Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Welcome To My Closet!

I'm going to start showing you all pictures of my new house! It's finally starting to come together so every time I get a room complete I'll share how I've decided to decorate it! I love seeing how people design their homes so hopefully everyone will enjoy this. I decided to kick off this little series by starting with the most important room in the house---the closet!!! I really like my closet. It's not huge but it's pretty spacious and there's a perfect spot for everything. I love organizing closets and if I could do that for a living I totally would. No matter how big or small your closet is, there's a way to make it look beautiful and neat. I always strive to make it look like a little boutique! My own little boutique that I enjoy going shopping in! Scott and I love these built-ins! We had some at our place in Memphis and they were so nice to have! We share the drawers, he gets four and I get four, even though I could totally use all of them for myself!! I guess he lets me have the rest of it so it's a pretty good compromise. The shelves are great to store all of my handbags and I love being able to see them instead of stowing them away somewhere and forgetting what I have. Plus, bags are pretty so they should be on display!This space is where I keep my jewelry, plus a pretty picture of my sweet little doodlebug! The small mirrored tray is a great spot to throw a bunch of my more commonly used bracelets. The bigger mirrored tray holds a clock so I can keep up with the time while I'm getting dressed. I also keep my wedding ring and two pairs of my favorite earings, my pearls from Scott and classic studs from Jaclyn, because I wear these earings the most and it's easier to grab them this way rather than dig through my big jewelry box. I also keep my perfume here or I'll forget to put it on and a small little vase with fresh flowers because....well why not?!On the left side of the built-ins is where I keep all of my necklaces. I like them hanging neatly so they won't get tangled together in a big mess. Of course my favorite spot in the entire closet is my shoe shelves!!!! When we bought the house this was an empty wall and I decided a tall shoe shelf would fit perfectly there. I had them build the shelves at different heights for flats, heels, and boots to maxamize the space. There wasn't space for a few pairs of my boots but other than that all of our shoes managed to fit! Even Scott gets a few shelves. Haha!
This is what you see when you first step into the closet off of the bathroom. The baskets hold my hats, scarves, belts and other accessories.My side.Don't worry, Scott has a spot for his clothes too! His side has a full length mirror built in--so nice!And finally, this is where I keep all of my dresses! Organized casual to dressy....obviously.

So there's my closet! We love it. Scott and I can both be in here getting dressed and we aren't in each others way. It's not a million dollar closet but it's the best closet I've ever had before and I absolutely love it!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Lounge

I took off from life today and lounged by the pool. It was great but SO hot. I stayed in the water the entire time. No complaining of course. I know how lucky I am that I can simply be a housewife. But being a housewife actually does require work and it isn't fun ALL the time and sometimes I need a break too---ESPECIALLY with the new puppies. I know it can't compare but I'm getting a taste of what babies must be like. I was talking to Mom today and told her I used to feel like my life was so cool. Now all I do is pick up poop and pee, NOT enjoy my morning shows & cappuccino in peace, break-up sibling fights and keep my eye out for bad chewing. It's exhausting! Mommy needs a break. I had baby fever pretty bad in January....not anymore!! I blame Ivy and Madison.


These two little nuggets really are doing so good though! We're this close to being perfect with potty training! I can't teach them to lay for the life of me....or come...but we're trying SUPER hard. They officially know what the word treat means! The important things in life....
I have nothing else for today but I plan on fun posts for the rest of the week!

Until then...

Sunday, June 24, 2012

1956 = 56 years

My Sunday was extra lazy. Scott hasn't been feeling well all weekend so we skipped out on church. I suppose I could have gone on my own without him.....but I didn't. Instead I laid around the house, searched for homes in LR (not for me) watched movies and enjoyed a basically not productive day. I still managed to get dressed (not the norm on a lazy day) and sport one of my favorite necklaces. I got it in Shanghai and I L-O-V-E! Not just because it's colorful, fun, and unique but because I got it in China!


Oh and happy birthday to my Father-In-Law, Randy! He turned 56 today!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

OmaHogs

Grace has stayed with us all week and I've enjoyed her so much! People have asked if it's hard having three around and it really isn't. I haven't even noticed a difference. I guess it's like they say with babies, it's harder to go from 1-2 than from 2-3. All of the girls have been doing really great with potty training which obviously makes it easier. They all get along so well. I wonder if they'll be sad when Grace has to go back home tomorrow? I'm going to Little Rock next weekend so they all get to be re-united together again so that will be good!
Miss Teen Arkansas is next weekend and they've asked me to come and do a small little something. It will be a whopping 10 years since I won MTA which makes me feel so OLD. I went to the pageant last year and was the oldest former there and I felt so crunchy the final night when I had to go onstage and introduce myself. I was like "I'm Kara Luttrell Johnson MTA 2002" and all the others were like "so and so MTA 2009....2010....2011." I told Mom from now on they can just announce I'm there for me and I'll give a small little wave from my seat. Hey at least I'm in the 2000's and not the ancient times of the 1900's. I'm pretty sure Northwest Arkansas greatest cleaning ladies came to my house today. We're having some touch-ups done this week....things that may have been overlooked when they built it and one of the guys said his wife cleans houses and does a really great job at it. So I told him to send her on over! She and her sister (or maybe SIL) came and stayed for 4 hours and I've never seen anyone do a better job. They climbed on a ladder and cleaned my fans, they made my windows shine, they got inside the oven, pulled back the furniture and cleaned underneath it. I'm in heaven! I'm going to have them come every Thursday because they're super reasonably priced and can do a much better job than I ever could. They are wanting some more homes to clean so if you live up here and want their number just shoot me a message. They even folded my toilet paper all pretty. Die.

Time for the Razorback game. I'm excited for our baseball team! Woo Pig and Go Hogs!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Picture Sharing

I have a lot of good photos on my phone that have been taken over the last few months I haven't shared with you all. So instead of a lot of mindless chatter, how about a few pictures instead.

All dressed up and ready for a fun night.
Ivy and Madison who went to the doctor on Friday and weigh in at 2.6 and 2.9 pounds right now.
Pops with the girls. They look so much bigger now than they did just a few weeks ago!
My Mom shared this photo with me just this week. It's the very last picture she has of Holly on her phone. This was taken almost exactly 24 hours before we lost her. My heart was filled with so much hope here.
Okay I was totally fine then 4 sentences later and I'm officially a mess. I miss my precious doodlebug more than you could possibly imagine. I can't wait to see that sweet baby again. I will never let her leave my arms for the entire eternity that I will be in Heaven!!!
Me and my bestie.
Landon and Grace.Beautiful Hydrangeas that I've grown and am currently enjoying in my house.
First wedding of the summer!
Sweetest (and cutest) little 7 year old I know!
Three little puppies who wish I'd finish blogging....and not lock out of the office while I'm doing it.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day Dad! I'm so blessed to be your daughter and I'm grateful that you aren't just a father but one of my best friends as well. I love you!!



Friday, June 15, 2012

Grace

I've got a full house this weekend.


We have a visitor! Grace Luttrell. I guess I forgot to mention my parents got a new puppy one week ago today. She's 8 days older than my girls and the sweetest little thing. Ivy and Madison should take notes....Grace is much calmer and more well mannered. She's abnormally calm, like Hol. So jealous....
My girls LOVE playing with Grace and were so excited to see her today. They met her last weekend and they all had the best time playing together.
Grace has beautiful hair! The color and thickness is so pretty!! The best word to describe Grace is gentle. She's a lovely little lady!


I'm exhausted! These 3 puppies have worn me flat out. Night folks! Enjoy your weekend!!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

89 Seconds Worth Your Time

Today's post consists of 3 videos featuring my adorable nephew. Landon LOVES Michael Jackson so Mom convinced him to send me a video singing some MJ tunes. Plus a little Ke$ha as well. I hope it brings as big of a smile to your face as it does mine!!



Beat It



Tik Tok

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Beds, Cappuccinos & Training

Well folks, it finally happened. After 13 weeks my bed finally arrived!


Of course I don't have bedding for it yet but this is the little item that's caused me stress and lots of trouble. She sure is pretty though! I'm ready to get it all fixed up with a cozy spread and lots of pillows!!! I also think I'm going to see if I can get new feet for it. I ordered it just by seeing a picture of the headboard and I didn't realize how low it would be. It needs to be raised a good 6 inches so hopefully we can get that figured out.


Something else I got yesterday was a little mini Keurig! I love it!! I found some French Vanilla Cappuccino K-Cups and it tastes exactly like the yummy gas station cappuccinos that I love so much. I love being able to pop out of bed in the morning and drink a cappuccino while I watch my morning shows! Morning's will forever be so much better now.

I had a trainer come to my house today to work with Ivy and Madison. I feel like I'm a pretty good trainer myself but I thought I'd get a professional's advice. The first few minutes he was here was hilarious. He put a leash on Madison and she was utterly confused. She laid on her belly with all four feet spread out and he just dragged her round and round. I held Ivy while he was trying to work with Madison and Ivy cried and cried like "stop hurting my sister!!!" It was so funny.
Madison and the leash was a major bust so he gave up after 5 minutes and tried Ivy. She did pretty good actually! After that he showed me what I should do when I catch them doing something I don't want them doing and gave me a lot of helpful advice. He's going to come back on Monday. I think after Monday's lesson we will probably have enough training. Since they're so small and young the training is really more helpful for me than them. I just want the girls to be polite and well mannered and I know I need to start now.
The girls are terrified of him though! He clearly has a very strong nature about him. The last 5 minutes he was here Madison hid from him in the kitchen and when I came back home after running some errands Ivy peeked around the stairs to make sure the scary man wasn't there!! I have no idea why they're so scared of him. He didn't do anything mean. Something's not right though because ever since he left the girls have just slept and they normally play all day. I called him to ask him why they would be acting like this but he didn't answer and hasn't called me back yet. Poor girls! They are traumatized!!!!


I really liked the trainer. He came highly recommended and has even been featured in Dog World Magazine. He's been doing this for nearly 30 years and claims he can do more in 1 hour than most people can do in 5 weeks. I guess so! He turned my playful girls into tranquil puppies with the snap of his fingers! Haha! I hope they're okay. I'm seriously a little concerned.....

Monday, June 11, 2012

Wine Dining

Hello All! I'm home in NWA. I know I'd mentioned that I was going to stay in Little Rock for 10 days but I decided to come home. The girls did great at Pop's and Gamma's house and about 95% of the time went potty on the paper. But I became that Mom who was worried about our routine getting messed up so I came back home. How redic is that? I guess we know what kind of (human) Mother I'm going to be. The annoying, why don't you take a chill pill, kind. Well....you just work so hard to train them to be a certain way. You don't want to loose it! I'm going to go back on Friday so I can see my little buddy.
The girls did great at Pops and Gamma's house. They seem to be the type of dogs who will adjust well to any environment. We put them in their kennel on the drive to LR and they didn't make a peep. Same story on the way back. Mom had lots of toys and new cozy beds for them and they were just as happy as could be. Madison did poo in the living room and my Dad stepped in it in a major way. It was hilarious. It will be a long time before I forget that story.
We went to the Presquile dinner on Friday night and it was fantastic. I'm so disappointed in myself because I didn't take 1 picture. And we were all dressed up so nice too. The food was fab and the wine was flowing. We had an amazing time.
On Saturday we went to the lake. I didn't take pictures of that either!! It was an odd lake day because Landon was the only one who got in the water. It's still too cold so we only stayed at DeGray for about 4 hours. Landon rode on the tube for about 3 1/2 of those hours. He loves the lake!!
I've spent my Monday doing nothing too exciting. House stuff--like usual. I'm beginning to feel like it will take 1 year for my house to get complete. I just can't find anything I'm in love with!
The girls love playing with toys. Especially Madison. Squeak a toy from 1 mile away and eventually you'll see her running towards it. She's the definition of a playful puppy. Gamma got them this toy and they LOVE it. It's a butterfly and it has a paper-like sound in the wings. I wish I had found this toy for Holly because she loved the rattling sound of paper. Grandma Jodie got them this flamingo and left it on the back porch for us this weekend and the girls love it too! Toys and treats are the key to their hearts.Update:
Madison is about the same. Her ears are always back. Ha! She loves toys. More than any dog I've seen. She's great at Sit, Stay, and Up. She can stand on her back feet longer than Ivy can. Madison barks to get your attention. I've read books where giving your dog only dry food doesn't give them adequate nutrition and you should give them apples, cucumbers, and bananas as well. So I've been giving the girls bananas and they love them. Today I was getting a banana ready for the girls to eat for breakfast and I guess Madison thought I was taking too long to prepare it. While she was sitting so perfectly she barked at me 3 times like "hurry up!!!!!!" It made me laugh so hard but also made me think "OMG, I've got my work cut out with this one."I would say Ivy is 100% potty trained now! She's so tiny. Her bones feel smaller than Madison's. Even though they're twins, Ivy will be a little smaller. She's always the first one pushing her head through the door when I let them out of the laundry room. She just can't wait to see me!! Ivy is really good about letting me brush her. I'm trying to teach the girls that brushing is a daily ritual they will have to get used to. Ivy loves treats. Loves.
The girls are really good about getting locked into the laundry room. They never cry when I make them go in there. That's one of the things they do that makes me happy.
Madison and Ivy are nowhere near as calm as Holly and I'm not going to try and tell myself their behavior is a puppy thing. They aren't hyper but I won't accept anything but extremely calm. If they do something I don't like I'm nipping it in the butt. I'm sure they think I'm so mean right now. It's hard constantly saying NO to them! Even when it's something that's probably not a big deal and they will most likely grow out of. But I can't bet on that. I'm used to a perfect puppy and I will do all I can to get another one....or two.
I do really like these two though. They make me smile. I still haven't told them I love them yet. Is that mean? Does that make me a bad Momma? I don't just throw that word around. My heart belongs to a certain doodlebug--who I lost 2 months ago today actually. I long for her and ask if I could be that miracle case where she magically comes back. Does that make me look cray cray? Because I really do ask for that.
But you know, these 2 pound puppies are working their way in. Crazy behavior and all.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Crates & Stairs

Scott and I are on our way to Little Rock right now. We have the girls in a crate in the back of the car and they haven't made a peep! As I write that I'm shaking my head. I have always claimed that crates are abusive to dogs! Holly would have found abusive and freaked out because we never put her in one so I guess that's why I felt that way. The girls never get in a crate either but since I have the one they got flown in I'd like them to be comfortable in it just in case they ever need to be in one. I'd actually prefer they always ride in it for road trips. It always worried me that I'd get in a wreck with Hol and she'd get hit by the airbag.
I'd also like to think we may could fly with the girls somewhere one day and they would have to be in a crate for that. They could board with me since they're so small but the airlines won't let you take them out and hold them. I guess if you start early they'll never know the difference. I'm learning from things I did/didn't with Holly and I think having them be comfortable in the crate makes my life a little easier. And that, my friends, is my beyond exciting crate thoughts.



The girls got a new toy today! I've been buying them mini sized toys since they're hamsters. But I saw this today and thought they might really like it because they always play with toys together. Lady Caterpillar (I always name the toys) was a huge success! They walked around with it like this all day! It was a team effort but they managed!



Another thing I did with Madison & Ivy is wear them out so they'd sleep on the drive to Little Rock. I made them run up the stairs a lot. They LOVE to run up but they cannot get down. Its so funny! We'll get it figured out one of these days!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Wednesday Wrap-Up



One of these days I'm going to take pictures of my house and show you all! Not for many months though probably. It's nowhere near finished. But here's a little sneak peek of the kitchen and the little puppies who live here who will nap anywhere. No bed necessary--except for nighttime. #SoNotHolly

I've definitely enjoyed an extremely relaxing 2 days. I've hung by the pool and that's about it. Unfortunately I've got a long list of things I need to accomplish tomorrow because I'm leaving for Little Rock and will be there about 10 days. Mr. Landon is coming home for the summer so I'm going to spend some time with my best little bud. Scott and I along with my Mom, Dad, Uncle Rex and Marge Anna are going to a Presquile dinner on Friday night that I'm very much looking forward to. I see lots of wine and delicious fancy food in my future!

Saturday will be the first time I get to indulge in the lake and I'm definitely excited about that. Except I need to lose 5 (but really 7) pounds. I'm going to start working on that hard core next week. Nothing but fruit, vegetables, chicken and fish for the rest of June. Not really much different than how I eat now except no splurge, weekend cheat meals. That's what gets me. What is it about Saturday that says "I should eat On The Border?" Gah! Seriously yall, OTB is like, my fav. I have a problem.

The girls are doing much better. Way better than Monday. Monday was an off day. We're back to being good girls again. One of the girls, who shall remain nameless, had an accident today but other than that we did perfect! So 99% potty trained today. Yay! It's definitely getting easier. A week ago I thought I may lose my mind. We're in a routine now, getting settled in and good about our potty habits. I used to feel like I couldn't take my eyes off them but now I feel comfortable letting them be while I water the flowers, get dressed, etc.

Scott and I grill nearly every night and the girls used to not care about being outdoorsy but now they love it. Unfortunately the sprinklers caught them this evening!Whoops! They didn't really seem to care. I think they found it almost intriguing. Maybe they'll be water pups?
Of course they had to get a bath after. Unfortunately they live with a Momma who takes 2-3 baths/showers a day. I'm a clean freak. A lot of people say washing dogs a lot dries out their skin but Holly never had a problem with me bathing her 2-3 times a week so hopefully these girls won't either. I like smell good puppies. I can't help myself. I've had them 2 weeks and have already bathed them 4 times. Sorry girls! You'll get used to it.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Case of the Mondays

Hello all! Hope your week has started out okay.
My day started with a phone call from my Mom. She was crying so hard I could hardly understand what she was saying. I picked up on the word Holly and went with it from there. She said she was up all night crying over her. I wish I had known because so was I. Some days are just really, really difficult. My Aunt Media had a solid black Shih Tzu, Snookie, that she lost a few years ago and had just as long as we had Hol. Mom talked to her yesterday and she said she cries almost every day over her. Hearing that made me sad. I think I'll be the same way. You can be blessed to have a lot of great dogs in your life but I don't think you get it until you have 'THE" one.


This photo was taken Christmas Day probably somewhere between 97-99.

I've mostly stayed home today. For the first time in a while I didn't have anything to do. So I hung with my girls.
They really are very calm for pups but they were exceptionally calm today. Like, Holly calm. It almost worried me that something was wrong. Maybe they're finally getting settled in? Maybe it's because I was home with them all day? Or maybe the rumor really is true that Shorkies are the calmest dogs ever? Who knows.
I've found so many dead bugs in my house lately and, of course, my over-paranoid self is worried they ate one and are now infected with diseases and it's making them sick. We had a bug spray guy come a few weeks ago but I bet I pick up 6 dead bugs a day and I'm close to making a "what's the deal?" phone call.
Speaking of what's the deal, we've totally gone backwards in potty training today. All weekend I would have said they were 80% potty trained but today I would say 20%. What's that about? I'm so confused. I was so proud of them. Today has been odd. Too calm--no potty training abilities. Weird. And normally Ivy is so excited to perform tricks for treats but shes totally not into it today.
Maybe they don't like Mondays?

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Glorified

Per usual, Scott and I went to church today. My favorite pastor, Mickey Rapier, spoke. At the end of the service he quoted a poem that brought me to tears. I went up to him after the service (crying) and gave him a hug and told him that the poem moved me so much and could he please tell me who it was by--John Piper, he said. I wanted to share it with you all today. You can click here if you would like to listen. He speaks a little before and after the poem but the actual poem is only about 2 minutes. I promise it's worth listening to! You will probably understand why it moved me so much. It's one of the most beautiful poems I've ever heard! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Friday, June 1, 2012

What The June?

How is it June? My world has clearly stopped because I keep writing April on documents. Time has never sped by so quickly for me.
I had zero to do today so I decided to hang in bed until 10:30 watching my favorite morning shows. I eventually started to feel exceptionally lazy so I popped out of bed and cleaned my house.
All week long I've been wanting to lay by the pool which is exactly what I did after I finished cleaning. I almost needed to cover up with my towel as it was unseasonably cold. I lasted a good hour and totally wasted the SPF 50 I slapped on since it was cloudy for about 54 minutes of that hour.
My father-in-law came over for dinner then we all watched What Would You Do. Who else loves that show? We watch it every Friday night. Did I totally just call myself out on being a major loser?
I'm currently watching The Holiday right now. Its one of my favorite movies. Actually, it's the first movie Scott & I went to see together. Aww.
Umm, that's as good as this one gets. Hoping for a fun weekend with my sweet husband. We have nothing planned. I'm excited already.