Hello 2011

Happy New Year to everyone out there in the blogosphere! My sincerest best wishes for a prosperous and joyfilled 2011

There are 4 sleeps until Christmas

I totally ADORE the fact that all over the world even we so-called "grown-ups" know exactly what 4 sleeps to Christmas means. There are also: 86 hours, 5180 minutes, 310600 seconds to Christmas, which translates to 3 days, 14 hours, 15 minutes and 20 seconds!

So get your shopping finished!

Christmas mince pie day

Every year my mom and I make Christmas mince pies together. To be honest, my mom makes the pastry and buys the fruit mince (Safari Fruit mince or Woolworths Christmas fruit mince) and I only do the assembly-line, but we do it together and it's a nice tradition for both of us.

The assembly-line during production

We usually make about six dozen which sounds like a large number but they disappear very quickly. I took home about two dozen from last week's production and we've nearly finished them. I think the production line may go into action again this year.

Fridays and Christmases seem to come around faster every time

For those of you who are on holiday, will be going on holiday or wish you were on holiday, here's my quote of the week (photo by my husband):

"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars,
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."

Percy Pig comes to SA at last

I've read about these sweets in British Vogue. The staff at Vogue like them so much that they have a stash available on photo shoots. Apparently at one stage, Marks & Spencer withdrew them from their product line and there was such a huge response from fans of the sweet that Marks & Spencer had to re-introduce them. As a result I've been dying to get my hands on a packet to taste them for myself.

And now we can get them here in SA at Woolworths (seen them at McKeurtan Avenue, Durban North and Gateway, Umhlanga). You'll probably notice that the packet I've scanned is empty. That's because the sweets are really fruity and super yummy.

Dynamic photo from Mooi

http://mooi-mooiboutique.blogspot.com/

Wow! I've just seen this pic on Mooi's blog and it just makes me feel so uplifted and inspired. The girl in the blue dress has such natural grace and elegance and looks so relaxed and happy.

The book I've coveted for a while now is mine at last

My husband (who understands my monthly splurge on British Vogue) bought me "The Faces of Fashion Vogue Model" that I've longed for since I first saw it mentioned (I think in Vogue magazine itself).

I've only started to read it but what I've seen so far has been really good. It's not just the models who are currently at the peak of their profession, but rather a who's who of fashion models since the concept of using live models to, ahem, "model" clothes was started. These women were initially known as "mannequins" which seems to me to dehumanize them, but looking at the photos (excellent reproduction by the way) of the early models/mannequins with their haughty, sneering looks for the camera, I can see that they were giving expression to an ideal of high fashion and perhaps in that sense the word mannequin is apt.

There isn't a portfolio of pics for each model, sometimes there's only one photo and the accompanying page of text. However, the text is masterfully written and gives real insight into the model as a working woman and an individual with her own interpretation of what the work means.

Saturday's i heart market

Wow! The market was packed with people and stallholders and it was super awesome to be there. I am completely in love with the fact that almost everything is handmade and all so very original. Kudos to Anna and Saki for the concept of the market and for keeping it fresh.

So, I was supposed to be looking for gifts to go into my homemade Christmas crackers, but I ended up buying so much more. I bought:

This bib by Black Sheep for my friend's baby girl.

One of these paper heart chains from Hey Cherry

These beautiful words and phrases magnets from little mud hut designs

This Glad Tidings wood heart from Deidré Curren of Greenhouse Design
to decorate the centre of my Christmas wreath

And these, from iKhaya, are for my Christmas crackers

Wedding floral options

Denise at Freshly Found is sending off some of her beautiful origami flowers for someone's wedding - lucky girl that's having such a stylish wedding. When my florist let me down I went out and bought some fabric roses and made my own bouquet which turned out to be a perfect because they stayed "fresh" and I still have them as a beautiful reminder of the day. 

Stephen Fry 2,000,000 followers on Twitter

Take a look at The New Adventures of Stephen Fry and his open letter to his two millionth follower discussing Twitter.

Christmas and presents

The Christmas presents for the family and friends in South Africa are all done so no more braving the shops for me! Yippee!

Now the slightly more difficult task of choosing presents on the internet for my family overseas must begin.

Tea Party!

Hey, I think I'll wear my mad hatter's hat (just because I can) seeing as it's a tea party.

The ladies from The Thrift Collection (who are selling some 60's/70's clothes made by my mother-in-law  so I feel a special affinity) are having a Tea Party on Sat 11 December from 10am to 12noon in Churchill Road, Windermere, Durban. See image above for details or contact the lovely ladies: 

(E): thethriftcollection@gmail.com

(T): www.twitter.com/thethriftco

(B): http://thethriftcollection.blogspot.com

Their stall at the i heart market is just so perfect (these ladies have a real flair for vintage) and their prices are better than reasonable. So let them know if you'll be at the tea party and I'll see you there.

My favourite Christmas tree

Our Flamboyant tree has started to flower. I think the red flowers against the green foliage is perfect timing for Christmas, so for me they are Christmas trees. They are not indigenous to South Africa,  originally coming from Madagascar, but are now popular all over the world. You can find out their latin name and more on the eThekwini online site at this link: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/plants_index

Henchperson! Job advert.

Would you reply to a job advert for a henchperson? It brings to mind the type of assistant (named Igor) of a mad scientist. I would LOVE to answer this ad if only they were in South Africa!

http://www.adafruit.com/jobs/job/26/henchperson-at-evil-mad-science-llc/

Evil Mad Science LLC in Sunnyvale, CA 

Evil Mad Scientist seeks henchpersons.

Evil Mad Science LLC is a tiny company looking to expand. We need careful, detail-oriented people with an affinity for strange little robots and things that go blink in the night.

What do we do? We assemble kits, pack and ship, manage our web sites, talk to customers, perform various administrative tasks, design future products and refine current ones. And, we’re looking for several people that can each help us with (at least some part of) that rather large collection of stuff.

Can you do some of that? Located near (and/or willing to commute to) Sunnyvale California?

We’re open to hiring part time or full time, temporary or long-term. Experienced or intern. You should be willing to let us know what you like to do, what you’re good at, and let us train you on the rest. If you’ve got specialized skills (coding/designing/engineering/administrating/other), we may well be able to use them. Let us know.

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To go placidly

Posting the Holstee Manifesto reminded me of the poster that was on the back of by bedroom door while I was growing up. It's called the Desiderata (latin for 'desired things'), and was written by Max Ehrmann in 1927.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Earth as Art

Byrd Glacier, Antarctica

Sometimes I like being reminded that life in all its forms is utterly awesome. The image and text are from Wired Science

Truly a river of ice, Antarctica's relatively fast-moving Byrd Glacier courses through the Trans-Antarctic Mountains at a rate of 0.8 kilometers [0.5 miles] per year. More than 180 kilometers [112 miles] long, the glacier flows down from the polar plateau (left) to the Ross Ice Shelf (right). Long, sweeping flow lines are crossed in places by much shorter lines, which are deep cracks in the ice called crevasses. The conspicuous red patches indicate areas of exposed rock.

Image taken by Landsat 7 on Jan. 11, 2000

The Art of Getting Things Done

Getting things done is definitely an art - it involves intuition, creativity, timing and tenacity.

Have you heard of the "round tuit". It's a circular piece of paper/card/wood with text on it explaining that it is a "round tuit" and now that this one is yours, you can finally do all those tasks that you said you would do when you got a "round tuit".... a.k.a. "around to it". Unbelievably corny, I know. 

So this post is about getting things done because even though I have a round tuit, I always get frustrated when I don't get everything done. I have read the book by David Allen called "Getting Things Done" and it is an excellent motivational tool, well written and simple to follow and implement his ideas. Without intending to give away the whole book, one of the most simple and effective ideas put forward is that you should write everything down so that it doesn't stay in your mind and cause you stress - then all you need do is consult your written notes to find out what the things are that need to be done each day.

Well, I certainly write things down but this is mostly because if I haven't written them down it is very likely that I will forget them. I have a whiteboard in our study, a small whiteboard on the fridge, plus the pinboard pictured below. The pinboard is also a bit of a mood board because it also has images and newspaper articles that inspire me or that give info about things that I want to do, whether they are for now or for the long term. Then every now and then I have to "edit" the pinboard to see which dreams I still want to fulfill, which ones have passed their deadline and which ones no longer hold my interest.

This is the current, super-large version.

Both of the boards that are shown here were made from recycled materials so I'm quite proud of myself for doing that and not having to spend a cent at the shops. The newer, larger one was made from corrugated cardboard from a box that my husband had kept when he bought speakers. He helped me by cutting the layers of cardboard to the same size in his workshop (I have to admit to being a girl who doesn't know a radial arm saw from a jig saw so I can't tell you how he did it). Then we covered the cardboard using some left over fabric from when the lounge furniture was reupholstered.

This was the older, smaller version.

The smaller one was made with layers of quite thin corrugated cardboard and covered with the leg section of old pairs of black pantyhose. I initially though that the pantyhose would develop ladders in them when I used the pins to hold notices in place but they withstood the small piercings.

I use these boards to post notes about things that I have to get done, and depending on how good the resolution on my pics are, you might be able to pick out the Christmas note from my niece in the UK.

Update about the doggie

Do you realise, I'm becoming famous?

Thanks to everyone who read about and commented on the little paper doggie. I've dug a little deeper and now have more details to divulge.

My great aunt, who lived in Pietermaritzburg all her life, befriended a sailor who was recuperating at Oribi hospital after the war. His name was "Lofty" Ham. He would visit my aunt and on one visit brought this paper doggie as a gift for her. It may have been made by another sailor, we are not sure. The cigarette boxes that were used are Players Navycut 10's. The sailor on the box has been used to make the nose of our little dog. The doggie was passed on to my aunt and from her to my dad.

He's a little bit old now and is showing some signs of wear and tear. One little foot pad no longer has any of the original image left on the paper, another little leg is not as strong as the other three, and when you pick him up he is very light and delicate. Nevertheless it is clear that he is a terrier and we all know that terriers are known for their tenacity and strength so I'm certain he'll be with us for a long, long time.

Word Power

The words Peace, Love, Hope, Joy and Happiness as well as repetition of the image of a heart seem to me to be appearing everywhere I go and I'm wondering what that says about our culture and society today. It reinforces in my mind the idea that there is a power in words and images that we all recognise at some level.

My recent blog post about the Holstee manifesto and my fascination with the concept of word clouds has reminded me how much I enjoy words and language and I am wondering if I will ever get to put form to the many ideas that arc across the neurons in my brain.

In the beautiful words of John Keats...

"When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,

Before high pilèd books, in charact'ry,

Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;

When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,

And think that I may never live to trace

Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!

That I shall never look upon thee more,

Never have relish in the faery power

Of unreflecting love! - then on the shore

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think

Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

Astounding use of iPod apps

I got this link from a tweet from Big Concerts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAllFWSl998
I'm a complete Apple geek and I just love it when I see them being used by other people. See what the drummer is using as a surface for his iPod?

Holstee Manifesto

With thanks to Ask Ashe I've just read the Holstee Manifesto - check them out at www.Holstee.com they are inspiring and awesome. Here is the manifesto to entice you to look for more inspiring information.

Interconnectedness of all things

Origami-type folded paper terrier (circa 1945)

Rear view of paper folded terrier

The i heart market this weekend put so many ideas into my head and re-inforced so many concepts that were "seeding" in my mind. It reminded me of the Herman Mellville quote: "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibres connect us with our fellow men; and among these fibres as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes and they come back as effects"


The doggie in the pictures on the right belongs to my father. It was made by a sailor who was in hospital in Pietermaritzburg around the end of World War II. I was inspired to take these photos because I bought an origami paper weave bracelet from Denise at Freshly Found that reminded me of the folding technique on the dog.

I browsed to my heart's content and saw so many of my own ideas represented in various forms and bought some beautiful, original Christmas presents. I am so deeply moved by the large number of people who are making original products, often by hand. And others who are recycling in the most interesting and creative ways. The market feels like a haven of natural charm and simplicity. One of the stall-holders said a quick goodbye to the item I bought. It seemed that what had been created was like a child that was now being sent out into the world.


I wanted time to write down all of the things that had inspired me but alas, the weekend is truly over and I will have to find time to do it during the week.





*Update: I inadvertently misattributed the quote above. I've just found out via Wikipedia that the quote was not by Herman Mellville (an American novelist) but rather by Henry Melvill (Canon of St Paul's Cathedral)

Shoppinnnngggggg

Design/Concept: Dominic Strauss
Email: dom@d3online.co.za

This weekend (starting today) I'm planning a little Christmas browsing. Today I'll be visiting the Green with Envy Christmas Fair at 281 Vause Road, Durban and tomorrow the i heart market which promises to be even more exciting than last month.

Christmas is here

Christmas season is here again - there's no way to deny that there are now only 50 sleeps left until Christmas. So have you started your shopping (or at least gift ideas) list?


I have this plan for an advent calendar with a little gift for each of the 25 days leading up to Christmas but yesterday I was reminded that I'd better get started because there's not many days left between now and the first of December!



I really do try to get organised about Christmas but my favourite part is trawling the shops to find gifts that suit each person. It's always lovely to see what the shops have come up with as their gift ideas. Sometimes I get lucky and I find something perfect for someone specific a lot earlier in the year which spreads the expenses load.


I also (with some difficulty) try my best to be "green" at Christmas. Last year I revamped old decorations rather than buying new ones. I also used no bought wrapping paper but made my own from blank newsprint I had collected or I re-used old paper. This year I am planning to try stitching together images from magazines that I've collected to make sheets of paper that are big enough to wrap the gifts. I've also got a plan in my mind to make my own little table gifts instead of buying Christmas crackers because even the posh ones in the shops don't have very exciting treasures. My most coveted tree decorations are glass angels and baubles but I find that so many of these are "Made in China" that I don't want to buy them. It's not that I have anything against China specifically but the sweatshop stories that I've heard are often from China. More on that subject another time. I recommend the book "No Logo" by Naomi Klein.

Surfing Dbn SA

There's a guy who's a client of my husband's employer who stores his surfboard with said employer for use in Durban but lives in JHB! Co-operation and efficiency.

Oh what a wonderful holiday

Despite hailstones the size of marbles...

The necessity for a complete getaway took us to Cathedral Peak Hotel for a week. Just looking at their WeatherWebcam showing the tea garden and the mountains in the background proves it's a very restful place to get away from city life and daily worries.

On Monday night (1st November) there was a brief thunderstorm which developed into a hailstorm. We have a friend with a fantastic photo of a bolt of lightning and I was hoping we would get a chance to catch some similar images but the storm was over too quickly. Not that I mind about the rain stopping. My husband tends to get gloomy when he can't take photos.

I got the chance to catch up on some reading (biographies and the latest British Vogue) while my husband added almost 1000 photographs to his portfolio.

I know the break did me a lot of good. I feel as though some of the cobwebs in my brain have been cleared away. Now to set out my goals for the next few weeks and months...

Sigh...

Thanks to ikhaya I have found notonthehighstreet.com and having family in the UK and with the necessity of sending Christmas presents, this site is a treasure trove. I'm so excited about the hours of online shopping I am going to do. Just looking at their home page makes me sigh and go weak at the knees with excitement. Everything I see is a sample book of the kind of things I am in love with right now. My other favourite place to shop for presents for my family in the UK is Etsy.com

There was a time in my life when Christmas was a difficult time of year but some time ago I met someone who enjoyed the Christmas season with such vivacity that my attitude was changed. Now again, I experience joy in the time spent with family, the giving of gifts and the spirit of rejoicing that is synonymous with Christmas.

Guess what it is...

This does...

...this!

This strange looking little item is my eco stapler from the Natural History Museum in London (also seen them at the Science Museum). It's eco friendly because it uses no staples but just cuts, folds and tucks in a tiny section of the sheets of paper. Goodbye dangerous bits of metal in the carpet.

Sadly, it can only staple a maximum of three pages but it's unbelievably useful for receipts, printed reservations, emails (on the rare occasions that I print any) and stuff like that. Another nifty plus is that when the pages go into the recycling bin (or the shredder - avoid identity theft!) there's no need to remove the pesky staple. 

Woolworths being awesome

My thanks to Ask Ashe for showing what Woolies is doing for schools and the environment. Go to http://askashe.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/woolies-encourages-green-fingers/ or link directly to the Woolworths site at: http://www.woolworthslivingwall.co.za/

Just select an empty bottle, choose a seedling (pick a Basil, Spinach, Strawberry or Tomato plant), give them your name and email address to register and they will donate a real plant to a South African school with a permaculture food garden. You can see your virtual plant on the wall with your name on the bottle. And you can plant as many seedlings as you like! Woolworths is definitely leading the pack in developing an environmentally friendly company policy.

Good design

These Simply Lavender products were given to me by a friend and just LOOK at the barcode of the bottle on the left. I totally adore that kind of quirkiness in design - so subtle and so imaginative - perfect. They are made by a Durban-based company called the Good Stuff Co and they can be bought at Pick n Pay stores. You can tweet them at: www.twitter.com/goodstuffco or go to www.goodstuffandco.com

Yay, hooray!

Hooray hooray hooray! I've received my ring made by Karin Rae! 

I saw a ring like this on http://askashe.wordpress.com and fell in love. I looked on Dear Rae's site (http://www.dearrae.co.za) and couldn't find the same ring so I wrote and begged. I've waited three weeks because a new ring had to be made specially for me but it is every bit worth the wait. It was so beautifully packaged and fitted perfectly.

Every year since I turned 30 I've been buying a birthday present for myself (justifying an expense that would be unjustified any other way). This year the ring above was my present to myself and I couldn't have chosen anything better. 

I've always thought that birthdays are such a personal time so I always spend more time deciding on a birthday present for friends and family than I do on a Christmas present. And what better way to add joy to your birthday than to also include a present from yourself! After all, we often hear that we should "be your own best friend" and this is one of the truest little clichés because if we don't take care of ourselves, how will be in a position to take care of others.