I have sort of taken the week off from my blog this week. Life has been busy!!!
But I'm back with a special guest for our Friday. Kara is a local girl (to me) and blogger. She is a former Miss Teen Arkansas. (I have to throw that in because you know how much I love pageants! ha!) She is the mom of the two cutest little boys. She takes the BEST pictures of them. I love following her just for her beautiful pictures! And she has a great decorating style! And fashion style! You can find her blog at www.karasstories.com. And follow her on IG at @kara2lou.
What is your favorite food?
I just really love a good soup and sandwich combo. I don't really have any particular soup or sandwich that I love, I love them all! Of course Mexican food comes in at a very close second. Give me alllll the salsa.
What is your very favorite piece of clothing right now? (FASHION)
Fashion is so fun and I enjoy sharing outfit posts on my blog occasionally. I love to wear comfortable, slinky dresses in the spring/summer. They are my go-to outfit of choice when it's nice outside. They're super easy to just throw on and go. I recently purchased my first Piko tunic and I'm pretty sure I need every color because I think it's all I'll wear this summer.
Tell us about your family.
I've been married for 8 years to my husband, Scott. He builds homes and I'm a stay at home mom to our two little boys, Campbell (3) and Bennett (11 months). We live in Northwest Arkansas and love it here. I don't think we'll ever move. We love Razorback football, drinking iced tea and worshiping on Sundays. Typical southern family! We go for a family walk almost every evening in the spring/summer and we eat a lot of chili in the fall.
What is the most important quality in your friends? Or tell us something that a friend has done for you that you can't forget.
I think it's so great to find friends that you can depend on to help you out in a time of need and not seem inconvenienced by it at all. Sometimes it's the small things that make you appreciate them the most. Grabbing the mail when we're out of town, helping us move a piece of furniture, letting your dogs out to potty, etc. When you find a friend that you feel comfortable asking to help you out (and vice versa) and know they won't mind at all, that's a genuinely good friend.
What's something you have learned recently in your faith journey? And/or share your favorite scripture right now and why or your favorite Bible Study or book you have read recently.
I'm currently studying Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow in my Women's Bible Study at my church. It's about learning to be content in our life and remembering the One who can meet all of our needs. It's a great book and I've really enjoyed diving into it. My favorite quote in the book, thus far, is by George MacDonald. "I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking."
What is your biggest fear?
I actually have a fear of fish. It's weird because I've gone snorkeling several times and I love it...as long as the fish don't get near me. If I feel one touch me, it sends shivers up and down my spine. Ew. I could never, ever get one of those pedicures where the fish eat your feet. That is my very own version of fear factor.
What are some of your favorite things right now?
I love Bath and Body Works candles and wallflowers. They make my house smell so good. I got an Apple Watch for Christmas and it's so great. During the fall I discovered Lifestyle New Balances (again...I'm all about the comfort) and now I'm obsessed with them and have four pairs. I love Gap Body pajamas right now. They are sooooo soft. I snatched up a bunch of them when they were on super sale and threw out all of my old pajamas. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to sleep in anything else ever again. If you don't have any of these pajamas you need to get some right now!!
What has been your biggest failure?
"Failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success." While failing or making mistakes is hard at the time, it truly is what makes you grow as a person. I can't recall one particular failure or mistake that stands out as my biggest or worst but I know that without them, I wouldn't be the person I am today. Forget the mistake, remember the lesson.
What do you do for fun?
I love photography. My husband had the idea to purchase a nice camera before our first baby was born. In the beginning he was the one who was really into it. He learned how to use the camera and I quickly became impressed at how talented he was! Eventually I wanted to learn myself so he gave me a few pointers and I've been taking photos ever since. It's such a fun hobby for me and I get so much joy out of doing it. I like to share my photos on my blog and Instagram. I spend a lot of my evenings editing images or looking through beautiful Instagram or Pinterest photos for inspiration. I just think it's fun and it gives me something to do. Plus I get to have a lot of great photos of my kids. Hopefully they'll appreciate it one day!!
Tell me about what animals you have.
Well we really don't refer to them as animals in our house--they're "the girls." We have twin Shorkies (Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix) who just turned five on St. Patricks Day. Their names are Madison and Ivy and we absolutely adore them and spoil them rotten. Ivy is the boss and Madison just wants you to throw her toys all. day. long. Our boys love them and they love our boys. They go with us to the Farmers Market and would be completely offended if we left them off the Christmas card. We love our girls!
What is your favorite film?
Oh that's hard. I love watching movies and there are so many that I love. I really love the Harry Potter films. I never get tired of watching them. If you're really going to make me narrow it down to my favorite one, I guess I would have to pick Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. It's so good.
What is one fact we might not know about you?
A few years ago my husband and I were on a vacation in Jamaica. Our resort just so happened to have a singing competition one night while we were there. I entered the competition, sang "Last Dance" by Donna Summer and won! The grand prize was a FREE five night, all-inclusive stay at the same resort. We got to go back a year later and enjoy a completely free Jamaican vacation. So I guess people may not know that I can sing and it's definitely a talent that's come in handy for me!
