Holy Moly!!!

Long time, no see... I seem to have neglected my blog for far too long now, but I have had an excuse!

Unbeknown to my family back in the UK, I decided after a lot of consideration to come home.  Afterall, I had a newborn niece yet to meet, I urgently needed to start working after a rather expensive trip home in March, Cape Town was starting to get a little too nippy for me (inside, that is!) and The Boy needs to concentrate on his empire, and I am quite a distraction (low boredom threshold!) so with mixed emotions, it seemed like the best thing to do. 

So, all my news to write about was that I was coming home, and I could hardly declare it on here when my darling, wannabe, Inspector Detective Mother and her daily question time reads it. Of course, it is all conducted with love, but when you are trying to keep a secret, she is not the easiest person to hide from. I have been likened to a Jack Russell in the past - I now know where I get it from.

I had a gorgeous last weekend in Cape Town - that will be a seperate post - and all too soon it was time to leave once again. Quite the gypsy I have become of late., bloody boys!  Naturally the day I left the country, Cape Town had a week of glorious weather.

Whilst it is fabulous to be home, to be around my wonderful friends & family and to have home comforts such as central heating, it is also quite a strange transitional period again. I find myself somewhat bedless and sofa surfing seems to be the way forward for now. My back is so thrilled!!!  Who knows what this summer will bring and where I will be at the end of the year. I have a summer to figure out where and what I want to do and to be proactive in getting there, and whilst doing all of that, I intend on enjoying every minute of it with those I love.

Friday Frolics...

Friday afternoon saw us visit one of my favourite spots in Cape Town - Camps Bay. The sun was shining, we had the urge for pizza with a view, so what better excuse?!

Nestled under the Twelve Apostles with perfect views of Lions Head, Camps Bay is affluent and chic, trendy and buzzing, but perhaps most importantly for me - it's sheltered. None of that pesky wind which howls on our part of the west coast!!!

I love going to Camps Bay. I could sit and people watch for hours, or gaze wistfully into estate agent windows, dreaming of a day that I too may own a stunning white house in the cliffs.

Pretty girls and models, tanned and taut males, families, tourists and locals - everyone adorns the wide and sandy beaches or fills the street cafes, bars and restaurants relaxed and happy, basking in that wonderful Camps Bay feeling.  It is a must visit if your ever in the Western Cape and if your local, but haven't been for a while, I urge you to get back down there. Its marvellous for the soul! 

Catching The Last of Summer...

Here in Cape Town, Autumn has finally set it. For those of you who don't know, myself and the weather in Cape Town has what I would decidedly call a Love / Hate relationship!!!

The wind continues to blow, but now it's a little fresher, the sun still shines, but it's rays don't warm as deep as they used to.  Being a typical English Girl, I am quite the sun-seeker, so as soon as I see the sun and can't hear the wind, I race to the beach and drag the boy along with me. 

Here is a little peek into our Monday walk on the beach. The boy doesn't like having his picture taken - so getting this was quite a feat!!!

Big Bay, Blouberg, Cape Town

Nice Day for a Wedding...

Wow.

I have always wondered if the post-wedding blues were fact or fiction. Now I know what many of you have long known, they are indeed fact.   The ironic thing is, I wasn't even the bride!!!!!

The Boy's Sister's Wedding was amaaaaaaazing.... I feel so lucky and blessed to have been included in their special day and to play such a huge part in the run up to it.  What was great was how much creative input I was allowed...of course, that is me putting it politely!  The inner control & organisational freak in me took over and I pretty much ran the show as I wanted. Thank goodness the bride had total faith in me and my ideas, and had no time to organise her wedding herself!  Without wanting to boast, it didn't look too shabby at all!!!  I had fantastic help on the day itself in the form of my partner in crime, Mandy, who was a stunning and elegant bridesmaid and helped me realise my vision with no quibble whatsoever.

Mine & Mandy's Creation - No Florist in Sight!!

Sadly, as we got out of the car, the heavens opened and there was a downpour of rain. Thankfully it cleared for long enough to have some pictures taken at the venue with the sweetest and most fun photographers. Check them out http://www.bandepix.co.za/  If you are based in Cape Town I totally recommend them to shoot your big day.

The speech was as nerve-wracking as expected, but I heard a few laughs, the bride shed a tear, and I was told it was very "Me". I think thats a compliment! After that I don't really recall so much. The night flew by and the double vodkas and my arch nemesis (Tequila) appeared to flow a little too freely.  I've heard my DIY photo-booth props were a roaring success and I cannot wait to see the pictures of those in use. Also I am told I made the Bride's Father-in-law's night, when I told him he was sexy on the dance floor!!!  Someone.  Please ban tequila from circulation.

And the bride. What a beautiful vision she was, like a little doll. She looked absolutely stunning, I don't know what else I can say... Other than how much she deserved to have her big day and I am so thankful that we made it happen.

So, I wish the beautiful bride and her groom nothing but the best for their future and know that their marriage will be one filled with love and laughter!!!  Congratulations!!!

How Time Flies...

Oh My.. How quickly time flies. The trip home just flew by, and my darling newborn niece arrived one hour after my plane had taken off to head back to Cape Town. Sixteen days late, she just did not want to come out! I think Heartbroken pretty much sums up how I feel about missing her arrival, especially as her birth was the sole reason I went home! I am so proud of my "little" sister who was amazingly calm in the run up to the birth and just makes the best Mother ever.  It was so great to be home and to spend some lovely, if not limited, time with my family and best friends, just wish I got to see more of them all.  The food was fine, the shops were tempting, the internet fast, there were new series of my favourite shows, and the sun even shone - Some would say I was spoilt!!!

Love Our Post Boxes...

Me & My Best Friend...

Lusting After a Red Bag... I resisted!

Back in Cape Town it's been a manic few days, planning The Boy's, sister's "Kitchen Tea" which myself & her cousin arranged, fufilling our Bridesmaids duties with joy. We don't have "Kitchen Tea's" in the UK, but if and when I do get married, I am SO having one! Its basically an afternoon Tea, with the bride getting lots of cute little presents for the home - tea towels, wooden spoons, glasses etc - although this bride got kitchenwares AND lots of sexy lingerie!!!  I'm not one for the stereotypical Hen Night, so this is a great way to have a more civilised get together with all the ladies rather than enduring the pain that may otherwise occur.  I spent a day trying to perfect my sister's Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffles and also her White Chocolate & Lemon Truffles... The blood, sweat and tears were worth it as they were the perfect treat for it - phew!

We had the event at the nicest cafe,  Our Place, which is exactly the sort of place I would both like to own as my own cafe (one day...) and take style inspiration from for my home. Soft greys, whites, antique mirrors, beautiful chandeliers and a garden full of big leafy trees, adorned with twinkling fairy lights and wooden hearts. Stunning.  The evening was spent at a great restaurant in Greenpoint, called Beefcakes... Both bride and Mother were initially...sceptical & concerned..... However, once there, they loved it!  We were an "Unofficial" Hen Party, thank goodness. Some of the less well-behaved brides were kinda crazy!!!!!!

So, only 4 days until the wedding, which is going to be a wonderful and beautiful masterpiece... How do I know this? Because yours truly (and The Boy's Mother) have spent many an hour plotting and planning the whole thing.  Its going to be a little manic and stressful I fear, but only because I am such a perfectionist, and the wedding is over Easter Weekend - no room for errors as they cannot be corrected when the world is on holiday!!! 

Must dash as I am busy cutting out moustaches and such like for the "photo-booth" corner I decided to make... Next stop, placenames... No rest for the wicked!!!!



Home Sweet Home...

There is nothing like waking up in your own bed... Especially after a mammoth journey to get to it.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a terrible flyer. Terrible.

Tuesday saw me attempt to get home back to good old Blighty, just as Cape Town's sun returned, and England's freaky Winter heat wave ended.. I should've taken this as the first sign I should stay put!

Sufficiently anxious and tearful, I sat in the boarding lounge waiting to once again torture myself with what I can only describe (in my eyes) as a necessary evil... only to be jolted out of my daydream, by an announcement that the flight was delayed due to "Essential engineering works" which needed to be completed before we could take-off.

Whaaaaaaat?!?!

As a terrible flyer, all sorts of thoughts started going through my head... All rational quickly disappeared, leaving a highly strung and even more anxious & tearful person in its place.  A dear little bird sacrificed his life to cause such disruption, jamming the landing gear, thus rendering the plane unsafe. Brilliant. Several hours later, after being told it was repaired & they were just waiting for "sign-off from Dubai", we were informed that they actually needed a new part to be flown down from Johannesburg (But they just told us it was repaired?!) and that it would not be taking off until the next day. Luckily they found me, and a few other London bound passengers, seats on a direct flight to London that night, although I didn't feel so lucky when the Captain announced that breakfast service may be interrupted due to turbulence. As someone who is pretty much petrified of turbulence (yes, I know I am perfectly safe) that was all that was needed to ensure I had a sleepless night ahead. 

Touch down felt pretty amazing after all I had endured to reach my destination. I could even forgive the cold, grey weather. We trundled through customs towards the baggage claim. You know it - everyone who had suffered at the hands of the little birdy had to suffer a little more, not one of our cases had been loaded onto the aircraft. Did I mention it was cold in London? That my coat was in my case?!  That bird is one angry ghost!!!

Anyway. Two days later, case and owner have been reacquainted and all can breathe a sigh of relief. Lets just hope the journey back to Cape Town is a little less eventful. Thats how I prefer it.  Now, off to find my brolly....

Pinterest...

The addiction to Pinterest has taken hold, just like my friend told me it would. She warned me. I didn't heed her advice, and to be honest, I'm SO glad I didn't!!!

Pinterest has overtaken the need to log into Facebook and Twitter throughout the day to spy on my world. Now I feel anxious if I can't log into Pinterest to re-pin all the pretty, beautiful, inspirational things. It is far more satisfying!!!

Two passages caught my eye today. Beautifully written, very true & very thought provoking.

http://wilderandnorthinspirations.tumblr.com/post/14788010400

http://samsanator.tumblr.com/post/2497748018/savagehipster-so-true-this-is-a-beautiful

Check out Pinterest if you haven't already - I promise you, you are in for a treat.

Whats not to love about creating an online scrapbook and sharing it with others around the world?!

http://pinterest.com/nickinooo/