Life's too damn short

Last night I decided to make some important lists of things to remember for my overseas holiday… when the visas are done and the flights + accommodation are all paid for, the final thing every A-type personality does is make some more lists. Just to be sure.

I started to think back to my last overseas trip in October 2010 and of an experience that I will never forget, for all the wrong reasons!

Thanks to the French train staff strike, we were stranded in Paris for the day. We had been scheduled to take a train down to Nice, but the Parisians decided, on that day, it was time to show their dissatisfaction with the retirement age being raised.

This all happened 2 hours after my wallet was stolen on another train, traveling through Brussels.

Having lost a credit card and few Euros in the process, and filled with concern about whether we would have to pay for new trains, spend an extra night in Paris etc, I spent the entire day completely stressed out, and didn’t want to “waste” money on coffee, food, wine… I know, right? Me… not wanting to waste money one wine! How ridiculous. What can I say; I was young(er) and clearly insane!

What struck me last night was that I was given an entire extra 12 hours in Paris. Paris! The most amazing, thrilling, enchanting city! And I completely wasted it!

We had spent the first few days of our trip in Paris and they were magical. Then, a subconscious genie granted a wish I didn’t even know that I had, and we were given a small window of extra Paris-time which I squandered, waiting for the next leg of our trip to start. Concerned with what was to come, I totally missed the gift I had been given. Looking back, I cannot help but kick myself for how foolish that was!

Luckily, we live and we learn, so, I have decided that as I count down the days until my next trip, I outright refuse to waste a single second while I am in Amsterdam and Spain. From the moment I close my laptop next week Thursday, I am 100% committed to living in each and every moment that my vacation grants me! I am going to soak up every second, make the most of the up’s and the down’s and find joy in the inevitable delays that come with travel.

After all, you never know what amazing parallel opportunities arise from unexpected changes to “the plan”. Isn’t that usually when the most memorable moments are created?

I like to think so. x

Paris is just the best! - Images, my own. 

They say it’s the little things..

Today, after some post-work shopping at the Waterfront, I was reminded of something small, yet awesome, that made me smile. After waiting near the Pick ‘n Pay lift for what felt likes ages, with shopping bags loaded around me like a mountain Sherpa, I was greeted by one of the staff in the lift, who offered me an empty trolley into which to load my belongings. His toothless grin smiled from ear to ear, and as he would have to follow me down to the basement to bring the trolley back up, his help was especially super! I gave him my last coins to say thanks. After the lift doors closed, I realised I had to put a fifty rand note into the parking machine and would get who-knows-how-many coins back… I swore under my breath!

Then, low and behold, the intelligent machine gave me back notes… real, live, crispy, South African notes (I hate coins btw!). A sign… firstly that technology is moving forward even in the pay-parking space. And secondly, that if I had held onto my coins because of something as silly as not wanting to end up with a wad of change, I would have done so in vain!

So, Yay all round!

Driving home in the dark and the rain, I thought back on how so many tiny things aggravated me in the day and how silly these things actually are! I poured myself a big glass of red vino when I got home, ran a hot bubble bath and enjoyed a massive amount of visual awesomeness on Pinterest, followed by a DIY mani, pedi, some light reading and a chocolate mousse!

Taking some time to chillax, and soaking up the little things, can make all the difference!

I hope there have been many little things that have made your day just as wonderful!

x

In the spirit of little things, I finished this teeny tiny DIY canvas last night - two little love birds.
Image & artwork: My own 

TGI-Fabulous-Friday!

Wow, what a week. How can we be in the 6^th month of 2012 already? This year is flying by. And with so many wonderful things to fill the time with, it’s not at all surprising.

This weekend promises nothing but excitement. A birthday dinner & drinks at Blake’s tonight, such a swanky watering hole always brings with it some fun surprises. And tomorrow, the fiancé and I are taking a drive up the N2 to view three out-of-town wedding venues. I cannot wait! 3 weeks of online searches and 2 and a half weeks of some serious analyses of all of the pro’s, con’s and extra points for all round fabulousness… and we have the top 3 out-of-town locations. Let’s hope they are as wonderful as they appear online.

Who knows, maybe if we find “the one”, we can pop the magnum bottle of Moet the lovely team at my office gave us to say congrats…

Any super venue suggestions welcome, and encouraged ;)

Our Magnum Bottle of Awesome - Image: My Own

Have a magic weekend x 

Trinket DIY…

So, I decided to get busy with some cute DIY items for the French themed engagement party… after a mammoth bunting session on Sunday with Joey & Annie, I have decorated some mason jars and covered every available surface in chalk board paint.

I also found these sweet love birds on Saturday – they have found a new home in my grey bird cage….

My new favourite way to spend these chilly winter evenings is definitely accompanied by a big glass of red wine and some rewarding crafts… who knew? 

PS Champagne, I have not deserted you, I am saving you for the 9th ;) 

French Theme - Image: Pinterest

Pretty Mason Jar - Image: My own

Caged Love Birds - Image: My own

LOVE LOVE LOVE Chalk board paint! - Image: My Own

Its pre-pay-day, what is a girl to do?

Bake! Well that’s what I decided to fill my please-let-me-get-that-midnight-sms evening with.

There is something special about the hours before you get paid. I, being overly cautious when it comes to debt, don’t like to dip into next month’s money when it isn’t quite mine yet. So I decided that tonight, I would occupy myself in my kitchen, instead of out on the town. And the timing could not have been better – inspired after a delicious Mount Nelson High Tea yesterday, and armed with a red velvet cupcake recipe from one of my most talented friends, as well as always dreaming of making my own sumptuous crimson petit fours – all the stars were aligned.  

I popped out during lunch to get all the ingredients, including a new mixer (ok, so I know I said I am pre-pay-day, but a new mixer is an investment, especially if I stick to my guns and become a serious baker). The ingredients room-temperaturised themselves in my boot while my afternoon of emails, powerpoint and excel flew by, and when I arrived home at 5:30pm, the adventure began.

I, for the first time in my entire life, followed the recipe like a bomb instruction manual, not leaving anything to chance. I already had my bad baking luck and temperamental oven to contend with, why make matters worse? As my eggs came straight from the fridge (apparently a baking no-no), they required some downtime on my kitchen counter, so I started on the icing. After consuming enough of it to send most people into a diabetic coma, I refrigerated the rest, thoroughly cleaned all the utensils, and started on the cake mix.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Thanks Phil Dunphy.

Resting..... Image: My Own

In the end, after giving the fiancé the bowel, the mixing thingies (what is the real name?) and every red velvet dipped utensil to lick, I watched as my pretties rose in the oven. They say a watched cake never rises. Bullshit! I watched those mofo’s like they were my babies on their first date. And they made me proud!

And when the say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, they were not kidding!

There were 24, 19 still remain! I fully plan to be on single digits by tomorrow (with help from a dinner at my good friend, Lo).

All in all, a great pre-pay-day tradition - Bake something sumptuous, devour as much as you can, and wake up with (hopefully) a new month’s salary in your account. I can so do this 12 times a year!

Auto-bots, Assemble! My Army of Awesome!
Image: My Own 

If you would like to give these puppies a try, visit this amazing blog Little Kitchen for the recipe. Thanks Carey! x 

Face masks can be fabulous.

All this planning has given me the most annoying case of insomnia. Every morning this week, I have woken up at precisely 2am, my mind racing with several simultaneous thoughts. I am generally awake till just after 5am, which, coincidentally is an hour before I should be getting up for gym. I stress “should” because it has been unsuccessful!

Finally, on this, the 4^th morning in a row of requiring 3 cups of coffee to wake up, I decided I am going to treat myself to a Jamie-night. Hot bubble bath, red wine, take-out, my book and all the Pinterest possibilities that a few hours can bring… it’s safe it use your iPad in the bath, right? if my next post is about “never using you iPad in the bath”, then assume I was wrong ;)

Must-have - Source: Pinterest

Soon to be Bon Voyage.

tasty treats = inspiration. source: pinterest

Having just returned from high tea at the Mount Nelson (Thanks BBC) and feeling suitably inspired, I thought I would post some more reasons to smile. There is something about eating the tiniest versions of the tastiest treats, while sipping on some bubbles, that inspires creativity.  

Engagement party plans are underway, thanks to the amazing talents of my closest friends… and the date is set. The best part about the planning is that I have something to keep my mind off our impending trip to Europe – if I wasn’t planning a party, I would be pinning bikinis and white sandy beaches...

In 3 weeks, the fiancé and I, and four fab friends will be jetting off to the Netherlands and Spain. Having seen France and Italy in 2010, we decided it was high time to spend a few weeks in Spain over their summer. Two years of planning and saving, and off we go… If I come back with a tan, while everyone is covered from neck to toe in warm winter attire, it will be the first time I have ever been a shade darker than almost everyone I know.

The flights and accommodation are booked, and we had a final “meeting” last night to discuss the (very important) details - what to pack, and what to get done before D-day.

Needless to say - thoroughly excited!