I believe old furniture with a history is far more interesting then something brand spanking new. As I mentioned in last week’s post, Brocante Society is one of those rare antique burrows where everything has a history behind it and somehow feels like it has been-hand picked just for you and your home. Barbara, the owner’s ‘About’ page reads, “things authentic, things inspired, things that resonate, things with a visual montage.” Love it!

The store has a real French feel as you walk in, peppered with layer upon layer of vintage French linen piled everywhere. The antiques are all hand-picked by Barbara from the many auctions she attends all over the country.

Over the past few months, Seth and I have been on the search for a chair for the baby’s room – the big issue being that the room is quite small. The main feature is an antique bed in the middle of the room, with antique crib and (yes, you guessed it) antique chest of drawers. We had one spare corner to play with for a chair, but all the ‘feeding chairs’ I have seen are massive, oversized and just wouldn’t be practical in our case. That is until we found THE chair at Brocante Society! You can see it in the pics below – at the entrance (with the vintage French linen pillow case laying on-top). Isn’t it divine?

Brocante Society is in Chelsea Village – one of my favourite areas in Cape Town. Brocante has just given me another excuse to visit the village any day of the week!

Just as we were off to a good start to the year the world experienced the horrific terror attacks in France. It’s quite hard to believe that all this terror is becoming a part of everyday news, but I guess all we can do is carry on with our lives and try to be as positive as possible! One thing’s for sure, when things like this happen we do start thinking more about what is important in life and that we shouldn’t take things for granted – most importantly our family, friends and loved ones!

This is my first proper blog post for the year and gives me the chance to note all the things that happened towards the end of 2014 and everything to come for 2015! Firstly, we have three weeks to go before our baby arrives! Phew… nine months is seriously long – I cannot wait to have a glass of Champagne and some oysters..

We stayed in Cape Town for the holidays so I could (try) get everything ready like the baby room. Yup, the long baby list of things to get is almost complete, give or take a floating shelf or two. On that note, can I just complain a little about Baby City? Oh.My.Word. Perhaps I shouldn’t as just thinking about it makes me short of breath. We’re meant to be positive for 2015, right?

Christmas lunch was fabulous, as it was raining and things became quite cosy inside. We had decided to do a ham and a shoulder of lamb with roast potatoes – that’s potatoes roasted in duck fat… which I found at Chefs warehouse on Bree. I was going to do a turkey and had practiced doing one the week before (from a Jamie Oliver recipe). Seth loved it but unfortunately the sight of the massive drumsticks and the overly-emphasised scales in the skin put me right off! Honestly, I couldn’t even have one bite after the the whole experience – it seems pregnancy has a tendency to do this! So ham and lamb was the result. We pulled out the board game ’30 seconds’ after lunch, and that was a major hit – as always.

My sister – who works as a chef on a private yacht on the Med – spent Christmas with us and I scored with a quick pavlova lesson – mmmm. We decided not to do the traditional berries on the top, but rather Nutella and canned peaches. I think Anna Pavlova would have been proud!

Eventually the rain stopped and the rest of our days were spent lazing by the pool – drinking (virgin) Bloody Marys, playing opera music and reading / doodling. There were lots of early walks on the beach (to miss the crowds), quick dunks in the ocean – followed by brekkie at Caprice, and a braai almost every second day. Seth is becoming an expert at getting my chops perfect. Our friend Simon taught us a trick to get the fat crispy – you have to line them up, but to avoid them falling over – skewer them with a stick. Try it – it’s genius. Boerrie rolls topped with Sriracha chilli sauce is most certainly  my weak spot whilst being preggies – topped with some greens from the greenhouse to keep us glowing. Oh, and I had my first crop of purple cabbage this month – they were almost too beautiful to pick and eat.

I wasn’t going to talk about Christmas pressies but let me just mention the coolest painting (ever) I got of a pointer dog (framed from Brocante Society in Chelsea Wynberg) for Seth. I’ve been meaning to do a blog post about that wonderful shop – will keep you posted.

The statue head you see in the pics was also a gift from Brocante from my mum!

PS. On a very high note, all my kaftans sold out – thank you so much to all of you who bought. I just received a whole bunch from India, so I’ve put a few in the pics here for you to view. We should hopefully have them up on the shop this week or next. How gorgeous is the yellow and pink embroidered one? Luckily I got a few of those, so one is for moi!  I am busy making my first range from the most beautiful fabric I sourced from India. Getting them made here has been a bit tricky but all the sweat and tears will be worth it in the end. I hope to have them finished before due date (early Feb – don’t hold your breath). Whatever happens they will definitely be ready for your Winter getaway somewhere warm.

Please do indulge in my new car-spotting hobby – I posted some of the pics I took in December – how divine is that Ford Cortina?

I think that’s enough for now. Hope you like the pics and here’s to a fab 2015!

Catch you later.

Sam

What a super start to the year – Conde Nast House & Garden Gourmet  popped around one afternoon and made our life at home life look incredibly cool! We got to invite a few friends around and cook up a “French inspired lunch” with recipes from the family and a few others that I love!

Lacoste took centre stage as usual!

Cape Town is quickly making a name for itself as a foodie haven – remember when we only had Giovanni’s to rave about? Just have a look at Bree Street in the last two years – it’s fast becoming the food hub of Cape Town. I can’t wait to see what happens over the next two years!

Chefs Warehouse on Bree is not new to Cape Town, but having recently moved to Bree Street it has become quite the trendy tapas hangout spot. I’ve visited the foodie shop inside the restaurant a few times but never actually had a meal. Finally I got to try it out last week.

The whole setting is very cool indeed. The chef – Liam Tomlin – adds a nice touch by personally delivering each platter on a massive wooden board – explaining what the choice of tapas is for the day. More on the restaurant in a second..

The foodie shop is somewhat irritating, as you want to buy all the knives and cool brass shiny pots. I’d take cash and leave my cards at home if I were you.  The cook book selection is impressive and great for Christmas shopping.

You can also purchase from their deli, which features the likes of Rillette of Duck or Pork, Potted Shrimp, Potted Crab, Chicken Liver Parfait (with grape chutney) and… the list goes on – are you hungry yet? I think the next time I have guests over I will be visiting their cold fridge for entrées..

Back to the restaurant – the menu is simple.. For lunch there is ‘Tapas For 2′ and that changes all the time. On this particular day we were spoilt with squid, corn risotto, seared tuna, sliced venison and lamb. The lamb was the classic ‘falling off the bone’ (with fat dripping) and was absolutely delicious! Honestly, we didn’t even have to chew.

For dessert we had a Chocolate Hazelnut Fondant with Orange Ice Cream. Now how do you think that tasted? If you guessed DELICIOUS, you’d be correct.

Give Chefs Warehouse a bash – it’s just fab!

And did I mention they have a chocolate brown labrador? I wonder if it would be ok to take Lacoste along for lunch?

chefswarehouse.co.za

Sudden cravings require one whole baguette and lots of honey! My best tip is to slightly heat the baguette so that it’s crispy – then the butter melts, the honey drips and with some freshly brewed tea, it all blends into one!

I walked into Poetry the other day and was so taken aback by all their dresses this season. From stripes and vintage lace baby-doll inspired dresses, to kaftan beach dresses – I was in the changing rooms in a second! The stripe dress you see in the pic is the one I walked away with – perfect style for ladies with a bun in the oven! The shoes were actually an after thought – I noticed them while I was paying and didn’t have the energy to try them on. It also helps pretend you’re spending that much if you do it quickly – “size 7 please, and pop them into the bag quickly please..”

Thanks, Poetry – I enjoyed that spontaneous mid-week shopping.

www.poetrystores.co.za/poetry-adeline-skater-dress

There are so many different ways to wear a kaftan, I think that’s why I love them so much! Over a bikini, over denims with a massive basket to the market, and – one of my classic faves – is ‘beach-to-bar,’ with panama hat and a cool bright-coloured Madwa clutch in hand!

I had quite a few kaftan enquiries on the weekend, which only means one thing – summer is here at last! Thanks so much to my regular kaftan shoppers for all your support. And to those of you who have not yet got one – they also happen to be the perfect Christmas gift this season!

If you are not quite sure about shopping my kaftans online just send me an email (sam@cafeducap.com) and I will send a few your way to try on.

x

Vergelegen wine farm is no ordinary estate. It happens to have a Camphor forest and offers visitors a chance to picnic amongst giant peacocks, white table cloths, picnic baskets and roaming waiters. The walk from the car park to the picnic in itself is mesmerising. The Library – originally a winery built in 1816 – was converted to a library during the Phillips era. It is now home to a priceless collection of Sir Lionel Phillips books including ancient and modern history, travel journals and a small collection of Afrikana and French volumes. The grand oak trees, over 300 years old and believed to be the oldest living oak tree in Africa are also a sight to behold, but the rose garden in full bloom was truly a hit for me.

when you first enter the camphor forest, it feels a bit like something from Lord Of The Rings. We thought we might be sharing lunch with ancient elves and hobbits. there is one very over-friendly and naughty  peacock who gets up close and personal whilst you snack on your picnic. He quite confidently expects you to surrender some of your baguette!

The picnic itself is nothing to write home about… the usual stuff like hams, potato salad and a very simple cheese platter at the end with coffee -but that’s ok, because the experience of eating in this ancient forest is quite clearly the main highlight.

Check out their website and book here.

I mentioned a few weeks back on my picture worthy story that I was getting our garden ready for summer. I think that should go for our home as well. Out with dusty unwanted things and in with the new!

Like the Christmas cards from last year need to get chucked, as spring cleaning cupboards take priority – even Lacoste has a special cupboard which gets a spring clean. All the chunky jerseys and coats need to be packed away. Except, of course, for my beloved trench – which always stays no matter what!

Winter boots get boxed and stored, summer dresses unpacked, sandals  unpacked, and the Bensimon sneakers are thrown into the washing machine. That reminds me – the annual visit to the Havaianas store is needed.

The orchids get swopped around in the greenhouse – the bulbs come in and the stems with no orchids go out for a much needed rest and some bright light. Even the in-door trees get a wipe down. It is only fair that the ones that have barely survived play musical chairs with the healthy ones. This means they all get a turn to be closer to the sun streaming through the window.

And last but not least – the gin and tonics gets stacked, the silver gets a polish and voila – home is ready for tea with the family this Sunday!

We love trying new breakfast places, especially when they’re down the road in Tamboerskloof! This one is something of a neighbourhood heirloom, as it has been around since 1904, trading under numerous names. We all knew it as the Daily Deli before, but now it is The Blue Café - a divine place that is just so quaint and cute, and – most importantly – the coffee is great!

The houses over the road make for a stunning backdrop with their cute little gardens and neat patios in the front. The menu is small, a few breakfast dishes, cakes and croissants and freshly baked bread. What more could you ask from a café in your neighbourhood?

The Blue Cafe
13 Brownlow Road
Tamboerskloof

We spotted this vintage merc on the way to the Blue Cafe.

My due date is Feb which means getting the baby room ready is taking priority at the mo. I have never really been into cheesy baby rooms, so my plan has been to keep with our general theme of the house and by the end – with all the teddies, toys and Wind in the Willow prints on the walls – the room would naturally start looking like a kid’s room. Instead of a compactum we decided  to keep an eye out for an antique chest of drawers. This has been a bit tricky in finding because the changing mat had to fit perfectly on-top and most of the chests were too small. After a few weeks of searching on the net with no luck, we decided that this past Saturday would be the day we would walk from one end of Woodstock to the other to find the piece. First stop was Frenchtique and I am thrilled to tell you that there were no more stops after this.

As we walked inside we got so excited that we clean forgot what we were looking for! There were  rocking chairs, old paintings in the most beautiful antique frames, chandeliers and the biggest gold framed authentic mirrors leaning against the walls  - which is my favourite thing to do with big mirrors at home. Eventually, right at the back of the store we found the piece – it was actually the only chest of drawers in the whole store and it just happened to be perfect! We walked away after a little bartering session (combo-price included an old framed sketch and an antique chair…. I love having mix and match lonely chairs around the house against the walls, to display hats and books) and went home without trying another shop in Woodstock.

The chest and the sketch are my last few pics on the post! Here is the website of Frenchtique, it’s a must for a Saturday morning!

For the last few weeks I have been getting the garden ready for summer. A few visits to the nursery and a couple of plants later I think we can safely say we are half way there. Again, I cannot wait to have a farm so I can plant loads of shrubs that can look overgrown instead of continuously buying perennial plants from season-to-season that don’t last that long.

The Hydrangeas are starting to flower and this year they are white ,which means all my nutrient feeding during the winter to make the soil more nitrogen-rich has paid off. Last year they were turning pink and when I bought them they were supposed to be white. Me and my problems… I tell you!

Anyway I took so many pics this last weekend while playing in the garden – I thought I would share.

Now is the time to be heading for the beach – it’s not too hot, the crowds haven’t arrived and it makes you understand – yet again – why we live in Cape Town! The schedule goes something like this: wake up around 8.00 to a sulking Lacoste - she knows it’s her beach day – and is waiting in anticipation for us to get our lazy bums our of bed. We head on down to Camps Bay and walk along the length of the beach, while Lacoste says hello to everyone and their dogs walking past. The half-way mark are the rock pools which we all get into (if it’s warm enough – otherwise it’s just Lacoste!). I normally get called a wuss if I don’t get in, but at six  months pregnant they go easy on me if I decide to sit and watch all the fun. From there it’s the usual table on the pavement at Caprice where we have a cheeky bacon and egg stack, while the little one has a snooze at our feet. Then it’s back up the road to begin our Sunday at home. It’s amazing how long your day is without a hangover!

One of my dreams is to have a small get-away farm, just two hours out of Cape Town with the biggest veggie patch and millions of chickens running around (with the obligatory silly names). My own little Babylonstoren to play in.. What a dream hey? How could we not all want this dream living in South Africa, where farming is a way of life.  In the meantime I haven’t managed to persuade Seth to get me chickens for the garden at home, so for now the guinea fowl in the neighbourhood will  have to do! On the way home from work this week I noticed the latest round of chicks have just hatched – how sweet!

After our visit to Kooperasie Stories – which I told you about earlier in the week – we went on to Stellies, to walk around the village. I haven’t done that yet this summer, and the big oak trees paving the streets in-between the Cape Dutch houses certainly do bring on a sense of pride. We really do need to get out more and experience what all the tourists come here to do!

Our tummies were grumbling by now, so the first stop was Schoon de Companje - that was only if they had a table available - which lucky for us they did! There is so much to take in while you put your order in… flowers to-go, organic vegetables (in such a beautiful stand), fresh bread to-go and their ‘honest’ chocolate, which I could not resist taking a pack home. Oh, and their butchery with one very good looking butcher (blush)..

There was a big poster on the wall advertising live music playing that evening, so I’m sure at night the place turns into a student craze – aaah – those were the days!

The coffee was yummy and the chocolate brownie which I posted on my weekend inspiration coffee-table-shot was too delicious!