before bed snack

I am always hungry right before bed, so I usually have a little snack to tie me over until the morning. While in San Diego, we came across this cute little bakery called Nothing Bundt Cakes. I loved it and brought one home for me to devour a little bit every night (okay, it has lasted only two nights). This white chocolate raspberry mini bundt cake does a wonderful job at satiating my nighttime appetite. Can't forget to mention that every night I usually make a pumpkin smoothie to drink too, well, it is either that or chocolate milk! All yum!!!

December is almost here! I am readying up to for the newest sponsors, some who have already been added to the sidebar, so check them out. Rates are quite reasonable and traffic to my little blog increases daily, so this is a good way to get exposure for your shop or blog. If interested, shoot me an email!

Sponsor Hijkids is having a 25% off site wide sale until December 3rd midnight PST, so somebody buy this adorable doll stat! Finally, winners for the most recent giveaways announced here and here. Plus, more fun stuff coming soon!

Now that housekeeping is taken care of, tell me, do you have a favorite bed time snack?

p.s. I did a Christmas shopping list over at Misha Lulu blog, go check it out here!

vintage here, vintage there: week four, date night edition

Let's face it, life is busy. If you're single, working, working at home, whatever it is you do, you are probably busy. That's just how things go, isn't it? With all the busyness of life, some things like date nights are just too important to forget about. Now, we don't do date nights weekly or bi-weekly for that matter, but we try to get it in at least once a month. It is so easy to throw on any old thing for a date night, but isn't it more fun to get all gussied up for the one you love?!! I think so!

Recently, we went a bit more dressed up for our date night because went to one of our favorite seafood restaurants. I felt all giddy getting all dressed up to go on a date with my Benny. I loved every minute of it! I like looking nice for my Ben! Plus, I rarely have a reason to wear heels, but I love any chance I get to do so!

on ben: shirt, american apparel. tie, vintage from my grandpa. vest, vintage. jeans, diesel. shoes, new balance.

on me: dress, vintage. belt, vintage. tights, target. shoes, macys.

Ben loves vintage just as much as I do, so usually he is wearing at least one piece. Plus, he really only shops at thrift and vintage shops. The only things he wears that aren't vintage are his shoes and pants. This vintage dress of mine is one of his favorites (and my favorite) in my collection.

The pictures were a bit tricky to get as date nights are at night, so I used my external flash with my camera set up on the gorilla pod, but I am no camera pro, so I didn't know where to aim my flash. Or maybe I will just pretend that these were the types of pictures I was aiming for... a mysterious romance kinda feel! Ha! I love my husband and I love to kiss him (well, make out is more like it)!!!

Don't forget to head over to Rachel's "over there" and see what smashin' outfit she wore on a date night out with Brett! They are another couple with the initials R + B, which I think is the perfect combination! Right Rachel?!!

Now, do we have you in the mood to bug your man for a date?!! If you want a dress to get all gussied up? Check out this, this, this, and this. I would totally wear any of those on a date night! Tell me what is your idea of a perfect date night outfit? I wanna hear (read) all about it!

vintage mama feature

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Also, this week we are introducing having our first "Vintage Here, Vintage There" guest, featuring Heather from 3 Ring Circus, so go check that out here! One of our favorite aspects of "vintage here, vintage there" is being able to share what other vintage lovin' mamsa love and wear, so we are excited to have our first feature!

I am so excited (and maybe a tad bit stressed), but we have a fun and busy week ahead as our Soulie turns one on Friday!!! Eeks!!!

Hello Monday and the busy week ahead!!!

vintage here, vintage there: week one

vintage here, vintage there: week two

vintage here, vintage there: week three, part one

vintage here, vintage there: week three, part two

vintage here, vintage there: week three, part two

Last week was a blur and I never got to share my little ones in their vintage ensembles. Dressing these days are a bit more interesting as True is starting to have a her say in what she wears. She likes this, doesn't like this, wants that, doesn't like the way that feels. Oh boy! I think these pictures will portray the sass she carries quite accurately (a little disclaimer: if you ever met her in person, she is really shy and it will take about an hour to get her to talk to you).

If you ask her what she likes to wear this is what she will say, "Vintage and Misha Lulu." Simple as that! Okay, maybe it is influenced by what mama puts in their closet, but hey, that is what she really says! Brave doesn't really have an opinion quite yet, but I am sure that isn't too far behind seeing how close in age they are and what big sister does, she does too!

I am such a sucker for vintage kid cardigans. I will rarely turn one down, thus we have a large assortment hanging in their closet. True and I went thrifting together last week and I let her pick out some things, one of which is the belt she is wearing and the other is a belt we picked out for Brave too!

on True: shirt, vintage from oh sydney. cardigan, vintage. belt, thrifted. pants, misha lulu. shoes, vintage. necklace & bracelet, made by true.

on Brave: collared shirt, vintage. cardigan, vintage. pants, misha lulu. shoes, vintage. bow, cakies (by me).

Here some really cute cardigans for sale on etsy: red knit apple, bright and fun, cable knit, peachy handmade, speckled, cowichan bunny, and a perfectly blue.

Rachel and I are both playing catch up, so don't forget to go "over there" and check out her part two also!

vintage here, vintage there: week one

vintage here, vintage there: week two

vintage here, vintage there: week three, part one

a not-so-traditional thanksgiving

Thursday we had a short stop at my grandma's (her name is Ruby too) for a quick family thanksgiving visit, then we made our way down south to San Diego and spent the rest of our Thanksgiving weekend down there. True and Brave already spent the early part of the week vacationing with my parents and siblings that Ben and I finally made our way down to join them for the remaining part of the week.

It was a few days of sleeping in and familial bonding. My favorite parts were hopping in a bed with my sisters and laughing and snuggling all together first thing in the morning, eating yummy food (junk food included) all weekend, and hanging out with my family just to do some antique hunting. It was a nice little getaway and quite different from our normal thanksgivings spent at home, but we are just as much thankful for this not so traditional way of celebrating. The only slightly bummer part was that Ben was behind in work, so while we were off gallivanting, he was stuck all day in the hotel working, but we are very thankful that he has a job!

How was your weekend? I hope it was just as special and full of joy as ours was (even if Ben and I did have a little tiff, mostly my fault, which makes us even more thankful for love and forgiveness)!

Got lots of fun things to share this week, so don't forget to check back!

i love him

I really do!

I also love all the wonderful sales that happen right around this time in preparation for some holiday shopping because I benefit as my parents hit up the black friday madness, they bought me some goodies! So fun!

For all your Christmas shopping don't forget to check out all my wonderful sponsors with their handmade and vintage goodness! Ms. Tips is also having a special 30% off sale that runs until November 30th, so be sure to stop by there now!

Danni also put together a nice little shop list of special black friday sales online! Check them all out here. So if this little post isn't enough to get your spend on, then I don't know what will!

Happy spending folks (just don't forget to stay within your budget)!!!

cracked

This batch of macarons just ain't turning out right, so I am giving up. I am not bringing any to Thanksgiving dinner! I would rather be cleaning and doing other things than getting this right. I threw in the towel and am done, at least for now. I will give it another shot next week. After all, I did just crack open one dozen eggs for egg whites, so those egg whites will be plenty ready for next week's try.

I know I owe you a wrap it up wednesday, but with Thanksgiving tomorrow that will have to wait. Also, I have been a busy bee trying to get things ready for Soul's birthday next week, that Wednesday crept upon me so fast. I promise to give you two next week! I might be throwing in the towel for this space for the rest of the week, so in case I am not back... I am thankful for all of you!!! Seriously.

Being thankful is an everyday, everywhere occurrence.... happy thanksgiving to all of you (not just for those stateside)!!!

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don't forget the giveaways! i am gonna keep them going through the weekend!

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beautiful day

Today, I went out. Tomorrow, I will stay home and clean (and bake some macarons).

Hope your Tuesday was just as swell!

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don't forget the giveaways!

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vintage here, vintage there: week three, part one

Winter isn't quite here yet, but it will be soon, right? Therefore, this is my version of wearing winter white. This vintage dress is a bit thicker in material too, so I think this will be perfect for more winter wears ahead. Ben was a bit funny and said, "Are you wearing a curtain?" I don't think so, but maybe I am. Maybe sometime ago someone was repurposing and decided to make a dress out of their curtains. Who knows?!! No matter what, this vintage dress is loved lots. Maybe even more so if it came from a curtain! And let me tell you it is hard to keep a white dress white when you have kids, but luckily it survived. Whew!

This weekend was mostly spent in bed and watching a whole lot of Masterpiece Theatre. I got sick first, then it hit Ben, next Brave, and lastly Soul. True has escaped it thus far. Since we didn't really go out, you will have to wait for part two of my sharing of my girls until tonight!

on me: dress, vintage. necklace, etsy. belt, thrifted. tights, kohls. shoes, capricious traveler.

Today's plan involve making a short drive to drop off the older two girls with their Grammy and Grumpy so they can vacation with them a bit in San Diego. You better believe I will be busy cleaning the house while the two biggest mess makers are gone! And I need to do some thrifting cause I am looking for some vintage syrup dispensers like these and I need them quick! Anyone have any lying around that they are trying to get rid of? Send them here please!

Are you feeling the vintage lovin' and want to see more pretty vintage winter whites? see some of my faves here, here, here, and here.

Don't forget to come back tonight to see our part two of "vintage here, vintage there" and go over to see what Rachel's vintage lovin' "over there"!

vintage here, vintage there: week one

vintage here, vintage there: week two

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don't forget the giveaways!

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:: sponsor welcome ::

Please welcome my newest sponsor... thalita dol illustrations.

Thalita creates such whimsical illustrations that encapsulate childhood so perfectly. Each piece is dreamy, child-like, and utterly sweet. She has prints ready made that would be perfect for a nursery, child's room or adorning some sweet little spot in your home. There are also ready made birthday sets with ready-made invitations, birthday and thank you cards all with coordinating red envelopes. Her notecard sets are also absolutely adorable for the special notes of encouragement or just because you may need to send out. My favorite in her shop is her custom illustration prints that she offers. Here is one she did of True a few years ago...

I love how the illustration turned out and I think her illustration belongs in a children book! Can't you just see True as a main character of some story? Isn't it extra special to see your little one illustrated?! Definitely a keepsake and something for True to pass down!

As a little treat for you, Thalita is giving away either a print or a set of notecards! There a few ways to enter and get yourself more chances to win this lovely giveaway.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite item in her shop.

2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, November 24th and don't forget to come back Thursday to this post as this is where the winner will be announced. Good luck! Thank you so much Thalita!!!

Also, Cakies readers can get a 10% discount on any purchase, just convo Thalita before placing your order with the code cakies and she will set up a custom listing for you with the discount. Not bad, eh? Good luck everyone!!!

thalita dol illustrations shop...

thalita dol blog...

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Don't forget the Emily Sparks giveaway going on too!

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The random robot chose... Rozen!!!
Lucky girl Rozen!!! Email me to get you in touch with Thalita! Thanks everyone for your enthusiasm!!!

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:: sponsor welcome ::

Please welcome my newest sponsor... emily sparks handmade.

I had the pleasure of meeting Emily when we both did Renegade this past summer. She is one talented lady and all her creations are absolutely stunning. I have a couple of her pieces like this and this and love them so much! Emily Sparks Handmade is the perfect combination of utterly girly, yet sophisticated. I can totally see these being sold at Anthropologie, can't you?!! Her headbands are perfection and necklaces a charmer. I am sure you will be adding some of her things (if not all of them), to your etsy favorites list as I am also sure you could find the perfect gift for someone here as I have ordered some already!

Lucky you, one Cakies reader has a chance to win a blooming headband in your color choice. There a few ways to enter and get yourself more chances to win this lovely giveaway.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite Emily Sparks Handmade item.

2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, November 24th and don't forget to come back Thursday to this post as this is where the winner will be announced. Good luck! Thank you so much Emily Sparks!!!

emily sparks handmade shop...

emily sparks handmade blog...

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The random robot chose... heather!!!

Congrats!!! Please email me to get you in touch with my sponsor! Thanks for playing everyone!!!
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doodles

Lately, I have really been enjoying doodling little wants and likes in my sketchbook. It is filled with little outfits I put together based on some of my favorites on etsy. I can't go shopping all the time, so I figured I could scratch that shopping itch by drawing my dream little outfits. Drawing is so addictive to me, once I start, I can't stop and then Ben says, "Um... isn't there something else you should be doing rather than drawing up dream outfits?!" There is indeed more important things to be done, but a girl can spend a little time dreaming things together, can't she?!!

Just a little list of things I want for fall, but I guess winter too, since it is right around the corner. Though lately, I have been living in sweats and a cardigan.

I am by no means a fashion illustrator, but I just doodle things that fancy me.

outfit details: heart on my sleeve dress (can't find it in my faves, must have been deleted). tapestry purse from ms. tips. retro maryjane t-straps. sprinkles cupcake.

This is one of my favorite little getups...

outfit details: black sequins jazz dress. black crocodile print ferragamos. vintage carpet handbag.

So sad some of these things have already sold, but it is just as well, because it wasn't in my budget to buy them. I am sure they are going to a nice wonderful home where they will be loved! Also, I have pages full of drawings (little outfits for my girls too), so my wish list is too big and you may see more of my doodles round these parts. This is my way of scratching my shopping itch.

Have a good weekend and do tell me what is on your etsy favorites list...

DIY: yarn ornaments

An easy little DIY to make something for your gift wrappings, tree hanging, or just cause you are plain craft happy! It is really super easy.

materials:

yarn, use various colors for mixing (or embroidery thread)

scissors

wire cutter

wire of sorts (I used what I had on hand and it is wire wrapped in raffia bought at a local craft store, thick copper jewelry wire would work too, or even embroidery hoops)

*tip: make sure you get wire that keeps it shape and doesn't easily bend as you will wrap the yarn around tightly.

1. Using a wire cutter, cut off 6''-8'' long piece of wire, depending on the size you want your circle (can even make larger if you so desire). Twist together the ends of the wire to form a circle and this is the top of your ornament.

2. Taking your yarn, tie a knot at the top part of your ornament.

3. Wrap yarn around the top a couple of times, then wrap around the circle randomly to create any type pattern you like. Can be wrapped once or twice or even up to ten times, it's up to you how you want your ornament to look like. To end the color, just tie and double knot back up to the top where you first tied your yarn.

*tip: make sure to always go to the opposite side of the circle when wrapping your yarn because you want to make sure the yarn is wrapped around taut. if the yarn is not going from one end to the other, the space between the yarn might be too close together and will just unravel easily later.

4. Add another yarn color, and repeat steps two and three. Do this again, if you wish to add an additional color. Go color happy and add as many colors as you'd like!

5. Cut off a 6''-8'' piece of yarn, fold in half and knot to the top of the ornament. This allows you to hang your ornament or to be able to tie it to your gift wrapping.

6. Hang it, adorn gifts (or trees), and enjoy your yarn ornament!

Hope you have fun making this and that it makes sense! Have any other questions or need clarification on how to make this, please tell me here. Also, if you make it and share it on your blog, leave the links here as I would love to see it!

Happy crafting everyone!!!

wednesday: wrap it up

We have about six weeks until Christmas, can you believe it?!! I have mentioned that I am pretty much done with shopping (just a few more things to get), so I figured I would start wrapping things up. Yes, I am starting to wrap presents. So as I start wrapping, I am going to share various ways to wrap up your presents using things you probably already have lying around your house. I refuse to buy anything to aid in Christmas gift wrapping as I could probably open up a little craft store with all the crafting junk I have in my house!

I hope you like this little bit as the next 6 wednesdays will be all about wrapping and every week I will utilize one specific element in the wrapping. This week's special element is... YARN!

As I was writing the above line, I felt a bit Iron Chef-ish and can hear all their sound effects and music as they reveal what the key ingredient for the recipes will be. Anyone know what I am talking about?!!

For the first gift, I crocheted a mini scarf and attached some buttons and wrapped it around the present. I think the present scarf is so cute and simple. After, I guess the recipient could use it as a cowl of sorts.

Yarn is so easy to use that for this one, I just tied a knot at the back and then wrapped the yarn around and around vertically, then horizontally and "voila!" You can even mix other colors, keep the lines straight or go crazy with it.

For this last gift, I wrapped yarn around again, but this time I added a bit of a yarn ornament along with it.

Now, you might be thinking how do I make a yarn ornament? Well, I will have the DIY for you tomorrow. It is really easy and you are all such geniuses that I am sure you could make do without my step-by-step, and once you see how I do it, you will say, "Ruby, I could have done that with my eyes closed!" Then, next thing you know you will already have made 10!

I love wrapping gifts. Presents are always nice, but presents with pretty wrapping is just a tad bit nicer, don't you think? It makes opening a gift fun! Scratch that. Opening gifts is just plain fun no matter how it comes, but a little extra oomph never hurts!

Be back tomorrow with a little DIY...

I know some of you have already shared your favorite ways to wrap presents on this post, but if you have any other ideas, do share, and maybe I will use one of your ideas for one of the weeks!

some serious pretties

Ben and I (and Soul) had a wonderful post birthday weekend getaway (True and Brave stayed with my parents). We did all the things I requested, such as a nice dinner date out (we ate at Oceanaire, which is one of our favorite places for seafood), some sleeping in and just taking it easy (kinda though, cause Soul woke us up at 6:30am and it was like pulling teeth to get her to go back to sleep), and some antique hunting. Ben threw in some other fun surprises like grabbing a picnic lunch from Bread and Cie and finding authentic Mexican food from La Fachada and all was more than well! Seriously, I love birthdays and with all the spoiling I got, I am declaring it my birthday month!

Of course, I was also able to come home with some real pretties for a steal of a deal! I love my vintage plaid button down shirt and it seems snake skin was the thing of the weekend as I got it in an ivory belt and deep green shoes. The big bow is my favorite part!

The best find of all was this ribbon knit dress that I was sure was something special when I first laid eyes on it. Together, I thought the 2 piece dress looked a bit frumpy, but when separated, I think it brings out the gloriousness of each piece even more. Upon some help and direction from this lovely gal, I found out a bit more info here. Apparently, a hand knit ribbon dress by Ann Fleischer made in the 1960's is definitely a dress to be treasured. I think the dress by itself would make a lovely wedding dress, so maybe I will hold onto it in case one of my daughter's take a liking to it (I am a bit too short to wear it). In the meantime, the sweater is definitely mine. This intricate design of this dress done in ribbon nonetheless is an absolute beauty!

And proof of our lovely weekend...

{san diegan birthday getaway from rubyellen bratcher on Vimeo shot with my zumi}

Happy Tuesday friends! What are your plans for the day? We will be cleaning up our garden, it has grown to be an overgrown mess these past couple months. Time to clean it up a bit, before any rain comes and the weeds really get out of hand!

vintage here, vintage there: week two

It seems that southern California can't seem to make up its mind if it wants an Autumn or not, but at least it is no longer in the 100's like it was a week ago! This weekend was a such a whirlwind as Ben and I just got back from a post birthday getaway to San Diego (with just Soul), which I will share more about later.

The weather there was a bit warmer than I like, but I just pretend it is more fall-ish than it really is and I still wear tights. Though, it is still much too warm during the day to bust out any cute vintage sweaters or jackets, wearing a vintage dress and shoes are still fun enough!

on me: dress, vintage from 1385. tights, target. shoes (from my birthday wish list and gifted by my parents), capricious traveler.

on soul: dress, vintage. leggings, baby gap.

I am in love with these shoes as they are so comfy! That is the best thing about vintage shoes, they are usually already broken in for you. Have you tried vintage shoes before?

Here are some shops with a good vintage shoe collection: lisazain, kenaione, squeaky wheels, pineapple mint. If you are a size 7 (this make me wish I was), please buy this cause this is just darn cute (tell me if you do, cause i will be so happy if one of you get it)!

A tip when buying vintage shoes: Don't just go by your shoe size number, but measure the insoles of a comfortable pair you own, then compare it to the length and width of the insole of the shoe you might be looking to buy online.

In the next few weeks, we will also have a special spotlight on what we wear date nights, for play, outerwear, or some other way we are able to infuse vintage into our wardrobe. Not to forget we will also be featuring some vintage lovin' and wearin' mamas, one of which is Karen from Misha Lulu, so get excited to meet these ladies! If you are sharing and sporting your vintage, don't forget to leave your links here. We wanna see what your wearing in your part of the world!

Don't forget to head over to Smile and Wave and check out what vintage Rachel's wearing over there!

p.s. can't wait to show you some vintage pretties i picked up over the weekend! hurrah!