry Muffins! I figured it was okay to bake. I just stood and put no weight on my left foot. My doctor probably wouldn't be happy to hear I did that. Oh well...

I got a very fun package in the mail today! I've been wanting some Hunter rain boots for a while so I finally ordered a pair online. I'm so excited! I went with the original style in green and I'm very excited about future Hunter sock shopping.

Want to know something that brings me happiness? My makeup bag. I think it's so cute and it's the perfect size for all of my products. I have a lot of makeup and most bags aren't big enough but this Tory Burch cosmetic bag is just right! Love it!

J. Crew opened in Little Rock yesterday and I'm beyond excited. So is my Mom. Because she knows it's my very favorite store and figures it'll want me to come to Little Rock more. Ha! She's probably right!

Today's Tuesday.

2011-09-20T12:31:00.003-05:00

One week later and my foot is still hurting me!! Scott says it's because I'm too active. I think he may be right. I would go crazy if all I did was sit on the sofa and watch TV though!! I've gotta get out for just a few hours. I've never had anything hurt me this long--even when I twisted my ankles. And I still suffer the repercussions of those injuries. Every time it rains ol' grandma here gets all achy in her ankles. And the first few steps of my runs always kill my ankles. Who knows what this new injury is going to do to me now. I'm so terrified of re-hurting my foot. Even if little Holly stepped on it somehow I would die. It is very tender. Ugh. Ready for this to be over. On a good note, my doctor has called me twice to check on my foot. I think that is just so nice of him to take the time out of his busy day to do that.
Guess what else? My back is SO SORE. I'm guessing it's the car wreck?? The wreck wasn't even that bad but I guess it was bad enough to make my back get sore. Scott pointed out a funny--this just hasn't been my month. Pass out at the doctor--get fired--break foot--get in wreck--back get's sore. Hmmm.....surly October will be really fabulous.
I'm about to head out and search for a pretty wrap for my Mom to wear at night. On Thursday my Mom and Dad are off to Spain, France, and Italy. Aren't you so utterly jealous of them? I'm so excited for them and I hope their trip is so fabulous that they want to buy a home in one of those places. Any one would do. Ha!
I've also got to get a passport photo made for my Visa for China. Ugh. Passport photos are the worst. They make drivers license photos look like glamour shots.
Okay. I guess I better get moving. I'm going to try to make my outing be as quick as possible then I'm going to come home, prop my feet up, and read some magazines. I've got 2 Glamour and 2 Marie Claire's to dig into.

First Fall Saturday

2011-09-18T23:06:00.003-05:00

Sunday Greetings! How was your weekend? Mine was great--nothing special--but great. Scott and I opted out of going to the Razorback game. It was kinda my fault actually. I was a little uncomfortable about the thought of getting around campus with my crippled foot. I'm sure it would have been fine but the idea of trying to climb up and down hills and tons of people potentially stepping on my foot--well it was just a bit scary for me. The downpour of rain made that decision even easier. I've been a really bad Razorback fan this year....
So if we weren't at the Razorback game, tailgating and calling those Hogs, what in the world were we doing?? Great question!
We slept in really late--almost 10. I made Scott a delicious breakfast (Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles--ya'll do those? If not, you're missing out on the greatest gift life gives). We then turned our TV to ESPN immediately and began our typical Fall Saturday. I don't know how the thought occurred to me--since I never visit a fast food joint--but I decided Wendy's Chili would go perfectly with the rainy day. I had it for the first time last year at the high school football championships and haven't forgotten about it since.
So Holly and I took off to purchase 2 large Chili's--and 2 cheesy potato's. YUM. It's my new thing. Seriously. We had it again tonight for dinner. It's the new staple in my life...
After our delicious fast food lunch, Scott and I hit up Williams Sonoma for a few necessities. Then we went to Target for toilet paper and ended up spending $75--because we were bored. For the first time in money spending world ever--it was Scott's fault. Peanuts, Sour Patch Kids, Cliff Bars....he had a little bit of an over-excitement process. We were in there for an hour. Scott very much enjoyed himself and then a light bulb went off in my head. For me, Target is no big deal--I go whenever (and the mall, etc). Scott never goes anywhere because he works so much. He explored the isles of Target like a kid at Disney World.
We met up with Randy (father-in-law) at Crabby's for some random happy hour drinks and talked a lot about our future home--which brought me lots of excitement. I think Randy is excited too. We have ideas that are different for him and I'm pretty sure he's going to copy.
My day was fab. One of those that you remember as being one of those great fall days....

Boom Boom Pow

2011-09-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

So I got in a wreck yesterday. Actually it was today...it's midnight.
This has truly not been my week. I fall in my shower Monday night---tear left foot ligaments. Then today I'm driving Scott's car--heading home on Walton and BOOM! Car hits me. Ugh! It wasn't very traumatizing. I've been in 3 wrecks in my life and this one ranks #3 as least scariest. I saw it coming--in slow motion. I was at a complete stop--traffic was bad. I heard squeals and looked in my side mirror and saw a car acting all crazy like. I wanted to get out of the way but there was nowhere for me to go! I knew it was going to hit me or the car behind me. It's so funny how you can have so many thoughts within maybe 5 seconds.
I was the chosen one and I guess because I saw it coming, I wasn't surprised at all. I still got the shakes and stepped out of the car. So did the other girl and we decided to move to the nearest parking lot so we wouldn't block traffic.
I called Scott immediately since I was in his company car. I was so worried he would be annoyed but he--nor his boss--wasn't at all. I told him I was across the street from Taco Bueno and he had no clue where that was. #healthyfamily #kindaproudofthat
The girl--Barbie--felt horrible and apologized over and over but I wasn't angry. It was clearly an accident and she said she hydroplaned which was very understandable considering the weather today.
After all of the police work, and the (hour long) phone call with the Sara Lee Fleet + Insurance Company, I was finally able to (somewhat) finish what I was trying to accomplish--my Fall decorating. I felt like a bit of a hillbilly. I got in a wreck with two stacks of hay in my car. I traded with Scott at lunch (since he has an SUV) so I could fit the hay stacks in my car. Ironic!! I'm actually very grateful I wasn't in my car. That would have been way more traumatizing.
Scott informed me that I may have to take a drug test--as to prove I wasn't under the influence. I'm glad I avoided the doobie this week! (KIDDING! I've never done any kind of drug in my life--ever...EVER!!!!)
Anywho--Next week--by default--should be fantastic!

Lotus

2011-09-14T23:30:00.007-05:00

So hmm....I've got nothin! I mean, why would I? I've been sitting on my bottom all day 'resting' my foot. My precious husband worked from home today to take care of me. I felt way better today....didn't limp around hardly as bad. The pain was still there but I can walk better which is most important to me.
The one thing that is a bit annoying about a crippled foot is having to always take a bath. See, I take baths for them to be a relaxing experience. Showers are for washing hair and shaving. Having to do that in the bath--Ewwie. The hairs falling out of your head....the ones you're shaving....well they're floating all over the place! It's just not...rejuvenating. I don't feel as clean afterwards. You know my germaphobeness...
Anyone watch the Jacqueline Kennedy 20/20 special last night? Riveting!! I've always been fascinated with the Kennedy's especially Jackie. I was glued to my TV for the whole 2 hours. So interesting.
I'm very ready to decorate my house for fall...now! Do you think it's too soon? I want to say no. The weather has been a bit chilly and it's football season. I'm craving Hay Stacks, Mum's and Pumpkins. I may just go for it. I don't think my neighbors will mind. I think everyone secretly wants to decorate for Fall now anyway.
I'm leaving for China one month from today. Who's excited!?! Me! Way Much! I haven't done my typical planning for this one. I usually research all the hot, must see places. I'm sorta relying on my father-in-law (Randy) and grandfather-in-law (Grandpa aka Al) for this trip.
Shortly after Grandpa left Walmart, a man approached him about getting a {Walmart type} store in China started. Grandpa obliged and recruited Scott's dad to help. A few months later--Lotus was born! It's the Walmart of China. Needless to say, Randy knows everything about China since he lived there for many years. Plus, he's really good with chop sticks....
Randy and Grandpa can help me with all I need to know so I don't feel the need to do tons of research. I told my Mom I'm really determined to find a Lotus.
What else should be high on my China to-do list? Anybody ever been there? Facebook me!

Smack!

2011-09-13T19:26:00.001-05:00

Last night I did some serious damage to my left foot. I wiped out as I was stepping into my shower and fell backwards onto the floor outside. It hurt like the Dickens. The kind of pain where you can't make noise. I somehow managed to fall asleep but when I woke up this morning my foot was throbbing. I decided I better go to the doctor since my foot was swollen, I couldn't walk on it, and it was super tender when I barley touched it. He took one look at it and sent me off to get an xray. Turns out I did some pretty good damage--tore some ligaments. I've been ordered to stay off it as much as possible for the next 2-3 weeks. Neat. He wanted to put a cast/brace on it but I said no. That looks so miserable and it really wouldn't go with any of my outfits.
I have to do some physical therapy after my 2-3 weeks otherwise the possibility of it tearing again are very high. UGH. I'm just glad it's only 2-3 weeks and not 6-8. I'm also grateful that it's the top of my foot because I can at least limp around without it being too terribly painful. I just look ridiculous.
And then there's the whole no working out thing that I'm mourning over. Boo! I'm unemployed--working out is the only interesting part of my day! At least I have this little one to keep me company on the sofa!

How Does One Pack For China?

2011-09-12T10:22:00.007-05:00

Last night I received a very cool piece of news. In exactly one month and 2 days, I'll be on a plane headed to China!!! Whaaat?! That's right. I'm going to Hong Kong and Shanghai. I'm way excited but it really hasn't settled in yet because it's all happened so fast!
So how and why am I going to China? Well, Kyle has to go for work and my Mom decided to tag along. They've had it planned for a really long time. Mom called and told me last night that her and Dad had been feeling really bad for me with the whole 'getting fired after 5 days' bit so they decided to try to figure out if I could go too. They never told me they were looking into it in case it didn't work out. But surly enough, Kyle discovered that a seat on the plane opened up and Mom called me last night to tell me about it! Woo Hoo! I'm so excited.The Little Rock game was a blast! We got to the tailgate around noon and stayed until the sun went down. We decided to take Holly since we knew we weren't going to go into the game. She had so much fun! She got decked out in her favorite Razorback jersey and enjoyed all of the attention she received. She really wanted to sniff around the entire golf course and I would indulge her as much as possible. Kyle had his car and kept the hood up the entire time which made for a perfect seat for Holly, Scott, and myself.
Needless to say, I had a pretty fabulous weekend! It was great getting to see my family and I thoroughly enjoyed taking Holly tailgating with me. And, I'm going to China. Still nearly speechless about it!

9/11/01--My Day 10 Years Ago

2011-09-11T23:28:00.008-05:00

I remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday. The day started out normal like every other day in a high school juniors life. After my second period ended and I was headed to the third I ran into Toni Register. I'll never forget it. She said 'Kara the towers in New York have been hit." What?? I replied utterly confused. As she was explaining more I went into a daze trying to take in and understand what she was saying to me. I don't remember much between that and my fifth period class which was English--Mrs. Jean Williams. Because EHS didn't have enough televisions for every classroom, they decided to put most of them in the English classes. I remember my main emotion as been confused--not believing what I was seeing.
Of course the whole school day was pointless. Looking back now, I wish I had left school to go home and watch all of the news coverage. Since we weren't allowed to have cell phones, I didn't get a chance to call my parents until school was out at 3:15. My parents were in Little Rock that day for business. After discussing how horrible the events of the day were, my mother insisted I go get gas immediately. "Even if you have 3/4 of a tank full--go get more. The prices of gas are about to sky rise" she said. So I did. I went to the gas station immediately--and waited in an hour long line to fill my tank. Apparently everyone else in El Dorado was thinking the same thing as my mother.
After I got my tank filled up, I went to Arby's to pick up some dinner. I took it home and as I was eating it my friend, Kaci Hollensworth, called me. "Jesus is coming back" she declared. OMG. You could totally be right!! I thought. We sat and talked for a minute. The whole time I was pondering what I was going to do about Holly. And I felt scared that I didn't have my parents there with me.
My brother called me soon after. He had a lot of tests that day and stayed up all night long studying for them. So when they were finished at 9:00 AM, he went home and slept--until about 6. He called me and was like 'what's going on????' Ummm....our country is under attack and you're just now realizing? {That phone call still gets me. The ultimate 'are you for real?' moment.}
Later that evening, I gathered at the EHS football stadium--with thousands of others--to pray for our country. That day was so surreal that I feel like I hardly comprehended what was going on.
I've always watched Good Morning America in the morning--always....my whole life. Like, even when Joan Lunden was the host. So I was, of course, watching it as I was getting ready for school the weeks following. They did some report on the effects it had on our country and I had a very strong feeling of America being utterly defeated. My heart sunk into my stomach for the USA. Needless to say, I've never felt that for my country again. I feel as if we're stronger than ever now and I truly know what it means when people say they're 'proud to be an American.'
We do live in the best country in the world. I never thought much of it before 9/11. I think about it a lot now. I'm so blessed that my ancestors came here so that I can live the life that I do now. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. God does truly bless the USA.

Watching all of the coverage of 9/11--ten years later has been so sad. I know it sounds weird for me to say this, but I'm glad I was of an age where I was old enough to understand, remember, and comprehend what was going on that day. I feel as if I have an even greater appreciation for my country because of it.
Scott and I have been following the news all day. We watched a 20/20 special on ABC tonight and I totally lost it. Scott had to walk into the bathroom and grab me tissues. Loud sobbing, uncontrollable tears....heartbreaking sadness for those who lost their loved ones. What a horrific and almost unbelievable thing to have happen to our country. It made my heart happy to see that all of them have managed to move on with their lives--can say they're happy now--and had a smile on their faces.
As long as I live, 'We Will Never Forget' will always reign a true statement in this young American's life.

Ready For The Weekend!!

2011-09-08T23:47:00.003-05:00

Soooo......how's your day been? I wish I could say mine was filled with hard fashion work but it was not. I've had nearly a dozen calls/texts/facebook messages from people today. Some saying they wanted to warn me about the cray cray, some saying how bad they felt for me, most saying how hard they laughed when they read yesterdays post. Ahhh well....I have no words. Really. All I have is Ahhh well...
I decided this afternoon that I would drive to the square in Fayetteville and check out Northwest Arkansas newest boutique craze, Savoir Faire. It's such a gorgeous boutique! Unlike anything NWA has to offer.....or actually Arkansas for that matter. I walked away with a fabulous pleated black maxi skirt and a white blouse that will for sure be a wardrobe staple. It's a must visit.

........Top--Forever 21. Skirt--Limited circa 1997. Yes I've had it that long........

That was about it. I ran a few other errands but nothing too terribly exciting. I've got to figure out what I'm going to do with my life now. I hate thinking about stuff like that. It stresses me out way too much. Scott's been great. He just wants me to be happy--if it's as a housewife or a little career gal he doesn't care. I'm bored though. I've gotta find something. Ugh! I have a feeling this will take a while. Why can't my job be professional travel person?
Tomorrow I'm off to Little Rock. I'm overly excited about seeing my family AND tailgating on Saturday at War Memorial. Maybe I'm biased but I'm pretty sure my brother and Kirk Gober put on the best tailgate in Little Rock. All are welcome! I'll be in space O by hole 13. They've got a whole shrimp broil thing going on--along with televisions for people who don't have tickets. As random as it is for Scott and I, I think we're actually not going to go to the game but watch on the TV at the tailgate instead. We think it's more fun to do that at Little Rock games and it's sorta becoming mine and Scott's tradition. I'm way excited about it.

Kara's Stories. Why I Write Them.

2011-09-07T21:41:00.007-05:00

Have I got a story for you. This one ranks right up there with my brand new car exploding--for no reason--a few years ago.
So I'm at work on Saturday. I was majorly bummed to miss out on the very first Razorback home game....or just a game in general. However, for the love of my new job I put on my happy face--and my best Red and White gear--and headed to work. It was pretty slow--obviously. And around 3 the owner asks me to sit down and talk to her. (Background on the owner. She's not American and pronounces my name Karah.)
So she says "Karah, it's just not working. This is not the place for you. I fire someone else because I knew you had a job before and I thought you would be so wonderful but you not and now I have to beg her to come back and work for me since you were so disappointing. We going to New York soon and you cannot watch the store on your own and I have to protect my store. Retail is just not for you. I watch you and I'm like 'Oh My Gosh' I just feel so bad for you when I watch you."
So I said 'well okay I guess I'll just go on ahead and leave then' and she said 'No! Karah you still have so much to learn.'
Wait. What? You just fired me....
I have to say I wasn't surprised one little bit. I told Scott I thought that may happen because she's a touch flaky. I could hardly control my laughter the last few hours I was there. Who fires someone because they don't know how to run the store on their own after 5 days? That is why the word training exists. Why would you complain that I don't know how to open and close when, instead of my hours being from 10-6 {open to close}, they're from 11-5? And to top it all off--you fire me then insist I learn new things? All of that combined with the accent--priceless.

I honestly laugh every time I think about it. And don't even get me started on how hard my Dad laughed when I told him--in detail--what all she said to me. He couldn't believe his ears.
There are many similar stories as mine--I've come to find out--which makes me feel way less crunchy.
I'm not embarrassed at all because I know I didn't do anything wrong. I'm a very fast learner and I felt I was a great employee that was good at my job. It was her lack of patience combined with a little bit of cray cray (that I was warned about) that brought her to the conclusion that I needed to be let go. I am very bummed though. I really enjoyed the few days I worked there. I thought I finally found my nitch.
She concluded by saying she still wants me to blog and come to trunk shows to talk and socialize with the customers because she thinks that's something I am actually good at. Umm, no thank you. I'm dunzo. I don't mean to throw anyone under the bus but I'm not about to make myself look wrong--when I'm not. So I'm being politely honest.
I could indulge in more info on the whole deal and make this post way more funny but what's the point? I'm over it and don't even feel like talking about it anymore.
See. This is why I call it Kara's Stories. Because I manage to come up with a lot of them...