What a year it has been, with so much change and turmoil. I am happy to report, however, that something good has come out of 2020! We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Inspired Living SA shop! To give you a bit of a backstory – during our national lockdown, my daughter, Ally and I decided to get creative and started making scented candles. This project has since blossomed and has resulted in us creating an online home decor shop.
[Read more…]Spirit Beyond Words – Cavendish Square
You may recall my FRESH Beyond Words display I created at Cavendish Square recently. Well it is time for the next instalment! The Beyond Words campaign launched in June and will run until the 13th December. As part of the campaign, Cavendish have asked me to create a “lifestyle” display for each of the Beyond Words themes. The theme for this month is SPIRIT Beyond Words. You are able to view the display on level P1 until the 23rd November.
Spirit Beyond Words
Inspired Living brings you gift & festive inspiration Beyond Words – to help you get into the Festive Spirit!
My inspiration for this display, came mostly from my love of Christmas! It has always been one of my favourite times of year. One of the best parts is decorating our home and making it Christmasy. It is something the whole family enjoys doing!
The main colour scheme I chose for my display is red and silver. Each year I like to decide on a specific colour scheme and carry that through from the tree decorations, to table decor, as well as the wrapping I use. In my display I kept the decorations on the tree to a minimum. I do not like over decorated trees! {that is my personal preference – if you prefer more then go for it!}
Fabulous Christmas in Cavendish has the most wonderful selection of Christmas Decorations. I could spend hours and a great deal of money in their shop!
Another aspect of the festive season I love is giving gifts. This can often be a rather frustrating task! Finding that “perfect” gift, especially as the shops get more crowded. The best way to stay sane, is to get your shopping sorted early. As well some festive decor inspiration, I thought I would share a few awesome gift ideas – to help you find that “perfect” gift! Please go and visit the Beyond Words display on P1 to see my SPIRIT Beyond Words look and get your dose of festive inspiration.
As well as being a wonderful source of inspiration, the Beyond Words Campaign offers shoppers the opportunity of winning prizes to the value of R400 000! You can enter at Cavendish Square on P1 from the 9th June until the 13th December 2015.
Items featured in Spirit Beyond Words Display:
Milk & Blue Scarf – Poetry
White & Read Scarf – Poetry
Comfort Book -Poetry
All Sorts of Salads Book – Poetry
A Homegrown Table Book – Poetry
4 Pack Painted Candles – Poetry
Pocket Note Books in Box – Poetry
Felt Angel – Fabulous Christmas
Melodie Stripe Cotton Towels – Poetry
Small Red Topiary Tree – Biggie Best
Slatted Bowl with Objet Balls – Loads of Living
Felt Angel – Fabulous Christmas
Silver Tall Candle Holder & Red Candle – Mr Price Home
Tea-light Candle Holders – Biggie Best
Standing Clock – Loads of Living
Small Red Topiary Tree – Biggie Best
Welcome Home Reed Diffuser – Loads of Living
Welcome Home Jar Candle – Loads of Living
Welcome Home Room Spray – Loads of Living
Welcome Home Scented Sachets – Loads of Living
Red Leather Handbag – Fossil
Red Leather Purse – Fossil
Beige Leather Purse – Fossil
Ladies Watch on Leather Strap – Fossil
Father Christmas – Fabulous Christmas
Octagon Mirrored Tray – Loads of Living
Gents Leather Wash Bag – Fossil
Gents Leather Wallet – Fossil
Gents Leather Bill Folder – Fossil
Gents Watch on Leather Strap – Fossil
Santa Biscuit Plate – Mr Price Home
Red Metal Bucket – Fabulous Christmas
Christmas Stocking – Mr Price Home
Felt Christmas People – Biggie Best
Painted Crate – Biggie Best
Rocking Horse – Fabulous Christmas
Hanging Christmas Sign – Mr Price Home
Christmas Tree & Decor -Fabulous Christmas
Large Red Topiary Trees – Biggie Best
For more gift inspiration visit the Inspired Living Gift Guide.
Image Source: Cavendish Square and Inspired Living
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!
My Top Online Gift Stores
Whether it is a gift for a special friend, a wedding gift or simply a spoil for myself, this is my list of top online gift stores in SA…
- Heart and Home
Heart and Home is an online gift shop, specialising in home accessories, soft furnishings and accessories for children and adults. Product styles vary from vintage chic to contemporary. Each product is carefully selected to ensure a unique selection of gifts. I have been snooping around all the online stores since renovating my kitchen and fell in love with these gorgeous red canisters! To visit the Heart and Home Website click here.
- Skinny laMinx
Skinny laMinx products are fun and quirky with a definite South African flavour. Skinny laMinx products are 100% South African, with design inspiration lifted from nature and everyday objects. You will find gorgeous Wild Flowers, Pincushions, Duikers and Flower Feilds in shades of Framboos, Blueberry, Cocoa to name but a few. Truly unique and exceptional designs at very affordable prices. To visit the Skinny laMinx Website click here.
- Utique
Utique is an amazing on-line gift boutique, which is all about showcasing the very best of South African creative talent by carefully selecting products from local designers, artists and small businesses. To visit the Utqiue Website click here.
- Yuppiechef
Yuppiechef is my favourite online kitchen store and sells the world’s best kitchen tools from leading local and international brands. From knives, cookware and bakeware, espresso machines(I have my eye on a pretty red one) – they stock my favourite brands such as Kitchen Aid and Le Creuset. I love my Kitchen Aid and I am very keen to start adding a few of the attachments to my collection, especially the pasta attachment! They also offer free delivery anywhere in South Africa. To visit the Yuppiechef Website click here.
Skinny laMinx by Heather Moore
I am always inspired by the creativity that surrounds us in South Africa, amazing local design talent that is right here on our doorstep! One such very talented lady is Heather Moore. Heather is a self-taught illustrator and designer from Cape Town, with a design label called Skinny laMinx.
I like to cut designs from paper & produce screen-printed textiles, and really, I just like to make things. I have a lovely husband, two angelic kitties & quite a few bicycles. ~ Heather Moore
Skinny laMinx products are fun and quirky with a definite South African flavour. Skinny laMinx products are 100% South African, with design inspiration lifted from nature and everyday objects. You will find gorgeous Wild Flowers, Pincushions, Duikers and Flower Feilds in shades of Framboos, Blueberry, Cocoa to name but a few. Truly unique and exceptional designs at very affordable prices.
I thought I would share a few of Heather’s inspired designs with you, especially seen as Christmas is just around the corner and you may be needing some gift inspiration!
There are also super cute products available in the Mini laMinx range perfect for the little-ones in your life!
The one item that really caught my eye are these clever Ovenfire Transfers, shown below. If you are feeling crafty or looking for something for the older kids to do during the holidays, they are perfect! You will get an A5 sheet screen printed with a two-colour selection of ceramic transfers that can be applied to any glazed, commercially bought ceramic item, and then fired in a home oven for 20 minutes.
You can visit the Skinny laMinx store & studio in central Cape Town, at 201 Bree Street. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am – 5pm & Saturday 9am – 1pm or have a look at the on-line store on the website by clicking here.
Mimi and Jojo Toy Boutique
Mimi and Jojo have just launched in South-Africa! They are an exclusive on-line kid’s toy boutique, and boast a fabulous range of classical wooden toys by Le Toy Van, Big Jigs and Janod, to name but a few. They also sell an exclusive range of high-street fashion items for kids. Mimi and Jojo also stock an assortment of modern party ware, kid’s bedroom and playroom accessories – it really is a one stop shopping experience for parents.
Mimi and Jojo have managed to secure the biggest deal in kids fashion in South Africa, by becoming the first on-line stockists of UGG and Minnetonka kids shoes, which you could only previously purchase in the UK and USA. These labels adorn many a famous mini-fashionista’s feet, being worn by the super trendy kids of Gwen Stefani, Brad & Angelina and the Kardashians.
Becoming a super mom, has become that much easier, whether you are a working, shopping or stay at home mom, all you need is Wi-Fi, and kids of course. Mimi and Jojo have packaged options for mothers who want their kids to be unique whether its clothing, shoes, party ware, kids room, play room furniture or toys Mimi and Jojo have it all and best of all they even do free gift wrapping for you, perfect for buying gifts for your little ones and gifts for little-friends too.
Mimi and Jojo was founded by two young working mothers who felt that there was a gap in the market for safe, eco- friendly, high quality kids wear, toys and furniture. The launch of their on-line store could not have been timed better, with Christmas just over a month away! Their themed party decor includes some cute festive items – perfect for all of those parties you will be throwing during the holidays.
Their new website is user-friendly and makes shopping on-line a pleasant experience, once you have selected and paid for your items delivery via courier will take 2 – 4 working days, dependant on where you are situated. It could not be simpler!
As part of their opening promotion Mimi and Jojo are giving all customers a 10% discount off all kids furniture and free delivery on all orders over R1000. So do not waste any time – head over to their awesome new website and get shopping; they truly have an amazing array of goodies on offer. If you would like to keep up to date with their promotions and special offers you can follow them on Facebook.