Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fashionista sista....

Hi my blogger friends, I'm back from wonderful China, and what an awesome experience that was!! I'm still kinda finding my feet though, trying to unpack my suitcases, upload my photographs and digest everything I've seen and done but I promise that Ill soon start blogging about my Chinese adventure and tell you all about it!

Today, however, I would like to entertain you with some fashion:

My breathtakingly talented sister's "chandelier" dress got chosen to be modelled at the JHB fashion week!!!!! OOoooohlala!!!!

I'm so proud of her....

...and of course I just had to share a bit of this awesomeness with you!!!!






you goooooooooo girlie!!!!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Ching, Chong .....CHINA!!!!

My dearest blogger friends, I am leaving for China tomorrow morning and can hardly contain my excitement. As long as I can remember, Ive wanted to visit this Asian dragon and now, finally, I am going to!!!!!!!

I am a bit sad though to leave all of you behind because for the next 5 days blogging will be close to impossible seeing that Google  is forbidden in China.
I will however, leave you guys with a bit of a taste on what Ill be up to for the next couple of days!

Of course we'll have to go visit the Great Wall....

..the Temple of Heaven...

...the Summer Palace....

....Tiananmen Square ....

....and the Forbidden City, like all good tourist do..

...we'll stop by for a traditional tea ceremony...

..eat the world famous "Pecking Duck" ...
(just to see if its worth the fuss)

...and creepy crawly's at the street food stalls....

..... visit lots and lots of markets...

...buy some silk

..and pearls...

...and Jade...

...go for a Chinese Circus show...

...as well as fulfill a life long dream of playing with the panda's....

Please take care and I look forward to catch up on all your amazing blogs once I'm back!!!!

再会
zài huì

(above means goodbye/speak to you soon in chinese;-)



Bow ties

I LOVE bow ties!!
I think they are absolutely adorable and the cutest male accessory one could ever ask for! Especially when they are made of pretty fabric like these beauties:


I'm convinced that Chris would look SO cute in a bow tie.
I'm also pretty sure I'd have to bribe him for that to happen :-)
One can only hope.....


(credit: bow ties for sale on http://www.etsy.com/)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

A perfect start...


One cup of tea + two vanilla macaroons + lots of funny stories =
the pefect start to my weekend!

Happy weekend everybody!!!!

(credit: image found on http://www.vi.sualise.us.com/)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Happy Birthday mommy.....




Today is my mommy's 50th birthday and I can't find words to describe how sad I am that I can’t (fully) partake in the birthday fun. Our family has a little birthday tradition where we would wake the "birthday girl" at exactly 12am with a birthday song, tea, cake and pressies (regardless if it’s a school night or not) and then we all would have a midnight tea party in bed while my mom would tell us our birth story! It’s magical!
Unfortunately, this year, being in Korea and all, I couldn't really be there in flesh BUT thanks to awesome Skype (I heart technology) all wasn't lost. Also, I have two awesome sisters whom I know made this day extra special for my mom.
I know most women probably feel this way but I know that I have the best mother in the whole wide world ;-) As a little birthday message to her (and to prove my point) I added 50 reasons why this is so:

1. My mom always, always laughs - especially at her own jokes- and has the oddest but sweetest sense of humor ..

2. ...and the little bit of wrinkles that are starting to show, is actually just laughing lines

(Isn’t that awesome? your face displaying a lifetime of laughter?! I think it’s so beautiful)

3. Which brings me to the next point: my mom is breathtaking beautiful - from the inside...

4. .....and outside!

5. My mom is an utter lady - the way she talks, dress and carry herself

6. ....and she taught her three daughters to be ladies too

7. I have never, ever, not even in my teens, been ashamed of my mother.

8. My mom always makes tea in a teapot and still believes in drinking from fine bone china like Royal Albert.

9. She also believes that tea is the best way to find a solution for a problem, celebrating an occasion or just plain celebrating life.

10. My mom is always friendly...

11. ...not just to the people she knows, but also to the people she doesn't know...

12. .. and her life motto is " a stranger is just a friend you do not know"

13. This means that everybody, young or old, rich or poor, pretty or more beautiful feels completely at home with my mom

14. My mother has always given us a pretty home to live in - she is an incredible interior decorator...

15. ...and she has this amazing ability to beautify with little or what she has - not necessarily blowing the budget.

16. So I have always had a home I could be proud of and was lucky enough to grow up being surrounded by pretty things!

17. My mom single handily raised three daughters when my dad died...

18. ....and she did a pretty amazing job, not wanting to blow my own trumpet or anything :-)

19. My mom is amazingly strong and really the rock that grounds us all.

20. But she also taught her daughters to believe in her rock, which is Jesus!

21. She prays for us, and our future husbands, every night.

22. And I'm so glad that she adores Chris and already sees him as her "son"

23. My mom showed me, through her actions, what it means to be a loving, faithful and respectful wife...

24. and she decided to be a stay-at-home mom which was the best gift she could ever give me as a child...

25. ...and thus set an extremely good example of what a mother should be like

26. I know that my mom would basically do anything for me, and she did, she still does...

27. ..but she also advocated responsibility and maturity and thus never spoiled us (okay, well, just sometimes;-)

28. My mom never pushed me to excel in sports, school, art, music etc....

29...but she did encourage us to find our talents and fully develop our potential...

30 ..which resulted in her enrolling me for "proper" art class since the age of five - an initiative I’d always be thankful for!

31. My mom bakes the best caramel banana cake!!!!

32. Oh, and Apple Tarte Tartin

33. My mom is a loyal friend - not just to me (my mom is my best friend) but to all her friends - some friendships she has treasured for over 30 years

34. She and Chris's mom is also great friends - a little bonus that I'm so thankful for

35. My mom has green fingers - and her love for gardening is infectious

36. She also is an amazing florist and when I get married one day, I want her to do my wedding's flowers - that's how good she is.

37. Whenever my mom visits someone or someone visits her she gives them a little "tuzzie muzzie" posy of flowers out of our garden - really sweet.

38. My mom gives the best, objective advice ever...

39. ..and although it can be a tad annoying at times, she always make me consider the other "person's" point of view.

40. My mom loves her family more than anything else. As her children, we are first priority...

41. ...and she would give up anything, even if it sells herself short, to make sure that we are okay

42. She gave me on of the most precious gifts, a loving home and two rocking sisters!!! (as well as a good upbringing and solid education)

43. My mom crochet's the most amazing blankets...

44. ...and sew amazing stuff.

(My mom won the needlework award for my fashion designer sister during her final year of high school -shhhhttt, don't tell anybody)

45. Oh, and she writes amazing poetry

46. My mom raised us girls to believe we are beautiful, strong, and capable - to be anything we put our minds too

47. My mom dances with us, under the moonlight, to her favorite song..

48. ...and cry without shame during sad movies.

49. My mom is a loyal, caring, loving friend, daughter, wife, sister, mother, cousin, grandchild, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law etc. to everybody she knows

50. But most importantly, I'm lucky enough to be the daughter of this amazing women and being hers make me awesome too :-)

* this post is dedicated to my mom - Happy birthday mommy!!!!!!

(Credit: google images)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Care package


Dearest Mommy

Thank you for the super awesome care package filled with all the much needed goodies that's practically impossible to find here in Korea. I love the shoes and don't feel so jealous of the Korean girls, who can actually wear the beautiful but ridiculously small Korean footwear, anymore! Of course its a huge relief to know that due to the boots you send me, I wont get frost bite this winter either! I already brushed my teeth with Colgate (an absolute treat if you consider that the only toothpaste that doesn't have crazy amounts of sugar, taste like old tennis shoes) and drank my PMS medication for which, I'm sure, Chris is eternally thankful. The dried fruit and Rooibos tea I hid away in my grocery cupboard for later - I'm going to savor it bit by bit!! Oh, and thank you for my fav ROC night cream, cute underwear, novel and the  nice South African magazine as well as the card that smells just like you!!!!
You are the best mommy in the whole wide world and I love you very, very much

Your daughter

p.s: thank you, sweetest ma'Ntombi for the lovely Earl Grey tea!!! I'm drinking
a cup as we "speak"!

Monday, September 13, 2010

My beautiful boyfriend.....


......I love you very, very much!!!!

Veiled


I wish I lived in an era where it wouldn't be completely weird to wear one of these on a daily basis. I absolutely love these of kind of vintage veils but except for weddings and funerals, the don't seem quite appropriate (or is it only me that is such a "scaredy cat"?). One day,when I get married, though, I want a bow veiling just like this one!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Smile!!!

Yesterday I bought myself one of these lovelies....



...Its Fujifilm's answer to the (very sadly) discontinued Polaroid camera and they are UHM-MAZING!!!

Please be sure to expect some pretty Polaroid posts ....
.... COMING SOON.....

Masquerade

Fridays at school only means one thing - craft day!!!
I absolutely adore craft day, possibly even more than the kids :-)
Today we made these awesome masks after spending a week learning about animals. Each kid was asked to make a mask of their favorite animal and this is what they came up with:

We had a Hello Kitty ...

...a white rabbit....

....a giraffe, pig and monkey...


....a cat, bear and some more bunnies..
...oh, and a teaching panda!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Sick in bed!


Lately my life has been a bit crazy!! My body has been telling me ever since Monday that I should just take a breather and relax but I chose to ignore the warning signals of headache's and sore throat. The result?! This morning I woke up with a pounding headache, sore throat, and the sniffles. I think going to bed with wet hair, while the air conditioning was on full blast, mustve been the last straw. Anyhow, as I woke up this morning I just knew that there was no way in hell that I could go teach, so I phoned my trusty co-teacher and left my kiddo's in his capable hands.

Although being sick sucks, I must admit that I did enjoy today - not getting into anything other than a pair of fresh pajamas and sleeping for practically the whole day. I drank some Med-Lemon (the best SA cold remedy ever!!! Chris also swears by it as a hangover cure?!), crept into bed and slept, slept, slept. Luckily I had some Samgyeatang (Korean Chicken soup) in my fridge so I could nurse myself back to health just like my mother would've done and when I woke up at 4, feeling much better, I watched "Silk" - an awesome awesome movie!

I'm feeling much better now, and although it kinda suck to be sick, I do think its wonderful how our bodies can tell us when its time to take some "time out"!!!

(credit: image by google images)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

I know I really should'nt.....


....but one of the perks living, for the first time, in a (very Americanised) "First World"country, is that you come in contact with all the very famous  (yet unfamiliar to a SA girl like me) franchise brands - Starbucks, Burger King, TGI Friday's, Baskin Robbins etc. Of these lovelies Ive heard lots before - also about their calorie content and "overpriced" status - so I try to avoid them best I can.  I'm having a bit of a hard time with Starbucks though - I think I might've fallen in love with their vanilla Frappuccino's.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Today I am thankful.....for a wonderful weekend....


...filled with.....

..a girls night, having fun with three awesome girls....

...Samgyetang
   (a Korean style Ginseng chicken soup - its incredibly yummy)...

...a skype date/math lesson with my incredibly adorable boyfriend....
  (who knew maths could be this much fun?!)

.....a 4 hour midnight chat with my mommy, and sister...

.....who is an amazingly talented designer - her avant-garde design got chosen to be modelled at the JHB fashion week - whooohooo!!!!!
 (so proud of you my dearest Mieke)

....movie night....

... Monopoly.....

....and breakfast for dinner!!

(credit: image by http://www.imageshack.us/)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Slumdog Millionaire

Okay, so I know I am ridiculously late to climb on this train but I just watched Slumdog Millionaire (to my defense, I read Q&A about 3 years ago) and absolutely loved it!!!


Here is some pretty, inspiring pics from this amazing movie.....
Loved, loved, loved the colors, music and cute little kids!!!!





If you haven't seen this movie, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do yourself a favor and go watch it! Its absolutely amazingly good!

Ever since I can remember, I've dreamt about going to India. Lately, however, Ive heard so many horror stories about the poverty and suffering in this beautiful country. This movie, however, inspired me to suck it up and go anyway!!!!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Yellow + Origami + Love quotes = AMAZING GIFT

One of my favorite people in the world, Jill, gave me one of the coolest gifts ever!!!
After sharing Chris and my new little anniversary tradition with her, she went and made me this:

An origami paper wheel in shades of my favorite color.....


BUT...
what makes it even more special is that you can open it up into an origami ring on which she wrote the most beautiful love quotes


My favorite of these quotes are:

Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction!

and then there's the one from one of our all time favorite movies, "The Notebook"

"If you're a bird, then I'm a bird"

I absolutely adore my new gift and will treasure it forever and ever!
Thank you Jill, you are awesome!!!!




Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Collage


If there is one thing I absolutely adore in terms of decor, it is a "picture gallery" also known as a "collage"! I love the homey, personal feel these collages give to a space and how a cluster of pictures and paintings can brighten even the dullest of walls.
Also, I feel collages are the perfect solution for someone like me who have way to much art and is to indecisive to display one piece at a time.
Unfortunately, "collages" is the one thing me and Chris cant agree with in terms of decor....


....he even forbade me to touch a Hilti....







.....but I'm hoping these pictures will change his mind!! :-)

(credit: images from design*sponge)

Teacher's Pet...

I am convinced that being an Elementary school teacher is, most definitely, the best job in the whole wide world. Not only do you get to read children's books, color awesome pictures, cut and glue stuff, play education games and sing songs all day long, but you actually get paid for doing it!!! And then there is the additional perks of being a teacher - you are loved to death and spoiled rotten!

Today, one of my sweetest girls, Queenie, brought me a Krispy Creme doughnut......


..... with the sweet words "Teacher, I love you"....
.........so we had a little tea party for two....

Isnt she too cute?

Aaaaaaahhhh, I L.O.V.E  my job!