SAWADTI- THATS THAI FOR GOODBYE

Hooray! I am going on holiday. Are you going to miss me? I hope so. I am off to Thailand to try and fix the horrific shorts tan that has taken over my thighs, and also to spend some much needed time with my mum and sisters. I am so so excited, My big sister just got engaged so this is our final swan song as young, unmarried, twenty somethings. Then big sister is getting married and I'm turning 25 (which my little sister informs me in already a quarter of the way through my life-but this is only if I am lucky to live to a hundred which in all honesty is very improbable) So I might as well write off my life after my birthday and just learn to needle point start getting used to pro-nutro. So I bid you farewell, don't panic I will be back in 2 weeks so please God don't go adopting another blogger to keep you entertained. Bye

WIN!

If you do one thing today go over to Joanne Goddard's blog and enter this competition. Rifle papers (the company behind these delightful characters are giving away a set  of 50 personalized illustrated notes and calling cards. Get this they will paint 1-2 whimsical portraits (in your likeness, and you can also add your fiance or puppy or whomever, if you'd like) and use hand-drawn lettering. You will be a rock-star in your town if you walk around handing these puppies outI might go so far as to say that people will personally track down your services just to get their hands on one of your calling cards they might even frame it and put it up in their house and make it an heirloom and you will forever be immortalised.  If I win I am going to keep them all to my self I couldn't bring myself to give them away to strangers!

FANCY PANTS

Our friends at Czar (the newer sexier Society cafe) are once again throwing one hell of a good excuse to don your fancy pants and teach the dance floor a lesson. I am forecasting some really good food, lots of glammed up gorgeous people some gate crashers sitting on the pavement frantically calling everyone in their phonebook trying desperately to get on the guest list. If pavement culture is not your vibe then you are going to want to get on the guest list immediately. So, head over here, leave a comment and get your name on the guest list or you will be very very sorry indeed. See you later x

CHEW THAT MAGAZINE

"Chew magazine  is the original online glossy magazine for the new generation, featuring culture, fashion, photography, creativity, commentary, interviews, opinion, illustration, design, art, music reviewsand journalistic features. This new magazine only serves the freshest and hottest goodies received from contributors around the world andshares inspiration for our new generation." 

I am a sucker for online mags and this one is completely bloody awesome! I love the fact that its contributors come from all corners of our humungous planet 
(I wonder how they choose) It is jam packed with beautiful snippets and interesting articles. Chew will literally swallow you up and tangle you in all its links and clicks and deliciousness. Yum

The Underground Issue #11

We Heart Bloggers by Rachel Arthur. "During the Milan Fashion Week last season, D&G and then Dolce & Gabbana invited a handful of leading fashion bloggers to sit on the front row of their womenswear shows alongside the industry's most respected print editors. [it] marked the nail in the coffin, if you like, for the acceptance of bloggers as an integral part of the fashion world". Read more...

Shelflife's Gary du Plessis takes us on a tour of their street space, tells us about the most underground brands and how to spot a fake New Era. Watch the video...

"You have a eureka! moment accompanied by a gospel choir and George Michael singing Freedom in your mind". Kudakwashe Maradzika investigates the pros and cons of being a human Swiss army knife and working for the man. Read more...

Greg Bowes Dishes up the freshest albums from Four Tet's (Kieran Hebden) leftfield sensibilities to the British two-piece Fuck Buttons who can be as abrasive and uncompromising as their name suggests. Read more...

Ingrid Sinclair interviews the beautiful love child of the underground and the mainstream Jax Panik. Watch music video...

Photography by TOMAAS, Renata Paskal and Fenia Labropoulou

GET YOUR KICKS ON

YAY! Kim gray is going on a give-away frenzy in honor of her birthday. This week she is giving away some awesome Converse so get entering its too easy not to get all riled up about. Get clicking kids.

HOUSE OF HARLOW

I have fallen head over heals with Nicole Richie's label House of Harlow. Her treasures draw inspiration from a mish-mash of African to Aztec and are made from a unique combination of materials including feature fabric, leather, silk strings, chains, rivets, feathers and gold-plated metals. I am totally thrilled to tell you that you can get her stuff locally can you handle it! Get your lovely self over to shop-label to get in on the Harlow action all you magpies will not be disappointed.

THE STORAGE SAGA

I certainly do not claim to be the guru of organisation. This is infact the source of much frustration to boyfriend as he has a living space neater and more organised than most navy seals. The man practically folds his t-shirts with a ruler. Me, not so much.

If you had to come and visit me, you would clearly be able to see who lives on which side of the bedroom, Boyfriends side looks like it was personally put together by Martha Stewart herself whilst mine resembles more of a 3D Jackson Pollock. You would think that living with the man would have influenced me somewhat in the organisation department but alas it has not. Instead I find myself panicking and putting things away anywhere and everywhere in the fear that he might find something that is not in its place and give me the eyes. I will very sheepishly admit that I have even found socks stashed in my desk drawer (yes, this is true). 


I have decided that since I am spending all this time and effort in sexying up our little love nest I might as well make a concerted effort to start cleaning up my act. The latest issue of Lonny  magazine just came out and the entire issue is conveniently inspired by storage, I figured it cant be so hard. Below I have made a compilation of pretty smart Storage solutions that I intend applying to the flat.

First up is this gorgeous jewelry armoire . I have had countless fights with my fiddly little jewelry box trying to stuff and tuck and compartmentalise all my sparkles so that the damn thing would close. I love the idea of a mini jewelry closet where I can keep all my treasures safe and sound. If anyone knows where I can get one locally I will be eternally grateful. I searched Gumtree and Ebay and I found the most beautiful one on Ebay and got completely over excited but then my bubble was popped when I realised that it is in America so that leaves me armoire-less- sob. I am going to have to befriend a carpenter if I am to realise my armoire dreams.

In the event that I am not visited by the armoire fairies I am going to have to make my own DIY plan. This pic above illustrates the result I want but I am going to have to come up with a cunning plan in order to get there. I intend on combining a wooden box, 3 cutlery holders covered in felt, a slick of paint and a lot of hope that it turns out well. When I get my act together I will take some piccies and let you lot in on the DIY action. 

image from here 

Storing bed linen, duvet inners, quilts etc is such a pain in the a** . They take up so much space. Mine is currently nesting in our top cupboard where I cannot reach very easily so every time I have to take it out I have to climb on a chair and wrestle a sheet, pillow case, duvet cover from the clutches of the huge bedding monster and then quickly slam the cupboard door shut before it pounces down on me. With the addition of a wooden drawer on wheels you can transform the dormant space sleeping under your bed into a useful storage space.

The Clear Box Company has revolutionised my closet. I open my cupboard I browse my sexy shoe library, I slide on a pair that is speaking my language and then I dress from the shoes up. These clever little boxes are available in packs of 3 from Macro .

I love these wicker boxes from Weylandts They are perfect for storing things like handbags and belts and other accessories. The best part is that they have good ventilation so when it is revoltingly hot in the first few months of the year, your goodies wont get all moldy and gross.

THE WORKING PROOF

Part two of my apartment therapy includes a quest to adorn my walls in beauty. During my search I came across the most feel good way of doing this in the form of a very smart organisation called The Working Proof. These smartie pants have created a place where art seeking desperados such as myself can come to satisfy their thirst for beauty and at the same time make a contribution to something meaningful.
The Working Proof seeks to promote art and social responsibility. They pair each print with a charity of the artist's choice and every time one of their prints is sold, 15% of the proceeds are donated to the chosen charity. Clever hu?


* This print was created by Frances Pelzman Liscio it is titled 'Two Dalias'  it features an intricate floral arrangement of dahlias, kalanchoe, violas and Christmas Cactus in various states of bloom and decay

CLEVER SAUSAGE

When I went to go chat with Martha At design Indaba, She told me how important it was to embrace new technologies and social platforms and try to incorporate them into your business as they open you up to all kinds of possibilities and gives you or your brand an opportunity to talk straight to your consumer. 

Most old school type establishments seem to view Facebook and twitter as a silly waste of time reserved for airheads and socialites alike. They fail to notice this unique channel that is literally at their fingertips and 9 times out of 10 they arrange for these channels to be banned to all employees. BAD MOVE.  If used in the right way, Facebook and twitter can revolutionise your business and radically increase your client base. Take for example the exercise that Steenberg Wine Estate is running. It is so bloody clever I wish i had though of the idea myself. 

How frikkin awesome? I have already mailed them and asked if they can post me a Tasting pack so I can host my own wine tasting here in durbs. Ill keep you posted

BLOOMIN GORGEOUS

I love the idea of Giant letters Lounging up against my walls. Our Tv room wall has stood naked for an entire year because boyfriend and I cant decide what to do with it. He thinks his word cup picture deserves to live there But I have other plans...

Boyfriend has left me stranded in our flat for a whole month while he is off cavorting with all the Cape Epic lunatics in the windy mother city. While he is gone, I have decided that it is time to revamp our little House. This whole snowball vibe started when I left my window open and went off to work only to return and find my most treasured possession- a lamp given to me by my best friend on earth- smashed on my bedroom floor. So I started the search for a new beautiful lamp only to get completely wrapped up in gorgeous decor sites and an obsession with re-doing the entire flat! If I won the Super-ena lottery, I would import every piece of Blooming-ville and make their catalogue my home.

I love this rose cushion Im sure it would be DIY-able I am going to give it a try:)

ARGUS SHMARGUS

Find this poster at the LOVEshop 

My dad has been doing the Argus for as long as I can remember. My mom used to cart us kids down to a place under the Ladies Mile bridge where we used to clap and yell and be awfully proud of our dad for doing something so crazy and brave. This year I decided it was time to join the old guy and tackle the argus myself. I did a few spin classes, did some longer distance stuff and decided that if 12 year old kids can do it well then I sure as hell could. I actually laughed out loud at some points because of how hard it was! I couldn't believe I could have been so freaking naive! The wind was a little one of those bitchy girls you went to school with, incredibly mean at times, especially when you crawl up Chappies expecting to be rewarded with an adrenaline filled downhill from heaven and instead you are greeted with a nasty white squall in the face bullying you all the way to the bottom. There were many times along the route when I wished I was still under that bridge clutching a melted ice cream instead of trying to ignore the fire in my undercarriage. There were moments I wanted to cry because I wanted out so badly, but when I reached that finish line I was the proudest person in the universe. You would swear that I had actually won the tour de france at the way I was behaving, Boyfriend even bought me a bottle of Champers so It felt like the real deal. I swear I don't think Lance armstrong felt as good as I did (His start time conveniently coincided with the rising of the sun, the wind had not even gotten up yet by the time Malcolm and the boys had had a shower and their first celebratory beer!) I suppose what I am trying to say is that if you have the chance, get on your bike and start training now, because this race is something you want to get involved in. The argus is the most beautiful, rewarding, hard ass tour that will make you feel like you can conquer the world and If you have lived in Cape Town you kind of have to do it if you want to be legit. 

ON THE SUBJECT OF PENCILS

Jennifer Maestre is a jhb born artist who makes the wildest pencil sculptures ever! Incredible. Go check out her website for more. 

THE BEST PRESSIE EVER

The thing I hate most about birthdays is that once the day is over, you have to wait 364 more days till the next one. Wouldn't it be nice to have your pressies staggered over the year so you are not delved into an endless pit of depression once the sugar rush of birthday cake is over. Well all your problems are solved my lovelies. The smart folks over at 500pencils have come up with the smartest idea. All you have to do is sign up, pay your $33 and wait by your post box because you will be rewarded with an exciting package containing exactly 25 colours every month for 20 months. The range of pencils is incredible and their names are totally delicious. I cannot think of a better gift.

ALL BUTTONED UP

I think these gorgeous shortbread buttons from Forty-Sixth at Grace are such a lovely idea. I they would make the most beautiful favors for a baby shower:) Click right here  to print out the recipe illustration by Eva Juliet.  I am so excited to dust off the Kitchen-aid and give these bikkies a go. Yum

OH MY SAINTED AUNT

 

www.etsy.com

 

oh my lord some re-tard crashed into me last night and savaged my, as yet unscathed,
El Diabolo. The best part was when we both got out of our cars and he started sobbing uncontrollably.  Now in most situations where serious confrontation is about to erupt, the girl starts sobbing gives the puppy eyes, the guy then apologises for wishing crabs/ life long single-dome with cats and obesity upon said girl for her horrible driving and then everybody calms down. Not this time.This guy totally blue screened me. What do you do when you are faced with a 50 something man sobbing all up in your face. I was about to offer to get him some sweet tea while we sorted out the matter of him buying me a new drivers door, front bumper and spinal cord but then he started telling me that he does not have any kind of insurance (how silly of me to assume). Then the sobs elevated into messy snotty blubbing (its a siff word but totally sounds like what was coming out of his face) because he drives the equivalent of a baking tin and I drive a golf 5 and his car is much more susceptible to just smashing on impact and its not really fair because his car is more damaged than my car. Then he offloaded his little pearl of wisdom about the fact that neither of us were drunk so maybe we should just let it go and be off to follow our separate destiny's. Oh and I should also see if my insurance would pay for his car too because of his current insurance problem. Now I know that many women are running around with flaming bra's clutched in their hands, I am all for equality and role swapping and stay at home dads and all that crap but I am not at all interested in you crashing into me and then me offering to fix your car because you got the tears in the door first. What a dork.

Anyway the good news is that I went down to the berea police dept today to get a case number for mr insurance man and it was the easiest most pain free experience. I know its cynical but in my world the words police department and easy pleasant experience do not feature in the same chapter. Mrs police-lady was super efficient, helpful and very friendly. There were no lines and scary rooms just friendly service. Thanks Berea Police dept for hooking me up.

ARMANI PUNANI

The biggest bitch about moving to a new town is having to go through the arduous task of finding new people. Now when it comes to people like GP's and Dentists you can rarely go wrong because these people have had to spend all their wonder years shacked up with a textbook and a plastic organ taking notes and writing encyclopedias while all of us were our at caprice sewing our wild oats. You need some serious certification to get into those fields and open a practice so generally speaking, to find a new doctor/ dentist person is not too much of a mission. 

When it comes to other people like a beautician things can become a little harder because well people don't have to get a phd from brazil in order to buy a pot of wax and a neon sign. My first experience was at a chop shop Salon in Musgrave Centre, lets call it The Perfect 9. I naively thought I was safe because it is a well known franchise with loads of branches in and around Durban. The lady at the front desk seemed very sweet when I enquired about a treatment. She put down her sandwich and happily guided me to her lair back room where the the sequel to the saw trilogy beautifying was to take place. The details that follow are pretty blurry now as my brain blocked out my memory to protect me from the horror that followed. Flashbacks include a dirty little room with gross crumpled tissues stashed here and there and a dirty towel crumpled on the floor. The arm falling off the reclining chair and the therapist mumbling about finding time to get it fixed and then there was the one where the chick came at me with un-washed, un-gloved hands. GROSS. After this I vowed never to cheat on my Cape Town person ever again. 

I have now been in durban for 2 years and have decided its time to cut the apron strings and grow the hell up so I called my person and asked her to put me in touch with her person. I was pointed in the direction of The Durban Cosmetic Laser clinic . I had a very professional, stress free experience. The rooms were super pretty and clean and the therapist was nothing short of professional. When It came to paying I was surprised to find that it cost me R40  less than the perfect 9 (who don't even have laser-beams). 

The Durban Cosmetic Laser clinic is a few meters down from Vida on Innes Road. Click here for their contact details 

WEEKEND EXTRAVAGANZA

This weekend is going to be a complete and utter girl extravaganza! Activities include movies like the notebook and crafty things like markets, falaffel wraps and a highly anticipated I Heart Durban party! What has prompted this festival of extravagance you might ask? Boyfriend is away- working very hard so he can raise funds to buy me my dream kitchen (you would have seen it in the movie"its complicated")- and it is the first Saturday of the month! If, like me and you are plugged into the very pulse of Durban, you will know that it is time to plait your hair, dig out your strappy leather sandals include some kind of floral that was your mothers and is now your fav vintage it piece, because there is some serious craft marketing to be done. hooray.

DAY THINGS

 

 

 
The first of the awesomeness is happening at the `I Heart Market.' This is going to be a special one as they are celebrating their house warming! YAY! The Market has
moved out of the St Mary's hall and into the DLI Hall. You know that old colonial building slap bang in the middle of the Greyville Racecourse? That's the one!

The second bit of awesomeness is happening at The Litchi Orchard Market, you know that one I blogged about a while ago? Well Jem has put in a lot of hard work and in growing it into a great day out. This little market is soooooooo lovely and comes highly recommended by Durbs Central.

NIGHT THINGS

After what seems like an eternity the I Heart crew have gotten their sh*t together and organised another event for your and your glittery party shoes (It is almost like Christian himself knew this party was coming) to attend. I am willing to put my derriere on the line here and say that if you go to this party you will have the best night of your life, you will be like the dancing queen from Abba except you have to be 18 to go, not 17 like in the song.  The I Heart Durban Party is happening at The Origin, doors open at around 8:30 and entrance will cost you R40. The sterling line up includes the likes of The frock rockers, the legendary rift DJ Kevin L, Mr Doolittle (Do you think he will bring a lama with 2 heads?), Toine, Jelly and the regular I heart Dj'ers. So now you have all the information you need to have the best weekend ever. I have given you the tools my lovelies, now go make yourself a rad bananas experience. See you Monday x