Mooi Hair & Beauty Salon

Before I die, I’d like to…
travels to lots of places and eat amazing dishes!

What’s the one thing you’ll never understand?
How some people eat whatever they want and just stay skinny!

What are you really good at?
Baking cupcakes! Doing stuff that I like doing instead of stuff that I’m supposed to be doing.

What celebrity crushes did you have as a teenager?
I was in love with Brad Pitt after seeing Meet Joe Black.

Families are sacred because…
they are the people who really understand you and ‘get’ where you are coming from. When times are really tough, they are the people who you want to be around and not say anything – and they will understand.

What’s your idea of the perfect meal?
As long as the dessert is chocolate I don’t really mind the food. A celebration with friends at a big table that looks pretty where people are laughing and drinking wine and doesn’t want to leave.

What makes you proudly South African?
Come and see my house! I have proteas everywhere!

What makes you laugh?
Akward situations, cute things little kids say, my friends.

Guiltiest pleasure?
Lindt orange chocolate or the orange chocolate macaroon from Cassis.

I feel most beautiful when…
I’m wearing clothes I love.

The best decision I’ve ever made….
was to move to Cape Town!

The super human power I’d most like to have?
I would love to be able to fly at super-human speed to visit friends and family that lives far away for a quick dinner!

My proudest moment was…
when I passed a subject that was a big struggle, took a couple of tries and lots of tears and prayers from my mom.

I most admire…
my parents.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A professor in Maths (I was a real little nerd!)

What’s your motto?
If at first you don’t succeed – try again.

What would you do with R1000 in spare cash?
(Can I say spoil myself at Mooi?) Add it to my Le Creuset pot fund.

What’s the craziest fashion trend you’ve ever followed?
Those lumo socks that we wore at school. You would wear two different colour socks on each foot and then roll them so that it would be a pink sock with a yellow top on the one foot and then a yellow sock with a pink top on the other. Hideous!

What is your simplest pleasure?
Drinking bubbly with my girlfriends. Cooking a meal when I’ve had a bad day. Baking.

Life would be simpler if…
we didn’t have crackberries and iphones or even cellphones.

What surprises you most about your adult life?
I always thought ‘One day when I’m grown up’… but I still feel like that!

What’s your favourite smell?
The smell of rain in the bush.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?
Mr Moore – he was very strict but thought us to always strive to be better at the things you do, but to be happy with yourself.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt in life?
Things are not always as they seem…

If you could change careers now without any consequences what would you switch to?
I would open a restaurant or a coffee shop where I can sell pretty things, bake the whole day and brighten up people’s days!

What’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you?
You inspire me.

Which treatment do you enjoy most at the salon?
I enjoy anything! I always feel so good when I leave there! If I have to pick – a manicure! When I catch a glimpse of my nails looking pretty I can’t help but smile!

What makes you laugh?
My husband, Deon, and ‘Big Band Theory’

Guiltiest pleasure?
Anything drenched in vinegar or chillies… yes, I know it’s kind of wierd.

My favourite possession?
Mmmm…. My engagement ring and my new Wacom Cintiq drawing tablet.

I feel most beautiful when….
I’ve just had my hair done… preferably curled for a night out.

Something that nobody knows about me is…
My secret fantasy is to be a cabaret singer (which is insane because I cant sing).

The best decision I’ve ever made…
Going back to Stellenbosch University to do my Mphil in Illustration. I would never have met my husband if I hadn’t moved there.

The super human power I’d most like to have…
The ability to eat like a teenage boy without picking up weight.

My bumper sticker would say…
Back off Barbie

The area of life that I short-change is…
admin & eyebrows.

My proudest moment was…
When I got engaged and completed my studies in the same week.

I most admire…
dedicated, talented artists and thin people.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A famous artist

What’s your motto?
What’s meant to be will be (a tad bit of a cliché).

What would you do with R1000 in spare cash?
At the moment I’d use it to buy my husband a birthday present.

When did you feel most beautiful?
On my honeymoon

What is your simplest pleasure?
Coffee or a nice hot bath in winter.

Life would be simpler if…
there was no such thing as admin.

What surprises you most about your adult life?
That adults aren’t as smart as I thought when I was a kid.

What quality do you like least about yourself?
I worry about everything.

What’s the one thing about your younger self that you’d like to reclaim?
Perfect skin and the belief that anything is possible.

What’s your favourite smell? Oh, do I have to pick one? Coffee, vanilla, rose, lemongrass, clean bed linen, my husbands aftershave… not all at once though.

Who was your favourite teacher and why? Mrs Hewitson in sub b, who encouraged me to pursue art… and Miss Jacobs in high school, who was such a passionately romantic woman – she gave us amazing, insightful lessons on love and life even though she was a Maths teacher.

Before I die, I’d like to…
travel as much as possible

More time or more money?
More time

What’s your favourite place in the world?
That’s not an easy one… Possibly Sedgefield.

What’s the one thing you’ll never understand?
Why we all have to die at some stage.

What are you really good at?
Eating, and I like to think illustration.

What celebrity crushes did you have as a teenager?
Johnny Depp (From ‘Benny & Joon’, long before he became Cpt Jack Sparrow)

Families are sacred because…
Because the special people in one’s live are irreplaceable.

What’s your idea of the perfect meal?
One that goes on and on and on with good company.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt in life?
To be respectful towards others.
If you could change careers now without any consequences what would you switch to?
I would probably go and do a third art degree… I know that sounds insane.

What makes you proudly South African?
My love for the disparate and beautiful climatic regions that make up our country and the equally beautiful, vibrant people that inhabit them.

Who inspires you? My illustration lecturer from University, Paddy Bouma. She is an artist and author of children’s books, a lecturer, a farmer, a wife and mother and has travelled widely in pursuit of art and adventure.

What’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you?
You’re my favourite.

Which treatment do you enjoy most at the salon?
Pedicure

What makes you laugh?
Witty comments.

Guiltiest pleasure?
Eating a whole slab of Lindt chocolates.

My favourite possession?
My wedding ring.

I feel most beautiful when…
I am surrounded by my family.

Something that nobody knows about me…
no secrets!

The best decision I have ever made is…
to marry my husband.

The super human power I’d most like to have…
is to be like superman and stop all the crime and disasters as they happen!

My bumper sticker would say…
life is what you make it.

The area of life that I short change…
is probably not enough exercise.

My proudest moment was…
receiving and finishing my masters degree.

I most admire…
selfless, serving people.

What did you want to be when you were little?
An architect.

What’s your motto?
Live everyday to its fullest.

What would you do with R1000.00 in spare cash?
Spend it on a spa day!

What’s the craziest fashion trend you’ve ever followed?
Perming my hair back in the early eighties…ugly,ugly!

When did you feel most beautiful?
On my wedding day.

What is your simplest pleasure?
Reading a book.

Life would be simpler if…
we had no electricity. Its so quiet and peaceful without it.

What surprises you most about your adult life?
That I still feel the same inside as when I was a student, its just my outside that’s not keeping up!

What quality do you like least about yourself?
No patience.

What’s the one thing about your younger self that you’d like to reclaim?
Innocence.

What’s your favourite smell?
Jasmine.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?
My grade 7 english teacher gave me a love for reading.

More time or more money?
Either one will do!

If I had a crystal ball…
I’d want to see all the obstacles and disasters my family might face in the future so I can try and prevent them.

What’s your favourite place in the world?
Brugge, a beautiful little town in Belguim.

What’s the one thing you’ll never understand?
Why grownups hurt children.

What are you really good at?
Reading a book and totally escaping! Would have liked to have said cooking but I can improve in this area.

What’s you’re idea of a perfect meal?
Roast chicken, rice, gravy and pumpkin fritters made by anyone else but me!

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in life?
Life waits for no one, make your own memories and start living everyday to its fullest.

If you could change careers now without any consequences what would you switch to?
I used to be a lecturer before becoming a full-time parent and ideally I’d like to have kept on lecturing part-time.

What’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you?
That I’m kind and soft-hearted.

Which treatment do you enjoy most at the salon?
A massage from Elri, of course!

If I had a crystal ball…
life would present fewer surprises.

The super human power I’d most like to have…
The ability to teleport – no more traffic jams, queues or exorbitant airfare.

What’s the craziest fashion trend you’ve ever followed?
Jelly shoes with lumo roll-down sausage socks. I was in nursery school at the time, but the fashion police wouldn’t care. Bad clothes can happen to young people too!

When did you feel most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful after a day spent lying at the beach – wavy and salty hair, sandy feet, no makeup. Natural. I love makeup, and cake it on most days, but ironically I feel most attractive on the few occasions when I have none on. Strange.

Something that nobody knows about me is…
I seriously contemplated getting a tattoo for the longest time. Something small, meaningful and exquisite.

The best decision I’ve ever made…
Not getting the above-mentioned tattoo!

I am…
blonde

What makes you laugh?
With a toddler around, most things my child does seems funny, but generally I laugh quite easily.

Guiltiest pleasure?
A daily dose of Lindt’s orange dark chocolate

My favourite possession?
Each piece of jewellery has a special story. It’s too hard to choose!

I feel most beautiful when…
I smell beautiful and my hair looks good.

My bumper sticker would say…
If mom says no, ask dad.

The area of life that I short-change is…
myself.

My proudest moment was…
the first time I saw my name in published print.

I most admire…
single parents.

What did you want to be when you were little?
Hands down, a fairy princess!

What’s your motto?
Live and let live.

What’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you?
That my child is lucky to have me as a mom. Nothing can top that.

What is your simplest pleasure?
A beautiful view – no matter where in the world.

Life would be simpler if…
we didn’t have cellphones or laptops. Remember those days? Bliss.

What surprises you most about your adult life?
The weight of responsibility.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?
My mom. She taught me everything I know.

What quality do you like least about yourself?
The less busy I am, the more I tend to procrastinate – I thrive on deadlines and a busy schedule!

What’s the one thing about your younger self that you’d like to reclaim?
My unwavering sense of adventure and the ability to trust.

What’s your favourite smell?
Fendi Palazzo – it will forever remind me of my wedding day; the fresh sea air in Plett first thing in the morning – it smells like holiday.

Before I die, I’d like to…
travel more.

More time or more money?
Money

What’s the one thing you’ll never understand?
Mandarin

What are you really good at?
Reading – I’m confident in the fact that I can read faster than anyone I know.

What celebrity crushes did you have as a teenager?
Brad Pitt and David Beckham – nothing’s changed!

Families are sacred because…
without them you’re alone in this world.

What’s your idea of the perfect meal?
Great company, a relaxed atmosphere and good conversation – the food isn’t the most important factor for me.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt in life?
The things that you find the most frustrating in others is often a major flaw of your own.

What makes you proudly South African?
The beauty of our country. Just look around – from the sea to the savannah and everything in between, this land is serious soul food.

Who inspires you?
I’m inspired by different people daily. This morning it was the bravery of our nanny, Wendy, who has chosen to leave an abusive relationship after years of marriage and start her life from scratch – with two children in tow. Her strength is astounding.