Anyone for some crusty old cereal?

Huzzah gang! These are two tins I bought with my thrifting birthday loot from Miss Molly. I'm a bit knackered from another weekend of moving (yes, again, but will be settled soon!) so all I can string together is "Me buy tins. You nice for reading." Will reply to blog emails this coming weekend. x

Part 2: Feel better tips from my blogger buds

Here is the follow-on from this post! This series turned out to be rather short and sweet - I think all of us bloggers are busy bees at the mo. Thanks to all the ladies that took part. Your blogs always brighten my day. x

Sally / Louder Than Silence

I cannot get enough of Sally and Ross' blog. It just too lovely! They really help me to  feel connected to London. If I ever get a chance to return to the Big Smoke, I'm ringing these two up. How awesome is their Happy Picture?!! My heart!!! Too adorable!

1. Make yourself a fancy cocktail, preferably one that contains a large measure of gin!
2. Put some Roxy Music on and dance around your room. Bryan Ferry = instant mood improver.
3. Invite your best gal pals over for a sleepover complete with girly movies, face masks and silly games - I thoroughly recommend Dreamphone.
4. Go for a long walk or bike ride
5. Bake a cake. If the making process doesn't lift your spirits, enjoying the fruits of your labour with a steaming hot mug of earl grey should do the trick!



Melissa / Miss Molly Fashions

Mel has become a dear friend of mine. She's like this full-on fashionista and so beautiful, she could grace the catwalks of London Fashion Week and yet she is so down-to-earth with a wicked sense of humour! I'm so glad I've gotten to know her through blogging and jaunts around Durbs.

1. A hug from Mathew ( my boyfriend)
2. Watching ‘How i met your mother’
3. Walking. I walk to work most days and it feels awesome. I start the day feeling energized with a clear head.
4. Sweets (especially the ones in the big Woolies tubs)
5. Cuddling my Bunny



Me!

1. Playing with my dogs
2. Taking a bubble bath, followed by a cuppa tea
3. Watching SATC with some yummy treats (Such a girl!)
4. A visit to the SPCA - puppy love and some cheap and cheery thrifting
5. A good sob and a snuggle under the duvet!



Gosh, I have so many pics that make me happy but this is a fave. It's of us girls on New Year's Eve many moons ago, just before everyone headed off abroad. We're all dripping in sweat after running around a house party like lunatics! 

Our little lamb

This is one Mary, one of our family dogs. I snapped this picture of her last Christmas. Like many animals in Durban, our dogs suffered through the fireworks going off in Durban tonight. Mary had a traumatic experience but she's okay now and I'm so proud of her. I love you my little lamb. x

Kitchen Pen Pals: Tomato, chilli, caper and olive sauce pasta

I'm sorry I've taken this long to get this post up. A slew of late nights, my belongings being in boxes and the disappearance of my camera charger meant I just wasn't able to get this puppy up until now. But enough excuses! There is so much I wanna say about cooking but I'll save it for a non-recipe post. Long story short - I am loving it! And I am so grateful that Sian has helped me to repackage my thoughts on the matter.

The last dish I made was a creamy asparagus pasta and it was delish! Sian thought it would be a good idea for me to learn a basic tomato pasta aswell so that I can have both a creamy and tomatoey base up my sleeve. Good thinking Miss Sian.

Below is the recipe and as usual, my rambling side notes accompany it. I realise these posts are always marathons to read so here are my thoughts in a nutshell: this dish is WONDERFUL! It's fresh and wholesome, light and clean....if that makes any sense?! It's also colourful and nutritious and perfect for our approaching South African summer. Oh, and it's a treat to prepare as it's so aromatic. Ah, I can't believe how much I'm getting into cooking! So pleased I'll be able to cook some proper, edible meals before I turn 30!

What you need

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 small onion - finely chopped

1 fresh chilli - chopped (optional)

I used a chili that was rated 9 out of 10 for hotness! Despite it's raunchy rating, it gave the dish a subtle kick which I really enjoyed. Haha, 'really enjoyed.' I sound hilarious.

1 tbs capers - chopped (optional)

Ok, for some reason I always thought capers were little fish! I think I once asked what they were and some wise-guy thought it be would be hilarious to tell the cooking noob they were little fish. And I fell hook, line and sinker! Oh dear, this is terrible writing. Anyway, turns out they are baby plant buds or something and they are delish! They look a dreadful sight but they don't stick out visibly in the sauce. I had no idea where to find them in the grocery store but Sian told me they would be near the olives - and that they were!

1/2 cup calamata olives

Right, so, a bit of trouble here. Was confronted with five hundred olive types on the shelf but eventually spotted a pack that said, 'Calamata Olives.' They were purple, not sure if you get green Calamatas? Luckily I attempted to snack on one while cooking and discovered they had pips in 'em. Wasn't sure how to de-pip them so just sort of ripped 'em out. You're charmed, I'm sure!

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

zest of 1/2 lemon

2 sprigs rosemary

handful of fresh basil leaves

Was ridiculously hard to find a Durban grocery store that had basil and rosemary. And yes, I tried Woolies! I was running around Pick 'n Pay ten minutes before they were closed, huffing, 'Where the eff, is the effing basil!?' Ala Bridget Jones looking for tuna in her fridge! The grocer guy was tossing me lemons and onions as I raced through the recipe out-loud! 

cook 250g pasta according to packet instructions

heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion

It's official, nothing smells and sounds as promising and exciting as onions sizzling in a pan. Gone are my days of teary onion-chopping thanks to Sian!

cook until soft and golden

add the tomatoes, chilli, sugar and lemon zest and rosemary sprigs and

simmer for 15 minutes

I said it before and I'll say it again. I now TOTALLY get why TV chefs bounce around their kitchens as if they've just won the Lotto. Sugar caramelizing in a pan of bubbling tomato is like...I dunno, art in a pan! It's awesome! Also, lemon zest - grating that stuff was a happy little exercise! The zingy scent is heaven. I found myself cooing to the dogs, 'Ah, look at this glorious citrus mist raining down into the pan.' If we were in some talking-dog Disney skit, I'm sure they would have replied, 'Easy there Nigella.'

add capers and olives and allow to simmer for 2 minutes

season with salt and black pepper (if using capers, be cautious with

the salt as you could over season)

remove rosemary sprigs and add chopped fresh basil

toss with pasta and garnish with herbs

Easy, easy, easy! And so delicious! I can't wait to cook the next recipe - a crust-less, savoury tart - sounds scrumptious! Don't forget to check out my Kitchen Pen Pal's blog to see her version of this recipe. Sian is the master behind the meals! x

Other yummy things we've made: 1. Flatbread with hummus 2. Creamy asparagus pasta

New picture-snappers!

Here are some new additions to my little camera family. It's actually not so little anymore, my camera obsession is showing no signs of simmering down! But I keep telling myself that's okay because I never spend alot on cameras and they'll make for one epic collection to pass on to the kidlets one day! When I get some free time, I'm gonna snap the whole lot so I can remember 'em forevez incase they fade or whatnot throughout the years. What sort of things do you guys collect?

Thank you Mom Heather for the Polaroid - I absolutely adore it, the box and the camera bulbs. Thank you Mel for treating me to some thrifting loot so I could get the Brownie! Nadia spotted it and I'm so thrilled with it. And thank you to my other girlfriends for spoiling me rotten on my birthday - I got the practical things I needed but I couldn't resist this vintage video beauty as well! x

Part 1: Feel-better tips from my blogger buds

A few weeks ago, I emailed some of my blogger pals and asked them if they’d kindly share five ‘Feel-Better’ tips. I also asked them to share a photo of themselves that makes them smile.  Reading their tips certainly made me smile and I’m so pleased to feature these ladies here. I hope you enjoy this little series. x

Sandra / Niotillfem
Long-time readers will know that I have been a fan of Sandra’s forever! We have spoken via email a few times and she is as lovely on email as she is on her blog. I sort of live vicariously through Sandra and I hope she never stops blogging!

Sandra’s five ‘feel-better’ tips:
1.Sweet liquorice
2.Spaghetti with cream sauce
3.Glee
4.Johnny Cash
5.Calling my boyfriend and mom



Harriet / Where is Harriet
Harriet has been such a loyal reader and friend to me on Gloss. Her blog is as delightful as she is and her outfit pictures are the cutest ever! I imagine that if we ever met, we’d be chatting away like long-time pals in no time.

Harriet’s five ‘fee’-better’ tips:
1.Look at pictures of baby animals on the internet
2.Watch the West Wing in bed
3.Drink a cup of tea in the bath (a hot bath solves everything)
4.Put on my makeup and my favourite party clothes, even if I'm not going anywhere. When in doubt, wear a tiara.
5.Tidy up. I'm a firm believer in the phrase Tidy House Tidy Mind. I find a good sort out very therapeutic!



Kaelah / Little Chief Honeybee
Little Chief Honeybee is another blog I’ve been reading forever. Kaelah has such a positive outlook on life and her blog is always a blast of inspiration. She recently started a mobile thrift shop with her fiancé, Mike and they have the cutest pair of English Bulldogs.

1. Clean the whole house (top to bottom!) while listening to my favorite records.
2. Take my bulldog babies to the puppy park to play for an hour
3. Curl my hair and put on my most favorite dress
4. Hop on my bike and cruise around my neighbourhood
5. Watch a Felicity marathon



Paula / Pink Bow
Two words come to mind when I think of Paula – Class Act. She is also a total sweetheart and her photography is amazing. She was one of the bloggers who really inspired me to start taking more pictures.

1.Wearing a favourite special item of clothing or accessory that always makes me feel nice
2.Saturday afternoon lunch or tea that turns into early evening cocktails
3.Painting my nails, something pretty to look down to
4.Listening to a favourite record
5.Spending time with a loved one

More to follow soon...x

DIY: Make your own belt!

This post is brought to you from a sleepy haze in Bedfordshire! Aka, my bed. Cheers for that gem Bridget Jones. So this is the DIY I mentioned to you the other day. Nadia kindly showed me how to make this here belt and now you can make one too if ya fancy. Thank you Nads! I borrowed Nads' belt like this for a fashiony do and I thought the belt was just genius as you can make it to fit you exactly, and you can adorn it as you wish. Plus it gives black skirts a swish border and any outfit a vintage-inspired twist! I hope the steps below are self-explanatory?! Sorry the pics aren't the best - was having an off day with the light. If you have any questions - please feel free to fire away. x

You will need: 

Elastic, Velcro, Black Thread, Buttons, Sewing Scissors, Pins, Needle, Craft Glue or Glue Gun

A special thanks to Nads for modelling and making this!

I'll try to incorporate it into an outfit photo soon so you can see the effect. 

Looks a bit erm, flat on the table!

Edit: Just remembered we accidentally sewed the one piece of velcro on the the wrong side of the elastic so I'm not sure if our folds above are correct! Haha! Can't offer any helpful advice except to say make sure you sew your velcro in such a way so you can stick it together. Poor Nads had to unpick the one side and start over but you must know we were distracted by Big and Carrie dramz in SATC while making this!

Birthday Cuppies

These are the cuppies I made for my birthday. I wasn't planning on making any but I bounced awake with excitement at half past five so I decided to crank some Pearl Jam and get my bake on! Sorry to be a bit cryptic but I just wanted to thank my friends and family again for being so supportive over the past couple of weeks. Life has been stressful but I am grateful to know such kind and caring humans. Apologies again for my tardy comms and blog commenting - hopefully I'll get some more affordable internet soon so I can plug back in properly. Thanks for bearing/baring (!) with me. 

I need you robotic boxes!

Images Source

Apologies for the haphazard blogging! I am in the midst of a second move in 5 weeks - not fun! 

Hope you're in for a more relaxing weekend than I am. x

Nadia's Craft Room

On Saturday, Nads and I worked on a cute DIY tutorial which I’ll post soon. Rather, I should say, Nads worked - I glugged back Vino while watching S*x and the City! (Birthday privileges!) But I did snap some pics of Nadia’s craft room because I now know we all like nosing about other people’s homes!  Don’t you just love her little donkey-lamb hybrid of an ornament – ha! So sweet x

Birthday Thriftin'

I had such a wonderful birthday weekend. Thanks to all my friends and family who made it so special. And thanks to you guys for all the birthday wishes! Part of the fun was a thrifting adventure with Nads. I got some cute goodies which I’ll show you soon. Here’s a peek at our morning. x