10 things to do in Cape Town

I'm going on holiday today, so while I'll be freezing cold and rapidly losing my tan (I'll be in Paris so I think I'll cope), I've made a list of 10 things to try in Cape Town this month to keep you busy.

See you in 10 days!

xx


1) See a movie under the stars

This is by far one of my favourite things to enjoy on days when Cape Town's notorious wind isn't blowing. I always book a ticket with a chair (trust me on this one) and then take my own blankets and picnic basket. You've got great company, a gorgeous view, wine, snacks and your favourite movie - all while under the stars on a perfect summer's eve. Does life get any better?
Galileo outdoor cinemas have three venues now. You can enjoy a date night under the stars at Kirstenbosch, V&A Waterfront  and Hillcrest Wine Estate. They've also branched out into the winelands. To find out more about each venue as well as the movie lineup, click here.


2) Get some froyo

Wakaberry is still my favourite froyo spot in Cape Town. I am a sucker for their massive range of toppings and the ever changing flavours. And normally I am not a fan of branded merchandise but their iPhone covers are just the sweetest things ever.

3) Party with 4th street wine

Tonight and next Thursday are the last two events in the KFM Summer Sessions series. Local live acts and plenty of drinks flowing from 4th Street Wines. Tickets won't be easy to come by so check out how to get your hands on some here

4) Perfect your downward dog

Hot Dog yoga in Sea Point is relaxed, and not yet overrun like the other studios. It is also over the road from Nu and a hop, skip and a jump away from the promenade so after yoga class you can pick up a green juice and take a walk by the sea. How very Cape Town of you. Namaste.


5) Reward your efforts with a vegan cupcake

Cupcake Richard (seriously, who wouldn't trust that name?) has managed to take most of the sin out of dessert, while still keeping all the decadence. Vegan cupcakes, with fresh, organic ingredients. Try the lemon cupcakes, those are my favorite.


6) Support local at Fabricate

Locally designed and made clothing, decor, jewellery and more all under one roof. It is dangerous for your wallet, but your home and wardrobe will thank you for it. To find out about opening times, click here.


7) Get festive in your bathtub

Lush has a Christmas range out that is second to none. I've done most of my festive gift shopping here because they make it so easy, and its all so cheerful. Think glittery bath bombs, penguin shaped bubble bath bars, gooey snowman jelly soap, and the usual pretty stuff too. If you're converting a friend to the Lush cult this Christmas, I would suggest the Rose Jam shower gel, the Buffy bar exfoliating bar, The Comforter bubble bath bar, the Popcorn lip scrub and the Ocean Salt face and body scrub. Oh and also Big Hair shampoo. Oh hell, buy the whole store. I always do.
Even better, shop online here.

8) Sip on alcoholic ginger beer

Dragons Fiery Ginger = Summer. We discovered them by chance at a market a while back and they've been a staple at braais, picnics and parties ever since. Ginger beer, with a little of the good stuff in it - tell me you aren't already sold? You can find out more about where to find them here.

9) Get your nails done

Sorbet are just about everywhere, and they're expanding even more with their DryBars. So if you're getting those toes painted or your hair blown out - they've got your back. For your closet salon, click here.

10) Give back

The whole festive season is spent buying gifts or receiving gifts, and we seldom think about those less fortunate. So seeing as you've probably updated your summer wardrobe and you'll probably get a few items on your wish list this Christmas, perhaps consider clearing out the older things in your closet and donate to The StreetStore, a free clothing store for the homeless. The concept has done so well that it is now operating right across the globe. To find out how you can help, click here.

New lingerie online store is a Triumph

Very punny heading I know, but I couldn't help myself.

I've been unacceptably quiet, so to beg you for forgiveness and to buy your love, I have a great giveaway from a new online store. If you aren't shopping online in 2014 you need your head read. SA's e-commerce industry is taking off in a big way with most fashion retailers and boutiques now offering their product online.
Triumph has just joined cyber space and I could not be happier. I am not a fan of shopping for lingerie in-store. Most of the assistants don't know what they're talking about and I have even had one offer me 3 other bra sizes upon seeing that my size was sold out. Um, thanks, but thats not how it works. Thats not how it works at all lady.
Triumph have hundreds of sensual, seductive and even sensible bras push-ups, corsets, panties and more to choose from. You can also check your fit with the Fit Finder section, which tells you how, where and what to measure and provides the corresponding size - easy no?

So we all know our size and can shop luxury lingerie and sports underwear in peace now, thanks to Triumph. I went with a pretty yet practical grey lacy set and it fits like a dream.

So to celebrate their new store, they've given me a R350 voucher to give away.

All you need to do to win is:

Tell me your worst in-store experience while buying lingerie in the comments section or on Twitter

Competition closes on Friday and the winner will be announced on the 22nd.

Jane Sews...

....and she does it beautifully. I recently discovered this local lass and feel in love with her designs. Her online store is a masterpiece, as are the garments for sale. I just had to put up a quick post to share some of these with you.
I definitely think the Angle bag and Tae dress need to go on my birthday and Christmas wish lists this year. I've been looking for the perfect white leather bag for ages, and this soft leather and simplistic design are so effortless. I love it.

Kicking it tropical style

Its no secret that florals and all things tropical are huge this summer. Everyone has dashed to the shops to grab pineapple themed decor and beach gear, or floral dresses and rompers.

But maybe you'd forgotten to see the theme right through to your feet. And as only Superga can, they've combined gorgeous prints, with their signature style kicks - and then end result is a range of shoes that is feminine, yet utterly badass.

Starting from R800 and available at Superga stores everywhere. I don't know which pair I want most?  I love the top two, but its just to hard to choose. Which would you pick?

Ciaté

My favourite nail polish brand of all time, Ciaté has landed in SA and its available in Clicks! I've been waiting to share this news for ages, since they told us all about it at their Christmas launch back in July. That is a long time for me to keep a secret. Normally I last 4 seconds, never mind 4 months!
In my humble opinion, Ciaté  (pronounced 'see-ah-tay' in case you weren't sure) has the best range of colours, and also the best quality. Its never gloopy and I've never needed more than two coats for a perfect mani. I love the shape of the bottle with the chic little black bow detail. They make for a very pretty addition to your dressing table.

For me, these would make the perfect stocking fillers for any girl. I certainly have them on my wish list. Individual colours start at R149,95, the gift sets range from R249,95 to R299,95 and the gorgeous little beach house and doll house gift sets are R399,95.

How gorgeous are these gift sets?

Fashion comes to Takealot

Yip, you read that correctly. That rather efficient online store that you've been buying books and gadgets from for ages has a fashion department now. You know, the one that your other half constantly brags about technically getting his annual FIFA game for free from because of eBucks? No, just me then?.

Well anyway, Takealot.com has launched a fashion department and they're kicking it off with SA's favourite retail brands such as Levi's, Havaianas, Zoom and G-Couture. They also have a killer accessories department featuring the much-coveted Daniel Wellington watches and interchangeable straps.

Here are some of my favourite picks available now:

Black fringe detail bag, R599, Zoom at Takealot
Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield watch, R2499, Daniel Wellington at Takealot
Turquoise tear-drop earrings, R79, Miss Maxi at Takealot
Grey leopard print scarf, R130, Miss Maxi at Takealot
Embellished silver thing sandals, R259, Zoom at Takealot

Takealot has come to the rescue on more than a few occasions for birthdays and Christmas with their incredible delivery times and efficient returns. I think the addition of a fashion department is long overdue. And using my darling husband's logic, if I'm using eBucks, those shoes are free, right?

Design your own Havaianas

This week saw the launch of the Havaianas pop-up shop in the V&A Waterfront, which is only running for a week. And its not just any regular pop-up shop, it is one where you get to customise a pair just the way you want them. They've set up a really handy spinning wheel so you can place the different colour straps over the wheel of soles and decide on a colour combo that grabs you. You can then pimp your slops out even further by adding pins - and they've come up with some "made for SA" unique ones, like an SA flag, a little silver continent of Africa and some "I Heart CT" ones as well.
I usually go for summery, bright, burn-your-retina colours when it comes to slops, so I decided to tone it down and match up some sliver straps on a navy sole, and then placed a little silver Africa pin on just the left slop. Here's how they turned out.

The pricing is as follows:

Top (regular style): Sole R150 and straps R60
Slim fit (self explanatory really): Sole R210 and straps R80
Pins are R40 per pin.

Like I said earlier, this is only happening until the 17th of November, which is Monday. So best you hop on down to the V&A Waterfront this weekend.

The Jewellery List

You might have noticed by now that I have quite the obsession with anything sparkly. Collecting beautiful baubles has evolved into a bit of a hobby and I love nothing more than discovering local designers. Quite honestly, I truly believe that our local jewellery designers are the better than anywhere else in the world. They manage to be uniquely African, without trying too hard to be so. They also can design a dainty piece that is so truly beautiful, it manages to be a statement piece as well. And when you need a seeeerious statement piece, I don't know why you'd look anywhere else, but at our local designers.

The Jewellery List has made hunting for unique pieces even easier by creating a visual directory of all these beautiful items, and also makes sure to tell you about the talented people behind the design, and most importantly, where to buy!
They create lookbooks, and constant updates on all social media platforms letting you know when they have a new designer on board, a new range, special offers, and even an "Obsession of the Week" feature - which sucks me in just about every time.

They have given me a beautiful piece to give away - from their current designer obsession, Marzipan. This designer is doing some amazing things right now, and it exporting her eclectic and colourful designs to NYC, Italy, the UK and Germany to name a few.

All you need to do to get this gorgeous multi-stone necklace in your mitts is follow The Jewellery List on Twitter (which you should be doing to get all the pretty updates anyway!) and share the competition with your pretty friends. Don't forget to include @PrettyMintBlog and @JewelleryListSA in your tweet. The winner will be announced next week Monday afternoon. So get sharing and you could have a very pretty Christmas treat sent your way.

Save the Boots

The weather certainly is playing along with the timing of this post. I didn't think I'd be taking my boots back out of my closet in November! Shame, they've been gathering dust since the big Spring-clean back in September.
But here we are, and the timing is perfect for the gorgeous little girly gadgets I'm showing off today (and giving away, but more on that later).

Most of us are naughty, sloppy buggers when it comes to storing our beloved shoes. Boots suffer the most in my cupboard because I don't have space to lie then down or keep them in their boxes. The thing is, as I've got older and wiser, I'm not spending small amounts on these shoes. They are generally leather, great quality and ruddy expensive. Yet they look a little something like this flopped over in the back of my closet:

 This is where my girl Amanda comes in. She has a shoe and handbag collection second to none, and she knows more than most how to look after your prize possessions. It came as no surprise to me at all when she launched her company, Bootyfull, that she was about to school us all in proper boot storage.

These inflatable boot shapers are genius little helpers that enable you to store your boots upright in your cupboard - which means no more creases and folds, and it also saves space because if you are currently laying them down flat to preserve them, you no longer have to. This means more space for more boots - so you then have an excuse to buy another pair. You see how this is a must-have right?

There are currently 3 designs available, all their own kind of chic, girly and ready to pretty up your closet space. At R135 a pair, they are so affordable, and they'll make perfect stocking fillers for Christmas.
Here are the designs available at the online store currently:

Now for some silly season fun. We're giving a pair away to 3 of my readers and its really simple to win a pair. You just need to do the following:

1) Show some love to the Bootyfull Facebook page  or Follow them on Twitter here

2) Tweet them or comment on their Facebook page why you need a pair - get creative and snap a picture of your poor, sad flopped-over boots if you must. Just remember to use the following hashtag on both platforms so we can track your entry #SAVEMYBOOTS

3) Share this competition for extra entries



You have until Friday, 7 November. Good luck chickens. Do it for your boots.