Shopgirl

Classic in Stellenbosch

This past weekend we decided to head to Stellenbosch for one of the best birthday dinners I have ever had at the Hussar Grill. I digress, but you’ve got to try their Truffle Mushroom Fillet as it is the best I’ve ever had.

As it was a particularly chilly evening I reached for my trusty grey Melton coat and a pair of skinny cords, but incorporated a few old favourites to jazz it up a bit. A classic bag like this leather quilted one and dressy shoes instantly add a touch of sophistication. I just finished it with a red lip and silk blouse and felt like a real Parisienne (minus the stripes and baguette).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies, but it’s pretty difficult to find some store bought ones that are perfect. I hate it when it tastes of margarine or isn’t crispy enough. Seeing as they don’t stock FOX biscuits in SA anymore (their choc chip is the best), I decided to try and recreate them. I was slightly disappointed in Woolworths’ ‘Chocolate chips’ (as they clearly took the name a bit literally), but they were still satisfactory. I just prefer larger chunks of chocolate, so next time I’ll hunt down the real thing.

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100 g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips (dark & milk)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180*C and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper and Spray & Cook.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the egg and mix it in.
Combine the flour,choc chips and butter mixture in an electric mixer or rub it in.
Once it resembles wet sea sand, start compressing it into a ball.
Divide into equal sized balls and press flat in the palm of you hands and arrange on baking tray.
Bake for about 15 min or until golden brown before letting cool on a wire rack.

Winter Hiking Style

I love hiking and Cape Town has some of the best routes to offer, but one of my favourites is to traverse the Franschoek mountains during the winter months when the peaks are all snow covered. It really is the only way we Capetonians can experience a white winter. When hiking comfort is as important, or dare I say even more than style. I like the middle I’ve found that doesn’t require a completely new closet just for a once-a-year activity yet is completely comfortableand suitable for the activity.

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This is the basic formula I follow when dressing for a hike during the colder months. I like the idea of layering so that pieces can be removed or added during the day ensuring you never over heat or get cold.

The biggest investment to make for this sport are proper hiking shoes such as these Salomon trail running ones. I prefer trail running shoes as opposed to hiking boots as they are generally lighter and provide more traction where hiking boots mainly focus on stability.

I also prefer to wear loose-fitting jeans when it is a relaxed hike as they are warmer than running leggings and denim is more durable when you do slide on your bum.

Other than that I like a fitted parka for protection from the elements, matching accessories, stylish sunglasses and a large yet comfortable backpack to fill up with water and food supplies.

Enjoy your hiking trip!

What I bought and loved: Part 1

Hi guys, so this is a new series I've been thinking about for a while. I won't follow a set schedule for this series as I just shop when I find things I like and it's usually pretty random, but I'll try to update you whenever I do find something I want to share with you.

I'm kick starting this series with a few of my favourite buys in anticipation for starting my new job. I might as well call this a Mr Price haul as the majority of items are from them. Their buyers have really been on winning streak of late. Keep up the good work! As you can see I'm really feeling the monochromatic and nude colour schemes and I've finally come around to buying a few key autumn/winter pieces.

Ankle boots are going to be major this season-think over-the-knee boots last winter, but much more practical! I have always loved Country Road shoes but the price tag is somewhat off-putting, so imagine how happy I was at finding these at Truworths. They're a dead ringer for Country Road's Tayla Ankle Boot for less than half the price. Obviously it isn't real leather though but as it's a trendier piece I'm not bothered.

I love shell tops and this blush one from Mr Price is super flattering and surprisingly I also really like the neckline detail. It adds definition without being too OTT. The black and white trim top has one of my favourite features- a Peter Pan collar. So naturally I couldn't resist. Both were priced at R69,99 from Mr Price.

I kind of always need belts to keep my pant looking neat (the joys of being pear shaped in a world of apples) so this two-pack from MrP is great. It features a light rose gold buckle and is somewhere between a skinny and regular belt (just perfect). The nude is ideal for white or other lighter pants whilst the black is a staple for winter wardrobes. I am so glad my mother spotted this for me and at R50 it's a bargain!

Finally I also bought a very basic tapered black pants from Mr Price and a round-neck knit in melange at R180 (from Edgars) that's great for layering.

April Favourites

Hi everyone! I’m back today and sharing my April favourites. I know it’s weird to do it this way around- sharing my favourites for the month ahead rather than the previous one, but it’s all part of focusing on the future instead of always reminiscing about the past.

This month it’s Easter so there are plenty of public holidays and it’s my other half’s birthday month, so I’ve got a lot planned including tickets to see Swan Lake with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra which I’m REALLY excited about (seriously I don’t think anyone should be this excited about the ballet). I’m also starting a new job, but I don’t think it will interfere with my posting schedule too much as I’ve already got a lot planned and scheduled.

Colder temperatures do however mean a change in diet and outdoor activities. Whilst I’m hoping for a few more sunny days I’m fully prepared for the coming showers, snuggles with my fur baby, hot chocolate and tons of choc chip biscuits (which I’ve weirdly been craving these past few weeks). I’m also planning on catching up on some DIY projects and spending Easter weekend with friends and family.

In case you didn’t realise, I’m kinda obsessed with golden glitter and sequins hence the beautiful tutorial from A Beautiful Mess and the glittery eyes.

What are you looking forward to this April? Any exciting plans?

Essence Colour & Go Nail Polishes

I love to try new nail polishes and these new colours from Essence’s Colour & Go collection have not disappointed! I couldn’t pass up these beautiful colours at the affordable price of R27 each (Clicks & Dischem). I’ll admit the packaging isn’t as pretty as say Essie’s but for almost a R100 in price difference I can forgive the packaging. I like the flat rounded brush of the polish as it makes it easy to achieve a natural curve near the cuticle. I also found the consistency of both polishes to be perfect-as in not tacky or runny but this obviously depends on the colour. Both shades only required two coats to make it completely opaque but I did find that on some nails I had to go back a third time for a completely perfect finish. It lasted the standard 3-4 days without chipping but you might be able to push this further with a proper top coat (so disappointed in my Sally Hansen No Chip).

This medium pink is called ’Free Hugs’ and it is the perfect spring/summer shade. So even though we’re veering into winter territory I can still have a glimpse of summer. I’ve been enjoying pairing this with a nude pink shade on my feet for an ombre effect.

At first I was a bit skeptical about my second colour named ‘Here’s my number’. I don’t like shimmery polishes in general and prefer something completely opaque or a chunky glitter, but I was pleasantly surprised with this colour. It’s a great winter colour with a shimmery black as a base and a few larger silver and teal glitter particles giving a nice blue-charcoal finish. The sand effect was also evident whenever I brushed over it and even though it isn’t one I particularly like I suspect that others might enjoy this. . Removal wise it wasn’t as big a pain as I had expected. I did soak it in polish remover but didn’t have foil on hand (pun intended) and it worked quite well. It only required minimal rubbing.

All in all I will definitely be purchasing more of these Essence Colour & Go polishes as they really are value for your buck! Have you tried one of the Essence polishes? Were you as impressed as I am?

Dutch Baby

As far as food trends go I generally gravitate towards the sweeter ones. Luckily this is also a fool proof recipe. The best way to describe Dutch Babies would be as a cross between a crepe and an omelet as they're super light and airy yet filling. It is ideal for a winter brunch served with loads of berries and lemon peel.