Thursday, May 31, 2012
flavour of the month: May
hello! Can you possibly believe that another month has flown by and we’re jumping into June tomorrow?
So last month I started a new series called Flavour of the Month…a visual round-up of my month through the eye of my iPhone and Instagram. The snippets and inspiring details of the things I saw and did. The month of May marks the end of the warm season for us Capetonians as we launch head long into our rainy and chilly winter. I realised that I needed a pair of fingerless gloves for working at my computer, since my hands have been freezing their knuckles off. I found a cute pair of gloves from Mr. Price which quickly became the keyboard-friendly fingerless variety after a 10 simple snips of my scissors and a few stitches to stop the unravelling…
A very proud mom and dad saw their youngest take off his training wheels and learn to ride this month. My 5-year old responded to peddling like a duck to water. After all, it’s just like riding a bicycle…
This same little boy recently moved into his own room after sharing with his bigger brother. We’ve had fun getting it ready and adding personal touches, like the artwork by friends and family collaged together on one wall and a freshly painted desk which was mine as a young girl.
We had a delicious dinner with friends at The Pot Luck Club, Luke Dale-Roberts’ latest culinary endeavour which lives up to its reputation of remarkable and delectable food. The concept is to order a variety of dishes to share and taste. I can’t wait go back!
When the day is sunny, a favourite place for a stroll is along the beachfront promenade between Mouille Point and Greenpoint. The waves come crashing up and mist you with their icy spray…
I spotted some cosy knitted scarves at Country Road which would be perfect for a winter walk. I loved the multi-coloured harlequin pattern so much!
The simplicity of a heart-shaped biscuit from Melissa’s Food Shop on a vintage plate seemed like the perfect thing to photograph… and then gobble down with a hot cup of tea. And pomegranates are my favourite fruit of the month. Their jewel-like ruby arils are slightly sour, almost astringent, but lovely sprinkled over a salad.
A fantastic design driven publication called Designtimes has been on my radar recently. They have their finger on the pulse of both the international and local design scene, introducing their growing readership to exciting world trends. Grab a copy from Exclusive Books or have a look at their online site.
This striking chevron pattern has been in the pipeline for a few months now and this month the zigzag got its show on the road… do you remember this awesome blogging competition which I won? Well, part of the prize was a room makeover courtesy of Freeworld Design Centre. I was beyond delighted and promptly chose my studio to be given a facelift. It was a collaboration between Freeworld and myself… and the result? A chic black & white space inspired by Coco Chanel, with personal details and timeless appeal. These are my Instagram shots of some the details.
Keep an eye open for the official photographs from the shoot which will be posted soon.
So that’s the merry month of May, my friends. I’m already looking forward to June!
{Almost daily outfit of the day} Stripes and sparkle 5.31.12
J Crew striped top; thrifted Bitten jeans; Nine West pumps; Forever 21 rhinestone collar necklace; thrifted vintage rhinestone necklaces; thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch
Today marked the occasion of my oldest child graduating from elementary school. There was a fair amount of pomp and circumstance, along with a really sappy movie made by PTA moms depicting moments from the past year that I am sure was designed to elicit tears from parents. While most moms in the audience were wearing Nike Tempo shorts and sweats and tee shirts, I decided to throw on a pile of rhinestones necklaces and heels for the event. Because sometimes the simplest excuse to get creative with my outfits is the best.
Now you're in my way ...
pants: bershka,
t-shirt: primark,
sweater: stradivarius,
bag: parfois,
hat: h&m,
sunglasses: ray-ban,
ring: lovely,
bracelets: stradivarius, ringeraja,
watch: michael kors,
ph. Branislava (Divine world of fashion) and me
Monday had hysterically mood swings, probably worst then woman before her cycle, cold and warm, rain and storm, and at the end of the day, we had chance to see the perfect sunset above the river. ;)
Luckily, i was with these two lovely ladies Branislava and Jovana, so we survived somehow! Bruschetti, pasta, tiramisu, viva Italia! Perfect match for me, i even got my zebra shot! ;)
Huge thanks to Brana for these lovely photos!
p.s. don`t forget to enter the Romwe giveaway Here!
p.p.s.yesterday i hit my knee at one of the street pillars, so this is the song for today, Play it! ;)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Beach, bikini, body.
The lifeguard stands at Long Island's Jones Beach are ten feet high, but at the age of five or six I would have told you they stretched as tall as skyscrapers. I can remember sitting in one during a particularly sweltering summer day when I became separated from my family and was waited to be rescued. I can still remember the panic that lodged in my chest, the stomach-lurching view of the sand beneath me, the relief I felt when I was found.
I grew up about twenty minutes from the beach, in a modest apartment in Queens, and spent many summers building sandcastles and jumping waves and collecting shells and eating tuna salad sandwiches on tattered beach blankets. I got peeling sunburns and so many freckles that my camp counselor nicknamed me Spot. I also wore one-piece swimsuits that always rode up my butt, but I didn't care. I was just too busy, you see, chasing my cousins and looking for my shovel and ducking greasy applications of sunscreen to worry about silly things like swimsuits. I adored those afternoons at the beach. I adored them in a way I adored a Happy Meal or a new Barbie doll. That's what beaches are when you're young and innocent and free: places of total happiness.
But as I got older, Jones Beach became something different. Once I entered puberty, and my body filled out with curves that were as unwelcome as a splotchy birthmark on your face, I was seized with the terror of removing my cover-up and exposing my body to the beach goers around me - specifically, other girls my age. They wore string bikinis and Ray Bans and the glossy sheen of Ban De Soleil. They were confident, and chic, and splayed their long limbs on beach towels their moms bought at Benetton. Where I once splashed and played, I began to cower and flinch. I spent a lot of time in those days trying to apologize for my body. My legs were too squat. My stomach was too round. My butt was too defiantly a butt, a round thing that protruded where I wanted it to lie flat. I remember the agonizing dilemma of whether I would keep my tee shirt on once I dove into the ocean. Doing so was as good as admitting that my body deserved to be covered up, as if even I knew it was too flawed to be exposed to the public.
And so I hid as best as I could. I stopped going to the beach altogether. I made excuses when my mom planned outings. There were no sand castles for me, no sunscreen to apply, no tuna salad sandwiches to eat. And no swimsuits to wear.
I don't live near Jones Beach anymore. Actually, there isn't a beach anywhere near my house. But there are neighborhood pools, where I accompany my kids for long afternoons of swimming. It is at these pools where I sit, fixated on the women around me, wondering how my body compares to theirs. Could I wear a bikini like the woman next to me has on? Do I dare expose my thighs, my stomach? What about a skirted tankini, meant to conceal that fleshy upper thigh area all women seem to despise? It seems that donning one is the same as hiding in my tee shirt - an admission that I have something worth hiding.
I wish I could go to the pool and just swim. I wish I could relax, and enjoy the breeze rustling my hair, and the sweet summertime scent of coconut SPF. But I just don't know how. I don't know how to enjoy being in my skin without those nagging voices in my head berating me. I don't know how to exorcise that screech that my body is just not good enough. Perhaps I never will. It's a tough thing, this learning to accept my body just as it is, and to stop comparing it to those around me.
going dotty
Enter the world of Yayoi Kusama, the famous Japanese octogenarian who is the latest artist to collaborate with Louis Vuitton on their new collection… catch my guest post over at Freeworld Design Centre to spot this artist’s eccentrically dotty avant-garde style.
pop art at heart
My guest post for Freeworld Design Centre last week was was a cheerful mix of yellow, leopard print and pop art…
Karla Spetic’s AW2012 Heart collection is full of colourful contrasts which are pretty and playful, modern and minimal. This Croatian-born Australian designer successfully mixes pastel, print, neon & leopard in the latest collection from her label which she launched in 2008. Karla remarks, “I do like clean things; I like simplicity. My pieces aren’t complicated.”
Bright acid yellow takes centre stage playing the bold leading lady, while a burst of cherry red creates a sassy supporting actress not to be left in the wings. The Pop Art Lichtenstein print adds graphic and eye-catching interest to the blouses and the silhouettes of the A-line skirts further reinforces a demure 1950’s theme. The diaphanous sheer pieces add that touch of seduction giving the collection a modern, contemporary look, albeit quite breezy. *wink*
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
{Almost daily outfit of the day} On the fringe. 5.29.12
Vintage thrifted suede vest; Lucky Brand 'Indian' motorcycle tee; thrifted Paige jeans; Gap sandals; Urban Outfitters necklace; vintage leather cuff; thrifted Michael Kors watch
I see a lot of weird stuff while thrifting. Indian beaded, acid-wash cocoon jackets. Seventies plaid, fringed ponchos. Polyester jumpsuits with bedazzled collars. Floral shortalls and satin tracksuits and acrylic stripper heels. Most of these items make me inwardly cringe in a way only really tragic fashion trends of the past can. When I do drag one of these items home, they usually hang forlornly and lonesome in my closet as I try to figure out how to wear them before admitting defeat and donating them back.
This vest spoke to me when I was in the Goodwill the other day. It's suede. It's fringed. It's adorned with wooden beads and silver grommets. It would look appropriate paired with leather chaps on a Harley rider. It's strikingly different from anything else in my wardrobe. And it was marked down from $365 to $6.99.
I threw it on with a motorcycle tee and felt pretty hot. And I realized that sometimes it's fun to play against the rules.
Cross the line ...
jeans: bershka,
t-shirt: primark,
trench: bershka,
bag: marc by marc jacobs,
sunglasses: aldo,
necklace: DIY by Anja`s runway,
bracelet: ringeraja,
ph. Masa
Mint nails mixed with red high heels against rainy day, and victory was mine! ;)
p.s. don`t forget to enter the Romwe giveaway Here!
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