Sneak Peek : Planning a 2-Year Olds Birthday

It's safe to say the newest Muppet Movie is a weekly staple at the Lott abode. Ever since the soundtrack became available 2 years ago. If you do the math that equals a whole lot of Muppets. Nathan. Dylan. Myself. We all love it. So it only seems fitting that we celebrate Dylan's 2-Year mark with Kermit and friends. Currently working on the details, but here's a little sneak peek for what is to come. Happy Sunday and Mahna Mahna!

Introducing Payton.

A little late in posting, but I've been away from the blogging world for while. Just trying to get back in the swing.

On March 8, 2013 the Lotts welcomed precious little Sweet P into the world. Payton Elisabeth Lott. She's one happy healthy baby girl. Head over heels are we.

Sweet P's Birth Announcement. Original Design and Photography.

Original Photography of our little girl. Two Months here.

Payton. 3 Months.

T minus 1 day....Drum roll please.....

Photography by Zila Longenecker. Love her.

The Mississippi State Fair will be here tomorrow!! Can't. Wait. The Fair is honestly one of the things I look forward to all year round. Nathan thinks I'm insane and I really can't explain it. Maybe it's the whole nostalgia thing....memories of being a kid, a teenager, whatever, but I just love it. I love the rides (which I'll sadly be missing out on this year due to Baby #2 on board...except for some kiddie rides I suppose ;) ), the lights, the sounds, Circus Maximus! and last, but not least the food (the biscuit tent and all that other deep fried loveliness). Dylan was so small last year that even though he was a trooper he really didn't know what was going on. This year I'm excited to see how he'll respond to all the fun.

Seriously.

Can't. Wait.

Knock You Naked....Brownies.

FYI the Salt Creek Steakhouse in Breckenridge
named these little nuggets of heaven so no. If only I could
be so clever.

For our first two home games I really wrestled with a severe sweet tooth. And not just any old sweet tooth. An ooey gooey caramel chocolate filled sweet tooth. If you love pecans, chocolate, caramel and powdered sugar - you'll love this recipe. And best of all - it's super easy and quick to make. Below I've posted the recipe, but if you'd like to venture over to Ree's website (I love scrolling through all of her yummy recipes), click here.

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.

Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.

Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

*Adapted from the classic "Knock You Naked Brownies" recipe, based on a dessert at the Salt Creek Steakhouse in Breckenridge. These brownies don't really knock you naked...but almost.

Tune in Tuesday. Mumford & Sons.

Mumford & Sons' Babel is here! Oh how I love these guys. Pretty pumped.

And for your listening pleasure - a clip from last Saturday's SNL performance. Yeeesh.

As Julie sings it best.

Batiste.

I'm not a daily hair washer. If this grosses anyone out I apologize. With all the coloring, flat ironing and blow drying I don't like the idea of damaging it anymore than I have to. Plus it cuts my get ready time down by half an hour. :) However, I'm never really okay with skipping a day of hair washing unless I spray in some dry shampoo to volumize and freshen it up. I've been using various salon quality brands over the past few years and it wasn't until the last several months that a little birdie chirped in my ear (Lis, you are the birdie in the story) that this stuff was the bee's knees. And best part - it's sold in Kroger for a fraction of the price of the other brands. I was hesitant because I had tried some cheaper ones that left my hair feeling oily and flat, but this stuff....this stuff is the best dry shampoo I've ever used. Doesn't weight my hair down, make it oily or over dry it. It's awesome. So if you're into the whole dry shampoo thing - go find this little product in Kroger asap. 

Smashbox Master Classic Palette.

Confession - I'm a huge eye shadow junkie. I'm aware that I probably wear too much of it at times, but I love it. As of late I've been buying more and more of the Smashbox eye shadows so when I stopped in Sephora the other day to grab some lipgloss I decided to make a quick peek at the Smashbox palettes. It was like Christmas! They are currently selling the Smashbox Master Classic Palette which includes 28 eye shadows along with blushes, lip glosses, cream eyeliners and more. If you've never used Smashbox eyeshadow you should give them a whirl. They're very smooth. Love them!

Take Me Home Tonight - the Soundtrack. 

A little late in expressing my love for this album, but it wasn't until a month ago that I finally watched the movie. Even though it didn't make my favorites list I still enjoyed it. If you liked "Can't Hardly Wait" back in high school you should rent it. It's currently on Netflix Instant. Anywho - what really made this movie so enjoyable for me was the music (and the fact that Dan Fogler was in it). If you love 80's music as much as I do you'll enjoy the album. Check it out.

First Day of School. Cheers.

First day of Mothers Morning Out was today. "Yippee!" says Dylan. Actually in the above photo he's singing and dancing to the "Hot Dog" song. If you know Mickey Mouse Clubhouse you know the drill.