Stylish Miss Palermo

So lately we've been seeing Olivia Palermo wherever we look but when she looks and dresses as gorgeously as she does, well it all makes sense, doesn't it? These photos were taken of her before and after the Valentino Fall 2010 show, this is what photographer Tamu McPherson says, "There were two shows, and then guests were whisked away in private transportation to the after party at Valentino's country house. I didn't make it to the party though, LOL!" Sigh, can you just imagine being one of those guests?

Anyway have you ever tried to imagine what her home looks like? I kind of imagine it will be glamorous, with both modern and antique touches and super stylish...

The only actual pics I could find of her apartment date back to 2008 so they're not very recent. I'm sure you've seen them already but just in case you haven't here they are. My ideas were not too far off! Absolutely love the deep buttoned chair and the walk in closet, she is one lucky lady!

Image credits: 1 &4)Tamu McPherson of All The Pretty Birds, 2) via trendey, 3) 1st Option, 4) Sally Conran, 5, 6 & 7) Page Six Magazine

Friday gratitude

Hello my lovelies, are you as happy as I am that it's almost the weekend?! I have a lot planned, mostly chores and hopefully a few visits to some new places and definitely a few tasty cappuccinos thrown in! Today's post is inspired by warm autumn colours and nesting, wishing you all a fabulous weekend.

Image credits: 1) Pia Ulin, 2 & 3) Chris Court, 4 & 5) Catherine Gratwicke, 6) Jennifer Causey, 7) Lula Aldunate via design * sponge, 8) Kalle Gustaffson

Hugo Boss fall collection

I just adore the new Hugo Boss fall/winter 2010 collection, inspired by New York City, it's full of urban energy with a slight vintage feel. The shoot's styling and location is just perfect, it of course makes me want to get on a plane and head over to The Big Apple asap! Those leather boots and bag in the second last shot have my name all over them, wishful thinking!

Image credits: 1, 2, 5 & 7) Hugo Boss, 3) IgoUgo, 4) Declan McCullagh Photography, 6) Kyamme Travel and Tours, 8) College Fashion

Blogger Wishlist: Jaime & Mary

Another Wednesday and time for two more Blogger wishlists! Are you bored of this series yet? I hope not but please let me know what you think. Today we have Jaime from Boston, Massachusetts and Mary from Washington DC.

Jaime has a great blog called La Vie... J'aime and it's always full of light hearted inspiration, fashion, Friday favourites and fun finds. Jaime is probably one of the nicest bloggers out there as all her blog awards and followers will tell you. She also has a fun series at the moment, Summer Snapshots, where readers can send in any summer photo with a short blurb, a really great way for everyone to get to know each other a little bit.

Over to you Jaime, what's on your wishlist?
1. Clothbound Penguin Classics: I'd love to add a selection of my favorites to my bookshelf at my new apt.
2. A trip back to Florence: I studied abroad here in 2006 and would love to go back for my 5 year "anniversary" next year.
3. Ghost chair for my new desk: To say I "wish" for this, is an understatment. I just won a $40 GC to CSNStores, too bad it wasn't $400!
4. iPhone: The day it comes to Verizon, I will be there!
5. A pair of red heels: In a perfect world, the Stuart Weitzman 'Avignon' pump is my top pick.

Thanks Jaime, I'd love a pair of those exact heels and those clothbound books are beauties!

Next up is Mary who has the sweetest blog called Tulips and flight suits. It's actually fairly new to me, I only discovered it when Mary said she'd love to take part in this series. There are just so many blogs out there, if only we had time to visit them all... actually that's pretty impossible, isn't it?! Anyway Mary's blog is full of pretty finds, recipes, good reads, etsy love and actually just a little bit of everything, pop over and say hi!

So what are you wishing for, Mary?
1. I've been looking for a fun throw pillow for our bed - consider it found.
2. This awesome skirt with pockets!
3. This "short order" tea towel from Anthropologie is too cute. apple pancakes won me over...
4. This postcard set to send fun mail to loved ones.
5. This sign. simple and perfect for our guest room.
6. I am LOVING these mcalister wedge boots. I'm grasping these last days of summer, but these boots make me excited for fall and a pair of skinny jeans, a warm sweater and these boots!
7. And a vacation -- anytime, anywhere, as long as it's with my husband.

Great picks, Mary, I love that skirt from Emersonmade, in fact I love everything from Emersonmade!

Stellenbosch day trip

I had such an amazing day in Stellenbosch on Saurday with my friends. Stellenbosch is about forty minutes from Cape Town, a beautiful old town in the heart of the winelands. We explored the town on foot, stopping for coffee and then lunch and lots of browsing in between. It felt like we were tourists in a little overseas town, such fun! Some highlights were De Oude Bank Bakerij, Nook Eatery, Tokara, Spier and Delaire, yes, we had a busy day! More pics of Tokara to come, thought I better not overdo it today!

All photography: by me

Megan Park and giveaway winners!

Welcome to a new week, can you believe it's already the last week of July? Time is flying by. I had a fantastic weekend, the highlight being a day trip to Stellenbosch on Saturday with friends, I'll share some pics tomorrow. Did you have a good one too?

And also I'm very happy to announce the winners of the fat sheep giveaway, they are Anna and Tracey! Congrats ladies! Bieb and I will be in touch with you shortly.

And now for some gorgeous clothing and homeware from the talented Megan Park. I love the styling too, it really makes the clothing seem even more romantic and dreamy. A perfect way to ease into the new week.

All images from Megan Park

Floral power

Come rain or shine, I'll choose flowers every time. Loving this photo by Philip Newton and of course these flower arrangements by Saipua are just beautiful. I also love this quote by John Muir...

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." Have a beautiful Saturday.

Image credits: Philip Newton, flower arrangements by Saipua

Moody winter palette

Hello my friends, I am beyond happy it's a Friday, I don't know why but this has been a really long and tiring week for me, I can't wait for the weekend to start. Today when I woke up the sky was dark and cloudy and quite dismal looking but when I look at these gorgeous moody photos from the dace fall collection they just look so romantic and appealing and I can suddenly see the allure of wintry days! And then just when I was getting prepared for a real wintry day, the sky clears and now it looks like another sunny day is ahead of us!

{All above photos from dace fall collection 2010}

Soft blues, teals, a hint of aubergine and violet and a dash of grey make up a beautiful winter palette. I can actually see myself being quite happy surrounded by these beautiful, peaceful hues and shades. What do you think? I know a lot of you are the middle of summer but let us know what you think anyway! And I could quite easily spend my weekend in this dreamy forest bed! Isn't it just amazing?! Wishing you all a fantastic weekend.

Image credits: 1, 3 & 4) Ditte Isager , 2) Lerkenfeldt Photography, 5 & 6) Ditte Isager

Giveaway still open!

Have you entered my Fat sheep giveaway yet? You can still enter up till Sunday and there will be two winners so there's a good chance of winning! Plus you can blog or tweet about it for extra entries! To enter you need to leave a comment here!

Superette

So I'm sure most of my Cape Town readers will already have heard of Superette but in case you haven't or you live overseas, mark it in your diaries as a place to visit when you're next in the area.

It's one of those trendy yet relaxed eateries, slightly off the beaten track that just the locals know about. I absolutely love the design and decor of Superette. Lots of wood, a striking yellow and grey colour scheme and a few retro touches are what makes it. Plus they're well known for their delicious breakfasts and meals, so it's definitely worth a visit.

Superette, 218 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 802 5525

Photography: by me

Blogger wishlist: Jamie Beck

Today I thought I'd do a slightly different Blogger wishlist, I hope you enjoy it! Jamie is a photographer in New York City and has a beautiful blog, From Me To You, which showcases all of her amazing photography. I asked Jamie to send me her wishlist and what she sent me was a beautiful dream, so I thought I we needed to find out a little more about her first...

Jamie takes the most gorgeous photos of in and around New York City, they really capture the essence of the city and make me wish I was there. One of my best friends is moving to New York next month, so who knows, perhaps my dream to visit will come true sooner than later! When Jamie's not taking photos in the city, she's exploring the countryside or she'll be whipping something up in the kitchen for her "Dinner & A Movie" posts or taking fun self portraits. She is one incredibly creative and talented lady. These are some of my favourites from Jamie's most recent posts...

All above photos by Jamie Beck

And now for Jamie's wishlist...

"When I need inspiration I turn to the romantic photography of Jakob Tuggener and try to live in the fantasy of his photographs.

I imagine slipping on a vintage gown as soft and fleeting as the night with matching flowers atop my head keeping the illusion of summer youth. The candle in my dressing room burns a sweet smell as I apply the night's last eyelash and let the damp musk of Mure et Musc Eau de toilette seep into my skin. I slide my feet into Christian Louboutin's as I adorn my ears in diamonds to match the stars at night. My driver awaits in a 1950 Desoto, I slip my Leica into my clutch (after all I am still a photographer) and into the Paris night we ride to adventures that only fate can know.

It's more than a wish-list, it's a dream I've dreamed a thousand times."

Thanks so much for sharing your dream with us Jamie, it's just lovely. There's nothing better than creating a beautiful imaginary daydream, it's the perfect place to escape to when you're feeling down and something to aspire to as well. What are your dreams? Have you been dreaming big lately?

A hint of pink

Morning friends, how are you all today? I'm glad yesterday's post spread a bit of positive energy. A colour that subtly does the same for me is pink. A hint of pink can do wonders. It adds a bit of warmth and softens up a look, adding just a touch of femininity. I'm a big fan of pink, I won't deny it! What do you think? Do you like a soft, subtle shade or a more modern, hot pink? Or no pink at all?!

Image credits: First column from top to bottom - 1, 2 & 4) Pia Ulin, 3) Michael Graydon
Second column from top to bottom - 1) Anna Inghardt, 2) Mums and Asters rug image via The Rug Company- however this rug is now available from Kim Parker Home , 3) Anna Inghardt, 4) Anna Inghardt

Plans and goals

It's Monday, it's the start of a new week and I'm feeling really inspired and motivated! I think a lovely, sunny weekend and being inspired by Nelson Mandela Day yesterday may have something to do with it. How are you all feeling today, did you have a good weekend? Plans for the week ahead? So many questions, yes I know! I've got a list of things to accomplish this week, some are easy tasks and others are long term goals that I need to get started on. It's definitely time to get going, wishing you and me a happy, constructive week ahead.

Image credits: 1) Steven Meisel via Haute Design, 2) via pinterest, 3) shutter sisters, 4) via pinterest

Nelson Mandela Day

Today is Nelson Mandela Day, I hope you've heard about it? It's a global annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's life and a call to action for people to recognise their ability in making a difference to the world around them. Nelson Mandela has given 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity and so the idea is to now give 67 minutes of your time and help someone less fortunate and your local community. I think it's a amazing idea and so worth supporting, not just once a year but as often as we can.

Así es la vida en España

I came across this editorial for US Harpers Bazaar August issue, shot in Seville, Spain and was instantly reminded of why I'm learning Spanish. This first photo just did it for me, Jessica Stam in a gorgeous dress in this incredibly beautiful and dramatic setting, sigh... it makes me want to visit so badly! Why, oh why is South Africa so far away?!

Image credits: First column from top to bottom 1, 2, 3, 4. Second column top to bottom 1, 2, 3, 4

I loved everything about Spain when I last visited, the architecture, the little towns with cobbled streets, the bold colours, all the beautiful tile work, Barcelona, the friendly vibrant people and their culture,  I hope to visit again sometime soon. What do you think? Is Spain on your travel list too?

Editorial photos via fashion gone rogue,  photos by Alexi Lubomirski for US Harpers Bazaar Aug 2010