#30DaysOfMe...Day 5

Click here to find out what these posts are all about.

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.

This picture was taken by Farmboy in Cambodia at Ta Prohm. This temple forms part of the Angkor Wat Temples in Siem Riep and was one of the locations for Tomb Raider. Just a little useless piece of knowledge for all of you :)

Rimmel Stronger *DoubleDuty* Base Coat

This little baby is my absolute favourite base coat (and has a beautiful shimmer that looks fantastic when worn alone too). It's a "double duty base coat, enriched with calcium and keratin. These add strength to weak nails and protects them from damage. I've used this base coat for 4 years now, and although I've tried others, have yet to find one that works as well as this one.

When painting your nails, it's important to always use a base coat (even though it does add a bit of time) as it will stop your nails from getting that horrid yellow tinge. Wearing a base coat also prolongs the life of your manicure. This one in particular has helped my nails stop 'peeling' too.

Find it at Clicks and Dischem for +-R45.

Woman's Day 10k run!

This Woman's Day, TotalSports and Shape magazine teamed up to bring us a 5 & 10 k race in Jo'burg, Durban and Stellenbosch. For the past 5 weeks I have been following (well at least as best as I can) Shape's training schedule to get fit and ready to run 10k's. Now, I had a vague idea that the race was at the beginning of August, but this didn't quite register until a week before when I realised I would have to cut my 12 week program down to 5 weeks...eek! Just so you know, before I started with the program, the furthest I could run was to the kitchen to answer the phone and even then I felt like my heart was going to explode. I hated running and always felt so useless whenever I tried. But with the goal of having already registered for a race, the rest just happened :)

I didn't run the whole thing, I walked, a lot, but the point is I finished it and I was not the last person to cross the finish line either. What an exhilarating experience! And, not a bad way to get fighting fit and bikini ready for summer.

 If you are thinking about getting your run on but need a bit of motivation, click here to join hundreds of other women just like you, who, with a little help from Shape, could be the next Comrades winner! :)  Just sign up for their weekly newsletter which is sent to you every friday with the next weeks training schedule. The program is broken down into 3 days of training, with lots of idea's and tips on getting the most out of it. Plus, join their facebook and twitter profiles to connect with other women out there going through exactly the same thing :)

PS the SPAR Women's Challenge is happening on the 27th August at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, Jo'burg with entries open for both a 5k and a 10k race. Go on, your body will <3 you for it. Plus all finishers will receive a medal and a goodie bag...yay! Click here to enter.

Maybelline *The Colossal* Volum' Express Mascara

For years and years I have turned my nose up at Maybelline, mostly due to the fact that at Dischem and Clicks its always the Maybelline shelves that look bare and in a horrible state (maybe thats because they have such bright light bulbs lighting them up that it ruins all the makeup!). Anyway, I thought I would make this purchase as I was in need of a new mascara and didn't have too much cash lying around :)

And I have to say...it's *AMAZING!!!!*. One of the best mascara's I have ever used! I so definitely am eating my words. Goodness me! It out performs every single of one of my mascara's...even my Dior *DiorShow* which I spent a small fortune on, and even my MAC *Plushlash*. Now don't I feel silly...

It plumps, lengthens, curls, volumises and lifts all in one stroke. It's the perfect mascara! And for only R99 a pop, a definite must have!

Missioning around *Centacow*

On a recent trip to Durban, Farmboy and I decided to do a little exploring of the area surrounding his farm in Creighton (you're not alone if you have no idea where Creighton is...it's about 40 kilometers from Ixopo, KZN). Centacow Mission was founded in 1888 by Trappist Monks, when a man called Abbot Francis Pfanner purchased a small farm in this small corner of Kwazulu Natal. Missionaries developed Centocow into a flourishing station where the brothers cared for the farm, did all the carpentry, blacksmith work and made the bricks for building operations. Today Centocow Mission looks desolate. Farmboy recently made a purchase of an exquisite piece of yellow wood furniture from one of the few monks still staying at Centacow, who told him that they now offer one of the buildings as accommodation for conferences etc.

Enough with the history lesson :) here are some pictures to set the scene for you...

MAC #187 DuoFibre Stippling Brush

I am a very lucky fishy to say that I received this as a gift a few weeks back:

 A little while ago I did a review on UBU's range of makeup brushes at Click's. Their stippling brush is pretty good, and at only R99, it's a steal. But let's be honest, it ain't no MAC!

Ok so first things first, what exactly is a stippling brush?? 

A stippling brush is used for applying foundation. It gives the skin an airbrushed finish and blends beautifully. It can be used with wet or dry foundation/powder and leaves a flawless finish. I used to apply my foundation using my fingers, and then with a flat foundation brush, but I could just not get the same look that I get every time with this bad boy :)

#187 Duo Fibre Brush is made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibre.

At R450, it's one of the most expensive brushes on the market, but like they say, once you go MAC you never go back, and this is a great investment if you wear foundation often :)

Revlon *Custom Eyes* #020

I've done a review on Revlon's Custom Eye's before, but I went out and indulged in another palette :) this time #020 Naturally Glamourous.

These eye shadows are really pigmented, and blend so easily together. They have real staying power, my makeup lasted all day without fading. I know quite a lot of people (myself included) can sometimes get a bit snobby and only want to buy/use MAC products, but these are fabulous, and a whole lot cheaper than MAC. Eacg Custom Eye's palette contains 5 shades, with a handy set of instructions on the back to show you which shade should go where.

At R160 a pop it sounds mighty expensive, but for 5 shades (thats R32 for each shade) it's a bargain ")

Above are swatches of colour for the Naturally Glamorous Palette.

**Soap & Glory**

"Soap & Glory has been supporting the Clean of England since 2006, when our founder – suds-loving serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore – challenged herself to introduce fun, fearless, and fantastically formulated, bath, beauty, and body products to the Brits (now gradually going global)"

Soap & Glory have sky rocketed to the top of my favorite beauty products ever since I first caught sight of their packaging and had my first experience of their magnificent HandFood hand cream. My hands felt silky smooth and smelt incredible the whole day long. Unfortunately, these little babies are only available in the UK and US (*sniff sniff*) but hopefully I can convince them to start selling on SA soil :) The best thing about these products? They actually do what they saw on the label. And what fun labels they have! I'm getting carried away, click here to check out their website, and here to join them on facebook!

In the mean time, check out some of the other goodies in the range...

L-R: Daily Shine Conditioner, HandFood hand cream, Daily Super Shampoo, Fab Pore face scrub, Hair Supply hair mask, Solar Powder bronzer, Daily Smooth body butter

and look at these mini's...

L-R: Clean on Me body wash, Hand Food hand cream, Glad Hair Day Shampoo, Glad Hair Day Conditioner

They have loads and loads of other products in the range. I love them so much and want you to love them too, I might need to do a little giveaway sometime soon!!

#30DaysOfMe...Day4

Click here for the full list of what goes where in this #30DaysOfMe little challenge :)

Day 4: A habit you wish you didn't have

A habit I wish I didn't have...there are a few but the biggest one would have to be worrying about what other people think of me. Ever since the beginning of high school I have always placed so much emphasis on what others have thought of me. It's something which has held me back. It's not so much worrying what people think about the way I look, but rather, the way I act and the things I do. It's led me to do things with the aim of making people like me...not a good path to go down. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to say something out loud in a group of people, but then hold back, afraid of what others might think. Why is that we place such importance on the words of strangers, and not enough on the words of those who love and care about us.

Wanting everyone to like me is a childish dream I know. But I just can't seem to shake it. My Dad often used to say to me that it's impossible, "You can't make everyone like you. In life it's important for people to respect you, not just to like you Rox". So why is this such a hard thing to come to terms with? In the past I have let people walk all over me, for fear of offending them. I end up making the most effort with those that I feel don't like me, while those who love me are often left out in the cold. It's unrealistic to think that I can be friends with everyone. But often I wonder, "well, why not?". At the grand old age of 23 I have come to realise that this is all a part of growing up. I am no longer that little girl desperately trying to make new friends, rather I am more sure of myself and where I am going, even if I'm not sure how to get there yet.  Little by little I am trying to let go of constantly wanting to please others, and doing more things to please me. I've heard people say that it takes only 10 days to make a habit, but only 1 to break it. So here's to the next 10 days :)

TreSemme **Dry Shampoo**

This has now become one of my absolute favourite products...ever! Picture the scene, you've just paid a small fortune to get hair done all fancy, blow dry and all. You sleep on it, and wake up with it a bit drab and maybe a slight peek of oily roots. Disaster?! Never fear, dry shampoo to the rescue! Just give your roots a blasting with this light, oil absorbing spray and voila! Volume and vavavoom and just like new :)

How it works:

*Formulated with mineral clay which soaks up excess oil and impurities leaving hair looking refreshed

*Contains citrus extracts to neutralize odour and enhance the 'clean feeling'

*Volumizes oily/straight hair that becomes limp in between washes, giving hair added body and bounce

*Perfect for colour-treated hair, it reduces the need to was as frequently, which prevents colour from fading

How to use:

Shake can vigorously before use and in between sprays

Lightly spritz roots to inject volume and spray evenly all over hair.

Leave product in for 1-2 mins to allow time to soak up oil

Brush thoroughly to remove the white residue & then style as usual

Available at Clicks and Dischem for +-R70

Tea and Cake *Blackwood Nursery, Richmond*

Tucked away in a little corner of KZN lies this little gem...Blackwood Nursery. With a huge array of plants, tree's, garden & home decor and yummy dishes to choose from, you could very much spend all day there.

And the best part...the chocolate cake, omnomnom :)

Directions:

Take the R56 towards Richmond (37k's from Pietermaritzburg), then the  district road D562. Blackwood Nursery is situated in the Baynesfield area. Look out for this sign:

Contact Details:

082 379 1858

bnursery@mweb.co.za

**Decorex** JHB

Guess who won double tickets to Decorex Jhb??? Little ol' me :) Thanks so much to LuckyPony (and of course Decorex for the win!)

The convention is happening from the 5th (today) to the 9th August at Gallagher Convention Centre. Tickets cost R70 and can be purchased at the door. Hope to see u there!

Source: LuckyPony

Fabulous Photographer...*Sophie Smith*

I just could not keep my friend Sophie a secret any more. After she took these pic's of Farmboy and myself at a friends wedding:

I had to show you all some of her other work...

Sophie is an amazingly talented freelance photographer based in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape. She studied photojournalism at Rhodes and now works for the University Journalism Department. We met while studying and have been friends ever since.

I am so excited to see what the future holds for her...as I know she is going places.

If you'd like to see more of her work or contact her, click here So now I've give you a little taste of what she's about, stay tuned for the interview :)

#30DaysOfMe...Day 3

Here we go with Day 3...click here for the list of what goes on each day :)

Day 03 - A picture of you and your friends

This took me a little while...as I am shocked to see I have hardly any pictures of me and my friends. This was taken in South Korea on the roof of Farmboy's apartment, after a sunday afternoon braai (the girls from left to right...Amanda - Canada, Megan - USA, Sally - UK, Elisia - USA, Me - SA, Koen - USA, Claire - SA)...and yes, I did cut the guys head off...*oops*

Bella...Restaurant on Rivonia Road

Bella is slice of blissful pie situated on Rivonia Road, Sandton.  I was there recently for breakfast, and was not disappointed. Although the hot chocolate left a lot to be desired, the *eggs benedict*, *baked potato with bacon and cottage cheese* and the *banana and bacon crumpets* were sumptuous!

With a wide selection of cakes, desserts, salads, pies, quiches and sandwiches, you will never leave hungry :)

 The kitchen is open from 07:30 to 15:00 Monday to Saturday. They also do special dinners and evening functions on request.

Bella also offers special dinners and evening functions on request, as well as a delicious menu of take-home dishes for dinner parties, intimate dinners or birthdays. Nice hey :)

Directions

66 Rivonia Road, Sandton

click here for a map

*Essie* High Maintenance

This colour is perfect for spring (at least it felt a bit like spring yesterday, today I'm not so sure) but at least it will put you in the mood for spring. High Maintenance (#633) is a sheer milky creme colour that goes on effortlessly. It's ideal as a French Manicure base coat. I've got on 2 coats of Essie, as well as Sally Hansen's Insa-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat (review to follow soon!) which dries any polish in matter of seconds...

I have always shied away from Essie, opting to rather go for Revlon as I had the impression Essie was very pricey In fact, it's cheaper than Revlon :) Retailing for +-R90 at Dischem. They also have a far more diverse colour range which changes with the seasons...fancy hey :)

#30DaysOfMe...Day2

I started the #30DaysOfMe posts as a way to get my creative juices flowing...click here for Day 1 and of course the list of what goes on what day. I am not doing these consequtively, as I think people would grow tired of just hearing about little ol' me, and so I will post them often, but not too often :)

Day 2: The meaning behind my blog name.

I am a citygirl, born and raised in big cities. From the city of gold, Johannesburg to the rain and cold of  London.  So the name "CityGirl" aptly describes me. Yes, I am one of those girls whose scarves match their earrings, and who likes the colour pink. My youth (which I still consider myself in) was spent crawling round shopping centres while my Dad read his newspaper, and my mom was out hiking another mountain. On frequent occasions when she managed to drag me with her, I really loved it. You see, I am a bit of a chameleon really. Enjoying being both a cityslicker, and a tree hugger :)
I digress, the name of the blog...let's see. After spending a year teaching English to the cutest little kiddes EVER in South Korea, I found myself back on SA soil with no plans. I am a BA graduate, with all the enthusiasm in the world and yet I am stuck as to which direction my life should take (it's usually at this point that someone makes some joke about BA graduates...it does not stand for "Bugger All!"). I am definitely leaning towards teaching, but this plan  has to be put on hold  until I complete a teaching diploma next year. So ya, that leaves me with 4 months, 19 days and a few hours give or take, to decide.

And so the name was born. I am a CityGirl in search of direction, one adventure at a time. Join me on this quest, you might even find some direction for yourself along the way :)

**Wedding Bells**

Last weekend marked the wonderful marriage celebration of my mommy to the awesome Rob! What a perfect day. The weather was beautiful, the venue was surreal, and my mom, she looked just gorgeous! And the best part, I have 2 new wonderful (and did I mention gorgeous!) sisters to add the mix. Here are a few pictures we have so far, while we wait for the professional pic's to arrive...

The Bride & Groom

A few shot's of the venue and flowers

Doing my mom's makeup :)

Left: Me and my very handsome brother. Right: Me and the bride :)

Left: My lovely new *sisters* and my Granny. Right: My new family!

The venue was Morrels Exclusive Boutique Venue & Manor House in Randburg, the ideal setting for the 'french style' wedding my mom was after.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any pic's of Farmboy and myself :( So those will have to come when the professional pic's arrive...

The perfect start to a wonderful new journey of friendship and family...

P.S. talk about an overuse of the word *wonderful* :)

Q&A with Megan of *ChinaDollIllustrations*

A little while ago I did post on the  incredibly skilled jewelry designer and hand forger, Jess from HelloThula. This past weekend I was in Durban visiting Farmboy, and just had to pop in for tea with this pretty lady...

Here is what we got chatting about while sipping on fragrant tea and stuffing our faces with basil pesto and mozzarella pannini's.

Enjoy

x

Q. What is your favourite food/colour/animal/place in the world/way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

My favourite food right now is an italian pesto salad with mozarella cheese and baby tomatoes mmmmm.

My favourite colour changes all the time but I have salmon pink on the brain at the moment. Lastly my favourite animal has always been the panda bear, they are so awesome and pretty and cute all at the same time :)

I am so lucky to have traveled a lot as a kid but my most memorable places are Lake Malawi ( I don't think South Africans realize how close it is or how beautiful it is) and Yosemite (national park in America) the surroundings and views are spectacular there.

Call me corny but my ideal Sunday afternoon would consist of me at home in my pj's with teapots full of tea, junk food to the max and unlimited amount of movies.

Q) For those readers who haven't seen your blog, what is it that you do?

I am a freelance illustrator. I illustrate for magazines and I do a lot of commission work for birthdays, and Christmas presents etc. But my work mostly consists of my personal pieces, these are the illustrations I market the most on my blog as well as face book and flickr. I literally just can't stop drawing and I have a portfolio full of art which I print and sell at markets and online. My goal is to develop my own style and world of art that will be recognized by many and eventually become an independent illustrator. Thats pretty much the entirety of what I do.

Q) I wish I could just pick up a pencil and go for it, alas, maybe I can learn? Did you study illustration?

I actually studied Fashion Design where Illustration is a big part of the work you do. Thats where I really saw the value in being able to draw and illustrate forms, textures etc.

Q) How long does it take to complete one drawing from start to finish?

Thats a tough question, each artwork is different really. Some pieces I want to be super detailed which take up to 3-4 hours whereas others are a lot more simplistic and only have a few pencil lines and only take an hour. How ever I have realized with myself that the longer I take and the more work I put in, the better it will look. I guess thats how it works with most things. 

Q) Do you ever got so frustrated that you rip up what you're doing and chuck it in the bin? Or does that just happen in the movies?

There are days where I just don't feel it and land up scrunching up sketch after sketch in frustration, this mostly happens when there is too much negative thinking and bad self esteem. On those days I realize it is time to put the pencil down and get some positive inspiration weather that be from hanging out with friends, taking a walk on the beach anything to relax your brain really. Even sometimes washing the dishes can do the trick he he.

Q) Now we know your just human and also get frustrated with your own work, Where/who do you get your inspiration from?

My inspiration mostly comes from nature and animals, when I was younger I grew up having lots of animals from horses to hamsters and even chickens we also travelled a lot seeing so many places that changed my whole perspective on life. So naturally I have always been in love nature. But art in all it's forms also inspires me daily. On the web there are so many inspirational people, photographers, fashion, graphic and interior designers that produce phenomenal work. These people always push me to try to be better at what I do.

Q) What was the first drawing/illustration that you ever did?

 My mom was an artist so I guess she planted the seed, she had this awesome art room full of paints, canvases and easels, she always encouraged me to draw. Although I don't actually remember the first drawing I did, but the one thing my sister and I always use to do was draw rows and rows of girl figures in the best clothing designs we could think of, they would each have different hair colour, eye colour and each have their own outfit! We used to have a blast drawing them.

Q) What do you think about the future for illustrators in South Africa?

I think the world is full of talented people and that includes the people of South Africa. How ever I do think that we are a little bit behind and have not become aware of how we can use our skills to make money as well as become well known around the world. This is changing slowly which is really exciting as the potential for a community of successful artists is huge. I really hope to see some South African names in lights in the near future. It is totally possible for us to catch up with the international art and illustration community.

Q) Ultimately, where would you like to see your drawings/illustrations displayed? 

I would love to see my art in big magazines, children's books, design books, anywhere really. I always get a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I see my art featured and exhibited anywhere. I also hope to start my own stationary brand which will be branded with my illustrations and art one day, I would really love that.

Lastly, where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I have absolutely no idea as to where or what I will be doing in 5 years time, I am the kind of person who takes it year by year. I don't really plan to far ahead but I would like to see myself in Hong Kong perhaps, maybe even somewhere else as an independent illustrator or even a part time illustrator, part time teacher. Teaching children is another big dream of mine. Marriage and babies will come in their own time but I see my boyfriend Dustin and I enjoying our lives either traveling, teaching and always always illustrating and designing. 

Thanks Megan for an absolutely wonderful morning! 

Ready, Aim, Fire!!

This past weekend I headed down (or up or whichever one it is, I'm quite good with ye old geography and yet I am always being reprimanded for using the wrong term!) to Durban. Well actually to the Farm to spend some time with my Farmboy...sweet hey :) 

This is what people get up to on farms...