Top South African Lifestyle Blog
My look of the week this week is bang on trend! “Party” pants are very much the trend at the moment and paired with a smart black blazer it gives the whole look a smart – sassy edge. Add a pair of killer heels and you are well on your way to super sexy “street style”.
I am not necessarily convinced that this look is for me but I would be willing to at least give it a try!
Image Source: FabHunter
This week my Real Women – Real Life feature focuses on Kathryn and Vanessa Rheeder, from Heart and Home. Vanessa gives us a bit of insight into the lives, of two local Cape Town mom’s running an online business.
Heart and Home is an online gift shop that was launched on the 9th of February this year. I (Vanessa) was working as a finance manager in the corporate field and wanted to do something a little more creative and flexible as I am a mother of 2 boys, Josh and James. Kathryn is going to be a mom in September and our online gift shop provides us with the flexibility, of having a business while still allowing us to spend time with our children.
We both share the love of products that are unique, charming and reasonably priced. Our goal was to source products that aren’t readily available in South Africa, to ensure that we offer something different to our customers. We also want to support local suppliers so we have included some local products, which fit our signature brand and style.
Tell Me About The People Behind Heart and Home?
Kathryn and I both live in Melkbosstrand, Cape Town and are sisters-in-law, business partners and long-time school friends. As mentioned above, I am a mom of 2 boys and Kathryn is expecting her little boy in September. Kathryn is consulting full-time at the moment and I used to work as a financial manager for a listed company.
We found a great deal of inspiration from overseas websites when we were designing and developing our brand and website. We love products from the UK, Scandinavia and South Africa of course. We also love visiting food and craft markets in South Africa.
We stock both local and imported products. We especially love the local, handmade babushka dolls, owls and tepee tents which you can find in our handmade section.
We have only been trading for a month so our bestsellers change all the time but at the moment, the jumbo shoppers are our bestsellers. They come in 4 designs and are made from recycled plastic bottles so they are eco-friendly too, which makes them a practical and unique gift.
My personal style is more contemporary with a touch of classic, while Kathryn’s is more classic with a touch of vintage chic.
My advice to women, especially mom’s, starting up their own business is to ensure they have a proper support system in place and a separate office to work in. My eldest son gets dropped at crèche in the mornings and my nanny looks after James. I work upstairs in my office and I’m available to spend the afternoons with the boys.
[quote style=”1″]Ask God for a creative idea – He knows you the best and always gives you something original and helps you along the way![/quote]
Make sure you spend time on research, draw up a formal business plan with financial forecasts. It’s important to know where you are going. Ensure that you implement the proper systems for your business. Use reputable service providers for website design, development and hosting. Use good quality images and descriptions for your products as your customer relies heavily on this.
The biggest challenges I faced was not earning a salary for the last 12 months and learning to have patience as it takes time to set up the website and to make it profitable. Kathryn is still working full-time so she has had to juggle the business and her full-time job!
We would like to increase our product base in the near future. We have to manage our cash flow so we will only introduce new products as and when we can. We have a 3 year financial forecast which we hope to meet. Our vision is to be one of the leading online gift shops in South Africa.
Heart and Home are offering a 15% discount off your initial purchase when you sign up for their newsletter, check their website here for more details. If you like their Facebook page before the 31st of March 2012 and you could win a R350 Heart and Home gift voucher.
Images: Photography by Leigh-Ann Cooke of Love Life Photography
Exciting news! Spanish retailer Zara to open in Cape Town! Zara will open in the V&A Waterfront, in Cape Town! There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether this major international retailer would actually be opening a store, in Cape Town but the good news was announced earlier this month. As I mentioned in a previous post, Zara is one of my favourite stores to shop at, when I visit London – not that I ever need an excuse to shop! I have bought some truly classic items from the UK stores in the past, so I hope that the local store lives up to my expectations.
David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, says this popular, high street fashion brand will be an exciting addition to the already impressive line-up of internationally acclaimed brands in the V&A Waterfront fold. The new Zara store will be located in the Victoria Wharf, in the V&A Waterfront’s main shopping centre. The brand is felt to be a good fit for the Waterfront which is said to be Cape Town’s premier retail and entertainment destination.
So we eagerly await the opening, which is scheduled for later this year. Further details are still to be announced, so I will be sure to keep you undated on any news.
Images: Zara
I never need an excuse to shop and I absolutely adore the Cape Quarter Centre in Green Point, Cape Town. It feels as if you have crossed the Rubicon when you step into the centre; it has a wonderful cosmopolitan air about it and I was certainly not disappointed when I popped in to the centre on Monday, it was a hive of activity. The main purpose of my visit was to interview the lovely Leigh Tzouvanni, co-owner of the beautiful boutique gift store Coco li.
Coco li is a joint venture started by myself and my sister Lana Goslett. We opened our first store, in 2004, in The Paddocks Centre in Milnerton. We both have a background in Interior Design and architecture and the business was born out of our shared love of all things beautiful. Having a united vision and passion made establishing Coco li an easy venture; what better way to spend your day than surround by all the creative flare and beauty that feeds your passion. Five years later, in 2009, we opened our second store in Greenpoint’s Cape Quarter extension.
“Coco li is the perfect little boutique where you will not only be inspired to spoil someone else but you will also have free rein to spoil yourself. Come and get lost in our treasure chest…” You can expect gifts to be adorned with exquisite wraps that are then tied with vintage lace ribbons and perhaps even finished off with a rose – something uniquely Coco li and a real treat for the recipient of your gift.”
What Type of Products Do You Stock?
We stock a vast array of gorgeous upmarket goodies which range from unique homeware pieces, jewellery and stunning designer clothing, including some vintage pieces. I have even managed to source a few vintage clutches!
When asked what her favourite products are, Leigh’s response was fitting – I love it all!!
We maintain that 90% of our products are local and we import a few items to fill the gaps. We are lucky to live in the country we do and have access to such talented designers and such well-made local products, which include unique clothing collections from a selection of SA designers.
My personal style is definitely quirky with vintage inspiration, a great deal of what you see in store will be mirrored in my own home.
Do You Travel for Business?
I do not do much in the way of business travel at present but as the business grows I would love to travel to source more unique items of interest to add to our growing range.
We have developed a range of local bath and body products, with the help of a friend of mine Tanya, who has her own range of natural body products, called Naturals! We worked on fragrances and bottling together and our labels were designed by Bridget from loveletterstationery! The Coco li Body Range includes Himalayan Bath Salts, Salt & Sugar Body Scrub, Body Butter and Hand and Body Lotion. These products come in soothing fragrances such as “Chamomile & Rose” and “Vanilla” and for something more invigorating, a vibrant “Ruby Grapefruit”. I am very excited to announce that we are currently in the process of developing a range of diffusers and massage oils.
Thank you so much to Leigh for giving me the opportunity to interview you and learn a bit more about Coco li, it is a beautiful shop filled with exquisite products! I wish you every success with the further development of your Coco li Body Range and we will definitely keep readers up to date with any new products that are added.
Images: ©FAR Photography
At the end of last year, I entered a competition on the blog Becoming you and was very lucky to win a gift voucher, from a gorgeous store, called Smitten Home & Life, that specialises in gifts, clothing, jewellery, decor and homewares.
Very embarrassingly I only got around to spending it just last week! I treated myself to a stunning grey scoop-necked sweater, by Lily Co and a fabulous, African inspired, makeup bag, by veldt. It truly is a wonderful store which caters to all your gifting needs, Smitten is situated in Constantia area in Cape Town and definitely worth a visit.
Thank you to both Becoming you and Smitten Home & Life – I will definitely be back in store again soon!
Contact Details: 53 Constantia Rd., 7801 Cape Town, South Africa, Tel: 0217629687
