The Fresh Prince Reunites

"Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down. And I liked to take a minute, just sit right there. I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air."

Sadly, I'm not quite sure if we can be friends if you can't finish the rest of this catchy tune. The Fresh Prince of Bell Air has got to be one of the most celebrated TV shows of all time - who can resist Will Smith in brightly coloured orange pants and that never-ending afro haircut?

A few members of the cast recently reunited on The Graham Norton Show for a little dance party. And, we all know that it isn't a party of Carlton isn't pulling out the moves! I just wish Uncle Phil could have been there to kick Will & Jazz into the pond. 

Crushin' in the supermarket

In my mind, I'm pretty damn cool. But, in reality I'm the kind of girl who trips up the stairs when I'm rushing to watch a re-run of Keeping Up With The Kardashians (yes, you all have full permission to disown me now).

I've fallen down the stairs at Caprice. I've had my dress rip down the back - I was a little too enthusiastic while bending down. Oh, and did I mention the time that a squirrel attempted to attack me in Company Gardens?

Yes, I'm that girl. So, it really came as no surprise when I came across the object of my inner affections today, at exactly the wrong moment. I was innocently standing in the queue at the Wellness Center, stuffing my face with almonds, when I turned around to see Janez Vermeiren from Top Billing standing behind me. I had almond flakes falling down my face. Cool. 

Just my luck. Damn you Murphy and your pointless law.

This is me mindlessly eating in the queue.

What happened in my head when I saw Janez

What I proceeded to do.

What I wanted to do

    How I felt about the almonds falling down my face

I'm so cool when I retreat with my pride intact

Sunday Perfection?

..Because Hipsters Don't Lie

Breathe in some Bree Street and you will have been introduced to Cape Town's favourite hipster-watching spot. I love Bree Street. I'm a little bit obsessed with the curved paths, the whiff of coffee permeating through the air and the occasional pretty boy staring at his own reflection. 

I don't know how many synonyms I could use to convey my deep infatuation with this laid-back, free-thinking and stylish route of imagination. To me, Bree Street is like my very own yellow brick road - you discover what you want to see, or rather what your inner creative desires. 

For an insanely great cup of coffee, try Jason Bakery. I often find myself gazing into the hatch at Jason Bakery, resisting the urge to take a swipe at the array of croissants and pastries on offer. Instead, I adopt the cool kid's morning routine - sipping on a really good cup of Deluxe Coffeeworks coffee! This place really knows how to wake a kid up, between all the caffeine and morning chatter. 

I've heard their bacon croissants are pretty good too - sadly, I don't eat bacon, and I like Babe way too much to ever sway.

This is me after a cup of Jason's coffee

Frost yourself at Lady Cupcake. I really believe that I was a professional cupcake eater in my last life, which is why you'll often find me drooling over pretty creations from Lady Cupcake. The flavours vary from smooth red velvet, to a hint of spice with chili chocolate and to an outrageous bacon, cinnamon and maple cupcake. Plus, they cover happy hour too - pina colada or beer cupcakes anyone? 

Americans do lots of things right (think Honey Boo Boo & deep fried chocolate), but there are certain things that they do great - like, Clarkes Bar and Dining Room. They serve up classic American fare in huge portions, which makes this spot perfect for a hungry heart like mine. They make a mean meaty burger, magical cheesy fries and decadent french toast topped with nutella, ricotta and pecans - so I suggest that you ditch the diet, when you feel like taking in their authentic American hipster vibe. Their tagline is 'we got food, we got liquor, we got music'. Enough said.

Get dressed up for a date with a potent drink at Orphanage Cocktail Emporium. The name is rather awful, and there aren't any Oliver Twist types - but there are lots of yummy concoctions, and a decadent interior that allows you to pretend that you're at party thrown by Jay Gatsby himself. This place is pretty damn beautiful, and is devoid of the binge-drinking that often accompanies a 'quiet stroll on Long Street'. Plus, they have a cocktail called 'Daddy Warbucks' - rum, lime, ginger beer, almond & rose water syrup - that I intend on having the next time I pop by.

Work the Trench

Sleek & sophisticated in Winter? Nothing conveys Winter fashion quite like a classic trench coat - keep warm and avoid the bulked up package, which often comes with one-layer-too-many.

Just remember what your general body shape is! I never followed this key point, which I suppose is why trench coats used to make me feel like I had drowned in an oversized tent. Now that I've learnt that I'm a pear (N.B. I hate pears with a passion), it's been far more fun dressing up in something warm and fuzzy.

Girl Crush of the Week

Harley Viera Newton. Her names sounds like she was born from a line of Brazilian royalty, but she's really just an American model & DJ signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation. 

This girl epitomizes the rationale behind "music and fashion going hand in hand", which is actually more like a stunning stroll down the runway in Harley's world. Music inspires fashion. Fashion inspires music. They feed off each other like addicts on crack; inspiring each other like translucent lovers.  

Harley is the official DJ for House of Dior, a beauty ambassador for the brand and an all-round style icon. Plus, she admits to sipping on whiskey ginger ales and vodka pineapples in her spare time - I have no idea what those are, but they sound damn delicious, and I want in on the fun too. 

Blue Carpets & Wagging Tongues

It was the customary 'Taylor Swift wins everything' night at the Billboard Music Awards - this girl seriously knows what she's doing in the fashion and music stakes. Hate her or love her, but you can't deny her adorkable talent for slating ex's and looking absolutely ravishing wherever she goes.

Taylor Swift

My other favourite look for the night came from Selena Gomez who looked stunning in a neon & white Versace number.

Selena Gomez

Miley Cyrus was quite memorable in an edgy Balmain jumpsuit - this paired perfectly with her new hairstyle & red lips. If you're going to channel your inner rebel than you might as well go all out!

Miley Cyrus

My not-so-faves: What were they thinking??

Madonna

Kesha

Avril Lavigne & Chad Kroeger

David Guetta & wife

Baffling Bieber

Justin Bieber seems to cause a stir wherever he goes these days - let's start at the beginning.

The boy is rich. He can afford to buy good style, right? Instead, he chose to wonder around on stage in a jacket missing a sleeve & leather pants that resembled some sort of skirt. 

Perhaps, the audience was criticizing his poor outfit choice when they decided to boo him when he received the fan-voted Milestone Award. I thought that this was pretty harsh and immature coming from a room full of creative individuals -Biebs might be going through a rough patch in terms of his personal choices, but you have to give him credit for being one heck of a talented performer.

Biebs went on to say the following during his acceptance speech: "Basically from my heart I really just want to say it really should be about the music. It should be about the craft that I'm making. This is not a gimmick, and I'm an artist, and I should be taken seriously." Getting defensive perhaps?

Backstage Action? Taylor Swift sticks out her tongue in disgust when she sees pal Selena & boyfriend Bieber get cosy backstage.

Flapper Girls & Dapper Looking Boys

"All right...I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool -that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." 

- The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is my darling of literary classics. Demure women enveloped by feathers and masculine protocols. Smoke. Delicate headgear. The Noveau rich. Decadence. Any excuse to break the rules while flaunting all the pretty things that money can buy you. 

You simply have to throw on the most expensive clothing that you own, head out to one of Cape Town's growing number of pretentious clubs, and you might just begin to understand the obsession that intellectuals have with The Great Gatsby.  

"Another shot of Patron please. Put it on my tab."

The self-made man walks our streets with the swag of a gentleman, who is adorned with the sweet smell of power, and the vulnerability of someone who doesn't quite know whether he's in or out. So, what does he do? He force feeds his wealth on elite dance floors, filled with people who are too vacant to interpret his behaviour as anything more than just a 'good time'. This is Gatsby. 

We buy shots of intoxication for people we don't know, because our insecurities dictate that acceptance is attained if you reel society in with beautifully painted wads of cash. It's the curse of the glitz, glamour and pseudo-charms of an inner world that is far too occupied with staying on top. 

Wild parties and bad behaviour. You only live once.

Or, perhaps it's an obsession with love? 

Gatsby desperately wanted to charm delicate Daisy with his epic soirees and decadent world - he desired her, wanted her - she was a drifting soul that would complete his world. We're all searching for love in this club, aren't we? 


The Great Gatsby is as relevant today as it was yesterday. A timeless tale that will never go out of fashion, until love does.