Inspi(Red)

It is well known that I am rather partial to the colour pink, but that being said, when it comes to RED, my fondness doesn’t lie all that far behind. There are moments where I become completely obsessed with red and the fondness comes out in expressions of wardrobe and accessories. After all, cherry red nail polish suits my colouring much more than pink - just easier to work with. Not to mention that my name here is Cherry Blossom…which for me conjures up glorious blood-red cherries and pretty pink blossom.

I am not sure where it all started. Maybe it was Dorothy's ruby slippers that caused all that trouble for her in the land of Oz.

Maybe it’s steeped in my own red-headed Scottish and Irish ancestry. Tori Amos’s visual words ‘Cherries in the Snow’ could have deepened this love. Japanese prints and Gwen Stefani’s lips-matched-finger-tips in 'Don't Speak' certainly have all played a part. My niece’s poufy red-tutu party dress. My first boyfriends presentation of a full bouquet of velvety red roses. A cozy winters night cuddled up with Husband and a glass of deep red wine definitely adds to the obsession.

But this latest burst of red in my life all started with a trip to Chanel. I still don’t own a Chanel hand bag, or even a pair of vintage two toned Chanel shoes (not for lack of trying mind you...) And so I decided that it was about time that I splashed out and bought not the Rimmel red at clicks, but the classic Chanel Red nail polish to kick off this winter season. My toes were rather charmed with this purchase, and so I ditched my usual french manicure on my hands for the fiery festivity too, and I have to say, it all looks amazing. Fun on my fingertips!

It was only a matter of time that the red toes and tips would graduate to something a little stronger, a little more dazzling, something that keeps the high just a little bit longer. Yes, I am speaking of shoes. Today I found these gorgeous red suede Mary-Janes that are perfect for all my (immediate) red obsessive needs! They are not too high, sturdy and comfy, and absolutely beautiful!

Of course the first thing I did when I got home was celebrate with a glass of pink bubbly. (Don’t worry, pink, you’re still my first love)

Love, lust and fairy-star-dust

Cherry Blossom

Topshop, or not to shop...

I went to the opening of the new Topshop store at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town today. This is the first time in my life that I have had to queue to get into a store! Not queue as in the new iPhone has just been released and people have been sleeping outside to be sure to get one before they are all gone. No, this was a different kind of queue all together. This queue was orchestrated.

The kind of queue that brought me back to my clubbing days, in fact. Loud thumping music emanating from within it's shiny mall-lit wondrous plains, luscious merchandise hanging on bright new hangers, all gloss and glam in the giant window displays, designed specifically to lure us queuers. You WANT to come in. You MUST come in. You will be BEAUTIFUL if you come in (and spend all your money). 

And I kid you not, there was a rope. All that was missing was a couple of broad shouldered bouncers at the door intimidating people as they waited their turn to be let in. They even had a door lady with a guest list! No they didn't, I'm only kidding, but they could have. The store security guard who let me in was dressed all in black and she had a spirally ear piece connecting her to the gods of consumerism, I can only imagine.

As I stood there amongst 30-at-any-given-time fashionista's, all adorned in the cool, the funky, and the fashionably comfy-cas(ual), I was transported to a movie moment in Sex And The City, in Confessions of a Shopoholic, feeling all mod and hip in my fab self for being there. One of them! One of the first. One of the privileged, the shopping chique, the girl with the LV on her arm.

I suspect the atmosphere had gotten to me. Yes brethren, I drank the coolaid.

There were cameras outside, reporters reporting, paparazziesque, capturing this momentous occasion, this New York moment on a Cape Town winters day. I was enthralled.

Even though I am fully aware of my own silly bamboozlement, I have to take my hat off to the cleverness of this 'event'. TopshopSA were truly crafty in the planning of the entire thing. Setting the all too familiar scene of an independent woman out for a night on the town, it created the perfect mood: Prowless on the Hunt; All the single ladies with one thing on their mind: The Perfect Match.

And that got me thinking. Shopping is a lot like dating. (especially when the store you are about to grace with your wallet has an actual DJ playing!) And as with all budding romances, there are a few key do’s and don’ts in meeting that one, lasting soul mate.

• Don't stop at first sighting.
• Don't accept anything just because it's pretty.
• Do look deeper to the inner stitching.
• Accept compliments, 'these jeans make my a$$ look great', 'that dress slims down my torso perfectly'...
• But don't make lasting decisions based on whimsical flirtations. The tantalizing. The tasseled.
• You are young. You are free. You may love those leather hotpants right now, but really, can they be taken home to meet the folks?
• Enjoy the glittery garments, but make sure they treat you right. No one wants to wake up with the remnants of last nights rhinestones undone and stuck to your smeared face. How well are they attached? Is it going to survive the first wash?
• Don't settle for second best.
• Don't short-sell yourself for a ‘here today gone tomorrow’ flash in the fashion pan.
• Do smile sweetly, and then hold out for that shy but impeccably tailored piece of style in the corner.
• ALWAYS have your way in the shoe department. Own it! Get those shoe elves to bring you your size in this, in that, heck in those too! Get your Twerk on, girl!
• Get giddy on the feeling of the sky scrapers. Enjoy your moment in the stratosphere.
• But even if the shoe fits, be wary of glued seams and nearly-leather look-a-likes.  
• Repeat after me: You don't want it just because she does.
• Be your own woman amongst the mannequins. Choose wisely through the intoxicating haze of freshly tagged skinny jeans. Take your time. Don’t rush. Try them all. Boycuts, bootlegs, high waists, glitter cuffs… 
• Do check out all their moves in the dressing room mirror.
• But above all else, do NOT go home alone!*

Of course we all make mistakes and what is the point of a credit card if you can’t buy the leopard onesie pajama suit and glitter kitty-cat ears?

Well played, TopShopSA. Well played

Love, lust and fairy-star-dust

Cherry Blossom

* OK so that last one only really applies to shopping, not dating.

Moderately Obsessed: Gym Edition

I have always been an advocate of healthy living. Fruit and veggies are a big part of my diet, water is still my favorite drink (even beats champagne, believe it or not), and I was never one of those people who had gym memberships purely for the medical aid benefits. My membership cards were swiped regularly because I actually went to the gym. Regularly.

I am currently doing ballet, I went through phases where I did a lot of yoga, sometimes I went to fun jumpity, kick boxy kinds of classes and I certainly know my way around the Elliptical.

But all things in moderation (except shoes and things that sparkle) (and fluffy stuff)

Even though I have been active and busy trying to stay healthy, I wouldn’t say I have ever been extremely fit. The idea of running marathons exhausts me and makes me feel like a cup of tea and a lie down. A nice climb up a mountain is something I will only do at my OWN pace thank you very much, and only if I can do it while stopping to smell the fynboss along the way. And anything that involves bikes? Oh HELL no.

But then I was introduced to something new by a friend. CROSSFIT. It’s gym, but on a whole new level! Said friend was pregnant at the time, and she still looked more amazing than me or most of my female friends. Her husband is a crossfitter too, and he looks more amazing than most of my male friends. So I took a good long look at them, and at this thing they call Crossfit, and realized, I want me a piece of that.

My current state of exercise was just not enough. I wanted to up my game, take it to the next level, and look more amazing than I have ever looked! I wanted to feel strong, not just healthy. Fit, not just skinny. And also, my baby making time is coming soon…I am going to need to be strong and healthy and ready for it! I can't be waking up late feeling all sluggish from that mid-week second glass of wine, putting off the morning walk on the promenade for an extra half hour in bed. I can’t be trying to get rid of a pizza bulge round my middle when I have bigger fish to fry: The dreaded baby weight. No, it was time for me to take it up a notch and get serious.

After all, if I don’t work on that six-pack now, when will I ever get there?

And so I joined Crossfit. WHAT a rush! The training is hard but so much fun. I didn’t expect to love it so much – after all, it still involves hard sweat – but something about the structure of it all, the people, the way we all work together and help encourage each other makes me enjoy the work outs immensely and actually look forward to going to gym. I would say I feel somewhat obsessed about it! I even jumped on board with their whole eating plan regime and now am fully converted to eating a ZONE based diet. (well, 80% zone at any rate)

Now don't get me wrong. All things in moderation. I have started off slowly, with 2 to 3 workouts a week. I'm more newbee than ninja, and so need to scale a lot of my work outs, meaning I do my push-ups from my knee's and my version of a 'toes-to-bar' is a 'knees-to-chest'. But to be able to do a hand-stand push-up one day? Yea, that would be pretty awesome. Plus, I got to go shopping for a new pair of shoes, 'specially designed for Crossfit :)

This week, 2 months into Crossfitting, I hit my first real achievement. It's called a PB (personal best) and I did my first PB of a weight noteworthy enough to get included on the board with all the other names. Up till now my weights have been too low. But yesterday, even though my PB was the lowest one scored on the board, it was still the highest I personally have ever scored! Hence PB :) I did a 42.6kg back squat - which is more than double my last attempt! (last time I only got to 19kgs) This on top of doing 96 lunges, 60 V-ups, skipping, and a bunch of other stuff. So I feel pretty good about myself right now, and pretty on track to getting that proverbial six-pack before baby!

I do, however, also feel pretty stiff and sore, and have not been able to walk normally all day ;)

Love, lust and fairy-star-dust

Cherry Blossom

*pictures taken from the Cape Crossfit Facebook page