Or should I say the party...? One of my most favorite things about my Husband's family are their weddings. When I attended my first Arabic wedding I remember thinking "It's official, I have to marry into this family!" They really do know how to have an amazing time and I love every single one of them. The reception starts off with a bang thanks to the celebratory dance that usually lasts around ten minutes and the music never really stops. By the end of the night I had to take off my shoes so I could continue to dance but I wouldn't have had it any other way. The entire night was perfect!

{Photos are property of Living on Cloud Nine blog, and are artistic property of Red Apple Tree Photography} 

Hi..... I'm here.

The first day back to the real world was a long one. After almost a full week of the flu kicking my bum I was happy to get back in a routine. Yes, I did miss my comfy pillow and cozy blanket on the couch while binge watching Parenthood a few times today but for the most part it was a good day.

eye glasses stayed on to prevent a massive head ache // coffee was a must twice today to also prevent massive head ache // & this fabulous run in my tights from the exact moment I sat down at my desk first thing this morning at 8:16AM... thankfully it was not a sign for how the rest of my day would play out.

I survived.

hallelujah.

Taking Stock 001

Making //myself do laundry instead of letting it sit in the dryer. just successfully matched all the socks.

Cooking //chicken and left over quinoa for dinner earlier. 
Drinking //yogi chai tea with a splash of vanilla unsweetened almond milk. my obsession recently. 
Reading //the latest Ezer bible study from my church, Redeeming Sexuality. loving it so far. 
Wanting //a four day weekend. that would be so great.
Looking //at my terribly chipped finger nails. 
Wasting //left over lunches. I really hate left overs.

Sewing //absolutely nothing but I hope to learn how to crochet or knit soon!! does that count? 

Wishing //I could find my my car/house keys. thank God for spares! 
Enjoying //the dishwasher WASHING the DISHES in the kitchen right now. A-Mazing!!! 
Liking //the fact that I have a sweet uncle that helped Peter install it tonight. 
Wondering //how awesome Sherlock is going to be on Sunday. some Downton and THEN Sherlock will be unreal.
Loving //this sweet husband sitting beside me right now. I really am so blessed. 
Hoping //he knows how thankful I am for him every day. 
Marveling //at how the Lord gives us exactly what we need before we even realize we need it. 
Needing //a neck rub.  
Smelling //the candle that Meghan gave us for Christmas. Mmmm!
Wearing //my lululemon leggings and comfy shirt like always. 
Following //a lot of new blogs lately that I like very much. 
Noticing //that I need to go shoe shopping very soon. 
Knowing //that I have a lot to do before this weekend but I'm so excited to give our sweet friends a Couples Shower! 
Thinking //I need my glasses right now. 
Feeling //excitement for Orange is the New Black! So. Good. 
Bookmarking //the latest Crate & Barrel catalog. 
Opening //a can of paint pretty soon for a little DIY project! 
Giggling //about being a Matron of Honor! Soooo excited!! 
Feeling //contentment. 

got this lovely idea from The Daybook Blog.

{love, love, LOVE that blog}

Friday Five

This is my first time joining in this linkup but after checking it out last week I new I wanted to be a part of it! I think its such a fun way to wrap up the week and share five things that made your week. here we go...

1// I started off the week with a SUPER highnote and returned to Downton Abbey! I sat there in the living room, in my favorite chair, curled up with my new blanket from my mom and sipped on some tea. I absolutely loved the first episode of the season!!! So. Good. 

2// I had a really fun surprise on Monday morning when a co-worker of mine came to my desk and congratulated me for being in Town Magazine. I was so confused... but excited. I then went on a hunt for the magazine and found this lovely little article. It kind of made my day.

 

3// Celebrating some late Christmas time with my two best friends is one of my favorite parts of January. We never have time to squeeze it in December and our busy schedules so exchanging late gifts is fun. I have officially converted my frinds to the Erin Condren Life Planners. It was a proud moment. 

4// Starting the New Year with a new meal/schedule planning for the fridge thanks to the free printable on Jones Design Company. Husband might have said "another one... don't you have a lot of those?" but I can't help it. Paper products are my weakness. Especially when they are super cute and free!! 

5// Christmas decorations are finally put away. It was so wonderful to pack everything and have the house back to "normal" so I can finish decorating. Since we have only been in the house for a few months now and majority of the time has been decorated for different seasons (Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas) I'm really looking forward to decorating for our every day style. 

Happy Weekend Everyone!

{& if you are new to this little space because of the Five for Friday Link Up then I hope you stay around for a while... you are more than welcome to stay!}

Our Wedding // The Ceremony

One thing that I loved the most about our Ceremony was how it felt like "us". It wasn't stuffy, there was a lot of laughing & I remember every second of it. A lot of brides say that they can't remember much of their ceremony because of their nerves but I'm so thankful that we decided to have a "first look" because it helped so much. We had our special moments, just the two of us, and then when the time came for me to walk down that isle I wanted to run toward him.
Funny fact, Peter's oldest sister put out her hand and told me to slow down during the ceremony while I was walking toward Peter so I guess I was walking a little too fast.

....but I couldn't help it. I was ready to be his.

I gave Peter a journal that I had been writing in ever since he proposed. I saved the first page to write a letter to him on our wedding day. I want to continue to write in it on special occasions so we can have a journal full of love notes.

Peter also wrote me a letter but it was on a piece of paper from the Marriott Hotel. I died laughing when I saw it because its typical for him to wait till the last minute to do something. I tucked his little letter into the book I gave him above so we can save them together.

Our wonderful wedding party that made our day so much sweeter!!

It was very important to share Communion together on our wedding day. We both agreed that this should be the first thing we do together as Husband & Wife, it means so much to us.

{Photos are property of Living on Cloud Nine blog, and are artistic property of Red Apple Tree Photography}