motivated monday

This is a slightly delayed Motivated Monday! I've tried to post these in the morning so that we have time to get motivated for the week, but it escaped me today. I'm waist-deep in Valentine's Day treats that I'm creating for work, and chocolate covered pretzels proved to be slightly more important this morning.

That, and the fact that I may have spent about an hour or so looking up Bahamas FAQ's....birthday trip has been determined! One of my favorite things in the world is having a trip to look forward to, so these next 4.5 months will be really fun. Except the whole gym part.

Please disregard the fact that this post starts off with 2 things that may be taken as Valentine's Day themed. This is not a Valentine's post! I'm not one of those people who talks about how much they loathe this "holiday" (I kind of like it!), but I'm also not one to create a post about it. Although it has reminded me over and over that the husband and I are celebrating our 1 year anniversary in just over two weeks! Which means that we leave for New Orleans in just over two weeks, and hopefully I can work on taking pictures the way I picture them in my brain (which is on my list!). Speaking of list, let's get to the one for today:

I love this top! Yes, you can wear it on V-Day but you can also wear it any other chilly day and look super cute.

source

Marriage tips. This blogger listed 10 things that she & her husband do on a regular basis that strengthen their marriage. Things like asking weekly questions, keeping a journal to leave random notes, and spending enough time apart. There are some tips that just won't work for everybody, but overall, it's a cute read. Click 'source' below the picture for all 10 ideas.

source

Quinoa cakes with Lemon, Olive and Parsley. We've realized that spending our Sundays cooking meals for the week helps us eat healthier (and eat earlier!), and I think these quinoa cakes would be a great addition. Recipe in the 'source' link.

source

You guys. Annika Aschberg. She's where it's at.

She is an absolutely amazing, inspiring photographer whose style I would love to be able to emulate. Just take a look at these two photos below. They're both so simple but full of emotion and the lighting is perfection.

source

How great are these?! We are hosting a party sometime in May, as I've mentioned before, once our deck and backyard are completely done. You better believe these fruity ice cubes will make an appearance. You can just call me Ale Stewart...as in Martha Stewart. Get it? I'll accept Martha Norris too, either one.

source

I have all the elements that make up this outfit: now to actually put it together.

source

And, of course, for me:

Whether you love Valentine's Day and are spending it watching girly movies, drinking wine, and/or spending it with a loved one, or despise the day and are throwing darts at your ex-boyfriend's pictures, I hope you have a motivated Tuesday.

(originaly 30before30 list here)