Cocktails & Memories

The ABC of me

Posted on May 27, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Bailey over at Vanilla Blonde blogged about this the other day and I loved the concept (after my April A-Z challenge, it seems that the alphabet is a recurring theme here)

Thought I would hop on the bandwagon and share my alphabet with you.

Animal Cruelty
Nothing in life distresses me as much as animal cruelty. I know I would be capable of murder.
If I found any abusers, I would shoot them… somewhere really painful so that they could die slowly. No second thoughts and no remorse.
People like this do not deserve to be on the planet. Despicable scum.

Balki Bartokomous

Very random I know! But this is what I immediately thought of when I was pondering the letter B.

My brother and I loved watching Perfect Strangers when we were younger. Balki’s character was very sweet and kind and I loved his Dance of Joy.

Cupcakes
I adore cupcakes. Red Velvet are my absolute favourite and Woolies make the best

Dessert
Tiramisu is my favourite dessert. I have a great recipe that uses whipped cream instead of marscapone cheese as a slightly lower calorie option. It also uses

Eyelashes
My eyelashes are not very thick. Like my hair, they are fine. When I sleep, I tend to squish my face into the pillow and as a result, my eyelashes get a kink in them. Even after 2 layers of mascara, a few lashes insist on being difficult!

Bad eyelash day – bent skew

Feet
I love taking photos of my feet – who knows where I got it from!

Guilty Pleasures
My lifestyle job is pretty hectic and it isn’t often that I get to spend a few hours doing “nothing” When I do, my guilty pleasure is to switch my mind off and binge-watch series (just finished Hart of Dixie) with some yummy treats and my kitty cat snuggled on the blanket with me.

Huge vegetables
My dad has the biggest green thumb of anyone I have ever known. He won 1st prize in an agricultural competition in 1989 – the pumpkin weighed 65kgs.

Last year he grew a squash that was almost too heavy for me to lift and in May he sent me a photo of his sweet potato. (Pity money trees don’t exist)

Italian Food
My weakness. I could never join the banting movement and that is due to a certain little italian restaurant in Kyalami – La Trinita.
Their pasta is to die for. Cream, ricotta cheese, bacon bits… you name it, they do it.
Before the meal they bring you a basket of piping hot “dough balls” Smear your butter on them, sip your sangria and the evening of delight begins.
Look them up if you are ever in the area – I PROMISE you will not be disappointed.

Calamari topped with my staple ingredient – bacon!

J’s Shower
Last year I was with J when she went into labour.
This year she is pregnant with twins. I will be planning her baby shower to help get as much as possible for these babies. I need to start looking for a venue, that is always the hardest part.

Kindness
Costs nothing, so don’t be stingy with it. I try to be as kind as possible to everyone I meet.

Love Triangles
The theme in 2 of my favourite series.
The Vampire Diaries: Elena, Stefan and Damon
Hart of Dixie: Zoe, Wade, George

The worst part is that I genuinely find myself liking both men. I have always secretly wondered if I am ever going to be able to succeed in monogamy.
Is there a religion out there that allows me to have 2 husbands? If so, sign me up!

Music
A well-written song is my weakness. I love how a few simple words cleverly strung together can convey feelings that stir up my emotions.

New Job
After 2 years of being thoroughly unhappy (and grossly overworked) I have resigned. I begin at a brand new company on 1 June.
It is liberating and also a little bit scary.
7 years of knowing what I am doing is a huge comfort. To move to a place with new people, a new job spec… very intimidating indeed!

Old age
I wonder if I will end up in a nice retirement village. Preferably with some good looking young men cleaning the pool or serving me cocktails.

Pilates
Something I have neglected, and something I truly miss! I enjoyed the feeling of well-being and I liked the strength my body started to build. Being fit and strong is a place I want to find again.

Quill
I once commissioned a quill to be made for a revamp of a 2nd hand bookstore I was involved in. It was so beautiful and yet I never ever took a photo of it. The quill had a burgundy feather and a pewter handle with etching.

Reading
Since I was a little girl I have always had a passion for reading. I spent many a cold winters day snuggled up in the warm car and reading the latest Nancy Drew novel. I used to use all my brother’s library cards so that I could take out extra books. I used to keep a list of the books I had read on a homemade bookmark. I wish I had saved them all. Life is so much easier now that we have apps for everything!

Sleeping late
I love sleeping late. I can stay awake until midnight, or I can go to bed early, but I never was, and never will be an early riser.

Toothbrush
Buy yourself an electric toothbrush. You think you don’t need it, but you actually do. It will also eliminate over-brushing and long-term tooth sensitivity.

Unconditional love
I have said it before and I will say it again: My parents and friends (and let’s include my boyfriend in here) are phenomenal. Sticking through me with my job stress and the other unfortunate events of late… I really am blessed to have them in my life.

Vintage
I have always wanted to have a Vintage themed party. Perhaps my 50th…

Wanderlust
The travel bug bit me years ago and I spend many many hours dreaming about all the places I would love to visit if I had the money.
I try to keep life interesting, for me travel is the way to do it. Whether it be local or abroad, every new place explored is a story to tell. A happy place for your soul.

Xenophobia
An unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.
Another wave of violence that is affecting our beautiful country. I detest the mentality that people have. Cruelty towards a human or an animal is never acceptable.

Youth Dew
My godmother’s favourite scent, a smell I will always associate with her.

Zomato
Claudz introduced me to the Zomato app. It’s an app that enables you to find a restaurant in an area by searching for a preferred dish, a speciality such as Desserts and Bakes, Cafes & Luxury Dining or even by searching the area you are in. You can read other user’s reviews & photos and view the menu beforehand. Think Trip Advisor for foodies!
The problem I now have, is that I am constantly looking for new restaurants to try so that I can write a new Zomato review.
Are you on Zomato? Look me up: JhbPrincess

Did you notice how many of my references were about food – I think I have a problem!

Lessons to be learnt

Posted on May 19, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

There are many sayings in life that are meant to help us get through the tough times:

God only gives you as much as you can carry

A woman is like a teabag, you only know her true strength when she is put in hot water

Be like a tree in the storm; you will bend, but you won’t break

… Yet somehow I cannot find a single one that seems to work for me this time around. Curiously, I am not as beaten down as I imagined someone in my position should be feeling right now.

My kitty cat ended up in animal hospital with a really bad case of cystitis brought on by stress. Even removing the stress will not ensure that he will ever not be susceptible to it again. This condition now requires a lifetime of special food.

I suffered a herniated disc the next day after ignoring the muscle spasms for 3 weeks and bending down too fast.

2 days of agony, followed by a 6-8 week recovery period. (Also the reason for my lack of blog post last week)

5 days later my window is smashed by 2 men trying to steal my cellphone. They smacked and pulled my head and fought me to get the damn phone and as I dropped it behind me on the floor, the 1 shouted to the other, “shoot her!” I promptly held out my hands to show them it was gone anyway and we managed to get a gap in the traffic to drive away as they fled.

Life has thrown me a few curveballs these past 2 weeks and I try not to dwell on the negative. I prefer to acknowledge the lessons I should be learning and move forward:

I have learnt that it is imperative to have money for more than 1 emergency. Luckily I was able to dip into my home-loan access account.

I have learnt the importance of car insurance.

I have learnt to listen to my body when it tells me it is taking strain.

I have learnt that working longer hours is not only bad for the body, but also unhealthy for your soul.

I have learnt that it is important to keep a cool head in a crisis.

I have learnt that kindness from strangers still exists & I have been reminded that there is nothing more important than love and support from your family and friends.

Animal Hospital: R2000

Back treatment: R1700

Broken window: R500

Family & friend’s support: Priceless

What valuable lessons have you learnt lately?

{Travel Tuesday} Kimberley

Posted on May 5, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Now that the April A-Z Challenge is completed, I now have the luxury of blogging once a week instead of daily.

We now return to our normal schedule 🙂

Last year we wanted a short getaway over a long weekend and we chose Kimberley.
Everyone asked me if I was mad, but I have always wanted to see The Big Hole and explore the old town that is reputably one of the most haunted places in the country.

We saw and did so much and had a lot of fun in the process.

We paid a visit to the Big Hole and watched a short documentary of life in those times. It looked hard, wet and miserable.

Right in the middle of the town, all roads lead to the Honoured Dead Memorial. This memorial commemorates those who fell during the Kimberley Siege and was commissioned by Cecil John Rhodes:

Our Ghost Tour started at the top of this memorial and as we made our way around the town, we learned some very interesting things about ghosts and spirits.

That night as we were all eagerly searching for a sign of a spirit, a girl next to me decided to take a photo of an old ox wagon.

I captured this shot:

She held up her Samsung and captured about 6 spirits – orbs of light – swirling around right in front of us.

My flash was too bright to ascertain anything like that, but the low light of the Samsung was the perfect medium to capture the activity. Sh promised to post the photos on the Facebook page but unfortunately she never did.

The old town still features some of the original buildings from that time as well as a tram and a few buggys.

The oldest house in Kimberley

We then visited a known haunted house called Rudd House. A 27-room house with passageways that twist and turn.

Right at the end of the house was a room that housed a bed and a simple dresser. I walked in and felt the weight of something resting on my chest, I high-tailed it out of there immediately!

I couldn’t even be convinced to go back to take a photo. Later our guide told us that it was 1 of the rooms that had more sightings than all the others and that they were active that night.

Can anybody say FREAKY!?

The Drawing Room – Rudd House

We made the mistake of assuming that our next destination would be open during the week and went past for a visit on our last day in town.

Dunluce is an old Victorian mansion designed in 1897. It features beautiful wooden fretwork on its’ wrap around porch and balcony and is said to contain some of the original furniture as well.

We would have entered the property for a bit of a snoop around, but there were prominent signs adverting an armed response.

I was so disappointed to find it closed up with a sign saying “By appointment only” We tried to contact the guide, but their phone just rang and rang.

We took a few photos from the outside, played the fool in the street and then proceeded back home.

Something I couldn’t get used to was the fact that all the stores and shops closed at 5pm. In Johannesburg that is unheard of.

Maybe that is why people in small towns generally look relaxed, because they all have the opportunity to live normal lives instead of being worked hard all the time.

Perhaps us city-folk could learn a thing or two….

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Z

Posted on April 30, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Z is for … Zipline

I am not the most adventurous when it comes to physical activities. Give me a passport and a random air ticket and I will jump on the plane and ask questions later (Hear that The Amazing Race?)

Physical stuff? Not my forté.

When a friend from Australia visited in 2010 and only had time to visit Gauteng and not the Western Cape, I was slightly distressed.

The Cape is one of our best tourist spots in the country. After only a short car ride, you can be sipping glasses (note the plural) of wine in the winelands. You could spend a day watching the whales or the kite-surfers by the sea. On a clear day, you would want to explore the very top of Table Mountain; the possibilities are endless.

I scrambled to compile a list of activities that could be enjoyed in and around Johannesburg, and one of them was Ziplining. I had never done this before and it looked like fun.

After a short briefing, we were kitted out and ready to go:

Sexy Straps

Our next stop

Tharien FAILING at looking scared (Well done Shez, you nailed it)

If you are ever in Johannesburg, there are a host of activities to keep you busy & I am sure you will love it as much as I do:

Visit he Bird Park at Montecasino and realise that birds are more interesting than you thought
Grab a delicious milkshake at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice (They use entire bars of chocolate!)
Visit the Lion Park and touch a lion cub if you are lucky – the older cubs are more grumpy when you disturb their sleep
Take a day trip to Parys and have lunch at a decadently decorated restaurant called Rubys
Go next door to the little coffee shop and mess around on their awesome lounging chair, clearly made for some with long legs.

And so, the April A-Z challenge has ended.

It has been an amazing month of blogging. I have enjoyed being forced to blog and had fun trying to come up with a theme for the letter of the day.

The best advice I saw was a post that said, “There is no such thing as not enough time, even 5 minutes a day will yield a great post – all you need is practice”

I actually tried the 5 minute challenge and excluding photo selection and uploading, it worked out pretty well once I had a topic in mind.

I will not be taking part in the May Challenge due to a few circumstances happening this month, but I really look forward to doing one soon again.

Thank you to all who read my blog and to those who shared the love by commenting, no matter what you say, I appreciate every word.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Y

Posted on April 29, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Y is for … Year End Party

Every year our company has big year end party. An event for the 60+ employees at our branch to forget our troubles of the year, throw away any negative thoughts and just have fun getting to know our colleagues as people.

We have had some truly memorable events; Dress up as the first letter of your name, Night at the Oscars, The Grammys, etc.

In 2012 we had our function on the rooftop deck of a restaurant; overlooking the entire city. It was a gorgeous night and we had a ton of fun. A colleague even stole a rock from the gardens and I now use it as a doorstop!

Before the party, we were given ballot forms which contained various categories:

Little Miss Sunshine

Mr Grumpy

Miss Helpful

Mr Happy, etc

I won the Little Miss Wise and was awarded my very own pair of Harry Potter Glasses. I had never thought of myself as wise before then … but I’ll own it!

What category would you be most likely to win?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter X

Posted on April 28, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

X is for X-Ray

Not my x-ray.

You are looking at a photo of my cat. Impaled by a metal pole.

I never believed that a cat had 9 lives until I found my cat lying in the garden of the unit below me, meowing.

I lost a few lives of my own as I tried to remain calm whilst pulling the pole out of the ground and trying not to move him too much.

Greys Anatomy taught me to never remove a ~~log impaling 2 people after a train-wreck~~ metal pole protruding from the top of the cat’s “armpit” to his groin.

My boyfriend at the time and I- squeezed into the car- pole and all and raced to the vet.

Miraculously he had survived his fall from the top floor and had survived the pole-skewering as it had missed all his vital organs.

4 days in hospital and he was on the road to a full recovery.

To this day, I cringe when I look at this x-ray. To think of the pain he must have been in; yet he let me pick him up and hardly struggled at all.

Sadly, a few years ago, he went missing and I never saw him again 😦

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter W

Posted on April 27, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

W is for …Weddings

We recently attended the wedding of one of my high school friends. My backup husband when I reached 40.

Both of us have thus far managed to be the only 2 single people amongst our high school friends because we share similar ideas about marriage; Don’t compromise, do it properly.

Just over a year ago, he met the most perfect woman. She is bubbly, intelligent and genuinely nice. she shares his interests in activities and she compliments him beautifully.

The wedding was at a gorgeous garden venue, complete with hidden pathways and secret spots.

The ceremony was short and sweet and it was infused with some fun moments and laughter, very different from the conventional stuffy ceremonies I have attended.

A deluge just after the ceremony on our way to the reception dinner was unfortunate, but luckily the wet weather abated in time for our dinner.

All in all, it was 1 of my favourite weddings. (also… not being a bridesmaid, meant I got to enjoy it a whole lot more)

I have found that as I get older, my idea of the “perfect wedding” has changed very much.

I no longer want every single person I have ever met, to be there. I want my close friends and family. I want an intimate affair so that I get a chance to talk to everyone at the wedding.

I also know that I will be wearing comfortable shoes!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter V

Posted on April 25, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

V is for … Venetian Mask

Since before I went to Italy, I have always been fascinated with the Venetian Masks and I have always wanted my own so that I could get all dressed up and attend my very own masquerade ball.

The first thing I did when I got to Venice was begin the hunt for the perfect mask. I had no idea what I wanted, but I knew I would know it when I saw it. (Kind of like wedding dress shopping, you know)

We saw ornate masks, creepy masks and gorgeous masks. I saw the perfect one! A cat mask. Featuring little black velvet ears, sequins and black lace, it was the most exquisite piece I had ever seen. I was bitterly disappointed to discover that the store was already closed.

The search continued – and I found my 2nd perfect mask.

I have had it since 2005 and I have yet to attend an event where I get to wear the mask. Go figure!

It has always been a dream of mine to visit Venice and attend the annual masked balls, it must surely be something spectacular to experience.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter U

Posted on April 24, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

U is for … Uncomfortable Shoes

We’ve all done it.

Given in to impulse and bought a pretty pair of shoes, only to wear them once, experience extreme levels of pain and throw them into the back of your cupboard.

Mine are pink – obviously

One of our bookless club themes was Uncomfortable Shoes; giving us the opportunity to wear these shoes again and get some extra mileage from them so as not to feel too much buyer’s remorse.

Because we sit a lot of the time, our feet get to look pretty, but without the pain.

Win – Win!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter T

Posted on April 23, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

T is for … Tarot Cards

I have the most gorgeous set of Arthurian Legend Tarot Cards. All watercolour illustrations by Anna-Marie Ferguson depict the legends; Kind Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere etc.

These cards are a piece of art in their own right – soft colours and romantic scenes. I almost wish I could have them framed.

Tarot requires you to constantly practise and to become attuned to your intuition. Like anything, if you leave it, you become rusty.

I have not practised for years, and really wish I made the time for it again. Maybe someday…

My last prediction was that a friend of mine would get a new job and finally move out of her 7 year hell-hole and she did.

Are you familiar with Tarot? Do you consider it evil?

	AJ Lauer on Lessons to be learnt
	Moonie on {Travel Tuesday} Kimberley
	Chantelle on {April A-Z Challenge} The Lett…
	Darla M Sands on {April A-Z Challenge} The Lett…
	Chantelle on {April A-Z Challenge} The Lett…