summer wishlist

Although we are already full swing into the summer heat, it's never be too late to post a few items that I want for my closet this summer.

1. Hooded Poncho
A poncho is great to throw over whatever you're wearing in the evening if it gets slightly chilly, which is generally not the case here in Durban but is definitely a useful item for breezy Cape Town evenings. It's effortlessly chic & minimal which I love.

2. Halterneck Pleat Dress
I love love love this halter neck dress. The pleats make it so pretty and whimsical - perfect for twirling around. Paired with some wedges and statement earrings, it's my favourite kind of summer chic that can be worn either day or night.

3. White fringed dress
This dress is just one of those cute, casual dresses that can be worn on any kind of summer day. I love dresses like this that are not too tight as it's much more comfortable to wear as you're not pulling and tugging at it all day ensuring you're not exposed.

4. Denim dungarees
Whether you call them dungarees or overalls, this is a want that is at the absolute top of my list. Dungarees are the most versatile pieces of clothing that can essentially be worn all year around. For summer, my ideal would either be wearing a crop top or a printed tee underneath it.

5. Striped jumpsuit
Jumpsuits are another piece of summer clothing that are so fun & easy to wear because it can usually be worn by itself but you can always pair this jumpsuit with a statement bangle and some heels for a dressier look.

6. Slim White Jeans
I would normally not touch any pair of jeans in this heat but for some reason white jeans are so summery and appealing in this weather. For me, they're extremely dangerous as I know by the end of the day they will not be clean. Nevertheless, I am willing to risk it paired with a loosely fitted white shirt and a pop of colour in either my make-up or jewellery.

I realised that the colour scheme of my wishlist is very neutral but all these items I would definitely pair with some brighter colours so that it's not all a washout - bright and chic are two adjectives that can be synonymous right? 

Glitterati

I'm a firm believer in all things glittery and sparkly, especially in make-up or on nails. It's the easiest and most effective way to add some fun to your wardrobe. So to add some festive fun this month I went for this gold glitter nail polish which I absolutely love - I'm that person who gets distracted by their painted nails and this is my favourite distraction so far.

There are so many other ways to add glitter or sparkle to your wardrobe, especially in your make-up look. Byrdie posted a wonderful article on how to incorporate glitter into your make-up.  Below are some of my favourite looks from the article & from Pintrest that I'm waiting for an occasion to try out. Most of the glitter is in the eye make-up but sparkle can very easily be included in your wardrobe in the form of sequinned or embellished wonders. Glam never quite goes out of style. 

nails: Morgan Taylor Glitter and Gold
images: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

December in Durban

Having the whole summer holiday ahead of you in your hometown can seem dauntingly boring, however, I am determined to explore more of this city. I say determined because I know more often then not my sloth tendencies take over and hours of afternoons can pass by potato-ing on the couch. I like to think my saying this on the Internet will force me to be less sloth.

I digress, here's my list of things I'd like to do/explore/see this summer:


Promenade Bike Rides:
For as long as the revamped promenade has been around, I haven't cycled along it. This time it shall  happen. Bike rides can always be so whimsical.

Indoor ice-rink:
Hot weather calls for cool places and floating on ice always provides some entertainment.

Markets:
From the iHeart Market to the Shongweni's Farmer Market, Saturday mornings are made for markets and yummy food (if not for sleeping in)

Mini-Town:
Only because I like to feel tall once in a while and heels aren't always as fun.

Beaches:
Basically Durban at it's best - need I say more?

Exploring new & different dining and coffee spots:
Tea (& food in general) is always the best idea.

Beachfront amusement park:
Merry-go-rounds & fun rides never get old.

Yoga by the beach:
It just sounds very movie-like but will probably prove to be hot & sticky in this humidity.


Seeing the city in a different way:
As cliched as it sounds, seeing the city through the eyes of a tourist can be refreshing.

 So this is my mini-list of things I may or may not do this December. I plan to update the blog with all the adventures if the bustling holiday crowds don't test my patience.

For now,  here's some Mindy.

 

What are some of your fav summer activities? xo

mindy

relax & unwind

With this term being a particularly stressful term with a lot of studying coming up (or so I'd like to lead myself to believe), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some of my ways to relax and unwind amidst waves of stress and being buried under piles of books.

First things first, make yourself a steamy cup of tea - tea is literally like my safe place; it's like a hug in a cup.

Okay now that you've successfully made tea to your taste - some like it milky, some like it not quite black with two drops of milk - you can move onto my next step.

This next step for me involves either a) switching on the TV or b) in most cases my laptop and surfing the interwebbles.

My go-to interweb sites are firstly YouTube and catching up on all my subscriptions - there's generally a dailygrace or two to watch and a couple of vlogs there too along with the normal youtuber videos.

Secondly i open up facebook but if I'm not in the mood to be annoyed by the people I kinda met this one time. then i open up pintrest and play house and fashionista by repinning all these beautiful looking photos. But I tend not to open weheartit, it's hopelessly too soppy, self-piteous and teenage dream (most of the time anyway) for my liking.

Once I'm done catching up on these two important sites in between the sips of tea i move onto series. Series is another way to get lost for a couple hours - some prefer books, which I don't mind but series is my calling. 

Thankfully it's October which means a lot of the series that I watch are premiering this month - just in time to help me procrastinate studying for exams (jokes, mom).

What are your favourite ways to relax and de-stress? Have a great week! xo

Happy Friday!

It's the weekend at last, this week feels like it dragged fooo' sure. This week was mildly uneventful although yesterday was October 3rd and the Mean Girls world imploded and it was a very grand day quoting Mean Girls (not that I don't do that on a daily basis anyway - totes relatable, I mean "get in loser we're going shopping" who doesn't use that in everyday life??)

I digress. Looking forward to another chilled weekend and procrastinating hopefully getting myself organised for the upcoming exams and what not. I am also loving getting back in the blogging groove.

Have a suuuper fab weekend all. xx

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C'est une citation.

We all have those days where we would rather just hide under the duvet for the day and so this is just a little motivation quote for those days because sometimes you just got to fake it till you make it.

What do you think? xo

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I like them 80s movies.

So this year I've fallen in love with everything to do with old movies - especially 80s and 90s movies.

I love the naïveté of the characters and the simplicity of the times in the high school movies compared to teenhood today. It just really and truly makes me happy. Before you jump ahead - no I do not wish I was a teen in the 80s, truly. I'm pretty sure I was born in the right era because I can't imagine being a teen without internet. 

So I thought I'd just give you a list of my favourite golden oldies that I will never get tired of, it's not quite a top ten but it's close. 

1. The Breakfast Club

This movie is one of my all time favs and I will never get tired of - don't you wish that you could go to detention and come out with new friends and a boyfriend? 

2. 10 things I hate about you

Yes, yes it's not an 80s movie but it's still an oldie and a classic. I first watched this movie whilst on exchange and I recently rewatched it and loved it all over again - how can you not love her poem in the end and of course Heath Ledger? 

3. Dirty Dancing

One of the cutest love stories there is. If you didn't feel utter joy when they could do the lift in the end then there is a problem. 

4. Sixteen Candles

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others but it's still one of my favourite oldies. It follows the story of a girl on her sixteenth birthday where her family has forgotten about her birthday and even worse the boy she has a crush on doesn't know she exists - imagine how horrible that must be.

5. Footloose 

Now before you say that you've watched this one you better not be talking about the 21st century remake. The original version is much much better - surprise surprise. I find it more sincere and believable and it just suits the time better having it set in that decade (the 80s) rather then today. 

6. Dead Poets Society 

I forgot how sad and heartwarming this movie was until I rewatched it recently. The movie follows the lives of boarding school boys whose lives are changed by a new English teacher. It is such a well-written story about following your passion and not following convention and tradition for the sake of it.

7. Pretty in Pink
This is one of those really bad 80s movies you can't help but love and find entertaining. Another Molly Ringwald movie where Andie finds herself in a bit of a love triangle and she has to choose between a sweet rich boy and a childhood friend.

8. Some Kind of Wonderful
I found this movie to be very similar to Pretty in Pink but the gender roles are reversed where Keith asks out a popular girl unbeknown to him that his tomboy best friend has a huge crush on him. If I had to choose my favourite between Pretty in Pink and this one - Some Kind of Wonderful would get my vote because I found it cuter and my heart melted more at the end of this one than at the end of Pretty in Pink, that's a very good indication right?

That's my list - it's not a very long list but out of all the 80s movies I've watched so far, these are my fav. It's a lot of John Hughes and quite the Molly Ringwald overload. 

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. What are your favourite golden oldies? xx

Images: the breakfast club, 10 things I hate about you, dirty dancing, sixteen candles, footloose, dead poets society, pretty in pink, some kind of wonderful