Monday, January 30, 2012
Fun Weekend--Finally!!
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.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Awards & BFF's
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Unconditional
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.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Our Three Year Anniversay Date
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!
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...
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Three Years
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!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Glasses
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!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Carefree
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!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Fajita Pie
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 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!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Releasing Tension.
---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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Today's Opinion
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.
Monday, January 16, 2012
All Work, No Play
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.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
If It Makes You Happy
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.
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.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Chinese Secrets
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.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Keep Calm & Write A Blog
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.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Same
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.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Exactly.
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.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Morning Dreams
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?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Wide. Awake
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!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
De-Cluttering
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!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year! Let's Do This 2012!
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.