365 days of Sea Point

I count my lucky stars for the day that I moved to Sea Point.  It was a fluke.  Martin got a post here, so we relocated.  Little did I realise that this would be one of the best things that would happen to me.... except maybe for the fact that I eventually closed Cupcake, the distance creating too much discourse in our family life as well as shop life.., being a little poorer financially, and having a morning job that I can't mention and so unlike me- though mostly still enjoy and also happen to be the 'Dominee-se-vrou'.

Other than that it is awesome.  The quirky and beautiful people, the promenade, the ocean, the pools, the retro restaurants, the mixture of cultures, the dives and the divas.  I walk or cycle or take the mini bus taxi.

You can be in the hustle and bustle of Main Road, take a side street down and enjoy the tranquillity of the sea front: from sunny clear calm days to a raging ocean, wave crashing into the promenade wall, splashing unsuspecting strollers or a creeping mist; the fog horn resonating in the distance.

People smile and say hello, from young skater kids to grannys hunched over walking sticks or David leaning against a postbox, trying to score a few pennies. I love my neighbourhood. It has style. Sea Point allows you to be you. It has made me a better person.  Does that make sense? 

Catherine Boyd also loves her hood, and with her photos brings us an image every day to remind us why we love it so much.  And for those of you that don't live here, you get to share snippets of our crazy, beautiful and inspiring part of the city:  The people, the sunsets, the architecture, activities, the things we no longer notice or never knew where there.

View more images and follow her page on facebook for your daily hit of Sea Point.  And more of her work at Catherine Boyd Photography.

For another 23 reasons to love Sea Point, read Darrel Bristow-Brovey 'In Praise of Sea Point'  which had me swooning.

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.