"To live will be an awfully big adventure" - Peter Pan
Had a busy week at work but a great weekend filled with friends, food and shopping. Hoping a halloween costume idea will come to me in this coming week! [or I'm going to Friday night's party as me].
One of my favorite and most rewarding projects I have done to date was re-upholstering an old family chair. My parents inherited an old vanity chair from my late aunt about 13 years ago. She was a cat lover, so the (horrible) pink fabric had been destroyed over the years by their claws. Not having the time or energy to redo the chair, my mom simply put it in the corner of our guest room with a throw draped over it in disguise. Right before I moved out of my parents' house after college I convinced my mom to let me have the chair and do with it as I please. After stripping off the skirt - which immediately gave it a whole new & updated look - and weeks of fabric searching I started the project. Fast forward 5 months and a lot of grief later. . . I'll admit this project was a bit out of my comfort zone and way above my skill level, but somehow I pulled it off (thanks to MANY YouTube & blog tutorials). I hit a few bumps in the road in the forms of tufting, piping, and other general fabric issues - hence the project turning into a 5-month-long ordeal. In the future I will be paying a professional to reupholster any beloved furniture, but if you have immense patience I highly recommend a project like this. I am so proud of the finished project now standing in my living room, and think of my aunt every time I see it. In the end, it was definitely worth it!
This week dragged on..but I had a great weekend down in Tucson visiting friends and indulging at my favorite brunch spot. Looking forward to this week flying by and enjoying next weekend up north at a friend's cabin. Can't wait to enjoy the cooler weather and the fall colors. Here's a look at links, pictures, and various other things I obsessed over this week. xo One of my Got inspired by this recipe, amongst others, and ordered my very own slow cooker today. Amazing fall & winter cooking to follow! Pretty surprise sunflowers from my mom. Sunday brunch at Prep & Pastry, and the BEST Bloody Mary i will ever have (I'm also obsessed with all the food, pastries, mimosas, etc. etc.). It's amazing. Loved this wall of salts & scrubs during my manicure. Will be returning for a pedi to indulge in these.
I have a love for travel, so I wanted to also make this blog a place to share all my past and present adventures. In July I took an epic road trip with my family. We traveled from: Phoenix, Arizona >> Glacier National Park, Montana >> Seattle, Washington >> Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada >> Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada and back down to Arizona (with some picture-worthy stops along the way). Young Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park, Montana Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana HIghline Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana Hidden Lake Overlook, Glacier National Park, Montana St. Mary & Virginia Falls, Glacier National Park, Montana St. Mary Lake & The Weeping Wall, Glacier National Park, Montana Seattle, Washington Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Vancouver Island Beach, somewhere between Victoria & Comox Valley
I wanted to give my blog name a unique twist while also representing what the blog was about. Lekker Living was the first thing that popped into my mind, and also the name I kept coming back to as I was brainstorming.
I figured I should explain what it means since most people probably wouldn't know. I've grown up with and have come to love and overuse, like any other South African, the word lekker. Lekker : [lekk-irrr with a rolling r] is a Dutch & Afrikaans (South African) word meaning tasty or delicious and was originally used to describe food...however, over time it has become quite the slang word with just about an endless amount of meanings. Various other meanings: Nice, good, great, cool, pleasing or enjoyable, slightly intoxicated (yup), extremely, well, awesome, sexy, luscious, sweet....the list goes on. Local is lekker has also become a popular slogan promoting South African culture, produce, etc. I have always loved this word for it's positive vibe, it's ability to be applied to just about anything you enjoy and love, and of course for being so integrated with the South African culture I love! Through this blog I want to share all things that I find lekker, whether it is travel, food, fitness, projects, or anything else I stumble upon & find myself obsessing over, enjoying, or being inspired by. |