Branded Blog

Not too long ago I bought a dress. It is understated, navy blue, short sleeved and just above the knee. It’s fairly demure but also light and cool and great for meetings in the heat of summer. So when Cape Town doused us with some crazy early spring heat I got it out and wore it all day with much happiness. In the evening I added leggings as spring evenings cool down fast and went off to dinner with my barefoot husband and a friend.

As we parked and got out of the car the barefoot husband looked at me and exclaimed, “Oh!”, pause, “That dress looks much better with the pants on.”

Continue reading

As you’ve probably heard me say before, I have a barefoot husband. He doesn’t make a big deal of it, or do it for any reason other than it’s more comfortable and practical for him, but it does seem to make most people do a double-take – at least the first time they see or meet him.

Especially on the mountain.

Especially when running on the mountain.

Continue reading

In the midst of an evening full of laughter, wine, cheese and quotable quotes that included the iconic “Exclamation marks are like erections, you can only have one per story” (by one gifted, sassy novelist), I got the best piece of criticism I’ve ever been given.

Continue reading

Having planned a poetry party and asked some of the most wonderful, inspiring poets I know and admire to perform, I did the semi-idiotic thing of writing my birthday speech as a poem which I then had to perform! School-boy error, as they say, but I managed and have been asked to share them by some very lovely, loyal friends (those most important of creatures!), so they’re a little further down this page…

Sadly the day of my actual birthday (two days after the party), I heard of the sudden, absolutely shocking death of a colleague and friend from my P&G days, so it made for a day of very mixed emotions. Shelley was one of the most vivacious, warm, inviting people I’ve ever been privileged to know. Her sudden death from a stroke at age 41 while managing a Coca-Cola sponsorship team in Brazil for the world-cup not only shocked all of us to the core, but it brought into stark relief the fact that not one of use knows what time we have left, and for me it really brought my thoughts on being 40 home: nothing matters but those you love and who make life worthwhile.

Go celebrate them right now.

Continue reading

Having thrown, survived and really enjoyed my party for this decade, it occurred tome that there are several more things that are quite like advertising when it comes to hosting a party, so here is part 2 with some gratuitous party photos kindly taken by good friends while I swanned around!

Continue reading