How a four-day break feels like a long holiday, I’m not sure, but it’s what I enjoyed last weekend and I came back to work on Wednesday feeling ready to face the rest of the year. All 11 weeks of it until I finish for the festive season!
In my next column online (Sunday, October 6), I’ll tell you all about our little escape to a gorgeous boutique guesthouse. Such a gem!
A shopper’s paradise
Honestly, if you can’t find a whole new summer wardrobe (if you would like one and can afford one) in the shops right now, I’ll eat my hat!
Dresses are definitely “in” and there are so many different colours and styles as well as lengths to choose from. You’ll be spoiled for choice. I’m loving the bright colours of orange, pink, green and yellow, with accessories to match. I saw some stunning handbags at Woolworths, at good prices too. Also gorgeous sandals, some high, some low and some in-between-size heels.
Plan a day out to the mall with a girlfriend, “shop till you drop”, go somewhere divine for lunch, shop a little more, then go for late afternoon cocktails.
Sounds like the perfect day!
Craft classes at Just Creative Studio
Just Creative Studio owner Marianne Leeson is running some really great craft classes from her shop in Mall of the South in October. Choose from decoupage, Annie Sloan intro, paper flowers, shaggy quilt, pebble art and more. Booking is essential for these workshops and costs include all material, unless otherwise mentioned. For more information, phone Marianne on 082 556 1852. Get cracking ladies, (and gentlemen), and if you begin now you can make some of your Christmas pressies.
Create something beautiful
Spring certainly lends itself to enjoying the outdoors and what better way to do that than to make a place to relax or entertain in?
Many people now live in townhouses, which offer very little in the way of a garden. If you have a courtyard or patio area you can still make it look very inviting, using a few creative ideas with pots and shrubs, as well as a few pieces of outdoor furniture.
We have a small courtyard which we use extensively during the summer months, and a small patio which gets the sunshine during autumn, winter and early spring.
We chose wrought-iron garden furniture for both the patio and the courtyard because we don’t have a shaded or covered spot, and the wrought iron is fine for all seasons.
Pretty patio
A small round table which can seat four people comfortably or six at a pinch with chairs, takes centre stage. Around the border of the patio I’ve used various-sized pots filled with plants and shrubs. You have to make the best of what you have and you really can make a small-sized patio look lovely. We’ve bought padded pale blue chair cushions and an umbrella in pale blue, orange and lemon. All set now for an afternoon of enjoying a few glasses of ice-cold Sauvignon blanc and a few finger snacks. Bring it on!
Cute courtyard
We have an oblong table with glass inset and chairs which can seat six people comfortably or eight at a tight squeeze. There’s no space for grass, so we built up one side of the courtyard and used wire baskets, filled with white stones, to make a side feature against the outside wall. Two small conifer trees in terracotta pots, as well as terracotta pots filled with pink and white impatiens and some veggies, are ready to plant. Looking forward to getting stuck in here and adding another pot with a shrub.
Be creative with your small space and to get some brilliant ideas, browse through a few Garden and Home magazines or a book on small gardens. Then sit back and enjoy!
That’s it for this week. Shop till you drop!
Julie
