A Beautiful Life

Hello Again!

I'm catching up on long overdue posts as you can see!
Here are some of the things that happened in our lives this past week!

This week we celebrated the last of Pesach [Jewish Passover] and that entails not eating any grains. My body feels so much 'cleaner' because I used the opportunity as a detox. These are kneidlach which are a type of dumpling served in chicken soup.

Obviously I broke Pesach with pasta!

I got to spend some time at one of my most FAVE hangouts - Eat Your Heart Out in the maboneng precint in town. Stacey is a darling!

I pulled  out the winter nail colours and HAD to add a little shimmer!

Stacey treated me to her famous shakshouka which is a spicier version of mine.

And...today I got to spend some special time with my dear sister Dani! Isn't she gorge? x wends x

HI Friends!

So..I'm late on week 13 and will be on time with week 14. Here goes anyway...

Adi lost ANOTHER tooth which means she scored big with the tooth fairy! She's growing up SO fast!

I made my legendary stir fry with my own recipe for sweet and sour sauce. I will be posting the recipe here. It's a winner EVERY time!

Lee's parents moved into a beautiful new home this past weekend. We helped them and this was taking at the end of it all when a house started becoming a home. Family time is so important and amazing!

I found this little butterfly outside in the garden and had to chase it for a while before getting the shot! The last remnants of Summer as it's almost Winter here in South Africa!

We had our first Shabbat in the new house and I got to set the table. Of course there were flowers...

Our friend; Steven got this huge Sub Woofer in the boot of his car. My ears were blown away. Don't know how he does it!

Cocoa spent the weekend following me EVERYWHERE because he doesn't know the new house yet! He even slips in behind me when I go to the bathroom. What a sweet little thing! x wends x

Hello Friends! 

Today I am so excited to be posting as I'm sitting here, finished with teaching for the first of school 2013! This break is so necessary. I have felt seriously burnt out since last year and the worries that came with 2012's challenges didn't subside completely over a short, but very exciting holiday in December. So this break is most welcome and I'm excited to blog more regularly and to finally get into some tasks regarding home organisation that I've been dying to do since the big move in December!

Anyhow, without further a-do here are the pics for this week.

Much Love

wends x

Week 12 was really stressful and sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I actually have to take a step back and breathe to keep focus. We are privileged to have this lovely old piano at school and it really relaxes me to sit down and play for 15 minutes. It always has!

Since staying with Lee's parents before our move, my body has become accustomed to eating lunch as my main meal. That said, I got to work, nibble little snacks through the morning of I have time and get home feeling starving. This is my greatest vice. I am always so hungry that I can't even wait 20 minutes to make a salad or some fish and salad or a healthy selenium bread sandwich and I end up eating a whole bag of cheese curls instead. Sigh. Last Tuesday I controlled myself enough to have a healthy, protein rich lunch of shakshouka (poached eggs in a tomato sauce). It was delicious!

Lee is NOT a fan of veggies. I personally don't mind them AT ALL  - I made this stir fry with the maximum amount of veggies I would DARE to put in! ;) We both enjoyed it over noodles with my own homemade version of sweet and sour sauce. I must post the recipe! You will love it!!!

First off, I look so terrible in this picture, but this just had to be posted! Our secretary [who had a baby 21 years ago last!!!] fell pregnant last year and finally got her lifelong wish of a little girl. Her name is Lesedi Aaliyah and she is the sweetest baby offering everyone smiles. You can see I'm not that great at handling floppy babies, but one day I'll be a pro ;)

During this week I was so lucky to spend so much time with Paul, Lee's father. I am learning to love this man so much! He has the BEST sense of humour ever! Love these two to bits!

This is so cute! It's a set of four silicone molds to bake cupcakes in. It has a matching saucer and looks like a cupcake in a teacup once you're done! A lovely little gift from a dear teacher at school to mark the Pesach gift-giving time.

What is a MWIP post without mister Cocoa in it? Gosh we love this little animal! He is just the most loyal and loving little thing...and cheeky too! Wish you could all meet him in person!

Hello Friends!

Finally, I have a moment to sit down and update the blog a bit!
Here is week 11 PLUS the pics I promised from my little shopping trip with my godmother Vivienne. (We went crazy...sigh!)

Lee and I used to take so many pics...wait for it....When. We. Were. Young...;) So I am making a point of it to take more so that we can preserve them for our posterity ;)

I took on the large task of repacking our shared cupboard last Saturday. It took forever and although to you it doesn't look like an amazingly neat set-up, it is - believe me! Leeron owns more tracksuit pants than I do pairs of shoes.Scary stuff.

I had an amazing mani and pedi at the Beautique courtesy of Mr Lee HRH[andsomeness] himself...It was so divine and SO welcome!

We spent a lot of time over at Imma and Abba's place this weekend and it was so very enjoyable #FamilyLovin'

In addition to the cupboard cleaning, Lee and my dressing table got an organizing too. I organized all my different routines into easy to access glass bowls. This means that my Foundation products + concealers + tinted moisturizers are in one dish whilst my eye highlighter + Cake Liner + Highlighter + blush + kabuki + fave blush + Mac Setting spray are in another and lastly my mascaras + liquid and kohl liners are in the last. Easy access for the win!

I've always loved soup because I've eaten eat often since a child. Although I didn't make this one myself it reminded me so much of my gran who so often satisfied my love for tomato soup. I miss her every day.

This was so good that I'm not even ashamed to showcase it here! I promptly went downstairs and got 6 for our parents! HAUL - SHOPPING section

These two items aren't exactly ones that I bought for myself. Mali gave these beautiful army/rider boots to me. They are the most comfortable thing next to my slippers. And they are going to be so great for winter! The bag has received SO many compliments. It's a 'speedy' type shape, black leather, shoulder strap + loads of space and just so handy and beautiful! I'm so spoiled by Lee's Imma!

Steve Madden had a sale, we couldn't walk past without going in. The result was this. I've worn one pair and people stared. A lot. I LOVE these shoes!

Viv and I went to the huge annual Woolies end of season sale to go buy loads of amazing stuff like we always do. I have seriously NEVER been so dissappointed in my life! Of ALL the things, this was the nicest and the ONLY thing I would even think to buy. What a waste of time! At least I have a stunning bikini for next Summer! And yes! It IS as bright as you can imagine!

Although I found almost nothing at the sale, I am a SUCKER for anything Country Road. Especially their sweaters. They are so amazing! Really! I got this gold studded one to style with tights and a scarf for Winter. Yes please!

These are the most comfortable and charming ankle boots ever. I bought myself a pair at Woolies last year and they were so amazing paired with stocking tights with dresses, tights, jeans, slacks...anything! Obviously as they're last season, you're probably wondering how I have a pair... Lee's mom bought these for his sister, Dani who never wore them as she wasn't too fond of them. She gave them to me the other day...Wendy - like a fat kid with cake happy!

And just to end off...firstly there are 4 items from Mango that I also purchased which were in the wash/mountains of ironing when I snapped the pics. They were two pairs of they're amazing tights + a spaghetti strap top in ivory with ribbons and a dusty pink cardigan.  Also, the pic above is from our foyer table. I shared it because I love flowers in the home as it feels like people live there whenever I see flowers in a home. And that said, I wish a wonderful week ahead and much love in your home! wends x

Hello Friends!

It's been so long since I posted My Week in Pictures, but I'm adamant to get it going again! 
A lot of things have been left out for the past week because I just haven't had a moment to actually lay all the things down and photograph them. They'll be in a jam-packed post for next week!

I designed and programmed all the new report cards for the school onto USBs and distributed them. This is a huge challenge out of the way!

The restaurant in our building has the most amazing milkshakes. I treated myself to one the other afternoon. Yumm!

Tal and I visited the Market on Main this past Sunday and enjoyed amazing drinks, food, products!

Coco went for a bath and came back a walking German flag. Love this little animal!

My lips have been so dry the past few weeks and I was so happy to finally find this amazing product that I used to use when I was in school. Amaze!

Lee's mom got home from Israel this past week and we were so spoilt by her - again. I'll post my goodies later, but for now this was what Lee got. Smells divine! that's it!  wends x

I am a terrible person...for promising to update and never doing so! However, on the bright side...it means that I'm so busy that I don't have time to blog which is something that I actually LOVE!

Needless to say, we've been overwhelmingly busy and I often have to remind myself that Lee and I have the same end goals because our days are lived so separately which is a grave contrast to last year's afternoons filled with laughter and talking about our dreams. 

Lee is working like a slave and learning about different people with different ideas and I am on a mission that I can't even define at school. It just feels like we're so far apart, but when he comes home at night I feel like there was no gap at all and as if everything is okay again. I think it's been such a big re-adjustment for us - this work thing that is...but we're growing, which in the end is all that matters. 

Some very good news is that I'm feeling so much better healthwise. For the past two months I have gravitated between deathly ill and decently healthy far too many times and Lee was so desperate to get me better that he made me promise I'd go to the doctor in a moment of weakness. Anyhow...it's been such a weird illness. I get supreme back ache, extreme nausea and no appetite whatsoever. It's quite scary when you haven't eaten or drank anything for three days and your body starts flashing warning lights. I am still not sure what it is that's caused the sickness, but I strongly suspect a gluten allergy or some type of viral infection. When I stay away from breads and pastas I feel like I can take on the world. When I eat them as I normally would, my body gives in. How am I supposed to give pasta up? I'm the freekin pasta queen!

In general I've been feeling much better and so many people are commenting that I look healthier, seem happier and have lost weight. I think they're all bonkers ofcourse. How can my face look thinner?! But I do have a question for anyone willing to comment - Is it possible for one's stomach to shrink so much that you eat less than half of the portions that you used to? This is a foreign concept to me. 

Last thing on the agenda for today...is my anger management issues.

I know, I am embarrassed to even admit it! I have been feeling these upsurges of anger over the past few months. There are days when my earphones tangling can send me into a rage. But my bog problem is people. I prefer staying away from people because they irritate me more often than not. I get angry at bad service - really angry. So much so that I think it's embarrassing even Lee. I'm writing this here because I think that part of solving the issue is admitting that there is one. I am already so much better - Lee says so. I just try to breathe really deeply and calm myself when I feel a fit of rage coming on. I think I'm just not letting go of stressful situations and that's translated into this anger. Anyhow - it must go! I'll let you know how I do!

That's all for now!

wends x