Hello Pretty is Winding Down

After more than ten fulfilling, magical years beginning in the good old days of 2012, Hello Pretty is retiring and heading off to the beach with a drink with a tiny umbrella.

Read our goodbye letter

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#WDC2014 Cape Town love

Black & White Delight

With Women's Day coming up, we'd like to take a moment to show some love for handbags, especially this one. It's full grain black and white leather, and we're head over heels in love with it. Get yours from Willow Tree here.

We featured this table in our newsletter this week, along with a curated collection of things for the women in your life. There's a new theme every week, so if you'd like to be kept in the loop, sign up below!
 

Win with Hello Pretty and Leg Studios! (Closed)

With winter dragging its heels, you might need something to light up those grey days and cold nights. Well, that's where the super talented Leg Studios comes in. They've got one of these amazing Halōs table lamps to give away.

I can hear you all ooh-ing and aah-ing, and for good reason. This art deco inspired lamp is just as beautiful in person. If you'd like it to be yours, here's what you need to do:

  • Like Hello Pretty and Leg Studios on Facebook
  • Comment on this post telling us which room in your house you'd light up with this contemporary and cool Halōs Lamp!
  • Get an extra entry by tweeting @HelloPrettySA*
Entries close at midday on Friday 8th August. Please note that Hello Pretty's standard competition Ts and Cs apply.
* Please note that only one tweet per person will be counted.

Studio Visit with Bigkid Design

One of the best things about being part of Team HP, is that no matter where we go in the country, there's always some amazing talent to be found. While I was in Durban recently, I popped in to visit with the lovely Jess from Bigkid Design, and found a space full of colour and contrast, and art both traditional and unconventional.

Isn't that clock just the best thing? After an effusive welcome from the household's exuberant dogs, Jess plied me with tea and made me feel right at home. Seeing her space made it easy to understand  the playfulness found in her designs.

I'm incredibly nosy, so after I peppered her with questions, Jess was kind enough to take me through the process of making one of Bigkid's famous Lego bookends; and let me tell you, they are hard work. It's always fascinating to see how the beautiful pieces you see on Hello Pretty get made. (Hint: Usually with a LOT of hard work.)

I'm not going to give away any trade secrets, but making just one of those little guys takes time, patience, and an incredible eye for detail. After turning out my own effort, knowing just what went into making it, I opted to take him home as is to remind me that like everything worth it, you have to put the work in.

Isn't he cute? I've called him Don Quixote, because he looks like he's ready to go tilting at windmills! (And, he's made from jesmonite, which is water resistant - so he'll be just fine in his new home.)

One last thing I snapped before I headed out, at the end of a wonderful afternoon:

This was from a mosaic-ed section outside in the garden. Every tile was handmade. This one was my favourite, from a book by Jeannette Winterson.

"A young girl coming home along a slippery and frayed line of rope missed her footing and fell into the blank space below. There was a cry of horror from everyone who saw it, but the girl did not drop and crack on the ground, she floated."

Snag your very own Bigkid item from their Hello Pretty store, and stay in touch with them on Facebook. 
 

Stay golden!

One trend that's been on the go for a while now, and one that we cannot get enough of, is a bit a gold slung around a gal's waist. Well, gold anything really, but what better way to revel in something gorgeous than to drape it around yourself?

Stay golden with Hello Pretty!

Gorgeous no? And what's better is that I know how you can get this look!

Not just any old gold belt mind - a hand cut brass beauty straight from the studio of SMITH Jewellery in Cape Town.

Gold belts from http://hellopretty.co.za/smith-jewellery

*swoon!*

I was lucky enough to have access to one of the cuffs at last years SAFW Pop Up, and at the end of the media launch I was genuinely heartbroken to have to take it off (We all took it upon ourselves to model some of the fab work of our sellers for the cameras - I can't think of a better excuse to dolly up). The craftmanship is absolutely gorgeous!
 

Gold belts from http://hellopretty.co.za/smith-jewellery/tribal-brass-waist-cuff

Thank you to Sarah from The Angelheaded Hipster and Lara from A Fashion Friend for the SAFW Pop Up pics!

Swoon over it some more on Pardon Our French (they're very fancy over there).

Source / source / source / source / source

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