I love VB!

Dearests;

I admit it... Loud and proud: I love Victoria Beckham!

She is marvellous! From her wonderful fashion range to her recent attendance to the royal wedding... *Sigh* she is fab fab fab; and I wish I could be her BFF (but not in a creepy stalker way).

Someone commented today that she always looks like "she's smelt something bad!"... HOLD ON A SECOND, BUDDY! SAY WHAT!!!! I quickly pointed out, that perhaps she is self conscious and shy. Imagine going to the royal wedding - preggers! Any fashionista knows it's all about the silhouette, and round is a shape, not a silhouette! 

But true to form; VB looked a-a-amazing! I love the way the dress falls as she walks... ahhhhh.... 

The dress would probably rock with a waist belt too; once she has popped out the little princess!

I am starting to love the idea of sustainable fashion - and I am leaning more towards pieces with multiple outfit potential rather than one hit wonders. 

Sweet dreams, 

x

P.S. Note: no comment on the hat. Oh, alright... It makes me hungry. For winegums. One could start to think that this was an incredibly bad choice of headgear; until faced with THIS:

Beatrice! Not cool! The hat made one look like one had antlers as one got out of the car and leaned forward. Or like a bull; charging the red carpet! NO! NO! NO!

And Eugenie... Definitely no comment as it will make me look like a complete hypocrite for my upcoming "Be nicer, it makes you look prettier" campaign!*

*I promise I will start said campaign soonest. There are some *cough* teething problems. Mainly being me. I am a bit of a b*tch sometimes...

Art meets fashion. Offends fashion. The end.

So; while trawling the web, I came across this contribution by an Argentinian artist... 

From the News24 team "Argentinian artist, Nicola Costantino created these nipple bags, shoes and corset to comment on the meat and leather industries. The accessories are made from a mixture of silicon and leather, specifically designed to look like a replica of human skin"
I don't get it. Really. But; as I am due to start my organisation "Be Nice to People, it Makes You Look Prettier" soonest, I will say no more. 
I'll just cuddle my gorgeous leather bag that my mommy got me for Christmas, while nibbling on a slice of chorizo... :-)


Kisses, 
Manda Panda

Dear Easter Bunny

RE: Late Delivery of Easter Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies


Dear Mr. E. Bunny, 


It is with great regret that I have come to the point where I have had to write this letter, especially on such a public forum, but I am unsure of a better course of action at this stage. 
It is Tuesday. Easter was on Sunday. 
I have, as yet, not received any eggies or bunnies, whose ears I can chomp off...
While I am upset, with my tears staining my laptop key pad, I am willing to take in consideration that I have moved to a new country. 
Did you drop them off in Constantia in error? If so, please arrange to collect them with immediate effect and hop on over to the UK to drop them off. To assist you in this, I have clearly marked my new location on this map with the blue arrow. 

I trust you will act swiftly to resolve this terrible oversight. While I am disappointed, I am willing to accept a late delivery. 
Kind regards, 
Miss Mandy Pants


P.S. I would be grateful if you would also let Mr S. Claus of my new location...

The Proposal

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone is having a happy day and scoffing lots of Easter Eggs?

While being a bit bored today (and trying to avoid chocolate scoffing), I came across this FANTASTIC proposal on Perez Hilton's site...

http://perezhilton.com/2011-04-22-guy-makes-fake-movie-trailer-to-propose-to-girlfriend-in-a-movie-theater

To the married boys; bet you're glad you're already married so you don't have to top THAT!

All of this just reminded me that I am still patiently waiting for Claus and Beck's engagement story... 

I wish I was back home to gush in person! It's all very sweet :-)

Laters, 

M

VERY cool jewels - jewels - jewels!

Dah-lings...
I must apologise from my prolonged absence from blogging. I must be immune to the extreme coolness of shopping at H&M and the rest of the London high street whenever I want. WHENEVER I WANT!!! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha <--- evil laugh!
Perhaps though, it's that nothing has really stood out as being incredibly cool... Until now that is!
Oddly enough; this piece of cool comes from an increasingly colder ZAR!
Rohan Cherry is THE most interesting jewellery designer I have come across in a while. I love his design philosophy, and would not object to owning a series of his work (NOTE: a certain persons 30th birthday is coming up)!
Look at this gorgeous piece:

MAGNIFICENT!!! Right? Right?
I would name my child "Peridot and Wood Ring" I love it so much! 
For more ideas of how to treat yourselves this Easter (chocolate eggs are for kids; nothing expresses the true spirit of Easter like jewellery shopping!)
Check out http://rcdesigns.co.za/
 for more...

Kisses, 
Mands

The Royal Wedding!

Everything (I mean EVERYTHING) is all about the upcoming Royal wedding! Magazines are constantly featuring Kate, you cannot walk past a dress up shop without masks bearing their image (a bit of a random dress up idea...), and all the Mrs Wentworth-Jones' and the like are trundling along to their local gift shops to buy a commemorative mug or tea towel. 
Interesting to see a ZA designer getting onto the bandwagon with this:

I am impressed at the play on words... But will laugh wholeheartedly if I has to see someone wearing it in public. Actually, I would probably laugh derisively. I am a mean person*

Laters,

M

*hmmmm... still no official launch date for the "be nicer, it makes you look prettier campaign". I'm working on it. 

TED Talks

Hello chaps!
Last night, I was luckily (finally) introduced to TED talks. A basic explanation from their website: 
"TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize."
I watched a TALK where Mick Ebeling and  a team including "anarchists" and "hackers" (to use the terms used by the speaker) worked together for years to create a means for people who were mostly paralysed - to communicate and draw! The design looks like this:

These very cool designers made the instructions of how one can make one on their own available on the website FREE OF CHARGE! All their time and effort; to make lives better, without profit as a motivator. WOW! 
Check out http://www.ted.com/talks for more TED talks!
To conclude his presentation; Mick said something along the lines of the following of certain questions we should ask ourselves:

If not now, then when?

If not me, then who?

I think those are questions that I would find quite difficult to ask myself without feeling like maybe I wasn't making the best use of my time on this planet...

Yours in deep contemplation, 

Mandy

x

Ginger... Ain't nothing cooler!

**NO, BEAR! Calm down! I said "Ginger", NOT "Gingers"!**
Being in one of the fashion capitals of the world is cool and all that, but some things cannot be cooler than the gorgeous Ginger! From helping mom dig her herb garden in January...

...To posing more than her owner's daughter in April! 

Ah, how quickly they grow up!

Awwwww! I miss her...

"Must Haves" (but maybe not too much!)

Afternoon chaps, 
After neglecting this poor blog - I am now going a bit overboard with the posts... Ah well; hopefully this will occupy some of your work avoidance activity for this Monday.
One of my #1 reasons for moving to the UK was fashion. Now that I am here; I am awed at the pace that trends move at. Sorry Cape Town fashionistas, but it appears we are far too indulgent. We should have thrown out most trends before they have even reached our shores!
It is annoying though - as it appears that as soon as you get used to the idea of something - it's already past sell by date! 
What's precipitated this mini-rant one may ask? Birds! Birds, birds, birds!

The trend cycle is just getting shorter and shorter!
Unlucky Mandy who purchased (and loves) these birdie earrings; realises that this trend has a limited lifespan. Do I carry on wearing these, knowing that at any time they can be deemed as "so last season"? What/who determines what is "last season"? Is it already "last season" because I am worried about it?

It's so annoying that I love this Ted Baker print a little less now...

...But just a little less ;-) I want it. More than cake. 


xxxxxxx <--- Tanti Baci!

P.S. Beautiful Campfires OUT, Wittelsbach diamond IN

After nearly a week of Beautiful campfires; I have decided to show something a lot more inspiring! Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds!

xx

Projects and Updates

Hello Hello!
I hope you all had a great weekend. Believe it or not: I spent yesterday drinking Pimms in the sun while enjoying a braai. It was mah-velous! I could get used to this whole "Summer in the UK" thing... Apart from:
1. The pessimistic, dour chaps who insist that this burst of sunshine means loads of rain in May/June
2. All the pasty, pork-pink flesh that is being exposed...
3. Everyone referring to a "Braai" as a "Barbecue"! What nonsense! Barbecue is a flavour of Simba chips, dammit! Braai-ing is a lifestyle!
In other news, remember my cushion project? I loved the idea of the one below so much

That it inspired me to assist in the redecoration of #1's flat! 
For my Union Jack cushion; I found a gorgeous dark-red paisley print fabric that I used for the red part, a floral cream print for the next layer and black linen for the base. With the left over material I made the "Love Birds" cushion, as I am loving birds, and love :-) Awwwwww...

This is the resulting couch shot with new cushions! Note: there are no "before" pics; as the eye's cannot "un-see" once they have seen... ha ha ha ha ha! Just joking; #1's flat is great - it is just in need of some *cough* decorative aspects...
IN OTHER NEWS:
I have a job interview on Wednesday! Hold thumbs for me... and whatever else you want to hold if you think it will bring me good luck! 
So excited!
Chat soon, 
Manda Panda <-- inspired by my latest literary fodder "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss

Poll results - The ideal gift is...

According to a recent poll - appliances are the best gift!??!!??
I mean... WTF!!!
Ehm; obviously, this voting system is seriously flawed and I have decided to punish the voting public by removing the hump day quiz and replacing it with the very random "Beautiful campfires" application until further notice! Hhrrrrumph!

A Monday Moan and/or Limerick?

Moan = 

1. I am useless at navigating the national rail train service

2. My button on my new Dorothy Perkins' super skinny jeans popped off on first wear (damn you! Hobnobs, damn you!!!) <--- Although; I will note that they were the size 12's that alluded me during December... So it appears that the Heathrow injection has not been administered just yet!

3. The East Putney Co-op store had no freakin' risotto after I had put all the other ingredients into my freakin' basket while carting around my laptop, handbag and mini-break suitcase! (As a result; I was forced to reconsider my "Thank you for letting my stay over at your flat, kind brother" meal of delicious Lemon Risotto & Bistro Salad to the much appreciated Bacon & Mushroom Pasta with Blue Cheese Sauce! Turns out swollen, overcooked rice ain't the meal of choice for 28-32 year old men! Who'd have thought???)

Limerick = 

The was a tall girl from South Africa

Who couldn't catch a train if it was after her

When she eventually did

It had cost her twenty quid

And, and, and... blah blah blah blah!

G'night my dearests - I miss you all too much and you know who you are (yes, YOU! Ah, to be basking in your glory with a glass of wine in my hands... oh wait, that's ALL of you! Any excuse eh?!!?! Ha ha ha ha ha!)

x

Weekends away...

Hello Dah-lings, 

How are you? I am fine <-- heh heh, like old school letters!

I am having a glorious a mini-break so far! "A break from what?" one may ask... Well - I am on a mini-break from all the shopping and eating in Surrey, as I am currently in Lowestoft in Suffolk to shop and eat here instead! It is quite an interesting place as its the most easterly point in the UK, but curious parties can just visit  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowestoft for more info, as this is not some useless information blog site *giggle* Just joking! it IS just a useless information blog site, just not about Lowestoft. I have to draw the line somewhere! 

I am staying at The Hotel Victoria, and its very typical of the architecture here - gorgeous Victorian styling!

Bear* is working here for at least the next 2 weeks on the wind turbines; so I thought I'd visit him to remind him why working away from home as often as possible is preferable for the sake of his sanity! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah, the life of an engineer. 

As it turns out though, someone has to bring home the bacon so to speak! I am still on sabbatical (unemployed has SUCH a dreary tone to it), and I am enjoying myself thoroughly! I am sure that this joyful period of relaxation will be over soon, and I will have a J-O-B that sees me working all hours again! <--- I really regret never taking lunch in the 5 years of working. It's a really nice meal!!!

Hope you all have something mah-velous planned for the weekend!??!!! Send me pictures...

Best, 

Mandy

*Bear is the new nickname chosen by Half as he thought it was a bit more butch and suitable for his sensor-placing-on-turbines-orientated occupation. In addition, he has nicknamed his nephew "The Bees" due to his MASSIVE baby biceps, so he wanted a more hardcore nickname too... Thoughts?