*Pure* Shopping Heaven....Pietemaritzburg

/ 120 Victoria Rd, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa/
Whoever said there is nowhere to shop in Pietermaritzburg obviously missed out on Pure.
The store houses established and upcoming South African fashion designers, artists, up-cycled goodies and much, much more. You just have to take one peep in the door and you know you'll be staying for a while...so get those purses out ladies (and for the gents, there is just as much for you guys to check out!). 

But don't just take my word for it, go and see for yourself...

While taking these photo's, I spent some time chatting to Pure's owner, Chantal, who is just lovely! It's so inspiring meeting young people who are so positive about South Africa and the potential we have in out beautiful country. Chantal, I will be back for many more chat sessions :)









How gorgeous is this little ballerina tutu just for new borns?



Currently stocked: Amanda Laird Cherry, Colleen Eitzen, Suzaan Heyns, Holmes Brothers, Eb + Am, Silver Spoon, Cinimon, and Alternative Earth. 

Directions
Shop 4
Wetherly's Centre
120 Victoria Rd [Wetherley's Centre]
Pietermaritzburg
3201

Hours
Mon - Fri 8:30am-5pm
Sat 9am-2pm

Website


I Heart Market...Christmas Shopping!

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I Heart Market is happening 3 times this month...yipee! So if you missed it this past weekend, never fear, you have two more chances to get your Christmas Shopping on. Here are a few goodies I picked, as well as a few photo's from some of my favourite stalls:

This was our first stop...Wafel for some brekkie. I had stuffed my face with 3 bowls of Milo Cereal before I arrived at the market so I can't say for certain just how good these were, but all I could hear from Louise while munching was "mmmmm".


Jen was just so sweet, not minding me snapping away. Sometimes people get very sticky about me taking pictures of their work, which really grates me as I always make it very clear that I'm not stealing idea's when I take photo's. I love blogging, I love taking photographs, and I love it when people leave comments telling me how useful they find my blog, thats why I do what I do. For no other reason than that. Anyway,*enough grumbling * from me :)

Click here to see Jen's blog, and click here to see a catalogue of her work!

These pretty little things are from Natasha of LoveInspired. Natasha makes handmade gifts in a range of designs for weddings, special events and other home decor.  I had to stop myself from buying each and every magnet in collection! And how cute as these gift tags, I will be buying many more delights from her stall when I come again!


And as always, I love touring around Pippa and her beau (from TheThriftCollection) gorgeous caravan in search of treasures...

I Heart Market is on for the next two Saturdays leading up to Christmas (10th & 17th December) and is held at the Moses Mabhida Stadium from 9h00 - 14h00.

Pop into *Churchill House* Durban

/ Churchill Rd, Berea 4001, South Africa/

If you're in the neighbourhood and feel like a rest stop, why not pop into Churchill House. The staff are wonderful, always smiling and serving an endless supply of 'Holy Wine' in the sweetest glasses...


The food is good (except the Health Bread as the portion is tiny) and my favourite thing to eat is the savoury muffins. Here is my new favourite, the brinjal and sun dried tomato 'potted' muffin:


And when you've stuffed your face, take a walk around the rest of the shop which is home to an amazing collection of antiques and collectibles...










Directions:
Corner of Churchill Road and Windmere (now Lilian Ngoyi)


*Milk Cafe* Ballito

/ Dolphin Coast, South Africa/
Spending a weekend in Ballito is never complete without a stop to my favourite ice cream chop...Milk Cafe. With super friendly staff and really really yummy ice-cream, it's the perfect place to hang out this summer...











Directions
18 Compensation Drive Ballito 
032 946 2310
click here to visit their Facebook page


Homegrown goodness

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These bad boys are all from Farmboy's very own veggie patch...



*Note: when/if eating greens from the garden, make sure to give everything a good wash first and to do a thorough *pest* search...we had to throw away a HuGe gem squash and baby pumpkin due to some nasty creatures.




A very proud Farmboy :)




Pair with some lemon and garlic cous-cous and a healthy side portion of spinach dessed in balsamic vinegar and you are a-for-away...enjoy!


 *those funny pink bits are actually ham....ya I know, sort of totally destroys the Veggie vibe but was yummy nonetheless :)


November *Ruby Box*

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My second RubyBox arrived in the post a little while ago...it's so exciting getting something by mail, never mind the fact that this particular package was a box crammed full of beauty goodies *she says as she does throws an air punch and does a little jiggle*. Here is what November had in store for me:





L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream & a selection of Guerlain Perfumes (Aqua Allegoria Flora Nymphea, Shalimar Parfum Initial, Idylle).
The hand cream is incredible, left my hands feeling super soft and lush...I just wasn't crackers about the smell.
When I first tried these fragrances I was put off by hints of  'granny' I could smell, but after a while, I can honestly say that i like them all!
Elizabeth Arden Intervene Radiance Boosting Moisture Cream & Carita Pearl of Youth for Lips
I havent tried the Intervene yet, but will be doing so soon. The lip essence, although a little gritty, left my lips feeling smooth and I love the slight shimmer in it.

Would I buy any of these products myself?? I thing if I had a spare R400 lying around I would *definitely* invest in some L'Occitane hand cream!

To get a RubyBox delivered to your door every month, just pop along to their website where you set yourself up with a profile. Then it's R100 a month (they also have a few other specials if you sign up for 6/12 month subscriptions) and there you go :) 

Postnet...posting locally around South Africa

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This may seem to some a bit of a strange blog post, but I thought it's something really useful to know, especially with Christmas just around the corner. Postnet is currently doing a promotion whereby you can send a parcel (up to 2kg's) to a Postnet anywhere in South Africa for R95 and it will arrive in 1 - 4 working days...how super is that! I thought this was mighty reasonable and wanted to share this with all of you :)

*and no, my friend in the top right hand corner did not ask/sponser/co-erce/offer me a lifetime supply of envelopes to get me to write this post*






Markets to look forward to in Kwazulu Natal...

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I Heart Market: Moses Madiba Stadium, Durban. Saturday 3rd, 10th, 17th December
Wonder Market: Chris Saunders Park, Umhalanga (opp. Gateway Shopping Centre). Sunday 18th December


Shongweni Farmers & Craft Market: Cnr Kassier & Alvestone Rd, Assegay. Every Saturday from 06h00 - 10h30.




#30DaysOfMe...Day 12

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Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one


Source: Decor8
I started blogging at the beginning of 2010 when Farmboy and I embarked on our journey to teach English in South Korea. I did what every other foreigner who goes overseas does...I started to document my 'awesome' life so all of my family and friends could track our adventures. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was bored of reading about other peoples oh-so-cool lives, but I thought to myself..."Who cares what I get up to on the weekend?". Am i just trying to show everyone what they are missing out on? So I decided to change my blog into a sort of travel guide to South Korea...and once I got into it (we did have rather a lot of free time with  rather a lot of free uncapped internet) Farmboyandcitygirlhitasia the blog, went 'dotcom'. 


So now with 2 blogs all about South Korea, what on earth was I going to do when I touched back down on South African soil? Well, start another blog of course! This time, a more 'life style' blog with all sorts of bits and pieces about markets to visit, make up, places to stay, recipes and ideas for things to make and do in and around South Africa. I say "around South Africa" as the hope is to go do more traveling around the African continent :) One blog step at a time!

*click here to find out what these post's are all about*


Hook...Line...and...Sinker!

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This CityGirl has been taking her farm life responsibilities very seriously, and one of the most important ones...fishing! Can you believe I caught a huge 2 1/2kg bass on my second cast?! And then another 3 after that...thing I might have found my new calling :) After very carefully removing the hooks from the fishies we said goodbye and placed them all back in the dam...responsible fishing is the only way to go (and well, to be honest, having to remove the hook myself was enough cruelty for me, eating the poor things would have just been too much!)

And the best fishing partner ever...Scooter the Jack Russell! Closely followed by my very handsome Farmboy :)


Clinique Blended Powder

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When I purchased this semi translucent powder I thought the price was pretty reasonable for what I thought was a pretty good quality product. Now when I think of the price (R205) I think it's quite steep. This used to be my absolute favourite powder, but has now moved down to second place after my first Yardley purchase (post coming soon!). Now when I use it, I sort of feel a bit let down. 

As pretty as the packaging is, it doesn't really make up for the fact that this powder doesn't actually do anything. It gives very little coverage, even though it seems to when you apply it. What little actually does provide coverage does seem to last on my skin but overall, I am disappointed in it and won't be making another purchase when it runs out. I give this a 2.5/5.


It does come with a cute brush though, hence the extra half a point added onto the score :)

Nonna...Parkhurst

/ Parkhurst, Randburg, South Africa/
This lovely little gift and decor shop is situated in the very trendy area of Parkhurts, with coffee shops and antique stores on every corner. You'll find everything from jewellery to furniture, clothing to collectibles...I could have spent all afternoon browsing :) 

Click here to find out more of what's in store!


011 447 8297
Shop 9, The Cobble Centre
4th Avenue (Corner 12th Avenue)
Parkhurst
Johannesburg

Click here for their facebook page


Mo-Vember Party...

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Movember is a worldwide fundraiser during the month of November, to raise funds for Mens Health...and its all about the moustache :{ 

Click here for the official website where you can find out how you can make a difference. We hosted a party to raise awareness...here's some pics:





Click here to find out more info on hosting your own Movember Party...you've only got 9 more days :)



Bloom Cafe...Natal Midlands

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Nestled in Nottingham Road, between a hair salon and an Antique Shop, lies the marvelous Cafe Bloom. The perfect stop for a dose of caffeine and to fill up your hungry tummy after a long day of meandering.





Address: R103 Old Main Road, Nottingham Road
Hours: 08h00 - 16h00 Wednesday - Monday 

Mozying around Maritzburg

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What does one get up to away from the hustle and bustle of a big city like Joburg? Well, take pictures of course...and roam around second hand stores looking for treasures :)







This picture was taken a few days before being sunk 7 kilometers into the depths of the ocean...sad hey