Ruby + Swallow: August Obsessions

The end of August is almost upon us! This year seems to be flying by, we just can't believe it. It's almost Spring time, and soon it'll be Summer and Christmas time - we have so much to look forward to. And with all that looking forward, there's lots to obsess about too as usual. If this is your first time reading our blog, see our May Obsessions and June Obsessions posts for some of the Ruby girls' biggest obsessions this year. But for now, indulge yourself in what we've been crazy about this August!

Between the two of us, we seem to have been smothered in lots of baby loving lately! Not only was my (Kim) new and gorgeous nephew born a few months ago, but Fil will be known as Aunty Filipa for the first time when her sister gives birth to her first baby this December - YAY! Then a few friends are also having babies soon (must be that Christmas/New Year's holidays baby-making season) - so we have pretty much been talking baby all year. With that has come lots of Baby Shower decor discussion, and of course, the requests to design invites, etc - we love it almost as much as we love wedding design ;) Visit this post to see the real Baby Shower of a friend in a Peter Rabbit theme - it was oh-so-adorable!

We are pretty much the biggest chocolate lovers in the world. That's a fact. Many a lunchtime has been spent going out to find the perfect sugary sweet snack to get us through the working day. So it's no surprise that chocolate brownies are our favourite favourite! Filipa has a pretty darn good brown recipe that's so easy and delicious, but we are always in search of others. The latest (and best) chocolate brownie recipe we've found lately comes from Smitten Kitchen - go to this link to get the recipe for yourself!

You've all probably heard We Are Young on the radio, and their latest track, Some Nights. Released by the band Fun, these are such great tracks that we seem to press repeat whenever they come on! They are an American alternative pop band, and we're obsessed with the rest of their album Some Nights too. Go on, give it a listen - we know you want to.

We found this image from Oh So Beautiful Paper - stationery lovers, this site is a must-visit! This stationery above, from the Spring 2012 collection includes magnetic market notepads, floral journals, post cards, and pocket notebooks. Gorgeous.

There is just something about a completely all-white wedding cake that embodies classic, elegant and modern all at the same time. Aren't these cakes above just absolutely exquisite? If we had to get married right now, both of us would definitely be seeking a cake baker who could make one just like these. So simple and yet so beautiful.

Wedges are the perfect glam shoe. The right amount of heel keeps your look "dressed-up" but the chunky wedge keeps your feet feeling fresh, unlike their stiletto heel counter-part! Now that the weather is warming up, wedges are the perfect addition to any Summer outfit. We particularly love the canvas wedges.

At the moment, I am re-doing some of the wooden furniture in my house. I have a wooden coffee table and bookshelf that would look so much more modern in white, and so I've been researching the white-washed textures to see how I can do this myself. I can't wait to get started - how gorgeous does this furniture above look? Go to this link for an easy DIY on whitewashing your own furniture at home.

Last but not least, to say that we are both OBSESSED with Mozambique at the moment is an understatement. We are going to Ponta d'Ouro for a week over New Year's at the end of this year, and it is really getting us through all the tough days knowing that we will soon be spending our time relaxing on the beach! We have a group of fourteen people going to stay in stunning cottages in Ponta, and we couldn't be more thrilled. With the two of us organising everything down to a T, we are sure it's going to be a perfectly-planned adventure! For some more beautiful photographs of Mozambique, visit this link for a travel photographer's own favourites.