Most people struggle to find the perfect gift and waste many hours aimlessly wandering around the shops! Our online Gift Guides eliminate those wasted hours! Below please find my Gift Guide for Him 2017. Gift ideas ranging from under R500 to more extravagant, luxury items. I have tried to include something to suit everyone’s budget. [Read more…]
Top Online Gift Guide For Her 2017
Most people struggle to find the perfect gift and waste many hours aimlessly wandering around the shops! Our online Gift Guides eliminate those wasted hours! Below please find my Gift Guide for Her 2017. Gift ideas ranging from under R100 to more extravagant, luxury items. I have tried to include something to suit everyone’s budget. [Read more…]
Father’s Day 2017 Gift Ideas
Father’s Day 2017 is less than a week away, and if you haven’t got the foggiest idea what to buy that special someone in your life, I thought I would share a few of my ideas. [Read more…]
Shimansky Christmas Gift Guide
I was recently invited on a tour of the stunning Shimansky Showroom and Diamond Muesum in the Clock Tower, in the V&A Waterfront. I felt like a wide-eyed kid at Christmas! To be surrounded by such beauty and perfection, was somewhat of a surreal experience…
The Shimansky brand owes its success to founder, designer and creator, Yair Shimansky. After embarking on a career in the jewellery industry in Japan as a young man, Yair started his own business selling jewellery at a Durban market. He then went on to open his first store in 1994.
In just two decades, the brand has expanded to include several jewellery stores located throughout South Africa. Shimansky has their own jewellery design and manufacturing workshop, a diamond cutting and polishing factory. You will also find Cape Town’s only dedicated Diamond Museum, based in the Clock Tower Precinct, at the Waterfront.
As well as finding out about the history of diamonds and discovering more about the Shimansky journey, I had the opportunity of viewing some of the most exquisite pieces of jewellery! After my first hand experience and as part of my Holiday Gift Guide, I thought I would share a few of Yair Shimansky handpicked gift ideas.
Shimansky Christmas Gift Guide
Below you will find a gorgeous selection of the world’s most desired gemstones, Diamonds and Tanzanite. Not only the birthstone of December, Tanzanite is also the perfect Festive Season gift as it is 1000 times rarer than diamonds – making this the gift that will undoubtedly be remembered. Nothing can create more happiness—and bring you closer to the girl in your life—than the perfect gift, given in the perfect way.
Dancing Diamond Heart Pendant
Dancing Diamond heart pendant set with a round brilliant cut diamond in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R3,995.
Dancing Tanzanite Pendant
Dancing Tanzanite heart pendant set with a round tanzanite in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R3,995
My Girl Cross Pendant in White Gold
My Girl diamond 0.54tcw cross pendant set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R12,995
My Girl Cross Pendant in Rose Gold

My Girl diamond 1.10tcw cross pendant set in rose gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R19,995.
My Girl Lucky 8 Pendant in White Gold

My Girl diamond 0.80tcw Lucky 8 circle pendant set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R19,995.
My Girl Lucky 8 Pendant in Rose Gold

My Girl diamond 0.80tcw Lucky 8 circle pendant set in rose gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R19,995.
My Girl Microset Halo Earrings
My Girl diamond and microset halo earrings 0.70tcw set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R29,995
My Girl Three Stone Drop Earrings

My Girl diamond drop earrings 1.00tcw set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R29,995
My Girl Diamond Microset Halo Ring in White Gold

My Girl diamond and microset halo ring 0.53tcw set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R29,995
My Girl Diamond Microset Halo Ring in Rose Gold

My Girl diamond and microset halo ring 0.53tcw set in rose gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R29,995
My Girl Diamond Diagonal Microset Halo Ring
My Girl diamond and microset halo ring 0.50tcw set in white gold. Recommended Retail Price: starting from R27,995.
I hope you have been inspired by these stunning pieces of jewellery and are dropping big hints with you loved ones! Perhaps share the link with them to help them get inspired!
Details and Location:
For any queries or to book a tour of the Diamond Museum, please email [email protected] or call +27 (0)21 421 2488. ADDRESS: Level 1, The Clock Tower, Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
On My Birthday Wishlist
I do not know many people who do not like birthdays! Yes, it signifies another year passed and getting older but for me, it means getting to act like a kid again! Blowing out candles, opening gifts and best of all bossing everyone around for a day. I probably do that anyway, but at least now I have a licence to do it! I thought it would be fun to share a few of the things on my Birthday Wishlist. [Read more…]
Fathers Day Gift Out The Box
You may remember me sharing my post on Gift Out The Box recentlty, which you will find here. Well I thought I would share the Gift Boxes they recommend as Fathers Day Gifts:
18 holes for 2 : Western Cape
This package offers you and a golfing partner a round of 18 holes + a lunch, golf cart rental etc. at one of our pre- selected prestigious golf courses.
o Devonvale Golf Club
o Durbanville Golf Club
o Mowbray Golf Club
o Paarl Golf Club
o Somerset West Golf Club
Gift for Him : Western Cape & Gauteng
Offering a variety of experiences specifically for men, from spa treatments to surfing and archery lessons, absolutely perfect for any man…
Western Cape :
• Anura Vineyards – tasting experience
• Creation Wines – tasting experience
• Glasshouse Rejuvenation for Men – spa experience
• Morgenster Wine & Olive Estate – tasting experience
• Paarl Archery Academy – archery lesson
• Personal trainer – training session
• SA Golf Institute – golf lesson
• Saggy Stone Brewery – brewery experience
• Surf Emporium – surf lesson
• Van Ryn’s Distillery – brandy experience
• Winelands Fly Fishing – fly fishing lesson
Gauteng :
• Alex Dlamini, Personal Trainer – Training session
• Bikram yoga -Yoga session
• Doppio Zero @ Rosebank – Food experience
• Floyd’s 99 Barbershop – Barber experience
• Paintball City – Paintball session
• Pepe Charlot – Tasting experience
• Scad Freefall SA – Adventure experience
• Sundowner Adventures – Fly fishing lesson
• The Green Bean Coffee – Coffee tasting
The Cellar experience : Western Cape
So many Cellar experiences in the most beautifully situated areas. Try out wine, brandy, champagne and relaxing picnics…
• Die Bergkelder – wine & cheese experience
• Klipdrift – brandy & food experience
• Nederburg – wine & cheese experience
• Plaisir de Merle – wine & cheese experience
• J.C. Le Roux – bubbly & canapés experience
• Van Ryn’s Distillery – brandy & cheese experience
• Nederburg – activity experience
• Durbanville Hills – wine & tapas experience
• Drostdy Hof – wine & tapas experience
• J.C. Le Roux – restaurant offering
For more info visit the Gift Out The Box website or their Facebook page.
Re-fined
As you know I am a bit of a shopaholic and was particularly fascinated when I heard about Re-fined.com! Re-fined is a new-comer to the on-line shopping scene and the brain child of Georgina O’Connell.
Re-fined has just recently launched to the public and offers shoppers a unique, on-line, shopping experience. It is a place where enjoying and acquiring beautiful things is effortless and pleasurable. You will find items for him, her, for little people and your garden and home, giving you far more variety to make your shopping experience that much easier! Re-fined stocks one of my favourite local jewellery brands, Silver Fig, which you may remember me blogging about – I absolutely love their designs!
“We understand that people have limited time and don’t always have access to the physical shops but still want to acquire desirable product and design to express their sense of style, hence the creation of a cyber mall with one check out point” ~ Georgie.
With a background in design, a love of beautiful things and an appreciation of talent, Georgie became acutely aware of the magnificent products and design items, that come out of South Africa. She also saw the need to make these Proudly South African products, more easily accessible to the world. The main purpose of Re-fined is to showcase South African products and designs, both locally and internationally.
What more could you ask for beautiful stylish products all available from one on-line destination and all this at the click of a button!
Please pop over to the Re-fined website and browse their growing, range of gorgeous goodies!
Gift Out The Box
We all know how difficult it can be to buy the perfect gift for someone! Especially for friends and family that seemingly have it all! I have often spent many hours wondering around the stores trying to find that elusive gift, that ticks all the right boxes! Well imagine you could, at the click of a button, have it all sorted out for you!
Gift out the Box is a wonderful concept, which offers you an exciting and fresh take on purchasing gifts for friends, family or co-workers. Life is so busy and we are confronted with so many special occasions such as: Christmas; birthdays; anniversaries; Father’s and Mother’s day; Valentine’s Day – the list is endless, and most often we have very little time to shop.
So what exactly is Gift Out The Box and how can it make your life easier? The concept is the creation of thematic boxes offering the recipient a variety of experiences, beautifully presented in a box and delivered to their door! The gift box contains a guide book and offers multiple choices depending on the experience you have chosen for the lucky person, who will be receiving the Gift Out The Box!
Gift Out The Box offers a choice of different suppliers and choice of establishments, where the customer will be able to go, to enjoy their experience. The recipient, also has the pleasure of selecting the supplier, place and with whom to enjoy the experience.
Gift Out The Box is the first company on the SA market to implement this type of concept, providing consumers with elegant gift solutions, priced between R249.99 to R2000, which offer variety, to both the purchaser and the recipient. This service offers a new complete gift option for consumers and it is innovative, quick and easy to buy and use. Essentially it is a revolutionary gift coupon, offering a choice of suppliers and venues, without a retail value being disclosed to the recipient.
Gift boxes are divided into four categories:
- Wellness
- Getaway
- Food and Wine
- Leisure activities
Instead of buying the same gift or giving generic gift vouchers, Gift Out The Box offers specific‘experiences’ within various genres, i.e. well-being, escapes and culinary treats. The packaging of these new generation of gift vouchers are stylish and upmarket and allows its holder to select between a choice of destinations or activities around a given theme within a maximum of 36 month period.
Other gift boxes which are new to the Gift Out The Box family are:
Gift for her for 1 or 2: (Western Cape & Gauteng):
We are always looking for gifts for the women in our lives, whether it is your sister, mom in-law or a special friend! They certainly deserve to be pampered from time to time, with this Gift for her, women will have the opportunity of escape reality, even if only for a little while, alone or with friends. They can select from experiences which include a cooking class, a surf lesson, a hairdressing experience or tastings. The experiences can vary from 1 to 2 people.
Gift for him for 1 or 2: (Western Cape & Gauteng):
Some of the unique experiences which this gift box offers are brandy tasting, an archery introductory lesson, wine tasting, a Spa experience for men only… All experiences proposed by Gift for him are designed for men and whichever experience they select they will enjoy doing something they really want to do. The experiences can vary from 1 to 2 people.
The Cellar experience for 2 (Western Cape):
There are many wonderful Cellar experiences to choose from, in the most beautifully situated areas. This gift is a great opportunity to try out some interesting tastings combinations, such as relaxing picnics, tapas platter, all combined with either wine, brandy or champagne tasting. Cellar tours are also available at selected outlets. This tastings experience if for 2 people.
I will be trying out The Cellar Experience soon, with my hubby and I will share my review with you afterwards. I am really looking forward to trying this out – the hard part is deciding where to go! 🙂
If you would like to find out more about the Gift Out The Box choices and how to order pop over to their website by clicking here. Gift Out The Box is currently available in the Western Cape and Gauteng. You can also connect with them on Facebook.