Ideas is all about MAKING your world more beautiful. Packed with creative inspiration, fresh ideas, easy projects and step-by-step instructions, this magazine is the go-to guide for crafters, stitchcrafters, makers, cooks and DIY home decorators.
Over the years I have learned that the best way to live is to live in the moment. Like a string of beads threaded together, it’s all the ‘now’ moments that in the end combine to form your life. Regret and guilt about the past and fear of the future add little to our inner happiness. But it is certainly easier said than done and anyway, not all retrospection is bad for us. Reflection is always a good teacher. And it’s also true that the more difficult life feels, the more nostalgic we become. Sometimes nostalgia is exactly what we need to put a smile on our face. Look at how everyone recalled the tasty pleasure of a slice of warm toast slathered with melting butter and a layer of…
PROTECT A SENSITIVE SKIN Sometimes one’s skin can become irritated, just out of the blue. It gets red, hot, itchy and uncomfortably sensitive. According to Dermalogica, about 70% of people worldwide struggle with sensitive skin. It can be genetic, or because of lifestyle or environmental factors. Whatever the cause, the skin’s protective layer is damaged and must be given time and help to heal. Dermalogica’s new Stabilizing Repair Cream (50ml, R1 499) is a moisturiser that can put a stop to sensitive skin within a week by helping the skin to produce its own ceramides. As well as a ceramide complex that repairs the skin barrier and builds it up, it contains nourishing lipids that help the skin to become more resistant and less reactive. It also has a blend…
décor For as long as gardener and floral designer Dané Erwee can remember, his life has revolved around plants. In fact, his relationship with them predates his own memories: There’s a family story of Dané’s mother taking him out on the farm dam in a small boat when he was a baby, and packing the waterblommetjies (Aponogeton distachyos flowers) she was harvesting from the water around him as he slept. He says his first conscious recollection of actually planting something dates to when he was ‘about five or six years old’, when his grandmother gave him some clivia seeds. He planted them, ‘and they grew’. Growing up on a vegetable farm means that plant knowledge has always been an integral part of Dané’s life, and his path from being a…
ANCHORED IN DARK BLUE A perfect example of a kitchen that is compact but also practical. The light wood, black metal finishes and dark blue of the cabinetry work well together and lend an industrial feeling to the space. The dark granite countertop links to these colours, as do the tiles with their fine graphic pattern, while the white crockery creates a striking contrast. A loose metal shelving unit provides more than enough storage place and the butcher’s block on wheels can be moved aside when extra space is needed. The bar stools fit in with the look and are ideal for a quick breakfast. COLLECTIBLES AND OLD BLUE This is a good example of how you can use your collectibles in your décor. Paint a focus wall in soft…
STORY TILES Give old tiles a new lease of life with the lovely tile pictures in our calendar. DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: a few hours (depending on how many tiles you decorate) YOU WILL NEED ♥ tiles of your choice ♥ tile pictures from our calendar pages (or pictures of your choice) ♥ modge podge ♥ craft brush ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ metal ruler PAINT DETAIL Decorate the corners of your tiles with a painted pattern. DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: a few hours (depending on how many tiles you decorate) YOU WILL NEED ♥ tiles of your choice ♥ pattern of your choice (we found ours on the internet) ♥ tile paint in the colour of your choice ♥ art or stencil brush ♥ acetate ♥ masking tape ♥…
DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: half a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ paint in 3 shades of the colour of your choice (we used blue) ♥ coloured chalk ♥ spirit level (large) ♥ small foam roller and paint tray ♥ masking tape ♥ drop sheet…
