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

Sunshine & Tropical Getaways

Can you smell it? Salt water, coconuts and fresh tropical flowers. The scents of a Caribbean destination.

I am ecstatic to announce that in one month, Wayne and I will be flying to the Virgin Islands for an amazing 10 day tropical vacation.

We rented an adorable condo at Pineapple Village in St Thomas as well as a jeep for driving the mountains and rough terrain. In addition to staying on St. Thomas, we'll be ferrying to the other islands such as St. John, St Croix and the British Virgin Island, Jost Van Dyke.

Even though it's a U.S territory, people drive on the left side of the road in the U.S Virgin Islands (USVI). Because of this, I have decided to let Wayne do all the driving. You can bet I'll be chanting, stay left! stay left! stay left! the whole trip!
:)

Our itinerary so far includes:

1. Snorkeling as much as possible

2. Taking a tour of the Cruzan Rum Factory on St. Croix

3. Visiting Coral world (it's like a sea world from what I understand)

4. Going parasailing (which is on my bucket list!!!)

5. Taking a Tan Tan Tour of the Tide pools, and possibly the rain forest

6. Taking a ferry to the British side to see the Virgin Gorda

7. Shopping in Charlotte Amalie

8. Tons of beach time!

9. Driving all over and exploring as much as possible.

Have any of you been to the Virgin Islands before? I would love to hear your stories!

Happy Travels!
~KBR

Sunshine & Babies

I haven't had the opportunity to experience the joy of birth ( with the exception of my own, lol) , but a few of my friends have.

Last year my best friend Brittnee gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Allison Aleigh. On a proud side note, I'd like to mention I'm the god-mother :)   Here are a few of my favorite pics of her.

　

I'm very excited to announce that my dear friend, Emily Murillo is set to be induced today. Against many grumbles of protest, they have kept the baby's gender a secret. I can't wait to get the call to come see momma and baby at the hospital and find out what they had!

I'll try and post a picture of baby Sophia or Diego as soon as I get a chance.

Please keep them in your prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy newborn!

Happy life!

~KBR　

　

　

Sunshine & Best Friends

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart...Elenor Roosevelt

This is a post dedicated to the true and wonderful friends in my life.

1. Wayne - My Husband and Best Friend! He's seen me through a lot of things, especially a long stint in the hospital last year. He's my rock and my lover. I know without a doubt I can always count on him to make me smile and keep me focused. I'll follow you to the end of the world baby. Love you so much!

2. Brittnee - My crazy girlfriend and mother of my God-Daughter! She's the best thing that's happened to me aside from Wayne! She's always there if I need to talk. She has a tendency of showing up unannounced to help me clean my house. It's the little things in life that really count, and she is famous for them. I love you Britt.

3. Topher - Topher is probably my longest friend (he and courtney bouly compete for longest bff title!) and the only rock star friend I have! We met each other when we were just kids. I think we both had a mild crush on each other at some point but whoa... totally grew out of that. He's just like a brother to me and I  would do anything for this boy. We can go months without talking and pick it all back up with one phone call. Love you Topher!

4. Courtney - My other longest Friend is Twinkles as I like to call her! We've had so many fun adventures together that I can't keep track of them all. She's always been by my side, helped me through tough situations and was always a shoulder to cry on if my current crush didn't like me. haha. I think some of my best memories are with this chick. We've had a few rough patches, but in my experience, it's made our friendship stronger and I'm so lucky to call Courtney my best friend. Love you Twinks!

I love all of you! Thanks for being you and for loving me for me

"A good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible to forget..."

: )

~KBR

Sunshine & Weekends

Monday is here again, following another wonderful weekend.

It started out slow, Wayne and I ordered pizza Friday night from Mellow Mushroom in Rogers (if you haven't tried Mellow Mushroom, you're in for a treat) Afterwards we combined our efforts and baked my birthday cake.

After making the cake, I kicked myself for not taking step by step pictures of the process. I thought it would be a fun blog idea to show my readers how to make a homemade Tres Leche Cake (Three Milk Cake)

But no worries! We are having a family dinner next Monday night, and have decided to make another one!

Saturday, I did a bit of shopping and had my "surprise" birthday dinner with friends and family at Hammontrees Gourmet Grilled Cheese in Fayetteville. Amazing food, if you haven't tried it, you are missing out! It was great seeing everyone.

Sunday was pretty lazy. I think we watched around 10 episodes of King of the Hill... which always makes for a great day in my book.

And without further adieu, I present my delicious tres leche cake!

Happy Monday Everyone!

~KBR

Sunshine & Weddings

I married my sweetie in April of 2009, I don't have many pictures, but I wanted to share the ones I have.
It was the best day of my life so far! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Most of these were taken by our photographer, Dale Benfield of Benefield Photography. He's amazing! Check out his work!

You can't really see Wayne in these pics so here's one of just him

:)

Have a wonderful Day!

~KBR