Glorious, Plastic-free Shopping at the Refillery
Over the past two weeks I've seen dozens of heartbreaking pictures of the recent flooding in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and there's one image I can't get out of my mind: a shot by photojournalist Jacques [...]
Return to Jeppestown’s City Hall
Almost ten years ago, I did an exhibition of photos I shot in Maboneng and Jeppestown, two adjacent neighborhoods in downtown Joburg. I had nearly forgotten about this exhibition (which you can read about [...]
Shopping Sustainably (and Cheaply) in Johannesburg
You all know I've become obsessed with second-hand shopping -- especially thrifted clothes curated by my friend Ryan of @threedogsthrift. And while I buy most of my clothes directly from Ryan, I've also become [...]
The Funky Pots and Tiles of Liebermann Pottery
Not too long ago, I told you about my new obsession with plants. This plant obsession is of course accompanied by a pot obsession, and I am fortunate to live five minutes away from [...]
JFF Rooftop Farm: A Plant Nursery in the Sky
I recently moved to a new house, and for the first time in nearly half a century of life I've become interested in plants. Actually that's an understatement: I've become obsessed with plants. Most [...]
Chappy: Vintage Heaven in Linden
I don't have time to write a long post this week. But I can't wait any longer to tell you about Chappy Vintage, my new favorite Jozi shop. Chappy's delightful interior. Chappy opened about [...]
Ludwig’s Roses: The Rose Capital of South Africa
Ludwig's Roses, a huge rose farm north of Pretoria that has been running for more than 50 years, had been on my radar screen for a while. Several people told me I should visit, [...]
The Old Lake Market, Parkview
Parkview's Tyrone Avenue, one of my favorite suburban Joburg main streets, is a jumble of quirky shopfronts, restaurants, and arcades. There are so many closely packed establishments on Tyrone that it's easy to walk [...]
Thrifting Across the East Rand
My friend Ryan recently started a thrifting side business. She travels around, visiting second-hand clothing markets and charity shops around Joburg, picks up quirky and fabulous clothes at rock-bottom prices, then advertises her best [...]
MiniMark Wholesale Discount House: Fabric Heaven on Diagonal Street
I recently went with my friends Manuela and Gail to Diagonal Street, a historic Joburg shopping street. Diagonal Street -- known for its fabric, blanket, and muti (traditional medicine) shops -- is so named [...]
Yummy Mayfair: An American Junk Food Bonanza
Earlier this week my American friend Ryan tipped me off to a shop called Yummy, in Mayfair, which sells a quirky selection of imported American junk food. I googled the place and knew immediately [...]
Things Are Happening in Joburg City
Other than a brief visit to Hillbrow, I hadn't gone to downtown Joburg city since before the pandemic started. Also today is the ten-year anniversary of my arrival in Joburg and I wanted to [...]