Sometimes...

... Friends & Wine are all you need

Tipsy Fun Times

21 Things about me - Week 3

What kind of people do you surround yourself with?

I like to be around people who are spontaneous, intelligent and have a wicked sense of humour like myself.
I need a partner in crime to play tricks on someone.
Somebody who loves to rehash the latest episode of Vampire Diaries/Suits/White Collar/any other awesome series.
A person who gives me great advice when I need it
Somebody who cheers me up by knowing exactly the right thing to say to me without annoying me even further.

Merry Christmas

To all my friends out there...

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and most of all I wish for you:

A friend to cheer you if you are sad
A friend to share your happiness just by understanding you enough to know what makes you happy
A friend who knows you without you having to say anything
A friend you can turn to without feeling embarrassed or shy
A friend who will get you through your darkest hours

Christmas is not just about exchanging gifts- its a way to be thoughtful and pick out a gift as a way of saying, "I thought of you and put much love into choosing this"
Its not a way of being flashy or proving how much money you have, its showing the ones you love how much you appreciate them.

I've had a tough year and I've been having a tough past few weeks. My friends have been there to make me laugh and take my mind off my worries and that is why I am going to have a Blessed Christmas and I hope you will you
Xxx

(I include my wonderful family in the above as well, because they don't just love me because they have to, they love me because they want to)

I have friends like these.....

Friends don’t have to understand, do you favors, care for you, give you courage and see you through. 
Friends don’t have to be, but they do.

The Real Face of Me

Tee & I have been friends for a couple of years now - having met through my original blog (which wasn't a secret blog)
We share a common interest in Hot Men, cats, sparkles and Hot Men (oh wait did I repeat that? - Yes we love Hot Men that much!)
We have shared many adventures together - Thailand coming up is going to be another one.


We have perfected the art of self portraits and the other day having finally sorted out all my photos onto my pink external hardrive (birthday present from my brother) I was reminded again by just how much fun we really do have when we are together.

Tee understands me, she accepts me and she totally gets me. She is there for me when I need her without having to tell her that I need her. She has never let me down & has made me laugh on many occasions. We have some really happy memories & here are just some of the reasons why I love her dearly:

• Wine in a sippy cup as we rush off to the movies
• Playing damsels in distress by being rescued by a cutie who changed our flat tyre
• Searching for Chipniks when that's all I craved after my operation
• Sharing my addiction to Hot nice Men
• Sharing the fun of Eden concerts together
• Moving house every year
• Sharing my love of bubbles
• Nights at Manhattans
• Anticipating my needs by making me food / buying me cute gifts / bringing me delicious fruit from Hoedspruit
• Pink Champagne
• Tim Tams
• Understands & shares my obsession for Vampire Diaries and Supernatural
• Commiserates when a man is an idiot
• Knows when I need a solution to a problem, or just a bitch session
• Road trip to Hoedspruit
• Share the same taste in movies and books - no matter how shallow they might be
• Endless hours (and I do mean hours) of chitter chatter on our Blackberry
• Knows what jewellery I will love
• She knows how to cheer me up when I am grumpy
• And she ALWAYS brings me coffee in bed (refer to previous point)
• She knows all of me and accepts me. Even Gloria.

So in the spirit of friendship and the huge occasion of breaking my anonymity, I hereby introduce you to the real face of me!


Check out how good we are at self-portraits.  (I am the brunette - in all the pictures - Tee's hair changes often!)

Trip to Hoedspruit 2009

Tee going skydiving 2009

Tee's Birthday - watching CATS 2009

Eden show 2010

Trip to Cape Town 2010

Last Eden show 2011

Eden show 2009

Manhattans 2009

Her sisters wedding 2011

saywhat?

doyoueverfeelthatyouneedtostopandtakeabreatheorelseyoumightnotmakeit?

Yes - that is me at the moment - hardly time to take a breather!

This past weekend went by in a blur, but it was so much fun!
I drove from the one end of town to the other & made some exciting plans (all will beexpanded upon in future posts)

The problem is that I am working so much that I feel guilty for neglecting my friendships, so the weekend is the only time I get to catch up with them!

I love my friends - but I do not have time for whinging & negativity - something I have picked up about myself as I get older - I cannot tolerate negativity.
I want to surround myself with laughter and fun.

I need to re-evaluate some of these friendships.....

Speaking of socialising - I am dying to host a party - and I mentioned on Twitter the other day that I wish we had more bloggers in Jhb (I follow alot of overseas ladies and most of my favourite bloggers are based in the Cape)
But I would love to have a masked party and invite all the Bloggers to attend and we could have fun guessing who everybody was!

When are you guys coming to Jhb?

Friends

I love my friends - all of them - because they are hand-picked by me to be in my life.


I am especially loving my girls who have recently been there for me without even knowing it.


This past long weekend we have seen alot of each other & it really has been fun.


My weekend went something like this:

My obsession: Johan

• Went to the last ever performance of Eden - was bittersweet. Was awesome when Jay saw me in the crowd & excitedly waved at me and the entire audience turned as one to see Who on earth ? he was waving at. Tee & I have had many fun evenings watching Our Boys & we have tons of self-portraits to show for it
• Watched Limitless - what an awesome movie.  Bradley Cooper is a hottie, but I enjoyed the way he portrayed his character. Lunch at Fego Cafe and shopping at Woolies afterwards.I have a long list of things I need for the house: Blind for bathroom, storage for bath towels, new duvet cover, new lampshade
• Watched The Back up Plan & 17 Again because Tee twisted my rubber arm & I do so like me a bit of Zac....
• Went through to a school friend's wedding (this was the dilemma on an outfit to wear) I ended up wearing a Ginger Mary dress I had just bought for work as the weather was cold. It was perfect & I got some nice compliments. (After trying the Big Blue skirt on, my fat hips made it look frumpy - however as per my original promise, I did say the person to help me most would receive a photo and see who the real Flirty30 is - winner: keep an eye out!)
• Caught up after the wedding with dinner with some friends & slept at my parents house
• Noah came to visit & spent the entire day playing with him. Afterwards, mom cut my hair into the new style which I am loving
• Shopping at Melrose Arch with some delicious milkshakes at the Protea Fire & Ice
• Had sushi dinner at YuMe - their Dim Sum and Salmon Roses are to die for
• Got together at Design Quarter & did some serious shopping. I found a lampshade, duvet cover, bathroom blind & basket for bath towels.

• To reward ourselves we went to 1 of my favourite places: Buddha Ta. They have a specialty Mojito called a Candy Mojito. I can't even tell you how divine it is. You get a martini glass of Candy Floss and the mojito gets poured on top of it and the candyfloss melts. It is such a treat & just Too Divine
• Ended it off with more sushi at CTFM with my friend T - her & her husband are going through the process of adoption as they are unable to have children of their own. They have asked me to help them create a profile for when they are picked as a possible match. The natural mother reads all their profiles and picks them that way. So I want to design a storybook written as kiddies story: Once upon a time there was a girl named T.... she met G and they fell in love..... I think that will be fun.
• Throughout the weekend I laughed so hard with my girls. I am so blessed to have them in my life & to be able to share everything with them - the good & the bad.
• I have booked a table at my favourite restaurant in Parys: Ruby's.(Another one of my birthday traditions) We'll be donning our feather boas and having a girls day out - Mom, Tee, AC, Li & myself.

Feeling down

I have been having a hard time lately.

I seem to be going through a low patch and have been struggling with my confidence alot.

My health is on a low point (kidneys, ear and now broken tooth today (I suspect that this has something to do with eating toast for dinner for over a month now.)

I cant seem to find the energy to do anything except sleep. (and I suspect that this has something to do with the fact that I am anaemic and not taking my tablets is not helping) yeah yeah I can hear the speech formulating.... it doesnt help.

I have learnt that everything is all about mindset. 

Losing weight, taking my tablets again... I need to get my mind right before I can do anything about it.

I'll think about it...... (that is about all I have energy for anyway)

Anyway - on that note I want to give a special thank you to each and every one of you guys who read my blog and leave comments.

You uplift me and no matter how mad I am feeling - you guys have the ability to cheer me up.

To Claudz and SwissTwist - you guys have been having tough times as well - just know that I am with you, because I understand. 

So on that note - I loved this scene from SATC, it shows the true (and underestimated) strength of friendship.

I Am Woman

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

CHORUS
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

CHORUS

I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long long way to go
Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong



Artist: Helen Reddy from "Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits": EMI ST 11467
-peak Billboard position # 1 for 1 week in 1972
-Words and Music by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton

My Birthday

Speaking of friendships and the like.....

I had an awesome birthday.

I was woken up at 5am - but I got kisses from the dogs and coffee in bed.


Then spent the day with AC at Mangwanani Spa!


By the end of the day I was exhausted. I had falled aleep a few times, once even woke myself up with my beginnings of a snore on the facial table!

We were suppsoed to go to Mojo to get our faces painted but we just didn't have the energy for the long drive, so we went to Kitchen Bar instead.




I must admit, I was exhausted and didn't really participate too much in the evening, but I enjoyed sitting at the table, reflecting on the people in my life.




My birthday is a great way to measure who the important people are. Not by the size of the gift - but the extent of their thoughtfulness. 
My friends touched me with the things they did, the thoughtful, touching gestures.
Once again I was reminded of how some people just aren't what you always expect/hope them to be.




You cannot change a person, you have to accept them for who they are.


If you do accept them - celebrate their strengths and overlook their weaknesses.


If you cannot - cut them loose and move on - life is too short to walk around with dead baggage.