5.30.2014

Things That Make Me Do A Vicki "Woo-Hoo!"

1//that I get to celebrate my birthday with my parents tonight (a week later since we were gone last weekend!) I requested a taco bar and cherry pie for dessert. Cherry pie was just calling my name...anyone else love cherries this time of year?

2//my best friend Lindsay's birthday is tomorrow! aka more celebrations (happy early birthday Lindsay!) I love how close our birthdays are together...for as long as we've been friends, we typically combine them and have one big ole partay. :)

3//the PGA Memorial Tournament has been going on here and we got tickets to go to the final round on Sunday! Usually, it rains all week long every year (and I mean every year) for this tournament but not this year. I can hardly believe it...dry and 80's.

4//my new Kate Spade crossbody that I found on major sale the other week. This red...yes please.

(this one is similar but not on sale..super cute though)

5//still loving this foundation that I switched over to recently. the best! I use this brush with it!

6//did you know the Columbus zoo is rated one of the top in the country?! It's pretty awesome and they just added a new Africa region, called the Heart of Africa, that opened last week and we're going tomorrow to check it out! If I can't go to the real Africa right now (my dream trip), I might as well pretend to get a piece of it at the zoo. It'll do for now...you can feed giraffe's, get up close with lions, and go on a camel ride! (Yes, I'm way too excited about this!!)

7//going all out for breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love trying different combinations of my favorite things...this is 2 egg whites, 1 egg, black beans, red peppers, and onions and of course a yummy english muffin, fruit, and green juice on the side.

 

8//this striped maxi dress

9//these Sambazon smoothie juices. I mentioned before I use the Sambazon acai frozen packets when making my favorite acai bowls (recipe here), but when I'm in a rush and need something on the go, these do the job! Very yummy!



 
10//these shorts

....all these signs point to an amazing weekend ahead. Bring.it.on.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend with fabulous weather!

5.28.2014

LUSH Cosmetics


Leave it to Erica to inspire a blog post.

My mailbox is still smelling glorious from her birthday package she sent me! You know those girlfriends who never miss a birthday and are so thoughtful with their gifts? That's Erica. She is seriously the best gift giver I know!

She surprised me with a new Alex and Ani bangle that is my birthstone (love it!), Godiva birthday cake bark that has already been enjoyed by both me and Billy (you must try it-so good), and these LUSH bath bombs that smell out of this world amazing and fresh. It was then that I was instantly reminded about my love for LUSH products! (thank you friend :))

I think at some point in the past year I once had a post about LUSH products saved in my drafts, then completely dropped the ball on posting it. Have you heard or used LUSH products before? If not, now is your time! LUSH makes their products from organic fruits, vegetables, and oils and they only buy ingredients from companies who do not test on animals. They make all their products fresh by hand using little preservative or packaging. Two thumbs up!

I've used several of their products over the past couple years and wanted to share my favorites. Their face masks and cleansers (and of course these bath bombs!) are a part of my weekly routine and I swear by them. My skin feels amazing when I use them and the prices make them that much more appealing because they last so long. I'm talking several months for some of them.



Here are my favorites:
+Ocean Salt (their best selling salt scrub for a glowing complexion-my personal favorite! I use this not just on my face but all over my body in the shower as well)
+Mask of Magnaminty (my favorite deep cleansing face mask-fresh peppermint and clay pull from your pores to give a fresh tingly sensation. I love it because it's not harsh on my skin, but my skin feels so fresh and awake afterwards!)
+Tea Tree Water Toner (brightens up oily, tired skin and balances skin tone)
+Love Lettuce (balancing mask for all skin types-an almond mask that scoops up dirt, oil, and debris and softens your skin)

If you love baths, you will want to try their bath bombs too. Here's all your options. Love all the creative names for these products, too! Next on my list is trying their shaving creams.

PS: LUSH has no idea who I am, I just really love their products and wanted to share about them! 


5.27.2014

29th Birthday Weekend


Sorry Monday, you've been replaced with bigger and better things. I welcome YOU with open arms, Tuesday!

As I mentioned last week, we had Friday and Monday off so as of right now I'm a firm believer that all weekends should be four days, don't you?! Especially when a birthday is smacked right there in the middle!

It was awesome, to say the least, and just like I had hoped the weather was seriously perfect. I'm talking sunny skies the entire weekend, warm, and hardly any clouds. Amen.

 

Thursday night the celebrating began when Billy took me out to dinner at a new restaurant in town called Hudson 29 (we ate on their patio outside and loved our food...big fans) and afterwards for dessert we walked down the street and got my favorite ice cream (actually Billy's too) at Graeter's. You can't beat their black raspberry chip...you just can't. If you live outside of Ohio, look for the pints inside your grocery stores! The best, best.

 {new Tory sandals from my parents!}

For my birthday, Billy got me the white leather Michael Kors watch I've been wanting! I have worn it everyday since, and am wondering how I've gone so long without a white watch for the summertime.

It goes with everything, I love it!

 {bangles are from Harper Designs-obsessed with all the stones you can pick from!}

Friday...good ole Friday. We made our way to the cottage and took the boat to Put In Bay to meet Billy's brother and his girlfriend for dinner. The trip wouldn't have been complete without A. a beautiful sunset boat ride on our way home and B. getting pulled over by the US Coast Guard. 

What? You act like those two things don't go together. ;) The US Coast Guard can actually pull over any boat in the water and legally they don't have to have a reason to stop you, which is pretty crazy. They went over a bunch of safety equipment with Billy (aka quizzed him over and over), but since he's a rock star and everything was up to date on the boat we left without a ticket and them wishing up a good weekend. I wasn't that worried about it from the beginning, but it was still something we were definitely not expecting!

The views weren't too shabby and we had a great dinner with his brother and girlfriend!


Saturday morning, we headed down the street from the cottage to our favorite little coffee shop, Rudders! Billy's parents, cousins, Grandma, and Uncle Joe all headed up Saturday afternoon so we got to spend the next two days with them. It was wonderful and everyone had so much fun boating and we also took the boat over to Put In Bay again for a few hours. Billy's mom had surprised me with a birthday cake and the whole family sang happy birthday to me Sunday afternoon. It was perfect!


This was also Rocky's first trip on the boat! The water was pretty calm so he was safe the whole time, but we aren't really sure if he liked it or not...

at least he looked cute. :)

{my coverup is from HERE!}

If you're wondering why you don't see any pictures of hardly any of us at night dressed up, it's because well I never really got out of my bathing suit all weekend and there was no having to worry about doing my hair and make up at night.

Weekends like this really need to come around more often...

 {billy's brother and cousin greg // billy and his cousin doug}
{Billy's sister and Cara (Doug's girlfriend)}
{Billy's momma!}

I may be another year older, but the times just keep getting better and better. So excited for what this year will bring! :)

Hope you all had a fun holiday weekend as well! Cheers to another short week!

5.22.2014

Memorial Day Weekend At The Lake


 

Today is my Friday so before I'm in full "mini vacation mode", I wanted to pop in and wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! 

I'm ready to get this weekend started, to say the least! Billy is taking me out tonight for an early birthday celebration at a new restaurant that we've heard great things about (Hudson 29 for all you Cbusers!)....we have some fun things on the agenda for our day off tomorrow....then we're heading up to the cottage in Port Clinton mid-afternoon to spend the extra long weekend! It's our first time going this year after the terrible winter that we've had, so naturally I'm really excited to go and to also spend it with Billy's family. It's one of our favorite places in the summer to be, which pretty much guarantees the weekend will be a success.

The forecast even looks like it'll be on our side, for once! ;)

Hopefully I come back a little bit more tan (I need it!) and with a happy stomach full of birthday desserts. Follow me on instagram, if you'd like, for updates over the weekend!

And thank you to those who have already sent me birthday wishes! I'm so thankful for all of you, especially since some of you have been around since I first started this blog. So crazy to think about. Anyways, just know I appreciate all the love and have a great holiday!!

5.21.2014

Birthday Wishlist



Birthday wishlist
Leather Watch / Top Pouch / Pineapple Towel / Anchor Flops / Water Bottle / Tank (on sale for $10!) / Mr. and Mrs. Trinket Dish / Ring (obsessed!) / Nail Polish-Red, Blue (this blue is my new fav!) / Nike's (any color) / Brooks

Fact: No one cares as much about your birthday as much you do. Maybe Prince George is the exception to this, but little ole me? Ha! Let's be serious.

My true wishlist for my birthday this year? Good weather, family, some boating and fishing, bonfires, delicious food, and relaxing in the sun (we have the day off on Friday and are heading to the cottage a little early!) All the good stuff. Oh wait, and cake. You can never forget the cake. But I mean, if some of these pretty items ended up at mi casa all wrapped up, I wouldn't hate it.

Billy always does a really good job making me believe it's totally acceptable to celebrate my birthday for multiple weeks. I'm sure the excitement of celebrating will start to wear off when I hit the big 30 and especially beyond that, but since I still have ONE FULL YEAR before that happens (did you hear? I still have one more year left in my twenties...thank you very much), celebrate often I will! 

The cute pineapple towel and cork clutch would be perfect additions for our weekends at the lake, and I've had my eye on a nice white leather watch for a while now that is perfect to wear in the summer. My beloved Brooks running shoes and I have logged a lot of miles together and I love them, but I think they have seen better days and it's time to replace them!

What is on your summer wishlist? Do you have a summer birthday?

PS-No post yesterday due to being completely hooked on the Bachelorette on Monday night and forgetting to work on a post. Anyone else love Andi as the Bachelorette? I think she's perfect for it...confident, good sense of humor, and can hold her own with these guys. Thoughts on your top picks?! 

Happy hump day! A long weekend is almost here! :)

5.19.2014

Traveling From Miss to Mrs!


Yesterday was the true start of so many fun weekends ahead for this summer! Each weekend from here on out for the next two months or so will be spent celebrating so many things (starting with my birthday/Memorial Day weekend this weekend!), and of course that just means a lot of fun is about to be had. 

This weekend we celebrated one of my best friends, Angela, at her bridal shower! She is getting married in July and her younger sister and 4 of us bridesmaids put together a "traveling theme" bridal shower for her. Angela and her soon to be husband love to travel and are going to Thailand for their honeymoon (beyond jealous...yes, I have begged her to put me in her suitcase), so we actually decided to have PF Changs cater the event with their chicken lettuce wraps, spring rolls, dynamite shrimp, and crab wontons. We also had some other appetizers like a veggie tray, cheese plates, fruit, etc. and it all turned out to be perfect! 


The party was held at the party room in "The Barn" at the Farms, which is a nice apartment complex in Dublin. It was the perfect setting for the day, and the rustic vibe of the place went perfect with our decorations! 

Naturally, the party wouldn't have been complete without a mimosa bar to celebrate the bride to be...

 
 {maps covered the vases!}

A family member even made this awesome wedding dress cupcake cake and had letter initials in one of her wedding colors (cobalt blue-our bridesmaids dresses are this color!) sitting above it...it turned out so cute and was delicious!

 {Angela & her younger sister Nicole...beauties, right?}
 
 
 {the bride to be with her bow bouquet}

It couldn't have been a more perfect shower, except for the fact that it went by so quickly! All of us girls have been friends since high school (so many memories-most of which wouldn't be appropriate to share here ;) you know how that goes!) and I love that we still remain so close and got to plan this shower for Angela together! It's truly such a blessing, especially that we all still live in the same city. I feel like that doesn't happen often anymore. Definitely so thankful for that!

I'll be reporting back in a few weekends after her bachelorette bash for another recap. So beyond excited for that...it's going to be like a mini vacay and we've got some crazy things up our sleeves (which is necessary for a bachelorette party, right? Right!) 

Angela, we all love you so much and hope you loved everything! You are going to be the most beautiful bride in the world! Cheers to celebrating again in a few weeks!
 

5.15.2014

Suns Out, Guns Out

Is it really already Thursday? I'm not complaining!

So I logged into PicMonkey (my favorite pic editing program) the other night and saw the little kid that's always on the homepage flexing his guns. For some strange reason, this reminded me that I've been wanting to share my workout playlist since we are well into prime running/workout season (hello, pool weather so soon!) now, and this is the one thing that keeps me consistently motivated at the gym.

I'm one of those people who thrives off of music and a good playlist. It's a must to getting my butt moving and staying moving while at the gym! (this is also one of the main reasons why I love spin so much...constant pump up music for an hour + legs moving quickly = endorphin happy Katie..)

If you need to update what you've been running to lately, or just want to add a few new kick butt songs for your gym workout, here you go!


PS-This would be a great circuit workout to do while you're listening to these tunes! 

Your turn...Share your favorites with me!

5.13.2014

Romper Season {Best Of}

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

My love for rompers was sparked yet again when I included a couple in my post yesterday. You either love them or probably really hate them. If you have yet to wear one or don't think you can pull one off, don't be too quick to count them out! They are going to be big this year and there are so many fun styles to pick from. Not to mention, they are the most comfortable to wear in this summer heat (going to be 88 today! I'm pretty happy about that...)

Your whole outfit is complete with just one item, which is right up my alley! So easy.

Here are my favorite picks for this summer:


Rompers

+Soho Jumpsuit (had to include one jumpsuit too!)
+Eight Sixty (my fav pick!) 
+Everly Floral Print (only $40)

Will you be wearing this trend this summer? Love them or hate them?!

PS: Emailing the 20 random chosen winners (via random.org) for the Wine2Go giveaway shortly. Thank you to all of you who entered! For those of you who may have not won, you can get free shipping on any order with the code KEEPCALM (valid until next Tues) if you want to get your hands on one! :)

5.12.2014

Monday Confess Sesh...

that the movie Neighbors is hysterical and much better than we expected it to be. Me and Billy laughed pretty much the entire movie on Saturday night...you guys have to go see it. I'm already wanting to go see it again!


that I might want to see it again because Zak Efron and Dave Franco (um hello-cuties!) are in it. Or is it because it's so funny? The verdict is still out on this one...

 

that I kicked Billy's butt in tennis this weekend and am still talking about it. Obviously. I have to! We played for a while on Saturday night before the movie and Mr. I'm-so-athletic-and-good-at-everything (seriously..he is. He is one of those annoying people ;)) challenged me to a best of three games and I beat him each game. I might still be talking about this for the rest of the year...

that Mother's day normally sucks and is a day I typically don't look forward to. Don't get me wrong, I'm so so so thankful for my awesome step-mom, mother in law, and my best friend Lindsay's mom (who has been like a 2nd mom to me) but it's still a tough and emotional day for me. We had a really great time though yesterday...we had my parents over for a cookout and went to visit my mom at her grave. Much better than years in the past, that's for sure. :)

that I can't wrap my mind around the fact that it's the middle of May. Wait, WHAT?

that being able to keep our windows and doors open during the day and while we sleep is pretty much the greatest thing ever. One of those things you forget how much you enjoy every year. Love..love..love. Rocky seems to enjoy it too.


that I'm really looking forward to Memorial Day weekend! It will be our first weekend up at the cottage and it's my birthday!

that I'm loving any and all rompers/jumpsuits for this summer. Especially this one and this one.



that I switched to this foundation after using Bare Minerals for years and it is absolutely amazing! I read a bunch of reviews about it before purchasing and am so glad I decided to buy it. It covers well and actually stays on much longer than I expected. If you like Bare Minerals but want something with more coverage, you will love it.

that I think I need these sneaks.

What do you confess? Hope all the momma's out there had an amazing day yesterday celebrating with loved ones!

5.08.2014

Wine2Go {20 WINNERS!}


A giveaway with twenty winners is pretty much impossible to pass up. Especially, and I mean especially, when WINE is involved. I just love this blogging community, and that I now get to make twenty of your guys' summers a little bit better!

Let's cut to the chase.

Did you see the pictures from yesterday with the Wine2Go included in my beach bag essentials? If not, here's everything you need to know: 20 of you will win a Wine2Go foldable wine bottle. It holds a full bottle of wine and is BPA free. You can use it to take to the beach, camping, boating, concerts, pool parties....the list goes on and on.

And I can almost guarantee everyone will want to know where you got this genius product! They also have smaller flasks for your other favorite types of alcohol, if you're interested. Entering is easy...just use the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And of course, a big thanks to Wine2Go for making this giveaway happen.
You rock. That's all. :)

5.07.2014

What's In My Beach Bag

 bag {c/o, this one is so cute too}
hat {j.crew factory; no longer available but this one is similar}
back up battery {for iPhone; on sale}
sunscreen {the best if you are concerned about breakouts!}
revlon lip butter {in berry smoothie}
sunglasses {the gold version; blue isn't online but check the stores!}
wine2go {c/o}

Sometimes there is nothing more enjoyable than packing up a beach bag knowing full well that your day mainly consists of plopping your butt in the sand and not moving much else besides to eat and fill up your drink. Am I right?

Well, summer is almost here (amen) so I thought I'd share the things that I make sure not to leave at home when spending the day at the beach or pool. All are true necessities in my opinion, with of course your iPhone or iPad next to you to get some reading + music in too!

Let's talk about this beach bag from Hayden Reis. The biggest and cutest beach bag I've ever owned, without a doubt. It couldn't be more perfect as it has enough room to hold all my items and fit a towel (see more designs that they offer here!) The straps are also easy on your arms and shoulders which is a huge bonus. 

That wine2go flask? Holds a full bottle of wine + BPA free = Jackpot! Now you don't have to worry about leaving that favorite bottle of pinot at home!  
*PS-Good news...I will be giving away TWENTY of these tomorrow! Come enter because a. who wouldn't one of these? and b. your chances of winning one for yourself is pretty good!


What do you keep in your beach bag?

Happy hump day!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to enter :)