Paint Nite South Africa

Hello Journeyers!
A few weeks ago while scrolling through Instagram I saw one of the Joburg bloggers posted a picture of her painting with a group of people. That immediately caught my attention as her painting looked very professional. I was on the Internet not long after trying to find what this Paint Nite is all about.

If you like a fun night out with friends that include some wine then this is the event for you. It's the latest fun being had at all the great bars in USA, London, Sydney and now in JOHANNESBURG!
They call it....

"Drink. Paint. Connect. This is a smidgen of creative art instruction, a splash of wine and a whole lot of fun. Our professional artist will guide you, step-by-step, from a blank canvas to a final unique masterpiece in about two hours, all the while sipping on a cocktail or two."

I was hooked and just had to join in the fun. I called up 2 of my close friends and managed to convince them (didn't take much convincing) to join Claudine and myself. In total we were 7 ladies ready to take our creative minds and hands to the next level. Our tickets were booked and we were counting down the days! The tickets are a bit pricey but take a look on Group On as they have some really nice deals and also follow their Facebook page that also has some nice specials!

We got together at Hogshead, placed our drinks orders and put on our flashy aprons. I was ready to do this. I was also very nervous. This is where the perfectionist part of me comes through. I wanted mine to look like the artist's painting. We were welcomed by the very friendly and funny Gina. She's a English (as a 2nd language) lecturer at Wits and she has her Masters Degree in Arts. That's rather impressive!

As I watched her paint, I thought to myself; "I cannot do that" but with her uplifting motivational words we picked up our brushes and just went for it. We did it. I did it. The more I painted the more impressed I was. OMG! I can actually paint! I was ready to jump out of my seat and shout it to the world. " I CAN PAINT " But I restrained myself. You know, I had to act all professional, like I've done this before. NOT! 

I got so consumed while painting that I actually forgot about my glass of wine and by then of the night I still had half a glass. Shocking I know! After that night it's safe to say that I'm hooked. Now to just beg people to join me AND beg people to also pay for me. haha

My happy end result

I loved how my painting came out and cannot wait to invite friends over just so that I can tell them. "Oh that..., yes I painted it. Just something I threw together one night" Kidding. I will brag much more!

Who's joining me for the next one? 

Thank you to Paint Nite SA, Gina, Tammy and Salli for a great evening! So bummed I can't be there tonight! *sob*

***Great news - Valid until 28 July 2014 if  you use the code journey50 you get 50% your ticket! Hurryyyy!!!!! It's a night filled with fun!***

You can find them HERE:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

#drinkcreatively

Note - Paint Nite does not support Creative Drinking and Driving and therefore use SnappCab.

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Disclaimer: We received a 50% off voucher from Paint Nite SA. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post. As always all comments and opinions are my own.

La Vie en Rose

Hello Journeyers!
Cedric and I have been living crazy busy lives and it's scary how fast you can just start living past each other. This is happening to us. Even though we are together every single day our minds are somewhere else. So I thought it would be a nice idea to start organising breakfast / lunch / dinner dates for us. You know, force us to sit down and talk about us and just relax! I went to La Vie en Rose a few weeks ago with some blogger ladies for a nice catch up and I loved the place so much that I decided to take Cedric there.

La Vie en Rose is situated in Illovo, a mere 7 km from Bryanston. The perfect spot to break away from the hectic city life. What I love about them is the location. I would have NEVER guessed that there was a beautiful restaurant when driving down that street. With their main theme being Rose and Pink it's any girls dream to sit back and soak in these lush green gardens. Not to mention the attention to details, from the pretty pink ribbon around your cutlery to the pink serviettes sticking out from glasses on the perfectly set tables.

Once again we were not disappointed. They are very popular for functions it seems as just yesterday they had 3 going on. And the day the bloggers were there they had 1 big birthday party if I remember correctly. Good thing we booked in advance.
The weather wasn't playing along yesterday, it was windy, overcast and a tad chilly. But that didn't stop them as they put up marque tents with nice heaters all over. They are definitely ready for winter.

They have a wide variety of food and drinks and their dessert menu is something to dream about. I started off with a glass of bubbly (duh). By the time I saw and smelled some of the food from the other tables my stomach was screaming at me. It was time to order!!!

Cedric had the Thriller and I had the Wild at heart wrap. The food is really very good and reasonably priced. Not one of us could finish our food. I had to obviously leave some space for that beautiful dessert that feels like butterflies playing in my mouth. The Pistachio ice cream with a shot of Frangelico. Yum!!!

This is truly a little gem in the city and I am planning my next trip there soon. Maybe even have my birthday party there...

The average costs per meal range from R50 - R170. 

You can find them HERE:

Facebook

Website

Email

Please do share your experience with me if you decide to go visit La Vie en Rose.

Remember you can follow us - #ojte_travel

Have a wonderful week! And I trust everyone is back into the swing of 5 day weeks!

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Disclaimer: All expenses were paid for by us for our outing to La Vie en Rose. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post.

The Michelangelo Hotel - High Tea

Hello Journeyers!
After our return from a wonderful December holiday Irina and I decided it's time for a little catch up session. So she organised a lovely Sunday afternoon High Tea with fellow bloggers, Chicara, Cassidy and Tammy at The Michelangelo Hotel at Sandton City.
This was going to be my very first High Tea so it is rather obvious that I was extremely excited. I have a very big sweet tooth! Too big sometimes, the proof is in my teeth! haha
I arrived a bit too early (as usual - Cedric always says if you are on time you are late) so I had more than enough time to go and soak in all the bright colours from the dilectable buffet table and take a few snaps before everyone started tastefully stuffing their faces!

WARNING: The following images may result in you either biting or licking your computer/phone. Don't say I didn't warn you!

About
"Located on Nelson Mandela Square, ‘Africa’s Business and Lifestyle Capital’, The Michelangelo is the very essence of status and success. The Michelangelo offers world-class facilities in a stylish and elegant setting with easy access to Africa’s finest shops, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. The Michelangelo is a proud member of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’."

I know this Hotel pretty good since it's our central meeting point for when his parents come to visit. But I've never actually ever eaten there, we always just wait with a drink or two. The decor is very vintage and it feels like you are transported into a different century when you walk in. I kind of felt like Rose from Titanic. All that was missing was my long white gloves and long thin cigarette. The High Tea was served at the Picollo Mondo Restaurant and as you can see from the photos we feasted like Kings and Queens.  

Things to do
Here you must rather ask what can't you do! The About section above sums it up nicely. As you gathered it is on the Nelson Mandela Square and with a big variety of restaurants and coffee shops it's the pefect location to sit and relax while sipping on a cappuchinno or enjoying a light lunch after breaking the bank at some of the best shops that Johannesburg has to offer. There is enough to do to entertain you from breakfast to dinner. And you can always end the night by watching a nice movie.

Things that made me happy
The service was good.
The food was great. Too bad my stomach isn't bigger.

Things that made me sad
I wish they refilled some of the more popular foods more often.
There were so many things that I wanted to try but was finished by the time that I got to the buffet.
After we paid our bill we sat chatting a while longer (it's what woman do best) and the waiter came to ask us if he can open another tab for us. I saw it as he wanted us to either leave or order something else and not just sit there and take up space.
I wish they tell you when you arrive what the High Tea includes before you order something else.

Chicara & Cassidy

Johlet // Irina // Chicara

Cassidy // Johlet // Irina

Cassidy // Chicara // Johlet

Cassidy // Chicara // Tammy // Irina // Johlet

The High Tea cost R170 per person and included a magnificent display of mouthwatering food and hot drinks.

You can find them here:

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

EMAIL

Please do share with me what you think of it if you decide to go visit!

And my OJTE Star Rating verdict is......drum roll please!!!!!

Remember you can follow us - #ojte_travel

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Disclaimer: All expenses were paid for by us for our outing to The Michelangelo Hotel. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post.