Jewellery Heartst♥pper: Gold-Hearted.

Today's Jewellery Heartstopper is the to-die-for Gold-Hearted range!


Colorful rope pieces, natural stones, gold, and silver, all handmade with love by me. This collection is largely inspired by art history and nature, both of which I love to explore and study.


I adore this collection! I've never seen anything like it. What I love is that the pieces seem elegant yet casual at the same time, like the kind of thing you can wear every day that someone will notice and comment on.Created by Michelle Meronek, Gold-Hearted is for the fun-loving girl, adding that extra something to an outfit. I adore the necklaces and the knotted bracelets!


Have you noticed the huge shift back to yellow gold and colour blocking in jewellery design lately? I can imagine pairing the black bracelet with a red dress, some gorgeous heels and a smoky eye. Gold-Hearted definitely gets the Heartstop stamp of approval.


You can buy these pieces on Etsy (here) but take a peek at Michelle's lovely blog here, and be inspired.

My ♥ stopped when I saw these food pics.

I've had a crazy couple of days, which turned into a crazy couple of weeks, which turned into...you get the picture. Do you ever feel like you're saying 'yes' to everyone else and 'no' to yourself? (very Oprah). Well I think that's been me for a while. And it only became clear to me when I looked at these images of healthy foods. And now I can't stop thinking about healthy food and how I need to start taking better care of myself. When you work in advertising and your life becomes a series of meetings, you need to make sure that you take the time to eat the right food, exercise and get enough sleep. So difficult to achieve! I'm going to make it my mission to eat more like this. To go to more markets, to avoid anything microwaved from Woolies for a while (it's become a co-dependant relationship). Because you get stuck in a rut, by 'you' I mean all women trying to do all things, all at once. You think, oh I'll just have chicken tonight, again. They say you are what you eat, but I say, you eat what you are feeling. Because when I'm exercising and more balanced, the happier me eats healthy, enjoys eating healthy. When I'm stressed, I grab a Coke and feel more stressed. This is the cycle isn't it? And then I remember, every day is another day to turn it all around. And what better day is there than today?


All pics from this lovely blog. All photos the property of Aran Goyoaga.

Heartst♥p Quote: Haruki Murakami

"But who can say what's best? That's why you need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a life time, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives." 

— Haruki Murakami 

(pic source)

Beauty Heartst♥pper: DKNY Summer.

Luck. The thing that has been coming my way in the last two weeks. I returned home from a day I'd rather forget to find a bottle of DKNY Summer at home waiting for me :) 


The skyscraper design is fun and young and worthy of being displayed in any bathroom. The scent although slightly musky, is definitely summery and makes you want to do a hop, skip and a jump in its honour. 


The perfume opens with notes of pink grapefruit, juicy passion fruit and red berries, followed by jasmine, magnolia and lychees. White musk, creamy sandalwood and teak are the base notes of fragrance.

The fragrance is inspired by life in the city and you can tell. The best part for me is that it stayed on the ENTIRE day (no spice). And it's not one of those perfumes that knocks you over, it's subtle and fresh.


You must try it, and love it, like I do.

My ♥ stopped when I read these.

1. The life of Pi - by Yann Martel 

I can’t believe I was ever reluctant to read this book. It is quite possibly one of the best I’ve read. 

Let me start by saying the writing is superb, each image perfectly formed by the literary genius that is Yann Martel. More than that, the story line is magical. We follow the journey of 16-year-old Pi and his zookeeping family as they emigrate from India to Canada. Only they never arrive. Instead, an edge-of-seat adventure begins when the boat sinks, leaving Pi to face nature, to learn what it means to be human, to discover what it means to have faith. A dichotomous relationship is formed with a seasick Tiger named Richard Parker, who stays with Pi throughout the journey. Although mystical, Life of Pi leaves you with insight into things that are very real, forcing you to question your own beliefs and the purpose of it all.

2. One Day - by David Nicholls ( A repeat for those who missed the last review)

It's one of those books that people either love or hate. And I love it. I don't want to give too much away but must say that David Nicholls has created a Modern classic.

One Day is not your average love story, it's no "Love in the Time of Cholera", instead it offers an honest look at the relationship between Emma and Dexter, its key protagonists. The book covers the same day for 20 years, and we watch as the two struggle to understand their feelings for each other. They seem to live in parallel worlds, but Nicholls writes in a way that makes you eagerly await the intersections. The characters are rich and the writing, although at times humorous, has a sad undertone. One Day is about fate, compromise and loneliness. And it's beautiful. Truly beautiful.

3. Like Water for Chocolate - by Laura Esquivel 

Many of you may have read this one because it came out ages ago, but I have recently re-read it and re-fallen in love with it.

A book for all the romantics out there, Like Water for Chocolate will win you over. It’s about all things hedonistic, written like you’re hearing it from an old friend. Each section begins with a Mexican recipe, followed by the happenings on a Mexican ranch. Mama Elena rules the lives of her three daughters, and Tita, her youngest is forbidden to marry the man of her dreams. She begins to cook and transfers all her emotions onto her dishes. This in turn, affects anyone who eats the dishes. This book is totally addictive, and very easy to read. A definite YES if you haven’t read it already.

4. The Year of Magical Thinking - by Joan Didion

This is probably the most ‘serious’ of the lot. But such a wonderful read. Joan Didion writes about the grief of losing her husband, which if you have ever lost someone, will affect you profoundly. She writes intelligently with special consideration placed on style throughout.

I was not fully aware of the grieving process before reading this book. It opens with the death of her husband (John) and begins to rehash the past, their relationship, the birth of their daughter, the little things she took for granted and didn’t. It’s also not as sad as you think, in fact Joan discovers things about their relationship through death that she wouldn’t have in life. It’s worthy of the awards. Beautiful book.


* What are your favourites? Send me some suggestions, I love sharing a good book.

Heartst♥p Giveaway Winner!

And the winner of the My Gold Heart necklace is...MS_KAMINI!


Please contact me soon so we can get you your prize :)

Heartst♥pping Style: Black Lively.

The famous blue pants & gold jacket combo

Blake Lively gets it right, every time. I suppose it helps to have the world's best designers falling over to dress you. She always looks 'effortless' doesn't she? One of those girls that responds with 'this old thing?' and ends up looking like magic. Pretty, pretty girl.


(Pic source)

My ♥ stopped at the Food Market.

Have you been to the Food Market in Hout Street? No? Then go! It's an amazing hub of all things delicious and a definite improvement to my usual Saturday on the couch. It's the Biscuit Mill but smaller, more intimate, less expensive. Look out for the Munch stall, Emma is a wizard at all things sugary and lovely.