DECADENT DANI AT THE I HEART MARKET

SO my lovelies, the rumor mill is spitting out a little bit of truth this week... yes... your little Macaroon shaped dreams will finally be realised this Saturday the 5 March at the DLI hall. Unfortunately for you, Dani is having to Jet set off to rescue a Cape Town bride's big wedding cake dreams so she won't be able to meet you all, however, I will be there manning our little macaroon station so pop by and come introduce yourself, I have been talking at you all for over a year now and it would be really great to see all your pretty faces!

THANK THE POPE IT IS FINALLY FRIDAY!

Hope its a stellar one:) Pic Via LITTLE DOODLES

WEDDING CAKES, NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

My heart was beating out of my chest, I literally thought I was going to die of a freaking anxiety attack in the Molenvleit cold room. The engaged one lay peacefully soaking up the morning sunshine, blissfully unaware, while she waited for her curls to set. The Swiss Meringue Buttercream was now slowly splitting and turning to oily mush in my newly manicured hands. SHIT. The fact that my curls were now being set in vanilla mousse was beside the point!

The 5 tier madame stood, smugly, on top of the pile of Champagne boxes (The Cake Boss would be horrified) and waited, impatiently, for the richness of the once satin icing to be draped over her buxom body. I had every intention of arriving on the big day,sandwiching the glorious chiffon layers together, adorning this little bridezilla in her velvet soft gown, tucking her lacy flowers behind her ear and sending her off with a slap on her vanilla flavoured bottom. I actually had a little laugh looking back at my naivete.

I never planned on it being about a thousand degrees in the shade, something that the most temperamental icing on earth Swiss Meringue Buttercream absolutely hates! My final hour saw me crouched over in the Molenvliet cold room, icicles forming on my flared nostrils, frantically wielding my little spatula at anyone who dared open the door and upset the temperature of my operation. Hands shaking from fear that maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew, I could almost picture the Married one's face as her cake, was wheeled in starkers- I decided that this would not be an option.  Like a bride possessed, I whipped that the most temperamental icing on earth Swiss Meringue Buttercream until every one of my new pilates muscles (thanks Max) was on fire and my icing had returned to its former, dreamy glory! By now my curls were hanging somewhere around my ankles! Slowly but surely my frantic mother and  I draped  that rich little cow into her lacy gown,  gasping as we finally took a step back, stunned by the beauty that was my home made creation.

THE DAY AFTER VALENTINES DAY

So many people spend the whole of January storing up all their mushy cooties, hatching sneaky plans to knock their 'person' off their feet, I literally heard of a company who will send a man in an orangutan suit to sing your lady a love song- but more on that later! and generally panicking about making their loved ones feel like loved enough ones. Although I absolutely love Valentines day (not as much as I love Christmas) and will find any excuse to wear red and bat the old eyelids, I think that springing little surprises on the Bird on normal days is a little more fun (also he doesn't expect it there for the reward is usually much much more flavourable favorable:) 

This brings me to these marvelous little his and hers doo-dahs from Amy Moss of Eat.Drink.Chic (one of my all time favorite blogs). If you click right over here you can download these little babies, print them out, use them wisely and receive your reward with open arms. If you think roses on Valentines Day brought you a good return, just wait until you take your 'little love nugget' a cup of coffee all wrapped in Love on a random day- sometimes I feel like I spoon feed you guys!

WEDDING FEVER

Oh my lord, so it is officially wedding weekend! I cannot believe that my big sister is going to be waltzing down the isle tomorrow- very very surreal indeed. All the wedding stuffs are being done, cake is being made (by moi- literally having sleepless nights over this 5 tier vanilla monster that is haunting my dreams!) and everyone is sufficiently panic stricken and generally, "just too stressed to talk right now!" the favorite choice of words from mom. 

I can't wait to share all the finer details with all of you and show you why I have been so quiet on the blog front lately. I promise you what I have lacked in the blogging department over the last month, I will make up to you in beautiful wedding extravaganza blog posts. All you soon to be brides hold your breath, you are soon to be inspired!

10 THINGS WITH NICOLA ASHE

This weeks 10 things are with a girl who can only be described as bodacious! Nicola ashe of AskASHE is something of a firecracker with a nose like a bloodhound for a party. Her blog is packed full of all any number of quirky things which is what makes visiting her lovely blog on a daily basis all the more exciting.

1. describe yourself in 10 words ... raucous, naughty, bossy, organised, networker to the extreme, honest to a fault, voluptuous, creative, resourceful, ambitious

2. In real life, I am a single workaholic but I eventually want to be a domestic goddess

3. the weirdest thing I ever woke up wearing was false eyelashes – I had been too tipsy to take them off (AVOID this at all costs!)

4.  at this  moment the content of my handbag is comprised of ... makeup bag, notebooks, hand wipes, keys, blackberry, wallet, camera, date book, oh and a wide array of hair elastics in various degrees of stretchiness

5.  10 things I currently long for.... My own home with almost everything white, a white kitchenaid mixer, a weylandts expense account, a smitten boyfriend, a Victoria's Secret model's booty, an original Rob Ryan lasercut artwork, a rad vintage bicycle, a tattoo but I'm too scared, uncapped ADSL at home, a Jimmy Choo handbag (dream on!)

6.  If I was a boy I would be a rock god!

7.  I secretly luuuuuuurve The Bachelor/Bachelorette but have been to embarrassed to admit it (up until now that is)

8.  If my house was on fire the first thing I would grab is my jewellery from my grandparents

9.  Tequila or patron? (mixing them together is not an option) Coffee Patron - the devil's elixir, but we've partied together too many times for me to abandon him now

10. If I was stuck on an island where people could only eat 1 thing for the rest of their lives, I would eat Wow, only 1 thing? Ok I choose a filletwithcreamedspinachandlemonmeringue!

MACAROON VIRGINS PAY ATTENTION

 

I'm so so excited, I have been itching to chat to you guys about this project for weeks but wanted to wait until everything was organised, doors were open and Macaroons were flying out the door before I let the big, luxurious cat out of the bag. The rumors are true, yes, Decadent Dani has opened in Durban (cue hysterical excitement) and yes, big news, I am official a part of the team!

Dani and I have teamed up to open one of her glorious stores in Heritage Market in Hillcrest (opposite Franki Bananas) so the people of Durban will no longer be suffering through a Macaroonless existence. I'm so stoked to be apart of something as big and historical as this, I feel like one of those laser eye surgeons who give people their sight back. 

We have decided that in honor of our news, we are going to bring you a fab competition, where you could win yourself a big 'ol stash of Macaroons. All you have to do to enter is hit up our Facebook Fan Page, and wow us with your poetic prowess. Its pretty much as simple as that! For extra entries you can reblog or tweet our competition and post the link in the comment box below.

10 THINGS WITH: LAUREN OF GLOSSARYZINE

SO, one of my new years resolutions this year was to get to know more local bloggers.
I have decided to do a fun, weekly, 10 things series, every week asking 10 things about different local bloggers, that way we can all get to know each other! I decided to pull out the big guns to get things started. Lauren of Glossaryzine fame is a blogger that I have admired for so long, her blog never ceases to make me giggle- just go and have a look at her photo shoot of the Bulldog in the Bow tie- can you cope! This girl is seriously talented and definitely someone to keep your eyeballs on. I do, everyday (I look at her blog everyday, I don't actually hunt her down to look at her in real life) 

1. Describe yourself in 10 words... Awkward Adrian Mole fan with a penchant for sponge cake.

2. if money were no object i would... Scoop up my school friends from around the world and fly us to New York for a weekend of shopping!
3. The last thing I bought was...a Kodak Instamatics camera for 15 bucks!
4. I cannot live without...music and love.
5. When I was 10 I had a poster of McGyver on my wall!
6. When I have writers block I ...make a cup of tea and read a book or watch some telly.
7. My favorite thing to do on a sunny Saturday afternoon is a spot of market shopping or lazing with a funny book.
8. The cringiest thing I ever wore was  - wow, so many corkers come to mind -
long, hippie skirts to nightclubs, cycling shorts to a Bon Jovie Concert, a Mario Bros
getup that I landed up wearing to a wedding by mistake!
9. My favorite guilty pleasure is South Park!
10. In 10 years time I hope to be happy and healthy with a few more travels under my belt.

HOUSE PORN

So the reason I have been virtually dead to the digital world for the last 10 days is because the Bird and I moved flats and have been feverishly unpacking, rearranging, hanging pictures and doing all that jazz associated with the hell that is moving house! Anyway, the good news is that the basics are in, my internet is up- hooray - and now we get to spend the next few weeks making this pretty little flat ours, This is the vibe I am currently loving, now to try and reproduce it! Here goes...

 
PICS VIA HAUS MAUS AND DECOR8