Field of trees

Baked some thank you star cupcakes for Hilda recently after she kindly offered us their very quaint cottage in Wellington, besides a river bank, for an evening.  Their little weekend getaway and a plot for her to plant many varieties of indigenous trees.  A little big dream that has come true.  We should all have dreams about planting trees...

 We felt like Hansel & Gretel in a magical miniature forest.

suitcase light

My friend Zanmari can make something from nothing, or something amazing from stuff we may just store in a cupboard or donate.  Always tinkering, always imagining, always collecting, a magician with a needle, thread and scraps of fabric.  I just love this wall light that she recently made for her friend Terri, "The birds around us."  Keep track of all her creations on her facebook page: Hint of Mockery

The fox and vixen: hair extraordinaires

I am intimidated by hair salons.  They are either too zooshy or just too trendy for me.  Or too scary.  But I think at the tender age of thirty (one) things may be changing for me.  A little while ago, strolling up (and up) Kloof treet, I happened to stumble across the quaintest and lovely vintage style hair extraodanaires, The Fox and Vixen. 

Now anybody who has put two and two together would realise, I am slightly, currently just a little bit unemployed, and cannot not, definitely not, afford such luxuries as professional hair styling.  But.  Maybe. Sell a couple of prams on gumtree, and maybe, just maybe I can use a little bit to tame my hair.  And rid myself of that two tone affect that has occurred after trying to go blonder a few months ago.  Don't think I will try that again.  And the slight pink tones that I had acquired trying to rectify said two tone.  I needed a professional.

I have always loved all the very old school hair salons that dot the main road I live on in Sea Point. They are scattered between the more trendy new salons and african braiding salons.  And I will one day when I have a real camera, and some training, photograph them all.  Now having always wanted to try one of these salons, having only ventured into Roberto's Barber Shop for a fringe trim twice, where the lady stylists insisted I layer my hair more, and fizz out the curls... I could not dare attempt a tint, fearing I may come out with a purple rinse.

Gina has made my desire possible to have my hair done in a vintage style hair salon, with all the modern trimming.  The premises has been either a hair salon or barber shop since the fifties.  Prior to Gina's, the Fox and Vixen, it was the Vanity Box.   And there is a lady stylist who has worked there since a different era ( I think her name is Lauren) and who still tames the hair of the elderly who have been going there for a life time.

Jesse Kramer photograph

The original hairdryers still hang above each station, and add a quirky edge.  Floral printed lazy boys to lie in at the wash station.  Retro edged floral scatter cushions to feed the eyes. I felt so comfortatable, yet in awe.  Gina is so cool, with her horn rimmed specs and unassuming manner, and she makes you feel welcome, that you are visiting an extension of her home.

I was a bit nervous when Samantha, my stylist, was very new and quite young, having left her former life in jo'burg for cape town just 2 months prior.  But she did and awesome job.  I am again a dark brunette, and feel like me again.  And Martin loves it!  oh, and ps... rather well priced.

leg warmers for Livi

I tried my hand at a bit of knitting this last week.  It has been years.  When I got to the end of the first leg warmer, I literally had to google how to cast off.  I sat there looking at needles, completely stumped.  The knitting and the purling where old hat (i knitted a lot as a kid... boring holidays in small mining town), but shoo, ask me to cast off and you may as well as have asked me to fix a carborator... i don't even know what a carborator is.  I know now. How to cast off, not a carborator.

So these were pretty easy.  I have one pair of knitting needles, size 4.  And a whole lot of double knit wool, that I have collected over the years.  I keep buying wool, with these admirable projects in mind.  Which i never complete, or even begin.   So here is to new beginnings.

This fits Liv who is now 4.  I would guess that these would fit a child between the ages of 3 and 6.  Though they do fit sophie lou, who is only 1 1/2, but she is a little chunky around the calf.

cast on 40 stitches.
(If you have 3.5 needle, it seems suggested to do you ribbing on a smaller needle)
10 rows rib: 1 stitch knit, 1 stitch purl

(change to size 4 needle, if ribbing with 3.5 needles)

50 rows alt 1 row knit, 1 row purl
6 rows rib 1 knit, 1 purl (on 3.5 needles if you did so for the previous ribbing)

cast off!

I then embroidered some flowers.  just 3 scattered on each leg warmer.  This was a first for me, and it was pretty easy.

knitting & crocheting for charity

I have eventually gathered up enough pennies to order wool for our crochet project!  So by next week this time, hopefully the project will be under way... we are starting off small with members of the three anchor bay dutch reformed church teaching crochet, learning to crochet and crocheting granny squares to make blankets for all the many babies born in their congregation.  Crocheting at home and meeting for tea to crochet together.  The idea is to eventually have enough people on board to crochet blankets for orphans, children of those less fortunate, and hospital baby wards.  As well as set up functions where the craft of crochet can be taught and enjoyed.  If you have wool that you would like to donate to these bigger projects, let me know.

Knit-a-row-and-go.  I had heard a rumour about this project, and I was so excited to see it in action yesterday when I went the hair salon, The Fox and the Vixen.  When the stylists and customers had nothing to do, waiting for hair to set, the knitting was whipped out.  The premiss here is that there are wool and needles in spaces such as hair salons, waiting rooms and coffee shops, where you can pick up the knitting, add a few rows and leave it for the next knitter who happens to be passing by.  What are they knititing? 1000 Blankets for orphanages and places of safety for abandoned children.  This project gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, and well done to everyone who has contributed and created it.

homemade crunchies

Yummy, crispy, crumbly crunchies.  There should always be a jar of these on  the kitchen counter.  Only problem is that they don't seem to last very long, but they are great for in between snacks, with tea  or coffee, lunch boxes or crumbled over greek yoghurt with honey.   Except I seem to be nibbling on one more often then not!  At least you can make them in a jiffy.  We had these in cupcake, right from the beginning: packets on the shelf and a jar on the counter, and fear the day we slipped and the jar ran empty!

ingredients:

250 g butter

3 cups rolled oats*

1cup flour

1 cup castor sugar

1 cup coconut

1Tbs golden syrup

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

*you can substitute 1 cup of oats for sunflower seeds, if you want a seedy version.  Maybe a tad healthier.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, except for the bicarb.

In a pot, on the stove, melt the butter, syrup and bicarb, until mixture and till it becomes frothy.

Pour over the dry ingredients and mix together with a spoon, until well combined.

Smear your baking tray with butter, and toss your crunchie mixture in.  

The baking tray I used was 28 x 39 cm. If yours is a little smaller, that will be fine, else, if your trays are much smaller, divide the mixture in two and spread over two smaller trays.

This is where you get your fingers sticky and lick them clean!

Flatten the crunchie dough with your hands till evenly spread.

And pop in the oven for about 30 min or until golden brown.

Cut into desired size as soon as you take it out the oven, (don't burn your fingers!) and then leave to cool in the tray.

Keep fresh in an air tight container.

bunting party cake

wow. I am a lucky, lucky girl! (as olivia would say..)  Nicky van Eck and Romi Stern decided to collaborate with me and do a party decor and kid's fashion shoot, for fun and portofolio work.  It was manic.  It was fun.  It was exciting.  It was a little eye bulging.  And I need to remember to eat.  Kids, ours and models, models' moms, Melissa on hair and make up, Romi the incredible photographer, Shane assisting Romi (& carrying tables and holding ladders for me), inspiring Nicky the Fashion Stylist and me, Decor and Event Stylist (hee hee)...  We were tripping over each other and chasing after the best light for every magical & dreamy shot.

These are just two shots of the cake I took myself with my handy iphone..   and to Nicky... thank you! thank you! thank you! for making a dream come true.

The Yard Sale

Some people came from far, and others just happened to be strolling by. The day was sunny and warm beneath the dappled shade of the trees.  There were over twenty stalls, displaying their wares, and there were smiles all around.  It was a relaxed and happy day, with many people from the community and the surrounds enjoying the market.  

I bought the cutest vanity bag and a watch from 1961... all for a steal... ooh and the pelican egg cups.  I got to know people I pass often on the street, and met others for the first time, who live up the road.  And a new friend for Liv.  And it's amazing how many pennies can be made from selling stuff you no longer need or don't want.  And it felt nice being able to give people a lovely setting and the opportunity to sell their stuff, whether old, or homemade or food.

If you would like to be kept up to date with future markets... I want to do a kiddies market and a local gift market too, drop me a mail or 'like' our facebook page.

See you at the next market!