Monday, December 5, 2011

Bucket-list-achievements...


I don't like jogging. Is “hate” a too strong word? Cross trainers and me were not made for each other. Spending time inside a gym really doesn’t sound like fun at all and I really don't fancy those outfits… way too tight… way too "wannabe” and way too expensive! O, and gym hygiene… just thinking about it makes me feel sick! 

Obviously, one canavoid exercising for too long (it’s not good for the butt). So, about two years ago, I started doing modern and hip-hop dancing. Never did I think that exercising could be so much fun! And the extra bonus… I met wonderful girls. Itgreat spending time with them – my weekly tonic. 

strange thing I noticed: When youre at school, its easier to be good at something. I never ever had to worry about being good enough. Now that I’m older, I find this type of dancing a bit of a challenge! I was used to ballet… and the sad part… I never wanted to do ballet, I always wanted to be a modern dancer! So nothing came naturally when I first started. I felt spastic, silly and a bit irritated with myself for not finding the moves easy. All the dancing in my room (behind closed doors) as a school girl obviously didn't pay off. And all this time, I actually thought that I was pretty damn good!

Earlier this year, we started practicing for a concert and I decided to give it my all  make it one of my bucket-list-achievements. And yes, I do believe that bucket-list-achievements can be small too. To some of the girls it might have been nothing, but for me it was hectic! So, I didn't miss one practise, memorised the song, and my steps, basically, memorised everything about it. Today I feel proud to say that Ive had the privilege to achieve my goal. It was hard work, not to mention a lot of stress! Fitting in something so important to me, between work and traffic (two of my "obstacles"). And stess like: Will I remember my steps? Am I good enough? Will I be able to do this? 

Now the big question… What should I do with my costume? Fancy dress anyone?

Friday, November 18, 2011

Now and then…





Friends need a break from each other, a wife needs a break from her husband, mothers need a break from their children… This break shouldn't be spent like the movie Hall Pass portrays. No, it's needed to recharge; to realise just how much you miss that person you spend so much time with. But also to have fun, be silly, to laugh a lot… Not to make your own bed every morning! You need this time to forget about all the irritating stuff one just can't seem to cut out of your every day life… traffic, mobile phones, alarm clocks, routines, house chores… 

I feel lucky to be able to have times like these, even if it's just a quick coffee with girlfriends. Recently me and 4 of my girlfriends went to Bonnyvale for one whole weekend! We had lots of silly fun, to much food, excellent wine, crazy laughter and very interesting conversations. It is so amazing how only a weekend away 
can refresh your mind. 

Spending some time in the countryside made me realise again that I really want to live closer to nature. Imagine your house in a gravel street, with a huge portch, a fynbos garden, a view over vineyards, or the sea (really, I will not be too fussy!!!), massive fruit trees in the backyard, 5 dogs, 5 cats, a pond with ducks… 
I can get used to this idea.

This weekend away made me realise again that friends are very special, and spending time with unpretentious, down to earth, light hearted girlfriends are even more special. Sometimes I think that meeting another girlfriend is impossible, because I already have really GREAT girlfriends. But then, on this weekend, I met jet another special woman and all I can say is: 
I feel so incredibly blessed. 

Girlfriends, thank you for an incredible time! Can't wait for our next weekend away. :)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Tattoo



I think that Ive said this before, but I want to say it again… I LOVE tattoos!!! And if a friend or family member are interested in getting one, I get so excited – and obviously tell them that it will be one of the best decisions they could ever make. Lee-Ann, my sister in law, has taken the big step to get an awesome tattoo on her shoulder which extends onto her back. It looks absolutely lovely. She was so brave! Well done Pif, I am very proud of you. Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Kids


I love taking pictures of kids… especially if they don't really care about you pointing a camera in their direction. My favourite thing is to capture the little details and characteristics like long eyelashes, facial expressions, hands, feet, the look of deep concentration… And if theres food involved, it just makes it so much more fun, colorful and of course… messy!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Our PINK bathroom



Yes, unfortunately our main bathroom is pink. And yes, the question "What were you thinking?" crosses my mind quite often. So every time I light some candles and enjoy a long, relaxing bath, I stare at the pink bath, the pink toilet and the pink basin, and think… How can I make this eye-sore better? And one evening it just all made sense… Stop fighting it… Work with it! Add even more (brighter) pink and have a lot of fun! And I love the result! Just one problem… it doesn't really appeal to our male visitors, but who cares? Bath time is now much more fun!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dear Holiday


I find this letter very hard to write. I have been thinking about what I would say to you for months now. 
So here goes: 

It feels like a part of my heart has been ripped out of my chest. I don't understand where it all went wrong? Youve been so quiet, and I don't know if you feel the same, but I hope you do, because it will shatter me if all our wonderful memories were to be something of the past. Did I do something wrong? Did I say something that hurt your feelings? What happened? I feel that I need to fix our relationship. Even if I have to wait till December just to spend a week with you… I’ll do anything… it will be GREAT to be with you againJust know that I can't wait to spend time with you, and that Im ticking off every single day that goes by. Every day that goes by is one day closer to you!!! My love for you is indescribable.. oh, how I miss you! 

Lots of love…

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Kayamandi Township 2



Kayamandi Township 1





Going through all my photographes, I redisovered these. Xanele organised this lovely day about a year ago. We painted a crèche in the Kayamandi Township. Not only did the building end up with colourful paint, all of us (including the kids) had a full-colour day filled with fun!

Monday, September 12, 2011

West Coast




I’m in love with the West Coast. I was born there and would love to move back. The amazing smell of fresh salty sea breezes and fynbos. Everytime I visit the West Coast, I make time to just close my eyes and let my senses enjoy! It’s sad to admit, but as a child I took it all for granted – fresh air, soft sand and lazy days on the beach – a much calmer life than this one. What I wouldn’t give just to have that as part of my everyday life again… sigh! The memories, the innocence… but dreams can come true, so until then, I’ll keep on dreaming that soon, I’ll have my feet in the sand again!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Toddler-sitting...


Every now and then, Sarel and I are fortunate enough to baby-sit. I say fortunate because: 1. I see it as a practice run for when we have our own children. 2. I feel honored that our friends trust us with their children. 3. We love helping friends. 4. It reminds us to appreciate the free time we still have.

I have to admit that babysitting is a bit easier than toddler-sitting. All a baby basically needs is a full tummy, a clean nappy and a cuddle or two. And the bonus with a baby is that they can’t really move much. A toddler on the other hand, is a whole different story. One is a handful, but two toddlers – obviously added a whole lot of fun and adventure! I am very proud to announce that it went extremely well. I guess it helps a lot if children have excellent parents, because excellent parents = excellent children. I just have to add... there’s nothing uglier than a naughty child.

We had lots of fun, giggles and games. Glitter and nail polish everywhere!!! The foam in the bath almost ended up against the ceiling! And we had a lot of questions... The “but why” questions are their favorites. Sarel and I had to laugh at each other because of all the creative answers... They really picked our brains... Ha ha!

Such fun!!!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Anke’s room...


...finally done and dusted!

Im very happy with the end result. And again, I had so much fun – playing and painting. This is also proof of how inexpensive changes to your interior can be. Just a few canvasses, a brush and fun ideas!

So now my next mission... Getting the Londoners to Cape Town so I can help Steph with a beautiful nursery for little Lily. :)

Our new "pet"!!!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

New life...


Every time one of my friends give birth to a precious baby, I get more excited about having my own children one day. I used to fear the birthing process, but as I get more “ready” to start my own family, I actually look forward to it.

The idea of giving birth goes through my mind quite often and I love reading birth stories. I see it as a precious gift that God gave women to experience with their partners. An experience still waiting for me one special day. Some days I wonder in which month I’ll give birth... And, will it be a cold, rainy day, or will it be a warm, sunny day? Well, if I can have it my way, I hope that it will be a very cold day in winter... Late in winter (as if one can be fussy about stuff like that!). I can imagine how wonderful it must feel to cuddle with your baby on a cold day... Ok, obviously I have the more “glamorous”, edited version in my head.

But don’t worry, I am very aware of the unedited version. I’m a very strong believer that one should say it as it is... Say what you really feel. If you have a bad day, tell someone. We don’t live in a perfect world, so there is no way that every day can be perfect. If you share what you feel, people and friends can relate with you, because they experience something similar – it will actually make your day seem brighter...

So yes, it is a wonderful experience to have your own children, but obviously nothing can always be glamorous like celebs make it out to be... No stress, no fuss. A pregnant woman’s figure is something extremely beautiful. I can imagine how awesome it must be not to worry about pulling your stomach in when you wear tight clothing! But what do people don’t tell you? You might get stretch marks... I’ve seen some really bad ones. Your boobs will never be the same... Bye bye perkies :( And how do you get rid of all the baby fat after birth? The worst is when people ask you about when your due date is – after you’ve given birth!!! Ouch!!!

And the actual birth process... I can’t image how excited one must be when your water brakes and you realise; The time has come, today I will meet our baby!
But how do you cope with the pain of the contractions? How do you know if you will be able to handle it? Well, I suppose you don’t know – the idea you have in your head before you give birth is completely different after you’ve actually given birth. And when the baby is finally there, I imagine that there will be moments when you wish that it was still in your stomach... And how do you get a human being so small and fragile to grow up and be healthy? How do start to protect them from... EVERYTHING?

What I believe is that this experience is something one would never swap for anything on earth and whatever “bad” happens during pregnancy (stretch marks, floppy belly, massive nipples, etc...), birth (farting, crying, “roaring”, etc...), parenthood (no sleep, paranoia, more crying, etc...)... It will all be worth it when you look into your own child’s eyes.


So Steph and Marchand... Congratulations on your first baby girl! I can only imagine how amazing/crazy/precious your past few days must have been. Enjoy every moment with her, take all your napping opportunities, and take a lot of pictures! We can’t wait to meet her in December.

All our love!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

On my mind today...





• I don’t like the word “hate”. I don’t like using it... It feels like bad karma, but I really hate rushing against time!

• Step 1: Girlfriend + boyfriend (NO SEX); Step 2: Engagement (NO SEX); Step 3: Wedding (and all of a sudden... A LOT OF SEX); Step 4: Kids... Who said that this is the “right” order for things to happen? And if you do dare to step our of this order... BAD PERSON! YOU ARE GOING TO HELL! How sad! (Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest... Phew!)

• I love downloading free stuff!!! Oooo...

• Squirrels are so cute!

Tretchikoff...



Some days you wake up and think, a new day, just another, normal, new day...

Luckily, I’m one of those people who tries to live everyday at its fullest. Some days I feel a bit frustrated because I feel like people around me restrict me from achieving this mission and it really upsets me. Just to put it clearly.... It’s not like I wake up every morning and feel like I need to change the world... or my world.

Luckily I have a few friends who share the same passions. I feel that it is very important to spend time with these individuals – to enrich my life... Leaving me satisfied without really doing much at the end of the day.

Saturday was one of those days. It started with sleeping a little late... Well, till 11:00. I know, that’s bad, but I felt like I needed it. (And I am doing this, because, one day when we have kids there will be no sleeping late for years!!!) Then I met Joni in town for lunch (at an awesome little restaurant, but that is a whole other story).

After lunch we went to the Iziko Gallery to view some Tretchikoff... The People’s Painter. O my goodness, his art is fantastic, vibrant and so colourfull. Especially the paintings of Lenka really intrigued me. I want to know more about their history together. One can feel his passion he had for her through his paintings. He must have been more than just mesmerised by her beauty. Other favorites are: Lady from Orient, The Chinese Girl, Balinese Girl, Self Portrait, Blue Monday and Rainy Day... And he mastered the water drop! So my next gift to myself will be the biography of this wonderful artist.

And after every visit to an art gallery with an exceptional exhibition, I feel like I want to repaint the world. This really inspired me so I tackled a painting (of a spitfire airoplane) I started in 2004 already and miraculously finished it within 3 hours!!! Does this make any sense? I leave a painting for 7 years and then finish it in 3 hours time! Well, all I needed was a little drop of Tretchikoff colour in my life.

“Express your passion.
Do what you love.
No matter what.”
Tretchikoff

The birth of another little monster!

My new favorite mug!


Friday, June 17, 2011

To my dad...

On my mind today...


• I feel inspired to start, yet another, new painting.
• I also want another tattoo – but sharing a “friendship tattoo” with a very special friend... Anyone keen?
• I wonder if I’ll ever regret any of my tattoo’s?
• Who cares! Just imagine Bianca in an old age home! Rocking!
• I love kitsch and cool drinking glasses. 80’s prints are the best!
• I miss my friend René and hope she’s having a wonderful time.
• Will my first child be a boy?
• I love the name Elliot.
• I crave expensive pizza – Mama Roma makes awesome pizza… everything fresh and delish!