Awesome wedding idea

I recently attended a wedding where there was a photo studio set up with an enormous trunks of masks, hats and wigs.
It was a great way for guests to enjoy that awkward in-between stages after the first course and before speeches.
Definitely going to do this at my future hypothetical wedding!
Joey's Photography set it up - Contact details = info@joeysphotography.co.za or 083 282 2359 www.blog.joeysphotography.co.za
Take a look at the result:

Where the past and present meet

I recently visited Constitution Hill in Braamfontein and was struck by how easily it is to 'forget' the history of this country when we are so focused on the present and the daily grind of our lives.
So here's a little look at the highlights of the tour and a bit of information about what Constitution Hill is all about.

Constitution Hill is the site of Johannesburg's notorious Old Fort Prison Complex, commonly known as Number Four, "where thousands of ordinary people were brutally punished before the dawn of democracy in 1994," reads the tour brochure. Many of our political activists - Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, Winnie Mandela and Barbara Hogan spent time there during the struggle years.
It is now home to the Constitutional Court - the protector of our basic rights and freedoms. A fitting place wouldn't you say?

Barbara Hogan, a political activist and now member of the current Government, was housed in the Women's Prison. Political prisoners were put together with criminals, although black and whites were obviously housed in separate cells.

Part of the wall in the Constitutional Court is made up from bricks from the demolished Awaiting Trial Block. The gaps between the bricks is said to allow the spirits of the past to be present as Constitutional rights are defended and upheld within the court.

Ex-prisoners were invited back to contribute to the process of remembering and reclaiming their dignity that they lost in Number Four. 

 

 

 

The Bill of Rights is portrayed at the entrance of the Constitutional Court, making use of all of the 11 official languages, as well as Sign Language and Braille.

Dear Fluffy

This is a letter to myself because I think my whinging has got out of hand.
I am seriously lacking any sense of gratitude, self-achievement or observation of the wonder around me that I think I could rightly be classified as a pessimist these days...or a serial whinger - and that's not the kind of person that I want to be around. So thank you to all the friends, family and Curly people that put up with me on a regular basis.
Of course, it's alright to have a bitch and a moan...SOMETIMES...but I need to stop making every conversation a session to complain about work, being tired, having no time for gym (kiff excuse) or other general grumbles.
I am therefore undertaking a new month's mission to write about something positive every single day. Judging by my claim of many posts in September, which didn't nearly happen' this is going to be a tough ask. But I have stuck a sticky note on my computer to remind me each day because seriously, positive thinking is how we all have to live our lives.
Imagine realising that your last conversation on this earth was a whinge.
A sobering thought.

A beautiful heart

Beautiful words from a beautiful friend that started my day...


A young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.

But an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,
“Your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.”

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly but full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in … but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. The young man looked at the old man’s heart and laughed.
“You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine … mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

” “Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking … but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love….. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them … and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges.
“ Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away … and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges … giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too … and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man.
The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart.
It fit …. but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.
The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.

What I am learning as Editor

1. Be assertive.
I can no longer rely on being told what to do (so much easier that way!). There's now not really anyone to tell me anyway - well other than the big boss but he just wants to talk about the trade.

2, Have an opinion and speak up.
Before, I tended to keep quiet or just go with what the boss's opinion was because I felt 'inferior' in my lack of knowledge to actually be entitled to one. Now I'm expected to have an opinion - meetings and other decision-making places.

3. Stick to my guns.
It used to be so frustrating to watch my boss always be convinced to change deadlines, allow late entrants and do basically do whatever the sales people wanted.
But I refuse to be their door mat. I set deadlines and expect them to be met and I speak to the salespeople directly if I have a problem.
If I have to write an entire magazine in a set time, they can jolly well get their ads in on time.

4. Confront.
I have always been terrible at confrontation and while I may not be good at it yet, I am learning. Case and point today, when I spoke to a salesperson about an issue I had and we agreed to a way forward.
I always find that email can be an effective way in getting my stern voice on.

5. Fill those shoes.
I am the editor. At 22. No pressure. That means that I have to step up to the plate and act like one. I need to be confident when meeting the bigwigs of the industry and have something useful to say.

** New challenge to myself - learn something new everyday about the trade and write it down so I remember it.

I'm gonna rock this magazine. BOOM.