Monday, April 4, 2011

Best Kept Secrets: Installment 1

I am not a native Natalian. I arrived in Durban on a January morning of my seventeenth year. The moist air carried the scent of frangipani and promise. I still feel the thrill of expectation on those still ,clear Durban mornings that dawn with such shimmering intensity.

I am compiling a list of favourite places in and around Durban that capture that feeling of won der that I  experienced when I first moved to , and started to explore , my adoptive town.

The Prawn Shack

Once upon Amatikulu Beach one of my favourite restauranteurs, the personable and delightfully mad Bill Bud (he of Gringo's and Legends fame), had a prawn braai with a prawn farm owner, the local  leader of a community fishing camp and a farmer. After numerous bottles of wine and rather alot of prawns someone suggested that what Nkwazi fishing camp needed was a restaurant. One hundred percent  local material and effort have resulted in a unique all-day-lazy-lunch venue where a mid-lunch stroll to the lagoon is compulsory and where a  sign telling you just how much to bribe the barman (in order to let you linger longer) hangs right next to the bar.






The set menu concists of six to eight courses of simple fresh food with a fusion twist : think personal prawn bunnies in a brioche roll,  baguette dipped in balsamic vinegar topped with caprese salad and beetroot pesto and Zulu sushi(rare fillet with wasabi butter).




The dress code is casual and the atmosphere warm and relaxed.


Please don't keep this to yourself, this is an ideal place to bring visitors, both local and foreign, for a truly South African experience as the venue is community built from local materials .



Booking is essential so call ahead:
0847376493  


You can visit The Prawn Shack for more information or browse the comments
and photo's of happy dinners at The Prawn Shack's Fan Page


 (Many thanks to Nadia of Cupcake Couture  for sharing some helpful blogging resources, notably Pugly Pixel and Fuzzimo )

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Morning Kickstart for Reluctant Risers

Eunice from Exhibit saves the day
I am not a morning person. Some days require coffee. Great coffee works best. This morning I got my morning fix from Exhibit. Things look alot better now. Less people will die.

Happy Birthday

This wonderful collection of products is being given away to celebrate the second birthday of Ask Ashe Blog.


To enter , pay a visit to  Ask Ashe and leave a comment before the 29th of March.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Hidden Treasures

The small adrenalin junkie and I are now avid stencil art fans, and while I know many frown upon the mere thought of graffiti, Durban does have some wonderful street art. Here are two of our every-so-girly favourites:


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Scenes from the Skate Park

I love sunday mornings.

 This past Sunday the small adrenaline junkie and I headed off to Durban's revamped skatepark for a little late summer sunshine.

Stretch, a newcomer to the stencil art scene was there with his stencils and within a few minutes a crowd of skaters and bikers had surrounded him .









Here are a few our local skaters with their newly customised boards.





 




As he was leaving, Stretch mentioned to one young flatland biker that he is working on stencils for bikes.
 I hope that he has some stencils for my new vintage look roller skates from the Skate Shop.

Candy store for adrenalin junkies of all ages



Thursday, March 17, 2011

Sam from Hey Cherry models our new Jackie dress

Jackie Dress  in vintage cotton sateen R180


 The lovely Sam of Hey Cherry kindly agreed to model this new Jackie dress made in bold vintage cotton sateen. As ever, we are loath to mass manufacture, you all deserve better, and since Sam is the proud new owner of this very dress, we have just one left. Come claim it (at Essenwood market this weekend) if you love it.

Beautiful oriental frog "button" at neckline

Monday, March 14, 2011

Cherry Blossom


Watching the news from Japan unfold, I am struck by the fact that the cherry blossoms (which flower for the two weeks from late March to April) will be appearing this year amongst scenes of devastation. I have read that the samurai adopted the cherry blossom as a personal insignia to signify acceptance of nature and the quiet celebration of mans' ephemeral nature.

When one wears cherry blossom designs, one implies that one is in harmony with the nature of things, sad as that nature may be, and that ones flesh is as fragile as the cherry blossom itself.

I hope you like my image. Use it as you will.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

You Win !



After almost eight years of begging, pleading and cojoling by our faithful childrenswear fans, One+1 has hoisted the white flag (well in true fashionista style, the metaphorical flag is less white than flamboyantly polka dotted). One+1 ladieswear is now a reality.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Party Dresses with Attitude



This dress reminds me of canyfloss and liquorice gobstoppers! What better dress for a party!

(Available from One+1 at Essenwood Market)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Daniel's Friends





Liz Rivett is the creative mind behind these adorable , one of a kind creatures. Made with love and rare craftsmanship, each of Daniel's friends has his or her own name.


Find them at Essenwood Market or I Heart in Durban.









Hey Cherry


Hey Cherry

You arrive dishevelled at a gathering with the girls after a last minute helter skelter search for the perfect present. The obligatory edibles are balanced precariously on one hand , a sticky child is holding the other (baby sitter cancelled last moment), and tucked under your arm is a badly wrapped box of chocolates from the supermarket! Oh, the shame!Your perfectly presented friend , who never perspires, passes the hostess her present, the wrapping itself is an art work .Everyone coos. The present is qwirky, cool and not your normal retail bought fare.

The stuff of girlie nightmares!

This is where Sam and Bron of Hey Cherry come to the rescue! They sell all sorts of lovely things from classic Hardy Boy books tohomeware and insulting embroideries!Everything is achingly cool and exquisitely presented :boxed and beribboned, now all you need to do is add love (and your name to the attached card).

Ofcourse with their discerning taste, these girls also stock those rare one of a kind One+1 bags you all love ;)

Find the Hey Cherry stall at I Heart Market in Durban , or visit http://heycherrydurban.blogspot.com

Friday, November 12, 2010

Holiday Style for Beachcombing Babes

Genuine patchwork in 100% cotton with pockets for sea shells and other holiday treasures!
R165 at Essenwood market.

Polkadots and Patchwork




Well yes...I know, I am a TERRIBLE INCONSISTENT BLOGGER! Just thought I'd show you what I am up to , and apologise for my long abscence...hopefully abscence has made the heart fonder.
You can find similar carryalls at Essenwood Market and Hey Cherry's I Heart Market Stall for R140. They are the ultimate moms' bag with space for books, wetwipes, snacks and sunblock.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Sartorial Style at MINE opening



Standing out from the crowd has never looked this good!

More from MINE




Two Occasions
Bheki Kambuhle 2009
With kind permission of KZNSA
Love the combination of different sides of our realities here in South Africa..traditional meets urban.





MINE: art exhibition KZNSA Gallery



Archival ink,back-lit print on lightbox
With kind permission ot Liz Sparg and KZNSA Gallery
Photo by Michele Woodroffe

On Tuesday 17 November I popped into KZNSA in Glenwood for the opening of MINE .Featuring artsists Elizabeth Sparg, Renee Leslie, Simmi Dullay, Lesley Magwod-Fraser, Angie Arbuthnot, Bheki Kambuhle, Mbekeni Mbili , Cally Lotz and Lee Scott Hempson, MINE showcases work by participants in the second KZNSA Profesional Practice Course.


This is a collection of works in a broad variety of mediums rangind from oils and acrylics to lightboxes, multi media collages and warped new forms of photography.

Thanks go to Liz Sparg who invited me and whose quirky animation juxtaposed onto everyday video scenes and archival images completely captured my imagination.

It is impossible to do this exhibition real justice on a page , even a virtaul page..so get down to the exhibition and see for yourself. If you're not lucky enough to live in KZN then visit the gallery website for information and images from these talented artists. Exhibition closes Sunday 29 November.

ELIZABETH SPARG: www.elizabethsparg.com

http://elizabethsparg.blogspot.com/


KZNSA GALLERY: http://www.nsagallery.co.za/

OR CONTACT:

Emme Young (031 277 1705)
Brenton Maart curator@kznsagallery.co.za

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Friday, November 6, 2009