Moois & Meer {feature + giveaway}

Simply (although not shortly) translated, Moois & Meer Coterie means “All That Is Pretty & More, made by persons with a common purpose”. One look at their online anthology and you will clearly see that the two brains behind Moois & Meer Coterie - Marnhe and Anelda - who are also cousins, have an eye for the alluring and that they share a passion for the fanciful and unique. Something just had to be done, and thus started thier venture on 21 February, 2012.

"Our desire is to create unique, whimsical and nostalgic keepsakes for all those romantic at heart," says Anelda, who combines her previous Gauteng retail experience with an unusual flair for coaxing silver into magnificent pieces of keepsakes.

As fulltime graphic designer and experienced business owner, Marnhe manages and drives the business from the Cape Town studio. "Moois & Meer Coterie wants to keep alive the things that remind us of a time gone by, those that help us dream of a future full of beauty and promise, those that trigger the senses to relive memories almost forgotten and to build a happy future" the ladies say.

Moois & Meer Coterie stocks Simply Sterling silver jewellery, including Simplicity – their basic range with no additional materials – only sterling silver – simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; the Pebble range; the Desert Rose range, which includes semi-precious stones and Kant & Klaar – the vintage range made with sterling silver, resin & lace and available upon request.

But the company also dabbles in making beautiful clothing for little girls and ready-to-wear outfits for ladies. The Sun House just had to know more about this captivating brand.

1. How did you start and how long have you been doing this?
Anelda: We started half out of necessity, half out of a lust for adventure and exploring the unknown. Two and a half years and never looked back.

Marnhe: This combination (of necessity & adventure) gives us a unique drive to carry on and enjoy the moment.

2. What sort of products do you make? Do you also provide services?

Anelda: For the most part we offer products. Some of our jewellery can be personalised, like for instance the Pebble range on which one can have a name or short phrase stamped.

Marnhe: What adds dimension to our offering is the special occasion flower girl dresses and womens clothing range designed and made by my mom, Magda Grové. She is actually a wedding gown couturier, so her exquisite expertise really shows in these products.

Aslo in the pipeline (from the beginning, really) is a stationary and gifts category. This branch has not yet been fully developed or launched, but we’re hoping it will come to life in the near future. 

3. Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

Anelda: I suppose like most artists I am inspired by what I see and what speaks to my spirit, what I am able to understand and relate to. Boy, that sounds fuzzy... Nature inspires me immensely. I've had most (actually probably all) of my ideas when I was in a quietplace and surrounded by nature and life. Simplicity inspires me a great deal also. I love how the most genius ideas and designs and inventions are usually the most simplistic in nature.

Marnhe: By looking, perceiving, taking in everything, everywhere. Drawing a quick sketch of an idea. Isolating shapes in waves or leaves or patterns and fabrics. Our creations aren’t normally very flamboyant or way-out. It is an honest reflection of both our personal journeys and of what speaks to us at our respective stages in life.

Keeping track of trends is not very high on our priority list in terms of inspiration – we do take note of trends (it is impossible not to, what with the oh-so-addictive-pinterest), but we try not to let it dictate our style or designs. We have discovered that we need (as in it is imperitive for the existence of Moois & Meer) to stay true to ourselves even if that means not being ‘on trend’. Luckily, design and beauty is subjective, so the sky is the limit.

4. What are some of the challenges of being your own boss?

Anelda: Self-discipline and shutting down. It is a paradox, really. In the end I think they balance each other out, as long as you keep a firm grip on both (and yourself)

Marnhe: What she said.

5. How do you perceive the South African creatives/design landscape?

Anelda: Sjoe, that's a difficult one. In general, from what I've seen, we South Africans mostly seem to stick to what inspires and motivates us. We love what is beautiful and colourful and loud. We express ourselves with passion, no matter what the medium. And in that there seems to be an inexhaustible amount of genius and variety. I think it has a lot to with our general sense of innovation. Also, I think it works to our advantage that we are geographically so far removed from the "center of the world"(Europe & US). We stand out just because we are who we are and we do what we love.

6. What is your favourite colour/ material to work with, and why?

Anelda: I enjoy working with silver. Its colour draws me, no matter the finish. It's fun working with gold just to mix things up from time to time, but in all my years I have never gotten tired of or bored with being a silversmith. I think it's because of the simplistic elegance of silver.

Marnhe: Being a graphic designer, I mainly work on the computer. Soooo... I guess I can say that my favourite programme to work with is InDesign & Photoshop. But when it comes to doing things with my hands, it’s the mix that has the magic. Collage style, mixed media – there’s no limit. From scraps of paper, to string, lace. Give me a glue gun and I’m sold.

7. What would you do if you won the lotto?

Anelda: All the boring stuff, I suppose. Buy a Jaguar, buy a house on the West Coast or around Clarens or somewhere breathtakingly beautiful. And travel for 3 months straight.

Marnhe: Travel non-stop and set up a mobile studio to work from my boat/plane/bus/train.

8. Where to from here?

Anelda: I honestly don't know. I'm a terrible long-term planner. I mostly live in the moment of the day, the week, or the month at most. I do know we are aiming to set up at least one showroom cum studio within the next year or two, and whatever happens in and around that will be part of the adventure

Marnhe: I’m strung a little differently – I inadvertently think about these things. About where to, why, how, what. It helps me to see purpose and stay driven. Concrete plans are not yet visible, but we have a vision and a few ideas up our sleeves...

9. What has been your proudest moment since you started?

Anelda: This is where living in the moment makes things difficult for me; I tend to forget the past... a definite milestone was being accepted into Kamers Vol Geskenke in 2012, our birth year. For us it was a fantastic launchpad, and validated all the months of hard work leading up to the event, as well as inspiring us to new heights. To me this journey and business has been a succession of little milestones and triumphs and lessons and highlights, all inextricably part of me personally as well as professionally. I am just proud to call Moois & Meer Coterie my baby, however small she may be.

Marnhe: Today. And tomorrow it will be that day. And yesterday it was yesterday. Everyday moment for me. I think we have come a long way, but we’ve still got so much to learn.

Find them on these social networks
Facebook:    www.facebook.com/MooisenMeer
Twitter:    http://www.twitter.com/Moois_
Pinterest:        http://www.pinterest.com/mooisenmeer
Instagram:    http://instagram.com/mooisenmeer

Now for the fun part! To stand a chance of winning a R200 voucher for the Moois & Meer Online Shop, simply click on the picture below,  like their facebook page and share this post with your friends! 

For those on twitter, simply tweet the following:

I want to win a R200 online shop voucher with @waitingformeg and @Moois_ http://waitingformeg.blogspot.com

Edit: Please comment below so that I can keep track of your entries.

Cute last minute halloween costume ideas

Hellooo lovelies! So, I have a dillema - I've been invited to a halloween party, but halloween isn't really a thing in South Africa - we don't really celebrate it, me the least as I have my own views on it, but now that it's a dress up party and it falls on the traditional date of the US halloween, well ja, I have no idea what to do or what to wear.

So, I snooped around and found some pretty freaking cute halloween costumes to try out. While I would love to do a couple's look, ie the girl and boy from Moonrise Kingdom, my individualist husband wants to do his own thing. But I haven't planned anything yet. So here are some last minute ideas I think I might try - it remains to be seen :)

If you are looking for something cutesy and fun, these bokkie tutorials are quick and easy ways to dress up your face. I really love the Bambi look and I think it is too cute. // Left // Right

If you are into cartoons and have a beloved character - my husband likes to call me Gretchen from Recess, especially if I wear big glasses - then you should dress up as your favourite one. I think Minnie Mouse is pretty cute, while Darryl nailed the Velma look from Scooby Doo.




 But, if you are a little more skilled with the make-up brush and would try a more intense, 'difficult' look, these sugar skulls are the look to try. I love the story behind sugar skulls, even though they creep me out a little bit. // Left // Right

Lastly, if you follow the Mean Girls rule of "In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it" then a little more daring outfit is a definite must. Find your shortest dress and pop on some bunny ears and voila, your all halloweene'd up.

Kantine Deluxe {Berlin}

Choosing a restaurant for lunch in Berlin is tricky; no, near impossible. With ample cafés, five-star restaurants and food stalls on every corner of the old {or as my bike tour guide said: young in terms of European standards} city, I walked around the city centre for almost an hour before deciding on a perfect little lunch spot, Kantine Deluxe.

I chose this particular restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, as the restaurant looked reasonable in price, and I chose it because its look and feel reminded me of home; like a trendy restaurant from Parkhurst has been transplanted in the centre of Berlin. 

And while its menu was far removed from the typical South African Sunday lunch of rys, vleis and aartappels, I still enjoyed having my first official currywurst here, accompanied by a delicious peppermint tea and the BEST panna cotta I have ever tasted. I was not disappointed, as it was quite filling. I would not need to eat for the next few hours after this lunch, and when you are hopping from tour to tour, there is little time for meals.

The restaurant, which is located on Spandauer Strasse, about 450 m from the famous Alexander Platz - the transport hub in the Mitte district, as well as the home of the TV tower and a couple of famous churches and fountains - was opened in April this year. It already features in the top 50 of almost 6 000 restaurants in Berlin on TripAdvisor.

Restaurant manager Alexandros Psifidis - from Greece, but fluent in German - told me that the decor of the restaurant truly reflects its name and idea of a cantine. "We are deluxe in our look and feel, but we are a cantine in the sense that our order system is electronic and you collect the food yourself. The exposed ceiling, with the pipes showing, also lends to this industrial feel of a cantine. But, the tables, the bar, our moss wall and our lighting gives that deluxe feel."

Married for an ENTIRE year

I think congratulations are in order. Congratulations to my husband for not killing me in the last year and congratulations to me not going entirely crazy in the first year - which is supposed to be the HARDEST year. All jokes aside, we celebrated our first year wedding anniversary this weekend and I could not have asked for a better life partner.

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Dear Flip,

I'm finding it difficult to write how this year has changed me. Changed you. Changed us both. For the better, for the stronger, for life. Marriage has taught me so much about acceptance, letting be, letting go and forgiveness. Marriage has taught me about unconditional love, even if it means staying up till 2 am and arguing - because, you know, you're not allowed to go to bed angry. 

The only way I could think of writing about our marriage was to quote from my wedding speech, but I can't even find that. I am at a loss for words to say how much I love you.

Yes, I will probably always moan about the Grand Prix, but then I know I can at least watch an hour or two of Keeping up with the Kardashians without a single whinge from you. You're good at compromise, better than I am. I will learn to compromise like you. 

Yes, we are both home bodies and there are the odd days where one of us wants to go out, but the other doesn't. I promise, one day, we will both feel like going out at the same time. 

Yes, I will always try and push you off the couch and off the bed, steal the blankets, hog the dogs, eat all the chips, chocolate and popcorn, but when I am doing those things, I am in a zombified state. Yet, you still love me, even when you are shivering cold and have to use your arms as coverage.

Yes, you will always drive me nuts with your crazy made-up songs, your silly jokes, your whistling and your inclination to tickle me, pick me up and carry me around when I'm trying to cook, or get dressed, be all up in my face when I'm trying to get ready for work - but the minute you are not around, I miss all of those things. 

Even though we don't get each others' love language, I can say that we are each others' love language. It's the little things that outsiders don't understand, that they find weird and perhaps demeaning, that make us work. Even though there are many uncertainties in our future, we are each others' certainty. You are where I can confide, and where I can find confidence. You are where I can let go of all my negativity, and in return only find positivity.

Thank you for being the beautiful face I get to wake up to every day, and thank you for loving my face, even though you wake up to me every morning - matted hair, raccoon eyes, crazy left-over breath. You are my all. You are my best.

Forever yours,

Megan

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Berlin Bike Tour

Listen, the best way to travel in Berlin is not by tram, bus or train, which is both expensive {unless you abuse the system, which you shouldn't do, and which I totally didn't} and super confusing to work out, but by bicycle! I recently spent a five-day stint in the city of bloggers, artists and parliament.

On my first day in the city, I used all trains, taxis, trams and buses and by the time I reached my destination, I was so overwhelmed that I just cried non-stop. The S-bahn and U-bahn gets easier as you go along, but then - as soon as you get off - you still have to navigate the streets. Let me tell you something, one kilometer in Berlin is a communist kilometer! You end up walking five kilometers, even though the map indicates just one. The city's layout is confusing as heck for a first timer. Here in Joburg, if someone tells you that something is one kilometer that way, it is literally one kilometer in a straight line that way. Berlin, well Berlin isn't. 

So, I decided that as I had a Berlin Pass, which was about R1800 for two days - but includes free trips and museum entrances and many other things - I would make use of a bike trip with Fat Tire Bike Tours. I had a number of options, but chose the All-in-One City Tour. Best decision I could have made while in the city. Believe me, it is just the best way to travel. 

Our trip started on the Sunday afternoon at 16:00, with Andrew as our tour guide. Now in SA, the sun starts setting not long after that in autumn, but in Berlin autumn - albeit a bit chilly - the sun only really started shining then and shone until 7ish. Our tour lasted well into the night, and I made some solid friends - two New Zealanders named Sam and Angeline - while on the tour.

The tour takes you to see all of the most important landmarks in the city - great, if you do not want to walk yourself to death! - and included highlights such as the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, The Wall, Museum Island and a break in a beer garden, in the middle of Tiergarten, the huge park in the middle of the city.

Our tourguide, Andrew, was like google on wheels and gave so much insight into the history of the city and all of the sites we saw. For history afficionados, like me, it was a real treat. And even when we peppered him with questions, he was still so well prepared to answer them.

The great thing is that you can also rent a bike for about 10 euros a day - or R150 - and explore the city on your own. This is only advisable if you do not mind getting lost or treading far.

The next day, I met up with Angeline and Sam (the New Zealanders) and did just that. Angeline was born in South Africa, but her parents moved to NZ when she was 9 years old. However, she still speaks Afrikaans, so we spent the whole day chatting away, while poor Sam understood little more than asseblief and dankie.

TOP TIP: The Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road, so you have to check yourself when riding your bike. Are you on the correct side of traffic and are you in the wrong bike lane {or on pedestrian territory}? I got many foul scowls from German pedestrians because I was not in my lane. It can be very confusing.

Also, if you hear a cling cling cling coming from behind you, it means "Get the hell out of my way!". All the bikes have little bells on them that warn people that they are about to get hit by a bike. People also don't seem to like when you ring your bike bell out of enthusiasm. In Germany, it is strictly about business. Don't be the girl or boy who cried bike bell - you will get such awful looks.

A weekend in Irene

The best way to describe the Irene Country Lodge is as an escape from the city, in the city -  a breakaway from your home. Irene has long held a special place in my heart, it is one of the suburbs I covet, and would love to live in. It reminds me of the English countryside, with its diary farm, stretching green lawns and rock walls.

We were greeted by the friendly receptionist and lead out onto a veranda, where we were not only treated the most beautiful sunset, but also some delicious cocktails. It was hard to believe that, while sipping on our cocktails and listening to the birds settle for the night, we were only an hour's drive from our house, and not even nearly out of the city. In fact, we were almost smackbang in the middle of Centurion.

After cocktails, we were invited to a buffet dinner, served by a culinary school's students. Although the food was not the greatest I've ever had, owing to my prawns being undercooked and Flip's calamari having the same sad affliction, the pudding more than made up for it. Honestly, it did not disappoint.

I love, but love meringue and the mine meringue bites were just perfect and the right amount of crunchy and sweet. I wished that I could eat all of them! I would definitely recommend the Irene Country Lodge for a high-tea, bridal shower or baby shower as the desserts were out of this world. We both had a caramel mousse tart and I had a bite of Flip's chocolate mousse tart. Listen, I'm not saying it was similar to a very loud scene from When Harry met Sally, but it was clearly audible how much we enjoyed these puddings. Eye-closing moments.

They are also relaunching their menu on the 25th of October, with something foodies like to call a molecular gastronomic menu. I am excited to see what that is all about.

The lodge recently refurbished their rooms and we had this huge bed waiting for us after dinner. While we missed out on our complimentary spa treatment because of time constraints from our side, just thinking about plunging into the bed after a looong hot bath was therapy enough for me. I had also just returned from Berlin {I will still post about that, promise} and had a little bit of jet lag, so I just wanted to have a relaxing night in. But, for the more hyped-up ones, there are several clubs, bars and trendy restaurants in the area to enjoy a night out. Having a night cap at the lodge was the better option for me though.

What I liked: the room was big and oh so beautiful! I also loved the big bath. The property is stunning, I love the out-of-city feel it provided, perfect for a little weekend getaway.

What I didn't like: the fact that the food was a let down; we were also invited to enjoy a picnic for lunch and was told to arrive at the hotel at 12:00 to pick it up. We arrived, was kept waiting for 45 min and then told that the picnic basket was taken to the dairy farm and that we had to collect it there. When we arrived at the dairy farm, the managers had no knowledge of the picnic baskets and said that we must pick it up from the hotel. This confusion just really let me down and I threw in the towel, not even worrying about the picnic and the delicious food it might have contained.

The next morning, after a lofty breakfast, we visited the Irene Dairy Farm, which is only about 500 m down the road from the lodge. I love cows and wish I could have a dairy farm. While other people might think it is gross to have a cow lick you up and down, I loved it! Their tongues are actually quite raspy, like a cat's tongue, did you know?

We also spent the rest of the day snooping around at the Irene Village Market, which is about 1 km from the lodge and said hi to my grandma, who lives in GEM Village close to the market.

For a weekend spent in the city, this was quite the treat!

You can find the Irene Country Lodge on Nelmapius Road, Irene, Centurion. Make a booking by phoning them on 012 667 6464 or visit their website // Our stay was sponsored by African Pride Hotels.

Applying nail polish 101

I am the worst girl ever. I somehow missed the boat on hair braiding and also didn’t pay attention in class when nail polish application was mentioned.

For me, applying the perfect coat of nail polish on my fingernails is like asking someone in a weelchair to stand up – impossible. (Except if you’re Kanye, then anything is possible). So here are my (entirely tongue-in-cheek) tips to not suck at being a girl, or applying nail polish.

1. Get a manicure

Honestly, the best way to ensure that your nails absolutely don’t suck is to have it done by a professional. They have been trained to do it, so if you can fork out the money to make your talons look extra pretty, I’d say that this is the best and easiest option. Unless you are squeamish like me. I find manicures to be very painful and I HATE it when they have to file your nails. HATE it. (Totally suck at being a girl)

2. Don’t do anything for a few hours

Unless you have those super quick drying nail polishes that cannot smudge, just don’t move for a couple of hours. I have pink nailpolish on my teeth today, because I smudged a nail and stuck it in my mouth to smooth it out. This is why it might be better to do your nails in the evening while watching tv and doing nothing else. Or just go to a nail salon.

3. Paint outside the lines

Listen, if you are not to worried about this, paint outside the lines. Paint your nails in the evening and go crazy with that polish. The next morning, in the bath or shower, just {trying to think of a nicer word, but can’t} scratch the polish off from the sides of your fingers. If you managed not to smudge your nails, it should look perfect.

4. Use a nail polish with a flat brush

I don’t know why, but I have found that those flat brush nail polishes are not as easy to mess up as the traditional round brushes. They don’t go outside the lines. Or check the interwebs for ways to apply nail polish correctly.

5. Put your nail polish in the fridge

It's supposed to last longer that way. I’m guilty of keeping my nail polish for months, and often find that it’s stringy and sticky and won’t move from the brush to the nail. Keeping it in the fridge also helps it to go onto your fingers more smoothly. Or you could just chuck the old polish and buy some new ones. 

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Pics from Pinterest
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