My Life In Gifs Part Sept

When I realise summer is around the corner and I spent all of winter eating 

When I get tipsy before going out 

When someone eavesdrops into my conversation and then proceeds to give their input 

When the cute guy I go on a date with turns out to be a closet homophobe/racist/Oedipus 

When I’m off my guard and realise I’m left alone in the kitchen with the office creep 

When a boy is nice to me, this is literally my thought process

When said boy has rejected me and I end up drunk

When everyone around me is getting married and buying houses and shit 

When I say I’m busy to get out of lame weekend plans

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

Images from here, here, here, here and here. 

Preach!

This excerpt comes from Gone Girl which is currently a bestseller and movie rights have been sold and basically it's the It Girls of books right now. I've read the book. Didn't LOVE it but the suspense kept me glued and I really appreciated the twist. I'm not going away spoilers, all the reviewers mention this twist.

Like I said I wasn't enthralled by the story and definitely not the main characters -they are horrible peeps - but there is this one passage that really struck a chord with me. Amy, the girl part of Gone Girl, gives off a little rant about the cool girl. You know the type of girl most guys want and compare all other girls to. The kind of girls they put on a pedestal. The girls most of us cannot compete with in little boy's heads. And there's my rant ;)

"Men always say that as the defining compliment, don't they? She's a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she's hosting the world's biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don't mind, I'm the Cool Girl.

"Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they're fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, co-workers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I'd want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who'd like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them."

And here is all I have to say on the subject:

Happy Friday Bitches!

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

Oh Dear Megan Jewellery Launch

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the launch of the summer collection of Oh Dear Megan.

*On a side note, how awesome is that name, it's like when you have this really kooky friend who always does weird-off-the-wall stuff like Luna Lovegood or Cassie from Skin and you want to be surprised but in the end you're all like Oh! Dear Megan and shake your head knowingly*

In case you don't know ODM is a Cape Town-based studio which specialises in jewellery with a local flavour and is a big hit with those uber stylish peeps that roam the streets of the Cape.

 The summer collection launch was held at a studio at The Woodstock Exchange. If I was to describe the collection, I'd say it was the thing that candy-coloured, summer dreams are made of. And true to these words, the range was displayed alongside jars of pastel-coloured candy while we were served pink bubbles and ice-cream. I was in my own little happy place.

 

 

The collection is filled with intricate little pieces of jewellery that are good enough to eat. And they add a bit of whimsical fun to your look without the risk of looking like you went into your younger sister's jewellery box. It's just the right amount of playfulness.

BUT my favourite part of the collection has to be the coins. I love me some coins. I have had dreams of OWNING the Grecian goddess look for years. And these pieces will definitely help me finish off the look. And they're made of vintage South African coins so there's a bit of heritage along with the style.You can bet this is the first thing I'll be buying when the new collection is available.

If you're also keen to get your hands on some, check out Style36 or get on down to shops like Purr and The Fringe Arts.

Thanks to the fabulous Style Guide PR for the invite, the bag of candy and the goodie bag.

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

Raw Espresso Bar

So people have left countries, people have moved flats, some have been on holiday and some have injured themselves, but once everything settled down, we were all able to meet up for a long-awaited coffee hood.

In my new hood, I spotted Raw Espresso Bar. I want to say it's a little hole-in-the-wall but that conjures up images of dodgy bars with sticky floors and decades-old music which I secretly love but it doesn't do the place justice. It's tucked away on a side street and if you got your blinders on you'd miss it. And you'd be sorry.

Raw is a nice and simple coffee shop. But that is not a bad thing. It's got comfy chairs, it's got tables for intimate dates and a counter where we spotted the early-morning work crowd. We're mostly the don't-want-to-go-to-work crowd so we parked off in the comfy chairs and ordered our coffees.

Service was very friendly and quick which is my favourite. Coffee was courtesy of Deluxe which means it was a winner. The boys had some breakfast and I was very jealous as I watched them tucking into pastries and rolls (trying to be good and work on that summer body).

If you want no-frills, unpretentious coffee with a chilled setting, then this is your place.
Go and check them out at Spin Street. They're open from 06h30 until 16h00.

some of my peeps. i didn't add the other one as i looked like a heifer, sorry jared.

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

Three Ways the Cosmo and Marie Claire Lingerie Show Changed My Life

Last week I was invited to attend the Cosmo and Marie Claire Lingerie Show. For someone who is dealing with weight issues and low self-esteem, this was a sure-fire way to make sure I went home and cried into some carbohydrates. Nevertheless, it’s a party and who doesn’t like parties especially when you see Skyy Vodka is sponsoring. So off I went.

The fashion show itself was amazing, the models were all gorgeous, the music and production was awesome and the free drinks were a treat. But enough about that. It was clearly fate that I showed up to this show. As I sat there surrounded by other bloggers, media and the oh-so-fabulous I watched the models traipsing down the catwalk, something happened to me that made me question my life. Not one of those horrible “when are you going to be more responsible” things I usually experience after a particularly bad hangover but more the inspiration to better my life. See below.

Witness the Fitness

Obviously when models are around you notice how beautiful they are. But as so many editorials and beauty adverts like to remind us, it’s what’s inside that counts and with the right lighting and makeup we could all shift magazine sales. But that doesn’t fly when you’re confronted with several hot bodies. There ain’t no faking that. Sometimes it’s good genes, most of the time it’s because they work hard. And oh man, does it pay off. I found myself drooling over their bodies as much as the pervy guys sitting in front of me. 

 

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This has made me firmly believe, exercise is missing from my life. I have found that when it comes to going to gym, my talent lies in finding excuses to avoid it. From I don’t have any cute workout clothes (even though I don’t believe I should ever sweat in designer clothes), to the gym is always full after work and before work and during work (I like the extent of that one) to what if this is the day the gym gets attacked by racist ninjas. Like I said this is where I am talented. But after seeing these bodies in action, I was a little more inclined to do some cardio. And maybe a bit of weight training. Also some squats and shit. Eventually this new motivation lead me to sign up – and pay – for bootcamp. Since I am super cheap and I have already given away that money, I’ll definitely be going. In 4 to 6 weeks, I’ll be parading my new body around the streets of Cape Town.

No More Granny Pants

I used to be unashamed of my love for granny pants. Anything that keeps stuff in and smooth is a winner in my book. Sadly there isn’t anything sexy about this type of underwear. Like not even a bit. It’s never in black, it’s never got lacey bits and they really look like a grandmother could rock them. Normally I wouldn’t give two shits about my knickers, especially because no one has been seeing them. Crickets in that department. But the lingerie show changed all of that. 

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 While in my seat watching the ladies strut their stuff in sexy shapewear and big pants that still looked comfortable, I was mentally going through my underwear drawer and chucking out all the cotton boy shorts, the ugly beige pairs that sit under my boobs and the magic knickers that allow me to look sleek as long as I don’t drink or eat. I thought I’d made some good mental decisions. I also decided to put the magic knickers back but on the whole I am inspired to change my knickers. After all, if I wear them, surely the boys will come.

Making An Effort

There is a saying that there are no ugly women, only lazy ones. I believe this. I also am very lazy. So while I want to change and make more of an effort, the fat girl on my shoulder makes me snooze for an extra 10 to 30 minutes. This is the time I could spend curling my hair, or learning how to contour my face or finding an outfit that I haven’t messed food on.

Clicking on the pic should make it bigger

 It’s a truth universally acknowledged in girl world that looking good makes you feel good which makes your outlook all sparkly and happiness personified. I have had those days. I usually have those days when I work. On the weekends however I became a slob. And after two days in baggy jumper and stretchy pants, you lose all direction in life. So if anything this has made me more determined to make an effort. Look at these girls with the good hair and the glowing skin. I want to be that girl dammit.

So thanks to everyone at the Lingerie Show for their help/intervention J

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

Images from Cosmo’s FB page.

This!

Where are the Mark Darcys?! If you are one, holler at a girl!


Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!