Project Skateboards -This is real talent!

I have the privilege of knowing Justin since the day I can remember. He is my brothers best friend, my friend, a wonderful father, hubby and a great downhill skater.  One that truly understands a good board and the industry. I believe the only way to know your own product well is to be involved in it.  Justin is truely involved in everyway possible.

 He has been making boards for years, I remember being a kid when he started in his parents garage. Those wood chippings everywhere, us just hanging around mucking about while he showed Anton his new ideas.  His passion and determination has brought him here where he is today, and I can honestly say that his long board business Project Skateboards is one of the best I've seen.

Not only will you get a solid board, it will make you feel unique, with great designs, bursting with colour, it's a board you will be proud of.

The downhill family are lucky to have this guy in the industry. 

 To check out Justin's awesome boards, see the link to his website below:

http://projectskateboards.co.za/

Let it snow let it snow let it snow...

It has been a freezing few days, for me personally I have never been so cold in London before.
I decided to brave it and go out and take some photos in a graveyard cemetery around the corner from my house.
It was so peaceful here with the odd crow around but it really felt like you were somewhere else. Here are a few of my pics.

Secret birthday location April 2010

YEW TREE COTTAGE IN NEW FORREST

OVER 300 YRS OLD

I organised a weekend away for Jacqui Brown's birthday. This adventure was a classic! With lots of pics that should prob not be shown to anyone other than who was there! What happens in New forest stays in New Forest ;-)

It was a big surprise for her, thank goodness as it is very hard trying to keep a surprise with like 8 people involved. Non the less we managed it. So after making sure everyone packed the night before, and eventually the week ended, we finally headed off on our adventure around 8.00pm. Jess and Blake took there car full of hooligans ;-) and Deano took the rest of us. After some bubbly, special home-baked cookies , 2 hours later, we get a SOS call from the convoy hooligan carridge, "We are busting for the loo, can we please stop" So number 1 pit stop begins, and with the girls falling out the car, jumping over a fence onto a farm land, giggling the whole way through, think Norch was still holding the champers bottle at this point and running up the down the hill! Good work ladies, poor class :-)

With their bladders relieved and happy smiles aproaching, we shoved them back in and continued on the road, Jax was no idea at this point as she remarked "we are going to Portsmouth hay?", thank goodness she didn't have her glasses on and we drove straight into the heart of new forest, found our lovey cottage name "YEW TREE"

Yew Tree is around 300yrs old and in amazing condition, outside and in, I would defo recommend this place for a weekend away or just to get away from the hussle bussle lifestyle. We quickly unpack our stuff and run inside, feeling like we are truely on holiday with everyone fighting to get up the stairs first to grab rooms! After finding more doors and passageways, I feel like I'm in Alice and Wonderland and it's just perfect, Jax is so happy and suprised, her face was the best, it made my heart warm.

We all headed to the loundge which had a open fire place and started the fire, got our board games out and our drinking hats on and lots more snacks and food and drink later, were like the 10 merry dwafts in a fairy tale, happy as! Then I got Jax's cake out and we sang happy birthday full of beans to which Jax did some interesting poses in her photographs, (which I still laugh at every time I see them)

I don't know what time we all got to bed but remember dancing away while Norch watched me, laughing, then I remember waking up as if I was sleeping on a hill, wow the mattress was KAK! no words for it, I was so tired that I didnt notice it before but bascially slept on my side almost falling off the bed as the mattress or the actually bar on the bed was in nice terms: messed up!

After walking downstairs with a crooked neck, found my lovely posse sitting in the blazing morning sun and breakfast being cooked! Looked like a mass chicken murder with all those eggs in the pan. So not only are we in New forest but we have hot sun!, a huge garden, a ball! (yay) and great company.

We decide to go for a nice long walk in the forest and go to a pub along the way, their are ponies and donkeys everywhere just walking around freely. There is always a challenge when we go away and here again another one presents itself, we had to cross a stream, a running start helps but if you aint got ye jump down, well you get the picture. Mish to the rescue girls and then Norch took a running leap, and made it lekker with those long legs. The walk through the forest was amazing, so peaceful, sun was blazing through the trees, and it was very quiet, except for our troop of course ;-)

That night was kinda a repeat of the last, except Blake fell into a bush and hit a wall, ha ha still laughing Blake still laughing.

On Sunday we chilled in the garden in the sun till the afternoon, ended up going to the pub, having something to eat, by this point I dont think I could drink another drop of red wine if you paid me. Driving back through the forest was wicked, had such a laugh, car was taking strain with all of us and with me trying to drink my Bulmars finished while Blake made sure this was a hard task, the laughter continued.

We hit the road back home as reality sets in we need to get our arses back to London for work, kids and get out of the fog we are in. Weekends away are the best! Happy birthday Jax xx

Wales weekend trip 2009

Our Wonderful Adventure!

This adventure was one to remember and never to forget, my best friend Jax organised a wicked holiday! Not only with a superb location but on budget to, she's good at that! What more could you ask for I say.

So we got the car packed, Jax, Kairi and I are waiting for Norch to finish her college, then we can get on the road and start our adventure. The call comes in, and we go and pick her up, shove her load into the boot, by now the car is spilling over with "weekends worth" more like "month's worth" of bags, you know how woman can be with luggage ;-)

We have hired a car, and I love driving so it's a bonus. I tell ye what, there is nothing like the few moments as you about to start your holiday.

After 6 hour drive or so we cross over into Wales and get horribly lost a few times, so it took us longer to reach our destination but hay all in the name of good fun. We drive through the park, trying to remember the name LLangla, something, believe me, the names are hard and so the same, like the next town is LLanguula, which really amused me.

We drive around in a circle 3 times and then finally find our caravan, man alive you should see this view. It's only half a km to the beach, just incredible. The caravan is so something I would recommened, all furnished inside, loundge, kitchen, sitting area, rooms, bathroom, and it's spacious for us 4 girls. We have everything we need, to TV, Games, Beach, fun, drinking, go chats, relaxing and laughter for the next few days ahead.
After we unpack and get settled we head to the shop to get some supplies. By supplies I mean copious amount of red wine! The walk to the beach is wicked, we end up climbing a sand dune the size of mount everest, lol, but we have to get to the other side to reach the beach, as you get to the top, you think you can climb no further as your calf muscle are paining and you out of breath, not to mention the sand that gets you no where with each step. You just see the sea and a big open beach! It's all worth it, each and everytime we did it was worth it!

That beach is amazing, there was bascially nobody there, it was so hot, think maybe the hottest weekend Wales has ever had, so lucky for us. We went exploring caves, sea shells, played cards, even swam! Yes we braved the water and it was cold. We even saw cows on the beach, weird, lol (Have the photos to prove it, honest)
So during the day was the beach and at night we ended up having quite a few bottles of red wine and playing lots of board games,making lots of pictures with lights with the camera, had one of the finest cheese boards to date, thanx to Norch. And I just loved making foaming coffee for the girls coffee's in the morning. (It's the small things ok)

Did I mention the most amazing sunset I have ever seen! yes amazing, spectacular, never forget it, like if I was a Vampire, that's the last sunset I would want to see! (I'm such a dreamer)

When we had to leave we made a day trip and just travelled the map wherever we wanted to go, even a castle we were suppose to pay for but ended up checkin out and then running out because we almost got caught, was great and so spontaneous, I love doing things like that.





We ended up at Worms head, and went to the beach there, chilled for a bit , swam, played some games, and then decided to head on home, but it was never a dull moment, cause Mish stalled the car about 8 times!!! Yes people I was on a hill, (a steep one might I add) and there was lots of cars behind me and I was laughing so much and so was everyone else, then my feet starting sweating I was so nervous. Thought we were gonna roll down the hill at one point.


Ha ha, great trip guys, I would love to go back there again.

Home is where the heart is, literally :)

CAPE TOWN 2009



I have been away from my beautiful city Cape Town for 7yrs and it is getting a harder to stay away each year I go back. It's not just home it's a place of passion, great people, friends, family, history and lots of memories.

I have so many things to go back to, but so many things that I'll be leaving behind. If you have ever felt like you wanted to be in 2 places at the same time. Well thats it :)

So maybe one day soon i,ll be going home to another chapter in my life. Who knows, As I firmly believe that all these chapters and special memories are there to last only until they become not so special anymore. Something to always look back on and smile and remember.
Cape Town is a amazing place, full of culture, great friendly people, hot weather, a beautiful mountain that makes me burst into smile everytime the plane touches down. Then I get to get super excited to see Mom, Dad, my brother, Livvy, Marco, Dustin, Marc, Fabien, Jeanne, Rus, the Levi's, the Shaw's, Sharon, Justin, the list goes on and on! Not to metion how alive and backward, (yes I said backward) in a good way. We have not lost our simple way of living competely at home. That is something I truely miss. I could honestly say that after living in a city for this long, I wanna be a country bumpkin all the way later on in life.





So when I get back I have all this to look forward to: 20 minutes away from Cape Town, the beaches, my friends and family. Maybe getting to work on a safari park, go travelling up the coast.
Finding work will be difficult but I am up for the challenge, nothing is impossible not when you in love with Cape Town and all that comes with it...


See you hopefully sooner than later Cape Town, who knows what the future holds, but living my life to the fullest I already have to ideas on where it's going :)

Spain with all my great friends

Spain Alcanta Denia

This holiday was one of my best, as all these people you see here are now spread around the world in different places! And we have all been together in London for years, now thats a different case but gives me a excuse to go and see the world and have a place to stay everywhere ha ha!
Tracy Australia Gold Coast
Paul Dubai
Scotty America now I think
Dave Australia Melbourne
Colette South Africa
Erich South Africa
The rest of us, here in London :)
Miss you guys but love you all.


We stayed in Spain for around 10 days had 2 , 10 man villa's and they were lush let me tell you. "James villa . com" is the way forward. We had vineyards on one side and the sea on the other. Our own rooms and a huge living room and kitchen, which we only used for boose and prepping the braai, ha ha. Or making the floor dirty from wet feet in the pool! YES you heard right our own pool! with a front patio, aah just a great holiday destination. Well it's starts off with landing in Spain and the drama begins:

and so they pick on poor Rick, and end up swobbing his guitar suitcase and low and behold it ends up having TNT residue on it! (have no idea, neither does he, it was a new case)after alot of questions and explanations, Rick swetting with fear, we all finally get through customs. Rick is now definetly needing a holiday after being accussed of being a terriorist in Spain.

Then we need to get everyone together now so we can go get our cars we have hired, oh the joy, we phone Tracy as she is in Spain already with Collette and she is suppose to meet us at the airport so she can drive. Mish phones Trace, Trace answers with " Whaaattsssuuuup Mishtoit, ar ar ar ar, and I reply with Oh Dear." So Mish now has to drive = ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD! all fun and games, till someone looses an eye.
Takes us an extra 2 hrs to find the place cause its so complicated and I have a bunch of mates wingeing in the back, not to mention that I'm nackered, my concentration levels are caput!
We find it eventually yahooo and bascially dump our stuff, change into summer costumes and head for the pool area!


Man alive it's just party and chill out from here on, we each put in 10 euro's a day! nothing! for a massive braai every night. Bought lots of pool toys to play with and filled the pool with beers to keep chilled. Mike, Cana and Si doing acrobatics into the pool! The girls skinny dipping at night, Music on all day and night, jenga, fat chats, drunk chats, lots of games and Paul and I "Lets see who can get the best tan competition"
Went for dinner at some supper restaurants, gave us girls something to dress up to, had parma ham that tasted like acorns, because the little piggy only ate acorns! how awesome. Massive, impressive dishes of paella, friendly people, and by the by loving the whole seista shenanigans! Went for brekkie at a awesome little place where they became our little local or rather liked Simon for trying some crazy alcoholic drink out and being pissed on 1 glass!
Went swimming in the sea with Jax and Si, was wicked.
Our last day consisted of us packing the car with our luggage, or all 3-4 cars should I say and going to the beach and buying shade, yes "you have to buy your shade, whahahh"
I remember that day so well cause I havent felt that relaxed in ages. I was lying on a beach chair on my stomach with Mike next to me, joking around in the backround. All I could hear was him, people laughing and the sea breaking, bascially I was falling in and out of sleep but the best feeling, as it was hot as ever but were cool under the shade.
A few hours later back in London still with sand on our feet, weird!

I hope we can all be together again for another adventure! :)

Antons' downhill skating

Ant's passion:

Ant = Skateboard = custom made leathers = helmet = throwing yourself down a very steep scary hill and loving every moment of it!
This is Anton's passion and I was lucky enough to watch him a few times, any chance he can get he will go for a skate, especially if he finds a new hill and a new challendge. He has reached speeds of up to 100km hr, come 2nd and 3rd in downhill competions in Cape Town.
Even with torn ligaments he still threw himself down a hill, high five for Master Ant! Proud of you brother, :)

Go and check out the website and some of my pics up there
http://www.sagra.co.za/index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=53