issue 15 august 2014

August2014 Issue 15

Taste | Create | Discover

www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 15

ED’S NOTE

The month of love doesn’t have to just be February. We decided to make this issue all about weddings. I felt the love throughout this is-sue as we looked at wedding venues, wedding photographers, wed-ding jewellers and wedding cakes. It took me back to my own wedding, back in March 2006 where we said I Do in the beautiful Midlands of KZN. It’s good to sometimes take a step back and see how far you have come as a couple and I have to say that I’ve been incredibly blessed so far. So here’s to all the loved up couples.

Don’t worry though - we’ve also thrown in a lot of non wedding related things as well. My favourite being our Fondue review from I Love My Laundry, definitely something to add to your to do list!

Our gorgeous cover was shot by Abigail:Abigail is a portrait and wedding photographer. Her style is emotive, feminine, & playful. Her ap-proach is relaxed & authentic, with clear guidance and direction. She pursues happiness. By choice. And with purpose. She has two personalities – the productive one and the creative one. It’s a never ending battle.www.abigailk.co.zaCover image: dressed and modelled by www.moltenocreations.com

Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to contribute articles or whether you’d like to advertise in an upcoming magazine. We’d love to get to know you and to shamelessly promote your company!

Yours in Coffee,

Christine

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, Love gives us a fairy tale.

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Contenu

TASTEHome Brewed Opinions Chapter 7: The French Press

My week with The Ultimate Chef#FondueThursday

Douglas GreenWedding Cakes - Kupcake Heaven

Wedding Cakes - Kanya Hunt t/a The Hunt House Kitchen

CREATELife after the dress

Appy Ever AfterWedding Jewellery - Genevieve Motley

Wedding Jewellery - Forever LoveWedding Jewellery - Kim Cloete DesignWedding Photographers - Alexis DiackWedding Photographers - Steve Miller

Wedding Photographers - Earth Lines Photography

DISCOVERWedding Venues

The people of TwitterThe people of Facebook

The Twelve Apostles Hotel and SpaMy journey with the Sport Science Institute of South Africa.

Book Reviews

COMPETITIONSWin Win Win!


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The French Press, or plunger as we refer to it in South Africa, is a brewing method that you either love or hate. On the one hand, the French Press can be notorious as a very potent, pungent brew due to the grinds that are left at the bottom of the cup. On the other hand, if done well, can result in something magical. As with all things coffee, it’s not rocket science. It is a science though, and an art, and as such any brewing method can result in the perfect cup.

The French Press is a cylinder shaped beaker, which is usually made of glass. However, these days you can find one made out of plastic or steel.

The second component to the French Press is the plunger with a mesh piston to allow water to flow through. That being said, I am certain I do not need to provide you with a description of a French Press. If you have never seen a French Press, Google it.

Let’s get straight to the important stuff. Here is my technique for brewing with a French Press. The most important thing is to use this as a guide. Do not be afraid to play around until you have found a method that suits your taste buds.

Firstly, start with coarsely ground coffee. Start with

the coarsest setting on your grinder. The coarse grind is for two reasons. Firstly, because the wa-ter will be in contact with the coffee for a longer period of time, thus preventing over extraction, and secondly it reduces the amount of sludge that come through the mesh as you plunge.

Your coffee to water ratio for French Press is 60 grams of coffee per liter of water. You can adjust accordingly depending on how much coffee you want to make.

Boil your filtered water to 90 degrees, place the grinds into the beaker and grab a stopwatch (there is one on your phone). Start the clock and pour a little water over the grinds - just enough to satu-rate them and give it a stir. Pour in the rest of the water and let it stand for 5 – 6 minutes. At 6 min-utes give it another stir and then plunge, slowly. At this stage, especially if you have brewed for more than one cup, decant the coffee to prevent further extraction.

By Carl Anthony BadenhorstTwitter: @blueberry_notes

To view Chapters 1 - 6, visit www.flatwhitecon-cepts.com for previous issues

Home Brewed Opinions Chapter 7: The French Press


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Sweet and sour Chicken

Salad with tons of feta!

Club steak, balsamic glazed onions and butternut

My week with The Ultimate Chef

Beef Breyani and

sambals

Chicken parmizan

Veggies

If I had the time I would love to be more experi-mental in the kitchen. I’d love to buy the best in-gredients and serve the freshest meals. However as much as I enjoy cooking I don’t always have the time for it. Then I discovered The Ultimate Chef, a service that provides your meals to your door! I de-cided to give them a try and for one blissful week I didn’t even have to think about what I was going to make for dinner that night.

The Ultimate Chef provides you with the option of a 4 or 5 day menu, choosing from a standard or low carb menu. Each week the menu changes slightly and they post this in advance so you know what you’ll be getting. Their prices are excellent and I’m sure that if I had to make the same meals

I would’ve spent even more. Our five day low carb meals cost R525 for two (standard is R425). Reggie, owner of The Ultimate Chef, kindly deliv-ered my first meal in person and it was a pleasure to meet him. He knew I was doing a review and asked me to be as honest as possible, saying that he’d rather learn from any mistakes. I liked that.

And so, with that, the weekly meals:

Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken, vegetables and salad. A great start. The chicken was delicious with the sauce and they were extremely generous with the amount of vegetables and salad. I was full after-wards and it was nice to know that the fullness


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came from a very nutritious meal. My personal fa-vourite was the amount of feta on the salad, they did not feel shy here.

Tuesday: Club steak, balsamic glazed onions and butternut.Steak is a tough one because it’s hard to cater for everyones tastes. Personally I like my steak done medium and my husband likes his medium rare so we didn’t love this one which was cooked well done (although I’m sure this probably appeals to the masses). Also once we took off the fat and bones there wasn’t much steak left. The menu had said vegetables but we only received a bowl of butter-nut. So for this meal we actually had to add on to make it substantial enough. Hungry hippos in this household! I know the standard meals came with rice, and ours came with balsamic onion, however I think we should have gotten much more consider-ing low carb is priced at a higher value. Having said that the balsamic onion was delicious and went very well with the steak.

Wednesday: Chicken Parmizan and vegetables. I had no idea what chicken parmizan was so I was curious to see. I was delighted to find it was a deli-cious chicken schniztel smothered in a type of to-mato sauce and topped with a decent amount of cheese. I must say, this was delicious. Luckily today the vegetables were of a variety and very tasty. I really enjoyed this one.

Thursday: Beef Breyani, sambles and cauliflower rice.I was looking forward to this one the most and we were luckily enough to have it fall on the coldest day of the week. A slight mix up and we ended up with the rice dish instead of the cauliflower. They were extremely apologetic though and I’m sure they would have fixed it in an instant. I told them not to though as I was more than happy with the rice. By then I had already taken a sneak taste of the meal and thought it was delicious. The sambles were too little, I’d suggest they double that amount if the meal is for two. I would also suggest chang-ing this to chicken as the beef was a bit tough. But other than that it was very tasty.

Friday: Roast Chicken, Vegetables and Salad.Not the greatest way to end the week. I was very dispappointed with the amount of food. A little confusing compared to how much we got on the first day. This is enough food for one, not two.

Overall I enjoyed the week. I have two main critisicms. Firstly, I’d suggest that the low carb meal perhaps gets a little something extra considering they are paying more for this option. Some meals were substantial where oth-ers were definitely not enough to feed two peo-ple. Secondly I would consider another option with regards to the serving plates/bowls. Perhaps even charging slightly more and using takeaway bowls. Quite often my meals came with a sauce which clingwrap on a plate cannot contain well enough. Especially through the transportation process. One or two of my meals had leaked badly and made quite a mess.

Other than that though I think it is very good val-ue for money. As I said, I really do enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen so I wouldn’t take this on full time, but doing this for a week once a month is definitely something I would consider doing. It frees up your time and at least you are not spend-ing money on takeaway and junk food.

Thanks to The Ultimate Chef for making my week so much easier. I think with a couple of tweaks here and there this could be a service I would consider using again.

If you’d like to give them a try please go to www.theultimatechefmeals.co.za or email Reggie on [email protected]

We also have a competition running this month where you can win a week of low carb meals for a family of four! See our competitions page for more!

By Christine Bernard

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#FondueThursday

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I have been wanting to go to Fondue Thursday at I Love My Laundry for months and I finally made a booking. And it’s a lucky thing I booked because all three branches were fully booked the night I went. Isn’t that amazing? But I’m not suprised. What can be better than a night of fondue indulgence. We started off the night well with a bottle of Cape Pearl, a far too easy to drink Merlot chosen for us by the very friendly and entertaining Clayton. Clayton, I was told, would be our Superhero for the evening, which he most cer-tainly was. He took us through the do’s and dont’s of fondues, which for us ended up being each as much as we can, and try the weirdest combinations as pos-sible. Orange pieces dipped in cheese? Sure why not. Anything went that night and experimental hits and misses were had.

So what’s on the menu?

3 Cheese Swiss Fondue:• Focaccia • Panini • BaguetteBeef Fondue:• Beef Fillet strips • Beef Rump Chunks • Button Mushrooms • Boiled Baby Potatoes • Green Pepper• Rye Bread Croutons with Rosemary OilChocolate Fondue:• Granny Smith Apple • Banana • Orange Segments• Boudoir Fingers • Fashioned Marshmallows• Cubes of Sponge Cake

All for only R150.Go on, get your fondue on!www.ilovemylaundry.co.za


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Wine is my passion, and not just for the plethora of tastes and styles available, but also because wine offers a spectrum of reasons to be enjoyed as a beverage. Although many great wines are accom-panied by GREATER prices, there is hope when it comes to the middle-market when brands such as Douglas Green are still thriving from years of loyal consumer support.

Over the past 70 years Douglas Green has tacitly gone about its business of keeping wine lovers all over South Africa stocked with wines whisper-ing consistency, all the while staying abreast of the market conditions due to great support by us

South Africans, as well as an ever growing overseas market.

Many of Flat White Magazine’s older readers may remember the television advert Douglas Green aired back in the day, fondly remembered as the “Where Douglas Green?” advert (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZxq8x8fxYM) which in-cluded two Asian chaps racing around the wine lands in search of the Douglas Green tasting room, only to be pointed back and forth and never really finding the place. It was a well scripted piece of ad-vertising those years back, and highlighted the fact that the Douglas Green range is produced not from

Douglas Green “For over 70 years, the personal touch of Douglas Green

has lived in the eponymous range of wines made with the same intuition that began this progressive wine

brand in 1942. Today this tradition has kept the wines at the forefront of modern red and white wine styles

enjoyed in South Africa and exported to more than 50 countries around the world.”


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a single winery’s vineyards but rather the grapes are sourced from all over the Cape’s wine lands. This allowed (and still allows) the winemakers to choose the best-of-the-best grapes for each vin-tage, focusing on quality driven standards.

There are two labels offered by Douglas Green Wines, namely the Diversity Range and the Vine-yard Creations Range. Next time you see these wines on the shelf at your nearest liquor store bear the following in mind when selecting a bottle …

The Diversity Range is where variety and value meet. The selection is based on producing ex-tremely enjoyable wines made from unique blends or varietals. Although this range is for export for the most part we South African’s can look forward to enjoying the Chenin Blanc / Sauvignon Blanc white blend, Pinotage Rosé, and Merlot / Malbec red blend locally.

… And because the guys at Douglas Green appreci-ate novice wine drinkers they have three natural sweet labels (a white, rosé and red) to choose from in their delectable Sun Kissed range. If you like it sweet then give these three a go!

Hopping over to the Vineyard Creation’s labels, here you’ll get your hands on some old-school, sin-gle varietals of note. With seven to choose from you’re bound to find a bottle for each day of the week …

The best part of the Douglas Green range is the wines are all priced within a very comfortable price bracket, between R35 per bottle up to R50 per bot-tle at best (in retail). So for just R100 you can enjoy an evening of joyous laughter and merriment ac-companied by two bottles of Douglas Green wines without having to race around the winelands look-ing for a tasting room, as our two Asian friends did back in the day. Go on, spoil yourself with a glass or two of Douglas Green’s finest while flipping through the pages of Flat White Magazine… what do you think I’m doing right now?

Author: Richard Cranna


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Kupcake HeavenKupcake Heaven is a haven for self- indulgence in the most delectable cakes and cupcakes you will ever taste! Our delicious cupcakes are made daily by hand and are an absolute taste sensation. We use only the finest real and organic ingredients and authentic methods to create perfectly moist, flavoursome, se-riously addictive cakes and cupcakes topped with creamy frosting that will leave you yearning for more.

We do not use any artificial flavourants or ingredients and do not cut corners and costs by using cheap, no-name brand products like most other bakeries. We are preferred suppliers to two major coffee and food franchises in KZN – Gloria Jeans Coffee’s and Tasha’s Gateway, but also have a huge private and cor-porate client base that utilise our services for weddings, birthdays, customised and branded cupcakes, etc.

We also produce a wide range of other high quality baked goods including decadent brownies, cake pops, biscuits, etc. We are currently based at 99 Umhlanga Rocks Drive, Durban North and are in the process of setting up our coffee area to coincide with our retail area to provide our customers with the ultimate location to further enjoy their cake experience

www.kupcakeheaven.co.za

Wedding CAKES


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Kanya Hunt t/a The Hunt House KitchenAt the Hunt House Kitchen we believe in a boutique style approach. Our wedding cakes are made using the freshest and best of ingredients. The main focus being on chocolate and true dessert style cakes, we use the finest Belgian Callebaut couverture as well as Lindt couverture to create our chocolate wedding cakes. Lately I have become very fond of buttercream as well. It is less formal than fondant and you can play with textures as well as formal piping work to create soft, romantic and very edible designs. Our extremely fluffy buttercream is to die for and the secret: it is all about the mixing method…

It has been almost 15 years ago that I made my very first chocolate collar wedding cake with fresh berries for my friends Trix and Mike Thompson. Since then, many a chocolate wedding cake has been made and we have a flawless reputation for supplying the freshest and most scrumptious wedding cakes amongst our peers at all the most prestigious wedding venues in and around Cape Town and surround-ing wineland area.

www.kanyahunt.co.za

Wedding CAKES


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Life After the Dress is a series by Roxy Hutton from City Girl Searching. In this series we see Roxy in-terviewing women of all ages and from all walks of life and asks them real questions about their lives now, after all the glitter and sparkle of their wedding day is over. I was luckily enough to be chosen to be part of this fun series and I decided to share my interview with you. If you’d like to read the other interviews, or take part in the series yourself then please visit www.citygirlsearching.com.

Q1: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Hello. I’m Christine, 32 and my husband is War-ren, 34. I run a Graphic Design business called Flat White Concepts and host a monthly online lifestyle magazine, Flat White Magazine and a blog; The Flat White Blog. Warren is a photographic retouch-er and photographer at Flat White Images. We live in the beautiful Rondebosch in Cape Town and we have been married for just over 8 years!

Q2: WHICH DISNEY CHARACTER DO YOU FEEL SUMS YOU UP TO A ‘T’?

Lilo from Lilo & Stitch. I look a bit like her, my mom is Mauritian so I feel like I have a bit of ‘islander’ in me. She is a very spirited character and I’m very at-tracted to her sense of ‘weirdness’. Feeling like she doesn’t always quite fit in but embracing who she is no matter what. Her affectionate feeling towards Stitch reminds me of my own love of animals!

Q3: HOW DID YOU AND YOUR HUBBY MEET?

We through friends at a club in Durban. The first thing I said to him is ‘I like your shirt’. We didn’t go out straight away but stayed friends for a while, however my mom told me one day that she knew who I was going to marry and that she would write the name down in an envelope and open it when I got married. The name was ‘Warren’. She said it was obvious we would eventually fall in love be-cause I couldn’t stop talking about him.

Q4: WAS YOUR WEDDING EVERYTHING YOU HOPED IT WOULD BE?

My wedding was amazing. At the time we were liv-ing in London so we came back to get married at Lythwood Lodge in the Natal Midlands. Our colours were white and forest green and I wanted every-thing to look as natural as possible. Apparently a cow walked past the chapel when we were getting married, heh heh. I only got into the design world


CREATEa few years after marriage so if I could go back I would probably add a lot more creative touches to the wedding. Other than that I wouldn’t change a thing. My advice for brides-to-be is to not take the day too seriously, to be as relaxed as possible and enjoy every second because after months of plan-ning the actual day goes by in a flash.

Q5: HAS ‘LIFE AFTER THE DRESS’ BEEN AS YOU IMAGINED IT WOULD BE?

I don’t think I had any expectations which I think is quite important. For me, I was just marrying my best friend and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Q6: WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES MARRIAGE WORK?

Communication and a hell of a lot of laughter. War-ren taught me not only how to laugh at the world but also at myself. Having the same values and the same sense humour helps a lot.

Q7: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT YOUR-SELF SINCE BEING MARRIED?

I learnt how to take things a little less seriously and to laugh when things go wrong. I have learnt that I am the type of person that needs to talk things out and that a big hug, a cup of coffee and a packet of chocolate raisins always cheers me up.

Q8: DESCRIBE YOUR MARRIAGE IN 3 WORDS

Laughter, Trusting, Adventurous

Q9: DO YOU HAVE ANY PEARLS OF WISDOM YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH MY READERS ABOUT BEING MARRIED?

Laugh as often as you can. Be yourself (the good, bad, ugly and just plain weird). Don’t take life too seriously. Go out and have fun. Stay in and have cuddles.

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The app that helps couples get from ‘yes’ to ‘I do’

Introducing AppyEverAfter – a new app that helps couples manage and plan all aspects of their wed-ding. The app will be free to download and will soon be available for iPhone and Android.

AppyEverAfter is a wedding PA in your pocket. Us-ing the app, couples will be able to browse through a host of vendors, including:• Caterers• Florists• VenuesCouples can then use the app to make contact with the vendors and hire the chosen companies for their wedding.

Features:• Manage the guest list – Couples can send invites, keep track of RSVPs and message their guests about any changes. Guests on the list are able to download the app and view their invitation.• Set up a gift registry – This feature allows couples to select which stores they would like vouchers from or if they would like a contribution towards their wedding or honeymoon. Guests are able to view this info and purchase gifts within the app.• Manage the budget – With AppyEverAfter, cou-ples can set a budget for the wedding and track ex-

penses as they occur.• Set tasks – AppyEverAfter gives couples the abil-ity to create a full task list and set due dates for each item. More features coming soon:There are exciting developments on the way with AppyEverAfter, such as the ability to share photos. Guests will be able to upload photos they’ve taken on the wedding day to the app for the guest list to view.

Join the conversation:Facebook: appyeverafterzaTwitter: @appyeverafterInstagram: @appyeverafter

Company info:AppyEverAfter was created and founded by Daniel Bailey / DevLabs. The idea was born when Daniel began planning his own wedding. The idea for the app originally started as just a gift registry app to scan products in store, and has developed into an essential tool for planning a wedding.

Contact:Contact Daniel Bailey on [email protected] or 072 327 2588.Website: www.appyeverafter.co.za


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Genevieve Motley’s designs embody a timeless and nostalgic flair that is truly original within the South African jewellery industry. Creations comprise distinctive earrings, necklaces and rings made from cut-out and engraved Jacaranda wood or Perspex. Shapes such as birds, bunnies, owls, flowers and geomet-ric patterns are exceptionally and meticulously etched. These decorative designs are novel in nature and they convey a definite originality coupled with a local Indie appeal. Items are designed for the woman who strives for femininity and who simultaneously admires the exquisite beauty of the natural world and the distinctive shapes and patterns within it. Engraved wood and Perspex jewellery evinces a stead-fast charm that is no doubt elegant and chic, but at the same time carefree and laidback. These designs thus exhibit a careful juxtaposition of that which is subtle and that which is quirky and no doubt playful.

Motley began working on her distinctive designs on a full-time basis in 2006 after completing her degree and having gained experience as a designer for an accessories label. Dubbed the jewellery queen, Mot-ley, who hails from Durban, who calls herself a hopeless romantic, wearing her heart firmly fixed onto her sleeve (metaphorically and literally of course!). This is no doubt evident in the somewhat idealistic and beautiful designs she creates. Motley takes inspiration for her designs from travel, vintage finds, lo-cal design talent, people, nature and illustrations. Her work has been featured in a myriad of magazines and she has also exhibited as part of the Design Indaba in Cape Town.

www.genevievemotley.co.za | www.facebook.com/genevievemotleyjewellery

Wedding JEWELLERY - Genevieve Motley

Cred

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Forever Love is a brand of romantic and dainty jewellery founded by Aviv Mirkin. After studying Psy-chology and Hebrew at UCT, Aviv realized her true love for creating and set about starting Forever Love. The name of the brand says it all, it's about sharing the love through creating with love. Aviv designs and hand makes each individual item as she has a passion for ethically made products as well as adding a personal touch.

She is inspired by her love of nature and animals as well as her romantic view of the world. Her prod-ucts consist of fun polymer clay jewellery perfect for children or the young at heart as well as sterling silver, copper and brass range for a more indulgent alternative. Her pieces make the perfect gift for brides and brides' maids, as her jewellery is meaningful and can be personalized to any request.

www.foreverlove.co.za

Wedding JEWELLERY - Forever Love


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Kim is an award winning jewellery designer and qualified goldsmith, who works on her own, consulting with her clients, while personally attending to the design and manufacture of the jewellery pieces she creates.

“Designing jewellery for a client is an exciting and creative journey that we embark on together. It’s an un-rushed process that needs to happen in a comfortable, quiet environment. It’s a special relationship that gets build, based on trust and understanding. Be it an engagement ring that I am creating, or a remodeled piece for a unique occasion like an anniversary; to be able to interpret ideas, translate the drawing into a polished up three dimensional jewellery piece is such a thrill. It’s also such an honour for me to make an engagement ring or wedding ring for someone, where the rings will carry so much meaning in their lives.

www.kimcloetedesign.co.za

Wedding JEWELLERY - Forever Love Wedding JEWELLERY - Kim Cloete Design


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My love for photography started in 2000. I think my dad’s enthusiasm for taking pictures rubbed off on me at a young age. I studied photography back in the magical days of film and darkrooms. There was something truly special about watching an image appearing from nowhere on the paper as the chemi-cals did their work. I photographed my first wedding in 2002 and then dived into wedding photography full time in 2004.

I love to travel – we will fly to wherever you are, just drop me an email for more information on our in-ternational package options.

I LOVE (and not in any particular order) Italian ice cream, my best friend and husband Ray, hiking in remote and wildly beautiful places, God, my family and friends, my iPhone, prime lenses, relaxed and in-love bride and grooms, yoga, good hair days (seriously I have wild frizzy hair – they are few and far between), the father daughter dance at weddings, happy people and adventures!

www.alexisdiack.com

Alexis Diack - Durban

Wedding Photographers


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My name is Steve Miller and I am a Cape Town Wedding Photographer. I like all aspects of photography and that’s probably why I don’t limit myself to just one “discipline”. Although weddings are my main fo-cus I also do events and smaller shoots such as birthdays, family shoots and model portfolios.

My happy place is behind the camera. I just love getting that shot and a lot of patience is required some-times. That is why my “slogan” is Split Second Memories. It takes a split second to capture OR miss a very intimate moment. At a wedding I’m normally one of the first to arrive and normally leave when only a few die hard party goers are left.

This is not just a job job to me, but a passion. I have met so many wonderful and interesting people along the way. My clients become friends and that is what makes it special.I don’t just do weddings. Some of my favourite shoots are children’s parties. The amount of energy com-ing from them makes it impossible not to smile all day long.

www.stevemphotography.com

Steve Miller - Cape Town



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I studied architecture at Wits and have always had a love for design and creativity. My architectural back ground makes me see see unique photographic opportunities that create interesting shots, from differ-ent angles and I’m all about natural light! And capturing the moment!

My architectural road took me into furniture design, another love of mine. Where I get to create awe-some furniture and spaces and then photograph them afterwards! Truly living my dream and getting paid for it.

My style of photography is quite different and I have a wide range of subject matter, my camera is always in tow ready to capture anything that appeals to me. I like abstract images that create interest, get peo-ple asking questions as well as appreciating the beauty of the image. My daughter, when willing allows me to get lots of practice of portraits and active shots. I like seeing beauty in the ordinary and everyday and capturing that in a beautiful shot! Kinda like seeing the world through my eyes.

www.earthlines.co.za

Earth Lines Photography - Johannesburg



[email protected]

021 919 2008


Shepstone Gardens8 Hope Road, Mountain View, Johannesburg011 - 728 [email protected] www.shepstonegardens.co.za

Morrells Boutique EstateCorner of Weltevreden Road and Scott Street, Northcliff, 011 - 476 9495086 560 [email protected]

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Rheboksloof Wine EstateWindmeul, Agter-Paarl Road, 7620 Paarl, Western Cape021 - 869 [email protected]

The ConservatoryHappy Valley Road, Franschoek071 365 [email protected]

Wedding VENUES that deserve a mention

DISCOVER


The people of TwitterName: Karen Kelly (kaRi for short)How much coffee do you drink a day: Eish, at least 4 cupsYour superhero alterego: Mr Bean (is he a superhero?!)Who would play you in the movie of your life: Keira KnightleyThree items always in your fridge: Milk, apples and cutex (makes them last longer)The ideal breakfast: Scrambled eggs on toast, with sweet chilli sauce and miracle whip, topped off with biltong and grated cheese - yumWhat movie can you watch on repeat: A walk to rememberDescribe the perfect wedding day: It was my wedding - an informal, relaxed breakfast affair with lots of purple decor!

Name: Tami MagninHow much coffee do you drink a day: 1 cup of really good coffee (freshly ground, filter) and maybe 1 more (good quality instant) and possible 1 cup of decaf if available before bed. I battle with insomnia okay? No judgies ;).Your superhero alterego: Wonder WomanWho would play you in the movie of your life: Jessica AlbaThree items always in your fridge: Yoghurt, cheese, butterThe ideal breakfast: ChocolateWhat movie can you watch on repeat: Anything dance related e.g. CenterStage, Step up, Dirty Dancing etcDescribe the perfect wedding day: If I could do my wedding all over again it would be a small, intimate ceremony (less than 10 people) early on a midsum-mer morning followed by a continental brunch (loads of fresh fruit and crois-sants) then on to a two week long honeymoon in Italy or Greece.

Name: Lydia CoetzeeHow much coffee do you drink a day: 1 cup (maybe 2) Your superhero alterego: Ironing girl (Im really good at it) Who would play you in the movie of your life: John Travolta, in dragThree items always in your fridge: Butter, cocktail unions and last nights leftovers.The ideal breakfast: French toast, crispy bacon and honey. What movie can you watch on repeat: Airplane 2 and or a surfing doc-umentary called The Endless SummerDescribe the perfect wedding day: Laughter, food and fun shared.

Each month we’ll be doing a small interview with some of our Facebook and Twitter people!

If you want to get involved in future issues please email [email protected]


DISCOVER

The people of FacebookName: Amalia AppletonHow much coffee do you drink a day: Way toooooo Much!Your superhero alterego: Jean Grey (Phoenix)Who would play you in the movie of your life: Rachel McAdamsThree items always in your fridge: Cheese, Steri Stumpi and ChocolateThe ideal breakfast: Anything loaded with BACON!What movie can you watch on repeat: City of AngelsDescribe the perfect wedding day in a sentence: A whimsical fairytale of two perfect differences becoming one perfect similarity.

Name: Roxanne KrauseHow much coffee do you drink a day: 4 - 5 cupsYour superhero alterego: Superwoman – I’m a mom of 2 babies. I am the circus act that juggles family and 3 businessesWho would play you in the movie of your life: Angelina Jolie, tattooed and fear-lessThree items always in your fridge: Milk (for the coffee), Cara’s Chilli Chutney which I can’t live without, kiddies medicinesThe ideal breakfast: Crumpets from woolworths, topped with crispy bacon, driz-zled with syrup (don’t judge until you’ve tried it) with a side portion of scrambled eggs, avo and halloumi, and don’t forget the caffeineDescribe the perfect wedding day: I lived my perfect wedding day 2 years ago with my soulmate. It was a surprise wedding, non of the guests knew, not even the bridesmaid nor venue. The only person aware was the magistrate and a friend who helped me plan. Friends and family were invited to my ‘30th birthday’ and told to dress smartly as we were panning murder mystery. It was a no frills, no fuss wedding. Married in 5 minutes and we partied the night away.

Name: Jess StylesHow much coffee do you drink a day: I'm admittedly a coffee binger. I go weeks without coffee and then suddenly go on a caffeine fueled binge until I can't sleep or function properly before I give it up again - my brain doesn't seem to understand coffee in moderation. I think it's because I deprived myself of coffee for the first 23 years of my life...Who would play you in the movie of your life: Zooey Deschanel - I love her, I have the biggest girl crush on her. I love how weird and quirky she is and she has the coolest style!Three items always in your fridge: Cheese, jam (my grandmother is obsessed with making jam and milk)The ideal breakfast: French toast with strawberries and ice cream! What movie can you watch on repeat: Definitely Dirty Dancing! Describe the perfect wedding day: A day filled with love, happiness, friends, family and cake*, if you have those, everything else falls into place. (*Cake may be substituted with cupcakes)


The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa The perfect wedding and honeymoon destination

DISCOVER

Last night I spent what I can honestly describe as ‘one of the most perfect evenings of my life’. A beautiful second honeymoon of sorts spent with my husband at the incredible Twelve Apostles Ho-tel and Spa. A place I truly believe everyone should put on their bucket list, and something I will never forget. I don’t think I have ever felt so special, so relaxed and so well looked after.

After being shown our room, a gorgeous sea facing suite, we donned our costumes and went straight to the spa. Here we enjoyed a peaceful dip in the warm plunge pool and the salt water floatation pool, before heading off to our treatment. Our treatment consisted of a 90 minute full body mas-sage in one of the dual treatment rooms. It was a wonderful thing to experience as a couple and we walked out giddy and blissfully relaxed. After that we were treated further to some champagne, oysters and chocolate dipped strawberries, all of which we enjoyed at the spa at our leisure.

Then it was time for dinner, which we enjoyed at the more casual Café Grill, however guests do get to choose between this or the award winning Azure Restaurant. We wanted something light so

we chose the Café Grill. Here I enjoyed a delicious Cobb Salad consisting of chicken, pancetta, avoca-do, egg and blue cheese with a selection of bread, and the hubby chose a delicious beef burger and fries. Absolutely lip smacking delicious!

We headed back to our room which had been transformed while we were away. Rose petals eve-rywhere, a lovely hand written note, some beauti-ful desserts and a bottle of champagne.

It truly is the small touches that make you remem-ber a place, and for this I have to commend The Twelve Apostles. They went out of their way to make us feel pampered. This is most certainly the perfect place to get married, to have your honey-moon or to plan a proposal. And with this I glance at my husband... ‘renewal of vows coming up’ I say...

By Christine BernardPampered by The Twelve Apostles.

See next page for details on propsals, weddings and honeymoons at this gorgeous venue and have a day, night or week you will never forget!


The Proposal Romantic options are available to suit all budgets, ranging from a private candle-lit dinner in the Con-servatory, or dinner for two in Azure Restaurant, to a gourmet picnic in the lush Fynbos Garden or in the privacy of your own Spa Gazebo. The expe-rienced Twelve Apostles Hotel staff is always on hand with advice and caring, personal service to help create memories to be cherished for a life-time. This includes arranging off-site proposals for resident guests on Table Mountain or at the stun-ning cove of Llandudno beach, only minutes away. The service would include transfers to the special venue in a Mercedes C-Class, as well as sparkling wine, flowers and a delicious picnic basket.

For the ultimate proposal, The Twelve Apostles also offers a special overnight package, The Deluxe Proposal. It includes a set of personalised embroi-dered towels; a bottle of Guy Cadel Champagne; romantic rose petal and candle turndown with red velvet cupcakes; full English breakfast in bed; a one-way heli-flip transfer from the hotel’s helistop to the V&A Waterfront; and an indulgent three-hour Sunset Mountain Serenade spa treatment in the scenic Mountain Spa Gazebo, with oysters, chocolate-dipped strawberries and two glasses of sparkling wine (R5320 per couple, in addition to the accommodation rate. Valid from 6 January – 19 December 2014) A Luxury Proposal package is also available for those preferring to save some money for the big day itself (R2445 per couple).

The Wedding The first step to successful wedding planning is finding the perfect venue. The Twelve Apostles Ho-tel and Spa is situated on Cape Town’s - if not the world’s - most scenic route, flanked by the majestic Twelve Apostles Mountain range and guided by an incandescent marine reserve. This magnificent set-ting is suitable for a range of wedding options, from morning teas and celebratory lunches, to grand dinners overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Professional and friendly staff is on hand to or-ganise the big day and to ensure that each couple experiences the perfect wedding. From flowers to entertainment and customised menus, dedicated Wedding Coordinator Stephanie Hall will assist the bride with planning even the smallest detail: ‘Whether it’s a big affair or a small, intimate des-tination wedding, we will do whatever it takes to treat you like royalty and offer the most roman-tic and exclusive wedding that you could possibly dream of.’

The ceremony usually takes place under a gazebo in the fragrant Fynbos Garden, complete with unin-terrupted views of the glistening ocean and a magi-cal mountain backdrop. This enchanting garden also offers a perfect area for pre-reception drinks, and sets the scene for photo opportunities to cap-ture the spirit of this special day.

The happy couple may then wish to celebrate with a stylish reception at the Atlantic Terrace Marquee –


the ideal venue for a dazzling wedding for up to 80 guests. This stunning location offers unsurpassed sea views with its open marquee that invites salty sea breezes and glorious sunsets to spill directly into the venue. The marquee is available for break-fast, lunch or dinner, with catering options includ-ing scrumptious canapés on arrival, followed by a plated starter, a buffet style main course and a deli-cious plated dessert.

For small, intimate weddings The Twelve Apostles also offers a special ‘Destination Wedding’ pack-age, for up to 16 guests. It includes an initial meet-ing with Stephanie Hall to handle the finer details of the wedding; the first interview with the hotel’s minister, all legal arrangements and the certificate of marriage; the ceremony in the hotel’s Fynbos Garden (weather permitting); a bouquet of African indigenous flowers for the bride and a buttonhole for the groom; and a wedding cake for four people designed by the pastry chef. In addition, the bridal couple will be spoiled with a romantic rose petal turndown with sparkling wine and a set of embroi-dered towels with their new initials to take home as a keepsake (R6650 per wedding couple, in addi-tion to the accommodation rate – a minimum stay of 2 nights is applicable. Excludes wedding catering cost. Valid from 6 January – 20 December 2014).

Additional hotel facilities and services include pre-wedding treatments at the Spa, and a range of gourmet adventures such as High Teas and Fine Dining dinners that may be arranged for the bridal party before or after the wedding.

The Honeymoon A popular honeymoon destination, The Twelve Apostles offers numerous romantic activities, such as dual spa treatments, picnics for two or sundown-er cocktails in the Leopard Bar, as well as mountain walks and plenty of relaxation time. Couples may also indulge in romantic dinners or enjoy a movie night in the hotel’s very own cinema.

To enhance the experience further, newlyweds may wish to book the indulgent Luxury Honey-moon package. Included in offer are a set of per-sonalised embroidered towels; a bottle of Simon-sig Kaapse Vonkel sparkling wine; romantic rose petal and candle turndown; Full English breakfast in bed; and a 30-minute back, neck and shoulder massage per person (R2445 per honeymoon cou-ple, in addition to the accommodation rate. Valid 6 January – 19 December 2014). A Deluxe version of this package is also available at R5320 per couple.

www.12apostleshotel.com, 021 437 9000


DISCOVER

I was ready. I had everything I needed. The right gear, the right frame of mind and my training schedule. This had been structured specifically for me a few days earlier by the trainers at the SSISA and upon receiving it, I was also taken through my routine, shown what to do as well as the correct techniques for each exercise so that it was clear how I would achieve my goals.

Every routine started with a few warm up exercis-es. Firstly, a short cardio session cycling or on the treadmill, followed by some stretching to get my muscles ready for what was about to come. My starting schedule was geared initially for 3 sepa-rate days at the gym for the first month, to get my body accustomed to the weights and the work-load. Day 1 focussed on improving my chest and back muscles. Bench presses, chest flies, dead lifts and a few variations of rowing were things that I would quickly get familiar with to enhance these areas. Day 2 was all about shoulders and arms. Shoulder presses, bicep curls, and tricep dips and kickbacks were the order of the day. And finally, day 3 concentrated solely on the legs. This I was told, was because it was advantageous to work this large muscle group on their own. Leg exten-sions, squats, lunges and calf raises would do the trick here.

Each exercise came with a concise guide on how

many sets and repetitions to do of each, as well as which level of weight to utilize on either the dumbbells, barbells or machines. Adding to this, I was told that most exercises were paired togeth-er and to be completed in a series of super sets. This, I learnt was basically going straight from one exercise, without resting, into the next one and then having a short rest thereafter before head-ing into the next pair. This not only targeted simi-lar yet opposing muscle groups, but I felt also got my heart rate up, thereby adding a level of cardio into the workout as well. Each day closed with an-other set of cardio training on the treadmill. This involved either hill training which saw the gradi-ent of the treadmill increasing over time. Or inter-val training which involved varying speeds to get my heart rate spiking. Finally, the day would end off with abdominal exercises. It has always been a dream to have nicely toned abs, so crunches, planks, ankle taps, Jack knives and Russian twists were what I had to endure.

Each session saw me leaving the gym in a sweat, having done a more than adequate workout. Not even one month into my training and I could al-ready see improvements in my strength and en-durance. If this is something you think you can benefit from, check out their website at www.ssisa.com for further details or find them on Face-book and Twitter for more info.

My journey with the Sport Science Institute of South Africa.

Part 2 of 3

and so it begins...


DISCOVER


There are some really fantastic advantages to hav-ing a dreadful memory. One such advantage is that when I pre-order a book on Amazon I usually forget all about it. Then, one day, I get an email to say that my new book has been delivered. Surprise!!!! I love it! It’s like past me has given present me a present. Another thing I love, which you may have noticed, is fiction. I love how it can be full of magic, myths, mystery and secrets, and the most outland-ish things and still make perfect sense. The Patron Saint of Ugly by Marie Manilla is full of all of these delicious things. In 1975 a representative from the Vatican is sent to the town of Sweetwater, West Virginia, to inves-tigate claims that a resident of the town, a young woman called Garnet Ferrari, is a Saint capable of performing miracles. She has, it would seem, been

involved in the mysterious healing of various skin ailments since she was a child. Garnet is at once feared and revered by different members of the community in Sweetwater. She has wild, flaming red hair, and perhaps the most remarkable skin condition of all. She is covered – her entire body – in birthmarks in the shapes of all of the countries of the world. As if this was not unique enough, the map of the world on Garnet’s body changes, with countries moving and even disappearing and reap-pearing. When we meet her, Garnet is a spirited young woman with a practiced lack of interest in the miracle healings that seem to occur around her, albeit somewhat inconsistently. The story is narrated for the most part by Garnet through what the reader presumes are transcripts from cassette tapes on which she has recorded the history of her

BOOK REVIEW: The Patron Saint of Ugly

by Marie Manilla

DISCOVER


life and family, and the mystery surrounding her – both as someone around whom miracles appear to occur, and as a young woman navigating the vari-ous mysteries of life. The cassette tapes and the transcripts are to be used, we presume, in the Vati-can’s investigation into whether or not Garnet can and does perform miracles, and whether or not she is Saint-material (so to speak).I am not a religious person in the slightest, but have always found Catholicism to be a fascinating religion. It is the mystery and the myths and the miracles that surround it; the ceremony of it; and its saints that appeal to me. Garnet’s life and the history of her family are steeped in the various ver-sions and understandings of Catholicism that are practiced in the book and frame the entire narra-tive. In the telling of her story, that of her imme-diate family, her grandparents and extended fam-ily, the story itself reads like a myth or a fable. The narrative is infused with mystery from the original myth of Saint Garnet, to the somewhat obscure ending of the book. In addition to being a thoroughly entertaining read, the book really made me think. It made me think of

how we define ugly, of the value that we place in physical beauty and the power of the Halo Effect. It made me think about how we as humans long for a faith or a kind of magic to both ground us and raise us above the challenges of life. The book made me think about injustice and the persistence of chaos in the world.Given the number of times that I have used words like myth, magic and miracle in this review, it should be no surprise that to really enjoy the book, you have to suspend the more realistic, logical side of your brain and allow yourself to get caught up in this fantastic tale. A lot happens in this book - too much, perhaps. For me the ending is abrupt after a book that has taken its time to unravel its myster-ies. The Patron Saint of Ugly is not a great piece of literature. But it does what I at least need fiction to do, and that is escape from reality. I would read it again.

By Lisa Wiebesiek

DISCOVER


DISCOVER


DISCOVERTime to win some competitions!

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THE END

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