Nail Art...

While trying to complete my next Journalism Assignment, I came across this:

This 'newspaper' inspired look comes from a very the very clever French blogger Sylvie Taillon over at Passion Nail. She achieves this look by applying her favoured nail colour, waiting till it dries and placing pieces of newspaper over the nail...easy peasy!

In order to get the newspaper print to release, she suggests dabbing the newspaper cuttings with vodka while they are placed over the nail. Follow this step, once nails are dry, with a topcoat – Voila!

And in keeping with the Royal theme, how about these????

 Thanks to GraziaDaily for all the tips :)

The Royal Wedding *who & where*

So it's T-minus 2 days and counting until the big day where more than 200,000 people are expected to flock to Hyde Park to see the actual procession, and another 20,000 will gather in Trafalgar Square, where screens will show highlights. 
Everyone's getting into the spirit, especially this guy who is making sure he has got his spot!

:)

Here's some more info on the route that William and Kate will take, starting at Westminster Abby, and ending up at Buckingham Palace:

And of course the seating plan. With more than 2000 guests, whose going to get to sit next to the Queen??

Thanks to BBC for the above info. You can stay up-to-date on the latest by clicking here.

Blog Inspiration...

Just wanted to share a few sites with you for when you need a bit of inspiration...some of these sites offer tutorials on making cute things, and others have awesome freebies...check them out:

• Shabby Blogs

everything you will ever need to make your blog look fabulous *and it's all free, yippee*
headers, buttons, backgrounds, borders, post dividers...the list goes on!

• Running with Glitter

tutorials on gorgeous things to make like this cute tin:

*click here for the above tutorial*

and this sweet 'thank you' image:

• Free Pretty Things for You

lots of free vinatge style images to play with, like this one:

• Picnik

free image editing site where you can make collages, add text to to images, re-size images and just mess around with their awesome list of effects

Happy Blogging!

**The Royal Wedding**

If you haven't heard by now that Britain's most eligible bachelor is about to tie the knot, where my dear have you been?? It's all over the news, people have been tweeting about the up and coming union for ages. Not only are the Brit's getting a day off, 'Royal' stamps are even going on sale to celebrate the event and even Accessorize (the ladies fashion accessory chain) is getting in on the action and advertising 'royal inspired' trends.

If you're a bit behind on who's who in the zoo, here's something for you to read to get clued up.

And for something a bit cheeky, check out the following clip:

Anyways, I am oh so lucky enough to be in London for the event (I like to think that I've been personally invited to be the South African representative) and will keep you up to date on whats happening closer to the big day.

Camping in Cape Vidal...

Farmboy and I just got back from a really awesome camping trip with his family to the beautiful Cape Vidal Coastal Resort. Just outside of St Lucia, Cape Vidal forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (click here for a map). As your drive through the park towards Cape Vidal,  you get a chance to see a host of different species of wildlife. Once in Cape Vidal, it's a 5 minute walk to the beach, where you can take your pick from snorkeling, fishing, sun tanning, swimming or just plain relaxing...with so many options, who could ever get board :)


Cape Vidal is a camping resort, so don't forget your tents :)

 Here are a few pics of our trip, with more info to follow!

I ♥ market...Durban

I ♥ market provides a platform once a month for local foodies and designers to showcase their products.

i ♥ cushions, i ♥ meringues and shortbread, i ♥ jewellery, i ♥ antiques, i ♥ baby grows, i ♥ vintage clothes, i ♥ pestos, i ♥ egg and bacon sarmies, i ♥ ceramics, i ♥ cookies, i ♥ pretty dresses, i ♥ beautiful artworks, i ♥ jellies and jams, i ♥ handbags, i ♥ fresh veggies, i ♥ cupcakes, i ♥ nice t shirts, i ♥ dawn's famous chocolate brownies, i ♥ the good life!

Click here to join their Facebook group to stay up-to-date with whats happening :)

Directions:

Drive down Marriott Rd and keep on going thru the traffic circle and down that road that goes through the racecourse and on the right hand side you will see a grand old building, that's the DLI!
And there is loads of parking around the back of the building, and grass and trees and a bowling green!

*MakeUp Brushes*

I'm sure every girl dreams of owning a full set of MAC brushes, but let's just be real here. At around R300 a pop, my pocket is just not big enough. So...before getting depressed, check out a really cool new range of pretty great quality brushes from Clicks. 

Here are a few of the brushes in the range that I have and what they do...

"Picture Perfect" No.13 Stippling Brush R99.99

This brush is used for stippling foundation onto the skin for a more airbrushed finish.  The bristles need to be stiff in order to hold up to the foundation and not streak **this brush does tend to loose a few bristles when used**

"Drama Queen" Eye Defining Brush No. 31 R19.99

This brush has a definite angle to help with putting colour close to your lash line. Great for highlighting inner lids and making your eyes appear wider.

"Shady Lady" Eyeshadow Brush No. 30 R29.99

Exactly what it says...add colour and go for it! Really holds eyeshadow well (without most of it landing on your cheeks) and is great for building colour.

"Holy Smoke" Eye Make-up Smudger No. 32 R24.99

Apply your eyeliner and eyeshadow and then smudge the lines using the soft sponge tip. Work from the inside of the eye outwards.

"Glow Stick" Foundation Brush No. 20 R59.99

Used to apply your foundation. Put a small amount of foundation onto the back of your hand and dab it with the brush. Using light strokes, work the product over your face starting from the centre and moving outwards. This brush 

"Fancee Me" Fan Brush No. 14 R29.99

Use this brush to dust away small mistakes like eyeshadow 'fall-out'. Not quite sure how useful this one is, but at least it looks good :)

"Eyescream" Eye shadow tips R29.99
These sponge tips are for layering and blending eyeshadow. They are soft and spongey and really easy to use!

Also in the range:

"Luxury Liner" Eye Liner Brush R19.99

"Bronze Bombshell" Bronzer and Shimmer Brush R49.99

"Kabuki Crush" Kabuki Brush R89.99

So there you go...obviously no where near as nice as MAC, but still pretty good. Your makeup bag never looked this good!

Home made *Pesto*

Easy peasy recipe for making your very own basil pesto... 

Ingredients for Basil Pesto

2 cups basil

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of pine-nuts/sunflower seeds

2 garlic cloves

1 Tbs (tablespoon) lemon juice

pinch of salt
1/2 cup Virgin Olive Oil
**all of the above can be adjusted to your own taste**

Step 1: You gotta get yourself a basil plant first, which I guess makes the rest of this post void of you ain't got no basil :) click here for more info on growing basil from seed. 

Once you have yourself a a basil planet, get to picking! Gather up a whole load of leaves (the more the better) and give them a rinse.

Step 2: Roast the nuts/seeds in a pan on a very low heat

Step 3: With a blender/mixer, grind up the nuts/seeds, while slowly adding the rest of the ingredients

And hey presto...your very own pesto :)

**Yummy on pasta, but most especially on warm toast with butter...

Mascara...

The search for the perfect mascara is always a tricky one. How often have you found yourself forking out a fortune for a fancy smancy 'lash building/extending/protecting/ornamenting' mascara, only to find yourself looking like something out of Rocky Horror when you try it on?? Well here are 2 of my favourites that actually do what they say...

MAC Plush Lash: R140

This tiny tube really packs a punch. It volumizes, plumps and curls, all without clumping. And at a pretty neat price too, you can't go wrong!


ModelCo Fire Lash Brush on Lashes: R340

This mascara comes in 2 tubes. The first step is to put on the 'Extension Mascara". Step 2 is to brush on the "lash Fibre" and then finally brush on another coat of the extension. You can keep putting on as many coats as you need to create your desired look.
This one is quite pricey, but it really does work. Only downside (*apart from the price that is*) is that takes more time than most mascaras to get right. But, if you have the time, and the money, these are 2 little tubes of greatness :)

So there you go, two mascaras to suit any girls budget. Stay tuned for more reviews on other beauty tools & products...

The **Green Grass** Shop

This afternoon Farmboy and I took a little drive to a slightly different part of town. Our travels took us to Parkhurst, one of the coolest areas of Jo'burg I've ever come across. I can't quiet believe I've never been there before. Packed full of dainty antique stores, and cute cafe's, the main focus of our morning was The Green Grass Shop.  

The Green Grass shop sells lots of unique gifts, like this clock (above middle) and a host of crocheted animals...the owls being my favourite! But their main focus is on design. They have just got themselves a laser machine, and with it create all sorts of designs and engravings on anything from paper to wood. A nice touch for wedding invites :)

Check out their website here or pop in to their store at Flat 3 Sunlit Court, 34 Fourth Avenue, Parkhurst

Must See...*Dream Girls* Teatro Monte Casino, Jo'burg

What an electrifying performance, South African theatre, you have done us proud! I thought the Lion King was fantastic, but that was before I sat glued to my chair, totally absorbed in the world of glitter, scandal and hair-do's. If you only see one theatre production this year, make it this one!

Dream girls tells the rag-to-riches tale of an up and coming 1960's girl group, and all the trials and tribulations that follow fame and glory. Featuring an entirely South African cast to play its all African American characters, Dreamgirls is produced by leading South African Producer, Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management.

Special Easter Performances have been added for the week of Easter - with shows now open for bookings from Wednesday 20 April to Sunday 24 April. Top ticket prices over the weekend have been dropped to R350 per ticket!

Special Easter Packages are also now available:

4 top price tickets only R1000 (save R400)

5 top price tickets R1250 (save R500) and

6 top price tickets for R1500 (save R600)

Click here to book your tickets today!


*Shows also at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town*

Lounging around Lydenburg

If you know anyone who has RCI timeshare,then you have to check this place out. Just 3 hours outside of Johannesburg on the way to Nelspruit, and you'll find yourself a slice of relaxation pie.

A quiet place to sink your teeth into those books you've been meaning to start, try your hand at some fly fishing, head out for a hike or just do nothing (something I did quite a lot of!), Verlorenkloof is a well established and highly regarded share block development on the eastern escarpment in the heart of the trout triangle in Mpumalanga. With 12 private, stone thatched crofts, sleeping up to 10 people, it's the prefect place to escape to with a group of friends to enjoy a long weekend. And thats exactly what Farmboy and I, my mom and friend Louise did a few weeks ago.

If you've had enough down time, head out to Dulstroom, Lydenburg or even check out the Kruger Park (just a 2 hour drive from Verlorenkloof).

Nearly all of the bedrooms in the crofts are ensuite, and they are serviced twice a day by little fairies. Bliss. For more information, click here to see the estates website with details of how and when to book. 


Happy relaxing :)

Byanston Organic Market

Looking for a place to buy fresh, home grown veggies for your home cooked Pizza and Pasta dishes??

"The Bryanston Organic & Natural Market is Johannesburg's original outdoor market. When you visit our market, you will enter an environment where the emphasis is on quality hand crafted goods, unique art and photography, clothing made from natural fibres, a deli filled with rich, wholesome foods and, of course, fresh organic and naturally grown produce" Byanston Organic Market

The market is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 9am until 3pm. 

Why not pop in for cup of tea and a snack, before checking out the wide variety of funky goods on sale...

How to get there:

Home made *Pasta Affair*

Something along the lines of a previous post "Pizza a la **Pazzala**", heres some instructions for making your very own pasta....so easy and most delish!

Ingredients for Basil Pesto Pasta

Pasta: 

500g cake flour

5 eggs

(makes enough for 5 people, work on the basis of 100g flour & 1 egg per person)

Sauce:

200ml Basil Pesto (1 1/2 packets of Ina Parman's works well!

100 g mushrooms

50g fresh basil

100g fresh rosa tomatoes

1 onion

olive oil (for frying)

pinch of salt

Step 1: Get yourself a pasta machine (@Home for R250 or see your nearest Antique store)

Step 2: Mix Flour & Eggs together and knead.

Step 3: When mixture reaches an even consistency, wrap in cling-film and put into the fridge for 30 minutes

Step 4: Break mixture into smaller, more manageable balls and start putting it through the machine. Use the setting to thin out the pasta mixture (usually has settings 1-7, start with the thickest and work your way to the thinnest).

Step 5: Start putting the thin sheets of pasta through your choice of spaghetti/linguine settings, making sure to keep flouring each side of the pasta. Once the pasta is in "strings" use a stick/broom to wrap the pasta over to dry

If your feeling a little more creative, add some food colouring to the mixture :)

Step 6: Begin getting your sauce ingredients ready. Chop the basil, mushrooms and tomatoes and fry in a pan with a little olive oil.  Keep aside to add to the final product:

Step 7: Fill a large pot with enough water for the pasta and leave to boil (add some salt and olive oil). Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, or until al dente (throw a piece agains the wall, if it sticks, the pasta is ready!)

Step 8: Drain the pasta & add the basil pesto and the rest of the ingredients and voila! Pasta at it's finest! :)