Daniella's Ramblings

So, it is officially spring. I reckon temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius qualifies as spring! To celebrate we decided to go to Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. Yes, that is right in South Africa spring is pumpkin spice season. Americans may need some time to get their heads around this. It is ok. I will wait…

Ok, so you are back? Cool. Let’s carry on…

I decided as it was spring a summer sun dress (purchased on sale at the end of last summer but as yet unworn was in order. I dragged it out of the cupboard, removed the tags and got dressed. I paired it with a simple bead necklace, a bangle supplied by my good friend Anna from the Emporium of Delights and All things Nice. The ensemble was finished off with a pair of ‘gladiator lite’ sandals. As always, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a mini-dissertation for you.

The dress was purchased from Mr Price, on sale at the end of last summer. It is certainly, no designer piece, but I think it is cute and more importantly it is lovely and cool in the heat. I got it for R99 (US$7) and that is a real steal, I think.

After a few quick photos, we left for Melrose Arch which is one of the places nearby that has a Starbucks. Starbucks is somewhat less ubiquitous in South Africa (for now?) than it is in most parts of the world. Again, I will give you a few minutes to get your heads around this…

Oh good, you are back… Right moving along swiftly.

Whilst doing my makeup I realised that I was running low on powder, so on the way to Starbucks, we stopped off at the head office for Kryolan South Africa, in Johannesburg, as it was just down the road from Starbucks. I used to be very intimidated going to Kryolan, but the sales staff are very friendly, highly knowledgeable and extremely professional. I am starting to really enjoy visiting them these days. They are always valuable sources of advice and give you an honest and reliable opinion. It also helps that they have never misgendered me and are very comfortable speaking to me… They really mange to put you at ease. It was a lovely little experience, and everyone greeted us as ‘ladies’ which is always a nice experience. I purchased my powder and we were soon at Melrose Arch.

We parked the car and walked to Starbucks. They have a few specials on at the moment and for R59 (US$4) you can get a Grande Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino and a small Pumpkin Spice Danish (pastry). We decided to get two (one each). The person taking our order was lovely and greeted us as ‘ladies’. All good. Then things got complicated. The point of sale machine froze and wouldn’t update our order. After a few minutes the manager came over and said to just process the order as it stood. This meant we got our two orders for the price of one. Result!

We sipped our Frappuccino and nibbled our Danishes while chatting. I am a huge fan of anything pumpkin spice, so I was very happy, although, I will admit that the Danish was somewhat underwhelming. It was ok, nothing wrong with it, but nothing spectacular either. The Frappuccino on the other hand was divine. The perfect drink on a hot day. Refreshing and delicious.

Fortified, we strolled around Melrose Arch for a bit. We walked past a Clicks pharmacy and we popped in to get a blending sponge as mine had mysteriously disappeared from the bathroom. I think it may have fallen into the bin by mistake, or been liberated by an inquisitive five-year-old. Either way I needed a new one. The guy welcoming customers at the door greeted us with a smile and a ‘morning ladies’ and this (again) made me happy.

Shopping complete we returned home, and I got changed before fetching the girls from school…