Espadrilles

With summer around the corner it is time to get a new pair of shoes (or two) and I think I would like a pair of espadrilles!  I am thinking along the lines of some heels and maybe nautical stripes or a bright red pair....hmmm, maybe a pair with heels and one without - what do you think?

Sisters

My sister moved in with us last night.  Its a temporary arrangement while she sorts out some personal stuff and although I was quite apprehensive about it, I think it will be quite a lot of fun.  It has been 20years since we lived in the same house!  Her son Max will spend part of his time with us and part of the time with his dad - its great having him around too.  Janette is a clothes collector so we need to get creative to accommodate all her things in her room this weekend - we are seriously challenged in the cupboard/storage department in our home.  She has clothes that date back to her teens (and she still fits into them - not fair) so Emma and Sarah cannot wait to get stuck into all her bags - I can't wait to go through all her accessories - seeing as I don't fit into her clothes :)

I need coffee....

14 hours later and we're still shooting......jeepers, sometimes I wonder about this silly business I am in!  I could really do with a delicious cup of coffee right now....

Picture from here

La Tartine Gourmande - beautiful pics

You have to visit La Tartine Gourmande to 'oooh and aaah' over Bèa's latest beautiful pics and recipes from her recent trip to the country of her birth, France.....  wishing I was there right now!  Also wishing I could take such beautiful photographs and make such delicious food!

ALL pictures from La Tartine Gourmande

1st Simple Goal completed!

Last month I decided to take up the challenge of setting myself 4 Simple Goals to achieve before the end of the year, and yesterday I completed the first of them!  I promised Sarah we would paint her wardrobe and although it sounds easy enough, as I had to use enamel paint it proved quite a task - enamel paint is sticky stuff and not very easy to apply evenly.  I also needed to know I had enough time to allow the paint to dry (it needs 24 hours) and apply a second coat so the long weekend was the perfect time.  I also used the opportunity to go through all her clothes and we made a big donation to the Red Cross Children's Hospital.

I am thrilled with the results, as is Sarah - we chose a gorgeous circus red and like Danie says, the wardrobe now looks like a toffee apple!

Heritage Day Holiday

I'm having the most wonderful day off.  It started with a lie in, waking to beautiful sunshine pouring through the window instead of waking in the dark and the hens have started laying!  It is nothing short of miraculous how these quirky birds lay perfect eggs.  I've pottered in the garden, read a couple of magazines and now my girls and I are sitting watching Ugly Betty Season 2 - bliss.

What's in my hand bag right now....

Inspired by the post on Design Sponge "whats in your pocket book", I decided to have a peak at what I am carrying around in my handbag!  Well, here it is:

My Moleskin diary - essential!

A HUGE bottle vitamins - I really aught to leave the huge bottle at home and decant a few into a smaller bottle

Hand cream - something that I really should use more often than I do....

My Blackberry - alas, essential

My Blackberry USB charger, wish I didn't have to carry that around all the time but always need it when I don't have it

A stick of solid perfume - love it

Elizabeth Arden 8Hour lip balm - essential!!!  I saw in a magazine the other day that Elizabeth Arden has brought out a limited edition vintage tin of 8Hour Cream - gotta get one of those :)

A piece of ribbon - I am a present wrapping freak and I also can't bear to see people throw good ribbon away so I am forever rescuing bits of ribbons from bins when they turn their backs for re-use

Various bits of paper (aka rubbish!)

A tax bill - I am in denial but I really must pay it or I will incur penalties

A USB flashdrive - always useful
A pen - I usually have at least 3, I wonder where the others have gone?
A brooch - I wondered where that had got to

My purse

My Canon G9 camera - I love having a camera on me, its worth lugging it about and always useful

Whats in your bag?!

Changes

My sister is going to be moving in with us for a couple of weeks (or months - not sure for how long just yet!) so I need to do a bit of a tidy up and some organising in our outside room and I am looking for some inspiration on the net.  It's a small room and bathroom and I am sure she will bring some of her own things but I want to make it welcoming and comfortable for her.  I know she will be happy as the room is probably one of the best in the house with a spectacular view of Table Mountain right from the bed!  Of course she is going to have to get accustomed to having the chickens coming in and out as they please - they have become very tame and actually quite cheeky!  We have done some reading and they aren't laying yet because they are still too young - we will know when they are ready to lay by the size of their comb!

I love this poster....more words to live by... I found it on Auburn & Ivory

Manic Monday

Thank goodness we had a lovely chilled weekend because I have a crazy week ahead of me.  We had nice walks, a browse through Milnerton Market, meals inspired by Jamie's American Road Trip and a great evening with friends and neighbours.

Wisteria

The wisteria is in full bloom and is a buzz with bees and enormous bumble bees!  I love its heady fragrance - quite intoxicating!

Have a gorgeous weekend.

Grey day V sunshine

Its another grey-ish day in Cape Town and although I do love this weather, I have so much on the go and really just feel like a spot of sunshine, a cup of tea and a natter with a good friend or two!  In fact, I would love to be sitting in my dear friend Susi's gorgeous Stanford garden.... 

Its raining again

After a weekend of summer, winter has returned with some lovely rain.  I love wet weather and the excuse to wear my Hunters!  I have just received a lovely email from my friend Tracy who lives in Stanford.  Yesterday she got stuck into her veggie garden and started planting for summer, something I really need to get cracking on.  Now that the hens are nicely settled (still not laying - come on girls!) and roaming the garden, its time to get the veggies in.  My herbs are doing beautifully and I have tomato plants springing up everywhere - no doubt from the pips germinating in the compost heap - so its time to get planting while we are still getting rain.  That is my goal for the weekend - oh, and to finish painting Sarah's wardrobe!

Pictures From Me To You

Retro ride

My lovely Danie decided to ditch his Toyota Yaris and buy himself this 1976 Mercedes Benz!  Although mostly motivated by economics, I know that he was itching to get himself an old car to tinker on and fix up!  Every time I look at it I feel like I should be putting on a 70's inspired outfit, throwing a tartan blanket in the boot along with a picnic made up of Marmite sandwiches and boiled eggs and heading for hills!

Blissful weekend

Weekend at last

I haven't had a particularly bad week but for some reason I am so glad it is nearly over!  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have a cold and feel a little out of sorts, but whatever the reason I am SO glad it is Friday.  

Today is my nephew Max's 7th birthday and he is so excited about his party this afternoon - birthdays are such a big deal when you are little!

I don't have any big plans for the weekend but I hope to have some time to read, potter in the garden and perhaps get the hens accustomed to the dogs so they can have the run of the garden.  They haven't started laying yet but we're so excited to find that first warm egg or eggs!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

A few words to live by....

Keep your word
Love yourself
There is no one that can hold you back more than yourself
True happiness is giving it away
Live in the moment and make it so beautiful it is worth remembering
Its the little things that count
Nothing worth having comes easily
Make a difference
LOVE

Monday inspiration

I've managed to tick off a couple of things on my 'to do' list and it feels really great!  Of course I have added a whole lot more things so it isn't any shorter than it was, but hey, that's life and it would be very boring if I had NOTHING to do!

Some inspiration pics to get us through Monday... Scanned from Junk Style and Pure Style Living

Sunday afternoon

I've just been sitting with the 'girls' who seem to stay in their hen house until you come and then they venture out for a scratch and a peck.  They are very sweet and are already more confident than they were this morning.  Its been a quiet Sunday, poor Em has horrible flu and hasn't left her bed all weekend and Sarah has had quite a social time with friends and parties.  I did a bit of late pruning and planted some daisy seedlings in a few pots and now I am going to light a fire and do a bit of reading.  

 

The hens are home to roost

This morning I collected our two new members of the family - Blousy Brown and Nugget!  They are two gorgeous hens and although they are both still very shy and made a beeline for their hen house before I could get some pics of them, I now feel like the family is complete again.  Our original hens went home with the labourers when we were doing some renovations a few years ago....  I still need to introduce them properly to Pippa but I'll let them settle in a little first, Lulu is accustomed to chickens and hasn't shown the least bit of interest.  I'm looking forward to seeing them roaming the garden and scratching through the compost, and those lovely fresh eggs of course.