Ours Cafe

Another great restaurant we tried this weekend was OURS in Kalk Bay. What a place!! I'm not sure if it was the great company, amazing yellow tail, to die for chocloate pie or gorgeous wine that did it for us. The owner himself is a gem (David) he spent the whole night talking to us - he's so passionate about coffee it'd make your head spin and taught us some new things (being a Barrister) We sat outside under the stars and talked late into the night around the fire - True African style. *Love the simple things.

 

Blue Water Cafe

Where is your favourite restaurant? Mine is the Blue Water Cafe at the moment. Yesterday I had lunch with friends, and tried their scrumptious pizza for the first time. It was terrific - the thinnest base ever, very Italian and so generous with toppings. It was Out of this World. You walk out onto a lavender garden, that looks out onto the sea and mountains and 180 degree views. My breath always gets taken away for the first 5 minutes of sitting down. I had the  Pizza e Poire*caramelized pears, blue cheese, bacon and rocket  at R76.00

Bedouin Gypsy

I'm getting my outfit ready for Afrika Burn. This is my Top Hat I'm going to be wearing. This year's theme is ARCHETYPES. My archetype is definately Bedouin Gypsy, I'm going as a Fortune Teller. There is still ALOT of preperation to be done. (got to get enought water to last in the desert for 3 days, bikes, desert goggles, food, gear, shade etc) I can't wait to experience this year's Burn!!!

Album cover

Annemieke and I did a photo shoot on Saturday morning for my album cover. In a farm tucked away in the foothills of Table Mountain. In an ancient ammunition storage centre that was built 100's of years ago. It's HARD posing for the camera, I much rather prefer being behind the lens, as I'm SUPER CRITICAL of myself. but it was fun because Annemieke's relaxed and funny. Here are 2 of the images she sent me so far...i'm SUPER NERVOUS about the outcome..

 Blink Photography

What I've been up to.

Hey bloggers!, what have you been up to? I've been away. I went to Jo'burg. my new favourite place. The energy's HIGH and the people are FUN. It restored my faith in humanity and/or South Africans. It's the first time I met Tswana people. I can't quite believe it. Cape Town feels so small when you get back. the bubble that is the western cape. But I still love you Cape Town, you are my favourite child. I went the Pilanesburg Game Reserve and chilled out with some elephants (cool sentients) I visited Sun City and swam in the Valley of Waves (realizing my childhood dream, at last) I went up the West Coast to surfer's paradise. we SUP'd, while the boys surfed. the sunsets out there are incredible. and on the interim i guess i've been working and gigging and getting ready for Afrika Burn. Our team has got a pop up cinema, and we're going to be showing movies. So yeah, that's me in a nutshell. the short version. I hope your Easter was cool and you got to do some relaxing. Here are some pics from my travels. x

Photos: Fiona Hare

New kid

I got a rabbit!!! For realz. His name is Rodger the Dodger. He's a dwarf Angora Blue Steel (that's his breed, I'm not making it up) IF you could get any pet what would you get? I'd get a couple of Golden Retrievers and a farm. Definately a farm.

Feathers, flowers, aztec

Sometimes you need a little inspiration. here are some pics to inspire.
Feathers. flowers,  all things aztec.
Today I am feeling: happy, grateful and inspired.
I got some good news on the phone just now. that we are building a music studio.
All my dreams are coming true, one by one, tumbling down. into tomorrow...

Lemon Thyme Cake

Oh my god. i have to make this.

LEMON THYME CAKE
for the cake {adapted from Martha’s strawberry cake that I love so much}
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp minced thyme
zest of one lemon
• preheat oven to 350 degrees.  butter a 10-inch pie plate.  mix flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
• mix butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  reduce speed and mix in egg, milk, thyme and lemon zest.
• gradually mix in flour mixture.  transfer batter to buttered pie plate.
• bake cake 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour.  cool completely before icing.
for the icing
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 vanilla bean, scraped
• in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, crème fraîche and vanilla bean until smooth.  spread the glaze all over the top of the cake and allow to drip over the sides.  let stand until the glaze sets slightly, then cut into wedges and serve.
 http://www.unruly-things.com/

Kimono dragon

I'm love Kimonos. I bought one yesterday which I wore last night for my gig. (bottom pic) I felt cool and calm and sophisticated ; ) I stumbled into this store called Cotton On in Cavendish yesterday, it is boho chic heaven. and reasonably priced, check it out here - you will love it! http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/women/

Italy

Don't you ever wish you could take a year out and just be? I would go to Italy and rent a Villa and just write and write and write and write. cool blue azure ocean. double volume rooms. Here are some spaces I'm dreaming about. Take a writing sabbatical.

What if we went to Italy, music & by Mary Chapin Carpenter
(click to listen)

What if we went to Italy
A suitcase of books and one bag a piece for the summer
I don't speak a word of Italian
Except for Campari and soda for two, how much is a Lire
Yes, a villa will do and a breeze, in Tuscany please

What if we spent all of our days, improving our minds, learning new ways to be lazy
It wouldn't be too much of a strain
Relax after breakfast till lunch comes around
Can't wait for dinner, oh, I need to lie down
And refuel, out by the pool

What if the ancients were lazy like us
Too blissed out to paint, to sketch or to sculpt
Just as relaxed as the tower of Pisa
Not ever missing that old Mona Lisa

What if we never got back on the plane
As summer turned colder and then warmer again
Losing all track of the passing of years
Till it no longer mattered how long we'd been here

What if we went to Italy
Maybe next year, just you and me for the summer
I still can't speak any Italian
But words are replaced under Siennese skies
By nothing so much as a nod, and a sigh, and a wish to be always like this

Valentines hair do

Valentines is around the corner, I am gigging as usual, so I can't spend it with my lovely. But I thought I'd celebrate it another night. This is a romantic hair-do which I think is perfect for Valentines Day and I'm going to try.

from http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2013/02/half-up-braided-crown.html#more

Gig night!

Las night was gig night. It went really well. and I had alot of fun. I played a 3 hour set at Upper Eastside, and some of it was filmed by Bands4Africa, which was great and nerve-wracking.
I'm getting used to doing things on my own. my sound desk that used to scare  me, doesn't anymore. My Fender's been playing up on the last 3 gigs with a bit of a loose connection (at Blue Bird Market, Down South Bar and Upper Eastside) so i've been playing my Cort steel string at gigs which is hell on the fingers (3 hours is a long set) My friend Dave Voster took a look at it on Monday at Bothners and fixed it for me, I am really grateful.