flavour of the month: May

hello! Can you possibly believe that another month has flown by and we’re jumping into June tomorrow?

So last month I started a new series called Flavour of the Month…a visual round-up of my month through the eye of my iPhone and Instagram. The snippets and inspiring details of the things I saw and did. The month of May marks the end of the warm season for us Capetonians as we launch head long into our rainy and chilly winter. I realised that I needed a pair of fingerless gloves for working at my computer, since my hands have been freezing their knuckles off. I found a cute pair of gloves from Mr. Price which quickly became the keyboard-friendly fingerless variety after a 10 simple snips of my scissors and a few stitches to stop the unravelling…

A very proud mom and dad saw their youngest take off his training wheels and learn to ride this month. My 5-year old responded to peddling like a duck to water. After all, it’s just like riding a bicycle…

This same little boy recently moved into his own room after sharing with his bigger brother. We’ve had fun getting it ready and adding personal touches, like the artwork by friends and family collaged together on one wall and a freshly painted desk which was mine as a young girl.

We had a delicious dinner with friends at The Pot Luck Club, Luke Dale-Roberts’ latest culinary endeavour which lives up to its reputation of remarkable and delectable food. The concept is to order a variety of dishes to share and taste. I can’t wait go back!

When the day is sunny, a favourite place for a stroll is along the beachfront promenade between Mouille Point and Greenpoint. The waves come crashing up and mist you with their icy spray…

I spotted some cosy knitted scarves at Country Road which would be perfect for a winter walk. I loved the multi-coloured harlequin pattern so much!

The simplicity of a heart-shaped biscuit from Melissa’s Food Shop on a vintage plate seemed like the perfect thing to photograph… and then gobble down with a hot cup of tea. And pomegranates are my favourite fruit of the month. Their jewel-like ruby arils are slightly sour, almost astringent, but lovely sprinkled over a salad.

A fantastic design driven publication called Designtimes has been on my radar recently. They have their finger on the pulse of both the international and local design scene, introducing their growing readership to exciting world trends. Grab a copy from Exclusive Books or have a look at their online site.

This striking chevron pattern has been in the pipeline for a few months now and this month the zigzag got its show on the road… do you remember this awesome blogging competition which I won? Well, part of the prize was a room makeover courtesy of Freeworld Design Centre. I was beyond delighted and promptly chose my studio to be given a facelift. It was a collaboration between Freeworld and myself… and the result? A chic black & white space inspired by Coco Chanel, with personal details and timeless appeal. These are my Instagram shots of some the details.

Keep an eye open for the official photographs from the shoot which will be posted soon.

So that’s the merry month of May, my friends. I’m already looking forward to June!

going dotty

Enter the world of Yayoi Kusama, the famous Japanese octogenarian who is the latest artist to collaborate with Louis Vuitton on their new collection… catch my guest post over at Freeworld Design Centre to spot this artist’s eccentrically dotty avant-garde style.

pop art at heart

My guest post for Freeworld Design Centre last week was was a cheerful mix of yellow, leopard print and pop art…

Karla Spetic’s AW2012 Heart collection is full of colourful contrasts which are pretty and playful, modern and minimal. This Croatian-born Australian designer successfully mixes pastel, print, neon & leopard in the latest collection from her label which she launched in 2008. Karla remarks, “I do like clean things; I like simplicity. My pieces aren’t complicated.”

Bright acid yellow takes centre stage playing the bold leading lady, while a burst of cherry red creates a sassy supporting actress not to be left in the wings. The Pop Art Lichtenstein print adds graphic and eye-catching interest to the blouses and the silhouettes of the A-line skirts further reinforces a demure 1950’s theme. The diaphanous sheer pieces add that touch of seduction giving the collection a modern, contemporary look, albeit quite breezy. *wink*

zara people

Loving the distressed denim and pops of bright strawberry and lemon from the May curation of Zara people. I can’t wait for spring in the southern hemisphere this year… apart from the blossoms, birdsong and blue skies, a pair of floral pants will definitely be an adorable addition to my wardrobe.

I really love this look below… funky printed t-shirt, boyfriend jeans, a casual trench coat and killer heels.

Alicia Buszczak

Prop stylist Alicia Buszczak has a distinctly unique style which always translates beautifully through to her work. You may be familiar with this talented lady from her creations for the latest Sweet Paul spring issue but I thought I’d show you a bit more of the stylist’s handiwork.

There’s a real art in styling food for magazines. Not only do you have to make the food look delicious, but interesting too. I think that Alicia raises the bar with her artistic and delicate work.