Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

This past Saturday was Angie's bridal shower, and what an awesome day it was,

Jackie (Angie's sister) and Fatima (Angie's future sister-in-law) pulled out all the stops to ensure fun was had by all, and more importantly, that Ange enjoyed her last night out as a single woman.

Grapes (a well known bar and restaurant situated in Western Extension, Benoni), was the venue for the festivities and Jax & Fatima decorated the room beautifully.

Decor

Food

Fatima (bridesmaid) and Jackie (maid of honour)

The first part was of the afternoon was the Kitchen Tea. Ange was suitably dressed in an apron, and "doek" in preparation of fulfilling her role as the cook and cleaner in the Dias household. Just kidding:)

We played some games such as Bingo, match the celebrity couples, pin the cucumber on the man and roll the orange over the finish line using nothing but a banana attached to a string around your waist. As you can imagine, these games provided a good few giggles.

The second part of the day belonged to the bachelorette party, and were we in for a few surprises or what!

Whilst Ange opened her gifts, a bachelor gate crashed our party. Meaning well he probably just wanted to introduce himself and wish his fellow comrade in marriage well, but it started a chain of events that provided some...entertainment, if you will.

One of the bachelor's crew decided to do an impromptu striptease! He casually walked over to Ange and proceeded with his routine, taking off his shirt and shorts. Ange was a good sport and played along until this Chippendale wannabe faced her and started to remove his underwear. Now I don't know exactly what Ange saw, but it was enough to scare her and she ran away. Thankfully no more of the man's anatomy was revealed and he quickly gathered his clothing and left. This may have not been too bad if Ange's gran wasn't in the audience! I reckon all of us ladies had a blush on her behalf.

Later in the evening, Jenna, one of Ange's friends that does pole dancings treated us to a basic pole routine. The ladies practiced the moves where they stood before taking turns to try it out on the pole. Some ladies surprised us with how naturally they took to the pole, but others (like myself) had to basically be dragged up there. Afterwards, Jenna did a demo of one of her advanced routines and we were AMAZED. She climbed to the top and hng upside down using only her leg to hold on. It was something quite astounding and one doesn;t understand the enormity of the situation unless it is viewed first hand. Well done, Jenna, we thoroughly enjoyed your performance!

Jackie and Fatima hired a jukebox for the evening, so we ended the party off dancing till late.

Thank you so much to the ladies for such a fun afternoon, we had a ball!

Oh, and Ange - just one more song! Ha ha :)

Please Support - Santa Cause for Paws

A new charity drive was created earlier this year: Santa Cause for Paws.

How it works:

Members of the community pledge a dog (puppy)/ cat (kitten) box containing the following items:

Something warm: This could include a blanket or a jersey.

These do not have to be bought – they could even be handmade! You can even wrap your other goodies in the blanket and make that the item you hand in.

Something yum: Please include a tin or packet of food AND a treat of some sort.
For dogs, bones, dog biscuits and other brand dog treats are great! Please avoid rawhide
treats and cow hooves as these pose a risk of choking as shelter animals are not supervised at all times and bigger dogs are able to break pieces off which might cause harm. For cats, any brand of treat is ideal for our feline friends!

Something useful: Please include something that will be useful to your pledged cat or dog.
This could include a collar, tick and flea shampoo, a collar, Bob Martins, a food bowl etc.

Something fun: All animals like something to play with!
This could include a ball, cat-nip toy,
squeaky toy, etc. There are many toys available for cats and dogs, but please do avoid toys with buttons and items that can be swollowed.

Something for staff: Optional.
Please note that this is entirely optional, if you'd like to add something for a worker at the shelter, we will remove these items and place them into packs for the staff who work so tirelessly caring for all the animals whilst they wait for their forever homes. Items can include biscuits, chips, chocolates, bubble bath products, toiletries or any other item you would like to donate. You may also place a small donation of R10 into the box which we will use towards gifts and goodies for the staff members.

Completed boxes are dropped off at the specified collection points on the relevant days and thereafter distributed to the shelters.

The original pledge target was 500 boxes, but due to an overwhelming response that target has been increased to 1 500 boxes. As it stands (currently), the total is 1 024 boxes but with some increased exposure through social networking and word of mouth I have no doubt that the target will be reached shortly.

For those who do not have the time or resources to make up a box, a financial donation will also be greatly appreciated. A cat or dog pledge box can be compiled for as little as R100 each, but if that is out of one's budget, any monetary amount will be accepted.

For more information, please go to the website or "like" their Facebook page "Santa Cause for Paws".

Please support this initiative as the animals need our voices to speak on their behalf. As per the website "The greatest gift one can give is the gift of love".

An Evening Spent with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra

William has always been a fan of orchestral music and when ticket sales for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra's second season of 2013 opened, I immediately bought tickets.

The JPO is based at the Linder Auditorium, situated on the University of the Witwatersrand's education campus, and what a stunning venue it is.

Being our first time attending an concerto, we did not know what to expect but thankfully we were seated next to a young Asian guy that was a regular and kindly pointed out some rules:

1) Never talk during a piece. The shows are recorded (as was the case with last night) to later be sold on CD, so any background noise may be picked up by the huge microphones which may reduce the quality of the recording.

Ooops, William and I had discussed the conductor's animatedness during the opening number!

2) Don't eat, drink or cough during a performance.

Yes, you read right. Cough. It's listed right there in the program!

3) Be mindful of when the number has been completed as opposed to a break (our guide had the correct terminology for this but it seems to have escaped me at present). You do not want to start clapping at the most inopportune moment.

4) Don't stop clapping at the end of the performance. The conductor will leave the stage and return at least twice, and then the musicians will bow to the audience so one will need to keep the momentum going.

Yes, this does mean your hands will get sore but once you've seen an orchestra of this nature perform, they really are worthy of this applause.

I highly recommend that any classical music lover (or non classical music lover) attend a performance because it really is quite surreal to watch musicians perform with such passion for their craft.

Almost makes one want to take up the violin!

Have a great weekend, readers.

xx

The Five Love Languages

Recently a friend recommended a book to me - The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. If you haven't already read it, and are in a committed relationship/marriage then I would say this is one for you.

Through talking to some friends, I discovered that the above material is covered in pre-marital courses, and thus they have implemented what they'd learnt into their everyday lives. If nothing else, it has helped them understand their spouse and given them an insight into how their other half functions. No relationship is perfect, and as much as many couples don't want to admit, we all have our ups and downs. Our in love moments, and those where you want to throw the nearest object at your partner's head. 

It happens. It is normal, and it is healthy.

Granted no couple should constantly be at each others throats or storing their divorce lawyer's number on speed dial, but the occasional disagreement and exchange of words a few decibels louder than Gordon Ramsay on a bad day is normal.

Basically, Gary Chapman has discovered five categories of people and after taking the survey on the website, a person is matched to their love language. The five languages are:

                                              Words of Affirmation
                                                    Quality Time
                                                         Gifts
                                              Physical Touch; and
                                                Acts of Service.

William and I took the survey and found out that we fall into the Words of Affirmation and Quality Time categories respectively. Having read the book and carried out some internet research, it now seems obvious that we behave the way we do and get offended when the other doesn't "get" us. It makes sense. 

William prefers to hear words of encouragement and praise as a symbol of my love for him, whilst I prefer spending time with him. Doing anything really. Taking a trip together, going to dinner and a movie, and just generally being in each others company. But don't get me wrong, him watching TV while I am trying to have a conversation with him does not count. I need his undivided attention. Want to rev me up? Fine - just play on your cell phone while I'm asking about your day. Nothing stirs up my inner tiger more than a person being physically but not mentally present. 

Because our love languages are different (and it is apparently extremely rare that two parties to a relationship share the same love language) we expect more from the other but don't really want to sacrifice our personal love language to please our partner. 

The friend that recommended the book to me is in the exact same situation as I am. Her husband is also a words of affirmation guy, and she was saying how hard she is finding it trying to converse with him in his native language. Not normally a vocal appreciation girl, she is making a conscious effort to remember to compliment him on that new shirt he is wearing. The book lists a few guidelines on how to boost a WoA person's ego, but at the end of the day the compliment has to be an honest reflection of how the spouse feels.Saying it without meaning it is pointless.

This brings me to the other condition: tone. Saying 'Wow, that colour looks amazing on you!' in an appreciative manner is very different to a non committal tone, and instantly your partner knows the compliment is forced or untrue. I suffer from word vomit. Seriously. Words leave my mouth in an unfiltered, thoughtless manner which often causes me to regret them the instant I've spoken them. I say exactly what is on my mind without considering the impact they have on the recipient. It is wrong and something I need to work on. I have been careless in the past and hurt William, which was unintentional, but nevertheless unacceptable. By the same token, I hope that William will learn my love language and begin to interact with me in that manner.

Each party to a relationship is guilty, and I'll say it again, no-one is perfect. We all need to reign ourselves in, stop, and think about how our words and actions affect others. Learn their love language. Meet them halfway.

Having read the book, I highly recommend it to others. Go to the website and take the survey, I guarantee it'll open your mind to a new adventure.

Friends that have already discovered your love languages: what categories do you and your partner fall into? And how did you go about interacting once finding out? I'd love to hear your stories!

The Weekend That Was

Morning readers!

Wow, can you believe we are now in October (or Rocktober or even Ocsober as it is known to some) - the end of the year is fast approaching! Time to start making those Christmas and holiday plans (if you haven't already) and definitely time to start Christmas shopping. There's nothing worse than fighting the hoards of last minute shoppers in the malls come the last week before Christmas!

Back to the present day though. October is going to be a very festive month for us. This coming weekend is Angie's bachelorette party, next weekend is Roger's bachelors and we're ending off the month with their wedding. Absolutely cannot wait!

This past weekend I attended Ryan's Gatsby themed 30th birthday party with Angie at the Skye Bar in Sandton, and let me say that the views from this venue are absolutely breathtaking. The twinkling lights of the surrounding suburbs and skyscrapers lend an almost other-wordly vibe to guests as we stared out over the balcony. Amazing. Guests really went the extra mile in dressing in period appropriate attire, and Jenna (Ryan's wife) outdid herself with the decor and entertainment. There was a photo booth, a Murder Mystery Game and even some gambling. Thank you Jenna & Ryan, we had such fun!

Here are some pictures from the evening:

On Sunday, William and I were invited to a Portuguese braai by Colleen & Fernando. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we soaked up the sun while relaxing around the pool. Fernando may consider himself a top notch chef as the steak was done to perfection, using the traditional method of bay leaf branches as skewers. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and take advantage of summer. Thank you Col & Fernando, you are excellent hosts and we felt so welcome and comfortable in your company.

Unfortunately I didn't take my camera with on Sunday, but am sure Colleen will post some photographs shortly. Keep an eye on my Facebook page:)

Until next time
xxx

A Mosaic Tray for Jenny's Birthday

Firstly, allow me to apologise for my absence and subsequent non existing blogging. I have been writing end of year exams which have just about consumed me. I wrote the last one today so at least life can return to normal now.

Onwards (march!)

Earlier this month, my close friend Jenny celebrated her birthday. We met at high school (Ashton College) in 2000 and became fast friends. Since then we have shared good times and bad times, and as it happens we've even drifted apart for a while but we'd always reconnect. Jenny is an actuary (yes my friend the genius!) for a well known short term insurer in Centurion, and is married to Bevan (salesman of high repute) who originally hails from East London.

Jen & Bev were married on the 31st of December 2009 at Mangwa Valley Game Lodge near Hammanskraal. Yes, a new year's wedding and it was absolutely stunning. Being mid summer the heat was something else but that didn't deter Jen and she remained in her wedding gown the entire evening. Guests admired the beautiful table centre
pieces, and who could forget their legendary first dance? Well done team Webb, we loved it. 

In January 2012 I took up mosaicing. After starting out slowly, with chipboard animals I progressed to trays. And yes, they must be used to serve. I have made a few couples a tray as a gift in the past and reckon it's becoming a tradition. 

So I made Jen a tray as a birthday gift.

Step one: boarder and heart and photographs

                                                              Step two: filler tiles

Step three: grout, paint and seal.

Unfortunately the flash reflects off the glass surface hence not being able to produce a decent photograph.

Hope you like it Jen, and Angie - your tray is coming soon!

Wakaberry Comes to Benoni

It's the fro yo (frozen yoghurt) that has taken South Africa by storm - Wakaberry.

The newest branch in Gauteng opened on Saturday 14 September at the Oakfields Shopping Centre in Northmead, amidst much fanfare. The queue was out the store and down the corridor with customers eagerly wanting to try out the latest culinary craze.

Having sampled a Wakaberry or two previously at Bedford Centre (and absolutely loving it), I decided to wate for the hype to die down and rather go during the week when it would be quieter. So I rounded Linsey up, and this morning we went to get our Wakaberry fix.

What's so nice about the Wakaberry concept is VARIETY. There are so many flavours to choose from:- vanilla, condensed milk, mixed berry, strawberry, creme soda and peanut butter (just to mention a few) and that was only the frozen yoghurt. Toppings are a whole different ball game. One can choose from crushed Oreos, fruit, nuts, sours jelly sweets, smarties, Tumbles, jelly beans and much much more. Top it off with some extra sauce (chocolate, honey or Milky Bar) and you have a winner.

 

                         

The people of Benoni and the surrounds thank you for coming to our neck of the woods, Wakaberry, although our diets may not. Just playing. 

But on a serious note, why no Nutella fro yo flavour?

Being an Only Child

This is a very hotly contested subject, and below is my perspective on the matter.

Technically I am an only child. I have two half sisters (and no, two halves don't make a whole sister) from my dad's first marriage - Janine and Caroline, who are eight and four years my senior respectively. My half siblings grew up with their mom in Rynfield. My parents only had me, hence the "technical" lone child connotation. Out of my friends and acquaintances, Linsey and I are the only ones that grew up as only kids.

Here are some of my responses to the commonly asked questions:

1) Only kids are spoilt:- No, I personally was not. This all depends on how the parents raise the child. If the parents indulge the kids unnecessarily then they are likely to produce a brat. My mom made sure I had everything I needed and a bit extra, but she by no means spoiled me. The fact of the matter is, parents can give one child more than they can give two. Granted, every family's financial status differs. I like to think I didn't turn out to be a brat but please correct me if I'm wrong.

2) Only kids grow up lonely:-Never! If anything, being an only child improved my social skills and I made lots of friends in my childhood and adult life. It forces you to get out there, instead of tagging along with your older sibling and their friends. My friends are like my family and I value them beyond measure. Besides - how many people grow up loving their sibling? Be honest now. Do you remember having fights (that sometimes turned physical) and personality clashes growing up? Some of my friends have admitted that they seriously disliked their siblings when they were younger and only once they got older and maturity set in did they start to enjoy their sibling relationship.

3) Only kids don't know how to share:- Well this one just about makes me want to laugh out loud. Some people that grew up with siblings STILL do't know how to share in adulthood, and I'll say it again - it's all determined in the manner parents raise their kids. Constantly having friends over meant I shared my toys and clothes with them.

I've asked my mom why she and my dad only had one child between them and her very honest answer was she couldn't love two children equally. This brings us to favourtism. Very touchy subject but unfortunately it does happen. One (or both) parents will favour one child over the other/s, and this creates resentment on the other kid/s part. Parents also measure their kids up against the other. This is wrong. We are all individuals and deserve to be treated as such.  So what if one sibling is academic and the other sporty? Each have their strengths and weaknesses and no child needs that pressure in addition to all the other challenges they face in life. 

So, that's my view on the matter. Hopefully I haven't stepped on too many toes or offended anybody. Naturally, I can't understand a person that has siblings' point of view, and the opposite is true of them. We only know our own circumstances. Be content with that.

I Just Don't Want to

Have you ever been invited to an event/party/concert/movie/festival that you really really have no interest in? And instead of being honest and saying "Nah, that's not really my scene", you come up with an excuse. A lame one.

Like...

"My dog is going through a rough phase right now and I need to spend quality time with him/her." Or "I've already committed myself to going curtain shopping with my mom."

Why do we behave like this in this day and age? Why do we need to lie to cover up our true feelings of just not wanting to attend the event in questions? The answer is we don't. We're all adults and if your friend/sibling/coworker is offended by your honest reply of "I just don't want to", then he/she is not very considerate of you. 

Too bad, so sad. They'll get over it. Remember, what goes around comes around and that person will probably experience something similar in the near future, and then he/she will understand.

So, be honest. If it's not your thing - say so. Life is too short to do things they don't want to. 

A 30th and Some Child's Play

On Saturday we attended Bill's friend Caro's 30th birthday party. It was a "kids" themed party, centred around minions - you know those banana characters in the Despicable Me films.

What is a party without dressing according to the theme? I wore a Hello Kitty t-shirt, black tutu, tights and pink takkies. Bill opted for the Batman shirt.

                                        

Here is a pic of the birthday girl:

Caro and her husband, Jon, went all out. There was a boxing ring jumping castle, complete with oversized boxing gloves, party packs, a pinata, pens to draw on people's faces, stick on tattoos and sparklers. Bill and Robyn even got into a competition: who could blow the biggest bubble with ten Chappies!

  

                       
                                  

Thank you Caro & Jon for a fun filled afternoon where we were able to relive our childhoods!

Lean on Me

                       

It's the Small Things

So often we get caught up in the pursuit of the marriage/house/kids paradigm (as a friend aptly referred to it), we forget to appreciate the small things in life.

Simple things like admiring that sunflower growing on the side of the N12, taking some time out to read a magazine, enjoy a piece of confectionery, or watching a bird bathing itself in a puddle. We are so concerned about earning the money needed to survive in this competition called life we cannot comprehend wasting our time on anything as trivial as the above.

It's OK to lose sight of the bigger picture for a little while. Stop. Look outside. Take it in.

More often than not it will be a welcome break from that household chore or writing that report. Life is to be lived, not looked back on with the thought of "I would have rather done things differently". There is more to life than being a serious no-room-to-move person.

Have fun. Make mistakes. Laugh at yourself (or someone else for that matter). Help others. Make the best of what you have. And most importantly, be the best version of yourself as possible.

Literary Review: Bared to You, author Sylvia Day

Surely you've heard of the "Crossfire" series? The next big (read erotic) trilogy since 50 Shades of Grey last year. Yes, this series (published June 2012) reads like a soft porno and will have a few conservative readers blushing at intervals.

But is it good?

Naturally a story line around such purely sexual behaviour can only be so dramatic, needless to say if you are after an insightful or thought provoking novel, this one is NOT for you.

One can't help but notice the similarities between the two series, almost to the point where the reader wonders if Sylvia Day copied EL James' scripts and changed some of the details? As the 50 Shades series was published first (May 2011) it is assumed to be the original. I'm not pointing fingers but rather making an observation.

Here are some of the keynote points:

Similarities

• Both Christian Grey (50 Shades) and Gideon Cross (Crossfire) are hugely successful corporate billionaires, that seem to possess the business acumen of Donald Trump and Richard Branson combined. They are both under 30 years of age and have troubled backgrounds.
• Ana (50 Shades) and Eva (Crossfire) have similar sounding names. Both women have recently finished varsity and are entering the working world in a city far from what the call home. The female and male lead characters are introduced at (wait for it)...their places of work. Ana and Eva's parents have both separated, and both women feel a strong connection to their fathers as their mothers have moved on and remarried. The two women strongly rely on their roommates for emotional support.
• The plot: girl meets boy. Girl likes boy, but feels inadequate/unequal/undeserving of him. Boy likes girl too. Boy fears his tortured past may ruin their relationship. Enough said?

Differences

• Gideon is not as experienced as Christian in the S&M field, and the bondage/dominant/submissive bit is downplayed largely until the last few chapters of the book.
• Eva is more street wise than Ana. Being older than Ana (24 vs 21), she isn't a virgin but has her fair share of demons.
• Gideon doesn't propose marriage to Eva (a la Christian) when he fears he may lose her.
• Gideon and Eva are turning out to be the more mature couple for their willingness to attend both individual and couples counselling.

Read the book, and let's compare our thoughts. Until then, I'll continue with book two in the series "Reflected in You"

Happy reading!

Surprising Angie on her Birthday

Yesterday, the 2nd of September, one of my nearest and dearest friends celebrated her 29th birthday.

Roger (Angie's fiancee) and Jackie (Angie's sister) organised for Angie to go sky diving on Sunday for her birthday, but unfortunately I was unable to watch her jump (too much of a wuss to go skydiving myself) due to other commitments.

So, Jackie and I hashed a plan together that involved me meeting them for lunch at the restaurant in the business park complex. Jackie told Ange the two of them would go for a quick lunch to celebrate her birthday, and then she'd walk in and see me sitting at a table. This plan worked in theory, but not in practice as Ange didn't even see me in the restaurant (even though I had helium filled balloons tied to her chair and a bunch of flowers on the table) and proceeded to sit down at some random empty table, much to Jackie's and my amusement. After sitting down at the right table, Ange asked me "What are you doing here?" to which I responded "I've come to have lunch with you on your birthday!"

We had a lovely afternoon, and thanks to our very accommodating waitress, everything ran smoothly and Angie and Jackie were back at their office at 2pm. I found a singing birthday candle at Cardies and improvised with a choc chip muffin for the "cake".

Happy birthday Ange, last one as a Miss and next year is the big 3-0!