From knives to music: The 11 things on our radar this week

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From knives to music: The 11 things on our radar this week

Two must-see series from the British provinces, Usha Vance and Jennifer Aniston as trendsetters and sweet nostalgia in a music video.

  • 24 January 2025
  • Lifestyle
  • 3 min to read
  • article 11 of 11

#1 Two series

If there is a series that everyone should put on their wish list for 2025 it is Say Nothing. This compelling historical drama series spans four decades and covers the troubled history of Northern Ireland from 1971 to the present.

The film explores the extremes that some people will go through in civil rights movements to fight their fight, against the background and tension of a mother of 10 who is kidnapped right at the beginning of the series. It is heartbreaking to see what impact years of bloody warfare have on a community.

The fact that it is not fiction and follows events such as the bombing of the Old Bailey in London and the role of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, who consistently denied any connection with the Irish Republican Army, contributes to the success of this brilliant series.

Another brilliant documentary series of four episodes is Lockerbie.

Colin Firth plays the father of one of the occupants of the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 103 in which 270 people died, and his performance is outstanding.  


#2 Plum fashion

We can't stop ogling New York fashion designer Keith Lissner's floral installations with, for example, all the brands of the world's top fashion designers brilliantly captured.

#3 Shein shame

Pressure is mounting on Singapore-based Shein, now the world's biggest fashion brand, after the group's refusal to answer questions in the British parliament about claims that it uses slave labour, mainly in China where its headquarters were until 2022. Social media is abuzz with videos showing the dire circumstances in which workers must work to satisfy the demand for their fast fashion. It's a shame. 


#4 Denim on denim

We never thought we'd look to America for exciting new fashion trends, but recently Jennifer Aniston had a very striking double denim combo of jeans and a big denim scarf that definitely looks like a successful new trend. And it will work well for us in SA.

#5 Usha pink

Also noted at Pres. Donald Trump's inauguration, the new “same colour" trend can be detected everywhere. Like a coat or a jacket suit with the same colour polo neck or scarf and the same colour shoes. The Fomolistas love it and agree that “deputy first lady" Usha Vance's pink outfit stole the show.

#6 Knife roll bag

One of the Fomolistas (the one who is on the road so much) got this knife roll bag for Christmas and is raving about it! It costs R1 159 at Yuppiechef.

#7 Japanese knives

In the knife roll there are, among other things, two beautiful knives from Kitchen Samurai. The Fujicut Fruit Knife (R250) and the Satake Masamune Nakiri (R440).


#8 Mymind

Our new favourite app is mymind. We collect goodies from the internet every day, and with this app you simply click on what you want to save and you're done! A quote, a playlist, a video, an article, a book cover, something from Instagram, a Substack newsletter, a recipe – you don't need to organise or label anything. And the real genius thing is that the app (with AI, of course) categorises your stuff very accurately so that you can easily find it again. Magic, actually.


#9 Kitchen tips

Skye Mcalpine's “22 Useful Things I’ve Learned in the Kitchen" on her Substack is full of tips. Love it. And about her, btw. (Some of the links are to British products, but that doesn't detract from the good advice.)

#10 Good for the heart

A special, “director's cut" video for “All My Love", a track from Coldplay's tenth album. The directors are Spike Jonze and Mary Wigmore and the mini-movie is a moving collaboration with Dick Van Dyke, 99-year-old star of classic films such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.


#11 Baked brie

This is a simple recipe from Smitten Kitchen that we made this week. Delicious. And even better on a thick slice of good toast. 

Baked brie with garlic butter mushrooms.

Image: © SMITTEN KITCHEN

 

VWB


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