Everyday's a flippin' Friday

Old songs are like chocolate for the ears. Don't get me wrong, today's Hollywood tune-gurus aren't half bad, but when it comes to churning out feel good melodies that make your heart pump vanilla icing, the golden oldies sure had (have?) it down. In fact, these sweet melodies make my heart soar like it's a Friday, even on a Tuesday. So here's a an extra dose or four of pure untainted old school joy.

George Harrison - I've got my mind set on you

 

Journey - Don't stop believing

 

 

Phil Collins - You can't hurry love

And then a classic re-recorded by oneofmyfavouriteartistsofalltime... breathe... sip tea... breathe... cough... sip MICHAEL BUBLé MICHAEL BUBLé MICHAEL BUBLé!

Happy Friday, bloggeteers! Excuse me while I go sing into my hairbrush. 

Crêpes de YumYum

So tonight my brother and I are hosting a home group meeting at our quaint little garden flat which means I'll be cooking. Now I know what you're thinking: "Cue Jaws themesong! Duuuuh-dum, duuuuh-dum" - now whoa, whoa, hold your stallions for a second. I might not be able to follow a recipe, but I've got tonight covered, beasties. Trust me.What's on the menu, you ask?

PANCAKES!

Red, upper case, bold, italics and underlined.

See, what I love about pancakes is:

1) They're warm and wonderful, perfect winter belly-warmers
2) They might not seem like much, but they pack quite a punch and you can seriously feed an army with a batch! Seeing as our home group mostly consists of monster-appepited (that's a word) dudes, I need to be prepared.
3) They're pretty hard to mess up, whether you read the recipe or not.
4) You can put ANYTHING in, on and around them! So even though Jack, Joe and Jonty might not eat tomato or Steve, Stan and Stewart sneeze like freight trains when they eat pasta, with pancakes no one will go hungry.

Observe:

Leek, mushroom and cheese

Mexican jalapeno and cream cheese

French mushroom, ham and goat's cheese

Bacon, brie and chives

Chicken, leek and wild mustard

Creamy salmon

And EVEN FOR DESSERT! Banoffee

Strawberries, white chocolate, almonds and caramel

Chocolate and raspberry cream cheese

And my personal favourite... Surprise!

So, pancakes it is! If your taste buds are perspiring ever so slightly, I sincerely apologise. To make up for it, here's a recipe for pannekoek that's so simple your goldfish can make it with one eye shut and both fins tied behind it's tail. Oh no darling, don't mention it - you're too welcome!

Ingredients

3 cups of all purpose flour
3 eggs
oil for frying
3 ml salt
15 ml baking powder
4 cups of milk or water

Directions

Sift dry ingredients together. Add milk or water and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. At this point the consistency of the batter should be runny, but not watery. If you're starving, get cooking! However if your taste buds aren't near the point of exploding just yet, let the batter stand for about an hour. Trust me, it's way more scrummy that way!

When you start baking, heat the pan 'til it reaches quite a high temperature (later when they start burning slightly, you'll know to turn it down a notch Trust me). Add a little oil, and by a little I really-eally mean a little. Like a drop. Once the pan is hot, start baking, one ladle of batter at a time. Once the side begins to lift slightly and the centre is cooked, flip it! If you're a beginner, I suggest sticking to spatula flipping for now. One step at a time, little grasshopper. Once the other side is all golden and perfect, slide it out the pan and fill it with any of the above mentioned goodies... or good ol' cinnamon sugar and lemon juice. Sigh.

All pictures via Good to Know

Caroline saves the day

Ah! Remember that one time I said I'll be doing DIYs this weekend? And remember that one time I joked about probably not having any DIY pics to post on Monday, which is today? Haha funny story, but more on that later. OK no, I'm lying. I'm taking that bitter little story with me to the grave, I tells ya.

Thankfully an honourary member of the bloggerati (that's not a word, I just made it up to make you curious and sound very very VIPish) took me up on my challenge and did a little DIYing of her own this past weekend, recreating the nifty little book mark I posted here. Which means even though my most successful DIY project of the weekend was turning a frozen chicken into dinner, I actually have pics to post! Courtesy of A Girl Called Caroline - hugs, darling dear! You rock like... like...like... I want to say mayonnaise...? I don't know why. It's Monday though, so let's all join hands and cut my mushy brain some slack, okay?

Anyhoo! Here are her step-by-step snapshots which I couldn't have done better myself:

On a completely unrelated note, are you just crying at the sight of your own handwriting right now? If my hand could write like this girl's, I would never put my fingers on a keyboard again. In fact, I'd probably even stop texting and buy myself a carrier pigeon. I'm sorry, Caroline. I'm hating you just a little right now.

Cute, ey? Thanks, crafty Caroline! You're a gentlemanlady and a scholar. Hopefully we'll meet face to face one day for a nice cuppa tea and quality chatter (of more than 140 characters per thought).

Be sure to check out Caroline's blog. She kind of reminds me of myself when I was that age. No. No, no, no, you did not just use that line. No. No, no, no. "That age"? Seriously? Ack!

10 things you should know about Afrikaans peoples, I mean people

Hi, I'm Charn. I'm from Caledon and I'm... Afrikaans (dum-dum-duuuuuuum) 

Now as a 100% bilingual plattelander-turned-cityslicker, I often get the "oh gosh, you're Afrikaans?!" response when the topic is raised. And just like that I can see the new assumptions being formed behind the eyes of the Englishman standing before me. 

So, dear friend, before you even feel the need to ask, here are the answers to the questions that are so obviously swilling around in your mind: 

#1 Afrikaans people don't eat boerewors and vetkoek for breakfast, and every meal doesn't consist of "reis, vleis en aartappels". Well, it's not compulsory, at least.

#2 Just because she's Afrikaans doesn't mean she has a genetic knack for 'sokkie' or 'langarm'. Now by 'she' I am definitely NOT referring to myself, and I most certainly do NOT recommend that you ask my highly English dance instructor boyfriend about his crushed toes.

#3 Afrikaans people sometimes like drinking other tea besides rooibos and we know that wine doesn't only come in boxes.

#4 The entire Afrikaans-speaking population does not watch Noot vir Noot on a Friday night, and just because I know it plays on a Friday night doesn't mean I watch it either.

#5 Afrikaans couples don't call each other "suikerklontjie", "liefiiiie", "bokkie" and "mosbolletjie". Well, at least not all of them.

#6 Not all Afrikaans peeps were raised on a farm and instinctively know how to milk a cow.

#7 Not all Afrikaans people know each other. Contrary to popular belief we do not meet up around a bonfire every Thursday night and do volkspele to the rythm of Tant Hessie se Wit Perd. We don't. Really.

#8 Just because I'm Afrikaans doesn't mean I know the lyrics to Kaptein or sing Baby Tjoklits in the shower.

#9 Not all Afrikaans girls know how to make the perfect milk tart and some Afrikaans boys are maar pretty vrot at braaiing 'n tjoppie. 

#10 There may be fewer words in the Afrikaans language than in the English dialect, but that still doesn't mean Afrikaans people know every single one of them. There's a lot guys, seriously. 

Much love,
Just another naive Afrikaans poppie xx

Spot the Typo

I am in love. His name is Typo and we met at Cavendish a two days ago. We simply can't get enough of each other and I've seen him four times in the past two days. I haven't had time to snap pics of my new liefie yet, so I borrowed these lovely snapshots off iwantthat's site - just another of Typo's many love lorn admirers who'd lost their hearts between the shelves of paper, notebooks and pretty trinkets.

Welcome home, Tea Tippler.

 

Yes. Typo is a store. The most magical corner of the universe I have ever floated into on purposely by accident. Apparently there's one in Canal Walk too (why has no one ever mentioned this to me? WHY?) and the new one in Cavendish only opened last week. If you're as addicted to pretty stationery as I am, you must, simply must hop on by and spoil your  desk with prettiness. 

I'm going back yet again this afternoon to buy my birthday gift from my momsy, so prepare yourself for one major brag post.

Marry me, Typo, marry me! But let's not get hung up on pre-nups, 'kay?

Learn this. It will save your life.

 

You're trapped in a scene straight out of a horror film. A madman brandishing a whizz-whizz-whizzing  chainsaw is chasing you through the woods. Just at the right moment you spot a deserted cottage through the trees. You dash inside, slam the door and realise: You're safe. Because in movies chainsaws can't cut through doors, you see. But now you're trapped in a rickety shack with nothing but a rusty old kettle and a tea bag in your pocket (who doesn't?) What do you do? What do you do? What. Do. You. Do?

Here's what you do: Be courteous, make the man a decent cup of tea to help calm his shattered nerves and bond over a warm cuppa. Friends.

Boom. Life saved. You're welcome.

Image via Tumblr

Back from Outer Space

If you thought a cloud had been frozen solid by this bitterly cold and dropped from the sky to crush me like an overripe banana, you would be wrong. If you were convinced magpies had invaded my flat and locked me in the dresser, you would in fact also be wrong (not to mention insulting the entire race of magpies who really are quite kind-hearted). If however you assumed I had abandoned you to go on a trip to magical Florence and sip tea at a street corner deli, you would sadly still be missing the mark *sigh. In actual fact I've just been swamped with work - exciting, I know - but as a freelancer I'm certainly not complaining. So my humblest apologies for the silent treatment, tea lovers!

As a treat (well, for those of you who are crafty creatures at least - for the rest, I'll post something pretty for you later, promise!) - some mind-canoodling DIYs I'll be trying this weekend, which I'm already planning even though it's only Tuesday. Hopefully you'll give these a shot too, 'cause if I fail, I'm going to need you to hand over those pretty pics of yours to post on this blog here, Lady, Dude and Mister Mgoo. Subtext: Try the DIYs and for heavens sake, please do a good job. For me. Because I'm Queen of the Creative Cluts-Clan and I need you to help me save face.

Is anyone else thinking tea and tequila party?

That there is the corner of an envelope - sweet!

Too lovely for words!

Pinwheels!

Scrabble coasters for a tea cup, of course.

Hopefully these should keep your fingers warm. Chills!

All images via Pinterest

A Little Out of Character

Now don't get me wrong - pretty jewellery aside, I'm definitely no girly girl. Heck, if half the city didn't shoot mind bullets at me every time I kicked off my pumps, I'd consider selling all my shoes to live the life of a barefoot tea-sipping maiden. However, on a seemingly unrelated note, I'm a total sucker when it comes to nifty and clever little home DIYs. Whether it be artsy, crafty, decor-related or a tip from Bob the Builder himself - I cannot not get all excited and share it with you, my neighbour, the world and the maroon worker ants on Neptune. So here's a DIY spa treatment. You know, just in case I someday get hit by an overloaded grocery van and wake up years later from my coma with amnesia, thinking I'm a beauty queen from Slovakia. What? It could happen.

via Pinterest

LOFOB Pro Bono Campaign

Every year the League of Friends of the Blind have a charity day known as Blind Buddy Day. This year they were looking for something a tad different to the usual teddy bear sticker, and what's more different and cooler than bright retro '70s shades?

Unfortunately the campaign never flighted, but we still think half a country sporting luminous fray-bans can be pretty striking.

Poster/Print ad/Flyer

Poster/Print ad/Flyer

Website

Agency: Herdbuoys éKapa
Copywriter: Charn Neethling
Art director: Paige Harris

A break from porti update

A title that rhymes! Now what copywriter won't get her hair in a tizzy over that? Or actually, no it doesn't really. Well, that's just disappointing. Anyhoo, if you're as tired of the whack-load of porti posts of this evening as I am, then this one's for you. My fingers are going seriously numb and as you can probably tell I'm running out of things to type. So I'm just going to stop now before this gets out of hand and I start using words like obsequious or antidisestablishmentarianism. Google it.

So, enough said. Time to let other smarter people do the talking from here.

Lancewood Rhino campaign

For a period of 3 months, the colour of the Lancewood Cream Cheese product lids was changed from the iconic Lancewood blue to a more demure grey, reflecting the colour of the mighty rhino. R1 was donated off every pack, to the Stop Rhino Poaching foundation.

Limited edition grey lid pack

 

In-store category banner

Online banners

   

Facebook

Website

Agency: Herdbuoys éKapa
Copywriter: Charn Neethling
Art director: Duncan Wares (Executive Creative Director)

Savoury Foods print ad 2011

Bit of an old one I found while rummaging around in the archives, but figured it really is my responsibility to post it as a parent shouldn't have favourites. So here's me doing right by this simple print ad, which I love just as much as all my other print ads. Really.

Agency: Herdbuoys éKapa

Copywriter: Charn Neethling

Art director: Paige Harris

Wild Africa strip ad

Agency: Herdbuoys éKapa
Copywriter: Charn Neethling
Designer: Taryn Hickson

Redro Afrikaans ad

Agency: Herdbuoys éKapa
Copywriter: Charn Neethling
Art director: Paige Harris

Click here to see the rest of the campaign - the original English print ads.

New Horizons web copy

The objective: To make computer programs understandable to the lad, lass and lady on the street.

Client: New Horizons CT
Copywriter: Charn Neethling