4.30.2013

The Spousal Game {+A Special Birthday!}

Get Your Shine On by Florida Georgia Line on Grooveshark

It's only appropriate that I start this post off with a dedication to my little Texas blondie for her birthday! Yup, Steph is 27 today! I mean, we did meet through our blogs, so that means that without this blog of mine, she would never be in my life and that is absolutely CRAZY to think about. I don't even want to think about that..nope. Not for one minute at all.

It all started with a simple email from said blondie Texan who had found my blog and was asking me questions about my wedding pictures. It didn't take long for things to get much more serious so we started texting, the texting turned into many phone calls, and then the realization of "Holy crap! this person is my other half...how did I ever survive before? This is so weird" came about. Then, we spontaneously went on a trip together and had the greatest time in all of the land (and our husbands developed a lovely bromance), then we got back from said trip together and talked every single day (and still do!) and realized how much it sucks living so far away, planned another visit for them to visit our home/city here, then we missed each other in between way too much again and we had some catching up to do so me and Billy flew out to Texas to see their stomping grounds and spend 5 days in their beautiful home. Now, I'm sitting all the way across the U.S from her, instead of being there celebrating her birthday by eating mexican, drinking iced coffee/Corona's/vodka soda's on her front porch, and singing Florida Georgia Line. Sad face. But no fret- this story and the memories are to be continued...




Not mentioned in mini story: how thankful I am for my friendship with Steph. It's hard to meet people in general these days that you can really trust, be completely yourself around, feel like you've known since you were little, and like your sitting next to your best friend after actually only knowing them a short amount of time. That's what Steph's friendship is to me. We are incredibly sarcastic towards each other (if you even saw our conversations...), but at the drop of the hat, we can be calling each other for advice. It's never a dull moment in this friendship of ours, that's for sure...


So, last week I saw this awesome spousal game over on Christina's lovely blog and knew I wanted to ask Billy these questions to test his (and mine) knowledge about each other. I also took it a little further by taking a little page out of Erin's book from a while back and asked Billy even more questions at the bottom. The man had some funny answers. Take a look (and feel free to play along with your spouse!)....


How long have you been married:
b: 2 years 9 months
k: 2 years 9 months

Where was our first date:
b: Outback
k: Outback (in Bowling Green!)

Where was our first kiss:
b: in the jimmy
k: in the jimmy (his old car at the time) in a fast food parking lot. Classy!

Who said I love you first:
b: Katie
k: Me!

What were our wedding colors:
b: teal blue, orangeish
k: teal blue, orange, and some others mixed in!

My most commonly used phrase:
b: "what a bug!"
k: "really?!" (I do say what a bug alllll the time...)

My celebrity crush:
b: Rob Pattinson
k: Brody Jenner

....Billy's response to my answer? "He's not a celebrity" Touche.

If you would order drinks for both of us, what would it be:
b: Vodka cranberry or a Corona for you, Coors Light for me
k: Corona for me, Coors Light for you (I do get vodka cranberriesor vodka/soda often!)

Best meal she's ever cooked you:
b: Her moms lasagna
k: My mom's lasanga-he loves it.

Worst meal she's ever cooked you:
b: Stuffed peppers with that quinoa
k: The ones where I get home from the gym and say "I'm too tired to cook" so no meal ends up happening. ;)

...Billy is NOT a fan of quinoa!

What is my most played song on ipod:
b: that song you've been singing lately...Wagon Wheel
k: Right now, Wagon Wheel. For sure.

What would she say your most annoying habit is:
b: Not sitting still
k: His hair in the sink or not being able to sit still! (I swear he moves his hands, legs, etc about 50 times when we sit on the couch or watch a movie)

What is the last thing I do before bed:
b: try beating me to bed or kiss rocky goodnight
k: kiss Rocky goodnight

...I kiss him, too! ;) Rocky is just the last one.Beating him to bed is another fav of mine...we will be brushing our teeth,etc. and I will try and hurry to be the first one in bed! It's like a little cheesy game we play, haha.

If you could throw out one item of my clothes, what would it be:
b: Your old north face
k: Old A&F navy/white pants that say a year on the butt. (No joke! So old!)

Your favorite thing about her:
b: Her genuine heart and how comfortable she makes other people feel when talking to them
k: My personality and how easy I am to talk to

Her go-to drink at Starbucks (or what I like recently):
b: Low fat milk hazelnut macchiato "or is that just your new one?"
k: Skinny Iced Hazelnut Macchiato

...impressed he knew this, I've only gotten it 2 or 3 times!

Her order from Chipotle (because let's be serious, this matters!):
b: Salad with black beans, vegetables, corn, tomatoes, hot sauce, tiny bit of cheese, and guacamole
k: Salad with black beans, veggies, corn, tomatoes, green hot sauce, a little bit of cheese [can you tell I stress this to him?! ha], and guacamole

...he has that one down. ;)

For this second part, I gave Billy certain things or words and told him to tell me "What do you think of when you hear..."

your style: comfortable
blogging: chicks that sometimes wear fake glasses and updo hair and lots of boots
music: jason aldean
food: pizza
drink: coke
blood clots: stare death straight in the eyes twice (he's had two of them!)
work: meaningful
money: retirement
my shopping habits: could be better
ideal day: golfing, sunshine, 80's, family and friends
chores: vacuuming
movies: better be good
rocky: my little bud
cooking: always need an appetizer
30: shitty
instagram: chicks post pictures
twitter: boring
boating: lake erie
person you want to be: my dad
house projects: rewarding
vegetarian: you but you weren't born that way
vlogging: i forget what that is
working out: adrenaline rush
frozen yogurt: not as good as Graeters
vacations: relaxation
the bachelor: kind of weird
wine: nice on a date

Andddd that's a wrap.

What do you think? How'd he do?

4.29.2013

Weekend Shenanigans {ft. Phillip Fox Band, Brunch, and Birthdays}


...andddd we're back to Monday!

How was your weekend?

For the first time ever in a really long time, I actually felt like this weekend didn't fly right by where I was left wondering on Sunday night what the heck just happened to the weekend. High fives to that one.

Do you remember a couple weeks ago when I was going through Nashville live music withdrawals? Well, thanks to a lovely reader (oh how I love this blog of mine), my girlfriends and I found a new favorite band that plays live country/rock music-the Phillip Fox Band! Phillip Fox Band often plays in + around Columbus (check out their schedule here!) and we went to their show at Grandview Cafe on Friday night to check them out. It's safe to say we are so glad we did because they are amazing and put on one heck of a show. 


 
Not to mention, they were great sports by putting up with our group as we took over the dance floor (front and center!) most of the night. Hey, it's how we roll.... ;) If you live in Columbus, you better go check them out. And don't be surprised if you see me and my girlfriends there, we kind of want to be their groupies. ;)

Of course, I had to bust out some cowboy boots for the occasion...
{outfit details: scarf-winter lennon, chambray-a&f (so comfy!), tshirt-old navy, leggings-target, belt-forever21, boots-ready for this? charlotte russe!}

My girlfriend Stacie had the same outfit idea... :)
 
Billy was such a good sport because he came out for a while with me even though it was all girls and just him. good man, good man...how cute are they?!

Saturday morning, I went with my girlfriend Angela to get brunch at the cutest place called Katalina's. We both had heard great things about it, but just hadn't made it there yet. They have amazing breakfast food (hello pancake balls, burritos, and breakfast tacos!) and a patio you can sit out on.


We went and shopped for some flowers for our yard after breakfast and then I went home and got to work in our yard. At the risk of sounding 40+, I seriously love working in our yard....weeding, edging, planting flowers, etc. I honestly never thought I would say that, but I do. Guess that means I'm getting old...#ohwell.


Saturday night, we celebrated one of my best friends, Emily's, birthday at Angela and her boyfriends house. They had a big cookout and our whole group of friends were there-it was such a fun night and our first real cookout with friends this year. Cheers to that!


and another outfit pic...
this is the jean jacket I mentioned to you all last week!

On Sunday, after some terrible news we received from Billy's family late Saturday night, I went to my parents for brunch. Brunch is my new favorite things apparently. Cinnamon rolls, egg casserole, and fruit...the whole shebang. Glorious! The rest of the day I cleaned up the house and ran some errands before taking a nap for a few hours (oops) in the late evening which lead to zero productiveness at night.


I'm not going to get into specific details because I want to respect their privacy, but if you could send some prayers to Billy's family I would really appreciate it. Thanks all!

 

4.26.2013

Friday Fashion Finds!



On Tuesday, I told myself it was Wednesday.
On Wednesday, I told myself it was Thursday....
It does not make the week feel short, I'll tell you that much.
It's safe to say I'm happy that it's finally Friday! It IS Friday, right? I've got a hot date tonight with my cowboy boots, my man, and my girlfriends to hear a live country music band play...I'm thrilled. Tomorrow, I plan to work in the yard and then will be celebrating one of my girlfriends birthdays later that evening! It looks like this weekend has a lot of potential...but then again, every weekend does. And is normally really amazing.

Moving on...

I've got some fabulous deals to share with you today!
Let's start with the newbies that I haven't shared with you yet...

The cutest dresses, accessories, and jewelry at amazing prices.
 *free shipping on all orders!
When I say jewelry, I mean they have the popular monogrammed necklaces that you've always wanted but didn't want to shell out one hundred bones. I finally proudly own a gold monogrammed necklace from them and am so impressed with it.

Some other looks from them?


and two dresses that I've since added to my wishlist:


**the best part? KC&CO readers can get 15% off any purchase until May 5th, using the code MYKEEPCALM. OR you can use the code EXTRAFIVE to get 20% off orders over $30.00, also good until May 5th. {you add the code after you confirm your payment info!}

Do you know how many good deals I just added up mentally with one of those coupons?
Get on it! Such a great shop.


 A boutique started by a friendship between two girls who met in college and shared a love of fashion. One happens to be the lovely Regan who is a blogger herself and a friend of mine. 

Nothing in their shop is over $50!

Don't you love that? I do.

I'm wearing their Navy 3/4 Sleeve Blouse ($28) that is absolutely perfect for spring. It's lightweight and goes with skinny jeans, skirts, or shorts.


Some items I'm eyeing for you guys (and myself) are these pretties...

Chevron Peplum Top / Stripe Shift Dress / Peg Necklace

You can follow Crave Boutique on Instagram (@shopcrave), so you can stay updated on their new arrivals!

3.  Last, but not least, you know my love for Style Love Living:

Well, they just got in skirts. Cute maxi chevron type skirts. Oh, and dresses and tops!
They still sell their awesome jewelry, they have just expanded to these as well.


They have multiple colors/styles of this..go take a look!

Rocky says happy shopping, ladies.

something like that. ;)
 

4.24.2013

Lately I'm Loving {Denim and Skirts}


Ladies and Gents-

As we all know, denim jackets have made their comeback (why did I throw all my old ones out?) and recently I've found the perfect one. My hunt is over...woo-hoo! I just received it in the mail yesterday and can say it's even better in person, mainly because it's not stiff...it's actually comfortable. Sometimes the way jean jackets fit drives me insane, but not this one. It's also the perfect wash-not too light, not too dark.



 You can pair it with so many things: maxi's, shorts, skirts...you name it.

 {striped shirt and skirt are from F21}

I'm also inspired by all the fun skirts in the stores lately and how to style them. There are so many options, but my favorites are the flowy skirts with a chambray top/belt and the bold tribal skirts!




I just found a tribal skirt that I love that is similar to this (but has sequins!) and can't wait to show you all.

Now, who's wants to join me in doing this at the gym tonight...?


Any takers?
It's a friendly reminder that bikini season is rightttt around the corner...

What are you loving lately?
I have some amazing items from a few of my favorite online shops soon to show you, so be on the lookout for that. Good things coming, good things. :)

PS:  Thank you all for your kind comments on my post yesterday!

 

4.23.2013

All About My Daily Eats {+Strawberry Banana Shortcakes Recipe!}


{do you see my new pin it button when you hover over the picture?!}


I've got a lot to throw at you today!
And of course, I had to start with a picture of this awesomeness to entice you into reading more.

The good news is that I hope most of you find this interesting. If we're being totally honest here, I absolutely love seeing what people eat on a daily basis and I've found most of my favorite recipes this way.

So, today we're tackling my daily eats and our favorite recipes here in the Krysh household. I have been hoarding pictures on my phone of some favorites lately, just for today! If you want to see it in real time, follow me on Instagram (@katiewkrysh), but don't worry I post more than just food pics.

The easiest way for me to do this is to just break it on downnn....

First and foremost, I have two things to tell you quickly. One-I'm not an expert. I try to eat really healthy during the week, and then I like to have a little fun on the weekends. This is just what works for me and makes me feel the best. Depriving yourself is never a good option. Two-I'm a creature of habit. Especially when it comes to breakfast and lunch. If I love a meal and I know it's healthy for me, I will make it a lot. There will be times that I give it a break, but I don't really mind it because I know that what I'm eating A. I love (kinda important), B. is healthy and C. I already know how to make it. Win / win.

Breakfast:
aka my fav meal of the day-almost always served with Yogi Green Tea or warm lemon water.


+2 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled. I love to add in some cherry tomatoes and spinach and I ALWAYS add Srirachi sauce. So much better than Frank's! If you haven't tried this yet, please try and come tell me later how you can't live without it now.

Along with the eggs, I will eat some fruit with it and if I'm really hungry, a no bake energy bite or two (see below). This is a perfect breakfast in my mind.



+No Bake Energy Bites (link)
cannot and will not live without these babies. I make them every single Sunday and batch lasts me all week typically. Perfect for breakfast (eat something else with them) or to refuel after a hard workout!

 

+Breakfast Cookie (link)
Because who wouldn't want to eat a cookie for breakfast...?

{this juice pictured above is: handful of strawberries, 1 cucumber, 2 carrots, 1 apple}

+Juice (link to why I juice)
+Oatmeal with blueberries and a piece of fruit
+Protein Pancakes (link)
flourless!
+Banana Almond Smoothie (link)

Lunch:
probably my most boring meal of the day


+Spinach Salad, the size of my head (link)
You aren't going to want to eat a wimpy salad, so go big or go home is my motto with this. Since I don't eat meat, for protein I add one of the following: black beans, chickpeas, or tuna. I always add half an avocado. As for the toppings: carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, peppers, etc. Bam. For dressing, I typically do lemon juice and a white wine vinegar mixed together.


+Tuna or Chickpea Lettuce Wraps
Use romaine lettuce for the wraps. Mix up some tuna, lemon juice, tomatoes, banana peppers, onions, and cucumbers and place in the lettuce. Can be yummy for dinner, too.

+Amy's Organic Bean Burrito's

+Greek Yogurt with granola, carrots, handful of Popchips
just found the best two flavors of Popchips to ever exist....


+If I'm eating out: Subway (veggie sub/salad) or Wendy's salad

Dinner:
In this list, I'm including my husbands (who does eat meat) favorite vegetarian/fish recipes that I make. When I make these, he doesn't add meat. If I make something really light for dinner, he just adds a piece of meat, etc. It's not as hard as it seems like.

 

 +Tilapia, Strawberry Salad, Grilled Veggies
For the tilapia: I usually just bake in the oven for 20 minutes with some seasoning and lemon juice. For the strawberry salad: Mix of arugala and spinach. Add slivered almonds, some feta cheese, red onion, cucumbers, and strawberries. For the dressing, I mix up a teeenyyy tiny bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar.



+Southwestern Egg Rolls (link)
....Billy's favorite :)
+Zucchini Boats (link)


+Loaded Sweet Potato (link)
SERIOUSLY AMAZING! I will have this with a salad or a small side.
+Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (link)
 

+Roasted Chickpea Tacos (link)
Billy will often just do chicken or beef for himself instead
+Veggie Stir Fry 
can add shrimp, chicken, etc.
+Black Bean Taquito's (link)
+Taco Salad (link)
+Stuffed Peppers (link)
This recipe actually has beef/ground turkey in it! I replace it with black beans and quinoa, but I left it up for those of you who eat meat.

Now that we're able to grill out (amen!), many dinners will just be veggies + meat (black bean burger or shrimp for me) on the grill. Let me just throw in here how freakin' EXCITED I am to eat corn on the cob.... that deserves a post in itself. HUGE fan of those suckers. Huge. Could eat nightly. Moving on (love you COTC)...

Snacks:
3-3:30pm hits, I reach for one of these..

+Almonds (unsalted)
+Luna bars (these are not the healthiest for you-but I can't part with them. I'd recommend Lara, Think Thin, or Quest bars)
+Pineapple with Yogurt Fruit Dip (link)
+Apple

One night during the week (normally Monday's), I have spin class and don't get home until late, so we do separate meals this night. Typically, this is the night Billy will make a pasta dish for himself because I don't eat pasta or bread during the week for dinner. It works out nicely so that he can still have pasta when he wants, but yet I don't have to. It's not that I WON'T eat pasta, I just honestly don't like pasta all that much.

SO, phew! Now that you made it through all of that (is ANYONE still out there?!), I'd like to introduce you to your new favorite (and mostly healthy) dessert.

Background on this:
Last week Billy came home with all the ingredients to make this. I WAS SO PROUD. Why? Because normally when he comes home randomly with dessert it's the most unhealthy dessert to ever exist in the grocery store. Not this time. I could've married him right then and there but then I realized we already are! He picked a healthy dessert for us and I have a feeling this will be on a solid rotation this spring + summer.

The best part? I whipped up a chocolate sauce for this that's healthy and DELICOUS! So so so excited about this.

Strawberry Banana Shortcakes w/ Healthy Chocolate Sauce:
...you don't have to use bananas if you don't like them, just do strawberries!

+Handful of strawberries, sliced
+Half a banana, sliced
+1 shortcake (you can make your own bisquits if you want, we didn't for this)
+Plain Greek Yogurt OR Light Cool Whip (Billy will use the C.W)

for the sauce>>
+2 parts unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 parts agave nectar

Place your shortcake in a bowl, top with greek yogurt or cool whip, cover with strawberries and banana, then mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until you reach desired liquid consistency. Add more cocoa if you'd like...just mix it up to your taste preferences.

GENIUS, right?! Eeeek!


Update, update: Chobani just came out with the small 'bite' greek yogurts (that only have 100 cals) in a coffee dark chocolate chip flavor. I used that the second time we made this and about fell over....SO GOOD.

What do you think? Will you be making this for dessert?

Hope I didn't bore you to death with my daily eats, but I wanted to cover all the bases since I've received emails + comments about it.

over and out!


 

4.22.2013

How To Make Spring Count... Or Try To.


+Swing in a hammock. 

Hammocks are heavenly, aren't they? I told you all that I would be getting use out of this!
You can actually extend it so that I can put my feet up in it, too. I've already spent so much time on it this spring...makes me happy. :)


 +Try new brunch places (on my spring to-do list!) and sip on mimosa's

This weekend we tried a new restaurant, called deNOVO Bistro and Bar, that was on our list of places to go. It was my girlfriend's birthday brunch and I couldn't get over the rustic chic decor and they had fabulous food.


 not pictured was both me and Billy meals....are you ready for this?

......

Creme Brulee French Toast
Yep...I'm serious. It was SO GOOD!


 +Grill out!
No explanation needed. All you gotta do is grill out then eat outside for dinner. It equals instant happiness!
This week I'm going to share a lot of recipes/things I eat during the week since many of you have asked about that.
 

 +Go to a brewery
We also tried a new brewery, Seventh Son, this weekend with some friends. It was awesome! I went out of my comfort zone and ordered a darker beer and really liked it. Normally, I stick to the lighter brews.



 +Indulge in iced coffee's.
Normally, I'm a tea kind of gal, but when it warms up I like to get an iced coffee on Friday mornings. As you can see, Billy picked this one up for me so I was him for the day.. ;)
(Starbucks new Hazelnut Macc has me hooked)


+Go to Billy's softball games
This one hasn't happened yet. But he's supposed to start this week!


+Soak up the sunshine whenever possible 
Last week, it got up to 88 degrees and the second I got home I went to our deck (with Rocky) to enjoy as much as I could. Now if it could just stay that hot all the time, we would be in good shape...


+Run outside
Check, check, check.


 My next task is to find us some new outdoor furniture for our deck! We have had our current furniture ever since we moved into our house and it was actually left for us from the previous owners, so I hope to get our own that we love. I have gotten a lot of inspiration for garden furniture from here. They have so many great options and ideas of how you can spruce up your outdoor areas!

I also hope to put my somewhat green thumb to work in our yard this upcoming weekend. I actually really enjoy working in the yard, so it's not much of a chore for me, but it really needs to be done. I hope it'll be warm enough this weekend to do so!

How are you making your spring count? 
 

*Lastly, have to give a big thank you to my sweet reader who recommended the Phillip Fox Band to me. A lot of the girls who went on the Nashville trip and myself are planning on seeing them this Friday in Grandview! (this band plays country + rock live music around the Columbus area) 

We are ready for some live music again...#withdrawals ;) 

Linked up with miss Sami today-you should too!

You can still watch this video and at the end enter for your chance to win big $! Go watch here, ladies!