Amazing Outdoor "Rooms"

Hi Dear Friends!!

 

Summer is officially making herself at home in Cape Town and the best place to be in this Magic City of ours, is of course, outdoors!!!

 

It made me want to visit some of the amazing outdoor rooms on my Pinterest Board ~ Outdoor Rooms!

 

This luscious space was created by Tony Duquette ! I can see us having a tropical dinner here. How about those ginger jars? Are you taking it all in? Well, hop over here (click please) to see more of this designer, but be warned it will take a while to get through each room!

 

While you look through those rooms, I am going to take my Bubbly and head down here...

 

This might just be "The Mother of All "Outdoor spaces I have ever had the pleasure of drooling over!! Who needs to go home? Its all here!! Imagine how romantic this is at sunset....

 

 

 

For a bit of solitude and a good read with a cuppa...this little nook will do nicely, thank you!

 

 

 

 

Autumn colours, and of course I am sold!!

Add figs to the table, wine and bread and we have a party!!

This setting is every inch "Me"

 

 

 

 

I am putting this on my "Outdoor To DO" list!!!

For my next home, I want a mirror outdoors, surrounded by a Ticky Creeper!!

I have had my eye on the that console table for years and saw a similar one in a local store! Of course, I felt that I was scaling down and where would I put it??? But, voilà, problem solved!! Outdoors, of course!!

And, of course we all love those altar candlestick lamps...

 

 

 

 

Green and gorgeous! Are you looking at the lantern?

Thought so! The contrasting grey conifers is a genius touch!

Such an elegant space.

 

 

More lantern love going on here... a tranquil space with trickling water...

 

 

An open invitation to curl up with a pile of my favourite mags and to relax to the max....

 



 

I just adore the texture and colour of the stone and my Labrador, Smirnoff, will fit into the colour scheme perfectly! We are already snoring in acapella...

 

 Black and White and Trés Chic!

 

A stunning chandelier is the focal point of this amazing room! A most swoon worthy setting indeed. Add a lantern, beautiful tables, stone, beams and a magnificent garden and we are in love!

 

 

Evocatively Provencal and can you just dream about what's on the menu....

 

 

What an exquisite lil nook to snip and arrange flowers in, sit down with drink and admire your handy work...

Before I post the whole Pinterest Board on Outdoor Rooms, hop over and peruse the rest of them for yourself!

 

Live Well

 

Veronica

xxx

 

Please let me know which one was your favourite in the comment box below...

All images are from Pinterest

My New Blog !!! Pink Bra Bubbles Tablescape!!!

Hello Dear Ones!!!!

 

Greetings to you from a cool Cape Town!! We have had a respite from the heat and some welcome rain today! How are you all doing?

 

I also have a fabulous Spring Tablescape lined up for later, which includes a Bra (yessss, ladies!!! you heard it) and Bubbles...so stay tuned and keep scrolling, you will love it!!!

I will be joining Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday! Hop over to get inspired!

 

But first...

 

I have finally taken the plunge and sorted out my food blog!!!

 

Drum roll please for....

 

 

Thank you!!!

 

But I can hear some of you muttering... It's about time!!!

 

Yip, it has taken a while to take the plunge and as you know I have not posted many recipes and you have asked why not!!! Why was I neglecting the Tastebuds bit of Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds?

 

Well, I just struggled to find a name to tie in with the "Tastebuds" bit of the title!

 

So, why a separate blog for food?

 

Well, as I explain in my opening post ,( please click here to read it) I wanted to join the SA Foodblogger's roll and they declined my application as my blog did not exclusively contain food related posts! Perfectly understandable and so I started the search for a suitable name!

 

 

 

 I will be posting some of the old recipes that I have already posted in Tassels, but will obviously include new ones as well. When posting to Tidbits for Tastebuds , I will mention it in my post on Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds and that way you won't miss out!!

 

So far I only have three posts, the intro mentioned above, and then I kicked off with my favourite recipe, namely Fig Salad Please Click Here for that post!

 

And the other post was on Light and Luscious Hake, please click to read that one. It's easy and perfect for a quick week night dinner or lunch.

 I will add foodie blogs to my blogroll and tinker with it until it is ship shape, but in the meantime we can at least cook together as well as garden and decorate!!

 

Okay, so now that you are up to date and we are talking food, let have a peek at some Spring Tablescapes that I have had the pleasure of....

 

This gorgeously femine tablescape was at a Ladies Spring Event and obviously takes inspiration from Breast Cancer Month!

 

Take a peek...

 

 

It's such a happy and vibrant table, I simply loved it! It also won best table!

 

 

Take a closer look...

Wonderful, isn't it just!!

 

So gals, haul out your stash of fine lingerie and fishnet stockings and lets decorate some tables, shall we?

Don't you just adore the polka dot bubbly protruding from the polka dot bra!!

 

The goodie bags on each guest's chair was a work of art.

Yeah ladies, bring out the fishnets and have some fun!!

This little number was next to the table of delectable nibbles. Too sassy for words...!!!

Close attention to detail made for a feast for the eye, taste buds and sparked lively conversation and admiring gasps of delight as only a bunch of ladies all dressed up for tea can muster!!! The decibels went up, let me tell you!

 

The lil hats were just precious and oh so sassy!

Perfect presentation and the feminine touch carried through all the little details...

 

 

I spy mini cloches with a delectable delight....

 

The table setting from the other side with a floppy hat and feathery boa.

 

Thank you for your company!

 

Live Well

 

Veronica

 

xxx

 

Please leave all the oohs and aahs below in the comment box.... I can hardly wait to hear your comments!

 

La Rive Revisited ~ Franschoek

Hi Friends!

How are you all? Did Monday behave herself?

 

It is that wonderful time of the year again, when I get to visit magnificent open gardens! This year I did not do as many as I did last year. I could not pass up a visit to the picture perfect town of Franschoek, though!

 

I revisited the enchanting Le Rive and as always, was captivated by the charm and perfection of it all!

 

Approaching from the street, I took this pic of the wonderful bench down by the stream... wait until you see it from the other side... it will take your breath away.... 

 

I ran into one of the owners, sitting just inside the gate, and he said that he was just being inconspicuous and enjoying the gasps of visitors as they entered through the gate to be greeted by this magnificent picture! 

 

 

It was a perfect day and I felt like lounging here in the shade the entire day gazing at the beauty.

 

 

The pastel planting of the English Country Style garden is so soothing and there was a new vista to greet my lens at every turn.

Some spectacular Bearded Irises, roses and pansies and many more makes for a breathtaking lesson in planting.

 

 

Looking back toward the entrance

in the corner. 

 

The attention to detail is quite exceptional.

The upper terrace ...

And... ta da!!!

 

Do you spot the bench in the distance that I mentioned at the beginning of this post?

Take a closer look...

 

 

I have seen this same scene many times before, and every single time it takes my breath away...

 

 

 

 

 

From the ground!

Yes, of course I had to get on my knees and tum to show you!!!

 

 

Looking back through the gate to the upper terrace...

 

 

A happy profusion! As I am writing this post, there is a vase with nasturtiums on my desk from a friend's garden and they are just a happy treat!

 

 

Long time readers will remember my post from last year on La Rive (please Click on link for more photos in that post). It remains one of my most visited posts and I still regularly receive wonderful emails about it from across the world!

 

Email me at ronnieclark@mweb.co.za

 

 

I could not stay the entire day as there was ten gardens to get through, and some of them were on farms , so I had to leave this pretty picture behind!

 

Thank you for your company!

Live Well

 

Veronica

 

xxx

 

Please leave all those gasps below in the comment box... I am all ears!

 

I will also upload some more pictures of La Rive on Facebook ~ See Sidebar of this blog for link to Facebook

By Invitation Only ~ November ~ Paying forward the Bloglove

Hello Dear Friends!

 

How are you?

 

Life between two oceans seems to get more and more hectic as the Silly season approaches!

 

 

It is that time of the month when I get together with Bloggers from across our wonderful world for our monthly "By Invitation Only" post, hosted by my good friend Marsha from Splenderosa.

 

 

 

Every month, invited bloggers from across the Blogosphere, post on a common topic. Marsha thought that, with the season of gifting and thanks giving upon us, it would be great to highlight a blog or blog friend whom we admire, or perhaps a new blog.

 

A wonderful way to pay forward the blog love and to start the season of gifting!!

 

 

 

Now, as any blogger will tell you, when you get that bee in your bonnet to start a blog, is can be quite daunting!!!

 

 

Let me tell you, for me, it was quite an affair. Especially since l, was not particularly savvy in the computer and design department...

 

 

So, when I started the blogging journey, being a closet Franchophile, I typed into Granny Google search.... "French Blogs on Design" ....and landed on The French Tangerine!

 

 

 

 

Well, I scrolled through post after post and thought...no ways... I can not do that!!!

 

But, of course, I was hooked already....

 

I dropped Jan from the French Tangerine and email and she came back to me with such encouragement, that I decided to take the plunge and post that first, really silly post that I wrote.... How bad can it be, I thought?

If no one reads it, it can just be an on line scarp book if nothing else.

 

So, you can say that by reading Jan's Blog, The French Tangerine, I learnt all about blogging. I visited all the blogs in her sidebar and my horizon began to expand exponentially!! I could hardly wait for her next post ...

 

Jan is of course the Mosaic Queen in Blogland and you can visit her blog and read all about this lovely lady in a post I did on her in my "Blog it Forward Series" ~Click here

 

 

 

 

The next person I found has become a precious friend and I will be forever grateful to her!!

 

She sent me an invite to my very first blog party and gave me the email address of the hostess. Of course, I did not have a clue of what a "Blog Party" entailed and felt quite silly sending an email with a long list of questions.

But, as I found out, in the Blogosphere, if you get stuck, all you do is ask and a fellow blogger will come to the rescue!

 

 

She has been a constant source of friendship, encouragement and inspiration to me. I admire the way she will speak her mind on issues that concern her. I am always in awe of her generous inclusive spirit with which she welcomes all! She is the ultimate stylish girlfriend and her blog keeps us all on our toes. Be it fashion, style, decor, food...she does it with old school glam!!

 

Of course I am talking about Marsha From Splenderosa!!

 

 

 

Marsha, is also a talented jewellery designer and her pieces are all for sale in her on line shop click here

 

 

 

 

I love her decor style and have found loads of inspiration in her posts!

 

 

 

 

Off, course fashion is her forte and be it casual, formal our dress up time, this gal knows how to give glamour its sparkle!

 

 

 

Apart from all the decor, food, fashion and inspiration that we share with our readers and fellow bloggers, we also tend to share stories of our daily lives. Our triumphs, our failures, hopes, dreams and aspirations are all shared. Marsha has been a constant source of friendship, sharing laughs, sadness and trials and tribulations with me and for that I thank you, dearest Masha!

 

I salute you!!

 

 

 Please hop over to Splenderosa  to visit all the wonderful bloggers who contribute to "By Invitation Only" The links will appear at the bottom of Marsha's post.

 

Thank you all for your precious company.

 

Live Well

 

Veronica

 

xxx

 

All images are from Splenderosa

Kindly leave your comment in the comment box below... I am all ears...