Friday Favorites

FRIDAY! FRIDAY! FRIDAY!

(are you chanting with me?)

FRIDAY! FRIDAY!

Per usual, I'm linking up for some Friday Favorites!

Let's do this. 

1. Scarlet and Gold Scripture Memory Cards

I'm SO excited about these scripture cards. I'm in the process of revamping my quiet time, and when I saw these cards, I knew I wanted to incorporate them. They consist of 52 cards of scripture (or 1 verse a week), and I read/repeat the verse in my head every morning as part of my devotional. And the verses are categorized into 8 different themes, so it's not just random ole verses. Fill your mind up with good things, people. If you're looking for a little spice to your Jesus time, I recommend these!  

 2.  Andy Grammer + Eli Young Band: "Honey, I'm Good"

Thanks to DWTS, I am a really big fan of the new Andy Grammer song. So when I heard he paired up with Eli Young Band for a duet version of the song, I was all over it. Upbeat and folksy. Yes, please. It's been my theme song for the week. I listen to it on the way to work every morning. Andy and Eli Young...well done, boys.

3. Personalized Coffee Cup

LOOK at this. I mean do you see it? How perfect is this? When I went to visit Melissa in Houston last weekend, she (being the hostess with the mostess that she is) had this waiting for me by her Keurig machine. Isn't it perfect? I carry it around the office with so much pride! Not to mention my coffee intake has increased by at least a cup a day. Power to the cup.

4. Romans 5:2-5

One of my friends/colleagues needed a little encouragement this week, so I sent her this verse. Truth be told, it was a good reminder for myself so I thought I'd share. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and what you're going through right now is what you're supposed to be going through. It may be hard, it may be exhausting, it may be overwhelming - but suffering leads to hope. And hope, to me, is one of God's biggest blessings to us as His children. Never lose your hope.

5. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Finds!

If you didn't see my post yesterday, puleease go check out the new additions to my closet. You will NOT be disappointed! I'm still smiling just thinking/typing about them.  The sale is going on for TEN MORE DAYS!! Don't miss out! Check out the goods HERE.

6. Family Reunions

This favorite is honor of me heading to Mississippi this morning for my family reunion! Each year, my dad's side of the family gets together at the campground for all things southern. I took this 2 years ago at my last visit - my grandmama, dad, sister, and baby Brooklyn! Isn't she just precious?? 

Not sure what you're up to this weekend, but I'll be doing a lot of porch sittin', boiled peanut eatin', hay ridin', and southern grubbin'....namely fried okra and pie. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time,
Katy

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Soooo here's the deal. 

This past weekend was the first time I ever experienced the Nordstrom annivesary sale. How? Why? I am so frustrated with my past self! Past Katy missed out on so many good sales! 

I walked straight to eBar, got an iced coffee, and headed directly to the shoe section. Shoes and iced coffee....I was in my happy place. And boy am I glad I had an iced coffee, cause the Nordy's Anniversary sale is NOT for the weary! By the end of the afternoon, my stomach was growling, my toes were cramping, and I literally still had bag bruises three hours after we stopped shopping. 

See? Bag bruises. Spelled d-e-d-i-c-a-t-i-o-n. 

Are you over the logistics? You wanna know the purchases? Okay okay okay....let's begin. 

I actually only had 3 things on my list: earrings, leopard heels, faux fur vest. Well, check check check....and then a few more checks. 

Kate Spade Earrings

Aren't they adorable!? I originally set out for the gold sparkly pair on the right. Aren't they just perfect for Baylor games? (side note: I'm actually looking forward to football season. Probably just because of the earrings) Love these studs. They're large enough to make a statement, even through long layered locks, but not heavy or too dressy. 

And they come in all different sparkle colors!

So then I was headed to check out and saw the blue ones. And they were Texas Ranger blue. So I naturally had to get them. 

Pssst. The blue ones weren't on sale.
Pssst. I also already have these studs in red.
(whispers) I think it's safe to say I really support these ear bobs!

Topshop Faux Fur Vest

I have always wanted a faux fur vest for the winter. It's like a socially acceptable fuzzy robe. And considering I'm wearing my fuzzy robe in July while I type this....I think it's justifiable that I need one for the wintertime. And why not buy one on sale?!

Don't you absolutely want to hug me right now? So cozy. And so cute. You can find the link to it here. Oh and getting dressed for this picture made me want to throw the tank tops in a drawer and pull out all scarves, vests, and boots. Bring on the fall. 

Sam Edelman Leopard Slingbacks 

 I think I became best friends with a shoe on Saturday. Don't we look good together? I've always been a shoe fanatic, because no matter how much Blue Bell you eat....your shoes will always fit. Plus they're just fun. Shoes make me happy. Find this sexy little slingback here.

So...confession. I originally went in for these, because they were actually part of the anniversary sale:

...buuuut then I saw the slingbacks and they won. They were only $15 more and it was worth it to me. Plus I don't have any slingbacks! Like my justification? I thought so. 

Cynthia Steffe Shift Dress

Funny story. After getting the three items on my list, I told Melissa and Kelsey I was done shopping. Then Melissa goes to a rack, picks up this dress, and told me it would look good on me. I replied with, "it's orange." She said "and it would look really good with those leopard slingbacks you're holding." 

 

So, sure 'nuff, tried on the dress...with the shoes...and fell in love. Like I told you on Monday, shopping with Melissa is both a blessing and a curse. :) 

You can find the dress here. 

AND

for your viewing pleasure...

Melissa was right. They do look pretty schnazzy together.

And finally...

(I know I said I was done but these caught me on the way to the parking garage. I really was leaving!)

Zella Yoga Pants 

I have always wanted some Zella work out gear, but I can't ever bring myself to pay the price. Y'all. These pants were $35 on the anny sale. Three five. That's SUCH a good deal for quality work out pants! And they're PURPLE. So I really had no choice in the matter.  Link to the pants here.

And those are my purchases! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale continues through August 3rd - don't miss out! There are a ton of great sales, and it's online too! Save yourself some bag bruises, shop in your jammies, and get those deals shipped to your doorstep (for free!)

Have a terrific Thursday! 

Until next time,
Katy 

Paleo Turkey Taco Meatballs

In my Friday Favorites last week, I shared with you how I've completely fallen in love with these turkey meatballs. Ask Jeff - I ate them every day last week, and texted him every time to tell him how wonderful they were. 

I don't do the paleo thing on a regular basis (hello, sweet tooth here), but generally if a recipe refers to itself as paleo, then I'm down to try it. If it's healthy enough for paleo people then it is certainly healthy enough for me!

And they're super simple! I've read several meatball recipes and just adapted my own:

What You Need

1 lb ground turkey

taco seasoning

1 cup almond meal

2 eggs

diced onion

No really - that's it. You can also add any and everything else you want in this little meatball, but for me, this was enough.

What You'll Do

Throw it all in a bowl

Mix it with your hands (kinda gross, kinda cool)

Roll it into balls (golf ball size)

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes

It honestly doesn't get much easier than that. The texture...the seasonings...my mouth is seriously watering.

And they're so versatile!

...You can throw them on top of some spaghetti squash with tomato sauce for a little healthy Italian. Or you can throw them on top of pasta for actual Italian. 

...You can chop them up and throw them in a taco or on a salad. 

...You can throw them on top of brown rice with a little avocado...which is what I did last week. SO delicious guys. The ingredients cost like $12. And it makes 30 meatballs and will feed you all week. You have to give them a try!

Happy munching!! 

Until next time,
Katy

Weekend Wrap-Up

Whew! What. A. Weekend. It was fun-filled, jam-packed, and was the reason I totally slept through my alarm yesterday morning and you're getting the weekend wrap-up on a Tuesday. 

This is real life. It happens.

Friday after work, I hopped in the car and headed down to good ole Houston, TX. 

 It was time to celebrate this blonde bombshell in the middle!

Plate of pasta and side of girl talk at North Italia

Saturday morning I woke up early and went to Annie's place (my high school bestie) to see her, Ashley (my other high school bestie) and Ashley's three kiddos!

This was an adventure - and I'm still laughing about it. There's just something about watching your good friends parent that is just entertaining. I was impressed with Ashley and Jeremy's parenting skills. Oh, because did I mention they're all girls? Mhmm. Glitter things and giggles were the name of the game. 

A kid for each lap! Courtesy of the Williamsons :)

We were inseparable senior year...SO good to catch up

After lunch I headed to the Galleria to meet back up with Missy and Kelsey to do a little of this.....

Duh duh duh DUH. Yeah...I did some damage. But good damage. Like it was all on sale damage. And the stuff is super cute! I've actually never participated in the anniversary sale before so this was a pretty big deal. If you haven't gone yet - get to a Nordstrom! OR stay in your jammies and play online. Both equally acceptable :) I'm posting all my fun purchases on Thursday....stay tuned!

Shopping with this one is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing to my wardrobe and a curse to my poor bank account :)

After we shopped til I literally wanted to drop (no really...my toes were cramping), we came home, got ready, and headed to La Grange for Missy's birthday dinner!

Baylor Thetas :)

Then we sang happy birthday.....twice (when the pictures don't work the first time you try try again), and headed to do a little karaoke action. Because whenever you celebrate Melissa...you karaoke. You can't have one without the other. No really, you can't.

I hate karaoke-ing (it makes me nervous), but as it was a requirement on Melissa's birthday, we busted out some Shania Twain. A clip for your viewing pleasure :)

Sunday morning I woke up early and headed down to Beaumont to pick up Charlie. (He was hanging out with grandma and grandpaw when I was in the Dominican). So my mom said we could eat brunch before I headed back to Dallas. So I thought cool, coffee and a casserole, I'm down. 

Ummmm....No. 

I walked into the house to this...

And was handed one of these...

I mean, y'all. My mama went ALL out for this Sunday brunch. We had yogurt parfaits, quiche, fresh pineapple, hashbrown casserole, lemon tarts, spinach artichoke dip, broccoli/ham roll ups, apple cinnamon streusel muffins, and chocolate covered strawberries. 

I think it's safe to say I get it honestly. :) All my friends are probably nodding their heads and saying "oooohhhh." I mean the proof is in the picture. I get it from my mama :)

And I may or may not be a bit spoiled :)

I mean, this is better than any ole restaurant. Brunching and chatting with my parents just made for the perfect Sunday morning. I am so lucky to call them mine. They're just the greatest. 

After a long 5 hour drive, unpacking, and a little work, I had a package waiting for me. So [backstory], my friend Kristie and I have tried to be budgeting partners for a couple of years now. And we are AWFUL at it. We planned to have monthly budget meetings together and I think we had two. And I don't even think we really followed them. 

Well recently, her dad gave her a book of Dave Ramsey's and she has been providing me with little tips she reads. And then it turned into me asking for daily tips/guidance and so since she's just the sweetest thing ever...THIS was on my doorstep Sunday night :)

Isn't she the greatest? Financial fitness. Gimme some of that. I'm so excited to read this!

And THEN, before my sleepy little head hit the pillow, I decided to have a little dinner. And because it was National Ice Cream Day, I did what was good and right and noble. 

I ate ice cream for dinner. 

This is the first bowl. Because yes, there was more than one.Y'all I had no choice. I mean ME of all people. It was a requirement. And yes, that is vanilla with Hershey's chocolate syrup. I've been eating it that way ever since I can remember. Can't change won't change. That right there is a Katy bowl. 

And that was my weekend!! Hope everyone had a great Monday (as great as those can be), and has an even better Tuesday! 

Until next time,
Katy

Friday Favorites: Food Edition

It's Friday.

Therefore it's a Friday of favorites. 

But not just ANY favorites. 

Today is all food favorites. 

Because apparently I came back from vacation and became a vacuum. It hasn't been pretty. And every day I told myself it would be the last junk food-filled day. But alas, it's Friday, and I haven't stopped yet. So instead of pouting about it, I'm going to theme a blog around it. 

Are your tastebuds ready? I don't think they are...

1. Paleo Turkey Taco Meatballs

So this is probably the one healthy thing I ate this week. Mainly because I was picturing a healthy week when I went to the grocery store on Sunday. Friday Katy is now looking at Sunday Katy and saying "yeah, jokes on you." BUT - this was my one healthy victory!

Now, I really don't do the paleo thing, but if I'm skimming recipes and one has the word "paleo" as an adjective, I usually try it. If it's healthy enough for paleo people, then it's definitely healthy enough for me! These are SO simple....taco seasoning, ground turkey, onion, eggs, almond meal. Easy peasy. And SO yummy. I threw a few on top of some brown rice with a little avocado and it made for a pretty solid work lunch. 

Let's not judge the presentation or platter service. I am in a cubicle, after all. I'll throw the recipe up on the blog next week. You gotta make yourself some meatballs!

2. Noosa 

....no really that's a food. Promise. 

My friend Lauren got me hooked on Noosa when we lived together. If you like yogurt, you have to try the honey Noosa. It's seriously probably the best yogurt I've ever tasted. I normally do the Greek yogurt thing, but as I threw skinny foods out the window this week, I indulged in some Noosa! It's not even really bad for you - it is yogurt after all. And their label says their cows are happy. And I support happy cows.

OH - and you know what I just found out? They now have LEMON Noosa. Did you hear me? L.E.M.O.N. Which means I have to try it. And which also brings me to....

3. Lemon Glazed Muffins

 Did you stop by here on Tuesday? If you did, you saw the recipe for this goodness. If you didn't....run...skip...just hurry on over to this post and make the muffins. You will not regret it. I have been eating on these ALL week. I finished them last night and instantly a dark cloud hovered in the kitchen. Okay, maybe that's pushing it. But it was sad. I'm making these again soon. Definitely a new summer favorite!

4. Iced Non-fat Vanilla Latte

Well I've definitely had my fair share of these this week. This is absolutely my summer Starbucks drink. It's slightly sweet, cold, ....and caffeinated.  I watched the barista make it yesterday and I really think I could make it. It's vanilla, espresso, milk, and ice. Not rocket science. We'll see if I get adventurous before the pumpkin flavor comes out. 

Oh man. Okay now I'm like really ready for the holidays.

5. Jamba Juice Berry Bowl

This little bowl is just goodness. I crave a lot of smoothie-types in the summer (thank you, heat) and when I found this I was sold. It's berry smoothie with granola (RAISINLESS granola), bananas, blueberries, strawberries, honey, and coconut on top. Aaaaaand my mouth just started watering. Next time you pass a jamba...you know what to do. 

And that's all I got! My foodie Friday favorites!!

Actually that's a lie. That's not all I got. Because you know what is coming to Dallas next week???......

It's a J. Crew for poor people!

Okay, not really. But it is indeed a less expensive line of the J. Crew brand. They call it the "value driven label." Call it what you want. I can afford it and it's coming to Dallas! 

The first store opens next Wednesday (July 22nd) at the Shops at Park Lane. 

Are y'all smiling? I'm smiling. 

Okay now that's REALLY all I have. Have an awesome weekend, everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

KUWK: on being an aunt

I honestly thought I'd be okay not having kids.

Kids don't get my sarcasm, rarely want to just sit and snuggle, and most of the time they have something or other running out of their noses. I never had a desire to babysit when I was younger, and the thought of sitting at a playground all afternoon sounded like a soft form of torture. I really honest-to-goodness thought I'd be okay with just being a career woman. I thought I just didn't have the mom gene. 

And then I became an aunt. 

The day Brooklyn Kate came home from the hospital

 This sweet little bundle completely changed my outlook. Granted, the first few weeks when she screamed and Amy didn't sleep I thought my kid-less plan was genius. But then she began to grow and I just couldn't get enough. 

I mean how could you ever actually get enough of this?! 

I'm the baby of the family, so I was never able to watch someone grow up until Brooklyn came into the world. I got to watch her discover her tongue (that was a good stage), learn how to wave, crawl, walk, talk - all of it. She hasn't even turned three yet and I'm completely amazed. I'm amazed at God's miraculous gift of life and growth. I'm amazed at how (freakishly) smart my niece is. I'm just amazed. 

When Brooklyn learned how to say "Aunt Katy" (an-kay-ee), I'm pretty sure my heart turned into a pile of puddle. I still remember when Amy came to my work to drop off something, and B was in the back so I opened the door to say hey, and when I had to go, she cried. That sweet little girl who was a little over a year old didn't want me to leave. So I proceeded to cry right along with her as I walked back into the building. 

 I live about 45 minutes from Brooklyn, but it's still close enough to where I get to see her a good amount of time. We'll meet for lunch, I'll go over there for Sunday night dinners, and most importantly - we'll go to Rangers games together. Which I think is quickly turning into a favorite for both of us :)

I've seen a common saying that aunts "give hugs like a mother, keep secrets like a sister, and share love like a friend." I'm excited to be all of that for Brooklyn. To be another mother figure when she needs it, to be the listening ear on some of those things you just "can't tell mom," and I'm excited to be a friend. To take her out on girly dates, meet her for lunch at school, go to her dance recitals, and just be a constant in her life. I want there to be no doubt in her little mind that she can always count on Aunt Katy. 

Just like I could always count on Amy.

And now? Well, hold onto your hats, but now I can't wait to be a mom. (I mean, I can WAIT, but can actually picture it now). I know it's not all fun and games, and I know being an aunt and mom are different (aunts come in shifts, moms are full-time), but my perspective of my future has changed. I no longer just see conference rooms and pencil skirts. I see toys, play-doh, and endless endless nursery rhymes.

 
 There's really not a better view than seeing your niece running to you - arms wide open, pigtails flappin. I think about it all the time and it just makes me smile. I love being an aunt. It honestly is one of the best job titles in the world. And in December - I get to be an aunt AGAIN. Can't wait to see how two play into the mix...

I guess that's why God gave us two hands for holding :) 

And that is my take on being an aunt!

Until next time,
Katy