On Sunday, my husband and oldest son went to play golf in Langebaan, sons 3 & 4 had a birthday party to go to, so I decided to take son no 2 to the Design Indaba. He had to be bribed to go with me and this bribe took the form of the biggest chocolate muffin and the most expensive chocolate milkshake available at The Cape Quarter. Just to fill you in, The Design Indaba is a showcase for new and innovative South African design talent. (Indaba is a Zulu word meaning something along the lines of "sharing of knowledge").
One of the items that I fell in love with was this gorgeous tea towel which I would describe as "Afro-French". I love the linen and red stripe that is so typically French, and then mixing it with the Kudu motif (the Kudu is one of the largest buck found in Africa) - very clever!
The reverse side has this sweet little star detail on it.
The talented creator of this tea towel is actually a ceramic artist - Liesel Trautman. Below are some examples of her exquisite work.
The next items that crept into my shopping basket were these sweet little dipping bowls from WonkiWare.
They are very aptly named because they are a bit wonky which is part of their great charm. Based in George, WonkiWare is a real South African success story. Apparently it is stocked in Liberty Stores in the UK and in Anthropologie Stores in the US. Di Marshall, the creator of WonkiWare has also collaborated with Nigella Lawson on a range of dinnerware. In fact when I was at the factory outlet in George some time ago, one of Nigella's "people" was there doing some research. Below are some examples of the beautiful WonkiWare range.
The final item that came home with me from the Design Indaba was this very sweet little Robin made from recycled tin. You might remember from a previous post that I have a thing for birds. This little bird, along with a range of other handcrafts was made by a group of underpriveledged people as part of a community project. She is very cleverly made in such a way that she can perch on the side of a plate.
Below is a round up of my little shopping expedition at the Design Indaba. (I think the milkshake might still have been the most expensive thing!)
On Monday, I had a lunch date with my husband! He told me that he had seen a shop near his offices that he knew I would love, so he suggested I drive through and join him for lunch and then he would show me the shop. What a sweetie! The shop is called T & Co (pictured below) but they were unfortunately closed for a stock take! So I didn't get to see it first hand, but I'm sure you will agree from the pictures that it would be worth a second attempt. I wonder if I will get another lunch thrown in?
We had lunch at the little restaurant/cafe which is right next door to the shop called Table Thirteen. (Victoria Junction, Green Point) They do wonderful light lunches - well worth a visit.
I love these words written on their wall!
So, I decided that it wasn't the end .... if I couldn't get my retail therapy there, I would get it somewhere else. On my way home I stopped by one of my favourite shops called "Juju et Moi" and pounced on these dear little birds.
Below are some pics of the shop via the lovely blog, Lanalou Style. I was chatting to the owner of the shop and she actually wants to retire after having her shop for many years so is putting it on the market. So if any of you would like to own a dear little shop in Constantia, Cape Town, here's your opportunity.
Till next time
Sharon x
