The Best Possible Taste

Guest Post book review from the lovely Anisha. Visit her at Live Life Deeply. 

Sam O‘Reilly‘s novel ‘The Best Possible Taste‘ is centred around main character Stephen Beckett: the 41 year-old owner of the chic organic restaurant ‘Earthsea‘ on the shore of Brighton and happily married father of two children.

But wait - no!

We soon have to learn that Stephen‘s project with his best friend Vinny is not quite as successful as visitor numbers would make one believe.

None of the two are business men or too keen on accounting, which is why bills are rarely getting paid and expenses are not kept in check. Vinny and Stephen rather spend their time in the kitchen, dealing with their customers‘ orders and creating ever new dishes.

It‘s exactly that obsession, stemming from the utter distaste for his mother‘s non-existent cooking skills, which is wrecking Stephen‘s marriage.

Rachel, his wife, is not willing to let Stephen‘s mistakes and ignorance towards her feelings and their kids well-being slide again and thus, on the evening of their wedding anniversary, Stephen finds himself thrown out of his own house.

From then on, things start spiralling downwards for him until he hits rock bottom:

Stephen has to realise that there is neither a chance for Vinny and him to save ,Earthsea‘ nor to stop his marriage from falling apart. He gets so caught up in his own disaster that he barely notices what is going on around him.

Stephen panics about losing his children to another father figure when his wife suddenly turns up with, supposedly, a new boyfriend. His efforts to save the restaurant are being rudely sabotaged by his business partner‘s mean, cheating partner.

And what happens when Stephen himself feels interest in other women stir inside of him?

While all of the above sounds quite tragic, Sam O‘Reilly manages to tell a story that will equally tug on your heartstrings as well as make you laugh out loud and smile. There are also moments when you will find yourself utterly surprised as a lot of the small details eventually add up to the bigger picture, making this a well-thoughtout novel. 

I think the author captures Stephen‘s voice perfectly without painting a stereotypical picture of your usual male character. In fact, all characters are original and have their own unique quirks, starting from the Beckett children to the stripper Stephen gets involved with.

Also, I love that the likelihood of a story happening just like that is quite high: After all, the story is set in present time Brighton, a truly lovely place, and the subject, a married couple splitting up, is an everyday occurrence.

While this is a book from a genre that I usually do not enjoy reading too much, I found myself thoroughly entertained by Stephen‘s story. Working as a part-timer at a restaurant myself, I could actually feel his pain that comes with running a food business. And who hasn‘t been through a bad break-up?

All in all, ‘The Best Possible Taste‘ is a lovely read; it‘s one of those books full of quotes you want to note down and remember when ever life throws you lemons! 

*eLLa*

13 Beauty Buys Every Woman Should Own

- Glamour Magazine

1. Foundation in the perfect shade
2. The correct concealer
3. Black mascara
4. A rosy blush
5. A nude polish to match everything
6. A brow pencil
7. Lash curlers
8. Perfect pink lipstick
9. Eye cream
10. Day cream with SPF
11. A body scrub
12. A hair treatment mask
13. Heat protection spray for your hair

Just thought I would share this super list with you :)

*eLLa*

*qUoTeD*

"Its not easy to find happiness within ourselves, but it is not possible to find it elsewhere."

2010 Soccer Must See Destinations- Moyo

Moyo Stellenbosch

Moyo is not just a restaurant but an experience. It is a glimpse into the vibrant, African culture that not even I as a South African full understand or comprehend. From the decor to the food you are enveloped into a unique cultural world of dance, music, and traditions.

When you walk in you are greeted by ladies in full traditional gear and accompanied to your seats. Depending on the location of the Moya Restaurant you choose, there are restaurants in 4 provinces, this could be anywhere from inside, overlooking the ocean to in a tree house.

The food is authentic African cuisine with a wide variety of dishes and at certain venues, like Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, there is a buffet with options for even the pickiest eater. As part of the experience your hands are washed by an African woman as well has having your face painted, each person receiving a different and personal design using with paint applied in a "dot" composition.

  

For more information and image sources please see:

www.moyo.co.za

*eLLa*

How To Tackle A Major Wardrobe Makeover - Part Two

In my own wardrobe makeover I have discovered the following things:

1. I have out grown my current wardrobe (figuratively) 
2. My taste in clothes have changed
3. My needs are different
4. My life is a lot more multi-purpose

After looking through my own sources of inspiration, a large amount which actually came from observing the clients I deal with on a day to day basis at the boutique I work at, and noting what I am drawn to I realized that my wardrobe does in no way reflect my shift in taste. It is sorely lacking in the pieces that I love and that in order to feel more like dressing up and looking fabulous everyday I need to be inspired and coaxed by every item in closet.

PLAN OF ACTION

My aim: To foster a wardrobe full of unique, quirky and inspirational pieces that can be mixed and matched to allow for a fabulous look everyday.

Goal: To purge my closet of any item which I do not love and buy only items that are special and that I am in love with otherwise its not worth my time and money.

Realistically, I cannot throw out 90% of my wardrobe at this point otherwise I will be left with nothing to wear thus, I am making four piles: love, like, get rid of and tailor.

Love - is obviously the gems that I am crazy about and make me feel fabulous
Like - are pieces that I wear often and that I need to a certain degree but that do not make me feel amazing but will discard as I replace them
Get rid of - pieces that I don't wear or do not like what so ever
Tailor - pieces that you need to have adjusted in order to wear them

I have already started the purchasing process and got myself a few one of a kind items that I am crazy about and know I will wear all the time. While a few were pricey the cost per wear and the knowledge that with these garments I am prepared for any occasion never having to face the "I have nothing to wear" situation made them worth every cent.

I already have a general idea of the clothes I am going to purge, it always a good idea to be aware of the different areas in your life and sort everything accordingly. Eg, work, casual, formal, sporty ect. If you have a job where you need old clothes to get dirty in or a job like a dance/yoga teacher where you need comfortable clothes this all needs to be taken into account and you should sort and purge accordingly.

Whilst shopping:

• do it with purpose
• be picky
• try new shops
• try new styles, colours and combinations
• purchase a few treasured items as opposed to lots of "like" items
• look before buying (ask sales people to hold things for you, you can always come back)
• always try on before buying

This process is actually very therapeutic :) I hope these tips helped and if you are currently busy with your own purge, do comment and share your thoughts!

*eLLa*

Cute Conversation

Learning to Love Yourself

I found this really great article on Article Alley and thought I would share it with you. 

Have you ever looked at people in your life, or even complete strangers on the street, and wondered why they are always so happy, and what you can do to be happy like them? All of us at one time or another feel the need to be more excited about our lives and more satisfied with ourselves. Happiness starts with appreciating ourselves for who we are, which means you need to take steps to fall in love with yourself, after all who else will love you if you don't love yourself?

1. Start dreaming

Get yourself a big sheet of paper, a pen, some magazines and some scissors and glue. Now sit down and think about your dreams; whether it's to live in a penthouse apartment, or to meet your soul mate and have 2.4 children or just to have a long and relaxing vacation, pluck that dream from your mind's eye and capture it on paper. Cut out pictures from the magazines and use them to create a dream board. Now you can see exactly what it is that you wish for in life and you can take steps to make those dreams come true.

2. Make a map

Have you ever travelled to a new location? A place you had never been before? I'm sure you have at some point in time and I bet you didn't do it without a map or a set of directions. Achieving your dream is the same as reaching that destination, you won't get there until you plan your journey and break it down into small steps that you can accomplish day by day.

3. Live in today

Now that you have captured where you want to be tomorrow, or next year, you need to start living in today. Buy yourself a beautiful journal, something that you will want to write your thoughts in and each and every day write down at least one thing that happened to you. It doesn't matter whether the experience was good or bad, what matters is what you did as a result and how you learned from it. Learning from those experiences will shape the journey towards learning how to love yourself and achieving your dreams.

4. See the best in you

We all have flaws but for most of us that is all we see when we look at ourselves in the mirror. You might think that you're too tall or too short, too fat, or too thin,. But today you need to see the best in you. Stand in front of that mirror and see yourself through the eyes of a stranger; perhaps you have a great hair style, or a pretty smile.

Ask your closest friends and family what they like about your personality; perhaps you are kind, or funny or the person they always turn to when they need comforting. Write down you five best bits in your journal or diary and reread them each and every day to remind yourself what is good about you.

By capturing your dreams and planning your journey to your destination you will learn more about your innermost thoughts and desires and living into will give you the experience you need to make that dream a reality. Forgetting about your flaws and focusing on your best bits will make you realise how other people see you. Take action with these activities today and you will learn how to love yourself and in turn find the happiness you dream of.

This article is free for republishing

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1484040_24.html

*eLLa*

**hApPy eAsTeR**

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY

*eLLa*

*qUoTeD*

weheartit

I do apologize for the lack of post this week! Been having a lot of trouble with my internet provider and haven't really had any internet access lately. I will definitely make it up to you this coming week!!

Hope you all having a fabulous Easter Weekend and are indulging in loads of chocolate :)

*eLLa*