Katy's Palace Bar and Collective

I love discovering cool new places in Joburg. I often wish I could be living in Cape Town or just anywhere in nature but when I find another unique spot here in Joburg it just rekindles my love for this city.

Katy's Palace Bar is located on 6 Desmond Street, Kramerville, Sandton. It is basically a refurbished warehouse which can be hired for functions. It has a stunning rustic feel with amazing views over joburg.

On the first Sunday of every month Katy's Palace hosts a lunch which is open to the public. The vibe is great but come early as it gets really packed and they don't take bookings. Lunch is self serve (it opens at 12:00) and your plate then gets weighed (you pay R10 for 100g). The food is really amazing ranging from breads to salads to chicken or beef tagine. YUM! They also have a live band which adds to the great atmosphere. It does get quite noisy though so its not really the place for a romantic heart to heart conversation but do go for a relaxed Sunday afternoon out with friends. Like them on facebook to be updated on their events. I will definitely be back!

Next to Katy's Palace and also on the first Sunday of every month is Collective. This is a monthly pop-up market where I bought these beautiful goodies :) Also definitely worth a visit and a great place to get some Christmas shopping done ;) The next one is this Sunday, 1 December 2013, from 10:00 to 16:00. Check out their facebook page too!

Do you know of any interesting new places in Joburg? Please let me know :)

Love,

Ms. M

A chalkboard and a save the date

Wikipedia defines a save the date as "a notice stating the date of a significant event such as a wedding. It is typically sent to those likely to be interested or affected by the event and states the planned date of the occasion so that recipients who wish to attend know to keep that date free. For weddings, save the dates usually take the form of a card. "

We wanted to do something fun and different so I came up with the idea of a video. And since Sihle is pretty incredible at editing videos I presented my idea to him, we brainstormed a bit and then he put this together. I hope it makes you smile because its surely makes me happy! :)

Our ceremony is open to anyone who loves us and and would like to celebrate with us, so do indeed Save The Date! 

Love,
Ms. M

uMhlambiso - a colourful day of love

Since I'm in bed and high on painkillers (I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday) I figured it's a good chance to catch up on some blogging. There have been exciting developments in the "wedding" part of my life which I have really been wanting to write about.

On the 9 November we had a special pre-wedding celebration called uMhlambiso. As far as I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) this is a traditional Swati Ceremony and it is basically about presenting gifts and the 2 families getting to know each other. Let me describe the day and then it might make more sense to you:

It was supposed to start at 12am at the Maseko house (Sihle's family), but I, being influenced by African time and also being the 'bride', made my family wait and so the Volker's only arrived at like 12:15. We were welcomed by a colourful and singing crowd. Much of Sihle's family was there as well as many of our friends from church and elsewhere. Most people were wasdressed in their incredible traditional outfits. I was told to "lead the way" so I went in first to be greeted but as soon as my eyes caught hold of Sihle I ran to him. It was a very special moment. 

Joyful singing and dancing

Being welcomed

My handsome fiance

Love

With more singing and dancing the whole crowd was led to the back of the house where a tent had been set up in the garden. We were all formally greeted and the day was blessed with prayer. Next came introductions of significant members of the Maseko and Volker Families done by the dad’s (Meluccy and Jochen).

And then the giving of gifts started. Buhle Maseko (my skweeza aka future sister-in-law) did a stunning job as master of ceremonies and one by one members of my family were called up and showered with beautiful presents: jewelry, carpets, blankets, brooms and traditional clothes for the men and women. I think everyone felt extremely honored and blessed to be  welcomed in such a way. I, the umakoti (on the web its translated as 'wife' - this is what i was called all day long) was called up last to be presented with a beautiful dress, shoes, carpet, blanket and jewelry. WOW! Talk about being spoilt. I was then quickly ushered into the house by some ladies who helped me change into my new traditional outfit. And what a surprise to find that when I walked out the room Sihle was wearing a shirt to match my dress!! :D We were presented to the guests as a couple who cheered and sang. The singing and dancing basically didn't stop all day long...

Beautifully decorated tables

Sihle's dad and the MC

The dancing continues...

My cousins getting gifts

My (almost) 90 year old granny receiving a blanket as a gift

Lots of fun and laughter

Dad doing the mandela jive

Mom being showered with gifts

Learning the 'step'

Feeling like a princess

All dressed up

Joy

As a little extra my mom had organised some swiss aprons and swiss hats as gifts for Sihle’s family. So it was truly an exchange of cultures. 

Sihle receiving his swiss 'käppli"

A swiss apron

Happiness

3 of my bridesmaids

Love all around

My skweeza and my mom

The day continued to be celebrated with amazing traditional food, being introduced to various people, more dancing and good fellowship. It was one of the most memorable days of my life – so full of love, happiness and joy. I can proudly say, I love being a Swiss-African :)

Love,
Ms. M

Monday's Meal: Stuffed Peppers

This is an easy, delicious and unique recipe. It's hearty but has a light feel to it due to the fresh baby spinach and avo. Try it!

Stuffed Peppers (for 4 - 5 people)

Ingredients:

- 4 - 5 bell peppers

- 1 onion, chopped

- 400g mince meat

- 4 garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 jar salsa (I make my own out of a can 'tomato and onion mix', a dash of lemon juice, herbs and spices)

- 1 cup rice

- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

- baby spinach

- 1 avo

- sour cream 

- spices

- beef stock

1) Heat the oven to 200C. Boil the rice.

2) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and stalk

3) In a large pan over medium heat fry the onion with the garlic, then add the mince. Spice with salt, pepper, barbecue spice, chilli powder (or anything else you like on mince) to taste

4) Add the salsa and cooked rice to the mince mixture

5) Place the cut peppers in an oven proof dish and divide the mince mixture among them. Top with the grated cheddar cheese and pour about 400ml of beef stock into the bottom of the dish. Bake for 30min.

6) Serve with baby spinach, slices of avo and a dollop of sour cream on top!

Have a blessed week!

Love,

Ms. V

A stop motion experiment

Stop motion videos have always fascinated me so I decided to try it out myself. I used my iPhone and an awesome free app called iMotion HD. This here is my first try. It literally took me 5 minutes but I am rather happy with the result! And it was so easy!!

And here is one of the first stop motion videos I ever saw. It's really amazing. I love it. So beautiful! 

I hope this put a smile on your face just as it did on mine.

Love,
Ms. V

No place like home?

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of speed, snails have one big advantage in life - they can take their home with them. But there's hope for us humans! While reading one of my favourite blogs, My Scandinavian Home, I came across this: a house which can be transported on a truck and then placed almost anywhere! Moving has never been easier ;) 

Imagine living on a piece of land in the city the one day and then just moving your entire house to the woods or a field! 

And look at this beautifully designed interior....

Dream <3 For more houses with incredible interior design visit My Scandinavian Home. You wont regret it! Or maybe you will... ;) 

Love,

Ms. V "Dreaming of my own house"

Acoustic vibes

Something I'm really into right now is acoustic music - specifically acoustic worship. It just has such a unique and personal feel to it which I really love. I also think acoustic music emphasizes the essence of the musical instruments and it often has a somewhat unpolished sound. It's almost like its less perfect but more real and intimate.

We had our own little acoustic worship session in our garden last weekend. Sitting round the bonfire, grilling marshmallows, singing and jamming. My brother even tried out his new ukulele. It was a special evening and it will definitely be repeated.

Have a look at this video from Hillsong united for some awesome acoustic inspiration. They did a live session in a cafe....great vibe! They are also releasing an acoustic album soon....

Love,

Ms. V

P.s. Today is our -1 year anniversary! 1 year till our wedding and 1 year till I become a Mrs ;)

Will you be my bridesmaid?

What do you do to get stuff done? I use to-do lists. I just love the feeling of ticking something off as done. So I write lists on paper, I make lists in my head, I write lists in my diary and I create lists on my phone. Recently I've also been using several 'to-do list' apps. My favorite is Wunderlist. It's simple, allows me to make several lists, I can make an item as important, I can access the lists on my phone and any PC and I can have shared lists with other people (like for instance my fiance). Go check it out! 

Something that's been on my to-do list for a while was to officially ask four special ladies to be my bridesmaids. So I got to it the other day. I had decided to make them little boxes with the question  as well as a few little gifts inside. I actually stole the idea from pinterest. It was a lot of work but also really enjoyable. I haven't been able to give the boxes to all of them yet as one stays in Capetown and one is currently in Europe but  the other two got their boxes and I think they felt the love :) 

Here are a few pics of my endeavor:

This project has also again made me aware of how much I enjoy crafts and how I really need to start that craft club some time soon... That's another thing on my list :)

Love,
Ms. V

In Retrospect: Oppikoppi

I know this is bad... I haven't posted anything in forever. The fact is, I wrote this blog post over a month ago but my internet on my PC was down so I couldn't upload it. So this is rather outdated now since Oppikoppi is over a month ago...but hey.

"Last weekend I was at Oppikoppi with my best friend. She’s already been twice but it was my first time – a crazy, fun, weird experience. Here are my top 10 tips for anyone planning to take on the Oppi experience next year (it will probably be a big one – 20 years of Oppikoppi!)

1) Arrive EARLY on the morning of the day when the bands start – we got there on Thursday at 9am and already it was a challenge to find a suitable camping site. I wouldn’t have wanted to arrive any bit later... And then leave early on the Sunday to avoid traffic.

2) Don’t just choose the first open spot to pitch your tent. Make sure that your campsite is not too far from the toilets since you will be making this walk (tent – toilet – tent) MANY times. Also scout out your neighbours. Do you like the music they are playing from their cars? You better, because you will be listening to it 24 hours a day. Also don’t loose your campsite! Many people wander around lost in the middle of the night – you DONT wanna be one of them. Remember which road you are on and remember obvious landmarks.

3) Make sure you have a comfortable, warm bed to crash on at the end of a long day. Take many blankets and (this is essential) a HOT WATER BOTTLE! Remember this means you need to bring a gas boiler and a kettle along. This is in any case useful since you should also...

4) Bring your own coffee. We did and there’s nothing better than a good cup in the morning – I hear the coffee they served there is pretty gross.

5) Be brave and take a shower every morning. The water is FREEZING but you will feel clean, energised and revitalised. Its best to go shower before 8am as the cues tend to be long thereafter.

6) Bring wet wipes! They are a lifesaver and can be used for everything from wiping the dust off your face, cleaning cutlery and wiping down your tent at the end of the weekend ;)

7) Learn a foreign language. It’s really useful to speak to your friends without other people understanding you.

8) Print out a schedule of who’s performing when. We didn’t do this and regretted it. An app with a schedule is available for your phone but you won’t always want to have your phone on you.

9) Bring cash to load onto your festival card. The cue to use cards to load the festival cards takes forever while the cue using cash is MUCH quicker.

10) ENJOY and be safe! Enjoy the music. Enjoy the food (waffles on a stick, pizza, stirfry, subs!). Enjoy the people-watching – do lots of it (it’s actually inevitable)."

I have a few more posts planned - hopefully I manage to put them up in the next days!

Love,

Ms V.

Now Playing: Matthew Mole - The Home We Built

I stumbled onto Matthew Mole when I saw he's performing at Oppikoppi this year. I liked what they wrote about him in the artist profile section [Matthew Mole expresses himself best through music. It drives him and that's why he is the person he is today.] and so I checked him out on YouTube - and I liked what i heard. 

Then today I read on twitter that Matthew's debut album 'The Home We Built', is number one on iTunes SA! This intrigued me so I decided to buy the album and I was totally rewarded :) Upbeat, laid-back folk music with a meaningful message! Matthew Mole describes himself as a 'musician, illustrator, worshipper, Christ follower' on his twitterpage [follow him @MatthewJMole] and all this is portrayed in 'The Home We Built'. The album cover is beautifully illustrated, his musical talent is very evident and he is unashamed of his faith, clearly speaking about what he believes in his lyrics. I'm impressed and I can't wait to see him perform at Oppi! 

Check him out and lets support awesome local talent :)

Love,

Ms V.