Life happens

TGIF!! 

Shew! I am glad to see the tail end of this week, I was challenged on so many levels that I really need the weekend to recover. I had fully anticipated a manic year, and thought I had it in the bag, with my well organised plans, lists and schedules. 

Life has a way of throwing you off balance. So you're forced to change course midway, or even right at the beginning. And nothing rings more true for me right now than this: 

“They plan, and Allah plans. Surely, Allah is the Best of planners.” #Quran 8:30

This week life threw me off track, and for a while I was struggling to keep everything together, my family, my routine, my work and my sanity. Whilst it is not my ordeal which brought the chaos, I was impacted significantly and with the ever present support of hubby and sister, life has resumed some semblance of normalcy. Even though I try my utmost to live life one day at a time, I am still required to schedule  and plan things like work, school requirements and lift times, that's just a reality. 

And with two sick kids as well, my time was basically theirs. I cleaned up puke, performed Vicks rubs, arnica massages, applied Transact patches, and did countless driving trips (even while I was without a car for two days- and just grabbed hubby's). I googled recipes for meals which are good for upset stomachs, and had to run to the store for the ingredients, played nursemaid for days and fluffed pillows while carrying trays of meals back and forth. 

As a parent it is very difficult to allow life to crumble, our kids look to us for support and guidance, they trust us to create the space for them when needed. However, I allowed myself some grieving time, and then resumed my way on the path. In spite of my plans, there are greater plans decreed and I will follow with it implicit trust and faith. This year has already had so much anguish for so many people, all over the world, that my post last week about miracles was vital for me.  With all the chaos surrounding me this week, I tried to find the miracle which I could hang onto with gratitude. I also remained present in each moment with my kids, which really brought me so much comfort. 

They were all in various stages of illness this week, and yet they were still able to make me smile, beam with pride and just be grateful to have them in my life. My little army of angels indeed, they helped me pull myself out of the chaos of an upheaval, and accept where my new path is headed. 

For that I am eternally grateful.

Today's outfit features a red dress worn as a tunic top, a powerful colour which helps with increased enthusiasm, it stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate. The colour red also encourages action and confidence and can often provide a sense of protection from fears and anxiety.

This colour was therefore appropriate for my state of mind this past week.

Outfit details:

DailyFriday top from Superbalist (shop here)

ZARA pants

ZARA wedge sandals

Chanel bag (purchased abroad)

Scarf (old)

Earrings by Lovisa

Zulululu Sunglasses

Caio for now,
RuBe xoxo

Read more ...

Modest Oversized OOTD

Hello again lovelies, 

The crop top has been the rage all summer and since I'm more of a modest fashionista I haven't really followed the crop top trend. Until I found this oversize boxy embossed top on one of my favourite online stores, Spree. The main thing that caught my eye with this top, was not really the fact that it was a crop, but more the beautiful embossed fabric. I am a huge fan of prints, beautiful fabrics and the way they drape, so it's important to me what the fabric composition is. Which brings me to a few tips I feel will be helpful for those contemplating online shopping (locally or internationally).

One of the significant factors (for me personally) when buying online is to check the care guide to determine the quality and durability of the fabric. Since I cannot touch and feel it, I need to ensure that it is of good quality and will retain its shape after washing- its also very important that light coloured items are not only dry cleanable. This just works out way too pricey!

An additional tip, is to know your measurements in cm's, as brands sizes vary, Australian and American brands are usually bigger, and try to familiarise yourself with European vs South African sizes. I even take it a step further and measure my foot dimensions too, in the case of purchasing shoes from overseas online stores, ensuring a perfect fit. 

As a fashionista, I love new trends and fashions, but I will bypass certain ones, comfortable in the fact that it will not suit me, my  body type or my personality. I tend to frequent international online stores as they are usually ahead of the trend curve. In doing so I have learnt some important lessons such as the importance of knowing your exact measurements, asking questions about the fabric, delivery lead times and whether customs is paid upfront (this is a very important question as customs duties are exceptionally high! A maximum of 54% including VAT).

A very important aspect of buying from international online stores is to ensure the reliability of the store and that you have a money back guarantee. Whilst it may very hard to return an international parcel, the reputable online stores offer a full refund and this generally will put my mind at ease when needing to make payment.

This outfit features my online purchase, which I was very impressed with since it was very well priced and the quality of the fabric was really good. It also washes and retains the shape perfectly!

I paired it with a grungy boyfriend jeans, silver sandals and a striped tank to add interest to the embossed fabric.

My outfit:

Oversized crop by Spree

Woolworths boyfriend jeans (buy similar styles here)

Mimco Sandals (shop here)

Chanel handbag bought abroad

Silk Scarf old

Ziba Styles necklace

Witchery statement ring (shop here)

Caio for now, 

RuBe xoxo

Read more ...

Berrilicious Mom Jeans #MakoyaStyle (Week 3)

Hello readers :-D 

This past week has been an indication that Summer has left us, so it an attempt to enjoy the last bits of the summer rays, we spent the weekend at the Club Mykonos resort. It totally worked, we had sunshine for the 3 days we were there and arrived back home to… rain!

I therefore decided to assemble a Winter/Autumn look with a high-waisted jeans as it’s commonly known. I remember a huge outcry in response to Jessica Simpson’s (now famously known as the Mom Jeans) in 2009. Regardless, I decided to show mine in this post, I really love this jeans for its flattering fit and slight dropcrotch. The style is also so unique and allows it to be worn in various ways, which is perfect for my multifaceted style. And of course, not forgetting the beautiful berry shoe babies.

I have paired it with a chiffon shirt, the trendy fedora and added a leather sleeve coat for added warmth when our beautiful Cape Town shows its unpredictable colours.

Outfit details:

Mr Price shirt

Ichi Jeans from Stylemology

Woolworths Fedora

Leather sleeve jacket own import

Bag overseas purchase

Guess Heels by Makoya Brands

Accessorise layered necklace

Pearl earrings gifted

Rings old

Ciao for now, 

RuBe xoxo

Read more ...

Sequinned Valentines

Hi beautiful readers,

Valentines Days is long gone, chocolates eaten and the flowers have wilted. We don’t usually make a big fuss about Valentines, and usually get a token gift as a symbol of love. To me, its important to take the time to make each other feel special, every day.

I suppose it’s a bit cheesy, but sometimes cheesy feels good. So it came as a surprise when I was informed that my darling hubby had made a reservation at Baia, V&A Waterfront. A late dinner for two after a hectic day at work was just what the doctor ordered. As usual, the restuarant didn’t disappoint, with it’s intimate ambience and absolutely divine food. It turned out to be a really good evening, as unexpected as it may have been.

My outift choice for the evening included a sequinned skirt I had picked up on my Dubai trip. I have seen sequins in everything lately, evening wear, casual wear and sports luxe. Needless to say, this bling princess had to get he hands on several sequnined pieces! I’ve already posted about a sequinned top in a prior post (here) displaying my absolute obsession with this sparkly trend. 

By the looks of the runway shows recently sparkles are here to stay for at least another season. That’s a huge yay from this Bling Queen :-D 

My outift:

ZARA t-shirt with embellished shoulders

Sequin skirt overseas purchase

Nine West red sole platforms

Belt overseas purchase

Handbag own import

Scarf by Jo Borkett

Necklaces Woolworths, Mecca

Bracelets by Honey and a gift

Honey earrings

Ciao for now, 

RuBe xoxo

Read more ...