I Won a Copy of The Nesting Place!

May 7, 2014May 7, 2014 / Rubys N Purls / Leave a comment

You may have heard recently, but the Nester just released her new book last weekend! In the weeks leading up to the book’s release date the Nester has been giving away copies on various blogs around the blogosphere. I’ve entered a few of the giveaways in hopes of scoring a copy. One such blog is The Inspired Room, a blog I have enjoyed following immensely over the past few years.

I WON!!! Can you believe it?! I can’t wait to read the Nester’s book and have Caveman read it too!!

Last night I told him about winning the book, Nester’s journey in writing the book, their family’s story of moving so many times, where they are now and her vision for their new place. I’m so happy he’s interested to reading it too, even with me. I told him about her principle, It Doesn’t have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful (#idhtbptbb) and how I want to incorporate this principle, together with him, in our home. Caveman agrees and is completely on board.

After a little over 10 years together, we’ve gotten better at communicating in general lol, but also communicating our dreams and desires for our home and lives together. Or maybe it’s that we’ve gotten better at actually listening to each other, either way I’m embracing it. I thank God every day for our family, our lives together and for the growing up I’ve certainly done in those years.

While we haven’t moved since we bought our home 10 years ago this May, we have remodeled it in different phases throughout that time. Our poor hall bath has been repainted twice so far and needs another paint job now. As Caveman said just this morning you can only pause for so long on home improvement projects before something else needs to be done or redone! My style and tastes in design have evolved and changed to such a degree that I would love to repaint the entire house now, but especially our master bedroom. Maybe this year? I hope so, but if not that’s ok too. Right now while Caveboy is little I’m trying to stay focused on this phase of our lives because he’s already 4 1/2! How does this happen? It seems like just a few months ago I was bringing him home from the hospital!

ETA: Today’s Joy Dare prompt is 3 gifts about your home for which you are thankful! How fitting!!

1.) Our home offers us protection and shelter from the elements.

2.) Our home has come a long way from the day we moved in, but I know it’s not as good as I hope we can make it!

3.) It’s small, so that just means we have to make conscious decisions about what we put in it and purge often!

What are 3 gifts about your home you are thankful?

Once I receive my copy, I’ll be sure to post a full review of the book here. I’m sure it’s going to be awesome though, I mean I’ve read her blog for years and completely love it so this book is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit too!

Thoughts on Redesigning Our Home

March 31, 2014March 28, 2014 / Rubys N Purls / Leave a comment

I saved the best find from my thrifting trip the other day for one last post in March! WooHoo for me!

I have always loved architecture and interior design. In fact I went to college for a while to be an architect, decided that although I really enjoyed it, architecture just wasn’t for me. Then I almost went into Interior Design but chickened out by telling myself I couldn’t do it. Oh how I have regretted that decision, especially when only 5 short years later HGTV exploded! ALWAYS just go for it!! But I digress…

Now I read a ton of DIY/Home Design blogs instead and love a variety of styles, just check out my Pinterest boards to prove it! Our current home’s style is more on the traditional side with a bit of a cabin vibe going on too. Oh who am I kidding? Despite my interest in home design it’s actually its a mix of everything hand-me-down, but I really want to change that.

I’ve always been a fan of the mid-century modern designs, but lately I’m leaning even more towards them. I like the clean lines and minimalist styling, so when I spotted a pair of these at the Thrift Store the other day they were hard to pass up!

These were really dirty and definitely needed refinishing, but they would have looked so great with our sectional! Only I have zero room in our house for any more furniture so they stayed put. 😦 Maybe someday!

Our other problem is the lack of storage/closet space! This has frustrated me since we moved in and one of the spare rooms always ended up housing the junk. We have condensed it over the years but still there are some major problem areas & I may or may not be a pack-rat of sorts. One specific problem areas is our shoe situation! Caveman & I personally have 2 (ok 1.5) shoe racks each, and little Caveboy is coming very close to own 1 by himself (yet we always say he doesn’t have enough shoes!).

I looked into getting this beauty!

Actually I wanted two and had a couple of different spots in our home as to where I would like it installed BUT… there are no Ikea’s near us! The closest one is in Atlanta, next Charlotte or Cincinnati, each being a 3/4/5 hour drive away. If I wanted it shipped here then that’s another $129, so it’d be like basically buying 3 cabinets and only getting 2.

After a little Googling I found these plans on Ana-White.com! Caveman said we could attempt or else have one built!!!! This one from Ana’s Brag Posts is my absolute favorite! I mean it’s gorgeous, as are most any pottery barn inspired knockoffs.

You can read all about how she built it right here! I really like the feet on this one, makes it look more like a piece of furniture but I think I would add simplier/sleeker pulls and maybe go with a walnut stain instead of black paint.

After we get the shoe problem addressed I’d like to find a great rug for Caveboy’s room. We are in there playing almost every night. We love having hardwood floors throughout our home but in there I’d really like to find a great rug. I have considered a Southwestern style, a plain colored shag or something vintage. I got an email earlier today from West Elm showcasing their new designs for Spring. I immediately fell in love with this rug!

I think it would go perfectly but we’ll see what my Cavemen think about it first! 🙂

October!! Already!!

October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 / Rubys N Purls / Leave a comment

Between school for both Caveboy and I, his being preschool two days a week and mine being university life every.single.day. I don’t have much time for anything but the absolute necessities. So to say life has been crazy lately is the biggest understatement EVER! I just thought I’d pop in with a few quick & random things though…and play along with Five Favorites again today!

First off… I’m so, so glad fall is here! Not only does fall bring spectacular colors, crisp mornings and evenings but it also brings pumpkins and loads of fun festivals. I do so hope we can squeeze in a couple this year despite my crazy schedule.

Second, have you guys signed up for Everlane yet? I love silk blouses and I really want to try one from Everlane. Corilynn showed her’s off today and it is gorgeous! I think I’d like one in the cream or olive!

What’s been happening in our little corner of the world besides school? Well Caveboy turned 4 earlier this month & I made up some super cute Save The Date Invitations for the kids.

I downloaded the blank dinosaur printables from here (& I would love to be able to use these somewhere!) and then tweaked my information in Photoshop using some Dinosaur fonts (Dinosaur Jr, Prehistoric, Jurassic Park, You Are Loved – to name a few). I downloaded this Dinosaur Party Pack from Tip Junkie and tweaked them some in Photoshop to better match the colors I was using and to create water bottle labels.

Caveman texted me the other day and asked if we could start the Paleo diet? Of course I was on board, but neither of us was prepared for the amazing results that would follow. Within 24 hours (cause we kinda jumped in cold turkey and all) Caveman and I both felt fabulous. As in I was waking up earlier without joint pain due to inflammation, dido for Caveman. He’s been having so stomach pains and thought originally it was an ulcer, that has completely cleared up! We are both down by 10 lbs within a week and a half of going Paleo, so I’m not seeing any grains in our diets for a very long time… as in ever! We are both hooked and (because we needed an AND) Caveboy loves eating this way too. In fact, he’s actually eating his Paleo lunches I send with him to school, where as he hadn’t been eating the grain filled lunches before. Winning!

Thanks for continuing to stop by and check in on the little blog, but I have to warn you now that blogging might be a little sparse for a while longer. I’ve wanted to post a few times recently and even took some outfit photos last month, but they looked terrible and I simply haven’t had time since. I have been on Pinterest lately though so you can catch me there too.

Until next time… Happy Fall Y’all!

Stripes & Turquoise!

August 12, 2013August 15, 2013 / Rubys N Purls / 21 Comments

Happy Middle-of-August Everyone! Who’s ready for crisp, cool weather, changing leaves and hayrides – this girl!!

Sweater – Target, Capri’s & SAK Purse – Thrifted, Canvas Shoes – old, DIY T-Shirt Bracelet – handmade

I picked up this striped summer-sweater at Target the other day for $5!! I love finding stuff in the Target clearance racks or their $1 section! I went with the small because the medium was just huge and didn’t fit right. Although with all the walking and running I’ve been doing lately, I’ve lost some weight and all my clothes are fitting better!

Please forgive the frizzy hair, when I left there were some loose curls, but overall my hair was mostly straight! This humidity is killer these days and its been raining and raining, come on fall!!

Sundays: What I Wore Sunday linkup / Sunday Style

Mondays: Funday Mondays! / Monday-Mingle / Visible Monday / My Style Monday / Color Blind- Thrifters Anonymous / Lowercase Letters- Miscellany Mondays / Covered in Grace- Monday Meet Up /Claire Justine oxox- Creative Mondays /Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans- Monday Mingle /Join the Gossip- Monday Morning Gossip /

Tuesdays: Real Girl Glam Link Up / Anything & Everything / Style Statement Tuesday / Style Sessions Contributor

Wednesdays: WIWW @ Transaltantic Blonde /Whatever Whenever Wednesday / Get Your Pretty On / Wardrobe Wednesday / Dress For the Day / My Whims Wednesday / Diaries of a Bargainista / Whatever Works Wednesday / What We Wore, Read & Made Wednesdays / Trending Pretty Wednesday / Random Wednesday @Shannasaidso / Wildcard Wednesday

Thursdays: Think Tank Thursday / Three-fer Thursday /Look What I Got! / #ThrifterThrusday / All Things Pretty Thursday! / MIX MATCH – Summer Style Linkup

Fridays: Casual Friday Link Up / Fridays Five / Fashion Friday @ All Things Chic / Favorite Frock Friday / Fridays Fancies / Fashion Informant Link Up / Style Me Friday / The Best of Friday Style Link-Up! / White Tee Challenge

Saturdays: Watch Out For The Woestmans / Weekend Recap / Sami’s Shenanigans- Weekend Update /

End of July Update….

July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 / Rubys N Purls / Leave a comment

Everyone having a great summer so far?! This one seems to be flying by for us.

Neighbors Crepe Myrtles

Dressing for summer weather while working in an office is always tricky. I mostly keep one of my lightweight scarves to double as a shawl or a lightweight cardigan that goes with everything. In summers past I’ve worked all day inside with only a short break outside during lunch, but this summer has been a little different! I’ve been taking summer classes at the University of Tennessee to further my education and since the university is only a few blocks from where I work, I can easily walk to and fro. Therein lies the dilemma, my outfits need to be office casual, lightweight and breezy enough for the hot midday sun, and easy to walk in. I’ve found that with a little planning and creativity I can easily pull this off with my current spring/summer wardrobe. I’m not exactly wearing my dressy office wear this summer but I’m not completely casual either – because in our office shorts are a no-go. Here are a few looks I’ve documented, not the basic pieces and the simplicity of each. The top look is what I’m wearing today, Silk Sweater and Navy Capri’s.

Capri’s and skirts have been in heavy rotation, but I’m also sticking with loose, billowy skirts instead of pencil skirts unless they have stretch to them (blue one above qualifies 😉 ). I’m also relying on more casual sandals instead of heels this summer too.

So I pass this view everyday on my walks…

and knowing I would be out and about in the rain at times, I purchased a cute, but very useful umbrella that I love. I thought it would be getting heavy use today because we were forecasted to get loads of rain but thankfully its held off so far.

If you didn’t already know, I’ve been mostly on Instagram this summer and am currently participating in the #30dayselfportraitchallenge with #abeautifulmess. Here are a few random photos from the challenge so far. Today was #day15 (or 15/30) so I’m are halfway there!