attention recessionistas!

got a dress you're kinda over but can't throw out? then here's your saving grace- swap in the city where you can bring in your fashion faux pas and back of the closet rokkies and swap it with your fellow fashion friends. and yes this counts as charity work.

next swap meet is at van hunks restaurant ***tonight*** on the corner of kloof and upper unions streets, gardens. lamese abrahams and tom waterford from old street vintage shop are the organizers of the event. so call them if you need more info 078 257 0355 

here's the how to of the event:

1. when you arrive, come and say hi to the team and hand over your items to redeem your tokens. you'll have time to snack, chat and get your make-up done and get some tips.

2. you will receive three tokens - one per item - which you can use to swap. when you find something you like, hand it over to our team who will put your token on the hanger.

3. if you have any tokens left, this can be carried over to our next swap party or you can do an online swap. 

4. please bring nice clean items of decent quality that you think someone else could love, as you once did.

5. browsing and fitting on starts at 7pm. you’ll be given 45 minutes after which the swap is opened.

6.if two or more of you want the same item, you'll have to battle it out with a round of rock, paper, and scissors!

7. try and bring accessories as well - a mix of one item of clothing and two accessories or two items and one accessory will give more options if you don't find anything that fits.

8. please remember that the party is about having fun!

and that's my 11th hour heads up 

the scarlet letter

so I walked into the pharmacy yesterday only to have two gentlemen stop to allow me to go the pharmacists desk first. crap! of all the times in the entire creation of the universe, why was chivalry appearing now when i will appreciate it the least? 

you see, i was here for a personal reason, a very personal reason (no, not haemorrhoid cream). it’s the one reason from which women would run  with heels in their hands and their clutch in their mouth- i was here for dumdumduuuuuum- the morning after pill.

so i did what any self respecting woman would do and went to look at the cheap cosmetics whilst the men attended to their needs.

pharmacist: will that be all ma'am?

moi: erm, i say armed with my discovery medical aid card and an emery board in hand

deep breathe

moi: (in a clear and audible tone)... and the morning after pill please

i swear to shoe gods, the entire pharmacy’s ears pricked up and i was instantly scarred with the scarlet letter- not "a" but "s" for slutbag!

you know, i just don’t get it either. if anything i should be getting a round of applause and a pat on the back. here i am, single woman, taking the responsible route and preventing an unwanted child from entering the world. here is a woman strong enough to come to the pharmacy in person and not say that i’m buying it for my sister or a friend . here is a woman doing the right thing with her own money…

pharmacist: ma’am- medical aid does not cover that.

moi: ok then (f&ck me, but if this is not a reason to be aided for medical and mental reasons, then what is?!)

pharmacist: would you still like me to get it?

thinking to myself: no, i would prefer to shop in the plus size section for the next few months and say i have thyroid problems. duh!

moi: yes please

i expect a personal letter of thanks from madiba for not exhausting our economy by having another child on government benefits because let’s be honest here- i can barely afford myself.

and as i exit the pharmacy, head held high, i say to myself- at least i got some on valentine’s day.

minding your p's and q's

today, i was lucky enough to attend an event held in the penthouse suite of pepper club luxury hotel and spa and hosted by eclipse pr. it was awesome for a multitude of reasons:

1- all my favourite online editors and bloggers were in attendance
2-it's in a penthouse
3- the event was eclipse pr's "thank you" to online media (that's a first!) and fundamentally an event to get to physically meet the people behind the handles and avatars.

so the sub theme for the event just happened to be twilight related (eclipse pr...see how that ties in nicely) and since valentine's day was nearing (god give me strength for this year's) we got to enjoy these nom nom noms

and a little of this...

followed by this

and of course i noticed this

it was such a lovely morning enjoyed by all. robynne from @afashionfriend graciously expressed the gratitude of online media for acknowledging that pr extends to online platforms as much, if not more than traditional pr and that as a collaborative effort, it is a force with which to be reckoned. i wholeheartedly concur!

2012 is definitely the year for women, not that i'm proposing to anyone this year (bahahahaha!) but if this company's team is anything to go by...girls rule and boys drool!

here's the great gals and a guy from eclipse pr

out with the old...

a new year can only mean one thing- a new wardrobe! after a super serious wardrobe edit last summer, i've realised that i will never again fit into my size 8's and waiting 20 years for pointy toed shoes to come back is just something i don't have the patience for.

in addition, although it is only jan, i'm already planning my wardrobe for my very luxe cruise ship holiday in april to visit the l'il sis- oh yeah, that's what she does now: travels the world on a luxury cruise liner. not too shabby huh?

these are the first few items i need to acquire from target in america. his royal highness, jason wu, is designing a collection for them to be released on the 5th feb and i have my finger on the mouse ready to click away and order online.

maritime midday shopping

boating bliss

nautical formal dinner

wat nog? i've also been in the process of trying to jedi mind trick the bank to give me a large enough bond to actually by a flat opposed to a rented cardboard box and am having a torrid affair with a frenchman...but that's a story for another day.

happy friday all!

urban degree summer season launch

remember this guy?

he's my very talented friend xanthus viljoen who happens to be the visual merchandiser for urban degree. he was kind enough to invite me to their launch for the summer season last night at cavendish square. and what an event it was- quite the array of guests from natalie becker to lady k @LadyK_za (yes, i'm name dropping- so shoot me) who were all there to see these faboosh displays

although i love my high end designers, i do have a soft spot for the likes of platinum group- urban degree, jenni button, aca joe and vertigo. their simple approach to fashion with fantastic finishes and subtle palette ensures that all the pieces one buys are interchangeable to create a classic and understated ensemble and yet again, they are right on the money with this season's lemon, white and blue hues. the window display alone takes me right into that summer feeling of picnics at kirstenbosch and possibly cycling up the street with a french baguette in the handlebar basket...ok maybe not kloof nek rd but you get the feeling they're aiming for.

i had no idea what to expect at this launch and was pleasantly surprised. i chatted to the staff on hand and was taken aback by their brand loyalty (yes, i know they were still technically working and were not going to dish the dirt.)  they genuinely love the company and believe in their product. a clever touch was that  all the waitrons were wearing the garments which is always great to see on actual people opposed to emaciated models. this pretty waitron was gracious enough to pose for me in this gorgeous, white, summer dress (are you thinking queen's plate too?)

and for us shoe lovers....

in addition- the "gifting" for the evening was this tree! how very eco conscious. now just to keep victoria (i named her) alive!

clearly, i'm very chuffed with the brand (can you tell?). rush on down to your closest store and see for yourself!

p.s.congratulations on a carefully thought out launch. can't wait for your chunky winter knits next season.

what i've learnt this year

1- do not shop on online foreign sites unless you are prepared to pay the customs tax
2- boys are for fun, not forever
3-it doesn't matter how many times i go to manhattan, it is never long enough
4-i cut out friends i have outgrown/inherited and they didn't even notice- clearly that was long overdue
5-staying in the same job (which is not your passion) for too long kills the soul
6-when a hairdresser says "it's just a trim"- do not believe him/her! agree on the "trim" before they get scissor happy
7-waxing is not painful and should not be feared- promise
8-cobblestones is the enemy of heels
9-i can actually cook- it's the wanting to cook that i need to work on
10-my lil sis is still my best friend

New Vintage Store-Dr Pachanga

Located on Bloem St in 210 on Long is this little gem run by a very charming Shop Assistant.
Here's what was on offer today-

New stock arrives next Tuesday and prices are reasonable with dresses at R200 and their current vintage sale  of R50/item.

Also new online shopping site www.zando.co.za launching soon with shoes to die for like these beauties

check out their Facebook page here

man up already!

day one post break up with abf:

that "a" in abf was there for a reason- almost boyfriend but no cigar!
you know i really just don't get it at all. the reason he breaks up with me is because i am too incredible (his words not mine) and he is basically not ready to start a long term relationship and he does not think that he can step up and be the man that i need....er...excuse me?! wtf?

in other words- all those soppy texts of how being with me was life changing and how i could be the woman he marries and how i am everything he never knew he wanted in a woman was what? bs i tell you!

men are retarded. they either break up with you because you turn out to be a psycho stalker crazy chick or in this case because you are everything they want. you just can't win. and the worst part is, i am actually being punished for being good.

wooooooosaaaaaaaaa

f-ing glad i bought my own flowers for my bday now!

life is for living!

i know that i have been super quiet lately and that is due to a combination of factors such as new job description and balancing a new almost boyfriend (abf) with social commitments etc and from this month of ups and downs this is what i learnt:

1.put yourself first

if you are not your first priority why would you be anyone else's first priority? i realise this sounds extremely self centered, but if you keep giving of yourself and your time, eventually you will have no time left for yourself and neglecting of self leads to being run down and grumpy.

2. if you want something- go get it!

again, no one else is going to do this for you. it's not going to magically land on your lap which is why i have ordered my own flowers from a florist for my birthday cos no one will be as thoughtful as myself regarding what i want and need

3. procrastinating is a way to get you nowhere fast

i am the ultimate culprit in this sense. i tend to spend all my time weighing up the options and the outcomes of said options that i tend to forget that i need to actually make a decision. life is for living, so make a choice and que serra, serra. afterall, life is supposed to be messy and not perfect.

4. laugh more, dance more and don't take life so seriously...

...which leads to insomnia and interrupted sleep because you brain just can't switch off whilst worrying about the perfect meeting presentation

5. cherish your friends and celebrate their accomplishments- birthdays, losing that 2kg, promotions, finally breaking up with the douchebag- everything!

so often our friends are the ones we turn to to offload, but how often do we share and genuinely celebrate their accomplishments? 

6. people who care about you will make the effort

i hate bdays. i hate being the centre of attention. i hate being a host and worrying that everyone is getting along and that the event is running smoothly. i prefer to be the puppet master behind the scenes. in fact, i hate bdays so much, i was going to just celebrate on my own and drain a few bottle of vino and dance in my living room, but a fabulous gf reminded me that i am awesome and that alone deserves to be celebrated. amen to that!

wedding envy

saw this post on A Cup of Jo about her mates who got hitched at new york city hall and just love, love love it! making me think that i don't need the meringue dress and boys choir and super long train. o'd rather spend all that moola on an incredible honeymoon! food for thought huh? anyhoo, here are the exquisite pix

how stylescoop (ed) my pride and ghd

so this weekend i came up with a variation on planking. as stiff (see what i did there) as the concept is, i was the first to do it in style this weekend. let me set the scene: it's post party and my mates and i are standing in the queue at mohammed's, on long street, waiting for our much anticipated hot dog. (i wanted one so badly, that i started going on about it before we even made it up the stairs to waiting room.) in fact, i think the only reason i drank so much was so that i knew my appetite would be appreciative of the horse "meat" (is it suposed to be grey?) and condiments that is the deliciousness of food at 4 in the morning.

anyhoo, so there i was. super impressed with yours truly for being able to carry myself with such grace in the state that i was in, handbag snootily draped over the elbow (a la blair waldorf) and ready to strut away armed with my hot dog and as i took my first step off the pavement, i misstepped and with no arms to save myself, landed face first a la plank, on the street. i insisted that my misjudgement was due to the earth deciding to rotate at that very moment, but to add insult to injury, my hot dog was now well aquainted with the pavement too and to my horror, that cracking sound was not in fact my injured hip, but the outer casing of my ghd flat iron in my handbag (don't tell me i'm not prepared). i did what any logical person would do, swiftly got up, turned to mohammed and cried, which got me a free hot dog. and they say chivalry is dead...tsk,tsk.

p.s. in a very unashamed plug- me needs a new flat iron so lookie, lookie over here and become a fan of stylescoop and ghd  

i want to kick myself!

the shoe for the spring season is the wedge. there. i said it. and am having the worst case of shopper's procrastination remorse. yes, it is a syndrome.

on my holiday in manhattan i er'd and ah'd for so long that by the time i actually made up my mind, the shoe du jour was sold out. it happens that quickly in the big apple.

the deanna by julian louis for aldo





i also had my reservations about the wedges, but then, see them in this light

and now they keep popping up everywhere

if you see them anywhere, buy it. don't think about it, don't breathe, just get them!















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there's nothing better than the sheer elation one feels when telling your bestie about a secret that few people know, but since i hate gossip and the volume of speculation that becomes unfounded fact through the grapevine, my secrets are more of the good natured kind and here is what you need to know this weekend:

purr in the lifestyle centre on kloof street are having a 30-50% sale on WOZA labels such as christopher strong, tart, strip and maya prass. support local designers ladies!

tomorrow is the launch of city bowl fashion market- hallelujah! it's location is 14 hope street in gardens. all you vintage lovers should camp out over night 'cos the incredible bags you can score at ridiculously low prices would be worth the cold overnight! trust me on this one!

and monday 25th july is the launch of amber jones's collection at monsieur price.

those shorts are on my hitlist!

now all we have to do is wait for that sms from the bank at midnight and it's game on! happy shopping y'all





with a little help from my friends

this is my friend b-man: kean bean, super sweet, millionaire in the making and stylistically challenged.

my eyes, my eyes- they hurt!

bless his cotton mismatched socks. b-man, in his infinite wisdom, requested the guidance of yours truly to help him build a wardrobe that essentially covered the basics and no matter how one paired it together would always work. (challenge accepted).

the initial inspection of his current wardrobe left me horrified. a multitude of namesake souvenir t-shirts circa the days of “school holidays with the family”, acrylic/ viscose- water and fire resistant shirts and badly fitting trousers and jeans and all of it doing absolutely nothing for his physique or the image he would like to portray.

task 1- decide what image b-man wanted to portray.

after a series of questions, we decided that the classic, clean lined, understated wardrobe is what we should begin with in order to build on the basics and then include a few signature pieces that would make this style his own. now i’m no stylist and have never claimed to be fashion forward, but i do know what looks good on a guy, so off we went to visit another friend of mine at urban degree- xanthus viljoen.

xanthus viljoen- merchandiser- so he knows how to package the... erm..goods

i absolutely love this brand for their simple approach to contemporary casual wear. the quality of the clothing is superb and with very subtle changes to their colour palette, if one only ever shopped here, all of your wardrobe would be colour compatible. fundamentally it’s "fashion impaired proof."

every man needs the following in their wardrobe:

1 crisp white collared shirt

1 v-neck white / grey/navy t-shirt

a great pair of chinos

we added a navy v-neck jumper and an oatmeal coloured snood. and ta daaaaaaaa!

so simple and can you see that giant smile? me thinks my work is done. but alas, it is not. we took it one step further and integrated the newly purchased items with items b-man already owned and came up with this:

and this

i must say that I am quite chuffed with how things turned out and can imagine him walking along the riviera on the way to sundowners.

p.s.- b-man is single and ready to mingle. ladies one at a time please

open your eyes

it's been a horrible few weeks lately. between a few colleagues being mugged, one at gun point and another in a car accident which resulted in him becoming paralysed, it's made me really take a good, hard look at my life and how safe and prepared i really am should i ever be in a situation like that.

i've just had an hiv test performed at my work, as i decided that it is time to be an adult and take out life insurance. i don't know why, but i am always super anxious about the results. it's ridiculous, since i get tested regularly and already know the outcome, but still i feel like i'm waiting for the results to whether i have passed my exams or something.

sab have also launched a new initiative #noregretfriday which not only encourages us to not drink and drive, but to take a cab or have good fellows drive you and your car home for you on a night where one has had too much too drink. great idea sab, but it really should be #noregretsever in my opinion.

and then there's a new cosmetic product on the market by 2lovemylips. not only is it a lip plumping lip gloss, but every product also comes with 2 spiked drinks testing strips. so if you suspect that your drink has been spiked- alcholic or non alcoholic beverages, one can test a drop of the liquid and if the colour changes it means your drink has in fact been spiked and it also comes with a nifty little safety guide about how to stay safe when one goes out. genius idea!

as proud as i am of how far our country has come, we as women are still very non chalant about our safety and have that "it won't happen to me" attitude. ladies, be aware of your surroundings and what is happening around you. it's that niggling feeling that you ignore that could save your life.