Thank you to our sponsors:
* Jenna Clifford: 2 x gift hampers valued at R1,930 each
* Sempre Boutique: 12 x R250 vouchers
* Ribbons & Romance: 1 x gift hamper valued at R250
* Ciao Baby Cucina: 200 x 10% discount vouchers

Children got the opportunity to meet Dora the Explorer at Toy Zone Cedar Square Saturday, 14 November.
They enjoyed taking part in the colouring in competition, where great Dora the Explorer prizes were up for grabs.

Mark Oosthuizen of Hair on the Square at Cedar Square was awarded second place in the The Wella Trendvision Colour competition.

It is an annual competition that is held in Johannesburg, hair stylists have to design a style inspired by one of the looks in the Trendvision collection. Then professional photos are taken of their model and submitted into the competition with a piece about their inspiration and the colour recipes and techniques.

During September six finalists were chosen country wide, they gathered at Emperors Palace where they began with rehearsals for the Gala Show. The next morning the finalists met at the Wella Studios in Illovo, where they had three hours to re-create the look in front of the judges, "Nerve wracking stuff", said Mark Oosthuizen.

After more rehearsals at Emperors Palace it was time for the Gala Show. Hundreds of hairdressers flocked to the event to watch the models strut their stuff, the contestants waited anxiously for the results which were announced with much fanfare.

Mark says he is totally thrilled to have achieved second place!

Myfourways (www.myfourways.co.za) celebrated its Official Launch Party and 1st birthday at Central Grill, Cedar Square on Saturday, 07 November.

The event was attended by community members, councillors, police, paramedics, South African Guide Dog Association representatives and their four legged friends, business owners and members of the CPF to name a few.

Guests enjoyed welcome drinks such as Dreher beer from South African Breweries, cappuccinos from Avanti Caffee, bottled water from Soul Sole and cocktails and ciders from the bar. Delectable finger snacks from Central Grill were served while guests listened to the sounds of The Classic Jazz Masters.

Then it was time for the spot prizes, 38 wonderful gifts were up for grabs including:
* 5 set of four tickets to the Barnyard Broadacres
* 3 gifts from Jenna Clifford valued at R1000 each
* 5 double tickets to CATS at the Teatro at Montecasino
* 2 uShef cooking workshop vouchers
* A hamper of Honey Jewellery and Accessories valued at over R1000
* Four Montecasino "We've Got It" packs, including a R250 Montecasino Gift Voucher, two Absa Balloon Tickets, two Movie tickets and two Cinderella On Ice tickets
* A painting from Henry Taylor Gallery valued at R2500
* Ten R250 Cedar Square Shopping vouchers
* An African print ottoman from Carlize Ottomans
* Six gym towels and six golf towels from Pool Poncho
* A R500 Luxury4Less voucher

After the spot prize draw guests indulged in a variety of ice creams from Nestlé Ice Cream.

All guests got to take home a gift bag filled with gorgeous items from the many sponsors.

Ladies gift bags included Jewellery from Honey, biscuits from Carmella's on the Square, a 2-cup plunger sachet of coffee from Avanti Caffee, 50% off vouchers for blood analysis, reike and angel card readings from Wealth of Health, a free colour consultation voucher from Your Image, a cell sock from Promt-pac, a bottle of Soul Sole water and a R100 Luxury4Less voucher.

Men's gift bags included a pen and stress ball from Promt-pac, a tot glass from Distri-Glass, a bag of biltong from Olivedale Super Spar, a bottle of Soul Sole water and a R100 Luxury4Less voucher.

Children got to take home sweetie packs courtesy of Olivedale Pick n Pay and the two guide dogs got goodie bags of their own which included two cans of dog food and a pack of biltong sticks for dogs, also courtesy of Olivedale Pick n Pay.

Message from Danielle Dooley: "It is thanks to you; all my readers, news and entertainment contacts, advertisers and sponsors that myfourways.co.za is where it is today. I thank you all for your support over the last year! Together we'll make next year an even bigger success.
Enjoy always being up to date with all the news and happenings in Fourways."

Our October event took place on the 29th and in support of Breast Cancer Awareness we asked our guests to dress up in pink. Ladies enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine while chatting and socialising in the foyer before heading in to the cinema for the prize giveaways, followed by Kate's talk and the movie, Julie & Julia, starring Merryl Streep and Amy Adams.

A big thank you to our sponsors for the evening:
* Jenna Clifford who sponsored 3 x Pear amulet hampers valued at R350 each
* Carrol Boyes who sponsored a jam jar valued at R475 and a Miso bowl valued at R765
* Ciao Baby Cucina who provided each of our guests with a 10% meal voucher
* Wealth of Health who gave away 4 complete health analyses giveaways
* Cinema Nouveau who gave away 3 double tickets to the Opera

Our next event takes place on Thursday, 26 November - visit our events page, or find our fan page on Facebook!

Pictures courtesy of www.myfourways.co.za - thanks Danielle!

Article and photographs courtesy of www.myfourways.co.za:

Guests enjoyed a morning learning about organic gardening, how to grow vegetables and plant summer colours at Bangkok Wok, Cedar Square on Wednesday, 23 September.

Peter Goodwin, owner of Peebles Plants, spoke on the planting of summer colours. He shared his wealth of knowledge regarding seedlings and perennials stemming from 20 years in the industry. Peebles Plants is a grower of annuals and perennials and specialises in colouring retail nurseries and gardens large and small. Peter's passions are people and plants and how to mix the two together.

Rosemary Jansen was the other guest speaker for the morning. In 1980 she started working as a sales representative in the nursery trade. Over the years she became involved with the training of staff in fertilisers and insecticides.

In 2004, after seeing the damage that chemical products do to our environment, Rosemary wanted to make a difference in the world. She decided it was time to educate people about how they could be healthier and reduce their carbon footprint. With this aim in mind, she joined a company called Talborne Organics.

In 2007, Garden Palette (trading as Earth Buddies) was formed and started to promote a more organic way of gardening.

Today, Earth Buddies' (www.earthbuddies.co.za) main services are:
- selling certified organic fertilisers and pesticides and training in their use
- talks and workshops on organic gardening, how to use pesticides responsibly, how to improve your soil and how to encourage wildlife into your garden
- waste management with the use of worms
- sales of and information about Red Wriggler (Eisenia foetida) worms and worm farms
- sales of bird feeders

The secrets of youthfulness

Kate Turkington recently celebrated her 75th birthday. Hard to believe as she is incredibly active and youthful.

"My doctor is absolutely gorgeous," she confided at the Nouveau Women at the Square's September event. "For my birthday, he gave me the scantiest, red underwear ever. Now, I've had some scanty underwear in my time - ones where nipples poke out and pairs of crotchless panties, but these were so sexy! Maybe he is trying to tell me something?"

From scarlet underwear, to river rafting in the Himalayas and a rendevoux with aging hippies in the back alleys of Kathmandu, Kate throws herself into every adventure.

After celebrating the full moon in Tibet, eight kilometres from Mount Everest base camp, Kate also has trips to Prague, Budapest and Burkino Faso lined up.

Following this dose of inspiration and the usual flurry of generous prizes, it was time for the film, Last Chance Harvey, starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

Thank you to our sponsors on the evening:
* JENNA CLIFFORD
* CO.FI
* HAIR ON THE SQUARE
* RAIN

On Saturday, 05 September from 10h00 until 11h00 Cedar Square and Mega Mica Fourways Garden Centre hosted a children's gardening workshop in the Dion Wired Court with the popular Mulberry Bear.

The Mulberry Bear is an educational bear and the aim of the workshop was to promote the excitement and magic of gardening.

A little bit more about the Mulberry Bear - he came to visit South Africa from Bearland and loved our country and all it had to offer so much that he got involved in teaching children all about gardening and caring for our land while still having fun.

Thank you to our sponsors for helping make the workshop so much fun:
* MEGA MICA FOURWAYS for the potting soil and flowers
* TOY ZONE for the fabulous goodie bags for all the children who attended

In vino veritas

Bring together a selection of fine wines, and guests who aren't afraid to let their hair down, and you have the ingredients for a great night out.
Particularly if you choose the sophisticated ambience of The Central Grill's upstairs private dining room at Cedar Square.

Dave Moss, of Elbows Up, hosted a wine tasting for guests of 3 Fifteen, which also included some Belgian style, home-brewed beer and samples of deli specialities. The first few drinks slipped down easily, leading to some honest, and intriguing, feedback.
Such as, "I don't like this wine, but I have an almost morbid fascination that makes me keep sipping it." Or, of the home-brewed beer, "It doesn't taste 'gugghh', like other beer does."

Several glasses down, conversation moved to the pondering of life's mysteries, such as: Does SA stand for 'sex appeal', or 'shit attitude', what took place on Laurent Leclercq's desk and inevitably, was Dave Fincham, aka Bob, an undercover flasher?

Ditch those grumpy old men!

It just so happens a business networking group was at Cinema Nouveau at the same time as our ladies' evening.

Now the theme was 'bling it on' and the ladies were dressed in their shiniest bling and the suits were, well, in suits.
If the one gentleman's snooty refusal to have his photo taken is anything to go by, investing your time to see a movie with friends is so much better for your sense of humour. He was also a wonderful example why men are so not welcome.

When hostess Kate Turkington wondered if any of the ladies may be planning to get married, the women packed up laughing. Perhaps it was mirth that they had already made that mistake? No matter, at the Cedar Square movie nights the girls can definitely let their hair down.

Armfuls of prizes were given out to the best dressed, thanks to the Cedar Square's generous sponsors - Jenna Clifford, Hair on the Square, Ribbons & Romance, Placecol, and Nicci Boutique.

After tucking in to the delicious food, courtesy of Bangkok Wok, everyone settled down to the movie, Crossing Over, starring Harrison Ford and Ashley Judd.

Show us your Poker Face!

The poker table has often been compared to the boardroom table; the only difference being its shape, according to former world champion poker player, Bobby Baldwin. If so, an intriguing glimpse of varied business styles was on display at Live Out Loud's entertaining poker evening, hosted by Cofi at Cedar Square on Thursday, July 09.

Some were rather reckless - throwing in all their chips with flushed cheeks, only to be knocked out almost immediately. Other players joked more than they   played and then there were also quiet hustlers.

The beauty of the game is the bluff and there were some startling examples of successful hoodwinking, such as when Alan Coghlan went all in. He had the worst hand at the table but somehow claimed the pot.

But it was the cool-headed Daniel Collett who triumphed with his focused attitude to the game. Even when opponent Darryl van Vrede had a considerable larger portion of the chips, Collett never gave up and clawed his way to victory.

On Sunday, 21 June Cedar Square hosted the Intercoiffure charity 2009 Cut-A-Thon in aid of Wet Nose Animal Rescue Centre.

From 10h00 the Jenna Clifford court was abuzz with activity as the Intercoiffure stylists gave of their time freely to cut supporters' hair for just about nothing. All proceeds (R50 for gents and kiddies, and R60 for the ladies) went to Wet Nose. In total we raised over R8,300 - a big thank you to everyone who contributed!

Wet Nose Animal Rescue Centre (www.wetnose.org.za)

Wet Nose is a "Right to Life" animal shelter which was started in 1999, with the aim of giving abandoned, abused and neglected animals a second chance. Animals in their care are not put to sleep, but looked after, fed, medicated and loved until a new loving home is found for them; no matter how long it takes!

Wet Nose receives no government funding and relies solely on public donations to continue saving and re-homing animals on a daily basis. Many of the animals at Wet Nose have been hurt by their experiences, so the staff often have to spend time helping them overcome the problems they've developed as a result of abuse.

The Wet Nose vets treat animals against disease and sterilise all the animals in order to prevent indiscriminate breeding. Kennel hands provide everything from meals to cuddles, and our many volunteers take the dogs for long walks!

One little "brakkie" who had been shot had the bullet lodged in her leg for at least four months...The owner nick-named her Bullet and left her to suffer! After this dog was confiscated in March 2009, her leg had to be amputated. She received intensive treatment for severe infection and is now recovering at Wet Nose. Her psychological scars are however a lot more serious than her physical scars, and the staff at Wet Nose are working very hard at helping her to trust humans again.

But most heartwarming of all was when supporters were treated to a special guest appearance by Braveheart on Sunday. Braveheart is a 5 and a half year old Irish Setter who was doused with boiling cooking oil and subsequently lost a great deal of his fur and skin, and his ears were cut off. He was spotted by one of the Wet Nose inspectors who was on an investigation in a squatter camp, quietly wandering around. Although he was wary, he'd been so badly abused and burnt by burning oil he was not aggressive and came willingly when the Inspector called him.

At the shelter he stood passively while he was cleaned. Remarkably whilst he had no hair left around the eyes, his eyes were clear and seemed fine. A few weeks later and his coat has definitely improved although he still bears many scars. He has miraculously made a full recovery and is a surprisingly placid, friendly and loving in nature. Braveheart has an independent nature, he probably hasn't had much affection or any chance to bond with someone. But dogs are wonderfully forgiving and given time, care and affection, Braveheart could prove to be a great friend and companion. Braveheart has recently developed a passion for Chelsea buns. He gently puts his paw on your knee to ask for a piece - how can one resist such a request?

A Word on Intercoiffure
The Intercoiffure group is an international organisation with the Head Office in Paris and over 50 member countries.
Membership to the group is by invitation and to salons who excel. A world congress is held every 4 years with all member countries coming together to show work, discuss latest trends, fashion, techniques, styles and products and thus keep their members on the cutting edge.
The South Africa group regularly gets invited to take part in hair and fashion shows, and fashion shoots for leading magazines.
The Young Inter Coiffure Division (YICD) South Africa is the division for up and coming stylists with continuous training provided both locally and internationally. YICD holds fundraisers for charity organisations on a yearly basis with all the money generated donated to the particular charity of choice.

Just a few pics from our Father's Day weekend where a number of stores participated with tables laden with gifting ideas for Father's Day.

Sandton Auctioneers hosted their sale at Cedar Square on Saturday, 20 June & Sunday, 21 June.

Fashion casualties abound!

It was with some distress that I realised that I had committed several of the fashion faux-pas on display at the Cedar Square Ladies' Movie Night, where the theme was your biggest fashion faux pas.
Sandals with socks - to a Valentine's Ball, odd tights throughout high school and, most cringe-inducing of all, a white outfit to a wedding (not mine). The only thing for it was to have a generous glass of wine, grit my teeth and make a note of what to avoid in the future.

It is always well worth taking the time to dress according to the theme as the prizes are many and fabulous - thanks to the generosity of the evening's sponsors Jenna Cliffford, Carrol Boyes, Off Your Head, and Cedar Square. Off Your Head, Placécol and Grand Optical also provided fabulous giveaways to all the ladies.

Ciao Baby Cucina provided the delicious pizza, just what the doctor ordered to accompany your wine on a stormy evening in mid-winter. Then host, Kate Turkington, came up with some pearlers such as, "I may have to sell my body... It is the experience I am offering." And, "For the first time in my entire life I am living alone - it is wonderful. My staffi doesn't provide the same level of intellectual debate as my late husband, but I think he loves me more."

The featured movie was the romantic costume drama, The Young Victoria. Next month's event will take place on Thursday, 16 July and the theme is "Bling it On."

Please email Andrea Aley for more information: communications@purpleplumm.co.za.

What better way to stay young than to invite bucket-loads of kids to your birthday bash!?

Garfield, everybody's favourite, lazy, ginger cat turned 31 this month and Cedar Square marked the occasion with a fun-filled party.
A mouthwatering array of birthday cakes, decorated in his honour, were soon devoured at a speed Garfield would have been proud of.
Face painting, temporary tattoos and a screening of the Garfield movie were some of the treats lined up for the young guests.

KenBo-the-Clown deserved a round of applause for being the best-looking, non-scary clown in town.
The kids loved him too...

Did you know that...
Garfield currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip?
Garfield was born in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant, and immediately ate all the pasta and lasagne in sight, thus developing a taste for lasagne?

Experience the explosion of the "Double O's"

There was much rubbing elbows but also some lifting of them at Live Out Loud's tasting evening, hosted by Oil & Vinegar at Cedar Square.

Guests sampled plump olives soaked in citrus infusions, luxurious balsamic vinegars and a magical pomegranate reduction - some of the finer things in life. A wine tasting followed, hosted by Dave Moss of Elbows Up. Dave is a passionate wine connoisseur who educated the guests on the "Double O" - an oral orgasm. Such as would be experienced when putting your glass of matured red wine to your lips.

The wines sampled were a Joubert Tradauw Chardonnay 2006, The Berrio Sauvignon Blanc 2008 and the Joubert Tradauw R62 Merlot Cabernet 2006. This Chardonnay had very subtle oak flavours and it is therefore the perfect wine to drink with spicy, flavoursome foods. It also compliments salad, seafood and chicken. The Sauvignon Blanc has been rated one of the top 250 wines of the world and guests loved its fresh lime and herb flavours.

"Red wine should go down like a waterfall, smooth and without bumps," explains Moss. Which is exactly what the Merlot blend did.

Prins Mhlanga, managing executive at Vodacom, won the lucky draw to claim an Oil & Vinegar hamper.

The P-Party!

In their leather jackets and short skirts, the prostitutes showed off legs clad in fishnet stockings. Nearby a bunch of pisscats howled with laughter as they clutched their booze and stumbled about drunk ‘n disorderly.

It was of course a P-party - the theme for this month's Nouveau Women at the Square event held at Cedar Square. The ladies were on top form and some of the best costumes ever were on display. A Parisian Painter-in-Progress mingled with a dishevelled Poor Person. Puss-in-Boots also made an appearance and the first prize went to the gorgeous Pregnant fairy, Michelle Gabellone.

As usual, fantastic prizes were up for grabs, thanks to the generosity of Jenna Cliffford, Hair on the Square, Cinema Nouveau and Cedar Square.

After some wine, plenty of pizza and much hilarity, the ladies settled down to watch The Burning Plain, starring Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. Packed with intrigue and drama as well as a gorgeous young Mexican - the perfect choice for a girl's night out.

Next month's movie night will take place on Thursday, 18 June.

Please contact the marketing team for more information: communications@purpleplumm.co.za or contact 011 465 0910.

To view pics on our Facebook page click here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=82785462134&ref=mf.

Moms and daughters, grannies, sisters and best friends were treated to a morning of indulgence at Carmella's on the Square at Cedar Square on Friday, 08 May to celebrate Mother's Day.

And the most work they needed to do was to choose between a chocolate flavoured cappuccino, a flavoured syrup cappuccino or a mochachino with Belgium chocolate, latte or a vanilla Chai latte. And then of course the next major decision was whether to have the deliciously sinful chocolate caramel Ganache mousse cake, the moist apple and pear tart or the beetroot and carrot cake with their indulgent drink.

As the ladies tucked in, guest speakers entertained them. John Fraser of Avanti Caffee, an expert on the caffeine fix, surprised the audience with the declaration that quality coffee has five times more anti-oxidants than green tea.

Tracey Chambers of Placécol answered tough questions about skin care, making sure the women understood it is never too late to look after their skin. The new Placécol Beauty Centre recently opened at Cedar Square in early May.

Petra Laranjo of 5^th Quadrant Productions is an image consultant who will help anyone look their best. Petra discussed the Autumn/Winter fashion trends and answered crucial questions such as "How do I make a big bum look smaller?" (The answer by the way is to avoid drawing attention with colour, avoid skinny jeans or big pockets. Also choose trousers and skirts made from heavier fabrics). A final word of advice for this season from Petra is to invest in a good quality coat, which is an absolutely essential key item.

Each guest received a goodie bag, and there were also fabulous prizes given away to a few lucky ladies. Thanks to the following sponsors for the prizes and items for the goodie bags:

- 5^th Quadrant Productions
- Carmella's on the Square & Avanti Caffe
- Central Grill
- Jenna Clifford
- Montic Dairy
- Off Your Head & Goldwell
- Oil & Vinegar
- Placécol
- Relish
- Timeless Legacy
- Wealth of Health

A big thank you too to Woolworths Food for the sponsorship of the lovely flowers for the welcome table, as well as to Nicci Boutique for providing the goodie bags and for dressing our model.

Nouveau Women Celebrate the Opening of 'Two Lovers' New York-Style

Nouveau Women at the Square is an all-ladies' event that takes place at Cedar Square once a month. "New York, New York" as the theme of the most recent event held on Thursday, April 30 and as always, the ladies made a special effort to dress up. Seen amongst the crowd of gals was an off duty yellow taxi, Liza Minnelli dancing girls and a couple of Ladies Liberty which were just some of the creative costumes on display.

It is always worth taking the time to plan your outfit because of the amazing prizes on offer, thanks to the generous stores at Cedar Square. This month we gave away prizes in the region of R18,000 from Jenna Clifford, Hair on Cedar and Redken, Cardies, Oil & Vinegar and Morgenster to our best dressed ladies.

Hostess Kate Turkington entertained the audience with tales of her latest travel adventures, which include a trip to the Okavango Delta and Ireland. Kate is soon packing her straw hat for a painting holiday in France, where she is destined for more daring exploits. "Watch this space," she says.

The movie this month was the romantic drama, Two Lovers, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix plays an adrift young man still suffering from lost love, when he meets Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw - who represent love's contradictory forces.

For more information about the Nouveau Women at the Square events, log on to our events page or email communications@purpleplumm.co.za.

(All pictures have also been loaded on to Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=82785462134&view=user#/group.php?gid=82785462134).

Are strange men your karma?

The second Nouveau Women at the Square event took place on Thursday, 12 March at Cedar Square, featuring The Reader, starring Acamedy Award winner, Kate Winslet, and Ralph Fiennes.

Their outfits inspired by the world's fashions, the ladies were in high spirits as they sipped their wine and nibbled on a tempting spread of snacks from Ciao Baby Cucina. An evening without husbands, boyfriends and kids in tow always produces intriguing conversations - a few overheard included marriage proposals, marital problems and even hot flushes. 

But the tone is always light-hearted, as was hostess Kate Turkington's discussion on strange men being her karma. "I am always meeting strange men in very strange circumstances...I think it is because I am safe." Two of the best compliments Kate has ever received include: ‘You are not a bit like my mother' and ‘Kate, you can come and live with me in the bush anytime'. The latter delivered by a handsome game ranger with a thick Afrikaans accent and accompanied by a very wet kiss!

With R20,000 worth of prizes from Jenna Clifford, Secret Garden, Off Your Head & L'Oreal, Carmella's on the Square & Avanti Caffe, Ciao Baby Cucina, awarded to the best dressed ladies, ladies with the quirkiest outfits, etc. and fabulous goodie bags for all, the evening was again a tremendous success. The next event will take place on April 30.

For more information contact Karyn Theron on communications@purpleplumm.co.za.

(All pictures have also been loaded on to Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=82785462134&view=user#/group.php?gid=82785462134).

The presence of Vikas Swarup provided the final dusting of occasion to the exclusive South African premiere of Slumdog Millionaire at Cinema Nouveau at Cedar Square.

Pretoria-based, Swarup is the author of the novel Q&A, on which the wildly successful film Slumdog Millionaire is based, and is India's Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa.

On Tuesday, 17 February, the venue was packed with glamorous guests and celebs sipping cocktails, but the usual mingling seemed to be cut short as the eager crowd stampeded into the cinema, stopping only for popcorn. Everyone was anxious to see the movie hotly tipped for success at the Oscars and which has already won numerous industry awards - including seven Baftas and four Golden Globes.

A British film, directed by Danny Boyle (of Trainspotting fame), Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of young Jamal Malik, a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and who is arrested on suspicion of cheating. It is co-directed by Loveleen Tandan and written by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty).

Dazzling camera work and the wonderful soundtrack combine to provide intense, beautiful images of the energy of the Mumbai slums, as flashbacks of Jamil's life are revealed.

This film provides all the heart-pounding satisfaction one can hope for.

Diarise Friday, 06 March when Slumdog Millionaire opens in South African cinemas; if you aren't the first to watch it, those who have will drive you crazy raving about it.

Slumdog Millionaire has thus far notched up the following awards:
* Winner of 4 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture
* Winner: Directors Guild - Danny Boyle
* Winner: Screen Actors Guild - Cast in a Motion Picture
* Winner: Producer Guild - Christian Colson

Ladies only!

"There was something unusual about the tall, slender man sipping a gin and tonic. Something which set him apart from the crowd that I couldn't quite put my finger on...Aha, that was it...he was the only man in the room!"

Mark Oosthuizen, owner of Hair on the Square, was granted special access to the launch event of Nouveau Women at the Square, as he generously donated loads of Sebastian Professional hair care products to be given away as prizes.

So he did not bother the hordes of moms and daughters and gaggles of best friends at all. Perfect for a girls' night out, the Nouveau Women at the Square is designed to spoil the fairer sex. Drinks, delicious nibbles, fantastic prizes and of course, an exciting line up of movie premieres mean you will never again want to drag a reluctant male to those films you've been dying to see.

A big thank too you to our prizes sponsors Jenna Clifford, who sponsored the best dressed ladies' prizes, as well as Escentials and Hair on the Square for their lucky draw prizes.

Contact Karyn Theron at mailto:communications@purpleplum.co.za for comments and/or suggestions.

(All pictures have also been loaded on to Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=82785462134&view=user#/group.php?gid=82785462134).

Times have changed - gone are the days when people went to gym in any old t-shirt and scrappy tracksuit pants, and gone are the days when gym wear was exclusively for the gym. For a society in which multi-tasking has become the norm, there's nothing better than clothing which multi-tasks. "People don't always want to have to change before or after gym, and they don't want to go out wearing an old faded t-shirt. They want to look good all the time," says Anita de Villers, co-owner of Body Action Performance, a sports- and active-wear boutique in Cedar Square shopping centre.

Because of this need for convenience, coupled with a deepened sense of urban style, sports clothing has become street wear. "It doesn't just stop there - street wear is being designed with more ‘bling', making it ideal for going out to a restaurant or even a club," she says. "And while the clothing definitely has to look fabulous, it also has to have performance capability. When it comes to exercise, it's so much more enjoyable if you know you look good while you're doing it!

Body Action Performance is a designer label for casual street wear, and the price is matched with superior quality. Every range carries a limited number of sizes and the quality of each item is evident in the colour, cut, fit and detail. "The beauty of Body Action Performance clothing is that you can choose one or two items from each season and then easily mix and match them with clothing from previous seasons," she says. "The clothing is really good quality, so it lasts."

With winter just around the corner, shoppers will be happy to know that they can be one step ahead of the rest, as Body Action Performance already has the winter range. According to Anta, jeans and bomber jackets are still in. "Velour is also still popular and there is a lot of detail like embroidery and diamantes." The Body Action Performance collection is extensive and includes men's and women's clothing and accessories. Future plans for the brand are to introduce children's clothing, swimwear and underwear.

It was with great excitement that press, media and celebrities made their way to the Official Launch Party of Miss FTV Africa 2008 on 03 December 2008 at FTV Cedar Square. It was not only the fashionistas, models and brand partners who were fascinated with the dresses, beauty and excitement of the new supermodel search for Africa - Miss FTV! Celebrities such as Margaret van der Westhuizen, Corine du Toit and even Dozi and Bok van Blerk were there to scope the scene. And with Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon as the host and Project Director, there were more than enough of who's who in the room!

As announced on the evening, 18 April 2009 will see two powerful brands - one a gaming and entertainment leader, the other a glamour icon around the world - come together to deliver a show unlike anything South African fashionistas have ever seen before.

Now for the first time, aspiring African fashionistas will have the chance to join the global hunt for the world's most esteemed runway title. Miss FTV will for the first time in its five year history produce a South African runway diva to compete in the world finals at the end of 2009. After a four-month long search that kicks off in January, scouts from the fashion industry, as well as FTV's partner, Shine Group, will deliver 16 dynamic fashion model finalists from across the nation's four biggest cities, with the grand final happening on 18 April 2009 at Emperor's Palace.

FTV Cedar Square will see the Johannesburg leg of the casting tour take place on Saturday, 31 January.

For more information contact missftv@ftv.co.za or visit our Events & Entertainment page.

(Photographs courtesy of Piet Filmater)

Children were invited to take part in an exciting Halloween workshop on Saturday, 01 November.
A balloon modeller, face painter and magician were all there to entertain and wow the little ones.

After the annual Christmas Card Class on Friday, 21 November, Scrapbook Trading treated their regular customers to a surprise ride down the snow slope at Cedar Square's Snow Land.
Everyone entered into the fun of the occasion and despite most of the ladies saying they would only go down once..........they all did it twice. What fun!!!

Kelly Rowland, American pop star and member of the popular group Destiny's Child, recently visited South Africa to promote the release of her one-hour documentary, The Diary of Kelly Rowland. Working with Oprah Winfrey to compile this documentary, the film chronicles Kelly's visits to various HIV Awareness and Aids Programmes that the Staying Alive Foundation funds, and aims to raise awareness for World Aids Day on 01 December.

We were very proud to welcome Kelly to Cinema Nouveau Cedar Square on Monday, 24 November for a press screening of the film, and to meet this wonderful and humble international celebrity who is focussed on raising awareness of HIV/Aids. After the press screening, Kelly discussed snippets from the one-hour documentary which was produced and directed for the MTV STAYING ALIVE FOUNDATION. All of the founders of these organisations are under the ages of 24 and have started their organisations without the assistance of sponsorships.

Additional info:
Kelly attended the OWLAG (Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy) Leadership Conference in South Africa from 24-25 November. Among the speakers were Oprah Winfrey and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maaathi. Kelly was the opening speaker of this conference which concentrated on empowering young people to begin grassroots projects to help their local communities.