Sunshine & The Virgin Islands!

So long Farewell!

We're leaving at 1am in the morning to drive up to KC - our flight leaves at 6am!

WOW

I'm sorry I haven't been posting, but I promise to catch up and blog more consistently once I return!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, week, and another weekend - And I'll be back on the 24th!

Much love!

KBR

Sunshine & Sully!

Well after much debate, we finally decided on a name for the abandoned puppy we took in.

Sullivan - but Sully for short!

 After picking him up from the shop on Friday, I made a trip to Petsmart to get him a collar, bed, puppy food and some toys! He does great in the car and he let me hold him the entire time we were in Petsmart. He's such a good boy, AND he is really fitting in great at home. I had anticipated a little uneasiness from our other two dogs, but they seem to be accepting him just fine! We might even have a new "alpha" dog in the house...lol that little one whips them into shape and keeps them on their toes.

Wayne dropped him off at the vet today for an exam and initial round of puppy shots/flea treatment. Poor guy - I'll have to come up with a yummy treat when I pick him up since Vet appointments are tough!

: )

　

　

Here are a couple of cute pics I've taken of him. Sorry I don't have more to blog about today, just wanted to give a quick update. Nothing new over the weekend really.

Hope everyone has a great day!
KBR

Sunshine & Puppies

First I would like to start this post by saying, I am a SUCKER for abandoned animals... strays of any kind. Anyone who would flat out abandon an animal does not sit high in my book....and that's all I'll say about that.

SO....

I was sitting at work this morning when my husband calls. "Do you want a dog?" he asks.... Turns out someone dumped two pups on his co-worker last week. The co-worker brought them in to Wayne's shop to try and find them a home. Looks like the female found a home but the male might still be available.

And then, Wayne sent me the picture, and my little heart melted....

　

　

Half Yorkie, Half Shih tzu

The male is the all blonde one.

I am already in love with him... I know we shouldn't but I want to take him home with me! Wayne will find out around noon if he's ours!

 I'm going to give it a shot. If he doesn't get along with our two dogs, then I know without a doubt I can find him a good home. Isn't he adorable?!?

KBR

Sunshine & Flight Attendents

I know I've touched on sitcoms already, but I watched a new one last night that deserves a shout out and a spot on your DVR.

Pan AM

In Pan Am, the new prime-time American TV drama series, four azure-clad stewardesses stride confidently through an airport lounge en route to their plane. Their hips sway in motion, their blue handbags are clamped to their perfect hips, their white-gloved hands are angled just so. A little girl watches through a window with an awestruck gaze that guarantees a lifetime of body dysmorphia, while one of the stewardesses looks back as her with a kindly gesture. (description provided by The Independent)

Wayne and I were glued to the T.V.  : )

I'm really excited to see how they develop the charters/plot line. It's got a great start so far with lots of mini stories hidden within. It's earned 5 stars in our opinion. Can't wait until next Sunday!

KBR 

Sunshine & Sunglasses

So, we're getting closer to vacation time! Only 2 weeks left!

Since we're going to be surrounded by all that sunshine, we are definitely going to invest in a pair of sunglasses.

Wayne has a pair of Ray Bans picked out. They are a little on the expensive side, but they are suppose to last a long time, and he's a pro at taking care of  things. I on the other hand, am not.  The most I would spend would be 25 bucks, since I guarentee, they will be lost, stolen or broken within 2 weeks!

Searching online has turned up some pretty interesting sunglasses. In fact, they are quite hideious. I thought you might share my amusement. Enjoy!

Ugly Sunglasses # 1

These just look completely upside down to me! I'm sure someone likes them. I'm not one of them!

Ugly Sunglasses # 2

Yes.. I'm sorry but these will never be in style with the exception of Easter MAYBE...

Ugly Sunglasses #3

Really Adam? haha

Ugly Sunglasses # 4

Wayne is particularly repulsed by these "bug eyed" glasses. I agree these particular ones are a bit too large!

Ugly Sunglasses # 5

???????? I'm speechless on this one!

Ugly Sunglasses #6

How can she even see out of these?

Ugly Sunglasses #7

hahahahahahaha

Ugly Sunglasses # 8

Yes, these actually go over your head... wow

Ugly Sunglasses #9

The things people wear!

Ugly Sunglasses # 10

Peekaboo anyone!?

Ugly Sunglasses # 11

I guess he doesn't want to see the "whole" picture....

Ugly Sunglasses # 12

Fringe? Maybe. Wood? Sure! but LACE? It's like panty vision!

Hope you laughed as much as I did!

KBR



Sunshine & Rain

They say when it rains, it pours.

We all go through it - A bad day at work, a small problem that snowballs until it's out of control, or a collection of small setbacks and frustrations that build up until you just want to scream at someone.

We all have one of those days where nothing goes right.  

I think today has been the worst day I've had in an extremely long time.

I didn't write this to rant, but just to remind others (and myself) that we can't always have great days. It's the bad days that shape our character, test our patience and give us the opportunity to grow.

If a rain cloud happens to stall over your head, whip our your umbrella and know that every storm eventually blows over.

Hope you find a spot of sunshine after your storm passes.

KBR

Sunshine & Happy Weekends

I had a great time this weekend. I packed up my Yorkie and we headed for Eureka Springs. Met mom, dad and my big brother, Rocky 2 at a little chinese resturant for dinner. Afterwards, I was able to show dad his political blog and give him his business cards. He was really excited and loved everything about it.  (whew!)   We regrouped Saturday with breakfast at MudStreet Cafe, and light shopping at Romancing the Stone.

This trip was the first time I'd seen Dad's Collie since we first brought her home at 5 weeks old. She's HUGE. Even though she's at that gangly age and her coat hasn't come in, she is still beautiful, and sweet as all get out.

Here is Dad's Collie, Sable, Along with their other two dogs mocha (the black one) and Gracie Lou Lou the (black and white one) The Yorkie is mine of course.

And my Yorkie, Baby

　

　

After spending a little more time with my parents, I headed back home. Wayne had the opportunity to have a "guys night" so I took off with my bestie Brittnee. We did a little shopping and then went for drinks at McB's bar in Rogers, AR. They happened to be hosting Rogers 10 year high school reunion for the graduating class of 2001. We thought it would be fun to "crash" it so to speak, so we grabbed some nametags and came up with faux names. Britt was Jezabel and I was Gypsy. (haha) We had a great time, then wrapped up the evening with breakfast at Waffle house.

Sunday was lazy for the most part. Wayne and I ended up renting the move Bridesmaids. It is absolutly hilarious. If you haven't seen it - rent it! Laugh out loud funny and clean for the most part. No nudity, just mild cussing and suggestive behavior. It might even earn a spot in my top 5 movies of all time!

My current but ever changing top 5 movies would be:

1. Date night

2. How to train your dragon. ( I"m a sucker for kids movies)

3. The Blind Side

4. Avatar

5. Bridesmaids

What are your favorite movies right now?

~KBR

Sunshine & Randomness...

Warning: The following post is Random. Please use caution when reading this post.

This weekend I'm going to Eureka to visit my parents.  I can't wait to give dad his surprise business cards I ordered for him. He's also never seen his political blog, so I'm excited to show him. (If you didn't know, I started a political blog for my father, it's great and I hope you check it out sometime - http://www.rockywhitely.blogspot.com/ ) I just hope I can find a spot with wifi... My parents haven't quite caught up to the digital age, and don't own a computer, let alone have internet service, so we'll be brining our laptop and will be hunting for internet connection. SO... If you know of any wifi spots in Eureka Springs, hit me up!

Three weeks left till we are in the Virgin Islands! I can't wait. My parents already have 2 grown dogs and a new collie puppy, but have agreed to doggie sit my Yorkie, and I'm hoping Katie (sis-n-law) will agree to watch Hugh, our Corgi. That leaves my best friend brittney to watch the cats. Sounds like a decent plan to me.

You know... Wayne and I haven't done much outside this summer, so we are in huge need for summer clothes for our vacation! The problem is, all the deparment stores have their fall line out now. I have no idea where to even look for summer clothes with the exception of online, and I don't know about you but I hate ordering online. You never know how it's going to fit or if it will even look good on you! Then you have to go to the trouble of mailing it back and making sure it gets refunded to your debit/credit card... maybe i'm just lazy, but it seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth.

Readers! I need some help! I need a wifi spot in Eureka Springs, Ar - AND Do you know of anywhere that still has some cute summer things for sale? Wayne and I will do our best to hunt around on Saturday, but it would be nice to know where to go so we don't spend too much time wandering from store to store. Well.. thanks for reading this super random post! I guess you can't have structure all the time right?

Well, It's been a wonderful Friday so far, and I hope the weekend continues on the same track! Be safe this weekend, have fun and just remember to always be true to you!

xoxo

KBR

Sunshine & Resale

I find myself asking the question, what do I want to be when I "grow up" ?

Of course Wayne and I plan on starting a family, but when the time comes, I only plan on being a stay at home mom the first few years. Then what? Go back to J.B Hunt and continue on with my Transportation career?

I'm just not sure.

I've always had things I've liked to do growing up but they either take mad skills that I don't have or years and years in college which I also don't have. Granted I could work on my degree, but that would take the fun out of a quick answer. A golden solution.

One idea I've kicked around is opening a really clean, really up to date resale store. Not so much knick knacks, but nice gently used furniture, home decore, etc... Definitely no clothes though.

I absolutely love going garage salin' so I can only imagine how fun it would be to run a resale shop. Half of my job would be searching for hidden gems, digging through flea markets and such. As much as I love treasure hunting, It would also be a ton of work! I would have to get a loan,  find the right property, buy storage for items not ready to be sold, hire staff (at least one other person) and then figure out how to run a business! There would be a lot of financial responsibility on my shoulders. I'm not sure if I could handle it alone.

It's a pretty far fetched dream, but at this point in my life I'm not sure what else to pursue.

Maybe I should give it to God and let him worry about the plan for my life. Much easier said than done though. I guess only time, opportunity and inspiration will tell!

KBR

Sunshine & Food Adventures

Topic 1

I've been watching Hell's Kitchen this season and one of my favorite parts of the competition is when they compete in the Palette testing.

Chef Ramsey blindfolds the chefs and gives each of them a bite of something - salmon, passion fruit, sour cream - etc. They have to rely on taste and smell alone to tell them what they are eating. The more correct guesses, the more advanced or cultured their palette is.

Sounds easy doesn't it? It's not.. you wouldn't believe some of the wrong answers the contestants give. One chef thought a bite of filet mignon was fish! I'm thinking reallly??? Makes me wonder how advanced my palette is. I've been hinting to my husband that it would be a fun activity to try out sometime. When we get around to it, I'll make sure to blog about our adventure.

　

Topic 2

I was talking with a coworker when the subject of progressive eating came up. I discovered that a progressive meal is where you order an appetizer at one restaurant, go to a different restaurant for the main entree, and end up having dessert at the third and final restaurant.

Sounds like a lot of work for one meal, but on the other hand, it sounds like a food adventure waiting to happen!

Readers, Have you ever had a progressive lunch or dinner? What are you thoughts?

I can't see myself making a habit out of it, but I would like to try it at least once.

Happy Eating
KBR

Sunshine & Sitcoms

If you're looking for a new show to watch this fall,  you've come to the right blog. I just happened to be at a family dinner at Aunt Barbs last night, and they just happened to be watching CBS. I caught the season premier of Two and a Half Men as well as the premier of 2 Broke Girls. It's fate, I tell you.

Two and a Half Men was headed down hill with Charlie Sheen in my opinion, but bringing in Ashton Kutcher was pure brilliance. I don't know how the season will go from here, but if it mirrors the first episode, ratings will be high and viewers will be happy.

Following Two and a Half Men was the new show 2 Broke Girls.

Set in New York City, the series chronicles the lives of two waitresses in their twenties—Max (Kat Dennings), who comes from a poor working-class family, and Caroline (Beth Behrs), who was born rich but is now down on her luck—working together at a Brooklyn restaurant. The two become fast friends and build their dream of one day opening a cupcake shop (for which they need to raise $250,000), although they can barely afford anything with the pay they receive at work, and must continually find ways to make ends meet. Among those working with them at the restaurant are their boss, Han Lee (Matthew Moy); Oleg (Jonathan Kite), an upbeat Russian cook; and Earl (Garrett Morris), the cashier. At the end of each episode, a tally shows how much of the $250,000 goal they have earned so far. - Wikipedia

It's funny, slightly racy and very smartly written. I'm really looking forward to this show and I hope the rest of the series is as good as this first episode! If you haven't heard of 2 Broke Girls, definitely check it out, you might have a new favorite like me!

Happy watching!

KBR

Sunshine & Tres Leches Cake!

Happy Monday everyone!

We made our Tres Leches cake last night so I took some photos to share with you.  This is a wonderful recipe my husband found on Alton Brown's website. The cake is from Alton, however the whipped mocha topping is a unique creation Wayne and I made.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tres-leche-cake-recipe/index.html

Tres Leches Cake with Whipped Mocha Cream Topping

Items needed:

Large mixing bowl

Medium mixing bowl

9x13 nonstick metal pan

Electric mixer

Digital scale (we find this recipe works best when the dry ingredients are weighed instead of measured)

Measuring spoons - ( I'll take this opportunity to show off my adorable new measuring spoon set I got at Franchesca's Collections a few weeks ago).

Ingredients

For the cake:

• Vegetable oil
• 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces sugar
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half

For the topping:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces sugar ( we use powdered sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute.

Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine.

Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze. ( I used a jumbo chop stick from a wok set we got as a wedding present, so anything stick like will do the trick! )

For the glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup.

Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight. (For best texture, leave in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours)

Topping:

Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed.

***For the mocha whipped topping, add 3/4 a shot of mocha espresso from Starbucks and omit the vanilla.

 Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
                            

I like to dust a little cinnamon on top to finish it up! If you have any questions feel free to comment below!

Happy Cake Baking!

~KBR

Sunshine & Sofia Angeline!

UPDATED PHOTOS:

After two extremely long days of labor, little Sofia Angeline made her grand entrance into the world yesterday weighing in at a healthy 7 lbs 11oz's and 20.5 inches long!

You can't see it in the picture but she has a full head of gorgeous black hair. Mom and baby are doing fine and they will be released from the hospital sometime tomorrow.

Congratulations Emily & Oscar on your beautiful baby girl. She is a new and exciting part of your life. I know you'll be wonderful parents.  I can't wait to get to know her and watch her grow up!

~KBR