{the thrift collection}

{An early Valentines treat from the Thrift Collection}

2012-02-10T17:19:00.002+02:00

❤

Our Valentines Playlist:

The A Team - Ed Sheeran

Dance Me to the End of Love - The Civil Wars

Dance So Good - Wakey!Wakey!

For You - Josh Garrels

I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend

Me And You - Slow Club

Only If For A Night - Florence + The Machine

Only Love - Ben Howard

Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club

You and I - Ingrid Michealson

You Better You Bet - The Who

Young Love - Mystery Jets

Dearest - Buddy Holly

We're not sure about you guys, but we love to hate Valentine's Day! And yes, it's just around the corner. We're obviously speaking as two single ladies (think Beyonce song) who have chosen to focus on Matric, our friends and of course, keeping our new thrift customers happy! (Rather than creating a fairy tale with some skinny-jeans-wearing British Zac Efron.)

Although we're not overly excited to be celebrating this day dedicated to romance, we know some of you might be counting down the sleeps till you get something spesh from your valentine. If you haven't sorted out a gift for them in return, here are a few ideas that we found from some great crafty blogs. We hope this helps!

creaturecomfortsblog.com

goddesshobbies.blogspot.com

From familyfun.go.com

From thecraftingchicks.com

lorajeansmagazine.blogspot.com

From thefryfamilyblog.blogspot.com

From thecraftmonkey.blogspot.com

From batemanbuzz.blogspot.com

Love Ash & Em xx

{Ashleigh-Jade & Emily's first iHeart market}

2012-02-04T19:32:00.002+02:00

Hello Thrifters

As the new owners of {The Thrift Collection} may we just say how thankful we are for all the support today at our very first iHeart Market! We arrived bright and early to set up and after some intense unpacking and arranging of rails, we were ready to go.

The day passed in a blur of beautiful and wonderfully-dressed shoppers, many offers of “take a free cookie with your purchase!”, lots of heat, sales, and of course new friends. I think it is safe to say that we had a great day to start off our exciting new venture, and we sincerely hope that all of you did too!

Thanks again to you all of you Thrifters and to the lovely iHeart team for being so welcoming, and for those of you who missed the market today, don’t forget to keep checking our Facebook page and here on the blog for updates on our Online Shop so you can treat yourselves to some goodies from the comfort of your own home!

Love and hugs
Ash and Em
xx

Ashleigh-Jade and Emily :)

{an introduction}

2012-02-02T07:06:00.000+02:00

Here they are! The lasses who have taken over the reigns of The Thrift Collection. They came to pick up the caravan and all of her goodies last night, so it's officially. Officially official. How about a little Q&A to help you get to know them better?

First up, Ashleigh-Jade:

If you could be in any movie, which one would it be?

500 Days of Summer (secretly High School Musical because let's be honest, I still know all the words and dance moves) .

What is your favorite trending fashion at the moment?

Wedges.

What do your Saturdays look like?

Blogging. Tea. iHeart Market. Art.

What is your favorite thrift item?

My grandpa jersey and wedges come in at a tie.

The Top 3 played songs on your iPod this week:

1) Wherever You Will Go - Charlene Soraia

2) Beautiful - Phil Wickham

3) Only Love - Ben Howard

What is the quality you most like in Em - {the thrift collection}'s other owner?

Her loyalty.

What most excites you about owning {the thrift collection}?

Having the opportunity to meet new people and learn about the fashion industry.

In 5 years time... I hope to be a qualified digital media/film school graduate. And possibly dating the man of my dreams. Maybe.

And now for Emily:

If you could be in any movie, which one would it be?

Harry Potter (hands down).

What is your favorite trending fashion at the moment?

Brogues and leather backpacks.

What is your favorite thrift item?

Brown vintage blazer with big gold buttons.

If you could be stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be?

Its a toss up between Ryan Gosling (it would be the cutest story of how he met his wife) or JK Rowling (to let her know that she completed my life with the greatest book series of all time).

The Top 3 played songs on your iPod this week:

1) Strictly Game - Harlem Shakes

2) Young Love - Mystery Jets feat Laura Marling

3) After The Storm - Mumford And Sons

What is the quality you most like in Ashleigh-Jade?

Her generosity and selflessness.

What most excites you about owning {the thrift collection}?

Being able to contribute to the growing second hand market in Durban and meet wonderful new people.

In 5 years time... I hope to be studying fashion or journalism somewhere in SA after a gap year in England where I met my skinny-jeans wearing British boyfriend :)

A little note from the girls themselves:

We are both so grateful to be blessed with two incredible Mama Bears who will be there to support, help and teach us along the way (until next year, when we may have to fire them Donald Trump style).

And a little note from us:

All the best girls - i hope this business, the markets, your customers and of course all of the thrifting will bring you tons of joy!

From Bevan & Pippa - that's all folks!

xoxo

{new owners}

2012-01-31T21:04:00.000+02:00

The Thrift Collection has found a new home!

The new owners have been loyal shoppers and followers of The Thrift Co since we first started and so they understand and appreciate the ethos and spirit with which we began this little company.

Stay tuned to the blog over the next day or two as we'll be introducing the 2 young lasses who will be taking this brand forward. They're committed to keeping The Thrift Collection going as it has always been before and in fact will be at I Heart Market this Saturday to kick off their new take on the whole thing. Please be kind, dear Thrift Co shoppers and fans - be awesome for them like you were for us.

And as a parting shot from both Bevan and I: we are so incredibly grateful to everyone who has shared in the success of The Thrift Co. Without you, this brand would be pap today. But because of you, it's become an awesome little business that people have actually wanted to buy from us! And for that, we will be forever happy and indebted to you. See you at I Heart Market - and if you spot us out and about with little Clementine, please come say hi!

xoxo

Pippa & Bevan

{a little announcement}

2012-01-25T20:07:00.000+02:00

Hey Guys -

So a little announcement!

After nearly 2 years of doing The Thrift Collection, we've made a decision to sell the business. We have had an incredible time starting up this awesome little mobile / online thrift store, but sadly we've come to the realisation that 2012 is going to be a hectic year for us. Currently on the go we have the wedding, our full time jobs, fur babies and an awesome new house. It's a lot for any couple, especially a young couple venturing into the world of matrimony.

That said - we don't want this business or its idea to flounder and die out. We want it to live on and prosper which is why we'll be selling the business. Lock stock and barrel. Product, twitter, facebook, blog, email. All of it.

And you're probably asking - what about the caravan? That awesome little caravan that we refurbished, lovingly, over 2 and something months? Well, we're selling that too.

So if you're in the market for a mobile / online thrift store - then here's your chance! We've got an amazing following, with people coming to the market in droves to come and shop our store. There's a lot of money to be made and a lot of fab new people to meet. The caravan has also become a hot topic in Durbs being one of the first mobile thrift stores in the city.

So - the nitty gritty: There are a couple of options if you want to buy this booming brand from us:
1 - The business only: blog, twitter account, facebook, email, product and all the other bits and bobs that go with it (stationery, stamps, stickers, vintage sewing patterns etc)
2 - The caravan only: no product, just the caravan itself
3 - The business and caravan

If you're interested, send us a mail and let's hook up for a coffee and a chat.

The only thing we'll be keeping is Clementine. That pooch is just too precious for words.

xoxo
Pippa

{wedding porn}

2012-01-23T19:39:00.001+02:00

Sorry if you guys are nearing your threshold for wedding stuff - but it's an exciting time in our lives, so I'm finding loads of inspiration on the interwebs that I really want to share!

Loved this wedding from Rock 'n Roll Bride {a fab website if you're looking for somewhat alternative nuptials...}

The colour palette and theme are pretty much the same as what we've got planned for ours, so spent quite a lot of time dissecting every picture in Kat's post!

I know that somethings are a tad overdone now in weddings, so we'll be losing things like the the bunting on the tables but nonetheless is a gorgeous representation of what we're going for with our own wedding. Any other kind of wedding for us just wouldn't feel right, and while we're not the first people to have a vintage style wedding, it's right up our alley - and that's all that matters I suppose!

xoxo,
Pippa

{our save the date}

2012-01-19T18:54:00.000+02:00

So we finally sent out our save the dates - thought I'd give you a bit of a peek at them. Bevan and I designed them ourselves, and then set to work doing them up in Illustrator.

We sent out to more people than we thought we would actually have, but everyone seems to be coming! So the numbers will be a lot higher than we thought they might be. But that just means more friends and family to celebrate the day with us, and of course more pressies...

Plans are well underway, and I have a checklist longer than the Harry Potter series that needs checking off. It means early mornings and late nights trying to prep all the elements of what we hope is a largely DIY wedding. Wedding's these days can be so ridiculously expensive and we're trying to save my pops as much money as possible. Although I couldn't help but splurge on a retro photobooth - the kind that spews out black and white photo strips. Guests can keep them as a memento of the occasion, and write in our guest book too.

This weekend, while Bevan is away doing Iron-man in East London, I plan on doing quite a bit of sourcing for the wedding: decorations, table cloths, vases etc.

Who knows, perhaps I'll really enjoy this process and become a full-time party planner?!

xoxo

Pippa

{bring and buy}

2012-01-11T18:34:00.000+02:00

At the end of Jan an awesome event that we've dubbed “bring and buy” will take place: an opportunity for us to all come together and flog the clothes and accessories we no longer wear to make a little bit of cash (after the festive season I’m sure we’ve all got a wardrobe full of stuff and a wallet full of nothing).

You can either sell some stuff, just come and shop other people’s stuff, or sell AND shop

Here are the details:

- Venue: 14 Weymouth Avenue, Glenwood

- Date: Saturday, 28^th Jan (straight after payday!)

- Time: 2pm to 4pm (1:30pm to 4pm if you'll be selling some stuff)

How it works:

People wanting to sell goodies need to bring a selection of clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories & Jewellery that they want to get rid of (please be there by 1:30 if you are intending on selling some stuff so we can get everything up and ready on the rails)
Before the event, all sellers will need to place a sticker on each of their items with the following information: Your initials (e.g. JH, PVB, CV etc) and the Price (can be any type of sticker in terms of size, colour, shape – doesn’t matter)
Shop shop shop / sell sell sell
Once the shopper has made their selection of the items they want, they bring it to the “check out desk”, take the stickers off the items they are purchasing and stick them on a sheet we will provide. We’ll then tally up the total and the shopper pays for their goodies.
At the end of the event, all amounts for each seller will be paid over to them (we’ll know who is owed what by using their initials and the prices on each sticker)

Please please please….:

Don’t bring items that are broken, stained, ripped – this is about offering great quality items
Don’t bring clothing with little or no value, e.g. a strappy basic cami as shoppers will want to go for the more interesting pieces
Tell everyone and anyone to come shop, sell or (better yet) shop AND sell – the more people we have the better the selection will be
Bring cash only
Try and bring your own hangers – this will make the process a lot smoother if everything is stickered and hung up right from the get-go
Be there at 1:30pm on the day if you want to sell some goodies
Be reasonable and realistic with the prices you charge – keep in mind that cash will be limited and so shoppers will be less inclined to buy very expensive pieces.

Hope to see you there!

xoxo

Pippa

{latest looks}

2012-01-06T08:00:00.002+02:00

Some of my favourite recent looks on The Sartorialist

xoxo
Pippa

Ps - our blogging will be back to normal from next week!

{portraits}

2012-01-03T08:00:00.001+02:00

Love these portraits from photographer Dylan deRose

xoxo
Pippa

{happy new years}

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000+02:00

Stay safe this New Years!

xoxo
Pippa & Bevan

{Source}

{closet visit}

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000+02:00

Closet Visit is one of my favourite sites - they snap pics inside people's closets and homes.

Saw this one and loved this girl's easy, laid back style. She reminds me a bit of Kirsten Dunst.

xoxo
Pippa

{merry christmas}

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas everybody! Hope it's a fabulously relaxing time for you and your families.

xoxo
Pippa & Bevan

{source}

{barbershops of savannah}

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000+02:00

Some beautiful snaps taken by Dylan deRose - a photographer - of barbershops in Savannah, Georgia.

xoxo
Pippa

All Images (C) Dylan deRose Source

{a french honeymoon}

2011-12-19T08:00:00.001+02:00

This is our plan for our honeymoon - a couple of days spent in Paris, then down to the South of France for a jaunt along the Mediterranean.

Bliss.

xoxo
Pippa

Source

{the sartorialist - in morocco}

2011-12-15T08:00:00.001+02:00

If you've been reading our blog for a little while now, you'll probably know that in April of this year we were in Morocco and Egypt for a 2 week holiday.

So when I saw The Sartorialist post some pics of his recent trip to Morocco, I felt a little giddy - given the fact that he and Garance visited Essaouria - a very small seaside town about 6 hours south of Casablanca, a little town we too visited in April.

He captured the town much better than I ever could. If you're planning an overseas trip any time soon but not sure where to go, Morocco is a definite must. I used to live there when I was younger, so going back there was quite an awesome experience - to see it through grown up eyes so to speak.

Marrakech is a beautiful place (we left about 3 days before the bomb hit the centre of the town - lucky....) and generally so safe for tourists. Casablanca (where i lived when I was a young teenager) is such an awesome cosmopolitan city, so that should also be on your list of places to see.

Egypt on the other hand....well, seeing the Sphinx and pyramids was simply amazing but Cairo itself is a crazy place! If you've got the stamina then give it a go - but if you'd like a laid back hippy approach to a 2 week holiday, then Morocco is your place.

xoxo
Pippa

{DIY yarn garland}

2011-12-14T08:00:00.001+02:00

What a lovely alternative to the tassels and bunting that we're seeing everywhere these days!

Herewith the instructions for making your very own yarn garland:

Supplies Needed:
* a friend
* a few balls of yarn
* scissors

How to:

Step 1. Stand 5 ft away from your friend / helper. Grab the end of the yarn and throw your friend the ball of yarn. Pull the strand between you nice and taut, and get your friend to throw the ball back to you - all the while keeping your strands taut. Do this 10 to 20 times depending on how wide you want the garland to be. Once done, cut the end of the yarn.

Step 2. While each of you is holding on to their end of the strands, start twisting in opposite directions until the yarn is completely twisted. Then start walking together and let your strands meet in the middle to form a braid. Use another piece of yarn to tie off the combined ends of the strands so that they don't come undone.

Ideas: Use different lengths, colours and textures to create even more interest - and use as a wedding decoration, bunting or around your Christmas tree!

Found here

xoxo
Pippa

{piano}

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

The lady that we bought the house from had a very musical husband - which is why we have a music recording studio on the property.

Luckily for us, this also meant that they had an old beat-up piano sitting on the verandah which she readily left for us.

Im planning on having a collection of old tins filled with plants and succulents out on this piano to make it a bit of a feature. I know that if I had a piano lying around, it certainly wouldn't be left out on the verandah - so I'm glad someone else did it for me, so I dont have to feel guilty about it.

Best part about it is that the piano actually works - the sounds that come out of it are quite tinny and creepy - you feel like you're playing the soundtrack to a horror film, but it's awesome!

xoxo,
Pippa

{bathroom renovations}

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001+02:00

We started our bathroom renovations on Saturday while we were at the market - actually worked out for the best as I was too busy being focused on the market to worry about them bashing around in our bathroom.

After the market, we went to take a look at their progress - and we were so impressed! They had completely gutted the room, cleaned it and came up with an action plan based on the condition of the walls and floors after ripping out the old stuff.

So happy with how this is going so far. This week: the brick work continues and the tiling starts.

It might not look like much now, but this is the shell of what was once a very damp and badly cramped bathroom. What we've got planned for it incorporates beautiful old finishes and a victorian free-standing ball and claw bath which we found on gumtree for a steal.

xoxo
Pippa

{our house - in the light}

2011-12-08T08:00:00.017+02:00

Up until now, the only pics Ive taken of our new house have been in the dark. Finally I have some snaps of it during the day.

I took these on Saturday when we went to have a look at the progress of our bathroom renovation. Love the soft light shining through the trees - this house makes me feel so peaceful. Im sure many a summer night will be spent out on this verandah on our comfy couch.

The lounge - 'scuse the workers' clothes on our chair!

Our new bookshelves

Clem smelling her new home

Our main bedroom and our new built-in cupboards.

The garden path - leading down to the music recording studio

Clem surveying her new territory

Little Miss Muffet

The guts of an old piano - we love this little feature in the garden

Our caravan's new home - we'll be throwing open the doors on a regular basis so you can come shop whenever we're available!

xoxo,

Pippa

{engaged}

2011-12-07T08:00:00.007+02:00

We got engaged last week Thursday! Very exciting and very unexpected...

I must be honest - Im not very romantic at all, but Bevan is. So he has been scheming about how he wanted to propose for a while now apparently. He was either going to do it on the 1st of December or on the 20th Dec on my birthday but decided that the latter might be a bit obvious.

So the 1st it was.

I thought we were painting the main bedroom that night - he had other plans. Told me to sit in a chair in front of our new bookshelf and he'd take a picture of me. So I sat down and started blabbing on about how I wanted to put a table in front of one of the windows. When I turned around to face him, he was on one knee with a silver box in his hand! I cant quite remember what he said, but I do remember giggling from surprise and nervousness as he opened the box. I do however remember quite vividly wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him for dear life.

I've been with this boy for over 5 years - I love him to bits. Of course the answer was yes!

And so now we're engaged! Wedding date is 14th July. Excited is an understatement - cannot wait to get started on this wedding.

The ring was my gran's which he simply had sized and polished because he knew I loved it so much. I love the ruby, the little diamonds around it, the oval setting - all of it. It's just perfect I reckon and given that it's a family heirloom makes it even more special. It's something we'll be passing down to our oldest kid in the hopes of making this our own little family tradition.

xoxo

Pippa

{executive decision}

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000+02:00

With everything that's going on in our lives at the moment {wedding preps, new house, moving, renovation, i heart market & the thrift co, and just generally trying to make it through the rest of this year intact}, we've made an executive decision to do no more uploads this year.

We're getting up early to get ready for work, working the entire day then speeding off to our new house to paint, check on the renovations, make blinds, clean up after builders, get technicians in to secure our property etc etc etc. Point is: we're buggered at the end of the day.

So we need to get focused on our house and move all our contents from one part of town to another without falling asleep at the wheel. We hope you understand!

But we'll be back again bigger and stronger in 2012 with TONS of fab new product for you.

Keep visiting the blog though throughout the holidays as we'll still be uploading new, fresh posts to the blog every couple of days.

xoxo
Pippa

{kulula}

2011-12-06T06:46:00.000+02:00

If you're flying Kulula this December, check out the in-flight mag - The Thrift Collection was interviewed!

xoxo
Pippa

{i heart market}

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000+02:00

Here are some snaps from I Heart Market on saturday - despite the gloomy-looking skies, we had a great turnout, so thanks to everyone who came through!

Our little bike was snapped up quite quickly, and a lot of our garage sale items found new homes throughout the morning so we're feeling a lot lighter today!

But don't despair if you couldnt make it on saturday - we still have a garage-full of goodies that we need to get rid of, which we'll be bringing again to this coming weekend's market.

Yup! That's right! We'll be at the 2nd I Heart Market "session" this weekend - 10th December at Moses Mabhida stadium. There'll be one more market on the 17th of Dec, but we wont be there as we'll be away for a wedding. But diarise both dates and make sure you're there to support other local stallholders!

xoxo,

Pippa

{garage sale}

2011-12-02T10:00:00.001+02:00

Don't forget we'll be hosting our first of 2 garage sales tomorrow at I Heart Market.

Imagine yourself owning an old school bubblegum blue bike with a sweet bell... Cause that's just ONE of the things we'll be selling this weekend!

Our 2nd garage sale will be at the next I Heart Market on the 10th of Dec. So diarise that too... 2 weeks of The Thrift Collection goodness in one month!

xoxo
Pippa

{meet arthur}

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

This is our new rescue kitty Arthur. The lady who sold us her house found a litter of kittens that needed some TLC and took them back to her/our house. In a matter of hours she needed to find a home for all of them before she moved out this weekend. So we obliged with this little fellow.

He's still a little skittish, but we find that he's slowly (very slowly...) taking to us. Despite my offerings of food and a clean litter tray, he's still taking his time to warm to us.

So little Arthur and Clementine, we hope, will be best friends.

xoxo
Pippa

{kitchen}

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000+02:00

While we absolutely LOVE the kitchen in our new house, a kitchen renovation at some point is definitely on the cards. I cannot believe we scored an old house that has a working fireplace in the kitchen. Come winter (even if it's not that cold...) you'll find me making stews near the open fire, while my kitties and pups sit around me. *bliss*

xoxo,
Pippa

Sources: here / here / here / here / here and here

{recycling old books}

2011-11-30T08:00:00.001+02:00

Have a ton of books and you just don't know what to do with them? Or do you love the idea of using books as decor but have no clue where to start? Well, here's some ideas - found here

xoxo,
Pippa

{shelves}

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000+02:00

This week we get new shelves in the lounge of our new house! Because the house is so old, it has absolutely no storage or cupboard space. Bevan and I decided then that this is the perfect opportunity to fill our little housey with the things we've always wanted, and the looks we've long admired in interior and decor mags.

So first to go in is a white shelving unit that will cover an entire wall in our lounge. This will act as our book case, tv cabinet, storage for cd's and DVD's and bric-a-brac.

We've also asked the supplier to make us a ladder so that we can reach the top shelves. Cannot wait to see the final product - we're hoping to make it look like a library!

xoxo,
Pippa

Sources: here / here / here / here / here and here

{garage sale}

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000+02:00

So we'll be moving into our new house over the next couple of weeks - moving boxes and furniture in until our bathroom renovations over so that the move is slow and "graceful" not quick and clumsy.

We've earmarked things (furniture and other goodies) that we WONT be taking to our new house, and we'll be bringing it all to I Heart Market this weekend!

So bring your pennies, dust off your credit cards (as we have credit card facilities at the market!) and come and shop our I Heart Market Garage Sale.

You can look forward to trawling through tables, old records, books and all manor of household goods we'll be letting go of.

You cant miss us - just look for the blue caravan...

xoxo,

Pippa

{new in the shop}

2011-11-28T07:09:00.000+02:00

Check out the mammoth amount of product we added to the store last night!

xoxo,
Pippa

{love this}

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000+02:00

Love this idea.

Found here

{bathroom renovation}

2011-11-23T07:01:00.000+02:00

Next week we finally get the keys to our new house! And then the hard work begins...

Because the house is so old, we have to get cupboards made up, and renovate the bathroom. So these 2 things will happen during the first 2.5 weeks of December. We should finally move in around the 19th of Dec - which I'm too excited about.

Given that we've never renovated 1st hand, the bathroom has been causing me a few grey hairs. But we've bought all the fittings and our new bath (LOVE my new free-standing victorian bath!) and we'll be ready to start bashing down walls next weekend.

Here's some bathroom pics Ive been looking at for inspiration.

xoxo,
Pippa

Sources: here / here / here / here / here / here / here

{thanksgiving}

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we went to our American friends' house in Salt Rock for Thanksgiving. If you've never had the privilege of feasting on a Thanksgiving Turkey extravaganza, then let me explain: It's a time when friends and family get together on the last Thursday of November, to give thanks for what they've got. It is a feast that lasts the entire afternoon, and culminates in a very necessary nap on the couch. Rounding the meal off is a mixture of pies and pastries that make you feel fuller than you ever thought possible.

Needless to say, it's my favourite time of the year.

Here are some snaps from the day:

My new favourite dish: sweet potato casserole (topped off with melted brown sugar and walnuts....)

More food than the eye could see

My pretty Proteas

Begging for scraps

Eggnog

Bella and Clementine

xoxo

Pippa

{new in the shops}

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

A snap of my assistant hard at work sorting through product for this week's upload.

Check out what Clementine and I added to the ladies and home shops!

xoxo
Pippa

{homemade gifts - vintage style}

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000+02:00

A little strapped for cash this Christmas? Want to put a bit more effort into your gifts this year than just popping into your local mall and buying a couple of gift vouchers?

Found this online book called "Homemade Gifts Vintage Style" by Sarah Moore with lovely ideas for homemade goodies, with a bit of a vintage twist. Get more ideas here

xoxo
Pippa

{pretoria}

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000+02:00

Last week, I was in Pretoria for 2 days to do some work. It had been years since I was last there, but I have fond memories of that place - especially the Jacarandas in Spring. My parents lived in Pretoria for a year when they were first married, and when my sister was just a tiny tot.

The weather was ridiculously hot, 35 degrees in the shade, so chocolate milkshakes became my go-to remedy for staving off the hot summer rays.

Here are some snaps from my brief trip there.

xoxo,

Pippa

{clem's pearls}

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000+02:00

Clementine in the pearl necklace I made her - pic taken by Kath at the last I Heart Market.

Want one for your pooch? All made to order at R70 - our choice of colours and pendant.

xoxo

Pippa

{new in}

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000+02:00

Uploaded some new goodies to the shop last night - go check them out!

xoxo
Pippa

{crate & barrel}

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000+02:00

Uh oh. Hide your credit cards, and unplug your internet connection.

Crate & Barrel deliver to SA... Look at some of their beauties they have up on their website! Let's just go ahead and add these things to my birthday wishlist...

Rug

Ottoman

xoxo,

Pippa

{donate}

2011-11-10T08:00:00.002+02:00

For all you animal lovers out there: Christmas is nearly upon us, so give us a thought to all the little pets and pups out there who don't have a mommy or a daddy. Instead of giving presents this festive season, why not donate to the SPCA on someone's behalf? It doesn't have to be much, a little can do so much to help make the lives of our furry friends a little more bearable.

I donate to the SPCA on a monthly basis - even though Im there all the time to buy goodies for our shops.

If I've convinced you - here are their details if you want to make your own donation.

Standard Bank

Acc #: 051220407

Branch: Musgrave

Branch Code: 042626

Acc Name: Durban & Coast SPCA

Remember:

- All donations are tax deductible

- The SPCA doesn't get funding from the government {vote me in as president, and we'll change that!!}

Go on - make a difference in an animal's life.

xoxo

Pippa

Pic from We Heart It, via this flickr

{oats - 9 ways}

2011-11-09T08:00:00.001+02:00

Cripes - I love Jungle Oats. Grew up on them, had them every morning for breakfast.

Found 9 new ways to eat them - tried the banana nut one this morning and fell in love.

Found here

xoxo
Pippa

{tattoos}

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000+02:00

Getting keen to ink myself - something small and inconspicuous when it needs to be. I have the pain threshold of a newborn though so I fear I might struggle actually keeping my arm within reach of the tattoo artist.

Looking for inspiration - have an idea of what I want to get but it's the pain that's becoming a block for me.

Loved what these ladies had done though - so this is helping:

If you've got a tattoo - please share your experiences!!

xoxo
Pippa

Source: The Satorialist

{birthday wishlist}

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

My birthday is just a month and a half away {20 Dec, diarise it!} and I've been thinking long and hard about a birthday wishlist of sorts. Given that that very same day we'll be moving into our new house, my wishlist centers around goodies for our new pad. We've decided to ditch some of our old stuff and get some new things like crockery, tupperware and towels {so if you feel like buying me a birthday pressie, gift vouchers are welcome!}.

If I come into a lot of money over the next month and a bit, these are things that I would be buying:

A display cabinet for my shoes - have spied one over on Gumtree, now I just need to talk the seller down from their ridiculous price... Spied on www.sfgirlbybay.com

How awesome is this retro record player? We bought one over the weekend which we love {thanks Sara and Em!} but I just love the carry case of the one above. From Urban Outfitters

Sofa from Urban Outfitters

Funny plasters from Urban Outfitters

This beautiful victorian free-standing ball and claw bath from www.vicerabathhouse.co.za

xoxo,
Pippa

{christmas cards}

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000+02:00

Christmas is just around the corner {and with it, my 28th birthday... eeek). To keep myself positive about the upcoming December festivities Ive started brainstorming a Christmas card that we can send out to the family: I'm thinking Bevan and me in kitsch Christmas jerseys, with Clementine sitting next to us with a pair of reindeer horns on her head. Cheesy grins all round.

I spied these here and loved them! Another option for us if Clementine doesn't like the horns.

xoxo
Pippa

{high waisted}

2011-11-03T08:00:00.001+02:00

Going through a "high-waisted" phase - loving skirts, shorts and pants that cut me at the waist - anything that sits on the hips feels sooo 2010 now. I'm even finding myself buying a size smaller so that it fits me snuggly in the waist.

What's your latest fashion craze?

xoxo,
Pippa

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

{doggie collars}

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000+02:00

I recently wrote a post about some cute doggie collars that I had seen on the interwebs and how I wish that there was someone locally who makes these kinds of things.

So - I thought, instead of wishing why not do!

And that's what I did: I made my own doggie collar for my little Clem! I spent some time at Everlasting today choosing pearls, clasps and a pendant and made the below.

They're all made to order so that they suit your pup's neck. You can also choose your own colours and beads, so the collars are fully customisable {if that's even a word}.

You choose the following:

* Pearls or beads

* Colours of the pearls or beads

* Pendant style and colour

* Size of collar needed depending on your pup's necksize

Each one is R70, so email me with your order, give me a couple days to source your pearls / beads / colours / pendant and it's yours!

Ill also have some at this weekend's market, and Clem will be modelling hers above.

xoxo

Pippa

{i heart this weekend!}

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

I Heart Market happens again this weekend! We'll be at Moses Mabhida again, this time on the lower level {so as to avoid the wind!}

Bring all your hard earned cash and come blow it on some second hand goodies. Looking forward to seeing you there! Clementine and the caravan will be there looking spiffy.

xoxo
Pippa

{november's VERA collection}

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000+02:00

Happy November 1st! Go check out the new month's collection VERA - there are a few dresses to choose from and a particularly awesome tea tin waiting to be snapped up. Shop here for the clothes and here for the tin.

xoxo
Pippa

{don't forget about our sale!}

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000+02:00

Sale ends this Sunday!

Go shop: here and here

xoxo,

Pippa

{loft apartment}

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000+02:00

I've always loved the thought of a large loft apartment with bare brick walls, industrial lighting in the kitchen and big windows letting in plenty of natural light. Don't get me wrong, Im absolutely in LOVE with our new little housey, but there's something awesome about an open plan digs. Here's one I recently spied on Apartment Therapy - beaut.

xoxo,
Pippa

{record player}

2011-10-27T08:00:00.001+02:00

On the lookout for a record player, so that we can spend lazy summer evenings on our new verandah, sipping frozen lemonades and listening to old records.

Spied this one here

xoxo,
Pippa

{sale}

2011-10-26T08:00:00.001+02:00

Yup! That's right! We're running a sale from now til Sunday (when we launch our new collection...) We're looking to get rid of some goodies to make space for our VERA collection that launches next week.

So. Wherever you see this sign:

you'll know the item its featured next to is on sale, with the sale price underneath.

Sale applies to the {ladies} and {home} stores.

Happy shopping!

xoxo

Pippa

{paradise}

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000+02:00

This is the latest song from Coldplay - off their new album Mylo Xyloto (whaaaaat). They played this at their concert in Joburg a couple of weeks ago and the hairs stood up on my arm. It is, quite simply, one of their best songs ever (apologies if you're not a Coldplay fan, but even this song might change your mind on that). They wore these elephant outfits on stage and filmed the crowd going crazy, which is the footage that you see at the end of this video - SO COOL!

The shot half of this video in the Karoo while they were here - a little taste of SA in a very awesome music video.

xoxo,

Pippa

{new goodies}

2011-10-24T08:00:00.004+02:00

This week we've got a few goodies in the {home} shop that we sourced from a local yard sale. If clothes are what you're after, head on over to our ladies {shop}. We've also got some stuff for the guys over here.

xoxo,
Pippa

{barn wedding}

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

Barn wedding in North Carolina - found via the Ruffled Blog - how beautiful?

xoxo,

Pippa

{washi tape}

2011-10-20T06:37:00.000+02:00

Some cute ideas on how to use Japanese Washi Tape if you're a fan like I am. I use this tape on all the orders we send out - spent quite a bit of time recently on the Cute Tape website ordering more!

Found here

xoxo,
Pippa

{new in}

2011-10-19T08:00:00.001+02:00

Go ahead - go shopping!

xoxo,
Pippa

Pic

{transformation}

2011-10-18T06:47:00.000+02:00

What a fabulous transformation!

Number-Nineteen found this chair on the side of the road and gave it an impressive face-lift. So clever. I would have walked straight past this had I seen it myself.

xoxo
Pippa

{the notebook doodles}

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000+02:00

Man oh man how I wish I had this kind of creativity... Envious of anyone who is able to draw and illustrate. Robots are the extent of my pencil-using abilities.

Found here

xoxo,
Pippa

{the original clementine}

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000+02:00

I have been asked by a few people where I came up with the name CLEMENTINE for our little English Bulldog pup. Well - here's the story.

Winston Churchill (one of the past Prime Ministers of the UK) was probably the world's most famous lover of English Bulldogs. You can see him and his beloved pup in the first pic above.

Churchill's wife's name was Clementine - and here are some pics of her! The original Clementine you could say. I thought it was a great way to pay homage to the breed - to name her after the wife of the world's most celebrated lover of bullies.

They courted for 4 years before he asked for her hand in marriage through a letter addressed to her mother. They had 5 children although 2 of them died in childhood. What was so remarkable about this pair is that they had a loving and close relationship up until Churchill's death in the latter part of the last century.

Further than that, her name was inspired out of a love for old stuff - people included, and giving her a modern name or generic one just didn't seem to fit with her or my personality.

So now you know!

xoxo,
Pippa

{joburg roadtrip}

2011-10-13T08:00:00.001+02:00

Some pics of our road trip up to Joburg over the weekend to see Coldplay (aka one of the best bands of all time). Bevan and I flew up on Saturday morning, stayed at my brother's house with some friends, watch the awesomeness on Saturday that was Coldplay and then drove back with our friends on Sunday.

We past through the little town of Clarens in the Free State for lunch - what a beautiful place! If you've never been, you feel like you're in Denver or some place similar - and it's only 3 hours from Durbs so well worth a weekend meander.

xoxo
Pippa

{dear photograph}

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

Absolutely love this concept - found here

xoxo,

Pippa

{clementine learns to shake}

2011-10-11T12:00:00.000+02:00

Little Clementine - learning to shake!

This dog is INCREDIBLY food-motivated, hence she does nothing without a treat in return!

xoxo,

Pippa

{new in}

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000+02:00

Yup! That's right! New goodies in the {ladies} and {home} shops!

xoxo,
Pippa

Pic

{awkward family photos}

2011-10-10T08:33:00.000+02:00

Found this book at Urban Outfitters whilst in Glasgow - how funny?

My favourite of the lot

Thought of Clementine!

xoxo,
Pippa

{pics from I Heart Market}

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

Here are some snaps of our caravan from Saturday's I Heart Market. The sunshine kicked my butt, got myself a lovely sunburn to prove it. But we had a fabulous day!

Clementine stole the show - everyone came past to give her a love - and boy did she love it!

Clementine enjoying all the loves and cuddles

Beautiful sunshine - terrible wind!

xoxo,

Pippa

{graveyard}

2011-10-06T08:15:00.000+02:00

Pics from the main graveyard in Edinburgh - a little gloomy I know, but graveyards are quite an attraction in the UK.

Wandered through this one in "down town" Edinburgh - this is the spot where JK Rowlings wrote Harry Potter, and off one of the tombstones she got the name Tom Riddle...

Looking up into Edinburgh

How's this dude's surname. Had a good chuckle to myself...

Spooky tomb

xoxo,

Pippa

{not sure about you...}

2011-10-05T07:17:00.000+02:00

...but I'm so excited for summer...

xoxo,
Pippa

Image found here

{mathilda collection}

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000+02:00

Today marks the launch of our new October collection: MATHILDA

Go shop it now!

xoxo,
Pippa

Pic from http://copenhague.tumblr.com/ via http://weheartit.com/

{scottish vintage stores}

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000+02:00

The UK really knows about thrift stores... Got so many tips and hints for our own little store back home, so we spent hours upon hours scouring through all the vintage stores we could find.

These are some snaps from a couple in Edinburgh

We got speaking to a girl working in one of the stores and it turns out that she is an ex-South African who has spent most of her life growing up in Scotland. She has lost her SA twang, but remembers it fondly.

xoxo,
Pippa

{i heart tomorrow!}

2011-09-30T12:00:00.007+02:00

We'll have our caravan there with all of our best product! Clementine will be coming to her first market as our brand ambassador (she will become the spokesdog for the brand cause she's just so darn cute!) so come over and meet her too.

Note the new home of I Heart Market: Moses Mabhida

xoxo,

Pippa

{czar carnival}

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000+02:00

In the mood for a bit of a jam? Come to the Czar Carnival!

See you there

xoxo,
Pippa

{camel}

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000+02:00

Loving this colour at the moment - images found here

xoxo,
Pippa

{yummy}

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000+02:00

Oh my word - how scrumptious does this look?

Goat cheese fig crostini: To make, drizzle honey over sliced figs & pear and roast for 10 minutes. Finish with sweet balsamic glaze.

Found here

xoxo
Pippa

{homeware store}

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000+02:00

Stumbled upon this GORGEOUS homeware story in Glasgow - love the pressed ceilings probably more than the product they had in there. Imagine having places like this to shop in? Not soul-less mall spaces and shops.

Was very tempted to buy the "be calm" posters...no space in suitcase...

xoxo,
Pippa

{st. giles}

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000+02:00

Beautiful old cathedral we visited in Edinburgh. Just outside in the square, the town held all of its hangings and public tortures. Quite a gruesome history, surrounded by such beauty.

xoxo,

Pippa

{new in}

2011-09-26T08:00:00.003+02:00

Some new goodies in the shop today! With payday around the corner, now's the best time to stock up on your favourite thrifted pieces!
All the joy, with none of the guilt!

Apologies for the change in picture format on the shop, but my mannequin gave up the ghost this weekend, so after many MANY years of service, she has retired to spend the rest of her days as a fairy light stand. Will be mannequin shopping over the next couple of days, luckily durbs has a fab shop that sells 2nd hand mannequins so not to stress, we'll be back to business next weekend!

xoxo
Pippa

{architecture}

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000+02:00

Fell in love with the architecture and details in Glasgow. Attention to detail: second to none.

xoxo
Pippa

{hogwarts}

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000+02:00

JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh - so we were really excited when one of our tour guides showed us the school she based Hogwarts on, and the area she dreamed up the story.

Edinburgh is an unimaginably small city - with a population of some 450k people. So these 2 landmarks are just down the road from the University of Edinburgh which we also got an opportunity to walk around: it's where Charles Darwin studied medicine, and more recently, where Pippa Middleton studied.

xoxo,

Pippa

a night with the CZAR's

2011-09-21T08:22:00.000+02:00

A little while ago, Pippa and myself and a couple of others within the blogging community had an awesome opportunity to get to know better the gentleman behind the CZAR - the restaurant and upstairs lounge bar located on Florida Road.

Athos Euripidou has been in the restaurant game for sometime and told us that the venue still has the old school charm that is so typical of Durban colonial architecture but has been given a facelift that likens it to a very upmarket club perhaps located in Jozi or Cape Town.

The only difference is the upmarket experience CZAR provides does not carry the hefty price-tag associated with the Jozi and CT venues. Much much easier on the wallet as we were to find out that evening not too long ago.

Sushi...

now you see it...

now you don't...

Athos treated us to fantastic sushi which is half-price on Wednesday nights and he also introduced us to their latest lunch menu which will only cost including a local beer, one R50.00 note - great value especially for a well-needed lunch time meeting/retreat.

Athos also mentioned that (just like the Society days, which interestingly was also managed by Athos) CZAR will continue to be a venue that is renowned for sponsored events but are also starting new exciting initiatives that will continue to push the boundaries within the Durban arena and provide us with unique bar and dining experiences.

(Make a note in your diary: 1 October sees the launch of the CZAR CARNIVAL at 9PM. Come dressed in Carnival attire and be enthralled by dancers, magicians, fire breathers and , and I quote: "all kinds of other sexy carnival acts.")

Their unique selling points as far as I am concerned is that they are strategically located on one of Durban's busiest roads (178 Florida Road); the attention to detail in the venue will make any patron feel like they have 'arrived'; and the menu is not only easy on the wallet, but very easy to eat.

A must visit - even if it is for coffee or beer over lunch - who knows, you might stay for dinner.

Visit www.theczar.tv or call on 031 312 8001

{cool socks}

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000+02:00

Loved this sock branding we saw in the window of the Glasgow Superdry store

xoxo
Pippa

{new in}

2011-09-19T08:00:00.004+02:00

...well, what's left of it! You girls are awesome! Thanks so much for checking out our facebook upload - within minutes we were nearly sold out!

Check out the new goodies left in the shop

xoxo,
Pippa

Ps - too the above pic at the Museum of Scotland.

{funny}

2011-09-16T12:00:00.001+02:00

Saw this store sign during one of our many walks of Edinburgh - thought it was just the best ever

xoxo
Pippa

{old meets new}

2011-09-16T08:00:00.001+02:00

Just loved the fact that one of the most modern, technologically advanced stores in the world, nay, Universe would be housed in one of the oldest buildings in Glasgow....

Old definitely meets new here

xoxo,

Pippa

{wartime propaganda}

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000+02:00

Some wartime propaganda we found at the Edinburgh Castle war museum.

xoxo,
Pippa

{walking through glasgow}

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000+02:00

Hello kids! We're back in the land of boerewors and malema! Still so exhausted from our trip - so thought I would do a quick first post on our awesomely fun (but cold..) trip to scotland!

Here's some snaps I took while we were walking through Glasgow - such a beautiful city.

Outside the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art - and the statue that guards the front door.

Down the Style Mile - the best shopping I've ever known (and in fact better than the shopping on offer in Edinburgh)

A map of the city

Careful - zombies crossing

The King's Theatre - just behind the hotel we stayed in

One of the city's many public parks

A street performer - looks just like a statue, even close up

People said to us before we went that you're either a Glasgow or an Edinburgh person. While Bevan preferred Glasgow, Im torn between the awesomeness of Glasgow and the immaculate beauty of Edinburgh...

xoxo

Pippa

{farmhouses}

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000+02:00

Getting inspired by these beautiful farmhouses given our imminent move to our new little farmhouse in Glenwood.

xoxo,
Pippa

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

{i feel a road trip coming on...}

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

... after seeing these pics of We Love Pictures' Road Trip across the USA....

xoxo,
Pippa

{new at urban outfitters}

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000+02:00

Some of the latest goodies on sale now at my favourite store!

xoxo,
Pippa