Found this on urbanoutfitters.co.uk  

so cute!  

heart shaped ravioli

Cos everything tastes soooo much better if it's heart shaped ;)

Ingredients:
½ cup part-skim ricotta
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup shredded fontina
½ cup shredded parmesan
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 batch fresh homemade pasta

Marinara sauce, for serving

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, parmesan, garlic, and spices.  Mix well to blend.  Roll out homemade pasta into long, thin sheets.  To make heart-shaped ravioli, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out pasta shapes.  Place about 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of half of the heart shapes, leaving a clear edge around the perimeter.  Dip a finger in water and lightly brush around the edges of a heart topped with the filling.  Place one of the remaining pasta hearts on top and press the edges of the pasta shapes together to seal around the filling, being careful to press out any excess air.  Repeat with the remaining dough shapes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the ravioli until al dente, about 5 minutes.  Serve in warmed bowls with marinara sauce.

Recipe found on annies eats

Bet my baked goodies would taste sooooo much better when mixed in this gloriously gorgeous mixing bowl!

available from amazon.com

Love Blake Lively's winter ensemble! Gorgeous!

i heart i heart i heart

This month i heart market will be joining forces with other traders at the Durban Beach Festival in July at the Amphitheatre Site next the Bay of Plenty Lawns & Skate Park.

The market will run on Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd & Sat 9th & Sun 10th July
However, the majority of the i heart stallholders will be there on the usual market day SATURDAY 2nd July. Cant wait!*

Love this wall color & the 'trees-as-coat hangers' designed by Swedish design firm Swedese. Unfortunately the trees wouldnt be much use as coat hangers with us spoilt saffa's only experiencing one season of 'cold' but they still make for a awesome handbag/ keys/ doggy leash hangers?

Love your wise words Bob!*

Today is my grandfathers funeral. It is not a sad day as we will be celebrating his wonderful life, in true family 'bun-fight' style. Rest in peace my Papa. May we all learn to love, laugh and appreciate life as much as you did. 

I hope you all have a fantastical weekend!

How come I never think of things like this!? Just love this idea. Use clean stamps to press out designs on your unbaked cookies! Awesome hey?
via countryliving.com

cool stuffs

Found these items on uncommongoods.com! Such an awesome site! These are some of my favourites!*

- Hilariously awesome welcome mat!

- Russian Doll measuring cups

- Heart coffee spoons

- Birds on a Wire canvas

- Alphabet pillow

- Animals in a teacup (love the Owl one)

Pain is a part of life. Sometimes it's a big part, and sometimes it isn't, but either way, it's a part of the big puzzle, the deep music, the great game. Pain does two things: it teaches you. Reminds you that you are alive. Then it passes away and leaves you feeling changed. It can leave you feeling wiser. Sometimes it can leave you feeling stronger. Either way, pain leaves its mark. And everything important that will ever happen to you in life is going to involve it in one degree or another.

Jim Butcher

1925 - 2011

My grand father, Papa, has been courageously fighting cancer for several years now. I have never seen a man with such an incredible will to live however his fight came to an end yesterday morning when he passed away peacefully in his sleep. Papa was a very special grand dad. He loved our family 'bun-fights'. Always had a cheeky joke (loved toilet humour), a good supply of chocolates (Chocolate Log & Tex bars were his best) & hilariously fun stories (most of them made up but totally believable). He used to look after my sisters & I when my parents went away & we just loved it! He would let us have pancakes for dinner & if we couldnt sleep he would make us warm milk with honey, breakfast was never just cereal, it was full on, eggs, bacon, fried banana galore! Yep, he sure fed us well! He loved board games! Monopoly his favourite & he ALWAYS won! We could never understand it but as we got older realised that his constant 'running off to the loo' was him sneaking off to colour photocopy the monopoly money! So cheeky!

I am so grateful for all the memories we have shared together. Those memories I will have forever. Rest in peace my Papa. I love you.

it's that time of the year again*

The ECR House & Garden show is one of my most fav exhibitions! I always find I leave there feeling completely inspired, having spent most of my monthly wage on all sorts of decor delights (& food, dont forget the delish food!) This year the theme is 'Made in Durban’ & is all about staying local, emphasizing that great shopping inspiration for your homes can come from your home town! So best you diarise these dates & make sure you have some of your hard earned pennies saved cos I have a feeling this years show is going to be a goodie! See you there!*

coolest dessert plate ever!

Found here

happy fathers day

wish list item

What a wonderful birthday present, for ME! Just love it! So if you have decided to start shopping for my birthday early, you can get this for me from here, just saying ;)  

chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes

This picture is going to make you seriously consider WHY you aren’t in your kitchen right THIS second making THESE pancakes! Yes? I know!

2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (depending on how chippy you feel)

oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Instruction: Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and let batter set for a few minutes.
Step 2: Heat the pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, if or when the drops start to dance its hot enough.
Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone! Then eat & enjoooooooooy!*

Recipe found on joy the baker 

my first award

Thank you to my friend Taz from surfers paradise for awarding me my very first blog award! so chuffed! So the deal is I need to detail 5 random facts about me & pass the award onto 5 bloggers I feel deserving! So here it goes ...

• I love lists - & lots of them! There is honestly nothing better than ticking things off as you get them done. From shopping lists, lists of what I need to complete at work day by day, lists on what I need to remember to do after work / on weekends, i.e. returns, birthday gifts, etc ... Okay, I admit I am slightly obsessive compulsive about lists but they keep me sane! ;)

• I married my high school sweet heart- Yes, Grant & I met in the beginning of my matric year, way back in 2003, when I was 17 (he was 18) & since then have finished school, got our drivers, celebrated 18^th, 21sts, finished varsity, got our first jobs & our seconds, moved out of home & in together, got married & have made ourselves a beautiful home. We have so much history together, memories & milestones we often look back on. What's crazy is throughout all this time I have not stopped falling in love with him, as crazy as that sounds, I haven’t. I am so blessed to have this incredible man in my life.

• I am a tea queen. I consume on average 6 cups of tea a day, & then a cup of Horlicks before bed. No matter the weather. I love tea. My whole family does, thats maybe where this tea drinking addiction came from- every morning, my dad would wake my sister & I & we would go snuggle up in my parents bed & drink tea with dunked rusks before getting ready for school. It was such a special family bond time. One of my best things now is tea & rusks in bed with my hubby every Saturday morning.

• I am left handed.

• My 'first friend' is still my best friend! Tarryn & I had an instant connection at play school way back when we were 4 years old & ever since then stuck together like glue. We have SO many memories, memories we often look back on & enjoy a second time around, all the imaginative games played as children, the discos, sleepovers, make ups & heartbreaks throughout our school careers, the many parties & hangovers throughout our varsity careers, & now all the drama that comes with our working careers but throughout it all, we have grown together, closer & closer every day. I truly cherish the very special friendship we share. 

The five blogs I'd like to pass this award on to are:

Kendz  from distings

Kel from sunflowers and spears

Zeanne from coffee rings and other things

Lana from lanalou style

and Rhenda from ikhaya

Lucky Pony in collaboration with tamarillo ceramics, whose ceramics are such an inspiration to me, are giving away either the pretty ‘bird on a wire’ teaset or the beautiful lace ‘bird’ plate & jug above. All you need to do is leave a comment on both their blogs posts (click on the links mentioned above) on which of the two you prefer! Excitement! LOVE them both! Although I definitely feel my tea would taste soooo much better served from that gorgeous teaset dont you think?*

midlands meandering

These pics are from Piggly Wiggly & The Lavender Trout Farm- adore the birdie cheese plate, the gorgeous teapot & the home made Jams! How handsome is my hubby!?

These pics are all from the Lavender Trout Farm- such a divine decor shop! They also have a seperate barn filled with all sorts of restored furniture!

These pics are of Bloom- Their restaurant and decor shop. Loved the garden tools- especially the red polka dot ones. How cool are the HEART shaped sugar cubes!?

My hubby & I treated ourselves to a night away in the gorgeous Natal Midlands this past weekend. My happy snappy's don't do this extraordinary place justice! The little shops along nottingham road are just the sweetest! Some of my fav spots include; The Belgium Chocolate shop- where you are literally surrounded by every flavor of chocolate imaginable! Piggly Wiggly- where they have the most divine farm-like store with all sorts of fresh farm produce, home made jams, biscuits, tarts, fudge, fresh bread & cakes etc, not to mention their restaurant which is known for their delish cappuccino's! My bestest best is the Lavender Trout Farm- they have a beautiful decor shop selling all sorts of gorgeous trinkets, pottery creations, & restored furniture, they also have a restaurant on site called Lush- Best 'home-made' burgers ever!
On Saturday night we went to the Bierfassl for dinner, it is a traditional German restaurant serving all German type foods & delicacies. Hubs & I sat by a warm fireplace where we sipped on red wine (bought from the wine cellar at Piggly Wiggly) & indulged in spare ribs (okay not so German, but we were craving) followed by hot Malva pudding! Yum!

The next day we went to Bloom for brekki- such a gorgeous place. They have two barns which they have converted; one is a restaurant & the other a decor shop. Highly recommend their chocolate biscotti's! 
If you haven't done the 'Midlands Meander' yet best you make the trip. Feels like you are a millions miles away but really only a mere hour & a bit from Durban. Clickity click HERE for the official Midlands Meander website.

nice to haves

Keep Calm & Bake On quiche dish

Cute door mat!

3 numbered condiment bowls

You can get all these lovely goodies from our SA local, ingoodcompany store*

just ordered

Ooooh I am TOO EXCITED! Just placed my order for these two gorgeous products- the Amika Ceramic hair styler (got me the extra wide plates for my long, thick locks) AND the Amika hair dryer! Was a serious toss up between the Pink Cheetah print & Zebra print! Just couldnt decide, so hubby had to do a coin toss for me! Zebra won! YAY! Just too excited! Cannot wait for them to arrive!*

(if you want to order one to, all deets are listed here)

   

      

wonderful buy

Please excuse the poor quality pic- was taken with my blackberry!

Found these gorgeous ice cream bowls at Pick n Pay Hyper (can you believe!?) thought they were too cute! They come in baby pink, yellow, purple & green. Had to get one of each! :)

One thing we ALWAYS have in our home is ICE CREAM- Hubs favorite is 'Tin Roof' from Woolies (& only from Woolies), mine, anything chocolate! 'Chocolate Brownie' ice cream from Woolworths is incred! So is the 'rich & creamy' Ola chocolate range. Hmmmm! & its going to taste even more hmmmm in these cute ice cream bowls dont you think?*

Loving big jersy's over tights this Winter!

oh. my. gosh!

You know that music they play when you enter the pearly gates? This is the soundtrack to this shot ... 

Goooooodbye GHD, helloooooo Amika!*
How frikkin B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L are these!? I have only recently discovered these! Can you believe it!? They’re all part of the Love Amika styling range which include curling wands, hairdryers, hair care products and the gorge ceramic stylers! They are all available at selected salons in South Africa and can also be bought online here.
I am IN LOVE with the Zebra ceramic styler and HAVE TO HAVE the 'pink cheetah' hair dryer! Mom, dad, husband, please wrap these up for my birthday! :)

a wonderful way to spend a sunday

My hubby & I met my mom-inlaw for brekki at the vibrant Circus Circus Cafe on the beachfront (at Bay of Plenty) on Sunday morning. What a stunning place! The decor is very relaxed, contemporary chic - just divine! See my happy snaps below. I def recommend you give it a try!

Circus Circus Beach Café
031 337 7700
Address: Shop No. 1, 90 Snell Parade, Bay of Plenty, Durban



pretty pottery

How gorgeous are these serving bowls? I don't think I'm an experienced enough potter (is that the right word??) to attempt making these but I definitely need to give them a try sooner rather than later- how impressed would my guests be eating canape's out of these hand made lovelies! :)

Found on the amazing paperboatpress blog.

want one!

Heart shaped frying pan!

You want one too? Order online here

re- create

Wow! Cape Town is certainly spoilt when it comes to decor stores!!

I read a brief write up on recreate in last months Fairlady. What an awesome & creative little business! Using pieces of discarded junk, Katie (business owner) recreates a unique recycled range of furniture, lighting and interior accessories, each piece infused with its own previous character but with a new function. The concept is simply: 'Do not throw anything away!'

Below are some of my fav pieces!

How CUTE is the tea-cup beside lamp!?

If you are in CPT (lucky fish) you better get your butt to their store! You can find them opposite the Biscuit Mill at 368 Albert Road.

OR go check out their website HERE and blog spot HERE

heart shaped cupcakes

My friend Kel (knowing my mild obsession with anything heart shaped) sent me this awesome link - How to make heart shape cupcakes using marbles! Perfect DIY idea if you dont have heart shape cupcake baking tins! Thanks Kel!

i heart & the corner cafe

Hubs & I spent a fantastic Saturday together, first stop- I Heart Market where we had hot pancakes & macaroons for brekki & then shopped to our hearts content! Hubs bought an awesome thrifted grey jacket from the thrift collection for 90 rond! What a deal. I FINALLY bought myself a wooden 'jack' from the ikhaya stand, after much thought, I named him Pedro & he stands very happily on our TV unit! I also bought some vintage childrens books from the hey cherry stand & hubs bought me a gorgeous heart ring from gen motley. Spoilt!

Next stop was the Corner Cafe! What an awesome spot! They are an eco-restaurant who try to conduct business in a manner that least disrupts the environment. Beverages are ordered in glass bottles, no plastic or tin. They do not stock plastic straws & serviettes are linen not paper. All washing & cleaning is done with dolphin friendly detergents. Excess kitchen scraps are fed into their wormery & turned into worm tea which in turns feeds their garden from which they grow their herbs. Cool huh?

Defintely one of the best cappucino's I have ever had! Loved the sign at the door and ALL the hearts!! Espec the one carved out of the tree outside!

Corner Cafe deets: 031 201 0219
judd@thecornercafe.co.za
www.thecornercafe.co.za

brown sugar cookies

Clickity click here for the easy peasy recipe!

the best kind of laughter ...

 

hehehe, Happy Friday all!
I hope your weekends are filled with lots of moments like this!*