Friday, May 20, 2011

The Stuff I Love and a new BEGINNING!

Let me start by saying sorry for starting this initiative and then abruptly stopping. I am ashamed to say that my last post was on the 19th November 2010 ****MAJOR CRINGE***** I honestly am not sure what happened. I was so into blogging and sharing with you all the stuff I really love and reality interrupted in the shape of my thesis. I know it does sound like another excuse but once I stopped it was hard to get back on that proverbial bicycle. However I am taking a stand and changing things and shall be once again sharing with you all my favorites and everything I love and think that you will love to.



In the past 5 months so much has happened and I have personally experienced new things that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. In November 2010 my sister, bestie and moi took part in a baking class with everyone's fave patisserie Eric Lanlard and I've added loads of new recipes to my repertoire.  Keep on the look out for a post on some of the recipes I absolutely love from him. I also traveled to the land of the Pharaohs, and lovelies Egypt despite recent turmoil is the place to be. I will share with you some of my best moments and discoveries. In between all of that I've continued developing my love for online shopping and increasing my closet size and make up bag. In a nutshell I have discovered so much and you will discover it all too. So to be extremely cliched here's to a bright blogging future.

*PS* I almost forgot that this June my sis and I will be hitting good ol' Londontown and Barcelona. So look forward to some Euro flavored posts.

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Stuff I Love.......to buy online ...OMG.....in SA

Hey Hey Hey Lovelies,

As you guys can tell I am uber excited about my latest discovery.  I was browsing through The Times the other morning and in their features section they profiled an amazing new online shopping site 36 Boutiques. The best thing about this site is that it's South African making inaccessibility to all things fabulous a thing of the past.  Basically what happens is that you apply for a free membership, which I did, then the site informs you of upcoming sales events.  When the sale happens it only occurs for 36 hours in which you as a member have the opportunity to make the most of your spending and style power.

                       

The greatest bit about this website is that they stock not only amazing South African labels but loads of international labels as well bringing stuff that those of us in Durban normally do not have access to. It's absolutely amazing and don't get the impression that prices are out of this world because remember this is a sale site so everything you have the opportunity to buy is discounted.  Furthermore a lot of the funkier less known brands have stuff that's priced really well. Low and behold this Lalesso skirt that's on sale for R285.00    
So guys follow the link and get shopping. I can't even help myself from saying FEEL IT......IT IS HERE!

Before I sign off I also have to tell you guys about the most exciting thing to happen to me in ages.  Hahaha ok fine I'm not that boring but seriously this just made my year.  Durban on the 25th November till the 29th will be playing host to the amazing Good Food and Wine Show where we Durbanites will have the opportunity to watch and learn from all our favorite chefs.

These include BBC regulars Atul Kolchar, Reza Mahommed, Justin Bonnelo and my hero Eric Lanlard.  So I decide to book with the intention of experiencing one session with the Cake Boy himself (sounds kinky I know).  I look, and to my absolute delight, some of the chefs are having and actual hands on cooking classes for 12 people. My heart probably stopped at the same time that it sped up. Anyway after little convincing my sister and two besties are joining in a class with Monsieur Lanlard where we will hopefully bake up a storm.  Gosh I can't even begin to explain my absolute excitement at the prospect of the class and I am highly concerned that I'll make a fool of myself being star struck. So guys look out for a posting and loads of pics from our experiences at the show.

Friends (and I know I have a few who've been reading) I've been posting for a couple weeks now and would love some feedback and tips.  Let me know what you think, what sites you love to visit, basically the stuff YOU love.  I have a long list of stuff I love that I plan on posting on including favorite recipes, fragrances, feedback on make up and all my favorites I think you'll should try....so keep checking.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and who've given me feedback.  It's such a confidence booster to hear good words and just makes me want to write more.

Much love


Seemeen




   

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Stuff I Love....A Good Discount and Even Better.....A Make Up Manual

Hey everyone (soon I hope there will be an everyone) First I must apologise for lack posting this past week alas I have had so many essays due as well as a take home exam weekend.  However I have survived and live to tell the tale or rather post again.  Fine enough of that.  Anyway I needed a break this morning so I popped of to the local mall, La Lucia for all you Durban dwellers for some R&R and to drop some Gssss (which I don't have). What I did have were R60.00 in Exclusive Books vouchers that I was determined to spend. Anyway since the advent of ebooks and my overflowing bookcase I've been limiting my purchase of novels and thought I'd invest in maybe a cookbook.


However my wandering eye had other ideas and at first settled on the November edition of Glamour UK one of my favorite reads made even better by the fact that it costs under R40.00 which is amazing as other international mags are so expensive. I haven't looked at it yet but Danni Minogue whom I love is on the cover so I'm looking forward to it.  It's such a great mag especially for keeping up with international trends for upcoming seasons as well as great make up and beauty tips.  I especially love that I'm frequently introduced to brands and sites for awesome goodies that we don't get here but that I can source online.  So guys I seriously reccomend checking it out, oh ja and it blows our edition out of the water.  You'll find some of the articles in the UK edition featured two or three months later here so hey you can save some bucks and just buy one.

So after I picked up my copy of glamour I headed to the cookbook section only for my eye to catch onto the photography section.  Which is, mind you, a miracle considering my limited interest and knowledge on the subject.  However this shelf doesn't just include books on the technical aspects of photography but also carrys books on style, design and imagine my surprise and absolute delight make up.  I am a huge fan of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. I absolutely love everything about them, especially the range of stuff, the quality and most importantly that they actually have products that cater to my skin tone.  Bobbi Brown herself has got numerous years of experience and is the absolute expert in the field of make up artistery. If you could ask anyone for advice on make up she would be the person to tuen to and excitingly she has incorporated her expertise into an amazing book called Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual


This book is a God send to anyone who wants to experiment with their look, who wants to change it up a bit or who just wants to educate themselves on the possibilities simple shading has to offer. It is a guide that include everything from creating a smokey eye, contouring, to make up brushes as well as the types of shades appropriate for ones skin tone.  I didn't even think twice about picking up a copy and combined with my R60.00 voucher I walked out of the store feeling great. Yes I am completely aware that I am a sucker but humour me please. I am holding off on devouring it and experimenting as I have a few more essays to get through but soon I shall be reporting back on the new looks I've tried as well as on The Stuff I Love....So watch this space. 

Au revoir
Seemeen

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Stuff I Love ......On The Web

I spend a lot of time online browsing everything from gossip sites to beauty blogs and online shopping sites.  In recent time I've discovered a few gems that I return to time and time again for bargains or for advice and reviews on products.  One of my recent finds is the online shopping site Strawberrynet which is absolutely amazing for bargains on skin care products, make up and hair products from most major brands including Dermalogica, Bobbi Brown, Mac and the list goes on.  I can not get enough of the site especially as it has free delivery to most cities world wide including to South Africa.  Anyway I've ordered all my dermalogica stuff for at times 25% less than retail as well as my Sebastian shampoo for a quarter of the price.  I love me a bargain.  So guys I seriously urge you to check it out. 


Another awesome site I shop at is ASOS one of the largest online shopping sites for clothes, shoes and accessories.  They're based in the UK and again deliver worldwide but for a minimal charge.  What I love about this site is the amazing range of stuff they have which allows everyone the opportunity to keep up to date with trends and the amazing fashion on the high street at great prices.  They constantly have stuff on sale and their OUTLET section is wonderful with its range of items from high street and designer labels.  They also have their own designers working under the ASOS label creating similar items that you'd find in the latest magazines but at lower prices.  All in all the site is worth a visit even just to suss out the trends in the UK and Europe for those of us living down South.





When I log on I have a routine as I'm sure most of you  do as well.  I generally check my mail and do other admin things like facebook and twitter but once that's over I hit my favourite sites.  These include the fun Kickette a site for female football lovers whom not only love the beautiful game but also appreciate the beautiful players, a bit of gossip and some WAG fashion highs and loads of loads.  It's great for a laugh especially some of the comments that are posted by readers.  Mind you the team behind the blog aren't to shabby either managing to be humorous, intelligent and ever so slightly bighting without being mean.  I also do the usual trolling for gossip on Perez Hilton and other such sites.

But recently I've discovered three amazing blogs that I check regularly.  These include The Indian Make Up Diva who is truly a diva when it comes to make up giving awesome tips and reviews as well as tutorials on all our favourite products.  Personally I love it because we share a similar skin tone and I find her advice especially useful.  I do have to say though that her advice is useful for all lovers of  make up and beauty products.  Another amazing find is the blog by a Londoner called Bubblegarm which has great tips and reviews not only on beauty products but also clothes and accessories.  I absolutely lover it and find myself checking for updates everyday.  Finally by best and I guess most relaxing read online is one of the most famous blogs called The Sartorialist.  It has been voted as one of the most influential blogs of all time and deservedly so.  I absolutely adore it.  The sartorialist posts photos of people whom inspire him, whose look he appreciates, quirky people, beautiful people, young and old on the street in cities like Paris, Rome, New York and London.  The site is dominated by photos with little commentary allowing them to speak for themselves and for the reader to appreciate and be inspired themselves.  In my case I'm generally inspired to jump onto a plane or to shop for the gorgeous clothes adorning the women he captures. 

These are just a few of the sites I love and I hope you see something in them too.  Don't forget the shopping sites whatever you do because they're gems for the shopper I know you are.

ciao

Seemeen

A (Re) Introduction

So I shall attempt this again.  After typing out my whole post my browser crashed and the whole thing got lost.  I'm taking it as a sign that I probably waffled on in the first one and will get to the point.  This year has been tough for me, a long year of wondering what will happen next year after I graduate.  I've read and heard a lot about people saying follow your bliss, find out what your passion is and inspired by that I've started this blog detailing, to my possibly one reader, my passions, all the stuff I love and why.  I, like many people love food.  I like buying it, looking at it, watching tv shows on it, cooking it, baking it and especially eating it.  But my passions don't end there.  I also love clothes, shoes, make up, accessories, and fashion in general.  I have a passion for many things and here I will introduce you to all the stuff I like from websites magazines, recipes to my experiences cooking and baking as well as reviews of products and clothes and all the stuff I've tried and love and even not so love.  I'll include my random thoughts and experiences as I embark upon my final chapter as a History honours student writing a thesis due real soon, the upcoming summer and my new venture into a pgce course were I will become a high school teacher.  So looking forward to all of that and to you learning about me as well.  By the way please be patient as I design the page but soon it'll all be done.

besos
Seemeen