Princess Lexia

In a galaxy far, far away, there lived a beautiful princess named Lexia. She knew she was meant for greater things, but her evil master, the dreadful Darth PK, insisted on dressing her up in ridiculous costumes. The dark lord even made her put her long locks up in these donut-shaped buns. Is there no humanity in the world?

Where is the handsome Han Solo Charlie? Princess Lexia could really use a strong, fearless warrior to protect her right now. On second thought, considering Han Solo Charlie is known to pee on himself when scared, perhaps Princess Lexia should find comfort in the arms of Guapo Skywalker? Who cares if he's her long lost brother!

Stay tuned to see if Darth PK reigns triumphant on All Hallow's Eve. Will Princess Lexia remain a prisoner in her restrictive tunic or will Guapo Skywalker swoop in and save the day?

Who should Princess Lexia be with?

Han Solo Charlie

Guapo Skywalker

One clearly looks more masculine than the other.

That's all I'm saying.

PK

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

This is Beau Travis. He's the son of my sister's good friend Natalie Pulliam. Laurie, the budding photographer, recently headed out to Weatherford, TX to capture a few candid shots of this happy little guy. Slurping watermelon in overalls...this is what little boys are made of.

Giggling with Boomer the dog...this is what little boys are made of.

Making mud pies in nothing but a diaper...this is what little boys are made of.

Keep smilin', Beau Travis!

PK

So Many Reasons...

There's so many reasons why I adore this man...

1). He doesn't wear any deodorant. It's a little gross, but he's THAT confident that his natural smell is a-okay. Gotta love that!

2). His "I-am-from-Texas-and-proud-of-it" accent is so sexy!

3). He has a ice maker in his house that just dispenses crushed ice - just like Sonic. If you know anything about Texans, we take our ice very seriously!

4. He made no apologies for the whole "neked bongo" incident. And it's "neked", not "naked".

5. He sures knows how to pick some good reading material!

Thanks to Miss Stace Hasegawa for uncovering Matthew's hidden obsession!

PK

Sweet Looli

My mom recently e-mailed me this cute story from one of her friends...

"An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for weeks. Curious I pinned a note to his collar:

'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:

'He lives in a home with six children, two under the age of three...he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'"

Got to love those sweet pups!
PK

Splendor in the Grass

My little sister Laurie is getting to be quite the photographer (if I do say so myself!). She recently brought my middle sister along to a location she was scouting for an upcoming photo shoot. Since Hollywood is always ready for her close-up, Laurie took a few hundred pics of our starlet - just to make sure the area was the ideal choice for her next shoot. When Laurie posted this picture of Holly on her blog, I knew she was on her way to the big leagues.

If you look closely, you can see the outline of a mirror. What's being reflected in the mirror is actually the grass BEHIND Holly. And it just happens to match up with the grass in the foreground. Isn't that amazing? To see a larger image of this incredible picture, hop on over to Laurie's photography blog.

Needless to say, the ever-humble Holly has already posted this picture on Facebook and is relishing the fact she is the subject matter for such a talked about piece of art. She's also now acting as Laurie's booking agent, so if you would like to make an appointment, you must first go through the appropriate channels. Ah, isn't fame grand?

Keep clicking, lil' sis!
PK

Happy Birthday, Pops!

With all of the WCMD festivities this weekend, I had to postpone my birthday post for my dear ol' Dad. His birthday was on Friday and although he did receive a phone call (with presents on their way via my sister), I thought I would dedicate an entire post to the man who used to butcher my bangs as a child...

Lucky for me, hair magically grows back and I now go to a trained stylist for all my trims (no offense, Dad). But at least when I come across a picture like this one (or all of my school yearbook photos), I have fond memories of sitting on the bathroom sink while Dad trimmed my bangs and put "pretties" in my hair. The only question I have after all these years is "Where was Mom?"

Happy birthday, Dad!
PK

It's World Card Making Day Somewhere!

Happy WCMD! I've technically got 24 minutes left on 10/03/09 (yes, I'm the eternal night owl), so I thought I would do a quick post to commemorate this special day.

I intended to get to my friendship cards that I owe for card group, but I found myself working on different project. My sister Holly recently returned from an amazing trip to Greece. As I was looking through all of her pictures, it occurred to me that I had never done anything with the pictures from our trip to Cabo San Lucas a year ago. (Holly is a pharmaceutical sales rep and won a free trip to Cabo. Since she and her boyfriend were broken up at the time, I was the lucky one who got an all expensed trip to paradise!)

Since the weather had turned remarkably cold here all of the sudden (is it too much to ask for six weeks of perfect fall weather?), I've been longing for those balmy summer days when the only decision I had to make was: Do I feel like a Coke or a pina coloda right now? Tough life, I know.

The view from the balcony of our hotel room.

Here's Holly and I soaking up the sun on a party boat.

Here's one of the landmarks of Cabo - El Arco (The Arch).

Needless to say, after a week of party boats, snorkeling, spa massages and yes, those sinful pina colodas, I owed my sister big time. I'm pretty sure I sent her a little care package of all her favorite things - Walgreen's gift card, Mojito-flavored gum, Santana CD, etc. After today's inspiration from World Card Making Day, I can add this gift as a final token of my appreciation...

So even though it's a cover to a mini album, you could totally make this into a card. And if you ask me, that's really the heart of World Card Making Day - finding inspiration to create something tangible, heartfelt and then sharing it with someone you love.

Speaking of sharing, there's a HUGE giveaway over on the Paper Crafts Connection blog! You've got until midnight on Monday, Oct. 5 to leave a comment and be entered to win one giant jackpot of a prize! Disclaimer: It's not a trip to Cabo, but definitely right up there!

Happy WCMD!
PK

May I See Your Dessert Menu?

Photo courtesy of Land O'Lakes.com

If you know me, you know I have quite the sweet tooth. I always ask to see the dessert menu at restaurants - even if I'm completely stuffed and couldn't possibly eat another bite. I guess I just want to see what I'm missing. And if I deem it just too good to pass up, I usually talk someone into sharing it with me. After all, life's too short to go without dessert... don't you agree?

Since I'm always on the lookout for new desserts to try, when my mom forwarded THIS recipe to me, I knew I had to share it. Bread Pudding=Yum. Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce=Sinful. (I thought I would include the nutritional information below, but maybe you should read it after you eat/inhale the bread pudding... there's no sense in ruining a perfectly delightful recipe!)

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Bread Pudding:

4 cups (8 slices) cubed white bread
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups milk
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sauce:

1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Heavy Whipping Cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine bread and raisins in large bowl. Combine milk and 1/4 cup butter in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted (4 to 7 minutes). Pour milk mixture over bread; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in all remaining pudding ingredients. Pour into greased 1-1/2-quart casserole. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set. Combine all sauce ingredients except vanilla in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil (5 to 8 minutes). Stir in vanilla. To serve, spoon warm pudding into individual dessert dishes; serve with sauce. Store refrigerated.

Nutritional Facts:

(1 serving, 3 tablespoons sauce); Calories 490; Fat 26g; Cholesterol 125mg; Sodium 300mg; Carbohydrate 58g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Protein 6g

To Ski or Not to Ski? That is the Question.

I've never been an adrenaline junkie. You know, the type that likes to bungee jump, sky dive or rappel down 40-foot walls dressed in Army fatigues.

Well, I actually did do the rappel thing when I was in college...but that was for a reporting assignment and back then I would do practically anything to get published. Yes, even join BYU's Army ROTC for an exhausting day of field training exercises. (Hey, I made my grandpa proud!)

This is the infamous wall I rappelled down.

Did I also mention I threw a grenade (no pin) and climbed under a barbed wire fence (on my back)? Okay, maybe I am a little more adventurous than I give myself credit for. (If you'd like to read the full story and have a chuckle at my expense, here's the link.)

So while I was on vacation last month, I was given the opportunity to water ski. I’ve never really embraced skiing - either the water or snow version - but I'm always up for a challenge, even if it means I will mostly likely end up on my butt - which usually happens in both instances.

But like I said, I like pushing my body to do things my mind puts the brakes on. So what if I'm older and out of shape? Age is only a number and your body is a miraculous sum of many parts. I just wish my toes liked freezing cold temperatures!

Here I am all suited up and ready to water ski. I just dipped my toes into the 65-degree lake water and my sister snapped this reaction. What was I thinking? Instead of easing my way in, limb by limb, I ended up diving in. Much like a band-aid, it's sometimes best to just go for it!

Once submerged, the cold water isn't so bad. You just hope the skis are set to match your foot size. My dad likes to joke that with size nine feet, I already have built-in skis!

Once the skis are on, it's time to untwist the rope and align yourself straight behind the boat.

Point your ski tips up and then there's only one thing left to do: PRAY!

After two failed attempts, I finally got up! Five minutes later, I finally surrendered to my wobbly legs and aching back, and dropped the rope. And yes, I ended up on my butt!

Here's to all you adrenaline junkies out there! Thanks for letting me step into your exciting world every now and then. I may not stay long, but I sure have a good time while I'm doing it!

PK

P.S. What's the most adventurous thing you've done lately?

Happy Birthday, Big Sis!

Mom and me in Sundance, Utah, 2007

"Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, but only one mother in the whole world." ~Kate Douglas Wiggin

Happy birthday to my big "sis"!

Love,

PK

Farewell to Summer!

"What do I want to take home from my summer vacation? Time. The wonderful luxury of being at rest. The days when you shut down the mental machinery that keeps life on track and let life simply wander. The days when you stop planning, analyzing, thinking and just are. Summer is my period of grace." ~Ellen Goodman

Until we meet again,

PK

The Return of The Little

About a month ago, my cousin Ryan called me on a Saturday night. He was flying through Salt Lake City on his way home to Phoenix. He had a very tight connection and wasn't sure if he was going to make it. If he didn't, he wanted to see if I could pick up him and his three-year-old daughter McCall (The Little) from the airport.

I was selfishly praying to the airplane gods that Ryan would miss his flight. I don't get to see McCall very often, so it's always a treat when this "little" ray of sunshine comes for a visit. She's still convinced I'm "babysitting" HER dog Lexus, so whenever she is in town, I try to reunite the two of them (whether Lexus wants it or not).

Luckily, the airplane gods were on my side that night. To celebrate we went to Baskin Robbins for late night treat. (You can always count on Auntie PK to feed your children sugar right before bedtime!) Here McCall is showing me what color her cotton candy-flavored ice cream turned her tongue! Yum!

Even though McCall claimed she was finished with her ice cream cone, when Daddy went to throw it away, out came the water works. (I'm sure being tired had nothing to do with it!)

But the tears quickly dried up when we pulled up to GG's (Great-Grandma's) and McCall got to walk HER puppy down the steps and into the building.

As always, McCall has lots of hugs for her GG!

Ever the jealous sister, Lexus climbed up on GG's lap to stake her claim. Notice the left paw.

But the highlight of the night came when Daddy let Lexus lick the rest of his ice cream bowl. (I guess his shake at Baskin Robbins didn't quite satisfy his cravings.)

But the highlight of my night was when both of my girls climbed up on my lap for a snuggle!

Then it was time to go bed because this "little" traveler had a early flight the next morning. After a quick pat on Lexus' head, McCall skipped down the hall to dream some sweet dreams of cotton candy-flavored ice cream and puppy kisses.

See ya soon, McCall!
PK

Snakes. Why'd it Have to be Snakes?

You've heard of the movie Snakes on a Plane, right? Well, here's a sneak peek at its sequel, Snakes in a Laundry Room. We just finished filming this past Saturday, so look for it in a theater near you before the year is out. It's going to be huge blockbuster! Especially the scene where the unassuming girl comes home to her little puppy and discovers this thing wrapped around the control knob of her water heater. The look on her face is so life-like! It's absolutely priceless!

So the plot thickens when the girl picks up the phone and dials the after-hours maintenance hotline for her apartment complex. After listening to a two-minute recording telling her to stay on the line if it is in fact an emergency, a very annoyed operator picks up the call:

Operator: "After-Hours Maintenance. What is your emergency?"

Girl: "Yeah, hi there, um... there's a snake in my house."

Operator: "What did you say?"

Girl: "THERE'S A SNAKE IN MY HOUSE!"

Operator: "Well, then that is a emergency, isn't it?"

The operator then assures the frantic girl that maintenance is on their way and that she should in no way attempt to pick up or remove the snake from its coiled position. You think?!

Frantic girl then calls all her friends and family (who are mostly asleep) to share her most disturbing news. Most of them tell her to get the hell out of there, but frantic girl doesn't want to leave Slither alone - especially when he could slither away to some new hidden place.

But luckily after only an hour's wait, the maintenance man and his very enthusiastic teenage son arrived at frantic girl's doorstep with a bucket and long, snake-wielding tools in hand. Frantic girl even overhears the kid say, "This is so freakin' cool, Dad!"

The climax of the movie occurs when teenage boy reaches for Slither with his pincher tool and Slither sneaks behind the water heater! After shouting out a profanity (which I can't reveal since this is a PG-13 movie!), the kid flexes his muscle a bit and moves the nearby washing machine to get a better look. Once he does, he discovers a drainage hole coming from the apartment above. But since Slither entered the laundry room from this hole, he slithers back in before the boy can utter more profanity. Seeing the predicament, frantic girl suggests a coat hanger and quickly goes to retrieve one from her closet. After that, things happen very quickly! Coat hanger is inserted, Slither darts out with a vengeance and kid snatches up his prize with his bare hands!

Then the dad (the actual maintenance supervisor) contributes to the evening by taking out his phone to snap a few pictures. Slither doesn't like the flash, so he once again escapes the clutches of his captor. Luckily the kid has quick reflexes and traps Slither with his menacing tools.

Once inside the white bucket, Slither thrashes about and his eyes begin to glow an eerie red. As the boy carries Slither away, the movie ends with this caption: "Where is Samuel A. Jackson when you need him?"

END CREDITS

Director's Note: No reptiles were harmed in the making of this movie.

See you at the movies!

PK

Welcome to Paradise!

I recently had the opportunity to join my mom and grandma in gorgeous San Diego for a little vacation. We stayed at Paradise Point Resort & Spa, which is located right on the ocean and next door to Sea World.

Anyone fancy a swim?

Considering my grandma is 88 years old, she did extremely well with all the traveling. It must have been that cool California air that agreed with her so much.

Here's a view from our beachside bungalow.

Same view at sunset.

Here's a view from Nick's at the Pier Restaurant in nearby Ocean Beach.

I basically invited myself along for this trip. My mom planned a little reunion with many of my grandma's nieces. I was definitely the youngster in this crowd, but it was great to hear all the old stories and look at the black and white photos everyone passed around.

Cute picture of my grandma and her niece Nancy.

We even enjoyed a Sunday dinner at cousin Sondra's house. Since the weather in California is consistently consistent, everyone relaxes outside on their beautiful patios, complete with...

REAL lemon trees!

Here's a group picture of all the cousins.

Back row: Frankie, Sondra, Barbara

Front row: Nancy and my mom

Although our last day was a little overcast, I still managed to snap this cute shot of mommy dearest on the beach. Did you know that sand is a natural exfoliant for the feet?

Since mom and I were both born in the Golden State, we'll always be just a couple of California Dreamin' gals!

Until we meet again...

So long, Paradise!
PK

Groovin' Tunes!

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill performing during their Soul2Soul II Tour in 2006.

Just got back from my much needed vacation in San Diego! I had a fabulous time with my mom and grandma, and reconnected with some amazing ladies I haven't seen in a very long time. I'll be posting some pictures of us frolicking in "Paradise" in the next couple of days!

While I was trying to stay relatively "unplugged" on my vacation, I did get online to do a little something for me... something I've been meaning to do since I launched this blog almost a year ago!

I ADDED A PLAYLIST OF MUSIC! AND IT'S CALLED... PK'S PLAYLIST!

I so love visiting blogs and learning a little bit more about people through their music. So I've compiled 50 of my all-time favorite songs. A LOT of country (I am from Texas, after all), but I've also thrown in a good mix of current popular hits like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, John Mayer, JT (Justin Timberlake), KC (Kelly Clarkson) and a couple of my favorite songs from the Twilight Soundtrack!

Happy Listening!
PK

P.S. If you're interested in building your own blog playlist, go to www.playlist.com. They have a million songs to choose from and it's absolutely free!

Will the Real PK Please Stand Up?

Just when I thought my nickname was special and unique to me alone, my girlfriend returns from her honeymoon in Sun Valley with this picture. To make matters even worse, I'm not even that great of a skier!

The only perk is perhaps they offer discounts to those with the name "PK", which is great, since I love to ski so much!

Regretfully,
The Artist Formerly Known as PK

Happy National Pink Day!

Happy National Pink Day! Did you even know such a holiday existed?

Since we celebrate all these weird holidays at work, I'm actually bringing in these pink cupcakes for all of my co-workers to snack on. (This is what happens when caffeine enters my bloodstream after 7 p.m. - I become a baking fool!)

If you want to see some pretty pink projects from Paper Crafts latest special issue Card Creations, Volume 7, head on over to our Paper Crafts Connection blog today. We're also giving away some yummy pink product, so be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing.

And be sure to tell us what you think of our pink outfits. We even got our designer Matt to don this flirty color! He must know my cousin who goes around saying, "Pink is pimp!" Of course, this is what you would expect of an 11-year-old. I guess Matt is just a highly-evolved man of the 21st century!

Here's to pink cupcakes!
PK

Happy Father's Day!

(Click on image to enlarge)

Dad was slightly annoyed he was left out of my There's No Place Like Home - Part 1 post. That's what you get when you're taking all of the photos, dude!

And since I can't spend today with him (I'm really going to miss that German chocolate cake!), here's a collage of my favorite photos of dear ol' dad. Bet you didn't know he was Indiana Jones!

Hope you enjoy your day, Dad!

Love,
PK and Lexus

Beef Cuts and Gravy

Although Lexus didn't get her fantasy day bed for her birthday, she did get to blow out a candle in her favorite can of dog food - Beef Cuts in Gravy!

She's usually afraid of fire, but the luring aroma of artificial beef soaking in imitation gravy was just too good to pass up. I think we singed a few whiskers, but she needed a trim anyway. Rafiki likes a clean shaven woman!

Lexus, as a belated birthday gift, I promise to take you to the "spa" (aka Petsmart) this weekend for a lavender-oatmeal bath and a bag of Greenies!

PK

Lexus' Birthday Wish

Lex-Pup's 49th birthday is tomorrow!

She was leafing through one of my interior design magazines and absolutely fell in love with this sunny day bed. She said she's waited almost 50 years to have a bed like this one. A place where her and Rafiki can lounge in the sun, sip pina coladas and flip through more interior design magazines!

Can anyone make her dream come true?

I sent this request out to my family and this is how they responded:

Ryan: "Lex-Pup obviously does not know we are in a recession."

Bonnie: "Collin is sooooo in! You know how much he loves that dog!"

Brooks: "Lex needs to learn to be happy with an old blanket and a crate. Send her up North and her Northern cousins will get her in check."

Debbie: "I will drink some water out of the toilet and lick clean McCall in her honor."

Collin: "You've gone off the deep end if you think I care about what that rat wants for its birthday."

Collin, Lexus apologized for that time she kissed you with tongue. She just couldn't help herself!

Happy birthday, Lex!
PK