Friday, January 7, 2011
Residents come in please!
In our wee little hamlet here we have a radio system to enable residents to keep in touch with each other in an emergency. Daily, usually around 7pm, one of our neighbours will do a 'call in' just to check everyone's ok. The electricity had gone off after a bad storm, so someone radio'd to check it was off everywhere. No sooner had it gone off than it was on again. One of the neighbours called in to say "electricity is back on, there goes my chance of romance in our house"! Well I couldn't help but laugh when one of the pensioners got on the radio saying "turn your electricity back off, put the candles back on, and enjoy that bit of romance"!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New Stock arriving soon......
When my friend, Debbie, called today to say she was bringing me new stock I couldn't wait to see what goodies she had found for Simply Sam. She is making the trek here with a full trailer including two gorgeous shabby chic patio chairs, fully painted and distressed to liven up any patio into that French look you've been dying to achieve! And I know, just by the number of comments I get from people that come into my shop, that you are going to love the various shabby chic cupboards she's bringing. There's a stunning 'must have' Oregon window with mirrors that I feel sure won't even make it into the shop, cause I have the most perfect spot for it at home! The beautiful French looking demi lune table with matching mirror is one of those items you are going to have to snap up before someone else does. Stock will be in the shop by Saturday morning, so be sure to pop in and be one of the first to see. Else wait a couple of days and i'll have done my best to load it onto our website www.simplysam.co.za
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Welcome to 2011 at Simply Sam Antique Brocante & Gifts
A very happy new year to all our readers. 2011 eased its way into our lives as we climbed into bed at 4h30. Our children had started a new game of pool in 2010, especially so they could complete it into the new year. A novel idea! We had a superb brunch after we'd eventually crept out of bed and then had a leisurely walk up our mountain.Someone mentioned scones and cream whilst we sat at the top, over looking the beauty of the scenery that abounds in our area, so we made a leisurely walk back home to bake - well scones of course, whilst we left the men flying kites in the local field.
I remember my Mum baking scones, black berry and apple pie, rhubarb crumble, or whatever took her fancy, just off the cuff. I find myself doing exactly the same thing. Today I baked two large Focaccia bread. One with ham and fetta the other with loads of garlic, olive oil and crushed salt. I'd actually baked them to take to my neighbour's memorial, who had died strolling on top of our mountain on the morning of Christmas eve. David Fox had lived in our little hamlet for fourty four years, so knew this Fort better than anyone. He had worked tirelessly to keep the Fort Nottingham Museum running (which is on his property) as well the popular annual Fort Nottingham Highland Games which has been attended by hundreds of people every year. I like to think that he passed away doing what he loved best amongst some of the most beautiful scenery.
I think sometimes we have to stop and smell the roses and really appreciate what we have around us. We now have two comfy chairs on our veranda and that is where I have taken to sitting every now and again while I snatch a moment to read. We have the most amazing bird life and the number of times I see both male and female Sunbirds flying into where i'm sitting is a real special treat. It's only in this garden that I have ever actually been able to view the 'Piet-my-vrou' - the red chested cuckoo- who signals that Christmas is near. He is usually so elusive that you can recognise his call, but never actually get to see him.
It has been raining most of the day and the mist cover reminded me of the Lake District when I drove out today and it was just like being back home in England. I hope I can always appreciate what I have right here on my doorstep and realise just how lucky we are to live in this beautiful area. I need to remember to go Blackberry picking tomorrow with my children and bake, well Blackberry pie of course!
I remember my Mum baking scones, black berry and apple pie, rhubarb crumble, or whatever took her fancy, just off the cuff. I find myself doing exactly the same thing. Today I baked two large Focaccia bread. One with ham and fetta the other with loads of garlic, olive oil and crushed salt. I'd actually baked them to take to my neighbour's memorial, who had died strolling on top of our mountain on the morning of Christmas eve. David Fox had lived in our little hamlet for fourty four years, so knew this Fort better than anyone. He had worked tirelessly to keep the Fort Nottingham Museum running (which is on his property) as well the popular annual Fort Nottingham Highland Games which has been attended by hundreds of people every year. I like to think that he passed away doing what he loved best amongst some of the most beautiful scenery.
I think sometimes we have to stop and smell the roses and really appreciate what we have around us. We now have two comfy chairs on our veranda and that is where I have taken to sitting every now and again while I snatch a moment to read. We have the most amazing bird life and the number of times I see both male and female Sunbirds flying into where i'm sitting is a real special treat. It's only in this garden that I have ever actually been able to view the 'Piet-my-vrou' - the red chested cuckoo- who signals that Christmas is near. He is usually so elusive that you can recognise his call, but never actually get to see him.
It has been raining most of the day and the mist cover reminded me of the Lake District when I drove out today and it was just like being back home in England. I hope I can always appreciate what I have right here on my doorstep and realise just how lucky we are to live in this beautiful area. I need to remember to go Blackberry picking tomorrow with my children and bake, well Blackberry pie of course!
Friday, December 31, 2010
As I look back on 2010 .....
... there are so many good memories. How spoilt I was being whisked off to America for three weeks. I loved San Fransico and New York. I discovered my 'now' favourite shop, Anthropologie (http://www.anthropologie.com), and how good to see South African artists flying the flag in this shop. It is a shop full of inspiration and quality - I just want to follow in their footsteps for Simply Sam Antique Brocante & Gifts.
After restoring our home, built in 1893, for the last three years we are almost complete (a year in Provence has nothing on us!), though I think with an old house you are really never finished! One of the highlights of the build was when we gave an old water tank to the Midlands Meander Education Project, which they were able to install in the home of a young woman in Mpophomeni. Her letter of thanks for such a simple gesture really touched my heart and knowing that she now has water at her home, is so meaningful. A little kindness goes a long way, as they say!
At the Pietermartizburg Christmas fair, I took along mainly my new gift stock and I have to say that I stayed true to myself when I realised that almost everything I have selected is proudly South African, either from job creation projects or hand made in this beautiful country. I will continue to source new stock items next year to bring you wonderful choice and if you can't make it into the shop, these wonderful items will all be on our website, available at the click of a button.
I like to think my shop has improved over 2010, but even more so that of my website. I have already started scaling down my shop hours to be open only Thursday to Sunday from 10-4pm, to combine quality of time with my family in this beautiful area, and business. More and more people are starting to see the value of purchasing over the web. Our web credit card facility should be up and running by the end of January 2011which we plan to launch with a less 50% sale on selected items. Watch this space.
I enrolled on a 'Social Media' course in the middle of the year and, though time (and diligence!) did not permit me to spend as much time as I would have liked completing this course, I have great plans for 2011 to become a 'boff' (so Greg, if you're reading this you have something to hold me to!). I meet people on a daily basis in my shop who balk at even the idea of an sms, never mind Face Book and the world wide web, and often think to myself "well you have a choice to follow their lead or go the whole hog and move with the times" and with young children I really think we don't have a choice. So Simply Sam now has its own Face Book page and if you do a search on Google you will find we are now almost always at the top of the search.
I have lived in South Africa all my adult life, but often say to people that the British flag is tattooed on my heart. So you can imagine how uplifting is was at the Soccer World Cup this year to see my three children being 'British' for a few hours when we went to watch England play Slovenia in Port Elizabeth. And to be surrounded by my 'own' people was simply awesome! Seeing the Gautrain in JHB recently made me realise that the world cup may have been and gone, but it has left us with some fantastic infrastructure we can be proud of in this 'third world' country of ours.
One of the highlights of my year with my family was participating in the Kings School survival day which included eating chicken heads and feet (walkie talkies as they are called in South Africa), crawling through mud, finding marbles in the ice with bare feet, as well as various other 'family bonding' activities. I think the highlight for my family was watching me fall into the freezing cold water of the Dam, as I tried to pull myself across. They obviously knew I was going to fall in, they were just wondering when! We are so lucky to live in the beautiful Natal Midlands and seeing how our family has bonded has made the transition over the past three years more than worthwhile. We are lucky to have the most wonderful schools on our doorstep and happy children. Our best friends moved closer to us, from Pretoria to Hilton, and we have met some wonderful new friends and now feel we are part of a great community. And if all that wasn't enough, to celebrate my 17th wedding anniversary, I booked us into the cave at Antbear in the Drakensberg and my husband got down on one knee and presented me with a diamond eternity ring. Now that's what I call lurve! And the cave comes highly recommended too!
To 'almost' end my 2010 blogging, I have a poster in my shop which was made by a local lady out of bubblegum wrappers which says "Trust in God". It was bought with some of the first profit I made in my new shop, here at the Country Courtyard. When we first moved here three years ago, I used to take our children to Catechism in Cedara, a good fourty five minute drive from here. I had a dream of starting Catechism here in Nottingham Road and it really seemed like such a big deal, in fact quite over whelming. Having had the support support of Carolyn Mielella, Terry Pellow-Jarmin and Veronique Edwardes I am blessed to say we completed our first year of Catechism this year and we pray our Catholic community in Nottingham Road will continue to flourish.
With my love of writing it has been wonderful to discover the art of Blogging and to be able to snap photographs of things I love, and be able to share them with like minded people 'out there' is very satisfying. We have ended with a bumper month at our shop, Simply Sam Antique Brocante & Gifts, in Nottingham Road, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported my life long dream of owning an antique shop and living the country bumpkin lifestyle. I have had endless fun. I'm hoping in 2011 I will take my dream to the next level by visiting and purchasing beautiful antiques directly from France. So all I can say is, "if you can dream it, you can make it so".
After restoring our home, built in 1893, for the last three years we are almost complete (a year in Provence has nothing on us!), though I think with an old house you are really never finished! One of the highlights of the build was when we gave an old water tank to the Midlands Meander Education Project, which they were able to install in the home of a young woman in Mpophomeni. Her letter of thanks for such a simple gesture really touched my heart and knowing that she now has water at her home, is so meaningful. A little kindness goes a long way, as they say!
At the Pietermartizburg Christmas fair, I took along mainly my new gift stock and I have to say that I stayed true to myself when I realised that almost everything I have selected is proudly South African, either from job creation projects or hand made in this beautiful country. I will continue to source new stock items next year to bring you wonderful choice and if you can't make it into the shop, these wonderful items will all be on our website, available at the click of a button.
I like to think my shop has improved over 2010, but even more so that of my website. I have already started scaling down my shop hours to be open only Thursday to Sunday from 10-4pm, to combine quality of time with my family in this beautiful area, and business. More and more people are starting to see the value of purchasing over the web. Our web credit card facility should be up and running by the end of January 2011which we plan to launch with a less 50% sale on selected items. Watch this space.
I enrolled on a 'Social Media' course in the middle of the year and, though time (and diligence!) did not permit me to spend as much time as I would have liked completing this course, I have great plans for 2011 to become a 'boff' (so Greg, if you're reading this you have something to hold me to!). I meet people on a daily basis in my shop who balk at even the idea of an sms, never mind Face Book and the world wide web, and often think to myself "well you have a choice to follow their lead or go the whole hog and move with the times" and with young children I really think we don't have a choice. So Simply Sam now has its own Face Book page and if you do a search on Google you will find we are now almost always at the top of the search.
I have lived in South Africa all my adult life, but often say to people that the British flag is tattooed on my heart. So you can imagine how uplifting is was at the Soccer World Cup this year to see my three children being 'British' for a few hours when we went to watch England play Slovenia in Port Elizabeth. And to be surrounded by my 'own' people was simply awesome! Seeing the Gautrain in JHB recently made me realise that the world cup may have been and gone, but it has left us with some fantastic infrastructure we can be proud of in this 'third world' country of ours.
One of the highlights of my year with my family was participating in the Kings School survival day which included eating chicken heads and feet (walkie talkies as they are called in South Africa), crawling through mud, finding marbles in the ice with bare feet, as well as various other 'family bonding' activities. I think the highlight for my family was watching me fall into the freezing cold water of the Dam, as I tried to pull myself across. They obviously knew I was going to fall in, they were just wondering when! We are so lucky to live in the beautiful Natal Midlands and seeing how our family has bonded has made the transition over the past three years more than worthwhile. We are lucky to have the most wonderful schools on our doorstep and happy children. Our best friends moved closer to us, from Pretoria to Hilton, and we have met some wonderful new friends and now feel we are part of a great community. And if all that wasn't enough, to celebrate my 17th wedding anniversary, I booked us into the cave at Antbear in the Drakensberg and my husband got down on one knee and presented me with a diamond eternity ring. Now that's what I call lurve! And the cave comes highly recommended too!
To 'almost' end my 2010 blogging, I have a poster in my shop which was made by a local lady out of bubblegum wrappers which says "Trust in God". It was bought with some of the first profit I made in my new shop, here at the Country Courtyard. When we first moved here three years ago, I used to take our children to Catechism in Cedara, a good fourty five minute drive from here. I had a dream of starting Catechism here in Nottingham Road and it really seemed like such a big deal, in fact quite over whelming. Having had the support support of Carolyn Mielella, Terry Pellow-Jarmin and Veronique Edwardes I am blessed to say we completed our first year of Catechism this year and we pray our Catholic community in Nottingham Road will continue to flourish.
With my love of writing it has been wonderful to discover the art of Blogging and to be able to snap photographs of things I love, and be able to share them with like minded people 'out there' is very satisfying. We have ended with a bumper month at our shop, Simply Sam Antique Brocante & Gifts, in Nottingham Road, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported my life long dream of owning an antique shop and living the country bumpkin lifestyle. I have had endless fun. I'm hoping in 2011 I will take my dream to the next level by visiting and purchasing beautiful antiques directly from France. So all I can say is, "if you can dream it, you can make it so".
God bless and see you in 2011.
Sam McDonald
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Aah this website is just gorgeous - dream on .....
http://www.lacreuzette.com/
This is the website of the authors of the book 'Festive France' which I sell at www.simplysam.co.za - I thought the book was stunning, but this website will make you want to hop on the first plane to France......
This is the website of the authors of the book 'Festive France' which I sell at www.simplysam.co.za - I thought the book was stunning, but this website will make you want to hop on the first plane to France......
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
A Page Boy in the Making ....
Gorgeous little Phillip George wandered into my shop on Saturday with his Mum, just before the Michaelhouse/Hilton match, and was so obliging when I asked him to try on our vintage 'Page Boy' outfit. I had to whip out my camera, because he looked an absolute treat, i'm sure you'll agree.
The large Journal and Ledgers that he is leaning on are over 100yrs old and inside one of the books is a letter, written to the owners of the business, looking for a 'Bantu worker', who they think may have been killed in a train accident... the hand writing is so beautiful in these books that it just goes to show that the one thing people had more of in those days was time!
If you are looking for something unusual for your study or business these Journals and Ledgers will certainly be a conversational piece. We have also just got in a number of volumes of books by Ruskin which will add a bit of vintage style to any bookshelf.
The large Journal and Ledgers that he is leaning on are over 100yrs old and inside one of the books is a letter, written to the owners of the business, looking for a 'Bantu worker', who they think may have been killed in a train accident... the hand writing is so beautiful in these books that it just goes to show that the one thing people had more of in those days was time!
If you are looking for something unusual for your study or business these Journals and Ledgers will certainly be a conversational piece. We have also just got in a number of volumes of books by Ruskin which will add a bit of vintage style to any bookshelf.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Eat, Love, Yawn?!!!
Starved of movies in our side of the country I went along to see Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Love, Pray at the Midlands Mall, in Natal, with a couple of friends. Crazy to think I only got home after midnight with everything being so far away from sleeply little Nottingham Road! It was a lovely 'feel good' movie though and well worth the sleepy head the next morning. Now i'm thinking where am I going to find the time, money and staff to go follow in her footsteps ..... So many things to do and see, so little time, so little money ......
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