Friday Favorites: Friend Edition

I am SUPER excited about today's favorites! Why? Well let me just tell you. 

The favorites below are not necessarily my favorites. (Though after looking through them all, they're quickly becoming some of my favorites). But this week I asked some of my girls to tell me their favorites! So I guess you could say these are some of my favorites' favorites. :)

Eeks!! So excited! Okay, here we go.

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Emily's Friday Favorite

Meet Emily. We're a lot alike. Our love languages consist of Blue Bell (yes, we're still loyal fans), cheesy Lifetime/Hallmark movies, puppies, porch swing chats, and spending time with our nephew/niece. 

Oh and we also bought tickets to the midnight showing of the Justin Bieber movie back in 2011. 

So Emily thought long and hard about her favorite and this is what she settled on:

The Wet Brush

According to Emily, this little puppy is "life changing." Oh and it's only about $10 at Target. Something life-changing for $10 is a must have. She claims that it cuts down on the post-shower hair brush by about 90% (and I've seen Em try to tackle lake tangles....it ain't pretty). 

I have one of these little nuggets and I can attest to its miraculous ways. What I don't understand is it looks exactly like a normal brush. Therefore it just has to have super power bristles. That's really the only answer. If you have long hair - you need this brush. It's a must have for your summer.

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Kristie's Friday Favorite

Kristie is a girl you want in your corner. She's blunt (the good kind), super supportive, and practical. Oh and she's one of those who can watch HGTV....and then actually make it happen in her home. We share a love of bubble baths and Luke Bryan. 

And Kristie is SO practical, that when she sent me her favorite it was in a bulleted outline format with hyperlinks. :)

Rebecca Minkoff Handbags

This is what Kristie is drooling over loving these days. She originally found them on Like to Know It (she's actually the one who taught me about that little nugget of information) and has been researching ever since! See her favorite three below:

Left // Love Crossbody //  Black, Fog, Khaki
Center // Mini MAC // Smoke, Ice, or fun colors like Nautical (yay!), Pink, or Ultraviolet
Right // Quilted Affair // Black, Ice, and Seashell

The Love Crossbody and Quilted Affair also come in mini-versions if you so wish. Kristie also provided a nice lil tidbit: if you're in Texas and order one from Bloomingdales, you don't have to pay sales tax! (Cause we don't have Bloomies here). Thanks to this favorite I might be treating myself to a little birthday gift next month :)

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Lauren's Friday Favorite

Lauren and I were roomies for two whole years! We met on our internship and immediately hit it off (thank you 15-hour workdays!) Then Lauren abandoned us moved to Fort Worth to be with her soon-to-be-coming-in-December HUBS! OH - and we're also huge huge fans of Mix and Match Mama and feel like she's our friend :)

I will say - I half expected her favorite to involve an elephant. Girl loooves her some elephants!

But alas, she chose...

Vail, Colorado

"Colorado in the summertime is hands down the best place in the world!!!  (disclaimer: I haven't been many places in the "world" outside of the United States ;) but I bet it still rivals some foreign destinations, too!)  Growing up, my family would take two trips to Colorado every year--one over Spring Break to ski and one right before school started to escape the 100+ degree days in Oklahoma. Skiing is great and all, but nothing beats Colorado in July/August... especially VAIL!! 

It's the perfect weather.  It gets plenty hot during the day but the evenings are in the 60s and there's almost always an afternoon thunderstorm, which is perfect for napping (Katy knows how much I love my afternoon naps). [KR: I've never met anyone that can match this girl's ability to nap!] My favorite part about Colorado in the summer is how much there is to do.  And most of it is outdoorsy.  Hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting, horseback riding in the mountain, 4-wheeling, some of the best farmers' market shopping you'll ever experience... I could go on and on.  I haven't been in two years and I'm dying to go... like now!  Vail, Colorado just makes me a happy girl.  If you're planning a trip, hit me up!! I'd love to give you some tips (and sneak myself into your luggage). Mmkay, thanks!"

 Straight from the girl's mouth - you heard her! Get yo'self to Vail! ...and watch for a Lauren in your luggage....

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Lisa's Friday Favorite

Lisa = Laughter

That's really all there is to it. She will instantly fill your heart with joy and turn any day into fun. She's a chef. Who can sing. And create. Anything. She can create anything. You should get to know her. And you can do so on her blog.

Oh and she's Monica and I'm Rachel.

"FlavorGod" Seasonings

"While this clean-eating, paleo meal-preppin master is all about a fully loaded spice cabinet, I'm also about efficiency. [KR: Yet the girl doesn't respond to alarms or wake-up calls....] After seeing rave reviews of this confidently named "FlavorGod" company, I had to give his seasonings a try myself! Hand-ground from fresh herbs and spices, plus completely healthy and preservative free, the flavor combos are just what I want without me having to combine it all myself.

Start out with a combo pack of the four original flavors and you cannot go wrong. I had never thought of ordering my spices online but large bottles and free shipping make this investment totally worth finding its way to your kitchen.

Side Tip: "Everything Spicy Seasoning" makes some BANGIN Sweet Potato Hash."

Well there you have it. Who doesn't want their food to be "bangin'?" Yeah I'm totally getting some of this. OR maybe I'll just stick myself in Lisa's kitchen for a taste test :) You can get the goods here.

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Kelsey's Friday Favorite 

Kels is my current roomie! We've actually lived together quite a few times over the years. The few years we didn't, we would still act like we did and watch TV shows together by starting the DVR at the exact same time and texting throughout. Things are a little easier when you share a couch :) 

In college, wherever there was a Katy there was a Kelsey, and wherever there was a Kelsey there was a Katy. It was just the way things were. 

So here's the thing. When I first asked Kelsey to choose a favorite, she chose Gatsby (her dog). I told her no ma'am, and that while he was indeed her favorite, that was cheating. SO - then she decided on No-Leg Larry, and when she sent me all the pictures, I just had to approve :)

No-Leg Larry

I die laughing every time I look at these photos. If a cup of coffee and No-Leg Larry can't make you smile on this Friday morning, I'm not sure what can :) Man I love this little dog.

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And there you have it! Those are some of my favorites' favorites! And as a bonus round - this picture has been sent to me probably 30 times in the past 48 hours:

Not wanting to make light of the flooding problems by any means, I just think it's humorous that everyone knows how serious I am about my Blue Bell. 

Happy weekend everyone! Enjoy the last bits of May 2015 to the fullest. For those of you that are in the Texas/Oklahoma region...hang in there. It looks like it's going to be another rainy one...

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..

Until next time,
Katy

Owning the Crazy

On this Thursday we are owning all the crazy. 

I'm a quirky person. Hey guess what, you are too. That's what makes people-loving so fun. We all are unique individuals who enjoy the common and laugh at the uncommon. 

Never be normal. Never be boring. Be you. We love you for you. People love me for me and I am here to tell you that it ain't always easy :) I'm a little crazy. But that's okay...cause today I'm owning the crazy :)

-- Every morning, I check to make sure I've turned off my curling iron/straightener/coffee maker about 5 times before I walk out the door. I've even been known to take pictures for peace of mind. I'm terrified of burning the house down.

-- Similar to that above, Kelsey's dog, Gatsby, is a smaller dog who tends to like to escape out an open door every now and then. One day last week I circled around the block and came home three different times to make sure he was still in the house. Needless to say I was late to work that day. 

-- At the workplace I am very much Type A, but in my personal life I have so many Type A friends, that I like to kick back, relax, and just let them take care of me. I can go from Type A to Type F real quick.

-- I only will drink water out of water bottles. It's due to no reason and is not a personal preference. But I promise you if a bottle of water is on my desk, it'll be gone within 10 minutes. If a glass of water is on my desk, it'll sit there all day.

-- If someone makes me mad/sad/anything but happy, my world will instantly fall apart. I don't have the ability to separate my emotions from....well anything. BUT, in about 30 minutes I'll be pretty much over it. I have a short fuse, and insta-tears, but I can't hold a grudge to save my life.

-- I am extremely incapable of making a decision. Like I just can't do it. Unfortunately, Jeff can't either. The majority of our little 'tiffs' are centered around our inability to pick a restaurant. No joke.

-- I don't wear jeans. But I really want to. I seriously think I'm scared of them. I just don't think there are jeans out there for my body type. So yes, I have a fear of wearing jeans. 

-- When I'm on long car rides alone, I'll turn on some good female country and pretend I'm in a music video. I'll even turn on the AC full blast for the windblown effect. And yes I just admitted that.

-- I've never (ever) successfully completed a diet/cleanse/challenge. Not exaggerating. I have no will power. If I want the ice cream, I will eat the ice cream.

-- If I think about an awkward or uncomfortable moment/situation, I'll say "NO" out loud. It's a problem. It's happened in meetings. No idea why. It's like my subconscious doesn't want to relive it and needs to make it known to the rest of the body.

So there's ten Katy crazies for you. For those of you who don't know me, well, I hope I didn't scare you off and you'll continue to 'keep up with Katy.' (See what I did there?) For those of you who do know me, I'm pretty sure you all just chuckled and nodded in agreement. Thanks for loving my crazy :)

Until next time,
Katy

What's Up Wednesday

The last Wednesday of the month means I'm linking up with these girls for another rendition of What's Up Wednesday! I can't believe it's already the end of the month. Where did May go!? 

 
What I'm eating this week...

Well, quite frankly, I'm eating a lot of sweets. When Blue Bell was around, I could have a bowl and move on with life. Or I could not have a bowl. Because it was always readily available, so I could take it or leave it. But it's no longer readily available. So now I'm just eating anything and everything that is sweet just to find a replacement. ...I still haven't found one. Just in case you were curious. 

What I'm reminiscing about...

Outfits. Y'all this whole Like to Know It discovery mixed with Memorial Day sales has me constantly thinking of outfits and color combos. And let me tell you this - it.is.not.good.for.my.bank.account. But it is so much fun! It's like those girls in the instagram photos inspire me to be a cuter version of Katy.

What I'm loving...

Working 40 hour weeks. This is a rare thing in my profession (especially over the last year or so), and I'm finally feeling like myself again. I get to fill out my calendar with evening activities! I get to go to the gym, I get to cook, I get to see people! Stella's gettin' her groove back, y'all. (Friends reference...anyone? anyone?)

What I've been up to...

Rain. We've been up to so much rain. And it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. We had another huge thunderstorm last night, but that didn't stop me and these three loves from having a little girls night out!! :)

What I'm dreading...

Turning 27. 

Ask Kelsey. I had an "I'm getting old" breakdown the other night. The struggle is real.

What I'm working on...

My "Thirty before Thirty" list. I am currently working on a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. I'm finalizing/publishing the list on my birthday this year, so that will give me three whole years to complete. I'm pretty dang excited about this little project of mine. So the compilation of that list is what I've been working on. (And if you have any must-dos please let me know!)

What I'm excited about...

Being an aunt... again! This past month we found out that Amy is due with Baby #2 in December! So while I absolutely love the holidays (probably too much), this year it's even more exciting! We don't have any December babies in the family, so we're pretty dang excited about this one!

Brooklyn is going to be the cutest big sister :)

What I'm watching/reading...

Unfortunately we're in the "TV in-between." And I HATE the TV in-between. My winter/spring shows have ended, and my summer shows haven't started. Therefore my DVR is manageable and I'm not happy about it. SO - I've been working on my Friday Night Lights binge (almost through!) and watching Friends marathons. Because Chandler's humor never gets old to me.

What I'm listening to...

 Yep. Stiiiiiiiiill country.

What I'm wearing...

Anything navy, white, and nautical. That's apparently going to be my themed outfit for the summer. Pretty much everything I've purchased last weekend was navy and nautical. 

What I'm doing this weekend...

This weekend Jeff and I are headed to his parent's lake house, which just so happens to be right over near Canton! So me and his mama are going to do a little shopping along with our R&R!

What I'm looking forward to next month...

NEXT MONTH IS BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm one of those obnoxious brilliant people who celebrate their birthday all month long. It's also pretty necessary when your birthday is during wedding month. Since the odds of all my peeps being available to celebrate all at once, I have to celebrate in mini-groups. And that's actually a-okay with me. So I'm super excited for birthday month! Now, turning 27 gives me severe anxiety, but we just won't focus on that part. 

OH - and in a week and a half, the fam and I are Boston-bound for an extra long celebratory weekend of my 5-year radiation anniversary! Pretty exciting stuff right there.

and the seasonal question for the month...

What is your favorite thing to grill in the summer?

Whatever sweet Jeffrey grills me. That boy certainly knows how to work his way around a grill.

And that's what's up! Happy hump day everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

Weekend Wrap-Up: Memorial Day

Can I just say that I love that this weekend wrap-up falls on a Tuesday? I mean, tomorrow is the mid-week mark. We're almost there! 

I hope you all had a glorious long weekend with the ones you love and took some time to remember the ones we've lost. My brother shared this yesterday and I thought it was pretty appropriate: 

Those men and women gave the largest price they could, they gave everything they had, all for the freedom of their friends, family, and beloved country. That's pretty special, y'all.

Okay, enough of the weepy. Back to the weekend. This wrap-up consists of lots of family time. Friday morning, Brooklyn and I set off to Beaumont for the weekend!

This is in the middle of good ole fashioned peek-a-boo

Saturday morning we woke up early and headed off to the Farmer's Market. Let me tell you what, I am a huge fan of farmer's markets. I don't know why I don't go to the one(s) in Dallas more often. Or at all. I love cooking with fresh veggies (must be my Mississippi roots). So if you're a farmer's market veteran in the Dallas area - please show me your ways. K thanks.

Brookie was a bit overwhelmed at first (lots of people) but then she warmed up to it! Oh and there was a playground next door. So that helped.

After we returned home and indulged in a pancake breakfast, we saw a beautiful thing...
We saw the SUN. 

So I introduced my pasty white skin to the sunshine (and got my HGTV on)....

 

 While these two hooligans shot each other with squirt guns.

Then after we decided the sun might actually be out to stay for a while, we dubbed it an afternoon for the pool!

Love this little beach babe :)

I kid you not, I had to take frequent breaks from the sun. After living in Seattle rainy Dallas for two months, my eyes were overwhelmed. So every hour or so I'd go inside and do a little browsing...which resulted in a lot of this:

Whoops. At least it was all on sale....

After an afternoon of sun we came inside to partake in the Reeves' summer tradition: homemade ice cream. Man, it was a good day when you'd walk in the back door and hear that blessed churn. The longest 45 minutes is that of waiting for homemade ice cream to stop churning.

My summertime bestie

The second the churn slowed down, my dad went and found his "bowl" - which is the biggest bowl we have in the house. I'm telling you - we Reeves take our ice cream seriously.

Post-pool goodness :)

Sunday morning it stormed and poured, so after church my dad and I cooked a healthy lunch in. Funny thing I realized this weekend: I cook with both of my parents. With my mom I bake - desserts, breads, cookies, cakes, pies  - those sorts. With my dad I cook healthy meals. It's really the best of both worlds if you ask me. So dad and I whipped up a little veggie gratin with our farmer's market goodies!

Oh and then we sent Brooklyn flying down the stairs in a box.

I flew back to Dallas Sunday night, and J picked me up and took me to a really nice dinner. We sat on the second-floor patio and just wined, dined, and talked. It just doesn't get much better than date night with that boy! 

And then there was yesterday. Not sure what you were doing during those tornado warnings, but we were the two dumb dumbs running around in the freezing cold wind and rain at the outlet mall. 

But we couldn't miss the Memorial Day sales! Want to know something interesting? Jeffrey Daniel spends more money on shopping sprees than I do. I mean that boy gets on a mission and there's not much that can stop him. In one store he leaned down (to pick up all his other bags) and this was my view. 

Pretty sure he bought close to ten shirts in this store. I kind of like this though, his shopping habits support my spending habits. This I could get used to :)

And that's a wrap! Now to finish this coffee and tackle this Tuesday. We can do this kids. 

Until next time,
Katy

Friday Favorites

Woop woop! FRI. DAY. 

Let's kick off this long weekend with some favorites!

You know what I love about Fridays? You wake up smiling. Every time. No matter what the work day holds, you just have to survive 8(ish) hours and then you're home free. Fridays are victorious people. You survived Monday - Thursday. And regardless of what happens on Friday, that is something to smile about!

[steps off soapboax] Okay, back to the favorites :)

1. Lemon Pie 

On Tuesday I shared the pie that should be a frequent visitor of your summers. It's cold, is tangy, it's refreshing...it's EASY. Four ingredients, people. And it's so dang good. I grew up on this stuff. If you know what's good for you, this will weasel its way into your Memorial Day menu!

2. On to Something Good - Ashley Monroe

 

Y'all. This is my jam right now. I'm definitely in the stage of my life right now where I'm fervently praying for the "what's next?" I am a firm believer that the Lord has a plan and will for my life, and I also firmly believe that I am in the waiting stage at the moment. And the waiting stage can test the patience of the 'go-getter' type, like myself. I'm constantly just asking "what do you want to do with me?!?" But I know that with each prayer and each response of "just wait,"  there's something worth waiting for on the other side. I'm on to something good :) 

You can check out the music video here! The song'll make you smile :) 

3. Char Man

I get to come home to this smile every single day. This favorite doesn't really need much more of an explanation!! 

4. Trader Joe's Avocado Salsa

 

Holy goodness. This stuff is incredible. Kelsey found this brilliance of a dip and Trader Joe's and it has been a frequent visitor of our fridge ever since. If you like guacamole and salsa - well then you're welcome. It has the creaminess of avocado mixed with a kick of salsa. Your chips will thank you. Your taste buds will thank you. I'm not kidding people. Put yo chip in this dip. 

5. {LONG} WEEKEND

Thanks to my Like to Know It binge, I bought this sweatshirt yesterday and I am SO stinkin' excited. It is so not really me at all which kind of makes me more excited. The little Katy on my shoulder is like, "you go girl, you branch out of your comfort zone!" Oh - and while the sweatshirt is awesome, it's also a long weekend. And that, my friends, is the ultimate Friday Favorite. 

 

Have a fantastic, safe, (and likely rainy) long Memorial Day weekend!

Until next time,
Katy