Farmstyle Homemade Ice Cream

Recently, we went to visit my old friend, ex room mate and new mom Sarah at her new home and farm in Greytown.
Besides buying one of my best antique timeless pieces of furniture ( that is for another blog), I got to eat Sarah's farmstyle homemade Ice Cream.

We decided to give her recipe a bash this week. The great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever you want into it to make it into your own flavour.

So here are the basics but we made a Ginger biscuit and Cinnamon ice cream:

* 500ml cream - beaten until stiff
* 1 tin condensed milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
* 4 beaten egg whites - I beat mine just before stiff peak stage
* half a packet ginger biscuits - roughly crushed
* 5-10ml cinnamon

1) Beat the cream until stiff
2) Fold in the concdensed milk, vanilla essence and egg whites
3) Add flavour of choice EG: crushed ginger biscuits and cinnamon
4) Freeze
5) Indulge

Although this ice cream is a creamy mouthful and spoon of heaven, it does work out quite pricey but is worth every penny.

Go on and spoil yourself!!

LaurenLeigh cc

Bring and Buy with { the thrift collection }

I know this is late notice but I thought I would share with you what I am doing this afternoon.

I am going to sell once loved goodies at { the thrift collection} bring and buy. They are having a big thrift up or swap party with a difference.

Have a look at the details here otherwise below is the address!

Venue: 14 Weymouth Avenue Glenwood
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Date: Saturday 28th January 2012

Have a good Saturday.

LaurenLeigh cc

Another day, another picture...

Found another picture from the midlands weekend get away. Ryan took this one of me while I was reading an interesting article on coffee!

Thought it was a nice pic so I wanted to share. Although, I do prefer the colour version.

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Live Comedy at The Upstairs

What are you doing on the evening of 2nd February?Durban live comedy at its best - Glen Bo and Dusty Rich return from their cruise liner tour and share their adventures.
It is at the Upstairs which is an awesome new venue above Spiga in Florida Road.

Pic courtesy of DurbanIsYours

I found it on Durban Is Yours website which is my "go to guide" for cool things happening in and around Durban. Have a look here for more details on the comedy evening.
With Durban being a smaller city than JHB and CT, it is a bit more difficult to find things to do besides dinners out, the odd live band and pubs or clubs.
The people at Durban Is Yours have found a way to keep us corporate folk in touch with what is happening in music, arts, comedy, festivals and nightlife.

I use this website when I am looking for something different and unique to do in Durban, find something that may be up and coming and hasn't been advertised (they always have there fingers on the button and know most things first) or to learn more about the really radical people/ artists we have in our own city and country. They have featured articles and interviews as well as reviews and a gig guide...what more could you ask for? have a peek here
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Welcome the year of The Dragon - 2012

Pic courtesy of theholidayspot.com

Monday 23rd January, we say goodbye to the year of the rabbit and hello to the year of the dragon.
Chinese new year starts today and the year of the dragon promises to be a prosperous one.

In Chinese astrology, the dragon is the only creature or animal that is not real and the chinese hold special reverence with the dragon. The zodiac signs are represented by 12 animals and determined by the year of birth rather than the birth month as per western zodiacs.

People born in the year of the dragon can be quite confronting, but if you can break through, they have a soft heart. They are also said to be very passionate, brave, enterprising and innovative personalities who enjoy the outdoors and nature.

To everyone celebrating Chinese New Year, I wish you all a happy and festive celebration.

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Warwick Estate Wines - thanks House and Leisure

Over a year ago I decided to go and randomly see a pyschic and one piece of advice she gave me stuck in my head : " Enter as many competitions as you can and take lotto tickets"

So I went onto the House and Leisure website ( which is a very user friendly and informative website) and entered all their competitions they had on offer.
And I won one of them!!!
6 bottles of Warwick Wine Estate Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc.

So thank you House and Leisure magazine and Warwick estate wines for my first prize of many for 2012!

And it arrived just in time for the weekend.

Hope you all had a good one?

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Oh how I wish for a kitchen like this one day...

Last year we went to the Midlands for our anniversary. I was clicking through images on my pc today and I stumbled across this picture I had taken in one of the old eclectic coffee shops we had lunch in.
I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the coffee shop but I do know that I fell in love with the set up of this old shelf and "kitchen" area.

The colours are amazing and allow your space to feel bright, cheerful and happy, just like a kitchen should be. For me, the kitchen is my happy place where I get to experiment with food, flavours and recipes, de-stress and completely let go.

I love how nothing matches but it all seems to fit together.

I have started my collection of little bits and bobs and hopefully one day soon they can all go onto an old wooden shelf.

LaurenLeigh cc

Dorothy says: "There is no place like home"

Well Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz had red beautiful shiny shoes. Mine are not red. Or shiny but they beautiful all the same.

Again, I found another really Cool Concept. A second hand or vintage website called Closet Space.
They sell vintage or second hand clothing online but they work on an auction process.
So you bid a price and can either win the item or out bid someone else to claim the item as your own.

My little "Dorothy" Shoes are from Zoom. Tan and denim leather and in brilliant condition - practically brand new.
They arrived in the post after I paid for them ( only R120 including postage!!) and I love them.
I must admit though, they are definitely walk in and sit down shoes but there is nothing wrong with having a pair of those in your closet.

Have a look at Closet Space here.

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Mr.Price...keeping consumers excited and on our toes

For Christmas I was lucky enough to get a very fancy smancy laptop from my parents.
And with the laptop came a laptop bag chosen by my dad. Now, bless his soul, he only had my laptops protection at heart, but this bag was big and black and briefcase looking. Something a dad would use...

I looked at a few PC shops for a different laptop bag and ended up resorting to Twitter and Facebook to ask my fellow friends and followers where I could find a reasonable laptop bag.
And guess what the answer was from my good friend Lisa when I asked...why Mr.Price of course!

Meet Lola. She is purple and green ( surprisingly enough my two favourite colours) and has a bit of gold for that splash of bling. It is padded and does the job of storing and transporting my laptop in style.

All I can say is that Mr. Price knows how to follow consumer trends and give their clients what they want. This is what will make them one of the most successful retailers in consumer history for South Africa.

And thumbs up for the accessories buyer who decided putting this in store was a good idea...you deserve a summer island vacation.

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Vintage Love..or rather Vintage Lover

I stumbled across Janece from Vintage Lover's facebook page. I honestly do not remember how it happened or when but what I can tell you is now I am a TOTAL addict.

Vintage Lover is run by Janece Frick. She, as are many young trendsters nowadays including myself, have a love for vintage fashion.

She collects, finds, sources and buys vintage clothing, handbags and the odd accessories to retail them to her loyal fans via the Vintage Lover facebook page. And she has loads of loyal fans!

She works on a comment first and it is yours basis and has exceptional customer service.

And she lets you know when she will be posting new items on the page in advance.

This is my first parcel I recieved from Vintage Lover. Janece personally sourced me a pleated coral skirt. I didnt buy it off facebook. She went out of her way to find one for me.

I then found the most incredible little clutch bag and my parcel got packaged and sent via the SAPO.

I got an email with a tracking number, collected my parcel and what I got was a beautiful little present with a vintage postcard with a personalised note on the back and naartjie fizzer...one thing to look forward to with Vintage Lover's parcels.

Since this parcel I have recieved two others and I am looking forward to another one arriving next week so I will keep you posted.

Janece and her vintage love allows for a very affordable revamp of the closet, exciting present parcel arriving in the post and the BEST customer service I have got in a very long time.

Go and have a look see here and support a fellow fashion lover.

LaurenLeigh cc

Blog review - The bedroom

My blog review for this week is The Bedroom.

                                    Pic courtesy of The Bedroom

Yes, I do have an unfair advantage as I do work at The Bedroom in Umhlanga on a part time basis and blog for them once a week or so but I really do think this kind of blog is important and fundamental to any relationship.

This blog is in fact a sharing of stories, an information guide to woman and men who are too embarrassed to ask the questions other ask, reviews on products or toys and a platform for people to read blogs of a wide range of topic choice from different types of bloggers.

Due to the fact that there are different bloggers, readers can follow the blog or particular bloggers as each of them have their own unique style and stories. Some funny, some serious and some informative.

The knowledge I have gained from working here and reading the blog is priceless and I think the learning will never stop for me now. My appetite has been teased and this blog is one I look forward to reading ( and writing for) on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Well done to the girls at The Bedroom.

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The low down from New Years Eve

Our New Years Eve was exactly what we wanted and it seems to be becoming part of a tradition that Mr.Adams and I spend it just the two of us.

We started off at The Blue waters Hotel in The Coimbra cocktail bar. Imagine retro old velvet drapes, small bar chairs, a fish tank and old school dance music...that is where we were. Back in time with half price cocktails and my first Margharita on an empty stomach. Tingly, tipsy and Tequila come to mind...

We then headed upstairs for buffet dinner at The Versailles where we indulged a massive amount of food in between smoke breaks and to my disappointment we still couldnt make dessert.

We ended up getting to a friends flat at 22.30 where we proceeded to watch half of City of Angels, watch the Durban lights and then fall asleep to awake at New Years with fireworks and very excessive loud bangs.
We watched the fireworks together on the balcony, contemplated opening our Champagne we had brought along and decided to go straight to bed.

The next day was a glorious beach day with half the masses that had been there on the day before and we sported no hang over.
And this afternoon we punished the champagne and made the most amazing dinner.

You see, New Years is really just another day and an excuse to celebrate something that you can celebrate any time...friends, family, those you love and life itself.

Happy 2012...mke it your own!

LaurenLeigh cc