Elle Decoration South Africa » issue 58 – Escape

Issue 58: Down by the Water

heather moore — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:11:00 +0000

Doesn’t an “Escape” issue make perfect sense at this time of year? I can imagine in utter clarity the feeling of just dropping everything to hop on a Cessna taking me away from it all…

And where better to go than the Xaranna tented camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta? Here, you can relax in luxury during the heat of the day, and when things cool down, there are game drives and boat trips on the delta.

I haven’t been there (yet!), but listen to what our travel writer, Louise McCann has to say about it:

“The sala, perched on the water’s edge is, for me, theheart of the heart of this place. It’s where I feel completely undisturbed and closely acquainted with the god of small things that presides over the wetlands. There is big game: two lazy hippos wallow in the waterway outside my tent and wake me in the depths of the night with their breathing and snorting: giraffes saunter past at sunset; and I spot elephants plucking berries from tall trees on nearby islands.”

Issue 58: Lodge Scarborough

heather moore — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:04:00 +0000

So, we’re all starting to get into the holiday mood, but sometimes, travelling to a holiday destination can be the most stressful part of all. That’s why I rather fancy the idea of getting away, and I mean really getting away, but only having to travel 35 minutes out of Cape Town!

Our story about ZenSA Lodge on pages 94 – 99 show the gloriously renovated spaces of this Scarborough guesthouse, owned and run by two energetic young Belgians. Just looking at these clear and stylish rooms is enough to get me to start winding down, and I hope they do the same for you.
Hmm. I wonder if they have space for a last-minute booking…

Photographs: Philippe Vanderpoorten

Issue 59: The Milky Way

heather moore — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:21:00 +0000

With Cape Town temperatures way up in the late 20s today, we’re certainly not expecting a white christmas this year. But that doesn’t stop our Escape issue from having 12 gloriously pale pages, celebrating the possibilities of white-on-white.

We’re so used to seeing perfect pics in magazines, and it’s easy to forget how much hard work goes into getting them looking so good. A few months ago, I happened to stumble upon our stylist Tracy Lynch (above) in the middle of her Milky Way shoot, so I took a couple of behind-the-scenes snaps to give our blog readers an exclusive peek behind the scenes:

Clustered around the edges of the studio are hopeful props waiting in the wings, crossing fingers that they’ll be included in the final shoot…

Need more white? Easy, just add baby powder!

Want to have some fun with your copy of Issue 58? Why not try to spot how many of the props I’ve snapped here actually did make it into the shoot!

Production on Milky Way: Tracy Lynch and Yelda Bayraktar
Photographs: Mark Williams and Justin Patrick

Issue 58: Monkeybiz

heather moore — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:01:00 +0000

The brand new Escape issue shows pics of the seaside home of ceramicist Barbara Jackson, founder of the amazing beading company Monkeybiz. I don’t have any extra pics of Barbara’s home to share, but thought it might be nice to share some of what Monkeybiz does.
Monkeybiz is a non-profit organisation in Cape Town, and it supports over 450 women and their families â€“ many of whom are HIV positive. By creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind beaded art pieces, the women who work for Monkeybiz have found a sustainable way to support themselves and their families.

Visit the Monkeybiz website to find out more, take a look at their catalogue, and shop online.