Design

No more excuse for being late. Cottage & Cheese is sponsoring a clock giveaway

The end of the " I lost track of time" excuse for making an entrance like the one above to work. No more running in like a MANiac.

It's Wednesday, which means we have a new Hello Man launch giveaway starting - 5th in our series of 8. This week, our super duper sponsor is Cottage+Cheese.

This week's score is pretty MANtastic. One of you will get this here cuckoo clock:

You'll get to pick from a white oak option, a walnut option and a white perspex option.

Rad.

To enter, we'll need you on our Facebook page:
1) Like the Facebook post below. For an extra entry, comment and tag that guy who is always late.
2) Like Hello Man on Facebook.
3) Follow @hellomansa on Instagram
4) Give Cottage+Cheese's Facebook page a like.

If you want to check out a few more of their things, you can view them in their Hello Pretty store.

Some stuff to know:
1) This giveaway is open to South Africans.
2) Entries close at 11pm on Tuesday 15th of May.
3) Standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
4) Winner will be notified by Facebook.

Sheepskin Slippers SA Giveaway from Hello Man, worth up to R730!

I think we can all agree that it's gotten cold now. Not arctic, but pretty damned cold. PJs, couch, series-and-blanket time never looked so enticing.

Today's giveaway, the 4th in the Hello Man launch giveaway series, has come at a great time. This is part 4 of 8.

In keeping with the fine quality you've come to expect from Hello Man, we're giving away these fine unisex things from Sheepskin Slippers SA:

Best you get your freezing butt over to Facebook and enter:
1) Like the Facebook post below. For an extra entry, comment and tag the cold person who needs a pair.
2) Like Hello Man on Facebook.
3) Follow @hellomansa on Instagram
4) Like Sheepskin Slippers SA's Facebook page

Some stuff to know:
1) This giveaway is open to South Africans.
2) Entries close at 11pm on Tuesday 8th of May.
3) It will take approximately 2 weeks to get your prize to you.
3) Standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
4) Winner will be notified by Facebook.

Hello Man Giveaway from Wild Minds [CLOSED]

Time for the 3rd installment in the launch of our boyfriend site, Hello Man. ICYMI, we're well into our two month celebration of weekly giveaways.

And you're going to have your MANds full with this one from Wild Minds. A hint:

Yes... your MANticipation is practically audible.

So this week, your giftfather is Wild Minds. We've got a bull head for one of you, and it is awesome and looks something like this:

Just look em. You're practically screaming, "World, I will take cr@p from no-one. No-one." with this wall-hanging.

As we're sure you'll agree, this is an important statement to be making.

So now, to enter:
1) Like the Facebook post below. For an extra entry, comment and tag the man who needs this in his home, because he takes cr@p from no-one.
2) Like Hello Man on Facebook.
3) Follow @hellomansa on Instagram

Also take a look at Wild Minds' social media, linked from the sidebar in their store.

Some stuff to know:
1) This giveaway is open to South Africans.
2) Entries close at 4pm on Tuesday 24th of April.
3) It will take 3 to 4 weeks to get your prize to you, because it'll be made up for you by hand.
3) Standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
4) Only one entry per person per day will be counted

Hello Man Giveaway from Cotton Domino

Remember how last week we told you that we've kicked off the launch of our boyfriend site, Hello Man, with two months of weekly giveaways?

In case you missed it, Hello Man is where you go to buy cool stuff for guys. No more wading through babygrows, bracelets and bunting to find your man a gift. We can barely MANage our excitement.

We've got cool stuff coming outta the yin-yang - you'd better get in on that. This week, our fairy godfather is Cotton Domino. They've got stuff for the dudes and the ladies, but this giveaway is for the dudes.

Get their vibe:

“Adventurous, enthusiastic living coupled with a healthy dose of vibrant awesome - is how we like to roll.”

On to the prize: Cotton Domino are giving away a mountain bike t-shirt. One of these guys:

To enter:
1) Comment on the Facebook post below and tag the cyclist (or aspiring cyclist) who you think should have this t-shirt.
2) Like Hello Man on Facebook.
3) Follow @hellomansa on Instagram

Some stuff to know:
1) This giveaway is open to South Africans.
2) Entries close at 4pm on Tuesday 17th of April.
3) Standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
4) Only one entry per person per day will be counted.

Hello Man Giveaway from Native Decor

Hello Man, Hello Pretty's boyfriend, has finally arrived. Hello Man is where you go to buy cool stuff for guys.

So we're way excited and we're celebrating with 2 months of weekly giveaways. Oh, DANG, son.

First up: Native Decor. You've probaby seen them on our social media before, because their stuff is awesome and everybody loves it. Their style is clean, minimalist and has a distinct and unique personality. Here are a couple of our faves:

For today's giveaway, the Native Decor team are giving away a beechwood animal USB stick woth R300, which are from their newest range. Totally cool.

So someone gets to pick one of these guys:

To enter:
1) Comment on the Facebook post below and let us know which USB design you want. Click here to browse the options.
2) Tag a friend in your comment.
3) Like Hello Man on Facebook: http://facebook.com/hellomansa
4) Follow Hello Man on Instagram: @hellomansa

On the Native Decor store you'll also find links to their social media accounts. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Some stuff to know:
1) This giveaway is open to South Africans.
2) Entries close at 4pm on Tuesday 10th of April.
3) Hello Pretty's standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
4) Only one entry per person per day will be counted.

Just look at this!

Joburg and Cape Town skyline wall art in white or black
R549

Native Decor's story began with a Valentine's Day gift of a power tool: a magic wand in the hand of a young creative with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Some pieces from Native Decor's planter collection
From R499 to R549

These are the creations of Vusani Ravele, the talent behind Native Decor. He started Native Decor as an after-hours hobby in his living room. Before long, everything was covered in dust and his compulsion for drilling holes (and making some pretty things, as a side effect) was born.

Click the pictures to shop.

Ponte Coffee Pod / Capsule Holder
R679

Caprice Coffee Pod / Capsule Holder
R549

Design time! Minimalist clocks in all the colours.
R399

Dog Wine Holder
R389

Penguin Wine Holder
R389

Lion Wine Holder
R389

Round magazine rack
R399

Vusi's business is headed nowhere but up - his work has been a huge hit with consumers. A year after beginning, he participated in Mnet's Shark Tank show and walked away with a lucrative investment deal and a new business partner, Gil Oved of The Creative Counsel.

Keep an eye on this one... there's lots more to come.

Dress your Love Story

A few posts back I introduced a new blog series that we're doing focused around fashion / decor & frangrance pairing. For this week's post I'm going to build a few outfit possibilities that match a beautiful new Chloe perfume called Love Story.

If you're familiar with the brand you'll probably have noticed that Chloe fragrances are unique and quite identifiable. I'm no expert at articulately describing fragrance notes, so I will just say that this is floral and light. It has that classic Chloe thing going on, but it's a youthful, whimsical, girl-next-door take. And can I describe a fragrance as romantic? I'd say this one is. The packaging is really pretty too. I'm not a "Save the box!" kind of girl, but I saved the box (it's stashed in my cupboard next to my iPhone box, which I also couldn't bear to part with).

We have no shortage of feminine, floral, whimsical things on Hello Pretty, all made by South African hands. It's kind of our thing ? Here are some that will complement your Love Story.

First up, House of Kallie's Rose Gold & Morganite Solitaire Ring. BE STILL MY HEART.

This magnificent thing is new on the site. I mean though... a pink gemstone in rose gold? What could go better with something called "Love Story"?

And some more of the plenty I mentioned earlier:

1. Mandarin Collar Blouse from Every Mooi Nooi
2. Sterling Silver Stacking Rings from The Daisychain
3. Small Protea Leaf Earrings from Reverie Designs
4. Sterling Silver Wire Ring from The Daisychain
5. Sterling Silver Kitty Playing with Wool Pendant from Jessica Jane Jewellery
6. Afternoon Light Necklace from A Bird Named Frank

1. The Sam Wrap Dress from Samsama Designs
2. Coeur de Rose Peep Toes from LanziLove
3. FRUITSALAD Pineapple Earrings from Miss H Jewellery Design
4. XOXO Bracelet from Jewellery by Jessica
5. Black Diamond and Rose Gold Ring from Chongo & Wells
6. Misu Dress from Cinnamon
7. Peach Blush Flat Pumps from LanziLove

This pretty little flower crown in the photo below is the Pastel Dream, from Sunkissked Handmade. She has loads of them ande they're all pretty. There is also a bunny-ears option, and a unicorn option.

Win CocoGold beauty products worth R600

CocoGold is a luxury beauty brand created by Jeanne, a passionate woman entrepreneur from Cape Town. A woman after our own hearts, she loves animals just as much as she does creating the finer things in life. Every product that she's developed is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The only time that any CocoGold product has ever come into contact with an animal is when someone who's used it is cuddling one.

This is a range of face and beauty products that combine coconut extracts infused with a variety of other natural and organic oils.

Anti-Ageing Concentre Serum
R269

Coconut Water Hydromist (Hibiscus + Frankinsence)

Coconut Water Hydromist
R189

Coconut Milk Facial Cleanser

R249

Win yourself a CocoGold set worth R600, containing Botanical Tint and Tone Oil & Botanical Bath and Body Oil

To enter: like the CocoGold Facebook page, and leave a comment on the Facebook post below tagging a friend who likes feeling pretty.

Some stuff to know:

1) One entry per person per platform (you may enter on both Facebook and Instagram).
2) Competition closes 31 May 2017. Winner will be notified by Facebook.

3) Open to residents of South Africa.

Dress up your Signorina

Last week Jen (who handles some of our marketing) and I had the privilege of attending the launch of Salvatore Ferragamo's latest fragrances. It was a magnificent event, organised by VelvetLuxe and hosted at the Steenberg Wine Estate. Thank you Rose and Mbali for having us as guests to your event.

Anyone who appreciates some of the finer things in life will most likely have crossed paths with an Italian-made fragrance or two. The great nation of Italy has produced some of the most beautiful fragrances you can get. Ferragamo has now launched three versions of Signorina, their brand new piece of olfactory art. At the same time he's also launched Uomo for the fellas.

I'm going to tell you a teeny bit about each one, and show you what South African beauties you'll wear it with. Each fragrance was launched with a mini movie and I'll link to those too. They're beautifully done and you should definitely watch them.

Signorina - the original version

I found this to be a light and very unique fragrance. It's really gentle and feminine, and was my personal favourite of the three. The original fragrance's colour palette is a soft pink.

A sassy and chic fragrance celebrating cheeky young ladies with a hint of irony and Italian glamour.

Pictured:

Signorina Eleganza

Are you a seductress? Because then this one's for you. Eleganza is the "gold" fragrance in the range.

A rich and velvety olfactive creation that celebrates feminine grace and seduction.

Pictured:

Watch the movie

Signorina Misteriosa

DRAMA! Misteriosa's colour palette is black, which suits it well. It is the boldest of the three fragrances: this is what you'll want when you want to really make a statement.

A daring fragrance that frees the secrets of a young woman who dictates the rules of her life.

Pictured:

Watch the movie

Visiting the Steenberg Estate was fantastic. It's in Tokai, fairly close to Cape Town, and I couldn't more strongly recommend that you pay them a visit (after you turn off from the M5 do not make the mistake we made by heading up Ou Kaapse Weg - keep on straight). The scenery is lush, manicured and expansive. The dining area is intimate, bright and airy, with double doors opening onto a small outdoor area. You can actually even see the ocean from it. We'll for sure be returning here for a tasting and a meal.

The Last Resort

Are you guys still spinning as much from the Christmas shopping carnage as we are? Besides the obvious need to get gifts for our loved ones (and the office Secret Santa), let's all be honest with ourselves here: we all like to sneak in a little "Treat Yo'. Self" gift here and there. Because we deserve it.

We love attending pop-ups and markets, and discovering new designers and hanging out with the ones we know. Last year, Joanna Hedley, the designer & entrepreneur behind a luxury swimwear brand called BeachCult put on a designer showcase & pop-up before the Christmas season and we found loads of talent we hadn't known about.

There was art, fashion, swimwear, jewellery, accessories... a little bit of everything. It was a gorgeous curation of designers and a product range that would almost certainly make your heart skip. I really should have taken that gorgeous Kerbholz watch home with me.