Thursday, March 29, 2012
This Thursday
Scott and I have 3 showers to attend on Saturday. One engagement, one bridal, one baby. It's going to be an eventful Saturday.
Dr. Brown called today to check in on Holly and me. Ha! She loves my few small meals a day idea and thinks it's a really smart thing to do. I think it's so nice she calls to check in. I know I say that all the time but I really appreciate it about her. Something else I did today was get two new pairs of running shoes. I go through them too fast so I went ahead and just got two. It's kinda cool getting a shoe to fit my exact running style but also kinda annoying. The shoes they give me to choose from are never what I would pick based off looks. I guess it doesn't matter. Whatever makes me a better runner is the important thing and it makes a world of difference when you have the right shoe. I didn't run today so I'm excited to try them out in the morning.
And that, my friends, is all for today.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Holly Update
Hey all! Today was definitely a better day than yesterday. Holly has mostly slept but she seems to be feeling much better. I know she was so happy that her Momma came up to see her. That alone but some pep in her step.
Holly hasn't eaten much lately and I've been working really hard on changing that. When she went to the vet she went from 7.5 from the last visit to 7.2 pounds. That's a lot for someone that size!! I would love to fatten Holly up to about 7.7. I don't think her little tummy can handle big meals anymore and she has now gotten to where she will absolutely not eat 1 bite of dog food. Mom and I have devised a plan to try to get Holly to eat 5 small meals a day. Whatever she will eat is basically fine with us. I'm trying to make it as healthy as possible but at this point I'd rather it be something than nothing. I've seen dogs get old and turn into skin and bones and I refuse to let Holly get that way. If my soul mission in life is to find something that Holly will eat than so be it. Dr. Brown tried to feed her something yesterday. Holly sniffed it for a while then turned her face away to it. That's what she does about 80% of the time now. However, Dr. Brown said it was good that Holly was sniffing it. It means she's interested in eating, we just have to find what smells good to her. This week she'll eat chicken salad and poppy seed chicken casserole. Oh and Beggin Strips--Beggin Strips always work. But I'd rather not feed her those. Baby food works off and on but only if I hold her like a baby and spoon feed it to her. That's a true story--I'm not even kidding.
Soon she'll get tired of this week's meal plan and I'll have to discover something else. For a while it was an Arby's roast beef and then it was a McDonalds burger no cheese (I was a little surprised she prefered no cheese). I literally drove there every day to order Holly a meal!! Oh the things I'll do for that girl. I researched online and discovered a dog Holly's size should have about 110 calories a day. Now I get to count my calories and Hollys!
So that's what life is like for me these days. I don't mind it and I'm grateful that I don't have to work and can devote my life to Holly. My life literally centers around her and that's just fine with me. I'm happy to take care of my sweet baby, make her life easy, enjoyable, and happy and treat her like the princess that she is! I love my sweet girl. But you probably know that by now right?
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuff Day
When we got there, Holly was still just limp. She normally shakes when we get to the vet but today she was just.....there. Dr Brown came in right away and checked Holly up and down and everything seemed normal. Or, Holly normal. Hol finally started coming around a little bit. Dr. Brown said it's just her age. Throwing up can really take a toll on your body, especially when you're old, and that's probably why she collapsed.
I wiped away my big crocodile tears and gratefully climbed back into my car with my little doodlebug in tow. I really thought today was it. I thought I was going to have to put Holly down which I do not want to do. I pray all the time for the Lord to please take her in her sleep. I cannot handle doing that to my baby. Holly and I snuggled together for 2 hours when we got home but she would not go to sleep. She looked like she just felt awful. I ended up putting her in her bed and she finally dozed off. She woke up a few hours later and after just a few minutes of being awake her Momma walked in the door!
I know the day when I have to say goodbye is sooner rather than later and I dread it. Oh man do I dread it. I will be the saddest person on the planet that day. Holly is so, so, so sweet. She is the most precious perfect puppy. Holly will always be my favorite. I will never know a love like I have for her. Holly is so special and one of a kind. She is my everything.
My Dad said something today and he is so right. Holly is living on love. She is. She's living on our love. Holly is so, so loved and I love that she knows that.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Kara's Stories For Today
Today 10 birds pooped on my car all at the same time. Yes, 10. I had 10 spots of bird doo all over the windshield of my car. I've never seen such a thing. I knew they synchronized in their flying--I had no idea they could in other aspects of their life also. I immediately headed straight to the car wash.
Car washes sometimes scare me. I'm always worried I won't put my tire in the special little spot then get stuck.
Titanic is coming back to theaters. I saw it when it was originally in theaters 5 times. I could quote the entire thing. Love that movie.
I have never been on a cruise and have zero desire to change that.
My husband and I are in desperate need of a vacation. Furniture > Vacation or Furniture < Vacation. It's a tough one.
That's one of the few things I remember about math. I've never tried to pretend to be intelligent in that subject.
I can name all of the Presidents though. Can you?
Oh and also the books of the Bible.
Speaking of church, we have a new worship leader at Fellowship NWA. He looks like he could be Bradley Coopers twin brother. I just thought you should know that.
Something else you should know: Jessica Simpson is still pregnant.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Motherhood
We basically did furniture shopping all weekend. We've still got a few key pieces that we kind of need right away like a coffee table and a dresser for our bedroom. It's almost getting to be not fun anymore. I feel like all I do is hunt for furniture and apparently these two pieces are very hard to come by. If you're looking for a square, glass coffee table you can just forget it. Thankfully I've got a girl at Lighting Emporium helping me with these pieces. I've relinquished the hunting to her. I'm over it. She knows what all of my furniture looks like and the look I'm going for--she's the professional--I'll just let her take over.
Other than furniture shopping we had a pretty relaxing weekend. Until about 4:30 this morning when poor Holly got sick. I (like always thanks to my insomnia) woke up around 4:00. I heard Holly stirring around 3o minutes later which is pretty normal. She usually wakes up to go potty around then but hops back in her bed. She seemed to be making some racket so I got up only to see her swirlin round and round in circles--with the runs. Then she started throwing up. It took me 45 minutes to take care of her + the mess.
Scott was of zero help. Our house could get swept away in the middle of the night by a tornado just like Dorothy Gale from Kansas and he'd never even notice. He woke up for two seconds when I flipped on all of the lights to ask what was going on and if Holly was okay then passed back out. I've got my work cut out for me when we have the (human) babies.
After I cleaned up the runs + the vomit, gave Holly a bath, then cleaned myself off--we both decided she just needed to sleep in my bed and get some good rest. She snuggled right next to me, laid her head on my pillow and we spooned the rest of the night. Even though the new rule is no more sleeping in my bed, the sickness allowed for an exception. And Holly was ever so grateful for it. She needed a snuggle partner.
Holly finally started to feel better around 7:00 tonight. Bless her heart. I feel so bad. She slept all day long and acted like she felt yuck all day. But I knew she was okay when she began begging for treats and gave her Busy Bone a good 20 minute chewing. Now she's a clean-smell good puppy, her beds are washed, and all is good in the household now.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
This Bed Fits Just Right
Scott took off from work tomorrow so my weekend starts tonight. I'm pretty excited about it.
Until tomorrow....
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
French Vanilla Cappuccino
Something that I've been on the hunt for, for a long time, is a cappuccino machine. It's been difficult since I'm looking for a very specific cappuccino machine. You see, I don't like the taste of coffee. Even the sweetest drink at Starbucks isn't good to me because I can taste the espresso shots. I don't even like ice cream that tastes like coffee. However, I LOVE the "fake cappuccinos" as Scott calls them. The yummy little drink that you can find in the gas station instant cappuccino machines. Y-U-M. I have one for breakfast nearly every day but it's annoying having to drive to the gas station in the morning and get it. I would love nothing more than to have a machine make my fake cappuccinos for me in the morning and pour it into a cute little coffee cup. I've searched online for forever but the only thing I can find is a HUGE machine that would not look appropriate in a home.
All that fake cappuccinos are is a powder mixed with water. But simply boiling water and mixing it with the powder doesn't taste as good as the ones from the machines. After searching everywhere, I think I found a machine that might work that is for cappuccinos, lattes, or cocoa. I bought my French Vanilla Cappuccino Mix today and tomorrow I'm going to purchase the new machine. I hope so bad that it works!! I love my French Vanilla Cappuccino. It's yummy, warm, filling, takes a long time to drink and is super low cal. Duh. That's a requirement. Being able to make it at home will totally complete my mornings. I'll let ya'll know how it goes! Fingers crossed!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
My {LONG} Weekend In Little Rock
I've been in Little Rock since Thursday. I got home yesterday evening. I spent some time with my cute little nephew who was visiting from Tampa.
I usually get to spend a lot more time with him than I did this visit but Scott and I had a lot going on with the house so I wasn't able to get down to Little Rock sooner. Landon will be here for basically the whole summer so we'll get to hang out a lot then. We spent most of our time playing with these little guys.Say hello to Winston and Abby! I introduced you all to Abby last week but now I want you to meet Winston! Abby is a mess. She's 4 months old and all puppy. She's super playful and loving and hyper!! Sometimes she's calm--mostly she's spirited. Abby has definitely settled into her new home extremely well! I think she's going to be really smart too. She's already learned her name and how to sit after one week.
Winston is 2 years old and I feel sorry for the little guy. Animal Control rescued him from a home when someone reported that he was being abused. He's super calm, potty trained, and very chill but he's terrified, traumatized, and very reclusive. He's already come around a little bit since he arrived at his new home on Thursday. Abby pounces all over him and he doesn't seem to mind. The doctor said that was good that he's interacting with another dog. He goes up to Kyle with a slightly wagging tail when he gets home so that's good too. It will just take a while for him to learn trust and that he's in a safe and loving home now. He reminds me of Holly. You'd never know he was in the room and I think he, like Holly, was born with a calm spirit. I just hope Winston gets out of his shell soon. Bless his little heart. There's a special place for people who abuse animals. I just can't stand to think what happened to him. He's going to have a really great life now--I hope he realizes that sooner rather than later!!
We're excited to take these little kiddos on the boat with us this summer. Abby will no doubt love it. Winston--who knows! Holly doesn't love the boat. She likes the wind blowing in her hair and she likes not being left behind but I think after an hour she's over it. I can see Winston being the same way.
While I was in Little Rock Mom and I went furniture shopping for my new house. I'm happy to report I found some stuff!! We went all over the place but everything I got was from Ethan Allen. I actually found a desk for the office from there that I liked better than the one I found at Pottery Barn so I went on ahead and purchased that. Here's a picture of it!
I'll show you the other stuff I got later on this week.
I had a great time in Little Rock. I wish Scott could have come but he had to work. Holly enjoyed being at her home away from home! It would be her dream if Mom, Dad, Scott and I all lived together. She's so happy when she gets to be around all of us. I always love being able to spend time with my Mom and Dad so this (extra-long) weekend was a great one!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Guest Bathroom
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Shake It Off
Speaking of dogs, we've started a new rule in our house. Holly is no longer allowed to sleep with me. I love my snuggle bug but she has a way of managing to take up the entire bed leaving me hanging off the edge and unable to get much sleep. I was so worried about hurting her feelings. She LOVES to sleep with us. We started the new rule last Sunday. Like always she woke up from her bed around 2 and scratched on my bed for me to let her up. I just looked at her and said "No Holly. No No." She looked extremely confused and walked away. Then came back an hour later so we had to repeat the whole bit. The next night she only asked once and has all week. Finally last night she didn't ask at all. She loves her bed so much and finds it super comfy so hopefully she doesn't mind the change. If she asks to get in bed in the morning I'll let her. I just can't handle it all night long. It's time I start doing stuff for myself--I'm important too!!
I started reading The Hunger Games today. My friends have raved about it so I'm hopping on board. I'm only 3 chapters in but so far it's really good. I want to make sure I finish it before the movie comes out. I don't think that'll be a problem. There's nothing like a good read and I'm sure I'll read the other 2 so that will be something I'm looking forward to this summer!
Scott just texted me to let me know he's on his way home. I've been sick for 6 days now--just can't seem to shake this cold--which means I haven't kissed my husband for 6 days. Isn't that sad? I don't want him to get sick and he doesn't want to get sick either! I've never had such a hard time getting rid of a stupid cold. I've used up two whole toilet paper rolls just to blow my nose. Ugh. Go away!!!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Flower Fever Hits
Saturday night Scott and I did go to Jaclyn and Brad's house for dinner. It was nice getting to hang with our favorite couple. I feel like the four of us haven't gotten together in such a long time!! I always enjoy going to their house for dinner because those two are like, super yummy chef's. Brad's never afraid to tackle a difficult dish. He cooked a whole chicken!!! Anytime I need a whole chicken I just buy the rotisserie-already cooked-one from Walmart. Haha!
Little Miss Priss is doing good! I believe we're starting to see a little bit of dementia/Alzheimer's. Holly's doctor called me today and we talked about it and she said Holly probably is going to get that. I mean, hello, she's 15. I started noticing it last week. Little things like standing at the hinges of the door when she wants to go outside, staring off into space, and running excitedly to the front door instead of the garage door when I ask her if she wants to go bye bye. I had scheduled a little exam for tomorrow (of course) but Dr. Brown didn't think it was necessary--which is why she called me. She calls about twice a month to check up on Hol and I just adore that. I'm sure she's never seen a patient as often as she sees us!! She knows I watch Holly like a hawk and if I notice even the tinest bit of change with her that I'll panic and make an appointment and that 90% of the time it's always okay. I can't help it! I obsess.
While out and about today I noticed one of those billboards that changes ads every few seconds. One add was for IO Metro and said 'Today Only for Walmart or Walmart Vendor workers--20% off your entire purchase.' Oh how neat. That would have been lovely to know on Friday when I basically bought the entire store.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Monochromatic Living Room
We're currently on the hunt for a square glass coffee table. Preferably one that has a bottom shelf. It's proved to be a challenge! I feel like I've searched everywhere and I haven't found anything.
We found a really cool rug at Lighting Emporium. It's all neutral but has a small hint of pale blue to help give the room some color. I also have a beautiful canvas that I bought in China that is hand painted, super textured and done in a lot of different colorful pales to make it all blend perfectly together. I knew when I went to China that I wanted to do the grays/whites so I bought the painting with my future living room in mind!
To complete the room we're going to do a white/creamy almost velvety like curtain just like the inspiration photo. Again, it may be a few months before we do curtains but I'm glad I already found the fabric that I want to have them made in because that can sometimes be tough to find.
Here's the living room that all of that monochromatic goodness will be placed in! It's not the best photo but you get the idea. This was such a big decorating decision and I made it official today! Time to celebrate! Enjoy your weekend.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Break Time
I'm so excited that tomorrow is Friday. It's felt like a short week since Scott didn't work on Monday and Tuesday. Bless his heart he still doesn't feel recovered from his relay after taking 6 days off. We talked about possibly taking a vacation around our birthdays--the end of May. I think Scott needs to lay on a beach with a frozen, fruity drink and think about nothing except how pretty the view from the beach chair is! Hopefully we can work that out. I could use a little vacay myself.
It's only 8:30 but I'm going to get ready for bed! It's amazing how much a sore throat can zap you. I'm in the mood to get in bed early and watch a movie with my two favs snuggled up with me. It sounds like perfection right now! I love this picture of Hol. Look how she's sitting! Hehe. Silly girl.
See you back here tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Office.
We haven't found the chairs yet and we're not quite sure how we want them to look--pattern or solid. I guess we'll know when we see them.
I also want to drape the windows with a beautiful curtain. I love these photos and will possibly copy if I can find the drapes they used!
I love the orange in this photo but I don't know if I could do orange. I love the big stripes on these curtains though. I think they're super cute and would be perfect in an office. There is something so elegant about the curtains in the first photo too. Decisions, decisions!! Drapes are last on the to-do list though. My windows will probably look bare for quite a while.
So that's my office inspiration. It's been so fun searching for ideas and I'm excited to pull the office together. I think this room will be a lot of fun!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Pinning
Hey guys! How's your week going so far? Mine has been so nice. Scott hasn't worked since last Wednesday. He's going back to work tomorrow and we're both a little sad about it. I've really enjoyed his company and we've managed to get so much accomplished!!
We have a lot of furniture that we've put for sale on Craigs List. We sold a bunch of it yesterday within minutes of listing it (that usually means you listed for too cheap--dang it) and we met with 3 different people today at our storage unit so they could pick it up. We still have so much left to sell. Good stuff too. If we can't sell it on Craigs List I may do a little post on here for NWA residents looking for furniture in immaculate condition for a super cheap price. 99% of it is from Lighting Emporium so it's definitely good stuff and not very old at all. Five years max.
The furniture is a little more traditional and Scott and I are going for a more 'contemporary traditional' look for our new house. I've been pinteresting for 6 months now and saving tons of pictures for inspiration. It's been fun and I'm kind of glad it took us so long to find a house so I could totally nail down exactly what style I want to dress my home in. I think I'm going to do a new thing every week where I show you guys my inspiration boards + the furniture I found/am buying so you can see how I'm going to decorate the new pad! That sounds like fun right? I'm always trying to find something interesting to talk about so that'll keep me--and hopefully you all--entertained for the next 6 weeks or so! I'll get started on that tomorrow.
I don't know why but every night the past few days I have had zero appetite for dinner. It's not because I ate a huge lunch or a big breakfast so I don't know why I feel that way. I go through phases sometimes where I'm never hungry. It's like I could not eat for a week and never feel starved. It's so strange. I'm blessed with a very easy going husband. This is what I "cooked" for dinner tonight and Scott couldn't care less. I could make us a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (although I've never in my life had one) every day, for every meal, for a month and Scott wouldn't care. He loves good food but he's not high maintenance about it. Last night I wasn't hungry so he ate one of my lean cuisines. It's kind of nice. I don't have to feel like I have to cook us this elaborate meal every night. He'll just go with the flow. And by the way, our dinner tonight was delish especially since we paired it with a glass of white. Yum. Time to focus my attention to Super Tuesday!
Monday, March 5, 2012
902 Sloan Square
Prepare yourself to hear about lots of house talk for the next few weeks!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Kansas City Fun
Friday, March 2, 2012
Holly + KC
Since we have her little stroller it makes it extra easy. I can just zip it up and it isn't very see-through so people assume its a (human) baby. That makes it very nice and simple. I know it may seem so rediculous to some people that I bought a stroller for Holly but situations like this is exactly why I bought it. I could never leave her in the room alone. I would be worried sick that she would get kidnapped!!!
We just finished a yummy dinner at a restaurant I've always wanted to eat at in KC. Earlier this afternoon we popped in and asked the owner if we could eat there as long as we kept her zipped up inside. He didn't even think twice about it! He said he has 3 "babies" himself. Holly was a good little girl, didn't make a peep, and nobody even noticed there was a dog in the room!
We planned on staying just one night but packed for two nights just in case. I think we're going to head back tomorrow though. We basically did everything we wanted to do today. Like I said, we just wanted to get away for a little bit. I'm glad I have such a easy baby that I can carry around with me. Plus, KC is super dog friendly. Many of the stores we've gone in have given Holly a treat! She's completely wiped out though. She hasn't taken a nap all day--and she usually sleeps almost all day!!
Saving the fun news for another day! Sorry to be like that. I'm sure you're not sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for the announcement anyway! Have a great weekend y'all!