WE ARE MOVING! This is where you will find us from now on

We are very excited! We have upgraded to our new website with our blog inside the site. 

That means that you now have access to content about our Style & Stories Portrait Portfolio, professional portraits, event and product photography located on our website. 

We will therefore not be posting any more content on this site. 

Please add our MVNP blog to your RSS feed and stay up to date with our latest projects and information that will help us help you to present your company's and your personal brand in the best possible light.

See you there!

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 7 : Angela Greyling of VisionWorx at Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West

BY ERIKA

Feel the fear ... and do it anyway!

That was the message of guest speaker Angela Greyling of VisionWorx at the Xtraordinary Women’s Somerset West chapter September breakfast event last week.

In this manic society we live in, we often confuse success with being busy.

The way to test whether that which we keep ourselves busy with, is if it is making a real impact on our own lives, the lives of others and the world around us. Life is not about being productive, it is about being of value.

She quoted author of Success Intelligence, Robert Holden to not confuse:

• speed with progress
• urgency with importance
• adrenaline with purpose

It's not about working harder - It's about removing the obstacles.

And our busy-ness is based in fear, those scripts / assumptions we have been brought up with and have assimilated throughout our lives.

Angela presented participants with four practical ways of how to ‘hold’ their fears from a place of self-power:

• Stop talking yourself into fear
• Act as if you are not afraid
• Reframe your picture of fear
• Make a point of remembering the last time you were brilliant

Angela explains that she has been drawn to people, their behaviours and emotions, and a desire to develop individuals. She studied a BA degree in Industrial Psychology at Rhodes University before working in the distance learning environment as a student advisor, then as a recruitment consultant. She eventually became a business woman, first as the owner of a training consultancy and then a florist shop.

Her interest in psychology also led her to being trained as a Life Line counsellor and more recently completing a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching Practitioner Certification Course. 

More images of the event can be viewed on the Xtraordinary Women Facebook-page.  

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 6: Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West, August 2014

BY ERIKA

The Xtraordinary Women chapter of Somerset West celebrated Women's Month by inviting human strategist and entrepreneur, Simon Hurry to talk about The Power of YOU: Why The World Needs You to be You!g

His presentation explored why being unique is a good thing and why the world needs individuals who understand who they are and understand what it is they wish to contribute. 

We shouldn't search for who you are, Simon says, we should live who we are.

• Be unique in a way that is authentic, affirmative and encouraging. 
• Be useful by crafting our meaning or purpose into something useful.
• Be remarkable and be really good at what you do as a way to be happy and fulfilled. 

More images of the event can be viewed on the Xtraordinary Women Facebook-page.   

FLASH BACK #11: Food photography

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 5: Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West

BY ERIKA

A group of extraordinary business women from the Helderberg and surrounds, meet every first Thursday of the month at Erinvale

F.l.t.r. Gwen Kloppers from Xtraordinary Women, July guest speaker and consciousness coach Ann Baret Solot and Somerset West Chapter leader, Diana Rankin of Perfume Power SA.

Xtraordinary Women is the brain child of Gwen's passion to create a community and platform for Xtraordinary Women doing extraordinary things.

More images can be viewed on the Xtraordinary Women Facebook-page.   

TIE ME UP, TIE ME DOWN # 3: Designs by Saskia Wicomb for her label IEMAND

BY ERIKA

Stellenbosch designer Saskia Wicomb's contribution to the Save The Tie, Save a Child fashion event organised by Mrs Cape Town 2013, Chantal Witthuhn at the All Star Theatre in Cape gate at the end of June.

All the outfits were made from neck ties collected all over the Cape Town, Boland and Overberg areas.

SPOTLIGHT # 3 : Annie at The Playhouse Theatre in Somerset West

BY ERIKA

Annie, the musical based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie is currently being performed at The Playhouse Theatre in Swalle Street, Somerset West. 

Local director Darryl Spijkers who just last month had a huge success with To Kill A Mockingbird also at the Playhouse, tackled this evergreen production with two casts. A brave man indeed.

For an evening of singing, dancing and shedding a few tears, book your tickets now! They are going like hot cakes.

The show runs until 28 June and tickets range from R70 to R110 (R5 from every ticket sold will be donated to The Sunflower fund) sold via  Computicket.

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 4: Roslyn Grosch & Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West

BY ERIKA

Roslyn Grosch of Era Grosch, an estate agency in Kuilsrivier was one of the business women who attended the June meeting of Xtraordinary Women at Erinvale in Somerset West recently.

The guest speaker was business advisor and project planning expert Nicola Fourie of Pin Point Projects who guided the local business women through a project planning exercise.

More images can be viewed on the Xtraordinary Women Facebook-page  

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 2 Sandra Van Den Ordel & Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West

BY MARTIN

Emotional quotient (EQ) expert, Sandra Van Den Ordel of JvR Consulting Psychologists Xtraordinary Women was the guest speaker at the Xtraordinary Women, Somerset West breakfast event at Erinvale this past week. 

More images of the event on Facebook

RECIPE FOR A ROYAL MY TIE: Or how to concoct a couture cocktail using neckties

BY ERIKA

Question: How to concoct a couture cocktail using neckties?

Answer: Make a MyTie!

Ingredients:

• Rum red
• Lime green
• Yellow
• Orange and
• Curaçao blue

Method:

• Mix colours well
• Combine with paisleys, patterns, stripes and florals.
• Stir in a few corporate crests, cartoon characters and old school ornamentation on neckties narrow and wide.
• Add a splash pageant princess
• Decorate with three fashion designers and a good cause.

And hey presto, there it is - a royal my tie couture cocktail event that will take your breath away!

That is the recipe for the Save the Tie,Save a Child project that is turning a decorative but some will say, useless and outdated accessory into a fundraising venture for RoleModels Foundation and the children of Imfundo Project.

Chantal Witthuhn, Mrs Cape Town 2013 initiator of the Save the Tie, Save a Child project has individuals, business owners, learners etc. all over collecting as many ties as possible for three Cape Town designers to create enough outfits for a fashion show on 27 June at Emo Adams’ The All Star Theatre in Brackenfell.  

The designs by Saskia Wicomb, Hein Smit and Marshal Enyioma will be auctioned off at the gala event.

We are honoured to have been asked to be the sponsor photographer for the project so last week we attended the handing over of the first batch of ties to the designers.

From the scuffle that ensued, it is clear that each one already has a plan for what they are going to do with ties.

If you are want to see the outcome, loosen the knot around your neck and book your tickets at Computicket and join the Save the Tie, Save a Child Facebook-page.

 

Tie me up, tie me down - Saskia, Hein and Marshal selecting ties to transform into haute couture

 

Designers Saskia Wicomb and Hein Smit in conversation with Martin 

The very energetic start of the creative process - finding just the right tie!

BUSINESS PORTRAIT # 1 Happy Birthday & Cheers to Xtraordinanry Women, Somerset West!

BY ERIKA

Last week we celebrated the second birthday of the Xtraordinary Women’s Somerset West chapter as always with good company and good food but this time also with good wine spritzer from Jaydex Distribution.

What is more, we all received a gift from Jaydex owner and fellow Xtraordinary women, Janet Graham – a bottle of red wine with a personalised label.

I have been involved with this community of business women started by Gwen Kloppers, for only about eight months. Yet it feels like I have known these extraordinary women for ever and the support our studio has received from them, has been invaluable.

Since March this year we have had the opportunity to give back to the group when Martin was asked to document our monthly breakfast events at Erinvale for the Xtraordinary Women’s social media campaign. It is a privilege for both of us.

Happy birthday XWSW! May there be many more!

A very special birthday gift to Xtraordinary Women and members from Janet Graham of Jaydex Distibution, distributors of upmarket quality products, mostly associated with celebrations, romance, style and luxury.

 Xtraordinary Women members and visitors at the Somerset West chapter's second birthday celebrations at Erinvale Clubhouse