I am a finalist in the SA Blog Awards! Although a lot of people are moaning about who was and wasn’t nominated and there are some intriguing finalists, I’m pretty stoked to be there
I am not expecting a win because frankly there are far better nominees in the category, but I do want to go to the swanky dinner at the One and Only.

And look at this nice badge I got given to make this voting business all super easy for you ?
There are vote deserving beans in each category, so check them out while you are there You can vote for your favourites daily.

Some of my faves are Exmi, Thefoodie, beatnikbazaar, guywithcamera and nash.

I send you a squillion days of happiness in return!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Director: Brenda Gray
Society: Claremont Dramatic Society

Runs Until: 21 August

Venue: Masque Theatre, Muizenberg
Bookings: Call 021 788 1898
(09h00 to 16h00 during the week and 09h00 to 11h30 on Saturdays).
Tickets: Weekdays at 20h00 and Saturdays at 14h30 and 18h30. Tickets are R50 for Thursday evening and Saturday afternoons and R60 for all other evening performances

CAST:

Michele Belknap Mrs. Erlynne
Luella Holland Lady Windermere
Andre Thomas Lord Windermere
Matthew Browne Lord Darlington
Mike Tompson Lord Augustus Lorton
Jane Cohen Duchess of Berwick
Clifford Graham Mr.Dumby
David Campley Mr. Cecil Graham
Ruth Allsopp Lady Jedburg
Su Cunningham Lady Stutfield
Allison Blair Lady Plymdale
Gizelle Willows Lady Agatha
Mary Faragher Mrs Cowper-Cowper
Nigel Sweet Parker
Adrian Kettle Sir James Royston
Sheldon Cross Mr Hopper
Anthony Lister
Caryn Underhill Rosalie
Chris King Mr.Guy Barkley
Sven Yaffe Footman

What I Thought:

Let me just say that even though I haven’t seen many productions at the Masque; this is without a doubt the best I have ever seen. I am literally going to gush for several paragraphs as to how beautiful, polished and just plain gorgeous it all was. The set was breathtaking, the costumes amazing and the attention to detail was immaculate. There was nothing on that stage that had been overlooked.

Performances were outstanding, the women elegant and the men handsome. Holland was stunning as Lady Windermere and the scenes with Mrs Erlynne (Belknap) were incredibly touching. I can’t run through everyone because we would be here forever but they were all so well cast. The Duchess of Berwick ( Cohen) and her terribly, talkative daughter (Willows) were definite highlights as was the scene with Lords Windermere, Darlington, August Lorton, Mr Dumby and Mr Cecil Graham discussing good women.

Also got to hear one of my favourite lines We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars.

Everyone added to this production and you know what? My gushing is not even doing it justice, so do yourselves a favour and go see it  I am so proud of and happy for this cast. Their curtain call brought a full house to it’s feet and deservedly so.

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So in typical me style, I entered this and then clean forgot about it.

There are so many of these competitions running around the interwebs and I like seeing how each brand tries to bring something new to the table.

It looks pretty swish, beautifully set out ,well branded and has a clear message as to what the Triumph girl represents. Had to sift through the Terms and Condemons but it seems ten girls are selected as finalists and after a week of judging in September the panel makes their decision.

On the 27th September a winner is crowned and takes home a whole heap of awesome prizes, including a huge modeling fee and the prestigious title of a Triumph model.

Girls simply fill out a form, upload their pics and wait on approval. I don’t remember getting any e-mail confirmation that I was approved … and this is probably why I forgot. I also havent seen a lot of promotion for this campaign… but then maybe I’ve been living under a rock or something.

You get pretty much pics, word association and an FB like integration for their troubles so not much room for the model to build her own personal brand. I dont think they pushed the join the Facebook group enough either.

So unfortunately once this campaign ends all these likes aren’t going to add up to much, but at least they had FB integration, unlike SI. They had a zillion squillion million hits for their recent SI new model search, but they didn’t seem to build any sort of social media presence with it. Missed potential much?

Again FHM Modelbook is still my favorite example of how effective these competitions can be from the long tail perspective.

However this is all just one girls opinion.

So yes, please stop by and like if you have a second

This competition is all about the Triumph.

Girls, get your entries in quicksticks. They close August 20th .

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3JjtZlPdLs

These puppets runs across most of the Sky channels. They’re the Diet Coke ‘sassy marionettes’ and they’ve got names, day jobs at a fashion mag and choreographed dance moves to match.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRtujWY0OZs

To be honest, they really freak me out. Like Bratz dolls with disposable income.

Puppets don’t scream freedom to choose, do they?  Plus people who operate marionettes in their spare time, are called manipulators … which is an odd message to send out.

Each time I see them, I imagine some giant Puppeteer (who looks like Tony Blair for some reason) over at Coke pulling their strings and making them pick up a coke light.

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Cue teenage, self-absorbed, yet-slightly-funny, highschool drama post:

You know when you were 16/17/18, in high school and completely naive? You thought that this spotty, arrogant teenager was honestly the love of your life .

I look back on my 2 years and a something month relationship with him and I cringe. No really. I can’t even convey how much I cringe.

The Break Up:

His break up (albeit not via sms) has to make at least one history book somewhere. I phoned him and he proceeded to dump me via the telephone, while I was in Germany, a few weeks before our Matric dance. He kept quiet through my 10 mins of sobbing and politely asked if I was ‘Done yet?’ and hung up the phone.

I got back to Cape Town and his mum fetched me from the airport… that wasn’t an awkward car trip. He hadn’t told her either, so I had to.

Me: I don’t think he’s taking me to the dance anymore.

Her: Why on earth would you think that?

Me: Well he dumped me last week.

Her: Oh.

The AfterMath:

We both went to the same school. How to die a thousand deaths. You’re in highschool, your recent ex is in most of your classes, you’re now dateless for your matric dance and you’re both going on a small, class trip to Robben Island.

We spent a rainy afternoon traipsing around a jail (an important one) and he then took me aside into a cell, stood there and in all seriousness said that we should go to the dance together and make it the high point of our relationship. I think he was struggling to get a date.

One of my closest friend at the time confirmed this. She phoned me that night, loling herself to death because he had asked her to the dance. Smooth.

He had zero class after the break up. I mean he told family friends I babysat for, that I snorted cocaine. Which was hilarious because I’ve never even smoked a joint, so cocaine was a touch unrealistic.

Thank You:

He broke up with me several times… even on Valentines Day. He screamed and swore. He called me fat. He said my freckles looked like a disease. Endless list really. Yet I truly thought he was wonderful. Hang your head in shame Ms Hobson! But it has made me laugh. Especially when I think about how important all this nonsense used to be.

He did me a huge favour really.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6-DyqwfvhU

LOL, it’s so dam true.

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This trip I took serious advantage of having the fast-fashion, Spanish brand ZARA around the corner. Described by Louis Vuitton fashion director Daniel Piette as “possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world,” the Spanish brand is quite the success story.

Previously only available to the jet-set elite in South Africa, the up-market, stylish design label without designer prices is hitting South African shores in 2011.

Who Are They?

ZARA manages everything from design to distribution and has one, insane business model. After identifying a trend, they can have clothes in their stores within 30 days. Partly thanks to the fact that it most of it’s production takes place in Spain, right on the doorstep of most of it’s markets.

They carry several collections which cover business, to casual to cute, cocktail dresses and maintain reasonable price points. Their stores are cleanly lit, with loads of mirrors and wooden finishes. Their quality is out-of-this-world, when compared with what South African consumers are used to.

TRF Collection is a favourite

Getting Online:

On September 2nd, ZARA’s going digital with the launch of it’s online store to UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. Despite it’s zero advertising policy, they’ve developed a criticized iPhone app, which apparently failed to achieve it’s potential.

Navigating South Africa:

I love the brand but as South Africans start to mount their hopes and Sandton starts to polish it’s floors, it really does depend on what the buyers bring over. The ZARA’s in France and Luxembourg stock very different shelves to their counterparts in Germany and the SA store could fall seriously short of high expectations. South Africa has neither the European sale culture nor ZARA’s Spanish production houses living in their backyard, which both aid the ‘fast-fashion’ that has won ZARA it’s fame.

Regardless of the outcome, I love the clothes (when I look at my purchases and my luggage allowance … maybe a little too much) and I’m stoked they’re finding their way to SA.

Best Buy

Other Best Buys

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuNBpffr87M

I think the video rocks and as you know I love their music. (Go listen to it, right now). It was really cool to be part of this and everyone who worked on it is an awesome ninjabean.

Production Company: The African Attachment
Director: Dean Leslie
Producer: Greg Fell

Catch it on MK 28th July, at 20h00.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKMkC7LpJE

These ads don’t need any introduction. I get goosebumps every time I watch the first one. These are true South African classics.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zmQBNnaAeQ

They make you feel all fuzzy and patriotic inside.

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In my final, honours year at UCT, my appendix decided that it was more important than starting semester and my thesis . For anyone who has had Appendicitis. It was one of the worst times of my life , I sympathise.  I had felt sick to the point where I opted out of a poker game (which I was winning) and gone to see my doctor. He had said it was probably a virus going around.  I was sick for about 3 days straight before I finally went to the emergency room.

I was really dehydrated, the couldn’t even open my eyes kind of dehydrated.They couldn’t say for sure if it was my appendix but as I looked pretty grim , they kept me overnight. By the way, when nurses think you are just one of those druggie, tik addict kids that have overdosed…. you get treated really nicely (sarcasm).

Anyways. Appendix dangerously close to bursting. Went in. Had surgery. Mum flew out to look after me ( thank god). Booked off uni for a month. Lost 10 kilos in total. Have a scar that sits high enough for everyone to see. So tell people I was savaged by mini, pygmy piranhas.

After The Op:

I was stick thin. I could play hide and seek with lampposts. I went into La Senza and almost burst out crying when they told me that I didn’t even need to wear a bra anymore. I remember an agency at the time praising this ‘look’ on me … yes because death is hot these days. I mean really, who needs to support vital organs?? That’s so 1600′s.

I went to a casting a month or so later. I told one of the models (a really stunning girl) about the op and how I had lost so much weight.

Normal people react with horror.

She asked me if she could go to her doctor and book this op. Was it that simple? Or did you actually need appendicitis to have it done? She reckoned it would really help her career to lose those extra few kilos … ( dam those lungs, kidneys and hearts!)

This is abnormal. I feel really sorry for that girl and others like her in the industry … because yes there are others that would think ordering an appendectomy was a good idea.

Frankly it’s stupid that pretty girls are dying to be thin. Literally.

I am so stoked Australia has brought in laws declaring a certain BMI for models and as much as the Kardashians annoy me , I love it that they have curves. Old news but I hope more brands follow Dove’s lead and teach young girls that you don’t have to be skeletal to be stunning.

I read a great article on the weekend that declares The Real Look is in and the new trend is real, freshly fit and healthy.

So hopefully all those skeletons can jump back in their closets, eat something, be healthy and get work!

Go Dove

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I found these Firefly: natural energy drinks in a German sushi bar. The flavours are unique, fresh and invigorating … wow that sounded like a sales pitch. They really are just awesome though.

Fave Flavour: Detox ( Lemon, Lime and Ginger)

The bottles told me to check out their site, so I did and you can too: http://fireflytonics.com/

It’s pretty cool. It allows you to check out each flavour and ‘undress’ the juice right down to what’s actually inside the bottle and you can submit your own, inspirational photographs to stand a chance to win the monthly, natural energy prize.

You can also design your own Firefly bottle, which I did and now I want to go off, buy it and drink it

They launched in Britain in 2003 and are now on the shelves in 40 countries! South Africa is listed…I just haven’t seen them in any of our stores yet.

If you have, please let me know ninjabeans!

Twitter: @FireFly

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