Blog clones

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Today let’s chat about the fashion blogosphere and how most girls’ blogs have ended up looking identical. I am talking about your usual -yet ever so popular- blog overflowing with daily outfit shots taken in the street by the patient boyfriend.

Far from being a new concept, it’s been going on for a few years and I used to be a fan! But not anymore. I am officially over it. Bored. These blogs have so little in them besides monotony and self-indulgence. Nothing constructive or creative. No wit in the writing, no novelty in the outfits. It is so one-dimensional…Ugh…and I am beyond sick of seeing the exact same outfits made of Philip Lim and Celine bags, Louboutin and Valentino heels, Hermes bracelets and mirrored sunglasses… Also, the Isabel Marant sneakers and that “Celine me alone” tshirt seem to be in EVERY closet…

And that’s not all, these ladies are the same who Instagram their food and their puppy and showcase their gorgeous interiors with freaking chevron patterns everywhere.

Also, the other thing I’m sick of: “things-I-am-currently-coveting” posts and gift guides with 150$ candles and Tory Burch sandals the price of my lounge suite. For real??  No I cannot and will not care anymore.

And these people have real problems like how exhausting Fashion weeks can be, how annoyed they are that their Canon 5D Mark III is in for repair and how the new YSL lipstick just isn’t right for their complexion. OR OR I love that one: how they “have had the roughest week because they were SO busy with exciting projects they cannot wait to share with us” there there darling…

We are living in the era where people love themselves so damn much (#selfiesleftandright) and admittedly, if you have a blog, you have got to be at least a little self-absorbed.  Ultimately, all you want is for people to see what YOU think, what YOU can cook what YOU love and how YOUR life is amazing. So yes, duh, it is the essence of narcissism.

But I mean, these girls take it to a new level. I could never ask Ray to take pictures of me posing in the street, because I am very shy but also because I would ask myself “why”. Why are you doing this? And the answer would be so empty that I would get somewhat embarrassed.

Don’t get me wrong. A handful of  these girls have an exceptional sense of style and because they were pioneers, 4 or so years ago, they have become major fashion icons in the blogosphere. So much so that photographing their outfits has turned into a successful business and the biggest magazines and labels bow down to them.

BUT there are some really special blogs out there that are truly outstanding in terms of their original content, the quality of their writing and photography,the DIY projects they come up with. So I wanted to share them today, because they deserve the biggest and highest of fives for working so hard and always challenging their brains.

A beautiful mess

Rockstar diaries

Designlovefest

Nat the Fat Rat

Oh Joy

And of course the legendary A cup of jo

The exceptions that do have occasional but bearable outfit posts and are simply brilliant

Park & Cube

A house in the hills 

VMacandcheese

Self-discipline

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Lately I have been thinking of what discipline is and what an essential axis I want it to be in my life. In my opinion discipline is the base that helps one move forward and reach small and big goals. In daily life, it can help you save time, be more productive or organized, look good, in other words, it can help you reach higher, where you look back and realize how far you’ve come.

I personally battle to be disciplined. In some areas I do well but in others it’s lacking big time.

For instance: I will plan to clean the flat as I am leaving work but then I will get home and watch TV or write a post or simply browse on the internet endlessly until it’s supper time and there goes the cleaning.

Same in the morning. I take a shower and have breakfast but then lounge around instead of doing my hair and makeup or tidying up. I battle to find structure, allocate certain times for certain tasks and make a point of completing them in time. I totally get sidetracked. I am not sure whether it comes from laziness, procrastination or distraction but my lack of efficiency results in a shameful pile of unattended duties that I then feel guilty about and end up having to do anyway.

This year, health and fitness have really become passions of mine and thus I have no problem being disciplined when it comes to going to the gym religiously every morning, eating well and doing things right. That’s because I want to progress and excel so badly but I wish I could be as strict in all areas of my life.

At the end of the day, discipline is remembering what you want most. That’s all. And by keeping this in mind it is up to you to do what is necessary when it is necessary.

I adore my dog

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Oh I love her so! Possibly too much. She is like a soothing balm for my soul. I was feeling a little down this weekend but she came to see me, sat down with her ears back, nose up, in a typical greyhound pose, stared at me with her gorgeous dark eyes and my heart totally melted. I smiled and hugged her because she had made everything better in a matter of a few seconds. Don’t pets just have a crazy power?

Once I read that “Love is a dog licking your face after you’ve left it alone all day” and it broke my heart but it is so true. They only have goodness in them.

We left her at daycare the whole of Saturday and I had anxiety about the weather. The morning was chilly, a little windy and somewhat overcast so I would picture her all curled up and shivering, without her basket or blanket. Then when I fetched her, I saw that her harness was on too tight for her broad rib cage (she probably was uncomfortable the whole time?) and as we got home she rushed to the water bowl and drank abundantly (maybe she had no water the entire day?) It gets a little bit out of hand because I care too much and it snowballs into unnecessary worry but I cannot help it. She means the world to me and it is our responsibility to make her life as pleasant as possible. Also, she is a naturally sad and frail looking dog which doesn’t help.

Thank goodness Ray comes to the rescue with his rationality and sensibility to remind me that she doesn’t have the same emotions as we, humans do.

Something I have been really looking forward to is getting her a companion when we move into a house with a decent garden. As heavenly as Sky’s life is, she needs a best friend to share it with.

I found the greatest pet blog last week, you can check it here.

This decor blog called Desire to inspire has a weekly post called “Monday’s pets on furniture” which I never miss.

Also, here are some tips to do pet photography

Finally, these frames are cute

A never ending summer

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Just a quick post to express my gratitude to the universe for somehow having sent me to this wonderfully warm and ever so sunny South Africa.

Today: 20 something degrees. I mean, have you ever?! June is supposed to mark our entrance in real winter yet I am typing this in my t-shirt and I just turned the air-con on.

I feel so damn lucky for living here. Nearly eight -eight!- months of full on summer a year!

And while I’m at it, I’ll just say that South Africa is too stunning for words. One of my friends is currently on holiday by the Garden route and she sent that picture.

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Now you get what I’m saying. It’s so stupidly beautiful that I wish it was small enough for me to hug it but it’s hUge! And I love that too! There!

Everything is so right about this gorgeous land…

PS: Did you know just how great it is?

Love you dearly S.A for keeping me warm and happy

A dashing yellow nest

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Winter is well on its way here in S.A and these gorgeous interiors with warm splashes of color here and there gave me some ideas.

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Can you tell I’m into citrus shades lately?

I looked all over the place and found the cutest (cheap) items to sprinkle your house and easily recreate the sunny vibe of the rooms above.

I will be sharing them shortly so come back soon!

PS: I love the look of this modern nursery

(Images via: Brunch at Saks, Bright Bazaar, Anthology Mag, Design Sponge, A House in the Hills)

My Beauty Routine

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I am not a very adventurous girl when it comes to makeup and beauty products. I believe in investing in a few basic high quality products and stick with a simple beauty regimen that works for your type of skin and overall style. On most days, my face is bare which is why my products last for years. Literally.

But this year, one of my resolutions was to take better care of myself and look more sophisticated so I do make an effort to apply makeup at least 2 or 3 days a week and guess what? It takes between 5 and 10 minutes and puts me in a good mood every time.

Below are my trusty items that I cannot get enough of!

I wash my face with Dove soap or Cleanser 5 by Dermaceutic

I start with the Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme eye cream

and Estee Lauder Day Wear moisturizer only if my skin feels really dry

Then the revolutionary Oxygenetics foundation in Almond

Loreal Glam Bronze Duo Brunes  for a healthy glow

Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara  (almost finished after 2 years!)

Bobbi Brown brow pencil in Mahogany + Bobbi Brown natural brow shaper  that frame my eyes beautifully

Mac eye shadow in Texture 

And on top: Chanel glitters Illusion d’ombre 89

Mac lipstick in honeylove is the perfect nude and matte lipstick to pair with an overall golden look

Lip contouring pencil Makeup forever 01C Nude Beige to create an illusion of volume (I only apply it in the center of my top lip)

OR

Clinique Chubby stick in 05 fuller fig

And always in my purse, the lip balm that I cannot live without: Carmex.

Also part of my beauty routine: lots of water, green tea, berries, omega 3 tablets, good fats (nuts, avo…) and plenty of sleep

What are your favorite beauty blogs ? Here are some of mine: 1,2, 3 and 4

PS: Something I would LOVE to try

The workplace

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Today let’s talk about the workplace and coworkers and all the special times that working in an office bring to your life.

How do you deal with people at your office? Do things ever heat up? Is there a polite technique to be straight forward but not offensive when they drive you up the wall? Do you just wear headphones and ignore them? It can be tough sometimes especially considering how many hours of your life you have to spend with them (have you ever thought of that? it’s pretty depressing actually)

In my office we don’t have cubicles or separate rooms. All 5 of us share a 40 meter square room and we recently gathered our desks together in a rectangle shape to save space. Also, I’m the only girl. Woop woop!

We all have colleagues that we wish to hurt sometimes right? And I also happen to have a very short fuse. So when somebody sniffs every 30 seconds for a good two hours and doesn’t even consider getting a tissue, I actually want to shove the tissue in their mouth.

I tend to be a grumpy coworker everyday except Thursdays and Fridays. On the other days,  I simply cannot deal. So on Monday this week, when I saw my new colleague squeeze pimples off his chest as hard as he could, 30 cm away from my what-the-hell-face, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I mean!

And you know how it is, when you’re in a bad mood, you notice every single little detail and you tend to focus on how ridiculously annoying they seem that day. It can be anything. I internally lose it over trivial things such as the way somebody speaks or even breathe (don’t even get me started on the singing) how often they stretch, hearing them crack every bone in their hands and neck, the way they bite into fruits, the kind of music they make me listen to and the list goes on…Good thing there’s no sharp objects in my vicinity sometimes I tell ya!

At the end of the day there isn’t much you can do besides trying to get used to it and somehow not letting it get to you.

In a perfect world, I would work from home with my little pup by my side and I keep my fingers crossed that one day this opportunity will arise and change my life for the better :)

Inspiration is everywhere!

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I spend a hell of a lot of time thinking. Way too much actually. And the sad fact is that all this thinking very seldom leads to productive actions or creative outbursts when I wish I used it as golden fuel to do cool stuffs. Instead, it sits in my head, nice and warm, hardly gets out, eventually goes to bed, only to come out again a few months later and sound weird or unrealistic.

Put simply, it seems to me like I don’t use my brain nearly as much or as well (?) as I should. Most often than not it feels like I use maybe 20 percent of what my brain is truly capable of. And sometimes it leads me to think that I am not very intelligent but to be honest, I think it’s just a case of not having found real motivation and passion in what I do daily and being yet to find great media to channel it and pour it over my world.

In my opinion, the least stimulation your brain gets, the more “numb” and unresponsive it becomes and it has started to scare me. It worries me even more when I think of the day that I have to pass my brain content onto a little Norman!

I look up to my friends because they all do what they love and they are bloody good at it. I so admire them and I think they are super lucky in that they have found a creative outlet that allows them to see what they are capable of on a daily basis.

Some people are really good at sports, music, painting, cooking but I feel that I am yet to explore what I truly love (languages, photography, fashion or even health and fitness) and somehow make magic happen. Sometimes I have this odd urge to wow people. I just want to experience the feeling of achieving something really special.

So yeah just letting you know that it’s brewing up there and I truly think that this is my year to explore new ventures and open up new doors. Whatever it is I decide to take on, I am going to give it my all and take my sweet time to do it right and make sure I don’t mess it up.

Old photos

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How often do  you look at old photos of you and your family?

Last week, I spent a couple of hours going through old photos on our computer and just loved noticing all the things that were different in Ray, myself and our families. I find the process of changing and evolving fascinating.

Did you look better a few years back or better now? Have you stayed the same? Maybe half of you is better and the other half is worse?

In five years I think I have changed quite a bit. I feel less “all over the place”, more put together. I believe I lead a much healthier lifestyle too but it was good for me to see that certain aspects still haven’t improved (I’m talking about you bare face and not so white teeth)

But then I had forgotten about the really cool clothes and accessories that I wish I never gave away, I had also failed to recall that I had my tongue pierced for 2 years and also how many times I changed my haircuts and hair colors (Now I think I’m set on the dark brown forever)

The good thing is that I don’t feel nostalgic when I look at these pictures because I would not want to go back in time for all the wealth in the world. I think I am in a good place right now and getting closer to 30 is not scary yet. To be honest it seems like I stayed a teenager for at least 10 years and I am happy to have moved on and to have more control over my life.

On a different note: How do you guys feel about plastic surgery and the quest to stay young? I think it is so interesting how staying young and ageing have ended up merging over the years. A little while ago I stumbled upon a really baffling “project” lead by Philip Toledano entitled “A new kind of beauty” where he shows how contemporary culture is developing via a “human induced evolution” Check the exhibition here