Pep-lum

PEPLUM: n. pl. pep·lums

1. A short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, blouse, or dress.

2. My new favourite thing. 

 

PEPLUM SKIRTS are God's gift to women with curves. High-waisted skirts can be a touch on the unflattering side if they're too tight but peplum skirts can be tight AND cover all the "unflattering" areas. Amen to that! I'll take one in ever colour. 

Blake Lively

Gwen Stefani

Diana Agron

Bella Thorne

Black: Miss Selfridge. Lace: Miss Selfridge. Pink: Miso.

WHAT'S YOUR take on les peplum?

Blairy Good

THERE IS no denying that I have a small addiction to Gossip Girl. It mainly stems from my absolute adoration for NYC... and money and fashion. Blair Whaldorf has, and always will be, my favourite character. Especially when she's with Chuck Bass. But I particularly like her lace pink skirt in season 5, episode 24.

Voila! Not the greatest image of the skirt but I'm hoping you get the idea...

WHILST BLAIR often leans more to the "mature" style of dressing, here are a few are her other great outfits.

DO YOU understand my obsession now?

#GTBC

GETAWAY MAGAZINE had their annual Getaway Travel Bloggers Conference this weekend in Cape Town. Alas I could not attend. Enter the joy of social media and hashtags. So this is what I learnt from the #GTBC:

Allison MacDonald ‏

The best travel blogs are powered by personality. Things I learned at #GTBC @velvetescape

Allison MacDonald

Here's a travel blog formula/suggestion: text, photo, text, video. Things I learned at #GTBC @velvetescape Hello Keith! 

memeburn

. @Dave: A blog isn't just a blog. Trad definition of a blog applies to Facebook and Twitter #GTBC

Photodestination ‏

Trust your own voice! @DaveDuarte #GTBC

Nadia Krige ‏

You need to create hearty content that people would want to return to - @DaveDuarte #gtbc

Allison MacDonald

Bloggers r solo publishers. Writer, sub, editor, designer, marketer, sales exec, tea lady all in 1. Things I learned at #GTBC @traveldudes

 

 Nadia Krige ‏

Delighting your readers is the key to long-term awesomeness @DaveDuarte #gtbc

 Leeyon ‏

Your blog vision should be simple, concrete, credible, emotional and phrased in the form of a story. #GTBC @DaveDuarte

 Allison MacDonald ‏

Rule number 1 for a great travel blog: it MUST reflect your personality. Make it yours. Things I learned at #GTBC @WildJunket Hello Nellie!

 Allison MacDonald ‏

You are not Wikipedia. You're a travel blogger. Don't get all fact-heavy in your travel blog. Things I learned at #GTBC @WildJunket

Allison MacDonald ‏

Be real. Be authentic. Be true when you write your travel blog. Things I learned at #GTBC Genuine @WildJunket

  Cape Town Tourism ‏

1% of people online create content, 9% share content, 90% consume content, says @DaveDuarte #GTBC

Leeyon

"Get involved in what you believe in. Bloggers are travel influencers. "#GTBC closer @jaxlahoud. 

THANKS TO the peeps who tweeted from the conference. Hopefully next year, my knowledge will be first hand.

Waterfalls and Kids

I RECENTLY took a much-needed break and took a few days off work. This comprised of sleep-ins, movies, relaxing, naps and a weekend down the coast to St Mikes. Not too shabby 'ey?

MY MINI-VACATION kicked off with a trip to the movies to watch Friends with Kids. It's basically a sequel to Bridesmaids with everyone switching partners. Overall not a bad movie but it didn't really put getting married and having kids in a great light, kind of like I don't know how she does it with Sarah Jessica Parker. But there were a few funny parts so it wasn't all bad.

THEN BOYF and I took a trip down to St Michaels on the Sea with another couple. SA was experiencing a huge cold front that weekend so the weather wasn't too great. That called for lots of movies and junk food. On our last day we had a bit of sunshine so we took a trip to check out the uVongo waterfall. I've been visiting St Mikes for about 8 years now and didn't know it was there so I had to! After some rummaging in the forest off the beach, we finally found it.

This is on the beach.

We found it!

View of the beach from the forest.

IT WASN'T Vic Falls but it was still cool to go on a little adventure. Then it was back to reality.

Nautical Nautical Nautical

DID I say nautical? That's cuz I'm highly obsessed with nautical at the moment. Although I think it will outlast a moment as I want a lasting anchor inked on me.Typical.

BUT HOW could you not love nautical?! There's the beautiful ocean, the unknown depths, the gorgeous beaches, the incredible combination that is navy and red, and sailors. Have I left anything out? Oh and pin up girls! By the header of this blog, you can kinda see I have a little thing for pin up girls too. I love the vintage style. But if my words aren't convincing you, lemme introduce you to some Pinterest images. Cuz that's how I get my fix.

My favourite tattoo. 

This is the best bikini I've EVER seen.

I don't know how many more times I can write LOVE in this post. Cuz I want to write it again.

And of course the beautiful quotes.

ARE YOU convinced now that nautical-themed takes the cake?

How about now?

Meowing Beds

WINTER IS slowing creeping in. Please excuse me one moment... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Okay, I'm done. On that note, my cat has begun sleeping under our duvets. But great was my surprise when I sat on my bed and it meow'ed back. This of course set me off in hysterical laughter. And of course onto Google for more lol catz. Thiz iz what I find.

 

IT'S MY birthday month, don't judge the birthday lolz. Don't. 

Great Kate

I DON'T think I have ever loved a dress like I do the teal wonder Kate Middleton wore to the Olympic concert, the final countdown to the London Olympic Games 2012.

THE JENNY Packham creation is mind-blowing. Out of this world. Exquisite. The best dress I have ever laid eyes on. I cannot fault this dress.

DUCHESS KATE isn't exactly the worst person to wear your designs either. She's a beautiful girl who knows how to stay in shape. Her only fault is marrying a man who's practically bald but we'll let that one slide... For now.

FROM HER french braid bun to her Jimmy Choo sandals, I am in awe.

My Hair is BLUE

"My hair is BLUE! It's BLUE!" is what I've always wanted to say after watching Bride Wars. Yes, I'm 'special' like that. But how could I not want blue hair after Kate Hudson pulled it off so bloody well?!?

SO NATURALLY I died my hair blue. Well technically I had to go blond (Read: Completely kill my hair) first in order for the blue to show in my dark hair. Being blond was... different. When I walked out the house with two different shoes on, I knew I had to change for the sake of my intelligence. So I went blue and black. Ta-Da!

THE FRINGE was the only part that worked... Oops! It's been fun though. I feel like a giant Smurf or a tiny Avatar. It's been a bit of a mission with the upkeep so I'm actually looking forward to going back to one colour... and hopefully restoring my hair to normal condition.

Tres cool!

Would love to do this, stunning

Would totes do this if my hair ever recovered

Katastrophe in the Media

THIS SHOULD have been done a long time ago but I'm not here to go on about my procrastination skills (I have many). I have pics of my magazine articles, ta-da! I unfortunately do not have the pdfs so photos will have to do. Apologies in advance...

MY FIRST article, ever published, featured in one of my favourite mags and the place where I did a month internship, Glamour.

September 2011

I HAVE yet to frame it (yes that baby is going on my wall) as I have yet to find a decent enough frame to fit it all in (recommendations are welcome).

 

 YES IT was an article on oral hygiene but hey, it's MY article on oral hygiene. How many people can say that?!

NEXT CAME what would be my dream job... Traveling and writing. Ok more like reviewing and writing but I can't be picky. 

December 2011

CLEO MAGAZINE needed reviews of places that were "off the beaten path". So my boyf and I got to review a B&B in Winterton. You probably haven't heard of it cuz there's really not much to say about it. It's about an hour's drive from the Drakensberg and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's a one-road-town. 

That's me! Top left

HOPEFULLY THESE will not be the last articles of mine to feature in magazines.

Give In To Me

I HAVE never, repeat never, been a country music fan. Just never been into the whining and banjos. So when Country Strong came out I didn't exactly rush out to see it but I was somewhat curious as Leighton Meester is in it. I'm a huge Blair Whaldorf fan so I tend to love whatever Leighton is in. I didn't expect how much I would enjoy the music, this one in particular...




"I'm gonna wear you down, I'm gonna make you see, I'm gonna get to you, You're gonna give in to me." 

 I'VE NEVER been a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow either. But I must confess, she was great in the movie and looked incredible... well, when she wasn't drunk or crying.

I THINK my Hart of Dixie obsession is converting me to a country music lover. I might need an intervention.