Comfort food

The first person to come to mind when I think of dumplings is my mom. She makes an amazing dumpling dish that instantly transports me back to my childhood. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon a chicken and dumpling recipe while paging through Gwyneth Paltrow's divine cook book, Notes From My Kitchen Table (one of my favourite purchases to date. Seriously. Try it - you won't be disappointed). I bought all the necessary ingredients immediately and spent about three hours labouring over this meal on Sunday. But, rather than thinking of it as hard work, I found the whole process to be rather therapeutic - and there's nothing better than a proper, homecooked meal on a Sunday evening. 

 

 

image credit: For The Beauty Of It

The weekend that was

It's no coincidence that I was born a Piscean. Words that typically crop up to describe this star sign include lazy, relaxed, and ethereal. We might as well add 'sloth-like' to the mix. There's nothing I enjoy more after a long, hard week than cocooning in my home, watching movies, reading books and catching up on sleep. I'd be happiest if I didn't have to leave the house at all! However, this past weekend, though it had it's lazy moments, was a bit more balanced than the average weekend in our household, and it was bliss. It featured a pleasant mix of socialising and down-time, as well as a good dose of therapeutic kitchen time.

We spontaneously popped into the Bluebird Garage Food and Goods Market in Muizenberg on Friday night - the second Friday night in a row! Visiting the market has fast become one of my favourite ways to spend a Friday night - the food is delicious! Both my fiancé and I have become slightly more 'homely' since moving in together last year, so we don't go out on the town nearly as often as we used to. But we went all out on Saturday night at a friend's birthday party, getting home in the wee hours of Sunday morning, sore dancing feet and all! Work has been incredibly busy over the past month or so, which means that I haven't been spending as much time in the kitchen as I'd like to. I stocked up on groceries bright and early on Saturday morning and spent several hours in the kitchen over the weekend. I've never been a huge fan of cooking, but sometime last year the bug bit and I now find cooking to be one of the most calming things to do at the end of the day. I even tried my hand at making caramel sauce from scratch - HUGE success (and surprisingly simple), if I don't say so myself! What did you get up to this weekend?




image: pinterest

Hot mess

I have a confession to make: as beauty editor, I have access to all the latest and greatest beauty buys out there, but I am absolutely useless when it comes to storing said beauty products. Case in point? My three (three!) makeup bags, two boxes (one containing my makeup brushes and the other home to my collection of hair- and skincare products) and two shelves dedicated to lesser used items and my fragrances (not pictured), not to mention the three baskets full of products that I keep in the bathroom. All a disorganised, chaotic mess. But enough is enough. It's time for a much-needed and long-overdue reorganisation session. What are your tips and tricks for storing your beauty products? Please share these in the comments section below, and I'll share my newly revamped make-up stash in a blog post next week.

Good things

 {Looking up while hot air ballooning}

This past week has been pretty amazing: from hot air balloon rides and an evening aboard the Tigger 2 Royale to a relaxing public holiday on Wednesday, I'm feeling incredibly lucky to be in my shoes. Better yet? It's Friday! This weekend, I plan on enjoying the last few weeks of summer by spending more time on the beach (wearing a high SPF, of course!), catching up on some reading (I started reading The Virgin Suicides a few weeks' back and I'm itching to find out what happens next), making breakfast in bed for my love and a possible trip to the movies to see The Iron Lady (if I manage to persuade my fiancé. He's not a huge fan of going to the movies, preferring to stay in to watch DVDs instead).

 {A cappuccino for me and a Honey Blonde Ale for the fiancé at The Blue Bird Garage Food and Goods Market in Muizenberg}

 

{The stunning view of my beautiful city onboard the Tigger 2 Royale}

 {Playing with makeup at the OFRA Cosmetics launch at Salt Vodka Bar in Bantry Bay}

image credits: all images by chereen gibson

Wedding fever!

It's been a little over a month since my engagement and it's only just hit me: I'm getting married! My fiancé and I decided that we would resist all temptation to start planning immediately and really savour being engaged before getting sucked into all the excitement. I haven't bought a single wedding magazine yet (I know - hard to believe, right?), but that doesn't necessarily mean that wedding themes, colours, locations, and the date haven't crossed my mind. To be honest, just thinking about settling on a date or a theme or a dress completely overwhelms me - I don't know where to begin! One question that I'm really struggling with at the moment is: how do you pick a date for your wedding? A few dates have popped into my mind, but none of them feel right. This date marks the start of the rest of my life with my husband; we can't just choose any old date - can we? How did you settle on a date for your big day? Any pointers?

Image credit: 1mosphere.tumblr.com

Autumn approaching

I've definitely noticed a shift in the weather during the past week and I think it's safe to say that Autumn is upon us. I've never been a fan of the cooler months and would much rather spend my days in a bikini beside the pool, catching up on my reading while sipping on a chilled glass of Champagne. However, I have decided to embrace Autumn and all it has to offer this time round: from bold blazers and chic leather boots to darker nails and a bolder lip colour, I will be stylish all season. I think my dislike for winter stems from being ill-prepared during previous years; I'd much rather buy another beautiful summer dress than a bulky winter coat. But I've already found a few lust-worthy items that I can't wait to get my hands on - here are just a few of my current obsessions.

{I love pairing soft, feminine pieces with more tailored, masculine garments, like this long sleeve suit jacket from Country Road}

{I think this gathered cotton skirt from Trenery will look amazing paired with a structured blazer and plenty of scarves}

{I first fell in love with this Helena Tote from Forever New while browsing this past weekend. I can't wait until pay day!}

 {I tend to stick to neutral nail colours most of the time, but am looking forward to sporting this striking, grey-green shade this winter. Power Clutch from essie}

{I tried YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain for the first time this morning and I am already obsessed. I've had two cups of coffee and I've sipped on water all day and it's still staying put. Amazing}

Good Things

Last week was rather tough on me; I had a lot on my plate work-wise, which left me feeling mentally and emotionally drained. My fiancé celebrated his birthday last Thursday, so the weekend was spent celebrating and didn't leave much time for relaxation. All that on top of my emotions running high after getting engaged, and you can imagine how emotionally frazzled I felt.

This week has been a complete turn-around, though. Although it's been one of my busiest weeks yet, it's been full of fun, inspiration, love and laughter. These are a few of the things that made me smile:

1. FINALLY getting my engagement ring back after over a week (I sent it in to be resized). Now I actually feel engaged... it's amazing how significant a ring can be, particularly when you're still getting used to the idea. It just didn't feel real without my ring!

2. Learning all about the make-up trends for Spring/ Summer 2012 at the M.A.C launch on Tuesday.

3. Being treated to a blissful Moor Skin Care facial. Read more here.

4. Starting my day at the new Queen Victoria Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. There's nothing quite like hearing seagulls and being able to smell the sea to boost your mood first thing in the morning. I am SO moving to a coastal suburb next!

5. Meeting Paul Tchinnis, who works at the Max Huber Institute in New York and is a developer for La Mer. Dream come true! I can't wait to try the new La Mer beauty treats, either!

6. A relaxing weekend to look forward to. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to get out of town for a bit. 


image: pinterest