Sunshine and Shoes!

Afternoon bloggies! I apologize for the MIA-ness, it's been super hectic 'round these here parts. We had a big event at work that ended today, which meant that I had to work on Sunday. However, before work on Sunday I put in a last ditch effort at the mall to find something for my bridal shower this coming Saturday (yay!). I have been looking on and off without much success. I wasn't even going to stop at Banana because their dress selection has been lacking lately but of course, I couldn't help myself. I'm glad I did! They got in a new shipment this past Thursday and I am now the happy owner of this lovely wrap dress:source
It is a lilac/grey/tan pattern. I love it! It is very flattering and lays quite nicely.



I have to say that I am even more excited for the shoes that I purchased at Banana. Behold: source

They are so cute on! Plus, everything in the store was 25% off when you spent $100, so I got a major deal. It seems that lilac and grey are going to be huge this spring. I am contemplating whether to get a lilac cardigan to wear over the dress. Decisions, decisions.


In other news, I have been getting up before work to hit the gym! The fact that I am keeping this up is monumental. I was supposed to go yesterday morning, but postponed it to this morning due to all of the craziness with work. Which just means I will be "two-a-daying" it and attending my yoga class tonight as well. On Sunday, I put myself through a kick-ass Jillian circuit. I was going to write out the first circuit workout listed in her making the cut book. However, I remember that my mom had purchased her "hot bod in a box" cards, which basically is just a set of cards with a bunch of workouts on them. Coincidentally, her first circuit workout card (with everything already listed out) happened to be the first workout listed in her making the cut book! So I just grabbed that and hit the gym. There were many sprints (on the treadmill), burpies and jumping rope to be had, interspersed with strength training. It was awesome! Do you circuit train?

The lovely Suzy at Running on My Time and Molly at I'm a Sleeper Baker nominated me for the sunshine award! Thanks ladies! I sure could use some sunshine in my life right now! I am supposed to pass the award on to 11 blog friends and let them know via a comment on their page. I tag:

• Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg! I love reading Anna's blog. She's a college professor, which I think is super cool. She also posts beautiful pictures and has the most creative vegetarian recipes!
• Danielle @ Coffee Run. I find it so hard to believe that Danielle is still in college- she possesses such wisdom and maturity already! I wish that I shared her healthy habits in college. She is very inspirational and her food photos are amazing!
• Lily @ Lily's Health Pad. I love Lily's blog! She is super nice and has a lot of great budgeting tips. She's provided me with a lot of encouragement running wise, which I am very grateful for!
• Wendy @ Give Love, Create Happiness. Wendy is quite possibly the sweetest person ever. Her blog inspires me to be a better person and find peace within myself. I went to high school with her (she was a few years older) and can attest to the fact that she has the most gorgeous hair on the planet.
• Lindsey @ Eat, Read, Run. I want to meet up with Lindsey and hang out in real life! She's from upstate NY living in NYC and is currently training for her BQ. She is totally going to qualify for Boston- she is sooo speedy! She is also a fellow bibliophile, which I always appreciate.
• Linzi @ Destination 26.2. Linzi is in the process of training for her first marathon, which I find to be super inspiring. She is also dating a military man, so I identify with her in that respect. She also participates in a running club called "Will Run for Wine". I could totally be a member of that club.
• Katharine @ From A to Pink. Katharine is currently training for her first 5k. I was in that boat last spring/summer so I know how she feels! She is a great writer and comes across as being very fun and vivacious.
• Julie @ Julie's Running Blog. Julie is so sweet! She just ran her first two half marathons (and did incredibly well, I might add). She brings so much support and fun to the blogging community with her posts. I look forward to reading her blog! She also has the cutest running gear!
• Meredith @ Balance for MEre. Meredith's blog is one of the first blogs that I began reading. I finally de-lurked once I started my own blog. She has been a source of inspiration for me, as she just celebrated her running anniversary this past December and, in the meantime, ran a super speedy 10k! She has lots of great ideas and is a great writer- it must have something to do with being a teacher!
• Yelena @ One Healthy Apple. Yelena's blog is too cute- I love the background! She is newly married and she and her husband are adorable- I remember at one point he guest posted and referred to her as BWE- best wife ever. So cute!
• Lee @ In My Tummy- Lee and I are in the same boat- we are both planning a wedding in the spring and running a half this fall. I may even venture down to Atlanta to run one with her! Her blog is very real and fun.

I could go on and on, but I do have to get some work done. Thank you to all of the bloggers out there for being a constant source of inspiration and motivation!