Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time

Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time

Monday, December 31, 2012

New Years Resolutions

So the time has come to make a brand spanking new list of resolutions... many of which I have set myself up for failure with but alas, I will try.
The original list I wrote will not be published here as many of the resolutions are not for the public eye. Although most of my life is advertised and exposed, there are still a few things that I'd like to try and remain private (which is next to impossible in my cosy little town...).
1) Move out of current cottage. Find my own place or (God help me,) move back in with my folks. Having rent-free accommodation for a while could be just what my two cats and I need right now.
2) Never. Smoke. Again. Not even a puff. No drunken excuses. Just NO!
3) Make a habit of washing the dishes, clothing and other basic household cleaning chores more frequently. Devlop a 'routine' if you will..
 
4) Focus more on my blog. Construct a checklist of all of the posts I'd like to write about and slowly work through them and add new ideas as I go along.
5) Actually make use of my gym contract at Pezula.
6) Make Salvage a popular, well-known store. Note to self: this does not happen overnight!
7) Bond more with my family. Call them just to catch up and say hi. Invite them over for dinner or out for a picnic.
8) Don't bring work home.
9) On that note, don't bring home to work.
 10) Make a plan to be kissed on the countdown next year... as this year I will be partying it up with  Bridget Jones and (no, sadly not a bottle of vodka,) a bottle of wine at home by my lonesome.


Have a Happy New Year faithful bloggers' and I wish you all of the very best for 2013.
 
Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep snapping away with your camera's and documenting your special moments - love to all of you.
God Bless.
Over and Out for the last time in 2012.
Jade

Monday, December 24, 2012

Rock n Ride for Rhino's

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a few very talented musicians.
 
 
Jason Hartman.


Justin Serrao.
 
 
 
Johnny Clegg.
 
 
Jesse Clegg.

 
 
After three wild nights of only the best parties with them including countless drinks, dancing, swimming fully clothed (for some!) in the ocean, shooting stars, star-struck fans and having the honor to be with them at their VIP table each night - I realized I had to blog about their venture.

Jason and Justin have been on this incredible tour around Africa, raising money to help save the Rhino's.
The cause is called Rock 'n Ride for Rhino's and they are going around doing gigs, entertaining us party go-ers and making our nights beyond extraudinary while another guy on their tour works around the tables getting to know you all and asking for donations towards the cause!

Another fantastic thing I noticed is how down to earth they all were regarding their fans.
They danced with them, took pictures with them, had shooters and sat with the fans at their tables and spoke to everyone they could. They truly appreciate all of the support and you couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to be throwing all they have into helping to save these wonderfully majestic creatures.

Link below to the website for more details:
http://www.rnr4r.org/who-we-are/jason-hartman/

If you'd like to go directly to their itenerary and find out when you might be able to catch these guys in your town in 2013 then click here:
http://www.rnr4r.org/itinerary/

Your donation will really make a difference!

Let's all Rock 'n Ride for the Rhino's!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Quote of the Month

Carson Mccullers once said:

"We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known....." 

And that is exactly how I feel.


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Projects Abroad - Volunteer work in Fiji and Hawaii

 A few nights ago I was lying on my bed sipping on a full mug of frothy hot chocolate, listening to the thunder rumble and the rain bucket down from the sky above while flipping through the Spring edition of a Travel magazine.
That's I stumbled across something that I was least expecting; something that hadn't even entered my mind as an opportunity before:
 
Volunteer work overseas.
 
Hawaii and Fiji are looking for anyone - from surfers to waitresses, teachers to health carers. They need people to help disadvantaged children; to teach these kids the joys and wonders of the life we get handed on a platter.
Whether you're a pro surfer or still have your training wheels on, you could teach these kids how to swim, surf, play... Live!
The cause is almost too beautiful and I have no idea how I had not thought of this before. I guess the fact that I've never had much time or money to play with blinded me from such ideas but now that I have a small sum saved up and a little business that is slowly blooming more things are becoming available to me.
 
Opportunities range from just a two week visit to indefinite months where you could really make an impact on these villagers lives.  
The great thing is that no experience is needed and what you contribute will look fantastic on your CV. If your goal is to teach then spend a few months with the village kids and get incredible first-hand experience.
As it is volunteer work obviously there is no salary involved, so you have to work towards doing something like this.
You can't just decide you're going to go.
The Hawaai cause that I am interested in getting involved in costs about R17'000.00.
Once I get my Salvage store up and running properly with clothing / accessory donations from friends and family and I start making more of a profit I will save that up quite quickly I reckon.
You have to save up and be prepared for something like this.
The projects include your accommodation, food, social activities, insurance and so much more and prices really aren't that bad.
Teaching children in Hawaii how to swim and how to surf indefinitely is right at the top of my bucket list.
Once I return from my trip to Italy this will be my next goal to work towards. Then Chille. Then India. Then Bali. Then...... I could go on!
 
I heard a little something the other day that made me smile and reminded me of myself:
She's So Jetset.
 
This would be the opportunity of a lifetime for any of us and I urge as many of you as possible to get involved in such a worthy, fulfilling cause.
 
Link to the website below to get more details:
 
 
 

Friday, December 7, 2012

Thai Red Prawn Curry


I’m a big fan of experimenting in the kitchen and I am constantly looking for new, interesting recipes to try out and add my own twists to. 
This specific recipe was inspired by Jamie Oliver and out of all of the meals that I have created over the years after getting accepted to study at the Institute of Culinary Arts, this one is by far my best. 
Not only did it turn out absolutely deeeeeelicious… it was also surprisingly quick and easy! 
I was incredibly proud and my friends that had a taste said the following:


“Lots of fragrant flavours with a great kick of chilli and a subtle sweet taste from the sugar snap beans, it was delicious!”

“Incredible!”

“Speechless…”

What you’ll need to make this dish:

  • 3 Stalks of Lemongrass
  • 2 Red Chilli’s
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic
  • A Handful of Fresh Coriander
  • 2cm of Ginger
  • 1 Lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • A Teaspoon of Oyster Sauce
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • Half a Bag of Tiger Prawn Tails
  • 1Sugar Snap Beans
  • 1 Can of Coconut Milk
  • Jasmine Rice
  • One tablespoon of Tomato Puree
  • Brown Sugar

Start by putting your lemongrass, chilli’s, garlic, coriander and ginger into a food processor. 

Tip in your specified amounts of soy sauce, oyster sauce and tomato puree followed by the zest of your lemon. 
Cut your pepper in half and add one half of it to your mix.
Whizz these ingredients until it becomes a paste. 

Now make long, fine strips with the remaining pepper and plop them into a pan to cook in olive oil. 
When the pepper strips are nearly done add in your prawns along with two scoops of your curry paste and flash fry for no more than two minutes. 






Leave your peppers and prawns aside in a bowl and add some more olive oil to your pan. 




Once heated up, put in your pack of sugar snap beans shortly followed by the remaining curry paste.





Let the beans soften for a few minutes before opening the can of coconut milk and pouring it in. 






Allow your milk to come to the boil before putting your peppers and prawns back into the pan. Now you can let the prawns continue to cook under the sauce, adding in brown sugar to sweeten. 


While your recipe is simmering, start preparing your rice. 


Dish up, sprinkling finely chopped coriander on top and serve immediately.


This is such an effortless, easy Thai Curry Recipe that tastes divine. 

If you manage to give it a try please let me know the outcome, email me here: jadewright15051991@hotmail.com







I love hearing from all of you.
Have a wonderful weekend bloggers and foodies!
Jade

Monday, December 3, 2012

November Favorites

 Another month gone. 

November was very different from the rest of this year and I think it's a combination of good and bad. 



At the end of October I injured my back pretty badly. After a trip to the hospital, I was bed bound for practically seventeen days.
My two beautiful kittens and three loving dogs kept me company as I lounged around painting, finishing off my novel and watching a new found tv show that has become a fast favorite, Modern Family.

It was only by the end of November when things started to get really interesting. An old family friend invited us up to Paarl for her wedding so I took a road-trip that took nine hours with my parents, two people who I have discovered to be the most unpleasant companions to be trapped in a car with for such a large amount of time. 
The constant bickering, the smokey atmosphere and the unadventurous attitudes were but some of the disheartening features of this trip. 

Once we had settled in however, after dad nearly writing the car off over a speed bump (karma's a bitch! I happened to do the same thing a few years ago and he did not believe that it was possible!!) and getting hopelessly lost, things started to get slightly better. 

I managed to drag them from our rented semi-built house for the weekend and we ended up traveling to Franshhoek for breakfast. 
We were recommended to a spot called The Salmon Bar and throughout a whole street as long as Bangla Road in Phuket adorned with bistro after bistro... we had to find the one spot that had fried eggs that could have concussed someone if you'd thrown it at a head. 

We made the most of it though and went to some spectacular view points of the abundant supply of vineyards in the area:


 That night I pulled on a red dress that had taken me all of five minutes to hunt down in Foschini and went off to watch a girl I had known since birth get married.
She made an absolutely stunning bride and the evening was breathtaking. 
It was the first time I'd gone to a wedding without a date so I was pretty lonesome when the romantic music started to play and all the couples got up to dance. I must have been one of the only people without a partner. 
That's when some guy called Ryan from Mauritius knelt down at my table and asked me to dance.
We had fun twirling around the dance floor and made a great night of it. Things only got better when I caught the bouquet in between the sea of hungry, marriage-craving females around me!
It wasn't nice having everyone tell me, "You're Next..." though, because I am freshly single. I have barely been able to find my feet since my breakup and now I'm supposed to be getting married!? Slow down!! Let me find the guy first!!! 

What to do with a bouquet if you catch it:
I hung the bouquet upside down on my wall at home to preserve the colors and the memory. It is still there, drying out today.

Once back in good old Knysna, I decided to go clubbing after a Blues Music Festival at Mo's on Rex. I hadn't really been clubbing in 2012 at all so it was a nice change to get out and break it down on the dance floor where I was reunited with two old friends.

 I did another modeling shoot with the talented Eon Coetzee too, link to his website below:

http://www.eonphotography.co.za/

He in honestly such a professional, fun, easy-going and cheerful guy to work with. 
He makes it easy to loosen up and not be shy while still keeping it professional at all times. 
He's an absolute pleasure to work with and his work is outstanding!


I also visited Baby Oaks where I hosted a Salvage sale. 
While all the women raided through my black bags for bargains, I played with all of the kiddies! This little ginger ninja was such a funny character and helping her take some of her first steps was overwhelmingly heartwarming. 
Sometimes you just need to hang out with a child to remember the real beauty in this world.... 


Wishing you all an absolutely amazing December! 

Keep reading & supporting.

Jade

Secret Santa Christmas Present Ideas

Do you celebrate Christmas in your working environment too?

At the spa, I was in charge of forming a Secret Santa game for all of the ladies. 
I put all of our names into a packet and we each had to pick one of the folded up notes, whoever we got was who we had to buy one gift per week for. 
We had a limit of R100.00, so roughly R25.00 per gift per week (about three pounds more or less...)

The first week has just passed and my first gift that I received was so special that I really did have to do a post on it and I have no doubt that many of you would love to do this for your Secret Santa too.

I got an A4 sheet of paper with my name definition (in itself this is already beautifully personalized and something that someone obviously took time on,) I also got a Jade stone in the shape of a heart and stapled to the paper I got a scrumptious pack of Ferrero Rocher! 

Something so simple can mean so much to a person.

The chocolates were divine and the stone was beautiful but my favorite part of this whole gift was the name definition.
It was unique, personalized, thoughtful and made me feel special. 
Whoever my secret santa is didn't just go to the store and grab a slab of chocolate and stick a bow on top... they took time to make it something that I'll always remember. 

Good luck with your gift ideas! 
Share some if you can as I have no idea how I'm going to beat this beautiful present!

Happy Holidays!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Quote of the Month

"Life is a wave, catch it"



I read this quote a few months ago and thought that it was beautiful, though only now I realize why. 
Sometimes an opportunity comes into your life and if you don't paddle like mad to catch the ride it's going to take you on, you are going to miss out. 
I also realized that this quote means something entirely different too. 
Waves come and go. They are aggressive, immense, scary and beautiful... 
Sometimes you get dunked. 
Lately, I've paddled out into sets of waves that just keep churning me around under their unworldly strength. Things haven't really been going well and I always feel awful for saying that because compared to others I have it pretty damn good. 
But everyone has issues. Everyone gets overwhelmed with the crap going on in their lives at some point. 
From things with my dad, romance, friends, work, religion... every last thing has pummeled me down into the depths of the sea, far deeper than I have ever been thrown before. 
It's sink or swim; and I am trying really hard to stay afloat.

I'm cheating here by putting in another quote, but I just can't resist:
 
"Just Keep Swimming." - Dori, Finding Nemo.

So I conclude with this: everyone is going through their own tough time. No matter if you're starving and dirty in the streets of Bombay or otherwise. 
As a wise friend told me just yesterday, 'people adapt'.
So everyone's problems are relevant and important.
You just need to find the courage to find that wave and ride it with the passion and strength you know you have inside of you. 

Friday, November 9, 2012

50 Shades Of Grey - Book Review

I have finally completed the first book in the latest trilogy, 50 Shades of Grey and let me just say that it took me a shameful amount of time to work my way through it. 

Nothing much really intrigued me about the book, but there was so much hype going on that I had to delve deeper into the mystery. 

The book was... interesting? 
No. 
No, it wasn't really. 

After hearing about the brutal sex scenes and heated paragraphs of course I was excited to read something uncommon and unspoken of! 
Yet I turned page after page just waiting for something, anything, to happen!!! 

I'm not sure how, but I pushed through the slow paced, repetitive chapters and wording - fighting back the urge to throw the damn book against my wall half the time with the uncountable amount of times E. L. James describes the glorious Christian Grey 'cocking his head to one side.' 
The, 'Oh My's!' and 'Holy Shit's!' also tended to add to my annoyance; but blanketed beneath the awful writing there was actually quite a beautifully sad storyline about a tortured soul and his 'unique' sex life fetishes. 

In the beginning, the story is almost unbelievable with private jets and this poor, unsuspecting girl being absolutely lavished with extravagant gifts such as cars and Blackberries, the latest laptop and a brand new wardrobe. But as you go on and unravel the story behind the man who whips and chains his women, making them sign contracts and use safe-words, you realize just how realistic it could be.

I am definitely intrigued to see what happens next, as the first book ends with a major cliffhanger... but I need a break from 'that world' right now. 
I am however, extremely excited for the film! I hear a few heartthrobs are lining up to play this dark and mysterious sex addict . . . if I had my way I think I would choose Chris Hemsworth! 

Yes, I would recommend you read it. If you don't you'll always be left wondering what all the fuss is about and it does seem to be a great conversation starter. It opens you up to a whole new world although to be fair,  I did expect the sex scenes to be slightly more graphic and gruesome than what I discovered. 
I know that reason is because Christian Grey has what he likes to call, 'Vanilla Sex,' a lot with Anastasia Steele. You couldn't possibly rope a virgin right in with all these overwhelming sex toys and positions! He eases her into it in this novel... and I have heard that the story gets much more gripping and satisfying in the follow up: Fifty Shades of Darker.

The book is writing about the unspoken for woman in an acceptable form away from pornography and demeaning sex-sites. 

Enjoy the read - or try to at least!

Christmas Wish List


  As Christmas is but a few weeks away, I have decided to write my Wish List post. 


Little kids sit, feet dangling from the wooden chairs around the dining room table at night as they write their letters to Santa Clause as its dawns closer to Christmas Eve. 
I remember one Christmas when I wrote a letter to Santa, asking for Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls, the characters from Toy Story; and that Christmas it was exactly what I got. 
As kids, it is so easy. When you get older, you seem to want less but the price triples. 

Every year, I like to make sandwiches and buy big packs of wrapped chocolate, I put a care-package together and go around my small town handing the shoe-boxes out to street children and car-guards. 
I’d really love to start up a community for it, a bunch of people who donate old blankets and buy small gifts such as candy and toys to fill the boxes with. It would be incredibly humbling to see people reach out and go beyond their usual Christmas Day of lavish dinners and abundant gifts that lets face it, these street kids will never experience.

As you age, Christmas stops becoming so much about the gifts and more about family. 
I remember being a girl of ten, prodding at gifts with my name on under the tree for days in advance; jumping up and down on my parents Queen sized bed in overwhelming excitement on Christmas morning. 
At the same time though, my favourite part all the way through my life was and still is watching my friends and family unwrap their gifts from me; watching their faces. To me, it was the best feeling in the world, far better than accepting a gift from someone else. 

The reason I am doing this post is because I’d like to start documenting year by year, the wants and the needs and desires I have. I would like to see how the things I desire change as I age. Already, I know a few things I will list below are things I would have never asked for if I was still in school or living with my parents! Things I would have thought my parents would have just gotten for me anyway, things I took completely for granted. Things that should really have been gifts that I should have appreciated but instead overlooked! I’ve had a wakeup call lately, a big one. 
Now, living away from my parents for the first time, buying my own food and paying for my own room and board… my whole lifestyle has had to change! 
Getting something as simple as a foodie magazine or a sweet doesn’t come often to me anymore. 
With that all being said, below is my short and sweet list of wants and needs, non of which I expect from another person. I think of it as an indefinite shopping list:

My Christmas Wish List


1)      The Paula Coehlo Book Set
2)      A Yoga DVD Set
3)      A Ticket to Italy in May (for my birthday)
4)      A New Suitcase (a feminine one – my current one is bland and boring not to mention falling apart)
5)      10 Art Lessons Voucher
6)      10 Yoga Sessions Voucher
7)      A Weekend Away At A Yoga Retreat Somewhere In Africa
8)      A New Duvet Set
9)      A Jane Austen Mug
10)   The Vow DVD
11)   Any Donations Towards My Travel Dreams
12)   And While We’re Out There… A Camper Van Would Be Pretty World Class Too!
13) A Ticket Around The World!
14) Happiness 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Pan-Seared Fillet Steak with Blueberries, Spring Onion and Red Wine

Ingredients you will need to make this dish:
  • A handful of fresh thyme
  • One tin of blueberries 
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Fillet Steak
  • One parcel of broccoli
  • Six spring onion's finely diced
  • One green chilli  finely diced
  • Two cloves of garlic finely diced
  • A sack of potato's, peeled and halved
  • A bottle of red wine
  • Two large knobs of butter
  • Salt & pepper


First, prepare your mix to coat your steak with. As you can see you pick a handful of thyme leaves and spoon about three teaspoons of blueberries over them.


Mush these two ingredients together as well as you can before adding three good lugs of extra virgin olive oil to loosen.







 Now get your steak from the fridge and unwrap.








Brush your mix onto both sides of the steak and set aside to soak up the flavors for an hour or so:
 
 
Then cut your steak into medallions. They are now ready to be fried. 


  Fry the medallions to your particular liking, turning only once from one side to another. Avoid pressing on the steaks as it releases those beautiful juices that you want to keep. When finished, set aside wrapped in tin foil or in the oven while you complete the other elements in your dish.
 

 Dice up spring onions, garlic and the green chilli as well as separating your broccoli.
Peel your potatoes, halve them and boil them until soft. 

Mush up the mash with a hearty lug of milk, adding in spring onion, salt and pepper as you see fit.
Put the broccoli into a pot of boiling water and steam.




 Now, using the pan from frying the steak medallions in, cook spring onions, garlic and chilli for about three minutes before adding in a glass of robust, red wine.






Add in the blueberries and two large knobs of butter, shaking the pan until fully melted.









 Plate up your food and pour this gorgeous sauce over the steak and mash... this recipe is absolutely delicious and my dinner guests were blown away by the results! This is a great dinner party recipe.

I also made a really nice two-cheese and strawberry salad as a starter, which actually really complimented the whole dish. 

I'm not great at the whole presentation thing just yet but I'll get there eventually.

Have a fantastic weekend bloggers and foodies!

Signing out,

Jade


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

October Favorites

I woke up this morning absolutely positive that it was Halloween, excited to cozy up this evening to gory horror films and tea. 
Alas, it appears that I am a day ahead of everyone. For that reason, I am writing my October favorites just a few days early this month. I'm practically bed-bound anyway so not sure what else could really happen within the next 48 hours to make the cut. 
I have severely injured my lower back and have been going to regular appointments with a physiotherapist to get some out of place joints sorted out. 
The therapist is concerned that I may have a slipped disc too due to some signs such as how I find more relief lying on my stomach that I do flat on my back and also the pain I feel every time I laugh, cough or sneeze. 
It has been about a week since I got hurt and slowly I'm weening myself off of the pain killers and can nearly walk without a limp. 
I really have been in the wars this month actually... not only have I started walking like an 80 year old, I have also experienced what it feels like to have a hillbilly's mouth thanks for getting my front tooth chipped. I got knocked in the mouth earlier this month and after a substantial amount of pain, I got it all repaired.
I guess I've been on a bit of a bender lately... stumbling home at about 4-5am on most nights. It's all innocent fun at the end of the day and I am just acting my age. I had taken on the life of a thirty year old far before my time and it has felt good to just let loose and experience my lost youth; and of course I can't deny I have been drinking away a lot of pain from my battered heart, but I'm not getting into that.

There aren't too many pictures at all this month. 
In all honesty, I'm not too sure what has happened to me. I used to be the creative enthusiast with a camera constantly slung around her neck. I was the snap-happy tourist in even my own town... yet the other night I decided to take a walk along the shoreline, the moon was bright and full and the stars polka-dotted the sky with their incandescent glow. 
A good friend of mine, Brendon, accompanied me on my walk and he piped up that it was disappointing that you could not capture that eerie appeal of the moonlights reflection blanketed across the silky, ever-moving waves. 
In response, I whispered that 'some things just aren't meant to be captured, only experienced,' and he gave me a smile of complete gratitude for my answer.
Perhaps that is why I have stopped grabbing my camera at every new scene in my life. Perhaps I was so busy trying to entrap that moment into a frame that I never had a chance to really live in that moment. 
Another thing I have noticed is that when someone takes a picture of me, I suddenly couldn't care less about the outcome. To this day, if someone has their photo taken (guy or girl), as soon as the flash erupts, the person goes flying towards the photographer in order to see if it was good enough, of their appearance, of the angle... of everything. People get so caught up in capturing the perfect moment that they forget to live in the perfect moment! So much so that so many perfectly imperfect moments are lost to us. 

That being said, here are the few that I just could not resist:

 


My brother and I enjoyed a nice family feast of spaghetti bolognaise along with my sister-in-law. 





Finally hunted down the perfect cross to wear around my neck. 




I'm not going to lie, September / October have been extremely stressful months for the likes of my heart... A hot stone massage was definitely a great help.  




I decided to go back to being a brunette. The upkeep was just too much for me. As a surfer, my hair just couldn't handle it. It was insanely pricey to keep doing my roots and lets face it, this looks far more natural. I do really miss the blonde already, but what the heck.. it's just hair at the end of the day.




Taking regular strolls along the shoreline, one of my favorite past times. 




 I found Prince Charming in a local clothing store! Hahahaha....



 This was a good day. Started with Eggs Benedict at East Heads Cafe, then went on to explore an old abandoned mansion and ended with an hour at Coney Glenn, taking in the beautiful town that we are lucky enough to reside in.

And last but not least, my favorite song of the month or probably more like the year. Not only is the melody absolutely stunning, the lyrics are also just so raw and real and true - I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons, enjoy it ya'll:


And I came home
Like a stone
And I fell heavy into your arms
These days of darkness
Which we've known
Will blow away with this new sun

And I'll kneel down
Wait for now
And I'll kneel down
Know my ground

And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

So break my step
And relent
You forgave and I won't forget
Know what we've seen
And him with less
Now in some way
Shake the excess

But I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

So I'll be bold
As well as strong
And use my head alongside my heart
So tame my flesh
And fix my eyes
That tethered mind free from the lies

But I'll kneel down
Wait for now
I'll kneel down
Know my ground

Raise my hands
Paint my spirit gold
And bow my head
Keep my heart slow

Cause I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

xxxx