Remote Shopping Spree!

So with the boyf in Israel this past month, I received one of those phone calls last night that most girls only dream of... The all-famous, toe-curling "what do you want me to buy for you?" phone call... *Sigh*

Needless to say, I think I may have taken it to a level far beyond what he expected - as in, he'd probably thought (in typical, naive male style) that I'd respond with a shortlist of 2 or 3 key items, along with strict instructions on colour, size, dimensions, etc. No such luck! In typical me-style I responded with a barrage of mood boards, images from Pinterest and screenshots from the H&M and Zara iPhone Apps... (Sorry about that, babe! But you opened Pandora's box). Not to mention strict instructions on what to select from sale rails for the summer 2012 season (just starting here in SA) and then from the upcoming winter season. Poor guy. The best bit of advice I have for him: find a friendly shop assistant about the same size as me, show her the pics, give her my sizes and let her do the shopping for you.

Some of the pics I sent to him:

I'm sure he gets the just... :) Just three more sleeps....

Xxx

White with a touch of Zebra

Have fallen in love with this simple, classic but funky idea for a bathroom. And it's one that can easily translate for any room. Take one predominantly white room, add a pinch of wood & steel to texture and top off with a beautiful Zebra-print focal piece:

Find more inspiration for bathrooms here.

Love it!

Yoga-Gaga!

I may have mentioned it before, but I recently started practising yoga. Bikram and Power yoga that is - and I've fallen completely in love! Don't get me wrong, I've never thought myself to be the type of girl who does yoga: I'm certainly not a hippie, I'm completely carnivorous and Zen-like tranquility has never held any appeal to me.

Ok, so it's a discovery that has most fortuitously coincided with my stopping smoking and a couple of other little life shifts (Saturn's Return anyone?) but I really can't emphasise what a life-changing experience this new practice has been to me. So much so that I have decided to spend some time in India next winter (that's the South African winter which runs from May to August) and stay at a yoga ashram. I'm going to have to do some serious saving for the first time in my life, but I think I can manage it. I'm on a serious mission to make it materialise!

In all my Googling research I've stumbled across some great articles, beautiful pictures and a few very inspirational blogs. Thanks to this very amusing article on the Nat Geo Traveller website, I've got my heart set on the Sivananda Ashram in Kerala.

Meditation on the banks of the Neyyar Dam. The wildlife sanctuary opposite means that the sounds of lions waking greets you with the sunrise.

I have to wonder if my own sense of beauty and taste may change after a month in India...

I also stumbled across this beautiful blog, Gipsy Girl's Guide, and the blogger reflects on her time spent at the same ashram.

Now I fear that you'll all be left with the impression of me as a yoga mat-toting, incense-burning, barefoot, health fanatic... And although I'd like to be able to tell you that you couldn't be further from the truth, I can't. Whereas I certainly don't fit perfectly into that description, I guess I can describe myself as a down-to-earth princess. My boyfriend would completely disagree. With the down-to-earth part. But hey...

Anyhow, seeing as I have now digressed completely from my point, let me tell you about a spa in Thailand that a producer that I work with highly recommends. Now when I say spa, one immediately sees $$$ (or in our case here in S.A - RRR) but this little gem is unbelievably inexpensive! I'm hoping that if I budget correctly, save enough money and stop shopping for stuff I really don't need then perhaps I can manage a stopover seeing as I will be in South-East Asia anyway...

Wow, my little heart is pumping custard just at the thought!! Have a look and a read about the detoxification process, spa treatments and other offerings here - Samui Spa Resorts.

Ok, well, that's it from me today... Will be dreaming and planning and plotting and not shopping!!! See you tomorrow...

Xxxx
The Girl Belle

Beautiful bedrooms

In the name of sleeping late on a Saturday morning, these indulgent bedrooms are sure to inspire and create envy...

I love this bright and beautiful summery bedrooms. Although colourful, they retain a grown-up elegance, a mark which is too often missed when it comes to using colour in the home correctly. Seeing bedrooms like these is a great reminder that not everything needs to be neutral!

Just adore this wall paper and the colourful accents in this room.

Reminds me of sunshine and eggy breakfasts!

The green walls lift this room from dreary to fresh.

I just love this gorgeous, feminine room! A girl's dream:)

But then again, how pretty is this white, metallic and pink bedroom?

So opulent and gorgeous! Could see myself lying in until very late in this bed...

Clever and very inexpensive idea for a gorgeous headboard. Great way to introduce some colour.

I do just love Saturday mornings! Off for a walk along the Sea Point promenade in a few minutes - happy weekend everybody!

Xxx
The Girl Belle

Something Pretty for this Grey Tuesday

It's a grey and gloomy day in Cape Town today and these pretty pics of little splashes of colour in otherwise neutral environments are perfect to brighten up this day!

Love the teal footstool - perfect splash of colour in this white room! Pic sourced here.

Love this idea of the wallpaper lining the back of this display cupboard.

So girly, so cute!

Classic, glam and gorgeous

The above pics found here.

Just adore this daybed - again note the books on the table!

Happy day-dreaming!

Glass Jars, Mondays and Motivation

As you may have noticed, I'm a massive fan of glass jars and bottles. We have quite the collection in our house and I'm often looking for new ideas, tips and tricks as to what to do with them.

The dresser in our open-plan kitchen area in the last house, with recipe books and jars containing all sorts of useful things, from rice and sea salt to pasta, dried chillies, almonds and chick peas

I certainly don't think that this is the first time I've mentioned glass jars on my blog - and it probably won't be the last. I hope these pics inspire you as much as they do me.

I found a wonderful post on Iuliana's site, Procraftination Station this morning and it's just totally re-inspired me to get my a into g and get creative with the hundreds of jars we have floating around our house just begging to be re-purposed...

Hanging baby food jars with ribbon and flowers

So organised and efficient! I think I might need to rethink my current jar-strategy! How tidy and cute is this?

Love this centre-piece! Classically elegant, recycled, gorgeous! And the name tags in the jars are a cute touch too.

Uh-dorable! I want goldfish!

Perfect decoration for an office desk. Going to need some on my desk when this season rolls around...

Home-made terrariums in Consol or Mason jars.

How to get your jars ready for hanging. Twisted wire (although I think I'd put it right at the base of the neck), some sand and candles. So easy.

Love this centre-piece for a coffee table! Martha Stewart, of course:) So cute, so fresh! The rest of one's house would have to be so very tidy to pull this off as a centre-piece, so I think I'll skip this idea, as much as I do like it...

Painted jars as vases

Fairy lights in large glass jars. So pretty! And love the antique books as part of the table display, along with the paint brushes.

This actually kind of reminds me of the table decoration for the birthday brunch that I threw for my family.

Centre-piece of mismatched jars used as vases. Made extra-cute by the mismatched flowers - gave the table a bohemian, casual feel.

Left just two on when the food came out - still cute and quite striking though.

And now that I've done my post for today, I've got no excuse to keep procrastinating... I need to sort this apartment out for once and for all! And this week is the week. There is so much still to be donated, put into storage, taken out of storage, sanded, painted, made. And I have a sneaky suspicion that commercials season is just around the corner and this will be the last of my time off... Fingers crossed!

Great-Shape Saturday

With summer just around the corner here in the Southern Hemisphere, my quest for fitness, weight-loss and a really nice bum continues...

Would KILL for a figure like this Victoria's Secret girl!!

So, yoga first thing this morning, and then the girls and I are heading up Table Mountain for a hike in an hour. Should hopefully burn off all that shortbread I ate last night!

Table Mountain

Heading up from Kirstenbosch Gardens - can't wait to see the spring Fynbos in full bloom! 

It'll actually be the first time I've ever hiked up Table Mountain, despite living in Cape Town for 7 years now. I guess when I was younger weekend days were more about sleeping off Friday and Saturday nights than waking up early and doing something healthy just for me:)

Anyhow, to balance all this talk of health & exercise (and just to reassure you that I haven't completely lost my mind), I feel I must just share this picture that I found on the Betty Crocker website, which I discovered last night in my search for the perfect chicken and broccoli bake recipe...

Yummy! Delicious, delicious, DEEEELICIOUS!! 

Xxxx
Belle

Bohemian Garden Delight

In Appreciation of Spring...

I had the pleasure of snapping some pics of a friend-of-a-friend's beautiful garden and courtyard outside her apartment in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town.

It's so quirky...

and rustic...

and bohemian...

This garden is just outside of a ground floor apartment and I am totally crazy about it! I just love the use of metals in the garden and the slightly unkempt look of the plants. Even the rust just works! And what a creative idea putting that window frame against the wall!!

Lovely succulents!

And of course, succulents! From a plant-type that I really didn't like, succulents have totally grown on me this past year. Especially after I realised they're almost indestructible! ;) My kinda plant!

Just love the ivy on the walls!

Just love this shower area. So cute, so private, so lovely!

Inspired, inspired, inspired! Yay! Welcome back Spring! I missed you... :)

Xxx
Belle
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