Boomslang

Treetop Canopy Walkway at Kirstenbosch Garden

The Boomslang, an arboreal bridge offers stunning views over the garden and the mountain. This tree top walk offers amazing views and a great experience. The bridge is surrounded by 430 tree and possibly Africa's most beautiful garden. I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to anyone keen on a nature for filled adventure.  

 

Thinking of visiting the beautiful garden? if yes the details are below.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Email: Kirstenboschinfo@sanbi.org.za
Tel: +27(0)21 799 8782/3

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday 

My  Great thrifty find of this week is a great pair of leather Aldo Shoes! These are great for summer days and nights. I am a huge fan of wadge heels as they offer a good amount of support. These heels are very retro looking. I also feel white shoes adds great length to ones legs. I found these in a Thrift store in Cape Town for R100.

Thrifty Thursday 

Brodie Heel

Black Brodiee Heel
From: Cotton On in Centurion mall Price: R50 (ON SALE)

My Brodie Heel Obsession 

I have been struggling to find a pair in Cape Town  at Cotton On but luckily in Centurion Mall I have found the perfect pair for ame at a shocking price of R50, 00. I know right, it's a bargain. I love the Brodie design as I am huge fan of thick soles because it adds lengthen legs. These shoes work for day and night.  

 

 

Black Brodie Heel
From: Cotton On in Centurion mall Price: R50 (ON SALE)

Power of Coconut Oil

I discovered Coconut Oil through my Granny whom never believed in buying cosmetics but rather making them. As a child she used to rub me out and comb my hair with Coconut Oil when I stayed over. As I got older I always wondered why and what the benefits of using coconut oil is. So this blog post will be dedicated to my great wonder of the benefits of Coconut Oil and how t use it.

Benefits of coconut oil

1.  You can use it on your face and hair.

2.  It has no smell. 
3.  It sinks in to my face and does not make you feel as if you have an extra layer of skin on my face.

4. Has antibacterial and anti fungal properties. 

5. Helps with dandruff, dry scalp and itchy scalp. 

6. prevents loss of protein with prevents breakage.
7. Helps with sunburn
8. Can heal cracked lips.

How to use coconut oil

How to use on hair: Warm the coconut oil slightly and apply directly to the scalp and throughout the length of hair. Massage the oil into the scalp for a dew minutes and rinse out after 30 minutes .  

How to use on skin:Warm the coconut oil slightly and apply directly on skin, mix with lotion, apply to skin and get into a warm shower or place the heated oil directly into your bath.

How to use as a make-up remover:Warm the coconut oil slightly and apply directly on skin with a cotton pad as it will gently remove the make-up off skin naturally.

How to use as a shoe cleaner: Warm the coconut oil slightly and apply to shoes as to polish and restore leather.

Find: http://dischem.co.za/product-view/3218/lifestyle-coconut-oil-400ml

Thrifiting

The Thrifting Addiction  

I learned the art of thrift store shopping from my mother, who discovered the trend in London. Thrift shopping has become a trend in Cape Town among the youth. In my opinion this an amazing revolution as it prevents many from looking the same and allows people to develop their own style knowing that the chances of someone wearing the same item is minimized. 

I have a dream of attending the  Portobello Road Market . It is the world’s largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible hosted in London.The hunt for something unique and often forgotten by society due to new inventions or trends excites me. The greatest pleasure is often walking into a thrift store of any kind and knowing anything I find and like I can buy without thinking of the damage it will have on my budget. 

So, in honor of summer and me being a broke ass uni student, I have decided to start a thrifting Thursday post. Will I post all my thrifty finds and proved tips and ideas of how to DIY and transform items. 

Below are some benefits and tips of thrift shopping. 

Summarized benefits of Thrift shopping

1. Thrift stores provide an opportunity to develop your own unique sense of style.
2. There are amazing treasures to be found finds on all the shelves and rails at a thrift store
3. There are no hovering salespeople waiting to make a commission off your purchase.
4. Many thrift stores support the community.
5. cost effective 

Tips for thrifiting 

1. Most thrift stores don’t have dressing rooms so it would be best suited to wear something tight fitting and comfortable as to fit things over clothing.
2. Many thrift shops can be overwhelming. One needs to have the right attitude and mood to thrift. It takes focus to scavenge through lo
3. It can work out to be worth the effort and a adventure and often good branded clothing can be found. 
4. ads of junk to find that one treasure. 
5. Items might need  altering or some serious TLC.  You could DIY it at home there are many youtube videos on how to revamp old items. 
6. Go when you have time on your hands as its a time consuming evening. 
7. Grab everything as once you have everything you've liked you can look at it and then check items for faults and check if they fit because if you take to much time looking at each item when you find it to save time. 
8. Be open minded and have fun as its a real treasure hunt and with that said one must keep in mind that  If you don’t find anything one day, don’t get discouraged. Thrifting has a lot to do with luck. 

For those who cant get over the stigma of thrifting, you can always sell your clothes for money or donate your clothes to the local thrift stores to help others.

Culture Jamming In Cape Town

Creative Activism  

“Culture jammers understand the influence of the media and the ways in which corporations play a key role in shaping society” (Kaun and Kirby, 2009). 

Culture jamming is an established form of activism. It is a way of speaking back to corporate commercial messages that invade the public space. These commercial messages are hegemonic and culture jamming forms a counter hegemony for people to become critical viewers of commercial messages and depictions.

Name:Gabrielle Meyer
Location: Athlone 

Edward Bernays introduced modern advertising when he started using manipulation to advertise products (Curtis's, 2002). Since modern advertising advertisements no longer advertise their function but rather what association they have and how it will impact on a person’s identity. The status quo, Naomi Klein (2002) explains is where we have no private space and that each person is a walking advertisement. Culture jammers fight the dominate hegemony and try to enlighten the public to be active viewers rather than passive. Michael Elion installed a public art piece he had created on the sea point promenade, in Cape Town. The art symbolized freedom which was the vision Nelson Mandela had for South Africa. The art was placed on public ground and sponsored by Ray-Ban. The Tokolos-stencil disfigured Michael Elion’s art though culture jamming. 

“Culture jamming is defined as an organized, social activist effort that aims to counter the bombardment of consumption-oriented messages in the mass media” (Handelman and Kozinets, 2004). 

Culture jamming is driven by the idea that advertising is a form of propaganda device for accomplishing private interests (Kaun and Kirby, 2009). An effective culture jam illuminate’s the consequences of corporate behavior or addresses social issues and are clear about its message it is sending (Kaun and Kirby, 2009). The Tokolos culture jam was successful because it swayed people into believing their message, it conveyed strong emotions and challenged people’s perspective.

The Tokolos Stencils stencil has challenged the hegemony of post-apartheid South African society to taking on a counter hegemony. In my opinion public art should not be funded by private corporations because it then demolishes the key aim of the art, to only serving the public. Tokolos stencil has found its stencils challenging the minds of those who are marginalised by society and thus are effective in perusing its purpose. Through culture jamming South Africa could have a revolution in how the participants in its society respond to the media. The media is key in society and the more people understand how they are being manipulated the better they can defend themselves.