Bite-Sized Heart

A dear friend of mine shared Dear Old Love with me a year ago.
It's magnificent reading. See here.

Dead of the Night Durban

Durban sleeps soundly while the waves crash quietly. This is what my city looks like tonight from the top of the Blue Waters Hotel. The 18th floor holds happy memories of dancing to the Spice Girls at a friend's birthday party 10 years ago. Bronwyn, it'd be hilarious to watch those video messages we recorded for you that night! Tonight, we celebrated another friend's birthday with roast beef, yorkshire puds and cheesecake. Happy birthday Chris!

Here you can see the 2010 Soccer Stadium. It's coming along really well and people talk about it with great pride. It's an epic sight to see every morning on the way to work. I don't know the first thing about soccer but this stadium does seem to have inspired alot of hope and happiness in people.



This is the beachfront. There used to be a rather iconic flashing Coca-Cola sign on one of the buildings but sadly it's no longer there. My parents used to take my brother and I down here for Chinese takeaway at Golden Chopstix when we were kids. Good times.

Durban Salt

I work with a snappy young photographer who likes to spend his lunch breaks in the sea. His name is Matt and he wears cool T-Shirts and makes good tea. You can check out the upshots of his midday adventures here. These are my faves.

Mixed Berries

Ahhhh....all these cute wedding promo pics of telly's most crush-worthy couple, Jim and Pam, are popping up. I cannot wait for Season 5 to hurry up on over here. In the meantime, I really want to treat myself to the Office box set. Decisions, decisions.

Jim: Do you remember what you said to me on my first day of work just before you walked me over to my desk?
Pam: Yeah, enjoy this moment because you will never be able to go back to this time before you met your deskmate Dwight!
Jim: That's when I knew. You?
Pam: You came up to my desk and you said this might sound weird and there's no reason for me to know this but that mixed berry yogurt you are about to eat has expired.
Jim: That's the moment you knew you liked me??
Pam: Yup.
Jim: Can we make it a different moment??
Pam: Nope.

Tights and Denim

My gosh, Stefany is my absolute favourite contributer to Lookbook. If I could dress like anyone every day, it would be her. So much style at 18 years old. I wish to have long skinny legs in black tights and cute cutoffs. And that Union Jack bag below is from Primark - Primark! It probably cost something like 4 quid and it looks amaaaazing. Today is her birthday, you can wish her here.

Sweet Hearts

Here are some pages from the loveliest book my eyes have ever seen. 'Romance' is one hundred pages of real couples captured by London photographer, Chris Craymer. You can have a look at all the pictures here. I'm going to see if I can find it in our local book stores this weekend because it will make the perfect gift for my newly engaged friend and her fiancé. I'll wrap it up in pink paper with a big black bow!

Spring Polaroids

A shoe box full of spring pretties, taken around Durbs.

Made with Love

Swing by the next I ♥ Market for treasures and trinkets,
lovingly sewn and stitched by Cupcake Couture.

Cherry Blossom Riot

It's a lovely lazy Sunday here in Durbs and I'm having a good laugh, re-reading my all time fave, 'Adrian Mole: The Cappucino Years.'It's even funnier this time round 'cuz having since lived in the UK, I get more of the references. Case in point, here is Adrian banging on about Cherry Blossom trees which I went nuts for in London. Oh, it cracks me up...



Below is South Park Road in Wimbledon.
Full on Cherry bloomage in April. So pretty.

What's for tea?

Heart-shaped eggs, rainbow cupcakes and fresh fruit!
I peered my head into a lovely little blog called Pretty Foods and left with platefuls of baking inspiration. I think I'll be dusting the kitchen with edible glitter this weekend!

Hey you! Do you remember me?

I used to sit next to you at school
We indulged in all the extra-curricular activites
We weren't particularly cool

Ok, we'll get back to the Darkness in a minute...



Yesterday, I spotted this doodled desk on the Mr Price Fashion Blog and darted over to it's owners website which is a bonkers but brilliant affair.

A word of introduction from the people that represent the man with a ballpoint: Billie Jean is a he and not a she. He lives and works in Leytonstone in east London - the birth place of Alfred Hitchcock and David Beckham. He enjoys climbing trees, idling the hours away in second-hand bookshops, drinking 'Blue Vanilla' flavoured Slush Puppies, making chocolate rice crispy cup cakes, knitting tea cosies and oh yes, drawing with great skill.

Top lad eh?!

Anyway, the desk reminded me of a Darkness song I've been singing along to the past couple of days. Give it a spin on the 'tube.

I miss your soup and I miss your bread

I'm feeling rubbish today. I quite fancy a bowl of homemade spinach soup and baked scones from the kitchen of Sandra Beijer. As much as I love rummaging through her fashion archives, it's her scrumptious shots of Swedish fare that put an extra big smile on my face. Delish.

Pink Autumn

More inspiration from Lookbook. My friend, Taneal has a full length version of such a jacket. When we ask her where it's from, she replies, 'London Charity Store,' and we all sigh into our paper cups.

I won't break your heart-shaped glasses

Pink plastic love! I've had a weakness for all things heart-shaped ever since hearing Nirvana's 'Heart-shaped Box' for the first time. So today my heart skipped a beat and a half when I discovered Heather Louise's flickr collection. Here she is, only 22, super talented and rocking a pair of the coolest sunnies I have ever seen - with red lippy to boot. Fierce.

Thrift store treasures or big chain finds?

Big chain, and Mr Price to be exact! Props to the guys in the red caps, this year's accessory collection has been amazing and affordable. When I left London in May, I was worried us South African girls would miss out on all the vintage inspired jewelry trends abroad but I needn't have - the Mr P buyers have scouted the best bits and pieces. Love my new paisly purse.

Song for this Stormy Saturday

Silversun Pickups ~ Lazy Eye.

My Perfect Movie Cast

If you could make your own movie, who would you cast to star in the leading roles? I'd choose Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Jim Carrey (more for his dramatic work), Zack Braff, Julia Stiles, Dax Shepard, Scarlett Johansson, Liam Neeson and Juliette Lewis. I imagine it must be a film maker's dream to create a character for an actor of their choice. I love to think about where my Perfect Movie characters would live, what they'd do, what they'd wear, where'd they go...such fun riddles to solve. Look out for my next Perfect Movie post where I'll include some images of dream scene locations.

Jacaranda Rain

Spring has sprung in Durban. The parks and streets are carpeted with purple Jacaranda flowers. I've been meaning to take my camera out for a walk and snap some Spring prettiness but I just haven't found the time, tut tut. Happily, my friend Amanda, took this great pic of her fiance, Gavin, in a purple blossom downpour. I just love it because it totally captures Gav's joyful spirit. Lovely stuff guys!

5 o'clock goodbyes

This was my last day in central London. I crossed the Thames on Blackfriars Bridge every day for 6 months. Some people have done that for 6 years. Some, more. I remember the fruit stall man, the Ricky Gervais lookalike and the suited guy and girl who always hurried past me in deep conversation. Were they colleagues or a couple? I always wanted to know. After work, I'd often wander down to Charing Cross among the runners and the dogwalkers, the city workers and the tourists. I miss it. One day, I'll return.

This Week's Lookbook Faves