What a lucky fish! My Diana dream comes true

You know when your just having a royally poo day, where nothing seems to be going your way and you being to wonder why you bothered getting out of bed?! Well last week, that was me. On the brink of tears and feeling particularly sorry for myself I was trying to pull it together- when the postman knocked on the door.

Not accustomed to getting mail I flippantly flipped though the post to see who to give what to, when a little postage slip with my name on it caught my eye! Intrigued I looked a little closer to see if I could see any hint of who sent it, or where it came from.

My curiosity grew even more when I saw it came from a close friend in Korea. Not expecting anything from anyone, and desperately needing a short break, I quickly popped out of the office. And there I was greeted by a lovely brown box. I ripped the tape off the box only to uncover the most heart-felt and wonderful post-card with a Diana mini attached.

I can't even put into words how touched I was, and still am by the gift. Months ago, before I left Korea, this particular friend and I saw a Diana in the shop and I 'oohed' and 'aahed' over how much I wanted one, at the time Charlie and I were frantically saving every last penny before coming back to South Africa and I had to put my wish on hold. Even more sweet is that my friend had remembered that I love 'Hello Kitty' (I even have the cell-phone cover) and had bought me a 'Hello Kitty' themed Diana.

The package was so much more than a camera, it was all the thought and kindness that went into it. I'm so blessed to have so many thoughtful and wonderful friends.

Can't wait to get snapping!

The Grahamstown National Arts Fest

After attending fest I realised this is an old image and this year fest is 11 days of amazing!

What are your plans for this weekend? Or the one after that for that matter? If you're anywhere near the Eastern Cape you've got to make your way down the the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. Great food, live music, ballets, stand-up comedy, exhibitions, street artists, markets, magic shows and so much more you will never be anywhere and have so much to do and see anywhere else.

Pants on Fire is a comedy written and performed by Martin
Evans and Rob Van Vuuren is a laugh a minute
 and a show I would definitely recommend!
 Image source.

On Tuesday Charlie and I got together with a few mates and went and watched Pants on Fire at the little theatre in Port Elizabeth, and if that was anything to go by, fest is going to be just as awesome, if not even more so than usual!
 'Cause we're on house sitting duties this weekend and in Joburg next weekend, we'll only be able to make it to Grahamstown for one day- TOMORROW- but words can't explain how much I'm looking forward to a day trip with Charlie Brown, back to the place where it all began and I first got to meet my future husband! Grahamstown in my opinion has always been and will always be a magical place, but even more so during fest.

Will you be heading to fest this year? What shows are you going to see? Charlie and I hope to squeeze in 5, but have pre-bought tickets for 3, Bridezilla!, Body Language and The Chilli Boy.

The Festival runs from the 29th of June until the 8th of July. Info regarding the festival and shows can be found here.

Transforming our house into a home

The last month or so has been predominantly occupied by two things, transforming our little cottage into a home, and finding a job. Although I have not had much success in regards to the latter, the transformation of the cottage is well on its way. And I can't wait to show you!

How cool are these Roses? They are real, but have gone through some kind of chemical treatment so they last for at least 6months as long as you DON'T water them. They set me back R35 a stem, but I recon that's well worth it when you consider how much 'real' roses cost and they fact that they only last a week if you're lucky. I bought these from a woman based in Port Elizabeth, you can email her at elsavanwyk@telkomsa.net
The vase is from Mr. Price home and cost R130 if I remember correctly.

I have to say the thing I splurged most on was cushions. If you stepped into Hullabaloo in Port Elizabeth, you'd understand why. Hullabaloo has got to be my favorite shop at the moment, the staff are so helpful, the product quality is fantastic and there's a little something to suit everyone's taste. 

This pot/ urn is another little treasure I found at Hallabaloo, it's an early birthday pressie from my soon-to-be mother-in-law, and I'm totally in love with it. 

The canvas is from @home, and is hand painted. It's especially close to my heart as it was an engagement gift to Charlie Brown and I from his mom and dad. <3

So that's all for now, what do you think?

Our little bundle of joy!

Finally Charlie Brown and I have found our feet back on South African ground, and not a moment to soon if you ask me! As Dorothy once said "there's no place like home," and boy was she right!

The last two weeks have been a whirl wind of seeing much missed friends and family and getting a few of our chickens in a row, so expect a lot of new posts coming your way!

Since returning one of the most exciting things I have to report on is the arrival of our new puppy! His name is Mushita, he's 7weeks old, and he's a Boston Terrier. He is just the most adorable lively little chap and I can't imagine our lives without him in it! I really couldn't be happier, new cottage, new puppy, new beginnings, 2012 is turning into an amazing year!

The secret behind the Sock Bun! *Loving it*

Source:here

Because procrastination is what I do best, I found myself browsing around Pinterest this morning, and stumbled across the most ingenious idea ever! Now I warn you, I may be a little late coming to the party here, but how cool is this Secret Sock Bun mission it seems every one has gone on without me!

Not only does it create the perfect bun! But if you dampen your hair before you put it in the bun, and sleep on it, you will awake with luscious locks! Brilliant I tell you.

Check out these two links for the low-down on the how-to. And let me know what you think! I'll definitely be trying this out in the next few days, and will let you know how it goes. Till then, happy secret socking!

Click here to find out how to make a sock bun, and here to find out how to create luscious locks with a sock bun!

Celebrating Valentines Day with a movie :)

I really consider myself one of the lucky ones when it comes to love, which is why doing next to nothing last night was perfect.

Charlie Brown and I snuggled in for the night, indulged on some junk food (which in itself was a big treat as we're trying to drop some pounds before heading back to South Africa) and watched an old school romance staring a much younger Sandra Bullock, called While You Were Sleeping.

If you're looking for a feel-good movie make sure to watch this, it definitely has my stamp of approval.

25 ingenious little ideas

Source: unknown

I came across this awesome post on The Daily Buzz today, and as I'm a firm believer that caring is sharing I couldn't help myself!

If your interested in helpful tips to uncomplicate the little things, go here!

Amazing street art- 2011

I recently stumbled across this awesome post showcasing 106 of the most awesome street art pictures of 2011. To see them all to Street art Utopia.

Make your own Activity Advent Calendar

Source: Unknown

I was doing my daily facebook stalk, when I saw my lovely and talented friend Megan had posted a picture of the "Activity Advent Calendar" her and her finance had put together. "What is this?" I thought, Having never heard of an "activity" advent calendar before. Anyway, I soon got the scoop, and for those of you, like me, who have never heard of this mysterious thing before, here's what it entails...

Basically it's just like a normal advent calendar you would usually use to count down the days till christmas, but instead of crossing of a number with a pen, or eating a yummy little chocolate, you assign a little unique task or activity for each day. You can cater your activities to your likes and hobbies, either focusing on you time, friend time, romance time, giving time, or all of the above.

Megan, like me, is currently an english teacher. With a little help from some of her students, she decorated these envelopes and made her own activity advent calendar! How cute!

Here are a few idea's to spark your own:
Take a long warm bubble bath with your significant other. Invite a bunch of friends round for hot chocolate and cookies. Bake something with friends. Make something with your friends. Go to a karaoke bar and sing only christmas songs. Watch an old-school Christmas movie. Take some time out to wright down 10 things your thankful for. Sit down with your partner and share 10 things your really love about them. Go stare at the stars! Make a snowman, or if your somewhere where its hot rather than cold, go skinny dipping! Decorate your Christmas tree. Send Christmas cards to friends and family. Have breakfast in bed. The possibilities are endless.

I can't wait to put together my own "activity advent calendar" with Charlie Brown this Sunday. Happiness.

25 Days till Christmas! What's on your Wish list?

The festive season is finally here! And not a moment to soon! Christmas has got to be my favorite time of the year; delectable food, delicious deserts, excellent company, endless amounts of alcohol, and PRESENTS!!!Ok, no, seriously I do realize that Christmas is about a lot more than the above mentioned, but those things are pretty cool too! (The very thought of christmas has got me whipping out exclamation marks here, there and everywhere, so please excuse me!)

So for now, let's be shallow and talk about the present aspect of Christmas! What's on your list?

Here's my wish list for Santa, I'm going all out just for fun, I mean it's called a wish list right? So its allowed to be impractical, over the top and fun.

As I've gone a little photo obsessed, most of the stuff on this list is camera oriented, sorry if it's a bit boring. But I've tried to add some variety!

Swarovski "Holly Starfish pierced earrings"
I really like the idea of getting at least one Christmas present that you don't need at all. A pure 'want' item that you would never splash the money on for yourself. And this year that lavish and unnecessary gift are these little starfish. I have loved these earrings for as long as I can remember. They are so classic, and go with everything. What's not to love?

Christmas mince pies
My mom's mince pies have got to be the best. But at this point I'd settle for store bought ones. Unfortunately in Korea these little gems are hard-to-come-by (if not impossible)! I didn't even get one last year, hopefully this year i'll have more luck, if not though- definitely next year!

A Pooh Polaroid Camera
This is a totally unnecessary want in my life, but all the "cool" bloggers have one! So I want one too! Plus I think its such a nice idea to take special moment snapshots, put a little magnetic tape on the back and stick them to your fridge.

A Second Memory Card for my Camera
This falls under my reasonable and actually needed category. I would love second memory card for my camera, so that when one is full I don't have to go into panic mode deciding which photos to delete and save. Obviously the bigger the better- but any size will do, I'd just like it to be a "class 10."

A Second Camera Battery
Again a needed and reasonable want, for those days when one battery just isn't enough juice! I believe i need a LP-E8 (who knew)

Body Shop Vitamin E Set
I'v used the body shop's Vitamin E cleanser, toner and moisturizer for years, and I'm totally a fan. Alas, all of mine have run out (pretty much at the same time impressively) and I need some more. I'm categorizing this as necessary pampering. I would replace this myself, but as I'm leaving soon baggage weight is weighing heavily on my mind (see what I did there!). So If someone out there back home wants to treat me to this, you can save on postage:P And I'll pick it up in March!

DSLR Wireless remote

Very helpful for all of those self portrait pictures of me and Charlie Brown. The canon ones are a little pricey but you can pick up a no-name brand for around 6000won on G-market!

DSLR Camera Shutter Release

Shutter Releases are used with a tripod to prevent hand shake when taking a picture with a very slow shutter speed. Like everything in life these range from affordable to not so affordable, but you can pick one up easily for around 30 000won.

Camera Tripod

Don't say you didn't see this one coming after you read about the shutter release. I'd really like a tripod with a tilt and adjustable head. I'm loving this one from G-market available for only 20 000won.

So there you have it, pretty geeky hu!? If you're one of the 3 people I may be lucky enough to get a gift from this year, please consult with Charlie Brown (A.K.A Chris) so that I don't get the same gift twice:)

Now I've shared- it's your turn! What's on you're list?

25 ways to wear a scarf this winter

With winter well on its way I've been meaning to make a post about different ways to wear a scarf. I hadn't quite gotten around to it when my friend posted this awesome you tube video up on Facebook! I must say, I thought it was really helpful, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Add a little spice to your Ice

I read about this great idea on Joanna Goddard's blog- A cup of Jo, and thought that it was just too lovely not to share. So if you're thinking of adding something a little pretty to a plain glass of water (or any drink for that matter go here.

Source:http://www.brides.com/

If you're planning on putting the cubes into a drink make sure that the flowers/berries you use are edible and haven't been treated with any pesticides. Great additions to flavoring the drink include mint leaves, lemon slices, and berries.

Source : http://www.jonathanfongstyle com/flowers/rose_ice_cubes.html

Alternativly, if you don't feel like pieces of flowers floating in your drink when the ice melts- you can use this technique purely for decorative purposes, as shown in the picture above.

Needed: A new handbag!

I'm in the market to buy a new handbag. At the moment my only relatively expensive handbag is falling apart at the seams, and my other handbags are like 10 dollar specials that I bought on the side of the street. How much I actually have to spend on that handbag is debatable (if anything at all really), but a girl can dream right? I've been doing some research and have nailed it down to three handbags, only now I'm confused as to which one I like the most (let's not worry about the fact that I probably can't actually afford it for the moment, and focus on more important things).

I've always been a big bag kinda girl, I definitely have the Mary Poppins complex and carry around way more than I probably need to. So all the bags are big, and they are all leather- because if I'm going to be spending a small fortune on it I want it to last. Coincidently they are all Michael Kors designs, but if you can suggest a sexy alternative, please do! Lastly, I'm focusing more on design here so I'v chosen all the same colour bags in the pictures- but each bag does come in a variety of different colours.

 Ok, so here they are, in no particular order...

Moxley Large Satchel 

Things I love about this bag:
It has a zip that runs across the top of the bag. With big bags such as this one, I always worry that something could easily fall out, or that someone could easily slip their hand into the bag without me noticing, so I prefer having a zip to seal it properly.
Things I'm not so sure about:
I worry that even for me its a little too big- nah, who am I kidding thats never a problem. But I do worry that maybe I should get it in black because its a more classic colour and will go with a lot more stuff. Maybe that old-fashioned thinking? Should a bag match what you're wearing? I'm not sure.

Erin Large Shoulder Tote 

Things I love about this bag:
I love the size of this bag, it also comes in a variety of colours, and unlike the other two bags I  actually like it in black.
Things I'm not so sure about:
It only has a magnet to hold the bag closed as far as I can see. Chris isn't mental about this one, he thinks it looks a bit cheap, I'm not sure that I agree with him, but it makes convincing him its a warranted purchase a lot easier if he actually likes it.

Moxley Shoulder Tote

Things I love about this bag:
Chris likes it, which is a big help in the purchasing department.  I like it because it only has one strap. I find when bags have the handle strap and the shoulder strap things can get a bit messy and when your using the handle strap its easy to drag the shoulder strap on the floor.
Things I'm not so sure about:
I can't tell wether or not it comes with a zip at the top- but I think its just a magnet. In some of the colours it comes in, like black, it has a shiny look to it that I've never really been fond of.

Ok, well there they are, any help or comments on the subject would be much appreciated! Just leave a comment underneath this post. It's as easy as 1,2,3.

Great ways to spend time on the internet

The internet can be a distracting place at the best of times, one link leads to another and before you know it hours have passed and there are about 100 tabs open in your browser. You find yourself wondering how you went from quickly messaging a friend, to designing an online photo album, to watching a video of a stranger's baby throwing a massive tantrum...

Unfortunately, this post has nothing to do with how to avoid this kind of rampant procrastination, no, if anything it's going to encourage it. Below I'm going to list a few of my favorite sites to 'hang out' at.

1
The first site I strongly encourage you to check out (if you haven't already) is Pinterest. Pinterest is basically a virtual pin board. You have to request and invite to join the site- but once you have been accepted there is no limit to the number of pin boards you can create or the number of things you can pin on them. What's even more fun is that you can follow your friends and they can follow you. 

It's really easy to do too. You can either download the image you want to pin, or just add a "pin it button" to your bookmarks bar on you browser and then anytime you come across a picture you like "pin it".

Not only is pinterest a great way to find inspiration when it comes to just about anything, but it's also a really cool way to organize you thoughts. As I have wedding planning on my mind- although no set date in sight, I'v been using it to pin different wedding ideas I stumble across, so that when we do finally set the date I'll have a whole bunch of ideas I know I already like at my fingertips.

Feel free to follow my pinterest here.

2
Another space I spend a lot of time hanging out at is Perez Hilton, living in Korea means that english magazines are often not easily available, and I have to shamefully admit that I do enjoy a bit of celeb staking every now and again. Reading Perez keeps me entertained with all the Hollywood drama and up-to-date with any major breaking news.

3
A really cool site I've recently stumbled across is called tinyprints, here you can design anything from photo books to your own personalized stationary. With the holiday season just around the corner making your own calendar or christmas card is a piece of cake, plus they ship all over the world.

These are just a few of my favorites,  if you know any good sites to hang out at please share in the "comment" section below.

My 5 favourite technological friends

There are a few materialistic items that I can shamelessly say I just couldn’t live without…well, I mean, literally I obviously could live without them, but realistically my life would be a much more boring place without them.

Because I love them so much, I thought I’d share them with you.

No. 1

Although all of the items in this post are in a close race for first prize, I’m going to have to give it to my Macbook pro. Firstly, because it is quite possibly the most expensive item I own, and secondly there is hardly a day that goes by where I don’t get some form of use out of it.

Source:Apple macbook pro15

No. 2

Second on my list is my newest little friend, the Canon  EOS D600 A.K.A the Rebel T3i. Although the camera has only been in my life for approximately three weeks now I’m not really sure how I ever lived without it. It makes even the most boring of walks exciting, with every outing transformed into a new photo opportunity.

Although I have always been interested in photography, this little beauty has awoken my inner-photographer. So watch this space for more on aperture, ISO and shutter speed (which I currently know very little about) and hopefully we can learn together.

Source: Canon EOS D600

No. 3

A close third on my list is another camera; this time it’s the Canon Power Shot S95. Purchased for me as a Christmas gift in 2010 by my amazing mum and perfect Fiancé.

At less than half the price of the Canon D600, and probably less than a third of the size, this little point and shoot goes everywhere with me in my handbag so that I never miss a photo opportunity. Its amazing functions give me a lot of the control I get with a DSLR but without the hassle of lugging a big thing with me everywhere I go.

Source:Canon PowerShot S95

No. 4

Next on my list of technological items I can’t go without is my Wacom Intuos tablet. If you’re unsure what a Wacom tablet is, never fear. Up until about a year ago I didn’t have a clue either. Effectively its an electronic drawing pad. You attach it to your computer via a USB to mini USB, open a program like Photoshop and away you go. It comes with an electronic pen and several different types of pen nibs. Great for getting those creative juices flowing, without the mess or fuss of paints, paper, easels and what not. I also use it in a lot of my Photoshop and Illustrator work.

Source: Wacom Intuos 4 

No. 5

My Sony PRS-505 e-reader comes 5^th on the list. It’s so compact and small and allows me to take 100’s if not 1000’s of books with me wherever I go.

E-readers such as this and the Kindle, to name but a few, make use of a special technology called e-ink which doesn’t harm your eyes as much as it does staring at a computer screen all day.

Source: Sony PRS-505 E-Reader

I would love to hear about some of your technological favorites so feel free to comment.