Friday Favorites

It's FRIDAY! 

Surprise, surprise - I'm linking up and sharing some of my favorites of the week!

But before we get into the favorites, I want to give a huge shout out to my favorite mama! It's her birthday today - and she deserves SO much love and celebration. I just adore this woman. You can read here about all the reason's why she's wonderful. Happy Birthday, Mom! Can't wait to celebrate with you!

Isn't she the cutest?

Alright -back to the favorites. 

 

1. Pumpkin and Lemon Noosa

 

Back in one of my July Favorites, I told you how my favorite yogurt was the honey-flavored Noosa. (Plus their yogurt comes from happy cows, remember?) Well this week I branched out and bought both the lemon and pumpkin flavored Noosa, and my taste buds and I decided I should buy stock in this company. Their yogurt is SO delicious! The lemon genuinely tastes similar to my favorite lemon pie filling, and the pumpkin just tastes like your mouth is full of the fallidays. You have to try this yogurt! Plus...c'mon. You know I have to give you something pumpkin flavored like every Friday now, right? :)

See all fifteen Noosa flavors here. 

2. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst

Y'all - I was planning to talk about this book in my September book review, but I am so completely obsessed with this book I just can't wait. I joined a small group at church and this was the first book that was chosen for the study. If you are a female who wonders where your life is going, wonders where your hours fly away to each day, finds yourself caught up in people-pleasing, or are a victim of the routine of an overwhelming schedule - then you have to read this book. I'm only three chapters in and I just can't get enough. I kept texting Jeff pictures of paragraphs because I'm just amazed at how appropriate it is for this point in my life. Oh, and she's funny. 

Some of my favorite quotes from the book so far:

"We must not confuse our command to love with the disease to please."

"A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul."

"The decisions we make dictate the schedules we keep. The schedules we keep determine the lives we live. The life we live determines how we spend our soul."

It's a must-red.

 3. The Pumpkin Collection at Pottery Barn

Um. Let's talk about this. Do you SEE those pumpkin mugs?! I did a little online shimmie over to Pottery Barn last night and was graced with all things pumpkin, pretty, and pottery. My jaw dropped and my eyes bugged out of my head. Imagine that wide-eyed emoji, if you will. I mean, I know that as a 27-year old I don't have a need or space for all of these things, but you better believe this is now on my list of adult goals. Give me the pumpkin drinkware. I mean that pumpkin drink dispenser is begging for a Falliday party, don't you think? 

 

Pumpkin Mugs // Pumpkin Wine Glasses

Pumpkin Drink Dispenser // Pumpkin Decanter

 4. Friday Favorite Quote

 

Can I get an AMEN?! I can seriously crawl in bed completely and utterly exhausted at 9 pm, pull out my phone to check "one thing" - and bam. It's 11 o'clock and I am officially caught up on worthless knowledge and pictures of random people I've never met in my life. Thank you social media. Thank you for stealing my Zzzzs. 

5. Cinnamon Pound Cake Loaf

And last but not least, I leave you with my first favorite fall bread (from Mrs. Paula Deen) - the cinnamon pound cake loaf. I shared this with y'all Wednesday morning, took it to work, and it was completely gone by noon. I went for a post-lunch piece and was met by cinnamon loaf crumbs. I suggest you make your own this weekend, and I can pretty much bet you already have all of the ingredients in your cabinet. 

Let me set this up for you: a cool 60-degree Saturday morning, a quiet house before the college football madness ensues, a large cup of steaming hot coffee, a fuzzy blanket, and a nice slice of this cinnamon loaf. Can you see it? :)

 Find the recipe here!

______

And those are this week's favorites! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm headed down to Baylor with my crew, and I'm pretty dang excited about it. Fellow Bears, I'll see you in Waco! Everyone else - see you Monday :)

Until next time,
Katy

Cinnamon Pound Cake Loaf

Are your taste buds ready? Because boy-oh-boy do I have a treat for them!

In my September goals last week, I told you about how I have a goal of making seven of Paula Deen's fall loaves. I saw them all in a magazine, couldn't decide which one(s) I wanted to make, and decided to make them all. It really seemed like the easiest choice when celebrating the Fallidays. 

Pause. 

What on earth are the Fallidays you ask? Well yesterday Jeff and I were talking about how the summer is coming to a close and I told him I wasn't sad because I just love fall. And the holidays. To which Jeff said "the fallidays." ...and I may have freaked out. 

People we are celebrating the Fallidays. 

Alright back to the breads.

First up, I give you the Cinnamon Pound Cake Loaf

Look closely. Do you see those cinnamon specks? This cake loaf is just goodness. I may have licked the bowl before I washed it - and then the most disgusting thing happened. I went like hungry-animal-seeking-helpless-prey on that bowl. It was not pretty. But it was SO good. Illegally good.

And it tastes just as good in the post-baked form! Even my sister would be a fan of this loaf, and she's a picky one :)

So how do you get one of your own? Let me tell you. Just like Paula told me. 

What You'll Need

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

What You'll Do

In a large bowl, mix the butter, both sugars, and eggs
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt
Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the first bowl, beginning and ending with the flour

Pour batter into 9 inch bread pan* and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Remove, cover with foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

*I lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then sprayed with Pam - it made for a flawless and easy removal from the bread pan

 

Remove and indulge. With caution. Cinnamon gets your taste buds ready for those Fallidays :) 

Happy Hump Day!

Until next time,
Katy 

Fall Subway Art

Good morning! 

Y'all, I am so beyond excited to share what was hand-delivered to my doorstep yesterday.

Are you ready? 

I don't think you're ready. 

LOOK. AT. THIS. 

Is this not incredible? My (extremely talented) bestie Lisa surprised me with this on my doorstep last night. Helloooooo happiness. How amazing is she? I mean I just can't get over it. I'm staring at it in person right now and I'm just in awe. 

I got really hooked on subway art but couldn't find one that had all the words I wanted. SO, I drew up my own design and asked Lisa to make one for me! The ironic part is that I asked her for this last fall, so it really was a surprise when she delivered it yesterday! :) Hey - life happens.

And it was absolutely worth the wait. It came out even more perfect that I could have ever imagined. I mean...check out what I gave the poor girl to work with....

That's how Katy does "art." I mean, do you see the coffee cup she put by the Pumpkin Spice? I saw it and immediately just said, "is that the Central Perk cup?" And she just smiled. She will forever be the Monica to my Rachel. 

I just can't get over it. I'm in love. I mean I don't really want to give the girl a side business if she doesn't want one, but I would recommend this girl for any art/signage project. I texted my mom and she responded with "tell her I want one!" So Lis, you might have another order coming your way! :)

Lisa is talented, but she's also an amazing person. Like one of the most amazing people I've met. If you looked up "bundle of joy" in the dictionary, this girl would pop up.

You can read her health journey over at Finding Fit and find her on instagram @designerlisa. 

Oh, and she's the godmother to my dog. He adores her. Pictures with mom? Not a chance. Pictures with Lisa? He's all over it. 

EEKS!!!! So excited. And since I haven't shut up about fall even though it's still close to triple digits in Texas, I shall leave you with this funny:

#guilty

Have a great Tuesday!

Until next time,
Katy

Friday Favorites

It's Friday! But not only is it Friday - it's the Friday of a 3-day weekend. 

And that deserves an EXTRA large Friday smile. 

Per usual, I'm linking up with Erika and April for {Five on {Friday} Favorites!}

 1. The Return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte

How does that picture not make you smile? 

Okay okay so I technically get pumpkin spice mistos but the goodness is the same regardless. The PSL returns *officially* on Tuesday (September 8th), but if you're lucky, the Starbucks nearest you will have it TODAY. So go check! Last night I checked the location near me by acting like I was going to place a beta order (the app option that let's you order ahead) and all things pumpkin popped up!

So I may or may not have walked to Starbucks at 6 a.m. to get one before the masses did. You say ridiculous, I say loyal and brilliant.

And what's better to go with your favorite coffee other than.....

2. Coffee Cake Muffin

....a coffee cake muffin! On Monday I shared this goodness of a breakfast recipe with you, and you have to admit those puppies look pretty scrumptious. Even I was impressed with how they turned out. They're courtesy of Paula Deen - they can't NOT be good. Find the recipe here. 

I mean I just gave you coffee and coffee cake. Hello Friday breakfast.

3. Oversized Blown Up Check Scarf - Asos

I sent this to my sister yesterday and I've been thinking about it ever since. I'm hopping on the plaid train this fall. I can feel it. Normally I'm doing good if I embrace stripes (I've never been one for extreme prints), but boy oh boy am I feeling the plaid. 

PLUS when the weather gets cold I want to wear an oversized scarf every day. It's like the work-appropriate fuzzy bathrobe. If you make me adult, I will definitely find me a way to comfy adult. See the coziness here. 

4. Sole Mate - Essie

I treated myself to a mani/pedi this weekend (I try to paint my own most of the time but sometimes those puppies need professional help), and since we were kicking off "fall" this weekend I decided to bring along one of my favorite fall Essie colors! This is Sole Mate - it's basically a dark purple. Y'all I have gotten so many compliments on this color this week. As in people are writing it down. It's really the perfect fall color (in my purple-biased opinion!)

Pssst - how does my picture look? Am I ready for pinterest yet? :)

5. Funny Quote

And last but not least, I'm leaving you with a quote that my friend Kristie sent me last night that I laughed about for approximately 5 minutes straight. 

 I mean how.true.is.that?? Anyone else? How many of you just did this with that scarf up there? I mean really. This is just too dang good. Still laughing. 

And those are my five favorites!! I hope you all have a wonderful {long} weekend celebrating the last weekend of summer. Be safe, be smart, and I'll see you on Tuesday. 

Until next time,
Katy

Peek at the Week

It's {almost} Friday!!

I haven't done a peek at the week post in a while, so that's what's going down over here today. I realize that y'all probably care a lot more about items on sale and fun recipes, but I have a feeling that when I look back at this blog in a few years, these are going to be the posts I enjoy the most :)

And before we get started, can I just say that my coffee is hitting.the.spot this morning? 

Okay then. Let's take a peek!

Last Thursday, J and I double dated with Ryan and Molly to a Rangers game! It was probably the worst game to attend considering we lost 12-2, but if you didn't look at the scoreboard or field it was a good time :)

Friday night Kelsey and I had a roommate date and went to see Meryl Streep's new movie. I took this picture because since we've known each other (so for the past 9 years), this is how we movie. She gets popcorn, I get buncha crunch. Salty and sweet.

PS don't go see "Ricky and the Flash" unless you just want to watch Meryl sing on stage. A LOT. 

On Saturday I had a Katy day. Which, let me tell you, I've gotten a lot better at over the years. I would try these in college and after about an hour and a half I would call my girl Lisa with an "I'm booooored." #extrovertproblems 

So I woke up early and settled in with some coffee and Paula Deen before pilates. Because that's what you do before pilates - you look at all things carb-like and pumpkin.

Y'all - that top magazine right there will be my bestie this fall. I mean I opened it up to the table of contents and I could have sworn a light was shining down on it. Please note the first four items:

Loaves, Muffins, Bundts, and Pies.....I mean was this magazine written for me or what!? This is the magazine where I saw her seven fall loaves, couldn't decide which ones to try, and decided to make it a monthly goal of baking all seven in September. 

And THEN when I got to the bundt cake section, I saw this picture!

This is that new Williams Sonoma bundt cake I was telling you about the other week! Paula has it too! We're basically besties. And did you hear she's on DWTS this year? So excited. 

And all the while I'm flipping through magazines (and flipping out), I look to my left and see this:

He's not as impressed by Paula Deen and fun bundt pans. 

Later that day I headed to Mockingbird Station to treat myself to a mani/pedi, and there just happened to be a parking spot right in front of Bath and Body Works. So I had to go in. I mean I could smell the fall from outside the store. They had a buy 3, get 3 free special, so I think I made out pretty well...

Oh, and you see how those two candles on either end are baby candles? That's because I have a problem. I buy candles faster than I burn candles. So this is why I refrained and bought small ones....because these are still in my cabinet:

I bet my old roommate Lauren's jaw just dropped. Because she was with me when I bought them. ....two years ago. I know. I know. I need to burn faster. I just love them too much and don't want them to go away! I told you, I have problems.

Saturday night we went to an "all white" birthday party for one of my good friends from Baylor. My favorite part about this party? It was basically a giant Baylor reunion. Which couldn't have been more perfect- especially right before football season! I expect to see a lot of Baylor faces soon :)

Sunday morning I headed over to Jeff's before church, and lookie what was waiting for me on the counter when I got there:

He knows that the way to my heart is through a fall baking magazine. 

After church I headed to Mansfield to babysit this little cutie :)

She wanted to 1) take a picture and 2) take it while screaming. So you're lucky there's no sound in this picture. I love right after we take a picture because she always says "can I see it?" Girl already knows she's gotta double check the picture :)

We were watching a little bit of Sophia the First (great show by the way), and when I looked over I saw this....

Is this not how you watch TV? 

Later that day, Jeff and I took Charlie to Petco to pick out a new toy. He chose an elephant (Jeff named it Eli), that he loves dearly. He carried it around the store....

And snuggled with it the whole rest of the evening. Charlie + Eli = BFF.

 And that's about all we got! Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

What's Hap-Pinning: Football Season

What's Hap-Pinning everyone?!

Today I'm linking up with Jessi and Jenn for a little What's Hap-Pinning Wednesday. This is a good day. You know why? Because this is when the pinterest world and the blog world combine. Yeah, buddy. 

In honor of college football this weekend, I'm pinning all things Watch Party. I may not understand football (it's a goal of mine this month), and I may not be able to watch the whole game, but I CAN plan a watch party. So that's what we're pinning today.

And the perfect pin to kick it off? This. Centerpiece. 

via 

It's a PUMPKIN. Hello how perfect is this? I'm obsessed. 

And now I'm on a decorations kick so let's look at those before we get to the food...

Penalty Flag Napkins  // Silverware Cans

 Football Schedule // Lined Paper Tablecloth

I mean, how cute are these? Simple, re-usable (except for maybe the tablecloth) and themed without being overly cheesy. Penalty flags as napkins = brilliant. 

Alright, let's talk food. When I think watch party I think dips and small bites. But here's the thing...if I served Jeff a cucumber sandwich in the middle of an OU game he would look at me like I was a dang fool. So, the trick is finding mini-man bites. But really it's not a trick at all....thank you pinterest. 

 Dips:

Loaded Baked Potato Dip // White Pizza Dip 

Cajun Shrimp Dip // Ranch Buffalo Chicken Dip

  Mouth watering? Anyone else? Just me? I mean those are some hearty dips. I'm always a fan of guacamole and spinach/artichoke dip, but if you're wanting to spruce up your dip - I think those should do it :)

Now onto the Man Bites:

Mini Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups  // Mini Taco Bowls // Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups

And, because they're basically a staple at any Texas football gathering....

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

I mean if you're not excited to throw a party then I don't know what will get your football engine going! I'm just oh so excited. 

Also, as I was searching around pinterest items I laughed because I saw this:

  

 I have this hunter green vest from J. Crew and have worn it to a Baylor game at LEAST once a year the past couple of years. This is my go to Baylor game outfit. Comfy, cozy, and cute. If you're looking for me at McLane - I'll be the girl in this. 

And that's what's hap-pinning!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

September Goals

Hello September. It's about time. 

I don't care how warm it is outside. You better believe I am curled up with my fuzzy robe, extra piping hot coffee in my mug, and I'm pretending it's in the 50s and 60s outside. So until I head out for the gym and immediately start sweating - it feels like fall outside. 

And with the first of the month comes monthly goals. But first let's recap August.

Now, if you remember back a month, we did something a little different in August. We focused on our happy. No lists, no goals - just did a little "Katy" every day. Let me tell you - I don't have too many fabulous ideas, but taking time to rediscover me was a brilliant idea. 

I baked, I bubble bathed, I read, I wrote, I got in a morning routine, I fell in love with yoga, I just lived. I focused on much more than work. I worked hard in those 40-45 hours I was there, but when I left (which was at a normal time)...I left work at work. 

Granted, I'm re-implementing my monthly goals this month, but I'm going to really try not to lose sight of what I learned in August. Both about life and about myself. 

So let's talk goals. Now the tricky part about this month is the fact that I wanted to do things like have a picnic, buy new boots, and wrap up in scarves and go for walks in the brisk air. ...too bad that's not September in Texas. 

1) Embrace College Football

I mean, don't get me wrong, I am excited, but I'm excited to wear green and gold, throw watch parties, and go to Waco and be reunited with my people. I think I want to actually TRY this year. As in try to understand the game. I bet this lasts the first weekend and then I'll be over it, but alas, it's a goal. 

2) Bake Seven of Paula Deen's Breads 

I am SO pumped about this! If you saw instagram or yesterday's post, you know I've been hanging out with Paula Deen lately. In the form of a magazine. Well, one magazine had seven different fall breads that all looked heavenly. But I couldn't decide which one to bake. So I decided to make it a goal to make all seven included in the magazine. A buncha fall breads are headed your way!

3) Fit in as Many Baseball Games as Possible

This month marks the close of the regular baseball season. Wamp wamp. So over the next month I am going to try to fit in as many hot dogs games as possible. And if I could see my man Hamels pitch again I will be one happy Katy. 

4) Spend a Long Weekend at Home

Like in Beaumont home. Because home makes me happy and I love hanging out with my parents. That's really all there is to it. OH - and my parents have the Hallmark channel. Always a good time :)

5) EAT BLUE BELL

Y'all, yesterday was a sad day to be Katy Reeves. My Facebook newsfeed was FILLED with Houston/Austin people eating Blue Bell. And this little piggy had none. So I'm going to need to find and devour a carton. Or two. Can one order Blue Bell? I'm still wondering why Blue Bell didn't send me any. I mean HELLO #1 fan over here. 

And there we have September! It's going to be a great month. I can feel it. 

Until next time,
Katy