hello! i am still away on holiday, but i thought i’d let you know (if you don’t follow me on twitter or instagram) that Anton and i got engaged yesterday! we got up at 5am to go watch the sun rise over the sea from the cliffs at Kei. i jumped out of the car as soon as we got there to snap some pics on my iPhone, like a true instagram nerd, and when i turned around to look at him he asked… and I said yes. oh, what a feeling.
we drank some champagne and i quickly downloaded an app so we could take a self timed photo (the reception was really great on that hill) and then some curious Nguni cattle came to witness the whole thing. it was the most amazing morning, and we are still in a glorious, happy daze.
i will be back in the swing of things from next week. hope that everyone had a great holiday season, looking forward to the year to come!
this post is bittersweet because on the one hand i am on holiday (yes!!) but on the other hand it means i will be taking a break from the blog for a couple of weeks. we are road tripping up to the wild coast – a pretty unspoiled part of the country that i am really, really eager to explore over Christmas and new years. usually i keep the blog running during the holiday break, but we will have little to no internet access (actually we’ll hardly have cellphone reception, which is pretty nice) – so i decided that for once i’m going to take an actual break. i’m sure that everyone can relate at this time of the year, you just want to get away from it all right?
but you can still enter the Cardigan giveaway that is running until next monday! and when you’ve done that you can explore almost 4 years of archives that are at your fingertips (or mouse click, whatever).
i’ll leave you with some of my favourite posts of the year. have a wonderful holiday season! see you in 2013.
Monday 17 December, 2012 / Fashion / Comments are closed
you may remember the last wildly popular giveaway i did with NY based knitwear brand Cardigan – well here’s your chance to enter another! and this time we’re giving the guys a chance to get their hands on some too :)
A Cardigan can change an outfit in an instant, dress you up or dress you down, and most of all keep you warm. It can be worn as a sweater, jacket, suiting, or outerwear. There’s the everyday staple, the beat up favorite, and the one we wish we could replicate or buy instantaneously in every color. Cardigans are timeless and sentimental.Cardigan by Lynne Hiriak is a singular knitwear concept dedicated to the eponymous item. While designing for the likes of Michael Kors, Derek Lam and other well respected global brands, one constant remained—the request for more cardigans. Cardigan intends to explore and push the boundaries of one limitless item.
i’m lucky enough to have a few Cardigan pieces in my cupboard, and they are true staples of wonderful quality. here are some of my personal favourites… (tough to choose just 4, so i’m sure you will have trouble choosing just ONE).
this will be my last giveaway for 2012 - GOOD LUCK!
this giveaway is open to all readers worldwide, but if you are outside the US your package might be subject to your country’s import duties / taxes. giveaway closes Monday 24 December, winner will be drawn at random. if you already like Cardiagn on Facebook you’re still eligible for the giveaway. if you don’t have Facebook just leave a comment telling me what your favourite item is.
these ceramic Ghosts by Anders Arhøj & Louise Gaarmann simply stole my heart – it’s amazing how you can paint a set of eyes on something and suddenly they’re adorable little creatures.
Based on the ideas of the Japanese Shinto religion believing that everything in nature has a soul – a mountain rock, a plant, a pebble on the beach – Anders Arhøj & Louise Gaarmann designed a wide range of ceramic figures and blew life into them. The small Ghosts inhabit your living space and are useful for many things – paper weights, door stoppers, toys, wedding ring holders, kitchen talismans or as company on a lonely night with no friends around to talk to. Each Ghost is unique, hand thrown in earthenware, hand glazed, hand decorated and low-fired in the kiln three times.
if you’re a reader of design & decor blogs or blogs of any kind really (and i assume you are because, well, you’re here) then you’ll probably be familiar with Skinny Laminx. Heather’s wonderful textile & design work is one of our proudest south african exports – and she’s based right here in Cape Town which makes me doubly proud because our city is rad, huh?
so if you follow Skinny Laminx on twitter or facebook you might have seen that their shop on Bree Street is celebrating its first birthday this week. Heather mailed me a little while ago with a cool idea to make a special music mix for the shop in celebration of their birthday (and to spice up the shop’s playlist, which is currently made up of a lot of songs from my mixes – rad!) and i jumped at the chance because i can’t resist a great mix.
but that’s not all. in the spirit of celebration and giving, the Skinny laMix comes with a bonus GIVEAWAY! Heather is giving one lucky reader an Alexander Sack in Pollen Pebble Print (say that three times fast) as pictured above. all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what your favourite song is at the moment. i’ll be closing the giveaway & drawing a winner at random on Monday 17 December, so get commenting!
as for what inspired the mix itself, Heather gave me a pretty great brief:
I’m a sucker for beardy, Byrdsy men on a harmony, lanky boys with hair in their eyes doing something jangly, and sunny girls singing about trees. You know the kind of thing.
if you’re after more Skinny Laminx: international readers can shop at etsy, and south africans can order at her local online shop or visit the shop on Bree Street. i have had my eyes on her rough diamond cushion for some time now… oh and i couldn’t end this post without showing you the cute video made to celebrate their birthday:
* click on free download. close the pop up window, if there is one, and wait a few seconds before entering a captcha code to start the download. here’s an alternative download link. same drill: click on free download, close the pop up window if there is one, click the download link again on the next page. you might have to wait a few seconds before it starts downloading.
