Thursday, May 24, 2012
Kamersvol shop - winter
I mentioned the Kamersvol Geskenke online shop a few months ago - full of lovely handmade goodies from local suppliers.
They just opened their shop again yesterday with some new winter stock, like this kid's marino hot water bottle (too cute!) and knitted hand warmers (for R50, what a bargin).
The shop is only open until 15 June so go have a look.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Creative baby photography
Pic: Mila's Daydreams |
I attended a workshop this morning on taking creative photos of your kids and am all fired up to get snapping. It feels like I used to take hundreds of photos of Lilia every month during her first year, now it's lucky if I get a few. But I suppose it's normal with a toddler who spends very little time sitting still that most of my pics end up a bit blurry...
But on the subject of creative photography, I came across Mila's Daydreams a while ago, a blog put together by Adele Enersen of scenes she created around her sleeping baby, Mila. I think it is just too cute.
If you have older kiddies, you might want to take a look at photographer Jason Lee's 10 Creative Kid's Photography Tips. He styles photographs of his two girls and comes up with some really original shots.
Below are a few of the tips for photographing children that I picked up this morning:
- Get on their level - kneel, squat or lie down, whatever it takes to get on eye-level.
- Play hide and seek - wait around the corner or where they are hiding, with your camera ready. Once they peek to see if you are coming, you'll be able to take a great shot.
- Always have your camera with you and take pictures of even the seemingly mundane tasks of everyday life.
Baby, it's cold outside
Pic: Smitten kitchen |
I really am not exactly the least biggest fan of winter. It affects my mood, I get miserable and sulky and sit shivering in the sun every chance I get in an effort to just warm up until the new leaves start shooting in late August.
Well, winter seems to have finally arrived in our little corner of the Southern Hemisphere. And guess what? I'm not hating it all that much this year. Maybe it has something to do with early morning cuddles in bed with Lilia and my husband while it's still dark outside under our lovely fluffy duvet. Maybe it has to do with the winter wardrobe that still feels like a novelty. Maybe it's the lovely boots I (finally) found yesterday.
One thing I do absolutely love about winter is making yummy soup.
I whipped up some creamy roasted tomato and red pepper soup yesterday and it turned out so well, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.
Creamy roasted red pepper and tomato soup
12 large, ripe tomatoes
2 red peppers, halved and seeded
1 red chilli
30ml olive oil
6 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
50ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of sugar
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place tomatoes and peppers skin-side up on baking tray. Add chilli and garlic, drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast for 30-45 minutes until tender. The skin of the peppers should be charred black. Pop the garlic out of the shell and peel the tomatoes and peppers. Place the vegetables, chilli and garlic into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a pot and add the stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a handful of fresh parsley or basil and serve.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Accentuate the positive
Champ de Mars, Paris |
I have had a not-so-nice week filled with not-such-nice-things and have been feeling rather anxious and ready to get on with the next stage of my year, which just seems to be taking forever to get here.
So though this may be a little bit of a disjointed post, I thought I would tell you about some of the nicer things that have been happening of late. Focus on the positive and all that etc etc.
- Last week my very glamorous friend invited me to a very glamorous party - the launch of Cartier's Juste un Clou collection. I was delirious with excitement about being let out of the house on a school night and was wearing my highest high heels to celebrate the occasion. We had a lovely time sipping yummy champagne, looking at jewellery and people watching, thank you very much.
- Also on the party theme - I am desperately looking for a venue to have a few drinks with friends for my 30th. (Yes, it is approaching. I have tried to ignore it for a long time now, but I figured the best way to get through it would be to celebrate it. So here goes.)But is it ever difficult to find an unpretentious venue in Jo'burg. Any suggestions would be much appreciated...
- And lastly...we have finally booked our accommodation in Paris! We found a lovely apartment in St Germain using the brilliant airbnb website. Ok, maybe apartment is a stretch, it's a teeny tiny studio (I'm not even going to tell you the dimensions because you'll laugh!) but it's on the Boulevard St Germain ands was just renovated, and really, we aren't going to be hanging out in the apartment that much anyway. The idea is to wake up and go for long walks before the city is awake to find the best croissant on the left bank...
Eeek, this is starting to feel really real now and very exciting!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
toast & co.
I went for a really indulgent girly-pamper and lunching session on Saturday to Toast & Co in Craighall Park. What a find! I'm something of a pedicure addict, as are most girls I know. There is just something about a good foot massage and some shiny new nail polish that instantly puts you in a good mood...
So, we went to Toast, which is on Buckingham Ave in Craighall Park, and had the lovely Toast Pedi. There is a bank of reclining chairs where you can sit and have a chat and a drink, so it's a much more pleasant experience than your usual franchise nail salon. But make sure you go with a friend, it's much more fun that way.
Monday, May 14, 2012
A few things from the weekend + friendships
I had a really lovely mother's day yesterday spent with the very special people in my life. The picture above was taken when Lilia was about a week old and my gran (her great-gran) came to visit. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life who have given me such great examples of what it means to be a mother.
The other thing I've been thinking about lately is friendships and how they change once you are a mom. It's very difficult to tell somebody who isn't in the same situation just how completely your identity changes, well it did for me at least. Friends who are about to have babies and insist that their children will 'fit in with their lives' and that they are determined not to change too much are quite frankly just laughable.
I was one of the first in my circle to have a baby, and as a result felt very lonely during the first few months, my old friends just didn't 'get it' and I was trying very hard to form new friendships, which of course take time. I'm in a great place now where I have a mix of mom and non-mom friends, as it's also important to have balance and not just talk about babies non-stop.
Over the past week, I've been able to spend a lovely afternoon having lunch with one of my good non-mom friends, being giggly and talking rubbish non-stop for about four hours straight. I was also able to reconnect with a not-so-close friend who has just had a baby - and voila, we just clicked because now we have so much more in common.
Friendships are often a very difficult area in women's lives, and maintaining close friendships with all the other duties and roles we have is just not easy.
What we often don't realise is just how lonely others often are - maybe they appear as if they are always busy and have everything together and don't have room or time in their lives for more friends.
Just drop and preconceived notions and make the effort, it's worth it.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Keeping it together
I am feeling totally swamped this morning with the amount of work that I have to get through, when all I actually want to do is go to yoga, bake something and play with Lilia. That or have a mini meltdown and collapse in a sobbing heap on the floor.
This great post that I came across on Design Sponge last night about lessons learned in business and motherhood could not be more apt to my situation right now. The post is written by Meg Mateo Ilasco, creative director of Anthology Magazine and mother of two.
While I think trying to contract and do a bit of freelance writing hardly makes me an 'entrepreneur,' the article really resonated with me, and I do think some of the points made in it could be applied to any mom who is trying to keep it together.
Here are some of the highlights, but do read the whole post here if you would like to read Meg's thoughts in full, with more of an application to business. (Comments in italics are mine).
Pic: Favim.com |
I am feeling totally swamped this morning with the amount of work that I have to get through, when all I actually want to do is go to yoga, bake something and play with Lilia. That or have a mini meltdown and collapse in a sobbing heap on the floor.
This great post that I came across on Design Sponge last night about lessons learned in business and motherhood could not be more apt to my situation right now. The post is written by Meg Mateo Ilasco, creative director of Anthology Magazine and mother of two.
While I think trying to contract and do a bit of freelance writing hardly makes me an 'entrepreneur,' the article really resonated with me, and I do think some of the points made in it could be applied to any mom who is trying to keep it together.
Here are some of the highlights, but do read the whole post here if you would like to read Meg's thoughts in full, with more of an application to business. (Comments in italics are mine).
- Comparisons will just lead to feelings of inadequacy. Choose your projects and commitments carefully. If it’s not something you want to do or have time to do, then simply don’t do it. And don’t beat yourself up with comparisons. (I am starting to try and do this actively in every area of my life now and not just when it comes to kids.)
- The feeling that children should come first all the time will lead to only one thing: guilt, lots of it. You don’t need to interact with your child around the clock (it will teach them some independence); sometimes it’s just plain impossible to attend everything your child is involved in (especially if you’ve scheduled them in a ton of activities), and you shouldn’t feel bad that you didn’t cook and clean all day.
- Think less about the word “balance” and think more about “making it work.” The problem with the word balance, for me, is that it implies homeostasis — a condition of absolute equilibrium where everything is working perfectly the way it should. Balance suggests that everything important in your life should be satisfied in an equal way. So instead of thinking of balance, I think about “making it work.” It places importance on flexibility and adaptability, instead of satisfying all parties. (I love this. I think 'making it work' is going to become my new mantra from now on).
- Don’t forget your friends You need time away from the kids and business; you need time for yourself. The trick to this: schedule it regularly. (I'm sorry to sound cynical, but hahahahaha. I wish I could get this right, I really really do).
- Enjoy the process and learn to adapt. Becoming a great designer, blogger, entrepreneur, or mother rarely happens overnight! Don’t be in such a hurry to get to the other side, or you’ll miss the point completely. And it’s not producing a kid that can speak three different languages by age four that makes you a mother; it’s the process of understanding your child’s needs and connecting with your child that makes you a mother.
(Another great mantra, no matter where you are in your life: 'Don't be in such a hurry to get to the other side').
Monday, May 7, 2012
Back-to-normal Mondays
Pic: BRC |
After a super busy weekend spent chained to the stove feeding all the people passing through our house for lunches and birthday celebrations (my husband's), it's really, really nice to have a lovely quiet, boring Monday and to get back to normal.
It was fun, but let's just say I'm not doing it again for a long, long, long, long time.
But one of the highlights - on Saturday I made the Thai Asian salad featured in the book The Cake the Buddha Ate - Quiet Food from the Buddhist Retreat Centre in KwaZulu Natal. It's a beautiful book - full of lovely vegetarian food and quiet images of the centre and its surrounds. And the salad was brilliant.
To Thai For - Asian Salad
3 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups baby cabbage, finely shredded
4 carrots, grated
1 punnet mange tout, blanched and finely sliced
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
2 cups lettuce, finely shredded
1 green chilli, finely choppped
fresh coriander and roasted cashew nuts to garnish
Dressing
75ml vegetable oil
30ml soya sauce
5ml sesame oil
100ml rice vinegar
15ml lime juice
10 ml sugar
salt and white pepper.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together; combine the salad ingredients.
Pour the dressing over the salad, mix and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Garnigh with fresh coriander and cashews before serving.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Local is lover-ly
Pic: Take Care |
Pic: Take Care |
I may have mentioned previously that I am on a little wardrobe revamp. After saving every penny while living overseas, being in transit between cities and a pregnancy, my wardrobe is looking just a little neglected. So I've plunged into this project enthusiastically, and have discovered some lovely local labels for myself in the process.
After meeting some friends for brunch on Tuesday at 44 Stanley in Milpark, one of Jo'burg's nicest semi-industrial shopping areas, I had a look at Tiaan Nagel's store. I am always blown away by the sheer architectural beauty of his clothes - they look like they have been created, not just made.
And while I didn't actually walk out the store having bought anything, I'm mulling over a black jersery dress. I'm just not sure if it will survive the investment fashion piece/I now have a toddler equation that runs through my head whenever I'm shopping these days.
But my find of the wekkend must definintley be Take Care clothing, which you can find upstairs at the Designgoods Market at the Neighbourgoods Market on Juta Street. Or you lucky Cape Town people can just go to the store on Kloof Street. (Oh my word I need to get to Cape Town. With an empty suitcase, just so that I can hit Kloof). Jessica Harwood's designs are really lovely, understated and in beautiful neutrals that are really easy to wear. I've spent ages looking at the photos of past collections on her website and kicking myself for not discovering her sooner!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Back on your bike
Pic: favim.com |
That said, it is actually kind of nice to start getting back to normal and in the swing of things.
We had a really good weekend, not too busy, but not too boring either.
Did a little bit of gardening (it was a proper family session, even if I just took the photos and pointed out where things should go), went out to drinks and dinner, hung out with the cool kids at the Neighbourgoods Market, went to the zoo and did some very nice brunches. It was lovely, even if my work trousers are fitting a little bit snugly today...
So, roll on May, I must admit I'm looking forward to seeing the end of this month, if only for the reason that I'll get to wave bye bye to this silly contract...
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