March Favorites

March was a reasonably quiet month until this past weekend... These were some of the shenanigans that I got up to over this past month:

Winter is upon us! Took this gorgeous photograph outside of my house one really cold and misty morning.. I just couldn't resist.

Family time with my smiley, giggly nephew!

 Celebrating mum's 50th birthday with her at a fancy restaurant.

 Holding a Snake!

Girls Night Out!

I went Ten Pin Bowling... I lost - but had an absolute blast!

 

Visited Bramon Wine Estate... had lunch in the vineyards accompanied by delicious champagne.

Bramon is definitely one of my favorite places to spend a sunny afternoon.

MCC Bubbles!!

Probably the most delicious cheese in the world... brie and Camembert with cranberry. Nom nom nom.

My absolute favorite starter at a restaurant: Carpaccio with balsamic, Parmesan shavings and rocket... divine!

 Went for a drive to Spitskop View Point and along the way Bambi was standing in the middle of the dirt road.. It ran into the bushes when we approached but stood staring for ages... beautiful creature!

 

More nature ensued by visiting Monkey Land and Birds of Eden (felt like a proper tourist in my home town!)

I like to move it move it!

Spoils after pay day... Jimmy Choo perfume!

Catching up with my Lucy Looooo:

 

And lastly.... the hooligans were set free this past weekend with an absolutely CRAZY night out... what started out as a small catch up soon turned into a trance party and a lot fun!

Our 'Holy Shit we won the freaking national lottery!' face.

The Claw.... I gave it ALL of the coins we all had and still didn't get a teddy bear... not cool. Scam.

The Aftermath.... accompanied by the perfect song hahahaha:

 

The morning after... still loyal supporters of KIR (Keep it Random!)

Don't ask me how I got that scratch on my chest..... I think the photo's explain it all!

Overall.. March was a great month and I have a feeling that it is only going to get better!

How was your month!?

I Can't Keep Calm It's My 23rd Birthday!!!

My 23rd birthday is fast approaching and for the first time in my life - I don't have a plan. 

I don't even have a vague idea of what I would like to do! 

That doesn't sound like me at all.  What has happened to me?

I have always been the sort of person that plans everything to perfection. 

Then, last year, the year of my 22nd birthday, was the year that everything seemed to change. I found myself alone in London with no friends or family to spend the day with. I kept myself busy but it still wasn't nice having no one there to celebrate with me. 

Ever since then, I promised myself that my 23rd would be spent with my loved ones and I made a pact that I'd do something special. 

Lately though, I've been wondering if it's really such a big deal anyway. It isn't exactly a special birthday like your 21st or 30th birthdays are. Does it really matter that much? Am I getting too old to celebrate my birthday? Do I throw a big party? Go clubbing? Bar Hop? Have a fancy dinner? Dress up? Do a barbeque at home? Would people come? Would people make an effort to dress up? Would they enjoy themselves? These are the sort of things on my mind and it is just becoming a stress to me instead of what it should be - fun.

I have already booked myself in for one or two little spoils at the spa so at least no matter what happens there will be a bit of pampering done.

Although I haven't got the slightest inclination of what I actually want to do... I know exactly what I don't want: 

This on the other hand, looks rather inviting:

(It would inevitably end in exactly the above though!)

Choices, choices! 

What did you do for your 23rd birthday? 

Dear Future Husband

Christie (over at christiestakeonlife.blogspot.com.au), recently inspired me to write a letter to my future husband. Her post was just so funny that I had to give it a bash. At first, it wasn't something that I was going to bother publishing, but here it is… a whimsical letter to my future husband:

Hello there! My name is Jade – get that? Baby, Babe, Babes and Cupcake simply won’t cut it. If you still want your left nut intact, I suggest you come up with a unique pet name.

Toilet Seat: Put down after use… or I’ll glue it down permanently. I love you but in the middle of the night if it’s cold and dark and I go to the loo and sit on freezing cold porcelain I won’t like you very much.

Dancing: I cannot do it. I look like I have a spastic hip but I enjoy ‘breaking it down’ on the dance floor every so often. My friends quickly walk away and pretend they don’t me… so I won’t be offended if you do the same.

Birthdays. I am big on experiences, more so than materialistic gifts. Gifts are of course appreciated, everyone loves to be spoiled… but I would prefer to surprise you with a weekend away somewhere that I know you want to go to. I’d know this either by blatant hints slung my way or maybe just because I’m that good and I know you well enough without needing the hints!

I’d also love to help you tick things off of your bucket list and enjoy such things by your side. I’d prefer to give you a memory that lasts a lifetime rather than a ‘thing’ wrapped up (badly wrapped I might add because I can’t wrap presents,) that will eventually get lost or put away in storage.

Bucket Lists. Just because I say I want to bungee jump or sky dive doesn’t mean you aren’t going to have to give me a literal kick off of the ledge before I enjoy myself. I will be tensed up like a cat, claws out and hanging on for dear life. Bear with me.

Surprises: Right. I love surprises – if I am giving them... which is something I like to do often. At the most unexpected times I will surprise you with small tokens of my love and affection for you. You won’t see them coming – unless I manage to bollucks it up first and accidently spill the beans.. which also happens often. I’m not good at keeping surprises. So don’t trust me with them either! If you are planning a surprise for a friend or loved one rather don’t tell me, although at the same time I’d LOVE to help plan and make it special… I’d still be petrified that I’d blurt something out.

If I am getting surprised I freak out. I hate not feeling in control.

Being in Control: I like to know where I am going and what I am doing. I like to know I have packed correctly and worn the right clothing for the right occasion – this is one of my annoying and shallow qualities and something I would like to change because what you’re wearing isn’t really important, the moment is. So it is a work in progress. I need to step out of my comfort zone and see how groovy it actually is out there.

Being not in Control: Sometimes, I will admit defeat and need you. Sometimes. You know.. to open those really tight jars or to reach for the things that I can’t for instance. I’ll keep you posted

On a whole, I like being independent.

Truthfully though and on a more serious note, I will always need you for the things beneath the surface.. the things that really matter.

The Dishes: One big thing about me is that if I am upset, I wash dishes. I don’t even know I’m doing it until half way through. Yes, if I’m upset I like to clean.. but that doesn’t mean it is solely my job. If we live together, we work together to keep our house looking good and make it into something we are proud to invite friends and family to.

My job: I am a writer. I will get up at 3am some mornings and go on a writing rampage. I will do my best to not disturb you but just know that inspiration comes at the most random times and when it comes, I need to pursue it.

Sometimes, if inspiration hits me, I could wonder off into my own world for hours on end. I’ve been known to write for over 14 hours without stopping for anything else other than re-boiling the kettle to get a caffeine fix.

Writing is my passion – you’re a big boy, I’m sure you can keep yourself busy while I write.

In a relationship, it is always important to remember that you are both individuals. You both have different likes and dislikes and you both have your own separate lives.

It reminds me of a great Kahlil Gibran quote:

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone.

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together.

For the pillars of the temple stand apart.

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

Lastly, my heart, if I have said that it is yours then it is yours. A while ago I didn’t think that I had a heart to give out anymore, so if I’ve managed to stitch it back together and hand it over to you, please look after it. If I’ve said that I love you, I mean it unconditionally. It means that I love you for all that you are and it means that I have accepted the inevitable flaws that reside in you… we all have them.

I’ll be there for you and you’ll be there for me…. Simple as that.

Lifestyle Post

It has been a long time since I've done a more personal post that is commonly known as a, 'lifestyle,' post.

The truth is I don't really know how to do them anymore as I have privatized my life a lot more than I used to online. Before I realized that my blog was actually getting read by people world-wide I used to write whatever I felt like writing, even posting a few times a day if I felt like it. Seeing how my blog has blossomed overtime gave me somewhat of a wake-up call as to what I should be posting publicly and learning where the line is drawn.


My blog started as a silly page set-up purely for a nineteen year old girls rants and raves about anything and everything. There was no holding back.

Since then, my blog has substantially grown and I guess in a sense, a layer of paranoia slipped over me. I suddenly didn't want the whole world to be able to know what was or is going on in my life and for months and months now I've been in a sort of cocoon... hiding myself and my life away.

Even more truthfully, I felt that there were a lot of things going on in my life that I wasn't particularly proud of. Furthermore, I didn't know whether I was coming or going! How was I supposed to blog about my life when I didn't even know which direction it was going in??? I realize now that I should have used that as my purpose of blogging. There are so many people that must be feeling that exact same way and perhaps I could have given them some sort of solace in my words?

Now, at twenty-three (nearly,) life is still as confusing as ever. I still don't know where life is taking me - all I know is that it is taking me somewhere new... somewhere unknown. Lately everything has changed, although you wouldn't really be able to notice that if you looked at me. I feel the change internally though. I feel wiser, calmer and more comfortable in my own skin. I feel as though in many ways, I have grown up.. although at the same time, I still make mistakes and react the wrong way sometimes. No one is perfect and that is something I think everyone needs to remember. Sometimes, we will muck up and feel ashamed.. we will make a fool of ourselves and we will inevitably have a day where we can't handle things anymore. We will cry. We will fail... but we will also laugh. We will also smile. There is a quote that I want to get tattooed on my foot and it goes like this:

'Happiness Is A Mood, Not A Destination.'

We need to remember those words - because there are always going to be bad days. The bad days help you to appreciate and acknowledge the good. You are never going to end up in some magical world of eternal happiness - there will always be curve-balls thrown your way. What we need to learn to do is embrace them, combat them.. grow stronger from them!



The other day, I woke up and remembered what my blog used to be. I started this blog for me... not for anyone else. Yes, writing about products and movies, books and food is great and I do love sharing things with people but that isn't how this blog originally started. When my blog was born my writing was raw, real and unplanned. It was about deaths, breakups, work and friends. It was about my struggles and strife's as well as the happy times.



Sometimes when I visit my favorite blogs I see them posting as I used to - for themselves and not really caring who reads it or how open it actually is.. and it is making me miss that.

So I think, slowly, I will be starting to go back to my original roots and squeezing some lifestyle posts back into Bohemian Muses... just my overall thoughts and quips.. stories from my every day life. If no one reads it then that's fine too - I'm not asking you to. At least it will be out of my system.



I know so many people that don't have the time or see the point in blogging and they think you're stupid because no one actually cares what you're doing on a daily basis etc.. it is like when people instagram silly every day things.. what is the point? Or update your facebook status to say what you are doing.. it usually isn't anything special.. so why post it??? Well.. because you can. I also happen to love lifestyle posts - perhaps because I'm a nosy as hell writer and I love venturing into other people's worlds. Blogging is a hobbie, just as sports or cars are to other people. Blogging is a passion.

So... my life. Well - this paragraph I have typed out a thousand times and deleted now. I don't know where to start. Can you really sum your world up in one blog post? See what I mean how getting back into blogging 'lifestyle' posts is difficult???

I haven't really been out much since the arrival of my nephew, who was born on the 26th December 2013. I've noticed this whole year so far, all of my photographs on facebook are of me with him. I'm totally and completely besotted.

Life seemed to hit this calm spot whereas in the past, weekends were filled with friends and partying. I guess it doesn't help that the majority of my friends all left town to go on to bigger and better things and the others all got into relationships and moved on with their lives in different ways. Suddenly I felt pretty lonely. I no longer had a 'group.'

It wasn't often that I saw friends anymore, not the way that I used to and I guess that made me see that it is time that I also move on. I feel like everyone has gone to do something with their lives and dive into this big wide world yet I am still driving my little blue Micra up and down the same streets every day, doing the same thing. Yes, I have traveled a lot, written a book, painted, made jewelry.. I am happy living close to the ocean as I surf - but sometimes you just need to experience something new. I wouldn't say that I've 'failed' but I definitely haven't followed the norm that one would do after finishing college. Even before I finished college I worked my absolute ass off at jobs to earn as much as I could... from waitressing in the middle of summer when I could have been out at the beach with friends, to working in a video store even on Christmas Day (seriously, who rents videos on Christmas Day!?). I did anything and everything to scramble up the funds to travel. I've never stopped working my ass off to be fair. I always have a job, sometimes even two or three.

Travel was / is my goal and I succeeded. I went to Thailand, Singapore, England, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Paris, The French Riviera, Austria, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague, Monaco and Zanzibar since I left college and I'd been to many other countries before that.

Of course I had help from my parents as well. My dad had invested money a long time ago which matured and he gave me the option, either I could study with my split of the money, or, and he already knew the answer, I could travel.

I was happy with my decision and jetted off to gain some life experience.

The journey was also in an attempt to heal a severely broken heart that I was lugging around with me like dead weight. Who I had thought at the time was my soul-mate was suddenly banned from seeing me (because I dated his brother in law years earlier), he then went traveling the world too and I had to see images online of him with other women. His father then shot himself and he had to go and get help in LA as the traumatic incident had deeply affected him. I was dying to be there for him but I couldn't be, although we had agreed to remain best friends throughout, I could feel us slipping further and further apart until the day came where we woke up one morning and stopped messaging each other completely. It killed me and after many failed attempts of reaching out as a friend with little to no response, I knew when it was finally time to call it a day. I decided to close up my battered heart and move on.

Important note: now, said man, is happily in a relationship with a wonderful lady and they have just had a son. There are no bad feelings and I am actually going to visit them sometime to meet the little one and catch up with them. Once your heart has healed, everything gets easier. Of course it was a HUGE shock to discover that he was having a baby with someone and that now things never had hope... but once I had accepted that and done hours of sorting through my thoughts and emotions, I realized that I was happy for him.

The second heartbreak was Eddie. Married man. This one still hurts, even when I think that I am over it. I could have days and days of feeling like I'm over the pain and guilt of what went on, then, one day arises and everything just comes flooding back. I feel empty and hurt and betrayed.

I don't think that heartbreak is ever something that goes away; it may subside overtime but you'll never be rid of it. I think that's how you know that you were really in love.

With my first heartbreak, it was easier to accept things and move on but something like what I had with Eddie.. I don't think that pain or confusion will ever really go away. I loved him before I knew he was married, so it was already too late. I am the last person to believe in 'Love At First Sight,' because I feel that you need to know and accept the flaws in people too before you can truly love them - but this came close. Within a matter of days this man had my heart - which was so unexpected for me as I didn't think that it was possible to love again after my previous heartache. I didn't really believe in love anymore.

Things with Eddie did end badly, I guess that's all you need to know. It was bound to anyway - I was naive and silly for continuing something that could have no future. I just desperately wish that I understood it more. The things he would say to me seemed so real and true... how could a person do that to someone?

There's a song that really stood out to me during this time in my life by:

 Across Five Aprils - A Year From Now.

So the journey overseas was supposed to help me overcome that hurdle too. That is when I discovered that traveling to heal yourself is the worst thing you could do... not for your wounds but for your travels! If you go out with that as your intention then you are only running away from yourself and what your life has turned into instead of facing it head on. Travel when you are happy and do it for the one and only reason: Experience.

So right now, my life is under construction. I will be uprooting myself and starting fresh in a new place without the comfort of parents or friends. Not immediately, but soon. I need to come up with a plan (which is already underway). As soon as I can construct some sort of a plan or idea together - I will blog about it. For now though, things really are just too muddled to attempt explaining to you, let alone myself.

Regarding one of the many reasons that I have felt for long over a year that I need to leave the little town I live in........ Last night I watched movie called A Good Year starring Russell Crowe. It is set in a vineyard in France – what a delightful film! Anyway, while I was watching it one things stuck out to me from it. The woman that Russell Crowe falls in love with in the film says to him:

“Maybe it isn’t this place that doesn’t suit your life. Maybe it is your life that doesn’t suit this place.”

Those words seriously struck home for me. It is exactly what I have been feeling lately. Knysna, the town I live in, isn’t a bad place at all. It is gorgeous and filled with an abundant, almost endless supply of fun outdoorsy things to do. People who have been here for a while all tend to say the same thing to the newcomers, “Be careful. This place will swallow you up!” etc. Last night I realized that isn’t true. After a while, we all change. Now, I’ve realized it isn’t the town, it’s me. My life doesn’t suit this place anymore – not right now. So I’ve got to move on. We all need to step out of our comfort zones at some stage or another and grow. This is my time - a time to grow.. a time to learn. It is a time to construct the life that I want to have rather than living the life that I am content in.

I'm going to be thrown into the deep end of life - but I feel that it is time... time to make something of myself and time to saying, 'Yes, I have moved on from Knysna.' It is a place that I will always revisit because of its beauty and because my family is here, but I want to grow and I feel that my growth has been stunted by staying here for so long.

It used scare me knowing that once I leave, I won't have a friendship circle supporting me anymore - but then I took a long, hard think about it and realized that I don't see my friends often anymore anyway. Times have changed and for the first time in my life, I feel ready to embrace a new, uncharted chapter even though I know I'll be going in blind. I am no longer scared. I am ready. I am excited.

Matters of my heart right now? After two severely bad heartbreaks in the past that honestly left me feeling that I no longer had a heart or love to share with another soul... it has been hard to put  myself fully out there again, especially as when I did so, the attempts were not exactly welcomed with open arms. I had tried to be a girlfriend but situations were complicated and the love that I was ready to give and wanted to give was denied due to forces far bigger than we know.
I haven't let it put out my fire though - and although, again, I am not yet ready to reveal 'everything' to the online world, that is also under construction. I am working towards a bigger and better future that I know is out there... somewhere.
I guess it is like if you fall pregnant, you don't go and advertise it straight away... you wait until you've passed the first trimester. It is the first trimester after all that is the critical stage where you could potentially lose the baby... well, a relationship, I feel, is much the same. There is also a first trimester.. and I have always been the sort of person who only reveals it once that stage has passed. It isn't something I would even share with my family until that stage has passed actually. Introducing someone to your family is a massive deal and the word 'love' is far too easily slung around nowadays. I am a private person - which is hilarious to type thinking about the fact that I am about to publish this blog to the entire world! But what I'm getting at is that, one day, when the time is right, everything that needs to be said will be said.. all will be revealed in its own time. Things I don't even know are going to happen - things that will just come into my life when I least expect it. For now - all you need to know on that front is that I am happy. I am happy with who I am and that is a huge part of being able to be with someone. You need to love and respect yourself before someone else can - so for a while - whether you are married, taken or single.. just take some time to appreciate yourself and reconnect with who you are. Take a day for just you.... you'll have no idea how much that it is needed.

On that note...

Recently, I caught up with a bunch of my old girlfriends at a birthday party (hence the photographs). It was so nice to be back in touch with them and share some cocktails. I was also able to hear their thoughts and advice on where I should go and what I should do - but at the end of the day, the decision is mine and they can only say so much.

Seeing my girlfriends again made me see that we have all changed in our own ways - life has been kind to each one of us. Although each of us have had our fair share of dilemmas and mishaps, there have also been blessings which continue to make us smile. The good always outweighs the bad.

No matter what happens in life - at some point, you are going to smile again.

Aesop Hand Cream | Product Review

I found this product in London, just before my backpacking and camping trip throughout Europe last year April. I haven't looked back or touched another hand-cream since.

Oh, I also apologize for these photographs. As you can see my tube of hand-cream has been well-used!!!

The mandarin ring, rosemary leaf, and cedarwood atlas combination makes this product smell divinely refreshing in a gorgeous herbal way as well as making this product suitable for both men and women. In fact, it was a man that actually introduced me to it! It doesn't have that feminine scent to it and also isn't masculine, it is just wonderfully neutral.  

Pros:

• Advertising - It lives true to its name and really does 'resurrect' your hands. 
• Fast Absorbing - I was surprised at how quickly my skin soaked this cream up!
  
• Non Greasy - It leaves your skin feeling incredible after application and the best part is that even with all of the oils etc contained in the product, it doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy!
  
• Intensive Moisture - I'll never be satisfied with another hand-cream. This one makes my hands feel completely amazing and shows fast results for dry skin. I had some weird dry patched on my fingers that were apparently 'eczema' although I've never suffered with eczema before. Either way, this product healed it in no time at all! My hands have never felt better.
• Contains Essential Oils - (lavender and orange) for soothing and aroma-therapeutic effects.
• Scent - Divine. Enough said.

Cons:

• The Price - Yes, there is the quibble of price but to be honest, I'd pay it over and over again for this product. I am so impressed with it and couldn't imagine using anything else on my hands if I could help it anymore.
• The Packaging - At first I loved that it came in a metal tube. It gave an old-school, medicinal feel to it which I couldn't help but adore; but I have had my hand-cream for just under a year now (still on the 75ml tube too which proves that it is long lasting!) and once you've carted it around for such a long time the metal does start to crack which I've been warned can cause leaking. For this reason I have decided to often decant the cream into smaller, plastic containers and carry that around in my handbag.

Overall this product is one I would buy again and again - and the cons are things that I for one am willing to overlook. Luxury isn't cheap - and as I said, the packaging does add that quirky old-school feel to the product!

Local Organic Market

One of the things I loved most about London was the markets. I thoroughly enjoyed my days wrapping a snood snuggly around my neck, buttoning up my trench-coat and heading out into the stalls inside places like Borough Market. 

I adored sampling the foods, ordering Glühwein to warm my hands and throat as I paced blissfully through. Every smell was gorgeous - even the vegetable stalls were breathtaking. That might be odd to say about vegetable stalls but it truly was. Every moment was like a little slice of pure heaven.

In the small town that I live in now back in South Africa, we don't have much in the way of that sort of set up. Recently however, the Local Organic Food Market opened up, conveniently tucked right next to the art gallery that I work at! 

As soon as I heard about the plans of the market I couldn't wait for it to become established and I watched it slowly transform from an old, empty and seemingly lifeless building into this:

The fact that it is Vegan friendly is a huge convenience for me... not that I'm Vegan or anything... but I've attempted Vegetarianism a number of times but it got ridiculously hard not just because of my cravings for meat but also because of how expensive fresh veg etc is all the time!

It's idyllic to have this market right next to work because I can grab my basket and pop some veggies in before or after work and not have to worry about the hustle and bustle of grocery stores.

There's even organic pasta!

It is just pure bliss strolling through the market!! And it doesn't stop there...

My favorite stall.. the hippy clothing boutique. I love, love, LOVE hippy clothes although these pieces can get rather pricey it is completely worth it because the fabric is just DIVINE.

There are jewelry stalls set-up, selling all local and unique goodies which are just gorgeous!

These handbags are so cool... The photography, as far as I know, is all solely local so not only is it a sense of familiarity but it's also carrying a little slice of home with you wherever you go.

You can buy cards for any occasion.. as well as buy your own card making DIY set (something that I'm definitely investing in!).

There are so many quirky little things around the market too.. such as these gorgeous whistle kettle and the handmade button pots that I just fell hopelessly in love with! What a great idea!

Futhermore, a quaint little cafe and coffee shop has also just opened up and the coffee does not disappoint!

The set up of the cafe is gorgeous - especially during summer. The tables and chairs outside are all tree stumps, there is so much in the name of art scattered around... it is literally a little secret garden nook and one that I am all too please to visit regularly.

 
On my lunch-breaks I often like to take myself across to the cafe next to the market and do some writing on my laptop. Whether it be uni assignments, working on my latest novel or a new blog post... it is always nice to write here. I simply adore the set up; how rustic and humble it looks. I've even been mulling the idea around in my head of opening up my own stall in the market to sell the jewelry and key-chains that I make.

Are there any new and exciting places opening up around your area or do you have a local market that you enjoy spending time at?

I'd love to hear all about it.