i am really loving these a ton and i am pretty sure that they speak for themselves right?

antiqued wooden signs are one of those things that i have a soft spot in my heart for.

they also really make me want the dream house mr. lemon pie and i so often discuss.

via [i really do adore her]

giving

this is a busy few weeks for birthdays.

little sister lemon pie who will be 19. [which is really not so little]

my gorgeous 'niece' lil who will be 5. [where did the time go?!]

my wonderful mr. lemon pie who really does deserve the world.

example [from this morning via text during our respective commutes]:

me: hi
me: just a reminder that i love you
mr. lemon pie: you don't need to remind me about that. i always know that you love me. and i always love you.

is that not the best way to start the day?

so, back to the point of this post.

normally i am 100% on top of this whole gift giving thing but i am lagging behind. i am pretty sure that i am going to do this for mr. lemonpie...but the others....where do i begin?

note: lil loves a good handmade gift and frequently requests dresses. little sister well she is a bit tougher BUT will be going into her sophomore year of college.

any ideas?

a testimonial [of sorts]

source

i think that by now we are all ::well aware:: that i have an addiction to la target.

a few months ago my little sister began using target brand baby soap as an eye makeup remover [works like a charm btw].

i of course jumped on the bandwagon.

but, it doesn't end there.

mr. lemon pie and i began 'project wedding' which entailed a new gym membership + permanent lockers to make it easier to be able to shower and then go about work/play/errands.

this meant buying doubles of everything.

well, i was not going to buy doubles of the slightly expensive body wash that i use at home, so i decided to go with the target brand [up & up] baby soap and baby lotion.

dual purpose - it removes my makeup AND it is a body wash.

here is the kicker:

i have super sensitive skin that breaks out because of EVERYTHING and while i am totally dedicated to proactive on my face i found that a lot of things [including proactive] happen to be too harsh for the rest of me.

except for the baby soap.

my skin looks and feels better.

even after swimming in a super chlorinated pool twice a week for a couple of weeks.

the best part of this whole thing: it all cost me less than $5

how's that for pre-wedding savings.

organization skills

here is a little sneak peak into what i have been working on lately.

about a minute after we got engaged i started thinking about our wedding binder and all the deliciousness that i would fill it with.

so i typed up all these lists and whatnot and put them in page protectors and that was that.

except it wasn’t because i think we all know how i love pretty things and these sheets were …well….

plain.

so i took some inspiration and created these babies which i love.

as soon as i get them all typed up i will post a template here for some downloading fun.

because folks – business can’t be all work and no play!

i swear this is not a lie

last night mr. lemon pie and i did a spin class.

he is an old pro.

it was my 'first ride.'

and let me tell you something - i am downright addicted.

like a drug addicted.

i have been taking baby steps to get back into a good gym routine and this was my gigantic leap and i am so glad i did it.

it was fun and engaging and best of all...

it went by so fast.

like 'did i really just bike for 40 minutes?' fast.

i was even a little sad it was over. [i know right?!]

so spinning is def going to be added into the routine and i could not be happier.

also: one of the best parts about this story is that when mr. lemon pie and i first met [and before we started dating] we used to make fun of couples that would go to the gym together. one year later - here we are with our gym bags treking in there together. never in a million years did i ever think that would happen but you know what...

life could not be sweeter.

so totally what i am looking for

source

when i think of our wedding this is what almost immediately comes to mind.

our venue has the same high ceilings and massive amounts of windows.

is it next summer yet?

i know. i know.

a little ahead of myself right?

i am just over the moon excited to marry the love of my life.

oh! and did i tell you? we've decided on place cards/favors!

this whole wedding planning gig is everything + more than it is cracked up to be.

period.

i am ready

phase 1: get into a routine

the countdown begins here folks.

the wedding is officially 12 months away [WOOHOO!] and toned arms are not something my body knows about.

but i am starting slow.

i don't want to burn out.

tonight will be my first foray into water aerobics and i will make my way up to spinning and pilates classes.

did you have a workout routine pre-wedding? if not, how did you get started?