A day at the park.

Who knew that Jozi had such lovely, green places to play?

I spent the weekend (or at least Saturday) with my friend Natalie and a few of my dresses in the James and Ethel Gray Park with a camera, some wine, and some worried looking parents. You see, Natalie, my lovely, fearless model, was quite comfortable doing wardrobe changes where she stood. Nothing was flashed, but I'd say obstacle course participants and their parents weren't sure of this.

And the product of the day...

Dresses available at www.fascinatingjulia.co.za
Limited stock in Afraid of Mice, Cape Town.
And a bit more stock available on November 18 and 19 at The Handcrafted Christmas Shopping Event: 19 Lovat Road, Hurlingham.

Until next time...

New Styles at Fascinating Julia - Spring / Summer

So, this is just a quick one...

Last Friday I got a few shots of Bailey and Tshepo wearing two of the new spring dresses. They haven't all arrived yet - so for now here is T in what I'm currently calling "The Nautical" and Bailey channelling Marilyn (sort of) in The Sunray.

Thanks beautiful girls!

Order dresses at www.fascinatingjulia.co.za or mail me!

Everything I think about is purple.

Lessons from Dr. Seuss

I have been thinking about this on and off for a few weeks now. Lessons we learn from books and the books we 'should' be reading. There are books we are told are worth reading more than once in life: The Little Prince, The Alchemist, Siddhartha etc. Books that are supposed to “expose” new secrets and lessons in life, depending on when they are read.

The Little Prince, and books of this type are often referred to as allegories.
"As a literary device, an allegory in its most general sense is an extended metaphor. As an artistic device, an allegory is a visual symbolic representation."

As we are dealing with books, and words, not images, we’re talking about a really extended metaphor – something that can be viewed and interpreted as many ways as there are people reading it.

In the context of these timeless books, and why they are suitable for children and adults can be shown visually, albeit it in a round-about way.

When a child, and an adult here the words “It’s raining cats and dogs” they see the following:

And with this in mind - A scene from The Little Prince: (synopsis taken from Wikipedia)
In the desert, the narrator meets the little prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. Not knowing how to draw a sheep, the narrator shows him the picture of the elephant in the snake. To the narrator’s surprise, the prince recognizes the drawing for what it is. After a few failed attempts at drawing a sheep, the narrator draws a box in his frustration, claims that the box holds a sheep inside. Again to the narrator’s surprise, the prince is delighted with the result.

Perhaps a child would see this as what it is on paper. Someone trying (and persisting - a good lesson) to draw something, again and again, until they just draw a box, because they don’t really know what the sheep looks like.

The lesson on perseverance follows through to the adult, but an adult understanding of perseverance, and what a solution is (the solution not necessarily being the “correct” answer to the question, but still being a solution - is very different to the viewpoint a child has on things.

The same analogies can be drawn from the Alchemist (just a story, or a moral lesson?), Siddharta, and many more books, I am certain. But why is it that these are the books we return to as adults, as opposed to the works of our truest childhood books, depending when you were a child, of course?

I recently stumbled across a quote:

"Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened"

It was such an amazing and profound piece of advice, given when I read it - and not in a million years would I have guessed the author - Theodor Seuss Geisel - or Dr Seuss.
Surely such pearls of wisdom, scattered about our days and lives would help put things in perspective?

So why is it that as adults we don’t read Dr Seuss, the books our parents read to us as children, until we have our own? Are these books suitable for babes only? What is it that separates Horton hears a Who, from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince?

Is it perhaps the illustrations? Perhaps by the time we read The Little Prince we’re already reading to ourselves, as opposed to the day’s of a parent sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a line, and then turning the book for you to see the beautiful image that accompanied it?

Like fairy tales, these stories tell a moral tale. A lesson we should learn as children, and as adults. Personally, I have forgotten a lot of my childhood, and most of the stories read to me, and by me.

Reading these quotes filled me with a nostalgia for something I’d total forgotten, and something that communicates life's lessons better than all the iVillage articles and self help books a woman, or man, can find.

Don’t give up! I believe in you all.
A person’s a person, no matter how small!
And you very small persons will not have to die
If you make yourselves heard! So come on, now, and TRY!”

Though “Dr Seuss” (Geisel) books were about green eggs and ham, or a cat in a hat, or an elephant on nest, they were indeed moral tales, and guides to life. It is said that Geisel made a point of not beginning the writing of his stories with a moral in mind, stating that “kids can see a moral coming a mile off,” he was not against writing about issues; he said that “there’s an inherent moral in any story,” and he remarked that he was “subversive as hell.”

Perhaps the fact that the morals are much simpler - bite-size pieces of life lessons - and not the ever changing lessons from the books of Paulo Coelho etc, make them uninteresting to adults – but perhaps we should take a closer look.

These books have focused on numerous issues that plague us to this very day, and they were written quite some time ago:
The Lorax (1971), about environmentalism and anti-consumerism;
The Sneetches (1961), about racial equality; The Butter Battle Book (1984), about the arms race;
Yertle the Turtle (1958), about Hitler and anti-authoritarianism;
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957), criticizing the materialism and consumerism of the Christmas season; and Horton Hears a Who!(1950), about anti-isolationism and internationalism.

Those who know me know I am no fan of the pun – but perhaps in taking a closer look at the actual content of Dr Seuss’s book we should remember not to judge a book by it’s cover – or illustrations.

Dr Seuss quotes for adults: (I started finding the ones I loved but there are just too many! – go here for the rest)

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
— Dr. Seuss

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
— Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go...”
— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You’ll Go!)

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
— Dr. Seuss

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
— Dr. Seuss (Happy Birthday to You!)

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
— Dr. Seuss (I Can Read with My Eyes Shut)

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
— Dr. Seuss (Horton Hears a Who!)

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
— Dr. Seuss

So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You’ll Go!)

P.S.
Turns out Geisel was a brilliant author and marketer:

Geisel’s pen name is regularly pronounced /ˈsjuːs/ SEWSS, an anglicized pronunciation inconsistent with his German surname. He himself noted that it rhymed with “voice” (his own pronunciation being /ˈsɔɪs/ SOYSS) and Alexander Liang (his collaborator on the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern) wrote of him:

You’re wrong as the deuce
And you shouldn’t rejoice
If you’re calling him Seuss.
He pronounces it Soice.

Geisel switched to the anglicized pronunciation from German [ˈzɔʏs] because it “evoked a figure advantageous for an author of children’s books to be associated with—Mother Goose” and because most people used this pronunciation.

I did it.

I promised I'd start posting before the weekend was through. I'm not really in the mood now, but at least if I write this I didn't break a promise to myself. And that has to count for something.

So hello - this is my first post - from Johannesburg - 4 months down the line.

Online shopping - why it’s so great, and why it’s not.

After living in the UK for a few months I discovered the joys of online shopping. Grocery shopping was quick, easy, and always on time (Thanks Sainsbury’s!).

Shortly after becoming an online organizer of house old goods, I ventured into online clothing buying – enter ASOS.

Now this may sound risky, but when you work 1.5 hours from London and getting to the shops is not exactly easy – you learn your size and style very well.

I learnt very quickly that the size 8 model looked amazing in the Floral Frill Waist Dress – I on the other hand, did not. Even with the risk of getting the wrong thing, I shopped with gay abandon – the beauty of being able to post things that were not quite right back really helped

So when I moved back to South Africa and had to once again brave the malls of the Western Cape – I was concerned. I find nothing more draining than trying on a pair of pants that really don’t want to fit me in a cubicle whilst avoiding falling into the mirror or tripping over my shoes. Cape Town is a beach town, and South Africa favours the skinny - And even though I love Country Road with their generous sizes and wonderful fabrics, so does every other South African girl or woman. Their style (lovely as it is) has become a bit of a uniform.

But look! My beloved ASOS (with great clothes in sizes bigger than a 14!) now delivers to South Africa, and they have for a while. The only rubbish thing is that the super simple return if the item doesn’t suit is a bit more problematic. Oh, and the customs fee. As is the fact that you can’t insure post coming into South Africa -and the speedy service from the post offices (in opposite land)

So if you’re a bit bored with what’s on offer and want to buy something a little more unique, and ahead of our own fashion season – why not try it out?

It's the thought that counts. (Happy Birthday)

When my brother turned 30 the family couldn't be around for his birthday. You see, we live in Cape Town and Richard lives in New York.

For those who know him, he is a difficult man to buy a present for but I had the best idea. I would get a cake from Bouchon Bakery delivered to him. He loved Thomas Keller and it seemed like a really good idea at the time.

Free Cake ($70)

I got hold of the bakery, checked they would deliver to his flat and paid using my dad's Amex, as I hadn't yet entered the world of credit cards.

I was so excited on the day of delivery and Ric seemed to love the cake. Everything went as planned... until someone let slip that the card hadn't worked and Richard had to pay $70 for his own surprise birthday cake.

Cake Progression

Fruit is nature's candy... Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not much of a Valentine's gal.
All I want is a bunch of flowers - I like to save the hearfelt letters and cards for my birthday or 'anniversaries'. (Inverted commas because I don't like calling it that until people re actually married)
So for those of you who feel the same, and don't want your partner getting too pudgy...
I found these Valentines Day Fruit stickers over at Twig & Thistle!

Download the PDF, print onto sticker paper, cut out with a 1″ craft punch, and apply to your special someone’s favorite fruit.

It's probably a bit late... but it doesn't have to be Valentine's day to tell someone you love them on a piece of fruit - They’re sure to smile when they see what’s stashed in their school or work bag! (Unless they find it a week late. Old-bag-banana is a terrible Valentine's day gift)

Les Queues de Sardines (The Tails of Sardines)

Les Queues de Sardines, is an awesome French brand that offers a truly original range of stockings and tights notable for their unconventional and unique graphic style.

Add a pinch of narrative humor - the result is a choice of elegant and unusual models that will dress up your legs with an unusual stylish and elegant pattern. Screen-printed by hand in limited quantities, these rare and exclusive articles will never go unnoticed.

And noticed them I have. You just can’t get them here… yet.

But what I want to know is: How much is too much to spend on a pair of tights? Who knows when you might run into a badly made fence or a poorly cut tree?

I absolutely love these, but right now, I’m not ready to spend R500 on a pair of tights – but I’m getting there.

How about you?

Grey Day

The highlight of my weekend was my facial - and not just because I was getting a facial, but because I finally found a unconventional nail varnish colour I was willing to wear. The fact that is was a 'half-jack' bottle made it a lot easier to commit to an 'unusual' colour - Essie's Playa del Platinum. As a result, I have a new-found love for grey in summer.

1. ASOS Leather Waterfall Clutch 2. Anthropologie Flowery Frost Vase 3. Belstaff Shannon buckled leather boots

4. Acne Strain elastic flat sandals 5. Grey kitten 6. Essie Playa el Platium nail varnish

(re)Introducing...The Infinity Wrap Dress and my website

Thanks to the help of my beautiful friend Hilah and the talented DK my website it up!
Hopefully all the glitches have been taken care of... but I'm sure someone will let me know if they aren't.

Sorry. And have this.

Sometimes, life doesn't give you time to do everything.

Sometimes, you spend your weekend running around a new city, trying to find a new job and a place to live (unsuccessfully I might add) and you just want to steal someone else's blog post. Just Apple C, Apple V and you have it.

And that's why I'm doing this. (via Apartment Therap y)

Pieke Bergmans’ series of one-of-a-kind crystal LED lamps for Royal Leerdam Crystal and Solid Lighting are what the designer calls “light blubs.” And what exactly is a light blub?

“The answer is simple,” says the young Dutch designer. “It is a light bulb that has gone way out of line. Infected by the dreaded Design Virus, these Blubs have taken on all kinds of forms and sizes you wouldn’t expect from such well behaving and reliable little products.”

Bergmans calls her one-of-a-kind light sculptures “unlimited edition,” in that that each unique piece is made using an industrial process she developed that can be repeated until the end of time. For more on how the light blubs are created including photos of the process go to her website.

Monday: This is how I feel.

There's always tomorrow.

The inverse relationship between beauty and comfort.

About 7 months ago I had corrective surgery on my right ankle after a little mishap in Mozambique.
Now whilst I've never been much of a high-heeled gal, I would wear them every now and then (when I absolutely had to).

Even so, I like to think that I have some sort of style - that whilst I choose some degree of comfort over working a pair of nine-inch heels 8 hours a day - I'm not lost to loafers and Crocs.

So, back to the ankle surgery: my beautiful lovely Country Road sandals have been nothing but good to me, or so I thought. Turns out completely flat leather/wooden shoe soles aren't all that good for your feet - or your ankles. This makes me sad because I love my shoes.

It makes me even sadder because in my hunt for 'good', comfortable shoes all I have found are eye-sores. Don't get me wrong - Green Cross have a place in this world - for the over 40s - and the same can be said for most pairs of Hush Puppies. But the sin of Crocs is unforgivable. I don't care how comfortable they are.

Hey, here's a thought: Perhaps Green Cross and the other "healthy" shoe companies are also responsible for the incredibly uncomfortable beautiful shoes young girls wear, damaging their feet, and forcing them into FitFlops and Crocs as their insteps slowly collapse.

I digress. The point is - now that I need a pair of decent* sandals, I find my options extremely limited.
*comfortable, posture enhancing, instep supporting

At this point I'm thinking barefoot.
Suggestions welcome.

Snacking...

A couple of weeks ago I accompanied my sister on a mad rush around Constantia Village looking for small cupcakes and icing glitter for a hen party (but I'm not allowed to call it a hen party, or a bachelorette)
In her panic, she sprinted around Woolworths and bought little brownies to decorate instead of cupcakes (they were quite nice), cherries, and some new product, also round and cute in shape, to sprinkle in between the brownies.

The "something" have turned out to be one of the greatest impulse buys ever made.

The vanilla white chocolate covered almonds are too delicious for words. The texture of the chocolate on the outside is so good it's almost shocking. It's dusted with icing sugar, I suppose this is to stop the deliciousness melting onto one's fingers. The almond is sugared - and crisp - and delicious.