Missing my chickens

The more time I spend on Jaime’s blog, the less able I am to tear myself away from it.  I adore these pictures that she took on a farm in Missouri, Alldredge Orchards.  I have a bit of a thing for chickens and ducks, we used to keep two chickens at home until one of our builders took them home (for the pot no doubt) when we were doing renovations a few years ago.  I have been wanting the replace them ever since but Danie is a little reluctant even though he was the one who bought the last two hens and built them a very lovely home!  Apart from the fact that they were in and out of the house all day and not well toilet trained (!) they kept the garden free of pests and both Henny Penny and Daisy laid a single glorious egg everyday.

All images From Me To You

Happy Blog Birthday to From Me To You

A couple of days ago I wrote about the incredible photography blog I came across, From Me To You, and included some of Jamie's beautiful, beautiful photographs.  Since then I have whiled away more than a couple of hours browsing through her blog, literally getting butterflies in my tummy looking at some of her pix.  If ANYONE happens to read my lowly blog, do yourselves a favour and visit From Me To You - you won't regret it :-)

Hmmmm

I LOVE paintbrushes, tubes of paint and pencils - especially well used ones.  I came across this photograph of the paintbrushes here and then followed it to here - beautiful.  Of course I got completely hooked on a thing for - what beautiful collages, and all of them linked back to their original source. 

Picture from here

Picture from here

Magic Morning

Apart from the fact that I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world (problems not withstanding), I have the most beautifully scenic drive into work every morning.  As I come around ‘Hospital Bend’ (not as macabre as it sounds) I have Table Mountain in all its glory on my left, Table Bay with a view of Robben Island on my right and Lions Head directly in front of me.  Depending on the time if year and weather, it changes everyday.  Sometimes there is a bank of cloud hovering over Table Bay and you feel life you are flying rather than driving.  This morning the sky was incredible – it was dark and moody with just this incredible rim light from the sun just before it rose – pure magic, I had to pull over and take a picture on my phone.

From Me to You

I came across the most beautiful photography blog – From Me To You – talk about talent and inspiration.  Apart from the most exquisitely gorgeous pictures of all things edible,  Jaime makes everything and everyone look so beautiful.  Below are just a couple of her photographs.  where, oh where can I get a basket like this for my bicycle?!

All images From Me To You

Nothing like a well cut jacket

I am a sucker for a well cut jacket and its one of the things I love about winter.  Apart from the fact they help to hide a multitude of sins, a beautifully cut jacket can make you oldest, most comfortable pair of jeans look classy!  I especially like this winters double-breasted, military-style jackets.  I bought Emma and Sarah their first real winter jackets on Friday and they both look so grown up and elegant in them.....must take some pics...

Images from The Sartorialist

Sunshine Saturday

Its been a gloriously sunny day - typical of Cape Town, after days of rain and cold you suddenly get a day that is more fit for summer than winter.  Unfortunately, as soon as the sun has set the temperature drops so I made a gorgeous fire, comfort food and have been watching television and reading magazines all evening - bliss.......

The ballet last night was amazing.  It was a series of dances based on poems and a few of them were choreographed by my lovely friend and choreographer Erica Brummage - she has such style and talent.

Gorgeous Tina sent me these pics that she took in Hoboken this morning.  Apparently these little trucks drive around NYC and all over selling organic vegan  
cupcakes, etc.  Like little bakery shops on wheels - how brilliant!

TGIF

Yesterday and today have been quite stressful on the work front and have therefore left me quite depleted and uninspired.  The best way to rectify this is to browse some blogs and share someone else's inspiration!  I am still not sure how you are supposed to do these things, but hope that if I give all the correct credits and links I will not be stepping on any toes and doing something I shouldn’t.
I came across these pictures on Pia Jane Bijkirk’s blog yesterday, and as I had just been ‘dreaming in Greek’ after reminiscing about my honeymoon, they struck a particular chord.  Apart form the spectacularly beautiful photography, I am completely in love with these interiors.  I followed Pia’s links to the photographer, Stratis Vogiatzis' website and you can view more inspiring and beautiful pictures here.
Fortunately it IS Friday so in a few hours my current low spirits will be lifted as I head home for the weekend.  Oh, and we are going to the ballet tonight!  That’s something to look forward to.....

Anniversaries and honeymoons

This month is our 15th wedding anniversary.  We’ve been a couple for 21 years (met when I was 18 and then again a year later and have been together ever since), and I can’t believe how quickly time has flown – it feels like just yesterday that we were planning the wedding.  Looking back I don’t think there is a single thing I would change about my life, I am so very, very lucky.  Danie is working on a movie for a couple of weeks and will be away for the actual anniversary date so we will have to celebrate it afterwards, but I need to start planning what we will do now.  I am thinking along the lines of a romantic getaway for a night.  As we met in Hermanus all those years ago it would be quite fitting to go there, but we go there a lot as a family so it might be better to go elsewhere for a change - there are so many gorgeous places within an hours drive from Cape Town.  If wishes were horses I would go back to Skiathos (and take Emma and Sarah too of course!) where we spent our honeymoon, but we are planning a trip there next year if we can afford it.  Fortunately for me, my step mom owns one of the most gorgeous villa’s on the island, Villa Ella, so it is simply a case of getting ourselves there.

This picture was taken on the first night of our honeymoon in Skiathos.  Poor Danie looks completely shellshocked and I look like I'm giving someone a hard time about something! I also look in desperate need of a tan - something I have never had in my whole life!

Inspiration

Being a bit of a ‘virgin’ blogger, I have been looking at other blogs for inspiration.  Its very distracting and can take up hours and hours of your day clicking from one link to another and getting completely sucked into what’s out there – I can’t afford to get sucked in all day, I have a job to do!  I am blown away by some of the blogs I have come across - such incredible talent; from artists to photographers, to illustrators, to writers and all from different parts of the world.  I have to admit that it is quite intimidating....
None the less, I shall persevere with this blog – if nothing else it allows my friends around the world to catch-up with my news/musings.
The rain is lashing against the windows and I am waiting for Danie to return with a gas cylinder refill for the gas heater (the girls and I are sitting at the dining room table and its cold in here!). If I didn't have to take the girls off to dancing shortly I would put on a movie like Bright Star and curl up on the couch.
Definitely soup for supper tonight!

We ♥ Scotland and Scottish women

Emma brought me her diary from our trip to Scotland last year to have a read and reminisce and Sarah read it to me in the car on the way to school this morning.  Listening to her musings from the holiday made Sa and I long to go back again, but I know it won’t be this year.  My exceptional Great Aunt who lives in a ‘wee’ fishing village called Helmsdale in the North of Scotland turned 98 last week.  She is a remarkable woman in so many ways and we love and miss her so much.  I am so fortunate that Emma and Sarah have not only met her, but have been to see her three times in the last 5 years.  Still living on her own, last year, as with the two previous times we stayed with her, she welcomed us with home made lentil soup, a Victorian sponge cake and a roast with tatties (potatoes) - I hope to be able to do the same for my family at that age!
I have many remarkable women in my life, not least of all my wonderful mother.  Apart from the fact that, as my children say, she is coolest gran in town, I could not do the job I do without her love and support.  Fortunately for me she comes from good Scottish stock and I hope to have her around for many, many years.  

 Aunty Tyne aged 97

 A view of Helmsdale

Happy Mothers Day ♥

It’s a predominantly grey Sunday but a special one, being Mothers Day.  I have been spoiled with gorgeous flowers, prezzies and home made cards from my very creative and wonderful daughters.  Em drew me to look like a film star (thanks Em!) and Sarah wrote me one of her fabulous poems – she has such a talent for poetry the lucky girl – something I wish I had (sorry Sa, I accidentally nearly set the card alight on the candle!).

My mum and sister came over to our house for brunch.  We had a roaring fire and ate delicious food including eggs benedict – a family fave.  Now the girls are putting in some study time, Danie is making a shelf for Emma’s room and I am sitting in front of the fire while the rain tips down outside.  In a little while I am going to watch ‘The September Issue’ – sheer bliss, how wonderful it is to be a mother/daughter/sister.

View more of Emma's pics here

After the rain

Its Friday and the sun has come out and everything looks shiny and clean after the rain.  As I sit here the sun is streaming through the window onto my narcissi, some of which have shot up literally over night and others are taking their time about growing.  Its just the leaves at this stage and I can’t wait for the buds to appear and then of course the flowers which are so sweetly pungent they will make the whole house smell gorgeous.
Tomorrow Sarah has a big Highland dancing competition – it is the qualifier for the provincial team – in Fish Hoek.  Poor Em, if she hadn’t broken her ankle at New Year she would have been dancing too. Good luck Sa!

A good deed

After years of good intentions I have finally registered with the blood bank and I made my first donation this morning – it feels good.  My friend Laura and I went along before work and apart from the ‘cringe’ factor (I am not a great fan of needles and blood), it really wasn’t that bad.  It also gave Lau and I a good excuse for a catch-up and we got free tea and biscuits and a comfortable chair to sit in and chat.
Last night my wonderful, special friends Nats and Mal came for the night and as usual it was a night of laughter and fun.  Another good friend who I just don’t see enough, Fiona, and her daughter Cayleigh came too and we all sat around the dining room table for hours.  Nats and Mal are opening a shop in Hermanus next month – so exciting.  They are two of the most creative people I know and Mal’s drawings of birds and animals are incredible.

Moleskin doodles

Putting a shine on my silverware

You've Got Mail

One of my favourite movies is You’ve Got Mail.  Apart from the fact that I love Meg Ryan in this type of role, I just LOVE her bookshop in the movie – it is one of my dreams to have a shop like this. And as for that quote of Joe’s “Don’t you just love New York in the fall.  It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address”...... I would love to see New York in the fall, not to mention receive a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils!!

Images from We Heart It

Old Mac Donald

I was wrong, it is not 25C today but rather cold and misty with more rain forecast for today and the rest of the week – I have always been more a cold weather girl than a hot weather girl so no complaints from me.  My only grumble is that our electricity went out at around 5pm yesterday and only came back on at 5.30am this morning!  Its something we had to get accustomed to last winter, with rolling blackouts because of power shortages, but then we were forewarned – not last night however.  Because I was sure the power would come on sometime during the night I didn’t shower and so I had to have a really cold one this morning – brrrrr!  Poor Em had to study by candle light – although it was quite apt as she was studying the French Revolution (no electricity in those days!) and French, which was fine as we sat in front of the fire and ran through naming all the rooms in the house and their contents – bonne chance Emma!
I have discovered something to add to my Wish List  - I have the two lists going, the ‘have to do' list and the ‘want to do list'.  There is a fabulous hotel in the centre of town called the Grand Daddy, and in July this year they are opening their Airstream trailer park in a gorgeous part of the world called Elgin.  It looks amazing – what a retro-fantastic way to spend a weekend – we’ve GOT to go!

Rainy Tuesday

Woke up to the sound of glorious rain this morning!  Apart from the fact that it is about time and we need the rain, it also means I CAN WEAR MY HUNTERS!  Shallow, I know, but jeepers we are all entitled to have our moments of fashion slavery.  My lovely husband doesn’t get it – he wanted to know if I was going to be walking to work via the common through mud and sludge and if not, why was I wearing the boots.....
Apart from the boots, I can now officially haul out all the woolly jerseys, jackets and scarves.  Although, in typical Cape fashion, it will probably be 28C tomorrow.

Monday

We were spoiled by yet another glorious weekend although the first rains are due to set in this week apparently (yay, I can wear my Hunters!).  Apart from being a productive weekend (painting Emma’s desk), it was also nice and social without being too crazy.  Yesterday Danie and the girls and I took the dogs out for a long walk, the girls on their bikes – the roads were quiet and it was such a beautiful morning.  We also had a wonderful lunch at the Waterfront with Tom, Susi and Ella – a real treat....
Its going to be a busy week and Emma and Sarah have to knuckle down to some hard work – exams start next week poor things.  My wonderful, wonderful, special friends Nats and Mal are spending the night with us on Wednesday and we have a Big Fat Greek reunion dinner planned at the The Greek restaurant with a bunch of friends – guaranteed to be a blast – I can’t wait.

 

Emmas's desk

I did it!  I painted the Union Jack on Em's desk as I said I would and we are both very chuffed with the result :-)  Now i need to tackle Sarah's wardrobe once she has decided what she wants to do with it.....

Hunters!

I have been wanting a pair of Hunter wellington boots for a couple of years and decided that it was time to take the plunge after finding a company in the UK that shipped to SA free of charge.  Well, they arrived yesterday and I am thrilled with them!  Now, if we can just get some rain.....