Hello Real World. Goodbye Sunny Beaches.

So this is what it feels like to come back to work after being on holiday for a month. Nothing shouts "Hello reality" louder than the clutter on my desk and the 300 e-mails, mostly work-related, awaiting my attention. After weeks of sleeping late, lounging around, partying, shopping, road trips, tanning, wining and dining and no gym, I can't say that I'm overwhelmed to be here. But I'm here and ready for all the challenges and surprises 2011 hold for me.

So, this is me just dropping in to tell you that I haven't eloped with some handsome, famous and wealthy guy. It's just a quick hello from my side to wish you a happy 2011. Sorry for abandoning my blog, but I'm back in full swing!

How did you start your year and what are your new years resolutions? I ended 2010 on a high note and started the new year on an even higher note. Watch this space to see my crazy New Year's party and holiday pics.

Cling, cling!
J

Kim and Khloe Kardashian at the Brutal Fruit Cranberry Launch!

When Brutal Fruit hosted the official launch party (last Friday) of the Cheeky Cranberry flavour at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, they sure didn't hold back. What better celebs to endorse your product than the Kardashian sisters? Yes, you heard right, Kim and Khloe were here in South Africa for a few days and boy, did they create a stir. I was lucky enough to get my name on that coveted guest list and even luckier to actually meet them. As much as I would like to blog about the party and the hot new flavour, I'm just too star-struck!

Kim is absolutely beautiful in real life, as in, way hotter than she is on TV. I was surprised as to how tiny she actually is! Khloe is so much fun and just as crazy as we all know her to be. They didn't disappoint and they weren't divas at all. They posed for pictures, signed books and post cards and were just all smiles.

Girls, come back any day. We love you! Well done to Brutal Fruit for pulling off this absolutely fabulous event! Apart from the Kardashians, there were loads of other things to entertain the guests, such as a massage room, a gift corner and loads of free pink drinks! Local celebs, such as Idols presenter, Liezel van der Westhuizen, Nicky Greenwall and former Miss SA, Jo-Ann Strauss, to name a few, also attended the event.

The pink gift shop.

Kim and Khloe in VIP. Everybody tries to get a picture.

Kim signing a book for a fan.

My favourite photo! Pictured here with one of my best friends and fitness blogger, Johlene

I bumped into Alex aka Cape Town Girl

One room in the theatre was transformed into a massage room. Foot massages by Mangwanani Spa, a counter with blushers and powders from MAC make-up, perfume testers of the new KK by Kim Kardashian and then a photo which is printed on the spot for you. They rotate the picture and edit it so that it looks as though you're sitting in a martini glass. Kim and Khloe signed my photo.

Johlene getting her picture taken.

Naturally, all attention was focused on the Kardashians, so when they left the party to fly back to LA, we could finally get our drink on...

My dress.

Thank you to Shabby Chic for doing our hair on such short notice! And a big thank you to Monique at Siren Design (at YDE) for gearing me with a really sexy dress!

Ok, back to reality for me!
Happy Holidays everyone!

J

Our Wild Housewarming!

For weeks I've been blogging and tweeting about either house-hunting, furniture shopping, the count-down to the big move and then the housewarming! Well, what a housewarming it was! Friday night we had about 40 of our closest friends over (it could be more... I lost count) to celebrate our 'big step' of independence. Everything was going great, until someone whipped out a beer funnel. Uh oh! Not knowing exactly what it was or how to use it, I wasn't going to leave it over to the imagination. Oh no, definitely not. We didn't put beer in it, but everything else we could find. Curiosity sure as hell almost killed the cat!

Because we don't have our couches yet, we have a big open space which we turned into a dancefloor. Even our neighbours, who happened to be a group of girls too, also joined the party. Even though our place was left in a terrible state, our alcohol was finished, our microwave's inside was covered in cheese and our carpets completely ruined, we had so much fun! Thank goodness we decided on paper plates and plastic cups for the evening! Definitely one of the wildest housewarmings I've been to in a while. Never again. At least, not at our place!

My sister, cheering me on.

I'm sad and relieved that the funnel broke.

Making sure she doesn't waste a drop!

Even our cousin couldn't miss out on this one!

Me with my cousin

If we're gonna go with plastic and paper, we might as well make sure it's cute.

The next morning we opened our gifts - and boy, did we get gifts - and saw that we also got a nice blow-up portable pool. Needless to say, we blew it up immediately, filled it with water and got in the pool, clothes and all. Then the party started all over again. I knew if I stopped drinking, I would pass out, because I didn't sleep at all Friday night.

I've never laughed as much as I did that day! I was on a roll with my jokes, voices and impersonations.

Saturday was spent mostly in our mini-pool, but eventually decided that our place needs cleaning and so do we! The day was ended off with housewarming number two, but luckilly only a quiet(ish) braai with family and close friends. Thank you again to everyone who joined the celebration with us and thank you for all our gifts! We got (almost) everything we needed! We're about 80% settled in. Painting is in progress, then we can finally hang the curtains, paintings and mirrors, then those carpets and then we can start enjoying our little pozzy! Phew, hard work, but it's going to be worth it.

Jemma

Sailor Party!

Ahoy me maties! The long awaited Sailor Party finally took place on Friday night. There's not much I can say about the party, because the photos will truly speak for itself. What a night it was! The outfits were a bit risqué, but that's what we're all about. Creating a stir. Besides, I've never received so many free shooters or posed for photos as much as I did that night. We mingled, we danced, we teazed, we laughed, we drank, we flirted, we took over and we had an absolute blast! Happy Birthday again to one of my best friends!

My sister and I with the birthday girl.

Me with the boyfriend.

Double Trouble...

Birthday girl with her sailor boy

Everybody loves a costume party!

Me with my potential brother-in-law

And so the posing continued...

Some party guests

... and more

I'm not referring to this guy in particular, bu there is just something about a man in uniform.

It really is hard to put gloves back on when you've got alcohol in your system. I guess that's why I lost mine that night.

I loved my costume uniform. It made me feel like a Captain!
Happy Monday everyone. How are ya'll feeling? I think my weekend is catching up with me.

Jemma
(Images: writer's own. Please do not copy/ use without permission.)

Tick Tock, Tick Tock! Last Day to Enter the Beer Fest Comp!

Today is the last day to enter our competition. Two girls can each win a ticket to attend the Cape Town Beer Festival which takes place this coming Saturday and we'll throw in a lil' goodie-bag filled with treats, just because we're feeling generous. So click here to enter and you might just spend the day with the girls of Twice the Taste and perhaps even join us for a afterparty with 5FM DJ, Sasha Martinengo. Even if beer isn't your drink of choice, this will be an unforgetable experience. We'll make sure of that.

Remember, this competition is open to women only (putting the ale back in female, you know)! E-mail or Twitpic me your coolest beer shots. Each photo will count as an entry! The two winners will be notified tomorrow morning and it will also be announced on my blog. If you don't win here, head over to the lovely Miss Samantha Laura Kaye's website and enter her ticket giveaway too. The Cape Town Beer Fest is going to be THE place to be this weekend, so don't miss out on a good party. Ever.

Here are some of the entries we've received so far. Awesome!

May the biggest beer lover win!

Jemma

This Weekend I...

... took a few days off from work for an extended weekend and it did wonders! Not only did I take a much needed, and well-deserved, break, I also went on a girls' weekend. Hence me being so quiet on cyberspace the past couple of days. Friday morning early I packed the car, met up with five of my girl friends and hit the road!

This is what the house looked like which we stayed in. Beautiful, huh?

We then slipped into something more comfortable and had wine in the sun. Usually a recipe for disaster, but it totally relaxed me. Maybe a bit too much.

Next stop, Cubana. Cocktails and whale-watching.

And a virgin cocktail for my pregnant friend...

The next day we went shopping, sight-seeing and wine tasting. But first, a healthy breakfast.

Yes, I do actually play the piano.

On our way back home, we saw a house that was destroyed by fire - obviously many moons ago - so we decided to go inside and take photos. Technically it's not 'breaking an entry', because nobody lives there. Not that we care about rules anyway...



Got home, had more wine, ate loads of jelly beans, lounged around in bikinis and soaked up the sun. These really are the things weekends are made of.

After too much wine (is there really such a thing as too much wine?), we went to paint the teensy town RED.

This is it! This is what I did the (long) weekend. Hermanus was so much fun that we decided to go again this weekend. Also because the people asked really nice.

J