what we love THIS MONTH
FOR THE FAIRLADY TEAM, THIS LAST BIT OF WINTER HAS BEEN ALL ABOUT SMALL COMFORTS: WATCHING A PLANT FLOURISH (SOMETIMES AGAINST ALL THE ODDS), SOOTHING WORDS FROM THE ‘TWITTER MONK’, STEAMING CUPS OF COFFEE AND SOME CBD TREATS.
COMFORT READ
Reading Love for Imperfect Things by ‘Twitter monk’ Haemin Sunim was my way of mourning the year that could’ve been. In March, I was supposed to have a huge party to celebrate my engagement. In June, I was supposed to explore Europe by train. And, in December, I planned to walk down the aisle in a church filled with more than a hundred of my closest friends and family.
There’s no better time to pick up this book as an act of self-love. It helped me find the beauty and joy in things that are imperfect; things that go wrong. The artwork inside, by Lisk Feng, is beautiful and calming, and reminds me of the joy in simple pleasures. And Haemin’s kind words and assuring revelations will help you reflect and move forward in this chaotic year. The paperback is R200 at Exclusive Books.
Caroline
Travel tote
I had grand plans to travel this year and, while I was still planning my trip, one of my main goals was to find a handbag to take with me: something trendy but also roomy enough to take along on an adventure. My sister recommended Rowdy Bags – a South African leather company that makes exactly what I was looking for: handmade, minimalist bags that are practical yet pretty. A bonus: they offer a lifetime warranty, so if your zip breaks or stitches come loose, they’ll repair it for you, free of charge!
I didn’t quite make it to Europe, but we’ve been exploring locally: we drove to the Garden Route to find snow and have enjoyed plenty of walks in the neighbourhood’s green belts. My new bag has managed to fit and protect all my essentials, especially my camera and its lenses – something a journo just can’t travel without! If you’re looking for a lifetime piece that supports local artisans, a Rowdy bag is a great investment.
The Crossbody Tote is R995 on RowdyBags.com.
Caroline
GONE T O POT
I’ve never been able to keep a plant alive, and since the Great Succulent Massacre of ’09, I’ve avoided even trying to.
But every now and again a well-meaning friend gives me one as a gift, and then I have to watch it slowly give up on life as I either water it to death or forget that it exists until I find its driedout remains in a corner. I’d pretty much made peace with the fact that I was not meant for plant ownership.
So anyway, my mom bought me a flowering plant of some kind, just because she couldn’t find a bunch of flowers that she liked, and casually said, ‘When [note: when, not if] it starts to die, you can just throw it out.’ (I can literally feel all the planty people out there clutching their pearls.)
Lo and behold, that bloody plant is flourishing. Probably just to teach me a lesson. And since it’s now sitting in my office – i.e. the lounge – where I see it every day, I took pity on it in its ugly little plastic pot and decided to buy it something new to sit in.
I could feel the other plants cringing away from me as I walked into Plantify, so I resisted buying more foliage to murder, but I’m really quite thrilled with how pretty my unkillable plant is now looking in her new cover pot. Which is called a Pluto Planter; it has little speckles that kind of make it look like the night sky. A 14cm pot is R325; the 18cm ones are R385 from Plantify.co.za.
BARKING DELICIOUS
If you or Fido are lovers of peanut butter, then boy do I have a delicious
CALMING treat for the both of you: all-natural peanut butter infused with CBD pet tincture.
Total creamy goodness in a jar, this PB contains no stabilisers, sugar or preservatives. Add it to your dog’s food, spread it on a treat or let them lick it off a spoon (come on, we know you do this!). The best part is that it is great for humans too, so pop a slice in the toaster while you brew your morning coffee. Refrigerate for a more solid texture. (And stick to the daily serving sizes!) It’s R155 a jar, available at www.fromthebarkery.com.
Janine
oh, honey
There are a lot of small things I miss about working in an office – things I completely took for granted. One of them is sneaking away from my desk at the office for an early-morning stroll around town and a takeaway coffee. Hot, steamy, and – this part is key – made by someone who isn’t me.
I can’t quite get behind the homemade situation, but Woolies is helping fill the coffee-shaped hole in my heart with its Instant Honey Nut Flavoured Lattes. I’m officially hooked on these sweet and creamy coffees. All you need to do is add hot water or milk (or both!).
I save them as a treat for once or twice a week, so the box really lasts. A box with 10 sachets costs R48,99, from Woolworths.
Caroline
COFFEE BREAK
I recently stopped off at my favourite garden courtyard, 44 Stanley, for a good browse. There were only a few stores open, but luckily Bean There was one of them, and it was so nice to return to a familiar place during this strange time!
This trendy spot has been serving excellent coffee for nearly 12 years, which has made them an institution.
Bean There is committed to paying a fair price for coffee from African countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya, and it pays the farmers directly. Another part of its initiative is to train up baristas and help farmers farm better.
Barista Marcus Tlhomelang whipped up a delicious cappuccino for me and I went home with a packet of plunger coffee to brew at home. Bean There’s coffee costs R80–R90 for 250g and is available online (beanthere.co.za) and from their café in Johannesburg.
I hope the cake counter opens soon – I’ve been dreaming about a slice of their famous cheesecake! Liza
NOT YOUR MOM’S GUMSHOE
Stop your scrolling – I have just the thing for you to watch tonight. The reboot of Perry Mason on Showmax doesn’t have much in common with the 1957 original – instead of legal drama, this 8-part miniseries centres around a hard-boiled detective (think True Detective, season one).
Set in 1930s California, Perry (played by the brilliant and dishy Welshman Matthew Rhys from The Americans) is a down-on-his-luck PI with a penchant for booze and an undiagnosed PTSD problem from his time fighting in WW I. When defence attorney E B Jonathan (John Lithgow) hires him to investigate the kidnapping and murder of baby Charlie Dodson, he finds himself in over his head.
WARNING: this show is not for senstive viewers! Within the first few minutes there’s a scene that will make you wince (I did), and at another point you’ll be subjected to the image of a large man (and I mean large in more ways than one) chasing after our PI, completely naked. But push through; it’s worth it.
Perry Mason explores some relevant issues: Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) is the only black cop in the LAPD, and he deals with blatant racism on a daily basis. And paralegal Della Street (Juliet Rylance) is forced to hide her queer identity. It’s a great reimagining and chock-full of fantastic performances. Charis
GOOD HAIR DAYS
After searching for almost a year, I finally found the perfect hair salon when I walked through the doors of Palladium Hair Company in the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village. From that moment on, I knew this was where I would spend my Saturday mornings. I’m talking about killer blowouts, bubbly, insane head massages and staff members who feel
like family.
When my parents visited me in Cape Town, I took my mom there to get her hair done and I was so touched by the extra care they took with her. They even offered my dad a facial on the house, and he promptly fell asleep.
My Saturday hair routine is one of the few things that keeps me sane, and I just want to say a big ‘thank you’ to the team at Palladium – especially my stylist Wadia, who kills it every time I sit in her chair. Christina
GARDEN VARIETY
Whenever I go to a nursery, I always feel overwhelmed standing in front of all those hundreds of packets of seeds. Which is why Gro-urban seed squares are great: they are so user-friendly! The seeds are evenly spaced on handmade recycled paper, so you just cover it with soil, water it and wait for the seeds to sprout.
What I like most is that the squares are made of recycled cardboard boxes and used coffee grounds – and all the seeds are non-GMO.
I planted a whole bunch in my backyard and the rocket and beetroot plants are flourishing!
You can get them from plantify.co.za, seedsforafrica. co.za, gro-urban.com and selected Spar and Stodels branches.
Annelee