8.30.2013

Anniversary Celebrations {Part 1}


Our anniversary celebration has been absolutely wonderful.... so far.  No, we didn't buy that Bentley, (and we weren't about to ask whosoever it was to move it so that we could get a picture), but I'd say it's been a great week.

It all started off with randomly getting free tickets to the (first) Ohio State game this weekend. I was doing a little happy dance! I mentioned earlier in the week Billy had work functions at night this week, so we couldn't celebrate until Thursday. When I got home from work I saw these waiting for me...


....balloons, wine already poured into glasses, and a gift bag. How cute are they?! I was so excited. I pretty much begged him to tell him where we were going for dinner and used the excuse that I needed to know what to wear...priorities, right? 

He told me we had reservations to have dinner at the same place where we had our rehearsal dinner (Eddie Merlot's-absolutely amazing) and that he also made reservations for Saturday to have dinner at the country club where we tied the knot!! I about melted. He did so, so good. 

Did I mention that these beautiful daisies are from Erica? I came home from work Wednesday and they were waiting on our doorstop with the sweetest card attached. She is one of the most thoughtful girls in the whole world and she definitely makes the rest of us look pretty bad... (thank you Erica! We love you!!)


Since I normally don't wear heels and fancy dresses all that often, I pulled out a dress from last year that I've never worn and hurried up and got ready because I wanted to give Billy one of his gifts before we left for dinner.

 Dress is BarIII from Macy's (last year) / shoes are Jessica Simpson..sorry for the terrible quality but I was in a rush. 

I decided to get Billy a golf club that he's talked about wanting for months and let me tell you, that was a smart decision. He was so happy to get it and now I don't have to go into Golf Galaxy anymore to hear about this putter that he absolutely needs... win/win.

 

He told me it was one of his favorite gifts that I've got him...who would've known?

I had to get a picture of Billy and Rocky together before we left...
 

and of course, the obligatory picture in the car...


It was our first time back to Eddie Merlot's since our rehearsal dinner and we decided we liked it that way. We could definitely eat here more because the food is seriously out of this world, but it makes it that much more special that we hadn't been back yet. We had at least 4 people come up to us and talk to us about our rehearsal dinner and they gave us such great service.

Oh my gosh..the drinks. THE DRINKS - delish. Billy had a seasonal wheat beer and I had a drink called 50 Shades (for real)...



I actually forgot to bring my good camera so iPhone pics had to do, but we had one of the best meals of our life. Just take my word for it and get Eddie's potatoes (mashed potatoes with cheese and jalapenos), the filet (yep-I did NOT hold back, I wanted to get exactly what I had at our rehearsal dinner so I decided to splurge and I'm not mad about it at all!), the roasted chicken (this is what Billy got and it was the size of like 3 plates), and the Sweet and Spicy Rock Shrimp appetizer.

We were loving it and could barely leave when we were done eating because we were in a food coma but somehow when our server surprised us and brought out this Red Velvet cupcake (it's a lot bigger than it looks in this pic) we managed to find room in our stomachs to eat it.... ;)


I mean we couldn't just leave it sitting there...

Worth.it.

It was so much fun reminiscing and was just overall a fabulous night. I will share more pictures next week (after our long holiday weekend!) about going to the country club where we got married and also a fun little "man basket" that I put together for Billy as another small gift. I act like this is just as exciting for you as it is for me (wrong), but just bear with me...

I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

PS-GO BUCKS!!

 

8.28.2013

Three.Years.


 Today marks our three year wedding anniversary!

When searching for pictures of us "back in the day", I realized they should be in an album on Facebook titled "Pictures I never should have posted...", and definitely not made public.

Some of them I found were just...no. 
Some of the poses I made Billy do? Just no.

Anyway, what I'm trying to to say is, we went from this....



to this....



and it feels pretty good to look back to see how much we've been through, all the memories we've made, and to be where we are today.

I remember meeting Billy and being friends before we started dating. I knew exactly what I wanted, which was him. I was really confident that I would end up with him too, which is not like me at all because back then I was only sure of a couple things in my life. I would flat out tell our friends how much I adored him and I knew that we would end up together in the long run. It's so crazy to say that (and they all definitely thought I was a little crazy for it) because what were the chances?! I'm a girl who knows what she wants and luckily it came true. You could say I called it. :)

Billy is so supportive of me and there is never a day that I question his love for me. I'm so thankful for this. He is so good with making me feel loved and today (so far) has been no different. He woke up and went out to get me my favorite coffee and he has left me love notes around the house to find (under my pillow, in my car, in my running shoes!) everyday so far this week. We are celebrating tomorrow because he has a work event tonight, but I have no idea what we're doing because he won't tell me. He knows me well so I'm 100% sure it involves good food (I hope?!). 

Happy anniversary Billy - I love you, and am so lucky to be your wife!


 

 

8.27.2013

5 Fall Favorites


The weather has heated back up here in the good ole O-H, but that doesn't mean my mind isn't drifting off to my favorite season of all.... Fall! I rounded up a list of my five favorite things that I think of when I hear the word "fall". This was hard because I could probably go on forever (the leaves changing colors, having bonfires, going horseback riding), but I'll spare you those for now... 

fall bucket list coming soon. aka next month when I feel like it's not too early to post it. 


1. Bath and Body Works 3 Wick Candles




Yes, I buy these candles year round (they are the best, in my opinion), but the Fall scents can't be beat. I already ordered 3 last week to make sure our house is stocked early - Pumpkin Cupcake, Mahogany Teakwood, and Marshmallow Fireside. I can already picture having our doors and windows open at home with one of these candles lit and that makes me really happy.

2. College Football 
specifically, the team that is going to go ALL the way this year...
The Ohio State Buckeyes!

The first game of the year is this Saturday and to say I'm excited is an understatement... 
bring on the tailgaiting! 



3. Leather


 Leather skinnies, leather jackets, leather skirts...I'm loving this trend for fall.

Especially a plaid shirt with a leather jacket or skirt...so cute.


4. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte's


I used to go crazy over these drinks.

Soon these will be popping up all over our Instagram feeds, and while I still want to get that first obligatory PSL of the year, I usually tend to stick with a Salted Caramel Mocha if I'm looking to splurge that many calories on a drink.

PS-I heard something about PSL being available today for their 10 year anniversary, in case anyone wants one super early!


5. Boots

There is no fall without lusting over some new boots. They are just my thing and always suck me in when shopping online or at the mall. Tall? short? black? brown? Need them all.

For the girls on a budget (like myself), I found these Target booties that are extremely similar to DV Jaxen booties for way less. 








What are your Fall favorites?

My giveaway with Albion Fit is still open! Hurry up and go enter, if you haven't already.

 

8.26.2013

Weekend, I Want You Back.


Disclaimer: This is not a VMA post.

However, I confess that my whole week was made by the NSYNC reunion on stage last night.

I confess I jumped up, sat about half an inch away from the TV screen, and screamed like adolescent Katie used to do back in my prime teeny bopper days.

I confess I rewinded their 60 second performance about 4 times and I threatened Billy to make sure he never, ever deletes it from our tivo. 

I confess I drove to work this morning blaring their Greatest Hits album with my windows down, with no shame. (I also confess I bought it on iTunes last night immediately after they got off stage)

But oops, who cares what I have to confess?

This is a weekend recap post. Not a confessional.

Our weekend was one for the books. The weather was perfect, I got a lot accomplished (like booking our hotel rooms for our California trip that I had put off for far too long!), but yet we still managed to have a lot of fun with friends and family.

 

Friday I went to happy hour with my girlfriend and got to wear my new T+J Designs necklace, that I mentioned here, for the first time. Absolutely in love with it and I got so many compliments on it.

We went to The Pint House in the Short North (my first time there) and it exceeded my expectations. They have over 75 craft beers to choose from, a great atmosphere, and we got lucky by getting one of the best tables in the place - right next to outside so that we could people watch and enjoy the weather. I'm already planning our next trip back with friends, it might be one of my new favorite spots here!!

Saturday morning we finally got to do one of my favorite summer activities that I haven't had a chance to do yet because we have been so busy...go to the Worthington Farmer's Market! It's the biggest farmers market in the state of Ohio, which means it's pretty legit. :) No but really, it's awesome! I came home with a basket of squash/zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, apples, and sadly I passed up on buying a dip called Birthday Cake. Why I passed that up I'll never know. Something about a diet and probably eating it all in one sitting.


After the farmers market, we headed to Sweet Clove Sunshine Cafe (our favorite) for brunch. Rocky and all. Can I just tell you how spoiled he is here? He got his own chair at our table, all the servers came up to pet him, and they even brought him out a plate of honeybaked ham.

I'm pretty sure he expects to go with us every time now....


Saturday afternoon/evening was actually spent in Cleveland - for the third weekend in a row. It was Billy's best friend, Cory's, surprise 30th birthday party so we couldn't miss it and I'm really glad we didn't because Billy got to hang out with a lot of his guy friends from college. They had a bonfire after dinner and then we turned around and headed back to Columbus!

On Sunday Billy had an all day hockey class so I took it upon myself to lay out for a couple hours, clean the house (a little bit), and just relax. We went to my parents house for dinner and because my Dad needed Billy's help pulling cattails out of the pond behind their house (pictured above-it was hilarious to watch them) and my stepmom had Peach Bellini's waiting for us right when we got there....


They were so yummy. We had burgers (fish for me), corn on the cob, and caprese salad for dinner and I said that it was probably one of my favorite summer dinners. Not to mention, my stepmom made THIS chocolate hazelnut cake that we had for dessert...

 

No, I didn't eat the whole thing but I really wanted to.

And well, you know how my night ended. I'd say this weekend was a success!

Did you see NSYNC's reunion on the VMA's?

How was your weekend?

This week marks our anniversary week...so crazy!


 

8.23.2013

Loving Lately



1) This dress from Forever 21. I've been talking to my friends and decided that it is much better to shop online at Forever 21. I've found so many great items lately online that I NEVER see, or can find, in the stores. If you have get overwhelmed in that store, try looking online. I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality of many things I've ordered lately. Not to mention, this dress was only $14.90. 
 
 I also ordered this dress and am in love with it.


2) I know I've mentioned my love for these Quest Bars via Twitter, but I can't remember if I've blogged about them before. My other half has, but I haz not. Please take my word for it and go to your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe (or you can order online at Amazon!) and get these two flavors as soon as possible. 

Then, bring them home, unwrap one of the bars and pop in the microwave for 8 seconds. 

You.will.be.in.heaven.

(ps-these are the cleanest protein bars you will find! That I know of at least...)


  3) Last night I think I died and went to necklace heaven when opening this package from T&J Designs.

 Is this not one of the most gorgeous necklaces in all the land?
You can find it here (and you can get 30% off right now with their friends and family sale! code is "ff30tj")
I'm so excited to wear this! It can be paired with so many things...

4) Happy hours

In an effort to soak up the last of summer, after work happy hours have been been a must lately. Tonight, I'm going with my girlfriend Angela to a relatively new craft beer place called The Pint House in the Short North for happy hour. I'm the biggest fan of having all four seasons (I seriously don't know what I would do if I didn't have a good fall), but sitting outside on the patio while it's still in the upper 80's makes me feel better about truly enjoying this summer for all it's worth.

Oh, and Columbus has so many awesome restaurants/breweries, you can not go wrong with where you go!
He is pretty easy on the eyes.


5) Guess what next week marks?

Our THREE year anniversary! 

I came home earlier this week to 18 of the most beautiful roses I've ever laid eyes on as an early anniversary gesture from Billy. While I'm still in complete shock that it's been three years already, I'm looking forward to celebrating with him next week and (hopefully!) going to eat dinner WHERE we got married!!


 and just because I think it's hilarious
this is one of our first pictures ever taken together back in the day....


Sorry for the terrible quality, but it's taken with my iPhone from a scrapbook (yep, a scrapbook) that I made for Billy, haha. 

 What are you lovely lately?

Hope you have a fabulous Friday!

PS-If you haven't entered this amazing giveaway, what are you waiting for?


 

8.22.2013

The Cutest Workout Clothes {Albion Fit + Giveaway!}-CLOSED



I'm so excited about this giveaway. Since you guys listened to me ramble on and on yesterday about this and that, I figure I should follow that up with an awesome workout clothing giveaway for you from Albion Fit. I mean it's the only polite thing to do.

Having cute workout clothes or a new pair of running shoes makes the gym that much better. You just feel so much more motivated and ready to have a kick butt workout.

When I first saw Albion Fit online when searching one day for women's fitness and swimwear, my first thought was WHY haven't I heard of them sooner and then I pretty much fell in love with their cute selection of workout clothes and decided I need them all. The quality reminds me of Lululemon but a little bit more affordable with their prices. The Sweet Stripe Capri's that I'm wearing above and below would be $98 at Lululemon, but these are $58. They have the cutest tops, tanks, and other crops (like these-$38) for much cheaper, too.
 

These are my new favorite pants as they are super comfortable (so soft!) and great quality. Plus they are striped which makes them even better in my book.

I also have my eye on getting these beauties...tell me how cute they are?!

 STRIPES + RUFFLES ON WORKOUT CLOTHES? GIMME! And this workout tank looks so comfortable.

Today, Albion Fit is kindly offering one of my readers a chance to win a $50 Gift Card. Insert happy face here.

Required Entry:
+Visit albionfit.com and leave a comment below with your favorite item!

Bonus Entries:
+"Like" Albion Fit on Facebook 
+Pin your favorite item from Albion Fit onto one of your Pinterest boards and leave the link in a comment below
+Follow me on instagram (@katiewkrysh)

*This giveaway is open to US residents who have not won another Albion Fit giveaway in the past 6 months and will end in one week (Thursday 8/29). The winner will be announced via email and on my blog that day. Thank you for entering and good luck! 

But wait. That's not all...

Albion Fit has created an exclusive coupon code for my readers to save $20 off $50!! Pretty awesome, no? Use the code "keepcalm20" when you checkout until 8/27! Hurry up and get to shopping. Your workouts will thank you. :)

**The winner of this giveaway is April and she has been notified! Thank you for entering!