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Waking up to smell the roses, or not.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that I'm more desperate in the domestic department than housewife. I unashamedly admit to defaulting to the Woolies readymade section for even the simplest things, like potatoe wedges and, who am I kidding, I'm never going to find myself baking cupcakes on a Saturday afternoon "just for fun" – should you stumble upon me doing such a thing I fully expect you to stage an intervention facilitated by a chilled bottle of Springfield's Life from a stone . Anyway, all things considered, moving into a house with grass has taken a rather unexpected turn... I feel this rather disturbing urge to walk the fine line between green fingers and manicured ones. It started back in July when I found myself dead heading a row of Iceberg rose bushes and thinking, "I really should chat to my mom about the DO's and DONT's of pruning."  Long (fit for magazines like Good Housekeeping) story short, me and my rose bushes

Day Ten: One Picture (of myself)

No standard issue cheesy grin, no wine glass, no make up, no pretending I didn't take this pic of myself.  Ten Day Challenge? Done.

Day Nine: Two Songs

Oi! Talk about putting the challenge in this 10-Day Challenge ... just TWO songs, seriously? Right, rather than break into a cold sweat, thrown in the towel and demonstrate a host of other figures of speech associated with quittin' I'm going to give this a go. To have any chance of success I'm going to have to divide it into two categories – pre and post 2000. 1983 – 1999 "Eternal Flame" The Bangles Not the über awful Atomic Kittens cover, the original 80s 'classic' that my sister and I made my dad listen to over and over and over again in the car while we perfected every off-key screech, wail and high (long, very, long) note. Why this song of all the songs that have passed through my life? Two words. My sister. It's a song synonymous with good memories, just pipping Roxette's Gotta get dressed for success at the post. 2000 – present "Disappear without a trace" The Parlotones This is not because I felt pressure to get all pr

Day Eight: Three Films

1.  Life Is Beautiful  (La vita è bella), 1997 It's in Italian. It's sub titled. It's as much a favourite for a laughter as it is for the tears. It's the film that stopped me disregarding foreign films 'cos I didn't feel like 'reading'. It's the reason I wish this was a ten films list so that I could include The Kite Runner, Mao's Last Dancer  and The Diving Bell and The Butterfly. 2. My Fair Lady, 1983 Not only is this my favourite musical (I've seen it on stage several times), the film – starring the legend that is Audrey and the love-to-hate-then-love Professor Higgins played by Rex Butler – is one of those that I can watch over and over and over, much to hubby's disbelief. Between 'why can't a woman be more like a man' and the Ascot Opening Day sequence, choosing a favourite bit is a bit, I imagine, like choosing a favourite child – it shouldn't be done.  3. The Devil Wears Prada, 2006 'I love my job, I love

Day Seven: Four Books

1. The Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl The first book I ever read that made me feel like a grown up reader. I was 9 or 10 when I my dad bought it for me from our local CNA... it started a bit of a Roald Dahl phase. I remember feeling pretty darn chuffed with myself for reading a whole book in just a weekend. 2. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis Technically not one book 'cos there are seven, I was assigned the series as a holiday homework assignment by my Standard 4 (grade 6) English teacher, Mr Mess. Even as a youngster I picked up that CS Lewis was talking about far more important things than lions, witches and wardrobes. 3. Winnie The Pooh: The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems by AA Milne Not the Disney version, the original. The one with all the beautiful EH Shepard pencil sketches. The stories and poems are so familiar to my mom, my aunt and I, that a spontaneous recital, peppered with 'Tiddly Pomms' is always entertaining. 4. The Bible (yes, as in

Day Six: Five Foods

On the back of having read way too many new-years-resolution-mission-skinny-disguised-as-mission-healthy web posts and blogs and glossy mag cover lines, I have decided NOT to write about the five foods I should be eating for all the organic-antioxidant-shiny-hair-strong-nails-wonder-woman-energy-muffin-top-melting properties but rather the five foods that, in my opinion, make the world I live in a happier place.  1. Wine In my world, it's a food group. 2. Nachos Avo, salsa, sour cream, mmmm, cream... atop crunchy (wheat-free) corn chips with a 'catch a wake up' whack of chilli. Viva  Mexican Fresh  viva!  3. Chicken Salad Monday to Friday, month in and month out, this is my answer to the eternal question of 'what's for lunch?' Boring, dull? Definitely not... my  Local Kitchen Co  know how to keep the taste up and the calories down. And, they throw in a little sprinkling of...  4. Bacon... mmm, bacon.  Bacon makes me happy. It just does. Blame it on

Day Five: Six places

1. KZN The place I think of when I hear Adele's 'Hometown'. The place I crawled, walked, dabbled in finger painting and watched The Neverending Story' for the first time (at least all the bits except that super scary wolf scene which still freaks me out). The place I attended my first Natal vs. Transvaal rugby game and opted to support the Vaalies 'cos their rugby jerseys were 'prettier'. Natal won, I learnt my lesson and no matter what they rename the stadium, it'll always be Kingspark to me. Although I am rather relieved that I no longer have to own up to supporting The Banana Boys , The Sharks is much better. It's also the place I said 'I do' a couple of decades later. 2. Jozi The place I moved to, moved away from and came back to. The place I found out my stammer was really a full blown stutter and that being held up at gunpoint in an armed robbery and a hijacking couldn't diminish my love for the city of gold.  It's also w

Day Four: Seven wants

1. A Pedicure Top of the list, however frivolous/shallow/superficial, with Spring right around the corner is a pedicure. Yes, a combination of personal training torture and winter boot wearing has left my feet in desperate need of some TLC. The last time these toes saw a fresh coat of paint was March. I do feel a tad sorry for the poor soul that needs to tackle these hobbit-eque feet but luckily the lovely Carol at  the Chilli Lane branch of Perfect 10  has agreed to take on this challenge. 2. An Admin Fairy Don't get me wrong, I love my job. Yes, I'm on of those annoying people who says things like "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Building a business. Love it. Freelancing 9 to 5 'cos my team has everything under control at  my little agency . Love it. Getting to work the term 'awesome-balls' into a radio script. Love it. The only thing I don't love is admin that goes with running a business, which is why I would

Day Three: Eight Fears

1. Speeches, presentations, cross-hemisphere conference calls. Public speaking in general, really. I have been known to communicate with cue cards. I'm a Pictionary girl, not a Charades girl. 2. Crocs. Not the creature, the shoe. I'm terrified that one day I might find myself thinking "those actually look quite comfy." [shudder] 3. Archer's peach schnapps, Sambuca and any shooter that traditionally should have had a worm in the bottom. This, in my opinion, is a healthy fear. One that my liver is bound to thank me for. 4. Children. Having them and not having them. But this is blog post all on its own. 5. Heights. I have no issue with climbing up mountains, ladders and ski slopes. I do, however, have an issue with coming down mountains, ladders and ski slopes. I have no desire to bungee jump or sky dive and I think that people who backflip off diving boards should be doing so in straightjackets. 6. Bunion surgery. Yes, bunion surgery. While my love of h

Day Two: Nine Loves

Right, as a pretty good summary of my loves is summed up on this blog in my short n sweet bio (God, hubby, wine, nachos etc.) I'm going to pretend they're No.10 and get to the other nine... 1. Glossy fashion magazines  Love 'em. Love the looks for less, the break the budget wish lists, the not-so-natural 'get the natural look' tips, the photoshopped unattainability of the cover stars, the (you know you won't but read it anyway) 'get a bikini body in 7-days' summer staple and the fact that I do really (really, really) buy my favorites (Elle and Marie Claire) for the articles. I love that I'm a bit of a fashion victim, I love that I look at brogues in October, swear to never-ever own a pair and then live in the pair I bought from Topshop all December long. 2. Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream I love that even the mention of the name, or the spotting of the branding in a delicatessen, takes me right back to 2004/2005. To pulling double

Day One: Ten Secrets

So, some friends in the blogosphere have taken to their blogs –  Scribbles by Lelani  and  Girl from Mars  – to take part in this 10-day challenge thing that's making the rounds. Seeing as I've been neglecting this blog over the past couple of months I think a 10-day challenge is just what I need to get my blogging mojo back. So here it goes...  Day One: Ten Secrets 1. I had an imaginary friend growing up. Yes, really, her name was Susan and she was very real to me. My mom had to make her exactly what I was eating and drinking every meal time. When my sister was born, my mom asked me why Susan hadn't come to visit in a while. I answered, "Susan moved away." 2. I can't watch reality TV show auditions without crying. So You Think You Can Dance, American Idols, X-Factor, SA Idols, Masterchef. If there's someone with a dream, getting a stab at it... best there be a box of Kleenex close by. 3. I will never name anything a name that starts with a hard co

Sadie finally has grass...

her very own garden with flower beds to dig up, families of lizards to traumatise and a resident hadida to greet every morning with the rather alarming yapping concerto that only a pavement special can make. Her owners are also rather proud to report that they no longer live in a loft apartment where storage tetris is a necessity, but have moved into a house with not one, but two spare rooms, which makes deciding where to store the Christmas tree a question of preference rather than necessity. After six years in the apartment that facilitated turning the boy next door into my husband, saw two rocking chairs, a double bed and a secondhand washing machine become a fully furnished home, and taught me how to sleep through just about anything (including the downstairs neighbor's obsession with  beating her laundry into submission at 5am every morning), The Winderleys have adapted rather easily to a new address. It took 72 hours, 30-something boxes, a 5-ton truck and strategic doses

Emerging from the deadline rabbit hole...

for just enough of a gap to pay some much needed attention to this very neglected blog of mine. Wow, it's been far too long since I put manicured nails to keyboard. And, if I'm totally honest, the nails are not-so-manicured at the moment... a side effect of being down a deadline rabbit hole since about mid-Feb. Another side effect is the neglected mane I'm sporting these days – less golden highlights and more aging zebra, thanks to the early onset of grey hair that I haven't had a chance to get banished by Rudi-the-fabulous 'cos booking an appointment seems about as likely as my discovering I'm the heir to a the Louboutin empire. Dear readers, life for this not so starving artist has been pretty entertaining as of late. Firstly, come the end of July, hubby and I are homeless. The result of our apartment (which we rent)  being sold and the banks not wanting to give us a house (the only non-perk of self-employed-ness). Combine the tears and tantrums of trying

Dear Zara

Oh how excited I was when you finally came to our shores! How I smiled like a fool when I walked into your Sandton City flagship store and stood dead still for a moment taking in the merchandise that stretched as far as my eyes could see, as a sea of well-dressed hipsters with your trademark navy shopping bags dangling from their Caribbean tanned arms walked past me making their exit. Oh how delighted I was to find a beautiful pair of tan leather flats with all the elements I'd been looking for to complete my summer holiday wardrobe. How I couldn't resist grabbing a pair of bright pink flip flops for my newborn niece when they beckoned me from your kidswear section. Handing over my hard earned cash was a small price to pay for a retail therapy victory. Oh how distraught I was when my brand new shoes broke, the delicate 'in-between-my-toes' leather strap snapping away from the sole as I strolled along the promenade with my puppy en route to the beach. How I searched an