I Heart Your Outfit

we have moved!!!

2011-03-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, we are now a dot com blog, how exciting!

Hop on over to www.iheartyouroutfit.com

Pic via Genevieve Motley

finally, the weekend

2011-03-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's a big one for Cape Town... on Sunday the annual Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is happening. It's 105km (I think) around the Cape Peninsula. Could you imagine anything more beautiful? Hubby and I rode it in 2003 (the year we got married!) and it was so much fun. Hopefully one day we'll get to do it again. Just that buzz of waking up before sunrise, waiting at the start with thousands of others, the whirring sound of all the bicycles as you pedal off and the relief at the end when it's all over is so memorable.

We're hopefully going to wake up nice and early on Sunday morning, and take bubs to check out all the bicycles whizzing past on the highway. Should be fun!

st george's earth fair market

2011-03-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

Today I met up with some old colleagues/dear friends at the lovely new Earth Fair Market on St George's Mall. What a cute little place it is! Stalls line St George's selling the most delicious lunchtime food. From biltong and cured meats to cheeses, pancakes, quiches, cupcakes and the most amazing fudge I've ever tasted.

Organiser Jacci Simpson said that it's been eight months of getting approval and permits and so on, but the result is the closest Cape Town has to a European style street market. It really is worth a visit. It happens every Thursday from 12 to 6.30pm at the top (Company Gardens end) of St George's Mall. Arrive hungry!

Lovely friends Narina, Amelia and Adeeba

The beautiful Italian lady at the Doppio Zero stall lured me in with her on trend red lipstick and 'ciao ciao'. I had the best chicken burger.

Organic fruit and veg

The locally made cheeses were amazing

I bought hubby this Oreo cupcake. Chuffed.

we heart hunter boots

2011-03-09T02:28:00.000-08:00

I grew up in England, on a farm in Sussex no less. I spent the first twelve years of my life in wellington boots, splashing through muddy fields and jumping in cow pats... so ladylike.

Never then did I imagine that my trusty boots would become such a must have item.

The Hunter Boot has been around for 150 years, designed to combat the unpredictable British weather and to keep wool-clad toes toasty and dry while herding sheep and so on. Now, they're seen on Kate Moss at music festivals and appear in Italian Vogue. We love the full cycle of fashion.

Anyway, before we continue on this trip down memory lane we are over excited to tell you that just in time for the SA winter, Hunter Boots have arrived. They're available in an array of gorgeous colours as well as collaborations with top brands such as Jimmy Choo, Carnaby and Argyll. We love them.

They'll be available in selected boutique stores nationwide.

Keira Knightley wears the Hunter Boot in Italian Vogue

these boots were made for dancing

2011-03-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

We loved the whole concept of the Woolworths dancing boots flash mob, which they staged at Canal Walk over the weekend. Boots of all shapes and sizes came to life, with the help of some cute dancing girls.

We recently watched the second season of Modern Family and had such a laugh when we saw the episode where Mitchell joins a flash mob dance in an attempt to convince Cam that's he's spontaneous. Since then we've been dying to see one happen in SA and Woolworths were the first!

Check out the YouTube video HERE and see how it all came together. Loving it!

stella mccartney autumn/winter 2011

2011-03-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

One of my fave designers, Stella McCartney, put on a beautiful show for her autumn/winter 2011 collection at Paris Fashion Week. All her four children were backstage with her, and model Natalia Vodianova arrived to see the show with her three children.

Natalia was wearing a Stella McCartney top with a Balenciaga mini.

Here are some of our favourite looks from Stella's show... highlights include 'polka dot' dresses in black and in white, oversized coats with minimalist detailing, slouchy jerseys, tailored pants, jumpsuits and balloon sleeve dresses.

Oh, and below is why Natalia looks so good. Running in the Paris half marathon, and then walking for Givenchy. Sigh...

Pics via telegraph.co.uk

i could've had it all

2011-03-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

Whether they chose the song on purpose or not, the words were pretty poignant. The models for the John Galliano's Dior show at Paris Fashion Week walked to Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' during what was referred to as a 'low-key' showing last week.

The show must go on and it was definitely the one everyone had their eyes on after John Galliano made such an idiot of himself last week. It received reactions which ranged from 'brilliant' to 'surreal'. This collection included a mix of romantic dresses, a black vinyl trench and a draped mint coloured kimono. The bias cut gowns and oversized outerwear was described as pure 'old school Galliano'.

The truth is, it's a gorgeous collection. Even though we only got to see less than half of what was originally planned.

happy birthday to me

2011-03-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today I turned 32. It was lovely to have my birthday fall on a Sunday, and I got super spoilt. While I slept in this morning, hubby and Bailey made me breakfast and coffee and brought it up to me to eat in bed, with a gorgeous homemade card made by the both of them. So cute. I still haven't decided what I want from hubby for my birthday, but I think it's going to be something to do with jewellery. Nice.

Later we went to Roundhouse in Camps Bay – fast becoming one of our favourite spots. There were roosters and mini pigs trotting about while we sat outside under umbrellas drinking champagne and eating yummy food.

Emily bought me this gorgeous wool hat, which she couldn't resist getting for herself either (love that!)... I still need to perfect the 'flop' on mine (like Emily's), but how gorgeous?

Bailey loved the mini pigs!

Summer loved the mini pigs too, so she had to stay on her lead.

Does this look like trouble to you?

dkny on the rooftops of cape town

2011-03-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the pleasure of attending the re-launch of the DKNY fragrance in SA. The venue was in an incredible apartment high up on the rooftops of Cape Town with, of course, the most breathtaking view. We know Capetonian's have a bit of a reputation for being arrogant about their city but seriously, can you blame us?

DKNY is launching a sexy new campaign for its women and men's fragrances, each with the edgy, vibrant energy of New York. The fragrance itself hasn't changed, just the campaign... real life couple Anja Rubik and Sasha Knezevic are the models who were chosen for the relaunch and it's pretty clear why. Just watch the ad and there isn't much doubt about how they feel about each other.

It pulsates with the energy of New York, which is what the brand is all about. I could hear Liza sighing next to me. She's been back a month and is missing it already...

We walked away with a bag of fabulous goodies, which included the new DKNY summer fragrances. Today I'm wearing Pure, tomorrow Be Delicious.... we're going to be smelling of DKNY forever. Happiness.

michelle obama looks awesome, all the time

2011-03-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

Mrs O attended a reading in Washington DC to commemorate 107 years of Dr Suess on Read Across America Day. She looks utterly fabulous!

the vanity fair oscar party

2011-03-03T02:04:00.000-08:00

I don't think I'm the only one that feels this way, but I get more excited about the behind-the-scenes and red-carpet photos of the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party, than the actual Academy Awards. Each year, the who's who of Hollywood flock to the after party looking their best and seemingly having the best time. Everyone just seems a little bit more relaxed. Here are some of our fave snaps...

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. Can we just say how incredibly grown-up and elegant she looked? Emily and I had this discussion the other day. How old is Selena, 16 or something? She carried herself so beautifully and put 30-something Cameron Diaz to shame who was trotting about in the tightest, shortest dress that did nothing for her – she even had to use her clutch to cover her bits when she sat down?! This time, the teenagers win.

Emma Stone, Taylor Swift and Gwyneth Paltrow. I like Taylor's dress the most. That's all.

More of Taylor's outfit.

Steven and Liv Tyler. She is magnificent and we don't see enough of her out and about.

The gorgeous Zooey Deschanel. Love the chic red nails.

Rita Wilson, L'Wren Scott, Mick Jagger, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.

Benjamin Millepied and Best Actress winner Natalie Portman. We love you Nats but we didn't love your dress so much. Boo.

Hailee Steinfeld, who did the coolest switch of the night by swopping her heels for Converse. Nice.

Sigh. Mr Darcy. Oh, sorry... Colin Firth who won Best Actor and gave the most wonderful speech.

Shannon Woodward and Andrew Garfield aka Spiderman.

Pics via vanityfair.com

good feet, naughty feet

2011-03-03T01:40:00.000-08:00

When I was small, like all little girls, I went to ballet classes. I remember the excitement of wrapping the hand-knitted pink cardigan around my as yet unformed waist and trying to stand still while my mum scraped my curly, misbehaving hair into a bun. The memories were distant, but pleasant... until I asked my mum why I had stopped and she told me that she removed me from the class when she discovered the teacher would slap me around the calves for having 'naughty feet'.

Shattered my ballet memories into pieces, but that doesn't mean I'm not taken with the new ballet inspiration that Black Swan has bought to fashion. Blake Lively took the trend up a notch last night when she attended a dinner in New York, which Chanel threw in her honour. Her Christian Louboutin, prima ballerina pointe shoes, complete with square block toe, deserved a pirouette I thought.

queen of the curve

2011-03-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

If I were Christina Hendricks I'd be annoyed that I'm always referred to as curvy, womanly, full-bodied etc, it's worn a little thin now (excuse the pun). That said, we couldn't resist the headline... however we will never again refer to her as curvy, she is merely gorgeous. That opinion of her will only be increased when you see these pics of her as the face of Vivienne Westwood's 'Get A Life' Palladium jewellery collection. She looks mighty fine.

The collection is crafted from Palladium, which is a natural, white metal. Vivienne says that she was inspired by nature and symbols of paganism, which explains the leaves and the heart worn in these shots. We love their bold, feminine statement.

happy birthday to the letterbox

2011-03-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today was a special day for Emily and I. One year ago, we ventured out and started our freelance business, The Letterbox. It was while we were sitting at Empire Cafe this afternoon, working together, that we realised it.

There have been so many moments that we've shared in our 20 years of friendship, and the fact that we're now running a business together, is super special. We have big plans this year, for our blog, for our business and for our lives... So watch this space!

what we'll be wearing in 2012

2011-03-01T00:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, courtesy of Woolworths, I went to the Design Indaba to hear world-renowned trend forecaster Li Edelkoort give us insight into what we'll be wearing in 2012/2013.

I've never heard her speak before and I was eager to lap up anything that she had to say so I made copious notes. The problem now is how to translate those notes into something that actually makes sense and might be useful...

She spoke about the inspiration from the earth. Her focus was on eco (which her Dutch accent pronounced 'echo', causing me at least 10 minutes confusion). I loved what she said about retail spaces reverting back to selling single items. No longer having stores where you can buy your food, underwear and maybe a lamp for your lounge all at the same time, but stores where you go to buy one, exquisitely-made shirt for example.

David West shirts

Major items for 2012? The shirt is going to be in the forefront and Li says take budget from the T-shirt and invest in shirts, both men and women. Scarves as well. 'It's amazing how this little piece of cloth has now become an icon of luxury and high society,' she said. Am so with her on that. We're also going to be turning our attention more to DIY clothing, with fabric being sold alongside clothing in the same stores...

Basically, it's a return from the over-indulgent era of excess, back to simplicity and quality. 'Less variation and more focus,' says Li. 'Too much choice will no longer be contemporary. It's time to rekindle our relationship with the earth.'

a touch of france

2011-02-28T04:34:00.000-08:00

During our supper at the Bluebird Garage Market on Friday we spotted a few well put together outfits. We got the feeling they were European, no offense to our fantastic local fashionistas, but there's something about a European dress sense that you can spot a mile away.

Anyway, we got a picture of them. We love the high-waisted pants worn with the tweed jacket and beret, and the preggie Breton-stripe top with the straw fedora. Well put together and considered. We like.

red carpet oscar winners

2011-02-27T23:11:00.000-08:00

Who was your favourite on the red carpet at the Oscars last night? We have to admit that Cate Blanchett in Givenchy is heaven, and we love Mila Kunis in her lace Elie Saab gown.

Other favourites include Michelle Williams in Chanel, Natalie Portman (Best Actress winner!) in Rodarte and gorgeous new mama Penelope Cruz in L'Wren Scott.

a night with kwv at bluebird garage market

2011-02-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, we went to Bluebird Garage Market to enjoy an evening of wine tasting, sampling yummy food and meeting lovely new people. The Bluebird Garage Market is in an old warehouse in Muizenberg housing all sorts of delightful stores such as vintage clothing, second-hand books, furniture, jewellery, fresh fruit, flowers and lots and lots of food.

When we arrived just after 4pm, we were greeted by our friendly hosts and promptly served some much-needed wine – the Chenin Blanc was the perfect refreshment on such a hot afternoon.

The weekend had officially begun! We spent the rest of the evening browsing around the market, eating prawn skewers, stir-fry veggie burgers (so messy but so good!), Turkish delight, nougat and of course, lots of KWV wine.

woolies boots flash mob

2011-02-25T03:53:00.001-08:00

To celebrate the launch of their new winter boots range, Woolworths have released a cool new TV ad and they wanted to show us a sneaky glimpse behind-the-scenes.

With their riding, lace up, ankle, slouchy, casual and formal boots they've covered every taste this winter. We actually took a look this morning and there are so many. Kind of makes us feel like a looming winter isn't quite so dreadful after all...

... Anyway, just to add to the fun, this Saturday, anyone in Woolworths at Canal Walk will be in for a surprise, when the boots come alive in the first ever Woolies boots flash mob! If you want to check it out, make sure you're there this Saturday at 10am, 10:40am, 11:30am, 12:10pm, 12:50pm and 1:30pm. Oh, and please take pics!

Check out the behind-the-scenes video of the new ad.

michelle obama's stylist

2011-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

So apparently Michelle Obama's style is not really a one-woman job. But who really ever believed that she did it all herself anyway? I mean, she is the First Lady of the United States... help is going to be necessary, whether she's got great taste or not.

It has been revealed that 29-year-old Meredith Koop is Michelle's personal stylist. The lucky Meredith, who worked at a boutique in Chicago, owned by former 'unofficial' stylist to Mrs O, Ikram Goldman, was sent to the White House to help Michelle with styling advice before she was asked to come on board full time. According to a White House spokesperson, 'Meredith's responsibilities include advising the First Lady on her wardrobe and acting on her behalf in arranging for purchases, including considering the best offered price and buying on discount if discounts are available.' Can anyone say Dream Job?

fashion, art and photography in Cape Town

2011-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

After enjoying international success, SALON/ have come to Cape Town with ‘SALON/locale’. Showcasing fashion, art and photography at random places around the city it's 100 percent South African.

Some of the names that are being featured include Clive Rundle, David West, David Tlale, Stefania Morland, Darkie and Black Coffee. We get excited about stuff like this because it's promoting local fashion, art and design as well as putting it into context in a unique and exciting way. What's not to love.

The event is running between the 19th to 26th of February. Visit www.salonlocale.com for details on how to purchase your ticket for unlimited access to all locations every day of the event.

all about us

2011-02-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

We've had some nice things happen the past few days... Emily was featured on one of our fave local blogs today, Being Brazen. And our Style Scoop profile has been pimped, check it out here.

win a tote bag with spence and take care

2011-02-22T03:21:00.000-08:00

Yay, we love giveaways! Our favourite online shopping store, Spence, have collaborated with local clothing brand Take Care to design this gorgeous tote.

If you're heading to the Design Indaba Expo at the CTICC this weekend, you can grab yourself one of these bags in grey or cream for R100 each, or you can 'Like' Spence on Facebook here, which will automatically put you in line to win a set of these tote bags in each colour! The winner will be announced on Friday 25 February, so hurry!

U2 street style and song cupcakes

2011-02-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

So we went to U2 on Friday night, along with everyone else in Cape Town. The concert was AMAZING. We parked at UCT and caught a bus into town, then we walked the fan mile which was packed and super festive. The concert was mind-blowing. What I love about Bono is that he uses his music and his name to campaign for justice and world peace and democracy. While walking the fan mile, I spotted a lot of girls in hot pants and combat boots. I don't think I'm young enough to pull off such a look, but I quite like it.

And how cute are these cupcakes? We stopped for some sandwiches at Andiamo in Cape Quarter, and these cupcakes were for sale. I chose a cupcake with 'One' on it.

sunday in the park

2011-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Today we went for a walk in the Green Point Park with the family, and it was so lovely. The park is so clean and spacious with little rivers and places to sit and eat. There were people and children riding bikes, boys playing cricket, families having picnics... What a lovely afternoon.

The magnificent Cape Town stadium in the background

the coolest family i've ever seen

2011-02-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

I came across this pic of Miss James and her family on Rockstar Diaries (one of my fave blogs), and I just can't get over the coolness factor. The post on Rockstar Diaries led me to Miss James' blog, Bleubird Vintage, of which I'm now officially obsessed. Love, love, love!

the street style memory game

2011-02-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

Emily's mum got back from a long sojourn in the UK this week. She's always been an interesting present buyer, often veering from the sublime to the ridiculous, but this time she came up trumps!

On visiting the beautiful Liberty's in London she bought Emily the Street Style Memory Game. I was seriously over excited by this so I had to take a whole load of pics. How cool! It's like a fashion version of Snap!

emma watson signs with lancome

2011-02-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

One of our fave fashionistas, Emma Watson, who was recently crowned Style Icon at the annual ELLE Style Awards in London, has now signed on to be the new face of beauty house Lancome. Nice one, Emma. Can you believe this girl is only 20? She carved a name for herself in the Harry Potter movies, then chopped off all her hair, modelled for Burberry and People Tree, and now she's the fae of Lancome. That's why we love her!

anne valerie hash couture

2011-02-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

I'd never heard of Anne Valerie Hash until last night. And I must say, I've fallen a little bit in love. Not only because she designs beautiful clothes, but that she has a Mademoiselle line for children, too.

Her Couture pieces have been personally requested by some of fashion and Hollywood's biggest names, the likes of Alber Elbaz, Pete Doherty, Tilda Swinton, Charlotte Rampling...

Striped pajamas for Alber

Tux jacket for Charlotte Rampling

Sequinned jacket for Pete Doherty

Breton striped vest for JPG

mad for marc

2011-02-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

Marc Jacobs NYFW show, held yesterday, was inspired by "sex shops and insane asylums". Not the most inspiring of venues you'd think, but his collection has got the stars in a frenzy.

On a strip of white catwalk, with padded cell style walls his collection was mainly strict, tailored fashion, with loads of lace, rubber and leather. A fetishists dream come true!

hurray for clinique

2011-02-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

We received a happy surprise the other day. A nice, shiny Clinique bag which concealed, among other lovelies, a whole selection of the new Chubby Sticks. These made us particularly happy because they're loaded with mango and shea butters, which is just what our dry, delicate smackers need in time for Valentine's Day.

The eight lip tints are all subtle, natural colours with a slight gloss. We're not really lipstick kind of girls, but we do like a bit of colour, so we've decided these are perfect. And there's a tint for every mood. Tonight it's 'graped up'. Watch out world!

Chubby Sticks will be available at Clinique counters from April for R175.

we do so love alexander wang

2011-02-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Can't believe I left New York City before Fashion Week... ah well, I guess one day I will get to go again, and perhaps that time I can coincide it with a few shows? One can only dream. Now, Alexander Wang is one of our favourite designers, because he's down-to-earth (so it seems) and super cool, and he chose the effortlessly cool rock star offspring Zoe Kravitz to be the face of his T collection, which we love, love, love. So here's what his Fall 2011 collection looks like... very spacey, sporty, dramatic but at the same time laid-back.

And since it seems the whole dishevelled hair thing is in right now, here's the perfect step-by-step guide to the messy ponytail via A Cup of Jo. I'm obsessed, but I don't know if I have the skill to get this right, I mean I can't even plait my own hair. But that's another post altogether isn't it? But the point to remember here is this: dishevelled hair is not hair that you just wake up with and get going with your day, it is painstaking and timeous to get the look right!

Pics via Bloginity

inspiration

2011-02-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

What is inspiring you this week? Once you start looking through all the creative blogs out there it becomes a bit of an obsession. There are so many imprints of peoples personalities and likes and dislikes that it becomes a bit like going to a party where you don't know anyone and making like, a million new friends. Or rather, a million new people that you envy unhealthily and who's lives you want to steal.

It's just so darn inspirational. Like this week I just couldn't get enough of this ridiculous shabby chic vintage interior that I found on adore-vintage.blogspot.com. It's the ultimate in inspirational spaces. One day, Liza and I hope to move our copy writing and editing business into such a space. Who couldn't be inspired when working in these surrounds?

mila kunis is beautiful

2011-02-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

We still haven't seen Black Swan, but we're dying to! If you've seen it, did you enjoy it?

HOW incredibly sexy and gorgeous does Mila Kunis look in this editorial from the LA Times magazine? Interesting article, too.

olive green cat's valentines sale

2011-02-10T00:41:00.000-08:00

If you like all things that shine or sparkle then you've probably already discovered The Olive Green Cat. It's a treasure trove of jewellery, with loads of once off rings and special antique finds. You can also take a diamond or precious stone and they'll create something extraordinary with it.

Anyway, what we're getting at is that they're having a Valentine's Day sale. Yey. All Situ diamond jewellery will be 50 percent off. Double yey!

The sale will run from Friday 11 to Monday 14 February. They're situated in Cape Town's Church Street, number 76, so point your other half in that general direction...

the return of the perm, no really

2011-02-09T03:34:00.000-08:00

Can it truly be true? The follicles of our hair are shuddering in terror, but since Marc Jacobs gave the perm two thumbs up in his spring/summer 2011 show, we've been spotting it trending all over the globe.

Only grateful for the fact that both of us missed the original craze in the 80s, we can still say that our mothers' experiences with the permanent wave have left an indelible imprint on our memories. I can remember a specific experience when my mum came home sporting her first perm. She cried for three days afterwards and I've never gotten over it.

The perm has been creeping back into some of the edgier New York salons, the sales of home perms have been steadily on the rise in the UK and in Australia, Melbourne salons have reported an increase in requests.

Can thousands of international hipsters be wrong? We're hoping so, just this once.

Marc Jacobs s/s 2011

Pic from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

birdie love

2011-02-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

In a fit of creative enthusiasm, which characteristically hit on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I stumbled across this wonderful wall art and mobile, constructed with fabric birds. When I first saw them, I thought they looked far too challenging for my very basic sewing skills, but it turns out that they're pretty darn easy.

I first downloaded the pattern from www.spoolsewing.com and then (because even these four simple instructions were beyond me) I searched around for some pictorial aid. Happily I came across louloushomemade.blogspot.com, which takes you through it step by step. Granted, my first two birds look like the disheveled, one-legged pigeons you see hobbling around the city centre, but I'm convinced that practice makes perfect.

Hopefully, I'll have a magnificent bird mobile to show you in the coming weeks. Perhaps if I get it right I'll turn my hand to making my own clothes. How hard can it be, right?!

red turban, red lips

2011-02-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, it works, and it's exquisite.

via Happenstance

new york city flashback

2011-02-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Remember when I posted about having drinks on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel? Well, at the time of posting I had to nick pics off the Internet of the view from 35 floors up, and the only ones I could find were summertime shots. And the pics I took on my phone (silly me, forgot to take my camera along), I could only download when I got back home (blah blah blah I didn't have roaming).

So here they are... quite magical hey?

pre-fall collections

2011-02-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

I was reading Miss Moss' blog this evening, and had to share these images with you... some of the pre-fall collections.

Witchy type beanies and long pleated frocks from Cacharel. V mysterious and dreamy at the same time.

Clashing prints, high-waisted skirts, burnt colours and bobby socks at Marni.

Paddington bear coats, neat cardigans, clean denim and gorgeous handbags at Mulberry.

brooklyn flea market

2011-02-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

So I'm back home from NYC, and it's so good to feel the sun on my skin again, but I miss that city like I can't believe. I'm definitely going to have to go back soon. It's addictive and I'm in love!

One of the highlights of my holiday was going to the Brooklyn Flea Market one very crisp and cold Sunday. We caught the subway there and walked a few blocks... I remember this one moment when we were walking past the Brooklyn School of Music, a gust of wind blew layers of thick snow off the overhangs, and it was just swirling and blowing around us. Very beautiful.

The Brooklyn Flea is housed in an old bank building, with three floors of vintage heaven.

Once inside, we browsed around and came across a few treasures. I found this bright red Marc Jacobs bag for $100. I really had to think about the purchase because I'm not really into bright bags, even if it is Marc Jacobs. Eventually I settled for a vintage Dooney & Bourke bag for $60. Stoked. Other highlights included a stack of gorgeous glossy brogues, and a stall called Britannia Antiques...

Spotted some vintage Manolo's (they're on the left next to the tartan pumps)

Beautiful glass windows

Bailey loved this hat box, so did I!

hey diddle diddle

2011-02-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

We have nursery rhymes on the brain at the moment. What with one of us being the mother of a toddler and the other pregnant. It does, in fact, occasionally lead our minds off fashion, into other terrifying, yet exciting realms. Like baby rooms.

While searching for custom designed wall stickers that could be used in my upcoming baby's nursery I stumbled across Pink 'n Posh Decor. This wonderful, local find has a whole gallery of cute designs for a baby's room, plus they'll also create your own, unique design. Am keeping this blog on file for when the painting is done.

bardot forever

2011-02-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Sigh, Brigitte Bardot you are so beautiful and gorgeous. These pictures just embody everything that summer is about – a big, floppy hat, paisley print dress, vintage bicycle, staring into the distance...

Or cute freckles on the nose, soft crochet jersey...

via The Impossible Cool

gifts from far away

2011-02-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received a surprise package all the way from South America. My dear friend Julia has been traveling across that incredible continent for the last nine months and bought me a present from each country that she visited. I got a leather cuff from Rio, a necklace from the Amazon Jungle, a ring from Mendoza in Argentina and a belt from Peru. Each, when unwrapped released the wonderful, exotic scent of somewhere far away.

The one gift that I can't stop staring at however, is this wonderful little notebook from Santiago in Chile. It's made of a magnificent soft, blue leather and it smells delicious. The best thing about it though, is that it has my name, along with a two-headed Push Me Pull You engraved on the front.

I shall treasure this notebook. And only write completely brilliant and witty things in it...

kate moss to marry her prince

2011-02-03T03:11:00.000-08:00

Rumours are rife that Kate and Jamie Hince of The Kills are now engaged. We totally hope so, Kate deserves happiness and we are dying to see what kind of wedding dress she'll go for!

Pic from handbag.com

matchbook magazine: field guide to a charmed life

2011-02-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

I'm still weary of online magazines. I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to magazines – I like to stand in the store and look at all the covers and decide which one I like best, and gravitate towards the ones with the catchy barkers (am I a sucker for marketing or what?)... But seriously, there's nothing more rewarding for me than buying a big, glossy magazine and taking it home to read in bed that night. And then when I'm finished, putting it in it's designated pile (Ahem, all my magazines are in order of publication, month and year). But all that nostalgia aside, I absolutely love the first issue of Matchbook.

And I'm actually kinda jealous of the two fabulous women who started it. College friends Katie Armour of The Neo-Traditionalist and Jane Lilly Warren of Lox Papers. The result? A super slick, interesting read that I like, like, like!

are plaits still in season?

2011-02-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

This hairstyle is so dreamy and romantic. I love it. Both Emily and I are growing our hair right now. I had a weird moment of wanting to chop off all my hair into a pixie crop a la Emma Watson (it was around the time when Bailey was born)... thankfully that moment passed and I just let my hair do it's own thing. Emily and I have such different hair. Emily's is thick and wavy and always looks good, even when it's dirty (so annoying), and mine is poker straight and looks awful when it's dirty (doubly annoying). When we were growing up together, we always dreamt of swopping our hair, but I think now we've come to terms with what we were blessed with. I can't wait for my hair to grow just a leeeetle bit longer so I can plait, or should I say get my husband to plait it because for some obscure reason I cannot plait my own hair. Gonna have to stick this picture up in the bathroom for husband to get to terms with what I'm expecting. Ha!

pamela love at home

2011-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Selby, one of our absolute favourite sites, shot Pamela Love, one of our fave jewellery designers, she of the talon claw fame, at home in Brooklyn with her beau Jordan Sullivan. They're so achingly cool...*sigh*

Pics from The Selby

this makes me happy

2011-02-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about this picture but it makes me smile. I love the colours, the skipping dog, the balloons...

burberry on a budget

2011-01-31T05:13:00.000-08:00

Burberry has announced that it's going to launch Burberry Bespoke, which is a website where you can customise its iconic macs to fit you exactly right. Like, cyber-tailoring.

Not that we can really stretch our budgets to Burberry, bespoke or otherwise, we still love the concept of customising your own trench coat online. There are going to be over 12 million design variations available, from choices of colour, to the fabric, buttons and style of the lining.

Emma Watson was one of the first to step out in a Burberry Bespoke creation. We think she's done rather well, as usual. The initiative is to launch, for the rest of us, early next year. So start saving!

christopher strong at purr

2011-01-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

So, we love Christopher Strong right. And we're pleased to announce that today, Purr in Kloof Street (Cape Town) will become the first, official stockists of the brand.

To see more about this fabulous line visit www.christopherstrong.co.za

emma watson unveils final people tree collection

2011-01-27T06:30:00.001-08:00

Pics from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

We've always had a thing for Emma Watson. Who doesn't, right? And we're loving the preview of her third and final collection for People Tree. Leaning against a motorbike wearing a black, draped mini dress and the kind of calf-grazing boots we've been searching for our whole lives we're totally taken with her rock 'n roll chic.

Here are a couple of pics from previous collections.

new york city update: day 7

2011-01-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

Time sure does fly when you're having fun! I cannot even put into words how damn freezing it is here... also we happened to plan our holiday around the coldest winter in about 10 years in NYC, so think -9 degrees, arctic winds, bitter, bitter cold! So when we're outside it's not too pleasant, especially for poor Bailey, but indoors it's warm and toasty. Can't believe today is Tuesday already.

On Saturday we spent the morning at the Children's Museum of Manhattan – just for baby. It's five floors of themed excitement, there was a Dora the Explorer floor, Mini West Village floor with the "Little Apple Deli" (bless), a reading floor, a playground floor – Bailey loved the slide. So that was fun, and nice to see other parents with their children knowing we're not the only ones bundling her up in layer upon layer for the bracing cold. Saturday night Bailey's Godparents babysat for us (how awesome are they?) so we could go out on a date. We tried to get some shopping in but the stores were closing as it was quite late when we ventured out so we went for dinner at the Hudson Hotel. It's so groovy on the outside and just as awesome on the inside. Raw brick walls, low lighting with the kitchen in the centre of the restaurant and an ordering system where you go up to the kitchen counter with a tray, pick the foods you want and then take it back to your table. I had duck, hubby had steak. And together we drank lots of wine! No driving here :-)

Sunday was a highlight. We visited the Brooklyn Flea market. So much of vintage heaven. I took loads of pics and once I've downloaded them, will do a separate post on the market. It was truly awesome. And beautiful – the market is held in an old bank building.

Yesterday we flew to Atlanta to spend some time with our good friends (Bailey's Godparents), see their hood and their home. This morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast – ain't nothing like Southern hospitality ya'll! I had Momma's Pancake Breakfast... couldn't even finish it!

suzaan heyns to launch joburg fashion week

2011-01-24T04:02:00.001-08:00

We always look forward to the Suzaan Heyns show at fashion week and this season is no exception.

Fashion season in SA kicks off next month with Joburg Fashion Week and Suzaan Heyns will be first up. In a recent interview with One Small Seed, she described her view of fashion as "an experimentation". She said that it's "three-dimensional, malleable architecture and sculpting."

We've no doubt her latest collection will deliver on that. If you're in Joburg on 16 February, try and catch her show.

new york city update: day 5

2011-01-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

We've been busy, busy, busy. Yesterday we went to B&H Photo and Video, a huge store filled with electronic equipment – hubby was in heaven. We then went to the flagship Apple store on 5th Avenue. The huge glass box lets in all the natural light which pours down the staircase into the store... very cool. The one thing we've noticed in this city is that it's very dog friendly. Dogs are allowed in most stores (even Bloomingdales) and hotels, which is seriously cool. At the Apple store we met a gorgeous fluffy white dog (not sure of its breed) called Wolfgang.

In the afternoon we stopped in at an Italian restaurant across the road from the Apple store called Bottega del Vino. We drank coffee and ate chocolate croissants while Bailey slept for almost two hours... New York is tiring! When she woke up, we walked across to Central Park to take a look at the frozen lake and the magnificent Plaza hotel, which looked so magical and beautiful as it was getting late in the afternoon so all the lights were twinkling. Later that night we met our good friends at a fabulous, buzzing restaurant in Greenwich Village called Commerce (sans baby, thank God for friends of friends who offer to babysit!). Loved Greenwich Village, it's full of quiet little lanes, trendy bars and restaurants and loads of young people. We met a super cute French bulldog called Gizmo who was taking a walk with his owner.

Today we took it a bit easier. We only ventured out at about midday. It snowed again so everything was beautiful and white and it was nice to stomp into the soft white snow as opposed to the frozen grey icy slush – especially in my new wellies. We browsed around H&M and I must admit, none of the clothes blew me away. I still haven't had a chance to get to Zara, so I'm hoping to find some nice stuff there. Am desperately looking for flat lace-up ankle boots, or maybe with a bit of a heel. But most of the winter stuff is out of stores already, and all the spring stock is in.

The highlight of the day was cocktails with one of my bestest friends in the world in the lobby lounge of the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Columbus Circle. The lounge is on the 35th floor so the view of the city is breathtaking. We haven't downloaded any of our photos yet, but here's a few pics of the view in the summertime...

When we walked back outside, it was snowing again! And I learnt how to hail a cab... fun I tell you!

new york city update: day 3

2011-01-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

We are slowly orientating ourselves in this enormous city... and loving every minute. Tuesday was interesting. Snow came down the night before, and it rained most of the day, making it very interesting for us who were not prepared for such weather. Umbrellas were bought, shoes were soaked through etc. We did find the ultimate place for lunch – the Chelsea Market. It's a food market concourse with a selection of bakeries, restaurants, coffee bars, delis etc. We chose Hale & Hearty Soups – yum!

Yesterday was fun. No rain, we ventured down towards Ground Zero. It's impossible to fathom the enormity of 9/11 when you're standing right there. We found this cosy authentic little cafe called Cafe Avenue for coffee and cream cheese bagels. Bailey had a long nap too, so we chilled there for a while. Then we hit the mother of all shopping experiences... Century 21. Oh happy day. With over 40 departments, it's just a tad overwhelming but the best part is the designer clothes with huge discounts. When I walked into the women's clothing section, I just didn't know where to start. In the end I found a gorgeous Hache wool coat, 7 for All Mankind jeans and a pair of awesome wet look wellie boots.

Today we're hitting the flagship Apple store and B&H for the hubby. And we're hitting the town tonight (babysitter is booked!) with our best friends arriving from Atlanta. Loving New York City!

we heart christopher strong

2011-01-20T04:57:00.000-08:00

As you might know, we are actually obsessed with Christopher Strong, and a peek at their A/W 2011 lookbook will show you why...

Find out more about this Cape Town-based designer at www.christopherstrong.co.za

we heart unique, local, handmade baby clothes

2011-01-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

It's not just because one of us is pregnant. Even if none of us were pregnant we'd still love Cape Town-based The Crazy Aunt Company.

With a gorgeous array of kids clothes ranging from newborn to three years, each of these handmade lovelies is unique. So your baby won't suffer the humiliation of bumping in to someone at playgroup in the same grower. Heaven forbid! They also make the perfect one-of-a-kind baby shower gifts.

For more infomation and to order your own unique collection of baby clothes email narina@thecrazyauntcompany.co.za

new york city update: day 1

2011-01-18T03:06:00.000-08:00

Wow, after 22 hours of travelling we finally made it to NYC yesterday. A few little mishaps along the way, like Bailey making a number two right before takeoff from Jo'burg (one of those leaky, nasty numbers) all over my husband, as well as me unlocking my suitcase at JFK to get my coat out, then locking it back up to realise afterwards that I put the keys in my suitcase. Good thing we borrowed my parents' TSA locks (so the guys at the airport could open it for us). As soon as we stepped outside, my lips, nose, cheeks and toes froze up. It was -9... yikes. Bailey was not enjoying the cold and we had to go and find her thicker socks. Poor baby. Once we'd dropped off our bags in our rental apartment in Brooklyn, we took a walk around the neighbourhood. Bailey fell asleep while we were walking around, she was super exhausted. So we stopped in at The West Cafe (thought it'd be funny cos we're Wests) for coffee, and when Bailey woke up we ordered her a toasted bagel. The vibe in the cafe was exactly how I imagined it to be... young hipsters sitting on their Macs, gorgeously dressed and just plain cool.

A nice start to our first day. I'll keep you posted on the rest of our trip... we woke up this morning at 2.30am (9.30 SA time) so we're a bit out of sorts but we're heading to the Meatpacking District later to do some shopping! Oh, and did I mention it's snowing, snowing, snowing! We peeked out the window earlier and the whole street, sidewalks and cars are covered in a blanket of white. BRRRRRR!

2011-01-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

Our opinion is that the best dressed covered up on the red carpet last night. Most of the red carpet big hits opted for a more demure look. Here are a couple of our faves.

Tilda Swinton, always way ahead in the fashion game, looked amazing in androgynous Jil Sander while Emma Stone wore a Calvin Klein dress that was so minimal and yet so sexy and eye-catching. The ultimate sheath dress. We also have to mention Leighton Meester, who really showed her class in Burberry Prorsum (wearing a dress Blair Waldorf wouldn't touch with a barge pole). She's looked wow!

Pics from www.fabsugar.com.au, justjared.com, dailymail.co.uk

get a free makeover with smashbox

2011-01-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the fact that Smashbox was the official beauty brand on the set of the much-anticipated film Burlesque, they've put together this must have make-up kit, which includes everything you’ll need to create sultry, show-stopping looks inspired by the movie.

The glamorous kit costs R565 and includes:
• Limitless Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black
• Shadow & Liner Quad in Risque
• Loose Shimmer in Burlesque
• Double Ended Lip Gloss in Peep/Show

But first, to get you in the mood, Smashbox is also giving away full makeovers. Whoop! Go to your nearest Smashbox counter (exclusive to Woolworths stores) and book yours.

Cape Town:
14 Jan: V&A Waterfront
15 Jan: Canal Walk

Jo'burg/Pretoria:
14 Jan: Fourways
15 Jan: Sandton
20 Jan: Melrose Arch Centre Court
21 Jan: Menlyn Centre Court
22 Jan: Eastgate Centre Court

Durban:
15 Jan: Galleria
18 Jan: Westville
19 Jan: Gateway

Let us know how it goes!

welcome to burlesque

2011-01-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

I absolutely want to be a Burlesque dancer when I grow up. Last night I attended the Woolworths Smashbox launch at Cavendish Square, which included a fab makeover, for which I chose bright red lips (just to see if I could pull them off).

A Smashbox makeover

The bright red lips go on

Smashbox counter in Woolworths

After a bit of civilised mingling we headed up to the cinema where we were treated to a special pre-preview viewing of Christina Aguilera and Cher's new movie Burlesque. As we settled into our seats, with our mandatory coke and popcorn, we were treated to a real live Burlesque show, with three dancers strutting their stuff with feathers, fans and lacy bodices. So fun.

Emily with ELLE Beauty Assistant Giselle (pre-make over!)

The movie was, unsurprisingly, a two-hour advert for the singing powers of Christina (and a bit of the magnificent Cher, who can barely move her face but still has a set of pipes to give you goose bumps).

All in all, it was a great, girly night out.

stella mccartney pre-fall 2011

2011-01-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

Wow. We're completely blown away by this sneak peek of Stella McCartney's pre-fall 2011 collection.

Playing on clean, modern shapes in navy and camel, the proportions are exaggerated. The collection includes wool single-breasted coats and dresses and textured knits. We're completely in love with the high-necked black lace dress.

move over demi

2011-01-13T02:13:00.000-08:00

How gorgeous is Rumer Willis in her modelling debut as the new face of luxury brand Badgley Mischka?

The 22-year-old is following in the footsteps of Eva Longoria, Carrie Underwood and the Olsen twins. We think she looks amazing and that this is going to be the first of a lot more Rumer.

we heart michelle williams...

2011-01-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

and it seems Michelle Williams hearts lace...

In Erdem at the London premiere of her film, Blue Valentine

In Prada at a luncheon in New York

In Oscar de la Renta at the New York National Board of Review

hollywood baby bumps update

2011-01-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Yikes... we have at least about ten friends between us (including Emily) who are knocked up... and with the ever-increasing list of celebrities announcing their pregnancies, we're now convinced that 2011 can officially be coined the Year of the Baby!

Here are just some of the celebs that are expecting...

Victoria Beckham is expecting her fourth (please be a girl, please be a girl!)

Jennifer Connelly pregnant with her first wearing Lanvin, looking exceptionally beautiful

Kate Hudson is expecting her second child (first with her partner Matt Bellamy)

Marion Cotillard expecting her first with long-time partner and rumoured fiancee Guilliame Canet

Have we forgotten anyone? We think we heard that Britney's pregnant too. Let us know who else we should add to this list...

valentino's spring 2011 campaign

2011-01-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

We love Valentino's new spring 2011 campaign, shot by David Sims. It's so soft, so feminine, so beautiful!

via Fashion Gone Rogue

from plasterer to pin up

2011-01-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

Talk about a fairytale. Daniel Whittaker, 19, was minding his own business, working as a plasterer in Liverpool, when his sister sent a few pics of him in to a modelling agency.

He's now been hand-picked as the new face of Dolce & Gabbana and Versace.

Mental note: keep eye out for builders/gardeners/plasterers, you never know!

eastwood meets westwick

2011-01-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

Pic from fanpix.net

We are so stoked to hear that Ed Westwick (we heart you forever, Chuck Bass) has been picked by Clint Eastwood (one of Liza's fave Hollywood men) to star in his J. Edgar Hoover biopic. Ed will play the role of super-suave agent Smith (should be easy for him to pull off the super-suave bit) who is commissioned to write Hoover's biography. Sadly, Charlize Theron has pulled out of the movie to focus on Alien, but Ed will star alongside Leo DiCaprio. Well done Ed!

anna wintour to receive france's highest honour

2011-01-11T04:10:00.000-08:00

Rumour has it that Anna Wintour is set to receive the Legion d'Honneur this year, presented by French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Previous honorees of this legendary award are Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Nicole Farhi. We can't wait to find out if it's true. Ms Wintour has a number of awards to her name, and this would be the crowning glory.

paris je'taime

2011-01-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

inspiring kids bedrooms

2011-01-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

Now that Emily is expecting a baby in July, and Liza is constantly on the hunt for cute things for 16-month-old Bailey's room... it's safe to say we're a little obsessed.

The wall art is everything in this room, yet it's still quite understated - and we love the muted tones

We heart the clever storage solutions, the bright wall and the chalkboard (Liza's on the hunt for the perfect chalkboard for Bailey's room)

There are so many things we like about this room – the airy feel that the big windows provide, the dove grey walls, the circle artwork around the circle mirror in the corner, the glossy red rocking horse (or is that a reindeer?)

Simple, yet so effective. The red vintage-style bed literally is the star. And of course, the bunting and the lantern are to die for.

A clever use of space in this awkward shaped room – perfect for little people as it's almost got a treehouse-like feel.

Pics from Ohdeedoh

baby beckham no 4 on the way...

2011-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

David and Victoria Beckham have announced that they're expecting their fourth child later this year. How exciting. We can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl but we sure do hope it's the latter – imagine the wardrobe she'll have!

Pics from mtv.com

tasty tangerine

2011-01-07T05:14:00.001-08:00

It is a very brave girl who chooses to wear tangerine on the red carpet. Especially strapless and with a bold, unusual silhouette. But because we've always had a bit of a thing for Drew Barrymore, we thought we'd give her a chance.

The dress, which Drew wore to Covergirl's 50th anniversary party in Los Angeles last night, is a star piece from the juicy, brightly-coloured Jil Sander Spring/Summer collection and we actually think we love it. It's a bold step for Drew and we're here to back her up!

galliano's beach skater chic

2011-01-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

For John Galliano's spring 2011 line, the vibe is pretty much roughed up skater / beach chic... hot!

Pics from Fashion Gone Rogue

a trip down memory lane...

2011-01-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

We always knew we loved Kalk Bay, but after our first meeting of 2011, which we had at C'est la Vie, we couldn't resist a wander around to look at all the fab vintage shops, antiques and quirky bakeries. Liza was snapping away like a tourist. We thought we'd share some of the reasons why we love this little village by the sea...

There are loads of little lanes like these that stretch off the main road, with the most beautiful shops

C'est la Vie is a French bakery set on a quiet cobbled street where all sorts of people gather with their dogs, kids and friends

C'est la Vie serves yummy food

And the people are laid-back and unpretentious

The beautiful Kalk Bay harbour

We love the little pot plants on the ladders

Bric-a-brac galore

One of our favourite vintage shops – Kalk Bay Trading Post – is filled with old books, postcards, photographs, earrings, toys, frames and pretty much anything you can think of

Cute vintage pumps at London Road

The coffee shop in an old train carriage

So much to choose from at Mythology

Emily browsing the rails at Mythology

Lettering for your home

An old staircase cum bookshelf

Some of the locals

january jones for versace

2011-01-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

We love the new spring/summer Versace Accessories campaign starring the lovely January Jones.

Donatella Versace said 'I'm always on the lookout for the next Versace blonde and in January I feel I've found a perfect Versace woman for the 21st century. She's chic and elegant, but deeply sensual too.'

We agree.

fun in the sun

2011-01-04T02:03:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky at the onset of the summer to get our hands on a little pile of Piz Buin goodies. Between the two of us, we have very different skin types, one being the brown berry South African and the other the English peaches and cream. Piz Buin has a range of suncreams for both complexions. We've got natural tanning lotion as well as UV protection up to factor 30.

The self tanning lotion is also pretty amazing, it's instant, washes off and doesn't have that weird, self tan smell. We've been using it everywhere, it's totally fine to use on the face as well.

Anyway, we're off to the beach. Later x

boutiques.com

2011-01-02T02:29:00.000-08:00

Today we created our own I Heart Your Outfit boutique on boutiques.com

To sign up, you take a short style quiz where you select which styles are more 'you' as well as selecting all the styles for dresses, tops, pants and shoes that you love and hate. Then boutiques.com selects pieces from all the designers featured on the site to create your very own specialised boutique with items you're likely to favour. What's great is that you can constantly edit your boutique, and they make it super easy with a 'love' and 'hate' button under each item. Plus, you can shop the boutiques of others and buy personally selected pieces from some of our fave celeb fashionistas including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie and Olivia Palermo.

Here are some pieces from our personal boutique... we like!

Rag & Bone knit pocket dress

Lovers & Friends strappy sandals

7 For All Mankind denim waistcoat

Alexander Wang cotton poplin dress

happy new year!

2011-01-01T02:21:00.000-08:00

It's pouring with rain on the first day of 2011 in Cape Town. We kinda like it. Almost like the rain is washing 2010 away and making way for a fresh, new year.

We don't really do resolutions although one thing I'm going to try and commit to doing is buying more bespoke classic pieces for my wardrobe instead of cheap, faddy trends. But what are the classic staples every girl needs in her wardrobe? I don't think I can really stick to the 'white shirt, black blazer' combination.

My list would be:

1. A really hot pair of jeans that make you look and feel awesome (I'm going to make it my mission to find me a pair in NYC in 16 days time!). I like this Citizens of Humanity pair from Net-A-Porter.

2. A little black dress (I feel just one is not enough though, I think every girl should have at least two or three different styles of black dresses to work with). This Christopher Strong dress from their ss 2010 collection will do just fine.

3. A killer pair of black heels (ones that you can actually walk in and that go just as well with your jeans as they do with a gorgeous dress). I think these leather Country Road heels are perfect.

4. A few good-quality cardigans (they can be worn with dresses, skirts, shorts, jeans... the list is endless. I love cardigans!). I like the cardis from Old Khaki.

5. Pretty tops or interesting tops (that's what I call them... I'm trying to move away from just pulling a ribbed vest on when I wear my jeans, it always seems to be the easiest option. But tops with a bit of embellishment, quirky detail or in a smarter fabric can really make you feel that much prettier and grown-up). This grey fleece top from Acne and floral blouse from Paul & Joe Sister are along the lines of what I mean...

Here's to a happy shopping year!

stay-at-home new year's style

2010-12-30T02:08:00.000-08:00

pic from telegraph.co.uk

We getting the feeling that going out large on New Year is not where it's at this year. Maybe that, or maybe we're just getting old. But looking through some of our favourite fashion sites we've seen more than a few references to a laid-back, stay-at-home New Year to see in 2011.

That, however, is no excuse not to look fantastic. We're talking the newly coined crossover phrase 'loungerie'. This year, we're all over loungerie. Chic and comfortable, yes please. Roll on 2011.

what are you wearing for new years?

2010-12-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

We quite like these party dresses from Vintage Society...

civil twilight at kirstenbosch

2010-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

We spent our Boxing Day evening at Kirstenbosch Gardens watching Civil Twilight. Three young guys who went to school in Hout Bay with my little brother, have spent the last three years in the States and seem to have finally made it in the music scene... we loved them!

Pics by John-Louis West

brooch bouquet

2010-12-27T03:01:00.000-08:00

How gorgeous is this bouquet made out of flower brooches? Found here.

pamela love's talon claw

2010-12-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

Gotta get me one of these talon claws from Pamela Love.

Pic via Jak and Jil

pink room

2010-12-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

I've never been much of a girly girl, and when I had a baby girl of my own I vowed to never put her in pink - no matter what! So when she was a super small bubs I dressed her a bit like a boy, and then I'd put girly socks on her or a clip in her hair so people would know she was a girl. Although I still had people asking what 'his' name was... You can't win.

So when it came to her bedroom, I was adamant too - no pink, none! And her room is divine, my husband did some beautiful artwork, my sister crocheted a gorgeous blanket, we've got some antique and some modern furniture and there are teddies everywhere. When I came across these cute rooms for girls on The Boo and the Boy, with the pale pink walls, I must say it swayed my opinion on pink because these are so beautifully and tastefully done.

happy christmas!

2010-12-25T01:20:00.000-08:00

If you're celebrating Christmas, we wish you and your family a wonderful blessed day!

countdown to christmas: 1 more sleep

2010-12-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got these canvas lace-ups from Zoom. When I woke up this morning, I was pleased the weather was a bit grey and overcast as it meant I got to wear these beauties... although the weather did put a bit of a spanner in the works for our family beach picnic for Christmas Eve it all ended well when we met in a lovely park in Kalk Bay instead.

I paired mine with a white vest and army green shorts. They come in salmon (like mine), mauve or blue. You can buy them here or get down to your nearest Zoom store. I have a feeling they'll be selling fast.

christmas shopping Penelope style

2010-12-23T23:09:00.003-08:00

Enormously pregnant, cold and yet, still so incredibly stylish. Penelope Cruz shows us how to go Christmas shopping, in style. Her tribly and camel trench combo work so well with her long, dark locks. We're kind of looking forward to winter now.

countdown to christmas: 2 more sleeps

2010-12-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

Today I spent most of my time indoors shopping for last-minute Christmas pressies with my hubby and our baby daughter. It was such beautiful weather outside and I was just wishing we were on the beach instead, but at least the shopping is all done now! We've got a few parties and events coming up over the next few days (including Christmas) but we're also going to watch Civil Twilight and I have two friends' birthday parties, so I got myself a few goodies today, which I'll show you in another post. That got me thinking about how much I'd love something from Stella McCartney's spring summer 2011 range.

The silver/grey ensemble (second left) is my fave – I can totally imagine myself wearing this!

countdown to christmas: 3 more sleeps

2010-12-21T23:23:00.001-08:00

I've got a really nice pair of Miu Miu sunglasses, and I love them. But I've had them for over two years now, and I feel like I need to get a new pair... you know, for summer.

These Tom Ford's should do the trick.

how to make a bow head piece

2010-12-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Christmas, we thought we'd share some information on how to make your own bow head piece. How very festive of us. If you're brave enough to don one of these at a party or even at the family Christmas lunch, here's how to go about it below (thanks to TopShop).

And if things don't quite go as planned, your bow head piece could end up looking like this... which we actually quite like.

countdown to christmas: 4 more sleeps

2010-12-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

So fun putting together an 'all I want for Christmas' wishlist. We've asked Father Christmas to take a swing by Christopher Strong's studio this year and pick us up this black sheer skirt.

There's actually so much we heart from Christopher Strong this year it's hard to know where to start. The maxi skirts are our big love at the moment though and no one does them quite as well...

pic from www.spence.co.za

countdown to christmas: 5 more sleeps

2010-12-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

So we thought it'd be fun to make a wish list of all the things we want for Christmas. The first installment in our Countdown to Christmas is Style Diaries – a book of 'celebrated design luminaries sharing the principles that inform their unique style'.

natalie portman red-carpet style

2010-12-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

We can't wait to see Black Swan, not least because we love Natalie Portman. She is perfectly elegant and graceful all the time, plus she's super intelligent, which just makes her an all-round star in our eyes.

So here are some of the outfits Natalie's been wearing while promoting Black Swan around the world.

From left, Natalie is wearing Miu Miu, Rodarte, Jason Wu, Rodarte and Christian Dior. Personally, we like the purple Miu Miu frock with nude heels the most. So awesome.

asos sports collection

2010-12-17T02:57:00.000-08:00

We're still a little wet behind the ears when it comes to shopping online, but when we saw the Sports collection from Asos, we thought we better get our fingers clicking... this is so divine!

summer dresses

2010-12-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Lynette has just been to London on a work trip, and of course she got to do some shopping at H&M. Don't you love this painterly dress? Plus, it has pockets. We share the same obsession for pockets as Style Guide Cape Town. And as if Lynette's legs weren't long and sexy enough, she paired this dress with nude heels to elongate them even further. Nice.

And here's Jenna again, this time in a floaty ethereal Christopher Strong dress that is just so dreamy I'm thinking of ordering one myself.

chanel with muscles

2010-12-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Pic from www.lulamag.com/scrapbook

january jones for versace

2010-12-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

We're Mad Men addicts, so anything to do with January Jones will get our attention, especially when it's for Versace and she's wearing nothing but a pair of heels and a handbag. "Deeply sensual" is how Donatella Versace chose to describe her new muse, and we must agree.

protect the skin you're in

2010-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

If we were in such skin as Marisa Miller then we'd definitely protect it. However, not being a Victoria's Secret model is no excuse...

Marc Jacobs has chosen the model for his skin cancer awareness campaign. We can't think of any better ways to raise awareness than a naked Victoria's Secret model. Now we're putting away the Christmas chocolates and pulling on our running shoes. Damn.