take a sat

new beginnings

2011-02-18T06:13:00.001-08:00

it feels as though I haven't blogged for years. I find this most bothersome and shall make a concerted effort to do so from this second.

The past two months have given birth to many new beginnings for me and there are many things that are making my life mighty sweet at the moment:

Today is the last day at my current place of employment. I was blessed to have an awesome job at an amazing company fall into my lap which I'm starting on Monday.

My family is relocating from our home where we have lived for 12 years (exactly half my life) to the opposite end of cape town.

My new years resolution to just say no has been going swimmingly. Some people don't like to hear this word though and struggle to let go...go on...you can do it.

My friend Rabbit and I are starting a business and it shall be grand and started out of love and passion. watch this space.

I have the most beautiful and loving friends who fill my life with so much happiness. While we are getting older I am constantly astounded by the lives they are all leading and the women they are becoming.

I have an amazing family. my brother is a semi professional cyclist who walks around with me after races and gets all giggly when he sees the world's top cyclists. He points them out and talks about them as though he hasn't just beaten them. How humbling.

I was able to justify the lyric "my head told my heart "this time no"" which was and is still a great feeling.

I've started putting my motto for the year into place in most things "don't try to live forever, just try to create something that will."

My life is being blessed and big things are happening. Faith. Hope. Love.

I leave you with a chooon!

Jen and Andrea

2011-02-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

i have such beautiful friends

from Russia, with love

2011-02-08T23:49:00.001-08:00

snapped this little Russian girl at the Delheim "start of harvest" festival.

You're looking a little tired, Darling.

2011-01-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

The secret in their eyes

2011-01-05T08:19:00.001-08:00

Started a new tradition this year with my friend, Rabbit. Going to see a movie on New Years day. Watched "the secret in their eyes." wowser! Its a Spanish film set in Argentina and i LOVE films with sub-titles, always tend to get more inlolved. They pull you in without you realising.

Its directed by Juan Jose Campanella and is filled with little twists and turns all the way through. It was released in 2009, so its a bit of a shame that we only got to see it at Nouveau now, especially after it won an Oscar for best foreign language film last year. Its a crafty little film with small details popping out everywhere. Underlying themes and subjects quietly move throughout the movie and leave you feeling as though you've been let in on a secret.

Take a gander:

reading list

2011-01-05T01:01:00.000-08:00

my reading list for 2011, carefully watched by my book gaurdians, Fred and Perdisha.

In no particular order:

Snow falling on cedars - Doug Guterson
Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
The boy in the striped pajamas - Johne Boyne
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The good the bad the ugly - Joe Millard
Captain Corelli's Mandalin - Louis de Bernieres
Half truths and white lies - Jane Davis
The elephant whisperer - Lawrence Anthony
A tale of two cities - Dickens
Vintage Jesus - Mark Driscol and Gerry Breshears
The swan thieves - Elizabeth Kostova
How the hangman lost his heart - KM Grant
The lost diaries of Adrian Mole 1999-2001 - Sue Townsend

Now, I've actually already started reading half these books. I start one but then get so excited to start another that I am now currently reading 5 books at once. it's a problem of mammoth proportions.

i'm tired

2011-01-04T03:47:00.000-08:00

i'm awfully tired

haven't had a break

stop talking to me

falling out of society

woe is me

i'm awfully tired

Dear Rae

2011-01-03T01:34:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this ring and magically Santa put it in my Christmas stocking. Dear Rae makes phenomenal stuff. Check it out here

dry and barren land

2011-01-03T00:57:00.000-08:00

went for a drive through the country, as one does, and came across this little girl in Riebeek Kasteel.

I showed her the photo of herself afterwards. She was astounded and kept shouting "dis ek, dis ek!"

buttons and cupcakes

2010-12-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

two of my favourite things in one space...shawow!

If you plan on attending, please be so kind as to RSVP. Hop on over here to see some of the merchandise...aka button brilliance that shall be on sale.

Hysteric

2010-12-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

lovely lovely lovely acoustic version.

look at these babies!

2010-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

I was pretty impressed with these beauties that I plucked from the earth sometime last week. I emailed my gardening enthusiast dad this picture. This was his reply:

"I refuse to laugh and will not laugh but believe me no matter how much I tried, laughter exploded when I re-read your words " they looked delightful" thinking to myself how cruel can you be to raise so many carrots and all deformed , shame on you Tammy ha ha ha ha haaaaa , anyway I am sure they tasted good much better than when you pulled them out of Mother earth ha ha ha ha."

Thanks dad.

Can you say that in less than 140 characters please?

2010-11-11T01:17:00.000-08:00

Get to the point, don’t use university words, eliminate personal pronouns and use punctuation. These are just a few of the tips given to those looking to perfect the art of writing in 140 characters or less, a notion prescribed by a little blue bird.

This bird is quick to notify you when you’ve stepped out of line and it’s warnings of over 140 character anarchy are signalled by an ominous red minus count that is received with irritated pumps on the backspace key.

This limited character space is accepted by the masses who use twitter to inform the world of what they had for breakfast. But what about those who want to use their tweets for something more, who want to break the confines that said blue bird has on what we say to the world?

We all know about TwitLonger, the way to post tweets when “140 characters just isn’t enough.” Critics have asked whether this form of cheating the system doesn’t defeat the purpose of the 140 character quota. To be honest I don’t think it does. There is no bird sitting high up on a perch counting your every character and it allows personal pronoun loving tweeters to continue to be part of the Twitterverse without having to post a number of broken tweets.

While TwitLonger may appear to be the Robin Hood in this tale of fighting for long versed tweets, it would appear that it has a few downfalls. For example, why isn’t it on Tweetdeck? After checking a few forums I’ve found that people are crying out for it to be added to Tweetdeck. I also found that people say they exclusively use TwitLonger to tweet. Wait? What is this feeling? I think I’m beginning to feel sorry for the blue bird.
People exclusively use TwitLonger to tweet? It’s alright to use it occasionally, but all the time? It’s after reading this that I change my view on the little blue bird and realise that he’s actually a pretty good egg. He’s like Poseidon in the Little Mermaid, for lack of a cooler antihero. Ariel thinks her dad is ruining her life by not allowing her to swim to the surface but actually, it’s because there is danger there. The blue bird and its communist rules about 140 characters is Poseidon, and here’s why.

With the number of social networking sites laid out before us increasing, we’ve become lazy. Sending messages no longer requires the foot of blue birds cousin, the carrier pigeon and the internet makes it easier on a daily basis to send messages to our friends in Pappa New Guinea. However, a site such as twitter intimidates some people because let’s face it, writing short concise verse takes a bit of wit, good English form and effort.

A site such as twitter comes along and leaves these people jolted. “But I’m not witty, I can’t shorten that. Or can I?” and in steps the elusive ‘LOL speak’ like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. “Oh but you can shorten the words”, says the serpent. I’ll be the first one to admit that I c’nt even rememba da days b4 LOL spk, but I am yet to use it in a tweet or a Facebook status update.

However, TwitLonger has made it even easier for these ‘some people’ by allowing them to write a tweet that goes on and on without ever needing to shorten the words and eradicates the need for LOL speak. Although there are those few who still use LOL speak in these seemingly endless tweets...OMG!

Short story writer Guy de Maupassant sums up this argument really well, "whatever you want to say, there is only one noun to express it, one verb to animate it and one adjective to qualify it." Therefore, the blue bird must be applauded for its philosophical mind games and its efforts to make us use our brains in an online world that says it’s OK to slack off when it comes to good English. There’s nothing wrong with writing well within one hundred and forty characters in acceptable English. Can you see how easy it is? I challenge you to enunciate like the best of them and fit what you need to say into 140 characters without taking a bite out of that lazy apple from the tree of complacency.

bull in a china shop

2010-11-10T01:25:00.000-08:00

Up a quiet road in kalk bay, down an alley and up some stairs, is one of the most chock a block shops I've ever seen. Inside sits a little old lady behind coca cola bottle bottom glasses who nervously greets you. "take a look around" she says as she peers over the thick pieces of glass. You proceed to look around and before you know it you've trudged through rooms and realms of old china.

Ondine and Josienne Clarke

2010-11-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

my beautiful and supremely talented friend Ondine took some photos for Josienne Clarke's album artwork, "One light is gone.

You can see more of Ondine's talented works here

Here is one of Josienne's beautiful songs, "how to tame a lion". She performs it with Ben walker who never fails to impress on a lot of the songs on the album. It's lovely. Her album is wonderfully refined and has been on repeat in my car for a while now. The title track...wow.

Click here for Josienne's website and here to hear more of her songs.

miss rabbit

2010-11-08T00:45:00.001-08:00

took some photos of miss Rabbit yesterday.

oh mr. mumford!

2010-11-04T01:51:00.000-07:00

"but we're young, open flowers in the windy fields of this war-torn world"

fuzzy images

2010-11-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

don't you hate it when people take photos with their camera phones? it could no be helped.

peace train

2010-10-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm getting older. In the grand scheme of things I'm actually not even that old but I'm starting to feel a little older. Its a strange feeling for me and it has left me a little uneasy. So I started writing down all my childhood memories the way I remember them so I can look at age in a different way. View it as a life story rather than worrying about it rushing by me. Concentrate more on the things I have experienced rather than the things I haven't.

One memory is stuck in my mind: I was 9 and we lived on the waters edge in marina da gama.I paddled out onto the water on my dad's old longboard and I stopped. I stood up on the board and let the slight wind push me along as I belted out the song "peace train" on the top of my lungs.

Rabbit's personal project

2010-10-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

Aaaah! So my friend Rabbit has been telling us about this "project" she's been working on. She has way too much time on her hands. But I think they look pretty darn rad.

“I kind of wish that something strange or wonderful would happen”

2010-10-11T04:21:00.001-07:00

Watched the movie "Ondine" on Saturday. I really enjoyed it, although the twist at the end seemed slightly out of place and ruined the midsummer nights dreamesqueness of it for me. The wardrobe though, wow!

Syracuse: How long are you staying?
Ondine: Depends, I guess.
Syracuse: On what?
Ondine: On you.
Syracuse: On me? It depends on me, you can stay forever.
Ondine: Forever?
Syracuse: Forever, happily ever after, once upon a time... I'm been telling my daughter a story, a fairy tale...

If you do one thing today, listen to this song. it plays throughout the movie (in many different ways) and is beautiful. You'll feel different about it and it will hit harder after you've watched the movie.

weekend choon

2010-10-08T03:17:00.001-07:00

jas, this album has got me very flipping excited and this song is a beaut!

Rabbit

2010-10-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

my beautiful and talented friend, Rabbit designed a stationery set for me for my verjaarsdag. It's so pretty. It's as though she crept into my brain one night to see exactly what i wanted.

"Tammy's favourite things day"

2010-10-07T01:32:00.001-07:00

My two favourite people, Ryan my brother and Kris his girlfriend and my good friend asked me to compile a list of my ten favourite things to do in Cape Town for my birthday. They took a few of the things from the list and compiled a day's worth of activities this Saturday. I don't know what the order of the day's events are, especially since my favourite things are pretty spread out across the cape. To be honest I could just sit and stare at paint dry with the two of them all day and I'd be pleased as punch.

This was my list (in no particular order)

1.) A show at the planetarium (I'm a bit of a nerd)
2.) Walking up Red Hill to the dam at the top
3.) High tea at The 12 Apostles
4.) Watching the sunset on Kommetjie beach
5.) Panchos
6.) Sushi anywhere
7.) Hours at Kirstenbosch just spent reading
8.) Movie at Cinema Nouveau
9.) Breakfast in Kalk Bay
10.)?

I can't remember what the last thing was and it was pretty difficult to narrow it down to just 10 things. I'm clearly a cheap date and it doesn't take much to amuse me. haha.

look what i found

2010-10-06T03:37:00.001-07:00

ate a delicious burger and sweet potato wedges at Royale last night (with a side order of delightful ladies). damn those wedges were good. Also stumbled upon my pics on the wall.

8754 sunsets

2010-10-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

My 8754th sunset. bliss.

a lovely bunch of roses

2010-10-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

this woman my maker has made

2010-10-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

"How can a girl whose
smile holds the world at
Her mercy ever be taken in,
By the words that are sung
From the mouth of a man
Who can't offer her anything.

There's a time in the day
When the light fades away
And a million stars are displayed
Which can never compare
To a few minutes shared
With this woman my maker has made

Her words flutter forth
And point to the North
As the wind and the rain rumble in
And the beauty of cold
And the wind and the world
As the maker let's creation sing

At the voice of this girl,
Whose smile holds the world
And the King that begins all good things
Its His glory I see
When she smiles at me
By His mercy I'm not stuttering

With emotions at play
At the end of the day
As glory and peace are displayed
As the world tumbles down,
I won't fall to the ground
These good things
Won't go to the grave."

Written by a very old aquaintance, Richard Mee. Gonna use this opportunity to add links to all his various endeavours. Not sure whether its just a poem or a song yet...if its a song I imagine it would be lovely.

http://www.themeebrothers.com/
http://www.pastoralcounselling.co.za/

perspective

2010-09-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

this.is.awesome. click it. do it. now.

trigger happy

2010-09-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

week end choon

2010-09-17T05:45:00.001-07:00

yellow and blue

2010-09-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

i really like the stuff up at yellow and blue at Royale. go eat a burger and buy some pieces.

these 2 have my stamp of approval ;)

thinking of you(s)

2010-09-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

the week before last, a girl at work, megan, lost a close friend. The friend dropped megan off at work and was involved in a horrible car accident on the way home. megan is one of those people who is allergic to everything. so instead of buying megan flowers i made her this flower-esque brooch. i'm thinking of making a whole bunch and calling them 'thinking of you(s)'.

2010-09-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

in the process of making a ginormous origami swan mobile. so far, done 32 swans and really liking the way it's looking.

things i've seen lately

2010-09-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

cookies

2010-09-15T00:54:00.001-07:00

cooking is not one of my talents. strangely though, the only thing i can make remotely well are my custard cream heart cookies...and toast. they make me so happy.

"why can't i grow a chewing gum tree?"

2010-09-08T09:36:00.001-07:00

Came across all the old childrens records that my brother and I used to listen to when we still wore kiddy sized shoes and couldn't tie our shoelaces.

new additions

2010-09-08T09:28:00.001-07:00

my new additions from the 2010 dunny series.

My army...tis growing.

Elizabeth and the polka dots

2010-09-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

A friend from work, Elizabeth made me a dress. It's delightful and I love it. You can't see the pockets in the picture but they are perfectly placed.

You can follow her new blog here where she showcases all of her latest designs.

2010-09-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

yellow and blue

2010-09-02T00:58:00.000-07:00

some stuff for yellow and blue in a few days at Royale Eatery

florentines

2010-09-02T00:54:00.001-07:00

train

2010-08-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

the little things #04

2010-08-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

So I can watch a 3d movie...with the 3d glasses.

the little things #03

2010-08-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

so when i'm running on Boyes Drive i can see the beautiful view.

the little things #02

2010-08-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

So i can walk through the rain without suspended droplets blocking my view.

the little things #01

2010-08-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

so that i can see the stars out the kitchen window when i get up for a drink of water at midnight.

reoccuring dreams

2010-08-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

I have the same dream once a week. it drives me mental. MENTAL. It's always a different scenario though but the same thing happens. I'm in my Matric year and my flute exam is in 2 weeks and i haven't been to a single lesson or practiced any of my pieces. that's it. every week. it worries me how vivid these dreams are. they need to stop.

what i've seen lately

2010-08-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

long weekend song

2010-08-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

This is a very pretty, happy, technically talented awesome song and i hear it in my head while walking to the toilet at 3am at home and making tea in the kitchen at work. It's pretty contagious.

The video is darn awesome too.

2010-08-05T04:38:00.001-07:00

'This is a story of boy meets girl.

The boy, Tom Hanson of Margate, New Jersey,
grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy
until the day he met "the one."
This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music
and a total misreading of the movie 'The Graduate'.

The girl, Summer Finn of Chennicok, Michigan,
did not share this belief.
Since the disintegration of her parents' marriage,
she'd only loved two things;
The first was her long, dark hair.
The second was how easily she could cut it off,
and feel nothing.

Tom meets Summer on January eighth.
He knows, almost immediately, she is who he's been searching for.

This is a story of boy meets girl,
but you should know upfront...

This is not a love story."

Pie Paloozas Button Boutique sale!

2010-08-03T00:38:00.001-07:00

Some snaps from Pie Paloozas Button Boutique Sale on Saturday

You can see some more creations here

"vanfokkingtasties" 24 July 2010

2010-07-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

sew wonderful

2010-07-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

Two blogs that are my current inspiration.

First one: The sew weekly.

"By the end of 2010, I hope to have a closet filled only with clothes that I have sewn myself (with a few exceptions). This project began in Fall of 2009 but I began documenting it in January 2010. The Sew Weekly is all about my attempt to meet that goal by sewing something, well, weekly."

Here are some of my favourites from the blog:

You can check out her blog here

Second one is Tilly and the buttons- "a love affair with stitching". Her blog is fantastic and interesting and filled with old fashions.

Here are some of her lovely creations:

View her blog here

wednesday chooon!

2010-07-21T06:16:00.001-07:00

Candice Tripp

2010-07-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

When I was a youngen I used to do browney's and dancing with a girl named Candice Tripp. We lost touch, ended up going to the same high school but never spoke in the hallways or ever again for that matter. She's now a well-established artist living in London and her stuff is brilliant. Brilliant.

"Tripp’s work resonates with an innocence that steers clear of societal commentary, choosing instead to youthfully represent childish scenarios with a grown-up twist. Working predominantly in oil and ink, her subject matter is cast into negative space, illustrating just an instance of a narrative with only the title hinting towards a bigger picture Without any formal training Tripp started exhibiting her paintings in early 2007; her plans to go to university were interrupted when she booked her first solo show in April that year."

go here to see more

Janelle Monae

2010-07-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

she's beautiful. and i admire her style. a lot.

some snaps!

2010-07-14T23:48:00.001-07:00

My sugar snaps are-a-growin'

The R5 store in Fish Hoek sells everything! Not everything is R5 though.

The best and most perfect looking cappuccino i've tasted thus far. The meeting place in Simons town

This cyclist must have the old people of Muizenberg up in arms

pleased as punch

2010-07-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Bought this apartheid era waterpainting for 20 buckaroos! what a flippin' steal. I really like it.

labia

2010-07-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

The revamped Labia in St. James is grrrreat. The art gallery upstairs is even grrrrrrreater.

what i've seen lately

2010-07-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

antique

2010-07-10T07:38:00.001-07:00

The antique shop in kalkbay with the giant bear dustbin outside has the coolest photos at the back of the shop that aren't for sale. I could sit for hours looking through them.

warms the cockles of my heart.

2010-07-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

My dad who I haven't seen for 6 months because of work sacrifices he makes so that my family can have the life we do sent me an email and ended it with, "love you with a passion".

knowing that a baby marrow is a fruit is knowledge. not putting it in your fruit salad is wisdom.

2010-07-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

It was 6:10 on a friday night. I was waiting for the train at obs station. I saw a familiar face walk my way. "hello" they said as they walked by, "hello, how are you" I replied? "Good thanks" they said as they continued past. They returned for conversation a few minutes later and they over the years had turned into a she, who I didn't recognise. However the old her, the one I'm more familiar with raised her ugly head every now and then throughout conversation.

5 years ago I had labelled her with "wouldn't amount to very much". She's a lecturer now, studied at UCT and has a baby. She assures me that the baby's father and her, whilst madly in love won't be getting married- she proudly announces she's a commitment phobe. I assured her this can't be the case because she's given birth to another human being and has committed herself to its life. Surely? "Don't get my wrong, I'm a fantastic mom but sometimes the kid just really annoys me."

The conversation moved swiftly onto me. Grand. "Oh I never thought you'd go the computers route". "I didn't" I replied, "I write for the internet"."What about a boyfriend?" My most hated question. There's a point where I often just shut down in conversations. It's where wrongfully I have made an assumption about a person and could no longer be bothered to speak to them as its a waste of the precious air I breath. That point was now as she proceeded to explain to me why I'm not in a relationship, or rather deduce from her infinate wisdom the reason for my bridget jones-esqueness.

Anything she had to say after that was a blur.

2010-07-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Quote from a letter from Tzarina to tzar nicholas before they were both executed.
"I love you. In these three words is my life."

what i've seen lately

2010-06-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

amazing!

2010-06-20T02:50:00.001-07:00

All this rain is doing wonders for my sugarsnaps, carrots and basil. lovely! grow my babies, grow! Few man made things leave me in as much awe as things from God's own hands.

Die Heuwels

2010-06-20T02:49:00.001-07:00

Aaaah. Afrikaans and I are not friends. My afrikaans extends as far as the preposition song that you learn in high school ("en maar dog want en maar dog want of of of nog nog nog soweel as trouens soweel as trouens inteendeel"). Sunday lunch at my best friends house (which is a predominantly afrikaans household) just wouldn't be complete without her mum asking me to say something in afrikaans at the table. This soutie provides the entertainment. However, since being introduced to Die Heuwels Fantasties, i can now be caught singing afrikaans most of the time. i hum it at my desk. I sing it in the car.

some snaps from my first time i heard them. Thanks Lauren, Kyle, Damien and John

Here are some songs, Leja (dis my gunstelling)although the video is a bit random.

football fever

2010-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

From now on if someone annoys me, I shall refer to them as "suarez".anti- saurez blogs are being written all over the world condemning this man. Hollywood parents are signing their children up for his acting classes. Crime syndicates all across South Africa are spreading his photo as we speak.

Never thought I'd say this, but at this rate I shall soon be denied access into countries for being a violent supporter.

in my mind it sounds like.

2010-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

allowing talent to go to waste feels like throwing away a perfectly good caserole that's just come out the oven.

"music must never offend the ear; it must please the hearer; in other words, it must never cease to be music"- Mozart

wine and dine

2010-05-24T06:48:00.001-07:00

Went to the twelve apostles for afternoon tea with my terrific best friend, Lauren the other day. Whilst snacking on tiny little koeksisters and melk terts, i noticed this lady. She arrived, read a book whilst puffing on a cigar and enjoying a glass of wine whilst taking in the view of the beautiful ocean. She then went downstairs and enjoyed her lunch, facing the sea. Made me realise that I really need to make more use of my unemployed days. crikey!

conquering heights

2010-05-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have a slight fear of heights. It's realy quite bad actually. But in an effort to better myself for the good of mankind, i'm slowely working towards conquering it. Yesterday I managed to put my feet on the edge (alas, not over) the view point at Rhodes Memorial (by the pillars). It may not look high, but trust me! I couldn't ever look over the edge without my knees knocking together. I'll conquer it, one day.

Pia Palooza's Button Boutique

2010-05-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

My very talented in everything she does friend Jess Pie has begun making earrings and brooches from buttons. Such a clever child. So I couldn't resist a few pairs, gotta support the friends!To see more go here: http://www.piepaloozasbuttonboutique.blogspot.com

Matt and Chant

2010-05-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

"I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell."

Wedding shots from 14 May. On a wheat farm in Durbanville. Pity the wheat had all been cut already for Winter. Don't thiink they were happy with the shots. Oh well, you cant please everyone.

"Jesus wept."

2010-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Bergundy affair

2010-05-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

I like hats. on other people. I just don't have a hat head,unless it's a beanie sort of thingymabob. But then I saw this hat and I want to wear it even while I'm sleeping. It makes me think I'm in the time of WW2 and I'm about to receive a letter in the mail from my love who is a member of the Lafayette Escadrille:

"I fly through the sky and write I love you in the clouds and hope that the words float from the french skies to your heart"- I should write hallmark cards, I'd make a fortune.

Andrea, Eve and Jenny.

2010-04-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Aren't they beautiful? We've been friends since high school. They've helped me out when I was bullied in high school. We've watched a friend past away. We've watched another marry the love of her life. We've watched each other grow up into the smart and intelligent and capable ladies that we are today . There are few things that make me quite as happy as a 4 hour afternoon tea with these girls. They've left me with advice that I will pass onto my daughter (who will be named Ammabelle) like, "never make someone your priority if you're just one of their options." and I know that no matter where i am in the world, I know that I can call them up and have a cry about a broken heart.

getting our paws dirty

2010-04-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

planted some vegetables yesterday with the help of my two trusty steeds, Roxy and Sasha

what do you know! I have the capacity to be "cool".

2010-04-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

my friend *Pie* sent me this pic and I had a "oh my gosh i'm so socially cool" moment cause I have these glasses. I dont have many "i'm so socially cool" moments. I like it that way. And I think that the advert is really rad too.

thrift store love

2010-04-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

took some snaps of my favourite second hand shop buys. I thought it best to pay homage to this form of "recycling" after leaving the hoek of fish with a bag filled with heavy silver cutlery, 2 dresses, a clutch bag and a golden book mark all for less than R80.

studio 2J

2010-04-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hiddingh campus. 8:45. i was let loose in one of the studios shared by 8 artists for the year. saw some interesting after hours stuff.

I felt a bit bad as I climbed through a bunch of strangers thought processes that would lead them to their end of year masterpieces. but then thought, the thought processes are masterpieces in themselves.

"the centre of the universe is everywhere, and its circumference is nowhere."

it'll last forever

2010-04-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

"Trust me. It's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe in search of something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation. Never resist the unfamiliar. Never fail to be polite and never outstay your welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what, its probably worth it. You hope and you dream, but you never believe that somethings gonna happen for you, not like it does in the movies, and when it actually does, you expect it to feel different, more visceral, more real.

I was waiting for it to hit me

Hit me

I still believe in paradise. But now I know it's not some place you can look for, cause it's not where you go, it's how you feel for a moment in your life.

And if you find that moment, it lasts forever.

It'll last forever."

this is my angry face

2010-04-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

recently i realised just how devestating my passive aggressivness can really be. After running The 2 oceans, one receives a drink voucher which can be redeemed at the "drink tent". Now, the friend with whom I ran was very emotional after crossing the finish line. So taken over by emotion that she just walked straight through the drinks tent without getting her drink. So when she turned around to see me getting my drink she back tracked through the tent to get her WELL DESERVED drink, only to be stopped by an "event helper who needed to get off of her self righteous high horse". We shall for the purposes of this post refer to her as "high horse":

High horse: "excuse me where do you think you're going?"
Friend: "to get my drink"
High horse: "no, you just came past me, you can't come through here again"
Me (speaking at quite an elevated level and with much hand movement): "i'm sorry, she's just been running for the past 3 hours and 10 minutes, are you really going to deny her something to drink?"
High horse: "no, I saw her get a drink already and now she's comming back for another one"

here comes the angry face....

me: " What!?! do you think she's hiding it up her arsehole between her bum cheeks. I'm sorry that she's just run a gazillion miles and is now trying to get a much deserved something to drink."
high horse: blah blah blah, ok get a drink, blah blah blah.

the lesson learned here kids is level- headedness and to be nice to runners!

woodstock, wednesday, 13:22 pm

2010-04-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

illustrator of my mind

2010-03-28T03:02:00.000-07:00

my beautiful friend Rabbit has not only been blessed with a lovely heart but also the ability to illustrate exactly what is in my head- a good example of this is my business card that she did for me (and if she had a blog, this is where i would post the link) xx

"There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesnt count."

2010-03-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

A.A. Milne- what a biscuit! Currently reading a 1975 copy of "The house at pooh corner". It's really beaten up and in the worst condition but I like to think i've given it a good home after retrieving it from a thrift store for a bargain deal of 5 bucks. It's only 176 pages but I literally am breathing in every page as I spend more time smelling the old pages than actually reading them. It's full of great knowledge and original pooh illustrations which will have to be put up here soon. But for now, I leave you with this, from page 89:

"By the time it came to the edge of the Forest the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowely. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, "there is no hurry. We shall get there some day." But all the little streams higher up in the Forest went this way and that, quickly, eagerly, having so much to find out before it was too late."

tamlyn and llewlyn

2010-03-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

"life is all moonshine and roses", such a nice setting and a fairytale dress.

kalk bay- "where everyone has a story"

2010-03-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

truly a wonderous place. amongst other things, the book shop is one of my fave's. it's so quiet, still and unassuming. selling the most up to date books in a building older than old. I just wish that the girl who works there would smile once in a while. surely life can't be all bad?

so i'll be on my way.

2010-03-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

you're just a boy.
not a man.
and i'm not comming back.

Matthew 6:26

2010-03-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

this flippin' lovely window display at Spitz in Cavendish reminded me of it today whilst the fear of never finding a job lay in the back of my mind.

nachos

2010-03-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, after going out for nachos with a friend tonight at Cubana I have decided that, contrary to his belief, they are probably on the bottom of my list of best nachos in Cape Town. So if you're a fan of the cheeeeeeese, here's my nacho list of awesomeness:

1.) Fat cactus.
2.) Buena vista social club
3.) Panchos
4.) Spur
5.) Cubana

Yes, that's right, Spurs nachos are better than Cubanas. There, I said it!

leighanne and stephen

2010-03-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

a humble affair.

Baden Powell Road- 19:34 pm

2010-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

A mist slowely crawls off of the sea and wraps itself around the fishermen. They sit beside their poles- keeping their distance from the lap of water but staying close enough to hear the tug on the line. "It's going to be a cold night", carries through the breeze as the cars drive between each gentle blow. Their lights are hazy- drunk on the mist. Silouhettes of birds fly above, towards the gold behind the mountain- they are intoxicated by the light. I can smell the ocean.

Wildlife photographer of the year.

2010-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

ok, if you havent been to this exhibition yet then YOU. MUST. GO. It's at the Cape Town Museum in Gardens and is on until 13 March. And it's only 15 buckaroos! The raddest thing is that some of the photos are by kids younger than 14. Woah! While you're there you can take a stappie around the museum and reminisce about junior school visits.

Here are some of my favourites:

I love the photo below. The photographer was out riding her bike when this bird started flying next to her. The photographer said that it looked as though the bird had something very important to tell her.

Those "brush strokes" below are birds filling the sky. a wave of them

design indaba 2010

2010-02-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

here's my two cents worth of a review. i was impressed with the organisation this year but dissapointed at majority of the stalls and offerings. i dont think it was creative enough and was bleak to find the exact same things as last years. ok, allow the same creatives back, as long as they have a different offering every year. The good stuff was leaps and bounds ahead of the stuff that made it appear to be an indoor flea market. Also, it would have been better if they perhaps folded away the entire sa government trade and industry section and enlarged the emerging creatives section. However, i'm VERY excited about the jewellery in this country at the moment, its all hearts and birds. it would be nice to see a paperjet pendant on a necklace though.

4 things stood out: my "best of shows":

the illustrative works of Justin Southey. "we were like those who dream". check out his blog justinsouthey.blogspot.

Artwork by Barbara Wildenboer. I have to admit that these images dont do them much justice but to see them in real life is something quite amazing.

The love coffee table by 1010 creative

I cant find pictures of these 2 things but the one was my absolute flippin' favourite thing. It was by Bousquet Creations. It was a lime green block with a crack at the top of it with two of the tiniest silver figurines standing on either side of the crack. if you go to the indaba, you have to check it out...especially as that description definately doesnt do it justice. the second "unknown item" was entitled "flying birds" or something and was a wooden sculpture of many birds in flight- tis lovely!

Ofcourse all of this isn't quite hearsay but rather unofficial matter of absolute opinion.

tea and edith piaff

2010-02-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

My splendifirous friend hayley who has the loveliest quartyard and pretends to have her own cooking show blogged about a tea party I had in the spring of '09. Holga snaps are just swell.

a breakdown of love

2010-02-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

On thursday a grade 9 girl told me that I need to get a boyfriend "what's wrong with you?", she pleaded, "you need to get back in the game".
It's because of this that I'm going to write a book because theirs is a generation of divorced parents and getting to know someone through a conversation on mxit.
I'm going to write a book because their generation needs to grasp the fact that love is 3 minutes and 43 seconds into coldplays "scientist". Love is corinthians 13:4. Love is Shakespeares sonnet number 116, ee cummings "I carry your heart" and W.H Audens "funeral blues". Love is a leap of faith.love is humming a song in a ear while dancing.love is 50 red roses on your 50th wedding anniversary. Love is old people holding hands.
Love is so much more than any of this.
Love is not your surfer boyfriend named cameron, grade 9 girl.

2010-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

took some photos and while looking back through them i found these ironic beauties.

homeless man

couple holding hands

shukran.

2010-02-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

There is something quite disconcerting about being the only white christian in a room of 200 muslims.

fresh country air

2010-02-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

took a trip into the country and stayed in a little town where peacocks walk around like pigeons in a park. I also stepped into the oldest original church in South Africa.