Friday Favorites

Happy Halloween! If you're not into it, I assume you're at least using it as an excuse to stuff your face with some candy tonight. I've got my glucose test next week so I'm going to try to limit myself on the sweets... we'll see how that goes. Sadly we didn't even get to carving a pumpkin this year but I'm going to add some bats to our front door to make it more fun for the trick-or-treaters!

Linking up as usual with Amanda and Christina for some of my favorites from the week!

These apple cider donuts from Carolina Charm are so incredibly delicious, you all need to make them right now. There are a lot of ingredients but I promise they are worth it!

I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about this blue watercolor calligraphy print by Lauren from A Fabulous Fete. I asked her to do these sweet Coldplay lyrics for the nursery and I had it in my hands in just over a week. If you're looking to do something similar with your wedding vowels, lyrics, etc. I cannot recommend her enough!

Bold Navy Planner

I know a lot of people love the Kate Spade planner, but I'm impatiently waiting for Target to finally put out the 2015 Sugar Paper planners. I got one on clearance last year and I'm obsessed, so I can't wait to get my hands on this navy and gold one! Even with my OCD tendencies for scheduling, this $17 option is perfect!

Aztec Print Cardigan

I've been on the hunt for the perfect aztec sweater and I think I may have found it! I love the colors on this but I'm worried it might be a little too bold for me to pull off. Anyone else loving this cardigan trend?

I missed my Friday post last week but just wanted to say thank you so everyone who participated in the first part of the holiday linkup hosted by myself, Lisa, Annie, and Katie. I loved going through and seeing everyone's festive posts and cannot wait to see what y'all have in store for the Thanksgiving linkup! Mark your calendars!

I hope you all have a fun and festive weekend! Drink a glass of wine (or three) for me, will you?!

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Currently Loving

Happy Thursday, friends! This week I think I've been more exhausted than I ever was, even in the first trimester. I hope its just from two weeks on-the-go and not a hint of some sort of sickness to come!


Ever since we found out about this little babe I'm cooking, I've focused on buying him the things he will need. You know... like adorable baby jeans, the cutest teethers around, and a pricey "coming home" outfit that will likely be ruined with a diaper blowout (because we certainly won't know what the eff we're doing yet). You stop buying for yourself and forget about all those things you wanted to decorate the house.

So today I'm sharing a few of the things on my wishlist, 99% of which are not baby-related. Because mama needs a little love too, right?

Factory City Coat

I definitely don't need a new coat here in Charleston but if I were to buy one, this would be it. I love the high collar and the green color is completely opposite of every other winter coat I own.

Initial Bar Necklace

I've been wanting a bar necklace for a while, I love seeing them layered with other necklaces. I'm not sure I can pull off the layering thing but I can't wait to order one of these with Rowan's initial!

Elbow-Patch Sweater in Stripes

Elbow pads and stripes in one perfect sweater. Enough said.

Chesney Round Toe Bootie

I realize I'm a little late to the game on the booties trend but I'm ready to dive in if someone wants to buy these for me. Any takers?

Braided Wool Baskets

Why do these things have to be so expensive? You're killing me RH, with all your cute, overpriced baby things. If anyone has seen a knockoff of these baskets, please share!

Grey Ombre Faux Fur Throw

My obsession with throw blankets continues with this number. I mean, it doesn't get any more cozy than that!

What are you loving for this Fall and Winter? Anything I need to add to my list?!

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Asheville Recap

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! As I try to catch up on life after a busy couple of weeks, I've got a quick recap of our Asheville trip! The weather could not have been more perfect, the leaves more beautiful, or the company any better.

I'm warning you, this is going to be total picture overload. I just can't help it with the gorgeous mountain views we had!

We actually stayed about 40 minutes outside of downtown Asheville at the Laurel View Lodge in Maggie Valley. It was a bit of a treacherous drive up the one lane, winding mountain roads, but it was worth it for the cabin amenities and the view!

View from the front door

The cabin had a hot tub (which I sadly could not use), gas fireplace, a pool table, comfy beds, and lots of space. It was also great if you bring your dog because the deck had a gate so Ruby could walk around without us worrying she would go down the steps.

I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for somewhere to stay in the Fall! I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible to get there with any kind of wintery weather.

We headed out to the Blue Ridge Parkway on Friday to see the fall colors and this gorgeous view. This is the view from Waterrock Knob, one of the many lookout points along the parkway.

We took a day trip to Asheville and hit up as many spots as possible, starting with Early Girl Eatery for brunch. I had their green tomato omelet special, it was so delicious! Though since everything is straight from the farm, I had to pass on the feta cheese. Boo!

After stopping at Three Dog Bakery and getting Ruby some treats, we headed to Wicked Weed Brewery. My parents and my husband really enjoyed the beer, I was pretty jealous of their pumpkin and caramel apple beers.

We also grabbed some tacos to go from White Duck Taco. They were the perfect snack later at the cabin. The Thai Peanut Chicken taco was my favorite!

I'm so sad that the weekend is over already, I miss having my hot apple cider and breakfast on this deck! It was such a great weekend away with my husband and my parents, but now we're back to the reality of Monday... work, an empty fridge, and 6 loads of laundry. Lovely!

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24 Weeks

Feeling rather LARGE all of a sudden!

How far along: 24 weeks... It's so hard to believe we're at the 6 month mark!

Size of Baby: Apparently he is as long as an Ear of Corn and over a pound and a half

Gender: all blue!

Best moment this week: Finishing the registries (THANK YOU all for your help!) and seeing the baby shower invitation was definitely a highlight! My Mom picked them out on Etsy and I love them! Perfect for a Fall baby shower/pumpkin-obsessed mama like me.

Little Pumpkin Invitation.
(We changed the wording a bit and made a font change, the seller was so easy to work with!)

Weight gain: +15 lbs. total

Maternity clothes: Mixing and matching. I've been wearing my flannel button downs with a tank underneath since I can't button them

Stretch marks: None yet but it seems like my belly is growing fast all of a sudden so I'm being really diligent about applying my Mama Bee's belly butter

Belly button in or out: In but getting flatter by the day. Also of note... that belly button piercing I got at age 16 and hoped would close a few years ago is looking super stretched. Ew.

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Sleep: Not good. I cannot seem to get comfortable no matter what I do which does not bode well for the future as I get bigger!

Miss anything: Sleeping through the night... The urge to pee has come back with a vengeance.

Movement: Lots of big movements lately! He's really active in the afternoon while I'm working at my desk. I also think he is a night owl like his mama, I get the strongest kicks when I get into bed. Lets just hope the night owl thing changes once he makes his debut!

Cravings: You mean aside from eating all of the peanut m 'n ms that were supposed to be for trick-or-treaters?

Symptoms: Much to my dismay, I think the linea negra is beginning to make its appearance. Also new since the last bumpdate are some back pain and tingling in my hand (which the doc said is common depending on where the baby is sitting). Overall though, the second trimester is treating me well and I'm loving it!

Nursery: We've been super busy so not much progress since my last update, other than the glider purchase! It was supposed to be in this week but unfortunately the truck broke down (UGH!) so we may not get it until Thanksgiving since its being shipped to the store near where my parents live.

Looking forward to: Definitely Asheville this weekend with my parents and some real Fall weather! I have a few cute outfits I've been wanting to sport but it hasn't been cold enough yet.

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Halloween Party Inspiration: Knocked Up Style

I've mentioned it before, but we're not huge Halloween people around this house. Though I admit that I will take any excuse to be festive and host some friends at our place.

A typical Halloween here consists of running out last minute for candy because we ate too much of it, half-assed Halloween costumes, at least one killer jack-o-lantern (finding pumpkin goo and seeds around the house days later), an endless supply of pumpkin beer, and Hocus Pocus on repeat while we pass out candy to the kiddos.

This year I've done my fair share of taste-testing the Halloween candy because someone has to be sure it's safe for the trick-or-treaters. Pumpkins will be carved and Hocus Pocus has been watched. But I haven't decided what I'm going to dress as besides a tired pregnant girl who would give her left arm for a beer.

So because many of you are in the same boat (holy baby announcements lately, congrats y'all!!), I thought I'd share some ways to make a Halloween party that is bump-friendly!

 Invitations. DIY Pumpkin Shirt. Metallic Pumpkins. Bar Cart. Shirley Temples.

Decor

I love these metallic pumpkins! You can decorate them ahead of time and not have to worry about the pumpkin rotting, plus less goo which is perfect for me since I'm pretty lazy lately. I'll save the pumpkin carving for the party... and probably just use a drill like we did last year!

Drinks

There are a lot of festive cocktails that can be made without the alcohol, but this fun twist on a Shirley Temple is my favorite! Just keep some vodka on the drink cart for non-preggo friends! Speaking of drink carts, chalkboards and printable drink labels are perfect for adding a little creepy decor.

Costumes

There are so many costumes out there for pregnant gals that are just plain weird. My favorite is this one by Carolina Charm. It's no sew and very little effort... That's my kind of costume! Head over there to see how she did it! If I wasn't preggers I would totally be rocking a Carrie Bradshaw costume.

Sweets

About 20 minutes after you finished the last Reese's in your Halloween candy stockpile, the baby starts kicking and doing backflips. But you have to share your candy, so have some easy caramel apples on hand to satisfy that sweets craving! I used this caramel recipe, it was a little more work than just melting the individual caramels but so delicious!

Anyone have big plans for Halloween this year? Any mamas planning a dinner party or making a Halloween costume?!

Want to join the link up? Just write about anything Halloween-related, share this icon and link up with Annie, Lisa, Katie and me!

<div align="center"><a href="http://homesweetruby.blogspot.com" title="Holiday Linkup"><img src="http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q792/lisampray/holidaylink-upbutton_zps47581a5e.jpg" width="250" height="250" alt="Holiday Linkup" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

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Weekend in Photos

This weekend flew by so fast, I really wish we had an extra day off today. After lots of sightseeing with our guests, way too much food, and some epic games of Cranium... this mama definitely needs a day of detoxing and a nap!

We had so much fun with my sister-in-law and her fiance visiting so many beautiful spots in Charleston that we hadn't seen before. We visited places where they filmed the Notebook and even got in the car of a completely random woman who wanted to take us on a tour of the city. Turns out she was a private tour guide in Charleston so we got a free 20 minute tour from a speed talking, sweet old lady before we asked her to drop us off at Rainbow Row.

We headed to the Calhoun Mansion first, which is where some of the scenes from the Notebook were filmed. The house is absolutely amazing and filled to the brim with antiques, ornate chandeliers, and gold finishes. We couldn't take photos inside but it was a great tour and I definitely recommend!

The weather was absolutely perfect so we headed to the Battery and Rainbow Row next for some photo ops.

Whoa belly! Rowan must have really enjoyed all the Southern food I was eating this weekend!

We ate at one of our favorites, Poogan's Porch for dinner and brunch over the course of the weekend. The guys just couldn't say no to the chicken and waffles. I had the pimento cheese ravioli and scallops for dinner... oh so delicious!

 
We also stopped by Boone Hall Plantation, which was definitely a must-see if you're in the area. The Avenue of the Oaks is so gorgeous! We toured the house (not that exciting of a tour, but still worth it since its included in your ticket price) and the plantation itself.

Of course we also hit up the Old Market and then King Street for some Jeni's Ice Cream. I'm pretty sure we all gained about 15 pounds over the weekend and we don't regret it one bit.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Don't forget to link up some Halloween festiveness tomorrow!

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Hello Friday!

Happy Friday, friends! I'm a little behind on the blogging this week, we've been busy getting ready for family to visit!

My sister-in-law and her fiance are here so we'll be playing tourist with them all weekend. Thankfully Charleston finally took a hint that it was Fall and we're getting some cooler temps... perfect for exploring the Battery and Boone Hall Plantation!

I'm loving our little setup on our front patio, especially the fact that the white pumpkin is fake and everyone has been complementing us on it! Now if only I could remember to water our Mums...

We also kicked off this weekend with some festive donuts. Yum! I'm pretty sure baby approved as wonky as those pumpkin donut faces look. 

And don't forget the first installment of the Holiday link-up series on Tuesday! You can write about anything Halloween-related: recipes, costumes, party ideas or home decor... it's totally up to you!

<div align="center"><a href="http://homesweetruby.blogspot.com" title="Holiday Linkup"><img src="http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q792/lisampray/holidaylink-upbutton_zps47581a5e.jpg" width="250" height="250" alt="Holiday Linkup" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

I hope you all have a fab weekend! Can you believe we're already halfway through October?! Dare I say it... only 9 more Fridays until Christmas!

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Baby Registry: Keep vs. Toss?

Y'all I honestly don't know how a tiny human would need so many things, but baby registries are overwhelming and exciting all at the same time.

I've done my research and put a lot of the major hitters on there like Sophie the Giraffe, swaddle blankets, and the Sleep Sheep. But I'm managed to avoid a few of the key components and I was hoping some of you can help a girl out. Here are some of the things keeping me up at night (besides the baby kicks... those are pretty sweet).

Swings, Gliders, Loungers, Mamaroos, Rock n Play + Bouncers

Graco Little Lounger

Holy crap. So.many.options. I'm trying to be a minimalist considering we have a 2 bedroom house, and some of these swings just look huge! I'm just thinking about how many of these things will be sitting around taking up precious space.

Bassinets vs. Play yards

4 Moms Breeze

Where did your little ones sleep before you started putting them in the crib? I've heard the Rock n Play is good to put next to the bed but did anyone use a regular bassinet or play yard?

Stroller

Britax B-Ready in Charcoal

I think we've decided on the Britax B-Ready with the Bassinet as an add on. It's on the more affordable end but has tons of configurations which I like. We've only been able to see the B-Agile in the store though. Anyone else have another stroller you swear by or do I have any Britax fans out there?

Thank you all for your help! I know there are a lot of new expecting mamas out there so hopefully this will help y'all too!

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Monday Randoms + Giveaway Winner

So much for a Fall weekend here, it was in the high 80s the whole time which really threw my game when it came to pulling out more Halloween decor. It was busy and productive though, and we're really looking forward to having family in town this week!

+ I managed to get my act together enough to make a new Fall wreath! Last year I went with simple wheat and a big, fun bow (see the tutorial here, it's probably my most popular post!), but this year I wanted something with more color since our door is black. I bought a bunch of leaves and some berries from Hobby Lobby, arranged them how I wanted, then went back and used some floral wire/hot glue to secure everything.

+ We finally decided on a rocker for the nursery! I was hesitant about the wingback Pottery Barn rocker because of the price, I mean think about how many cute monogrammed rompers I can get for that, so we switched it up and I'm really excited about it. Stay tuned to see which one we picked!

+ In other baby news, we worked on our registry this weekend. Such a daunting task, we definitely have some fine tuning to do but it was fun! As an added bonus, my husband was still smiling by the end (probably because he knew he was closer to getting home to watch football).

+ I headed to my first prenatal yoga class this weekend! I have to say it felt amazing getting back into yoga, I haven't taken a class since before the babe came along. There was a girl who was 39 weeks pregnant in the class... talk about motivating! Now all I need to do is get some longer shirts since my belly was sticking out for most of the class... I'm sure that was really attractive.

+ Everything was 40% off at Baby Gap this weekend, even sale. I had to exercise a lot of restraint so I feel like I did a pretty good job just picking out three little things for Rowan, one of which are his first pair of jeans!

Stripe Sweater Hat, Velour Footed Pants, Jeans

+ And finally, congratulations to Stephanie, the winner of the Alex and Ally wooden teether! Thank you all so much for entering and following along! You are the best!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

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