A LAMP FOR SPRING

Of course I bought it. It's green. 

Actually, it's not really meant to go here on the table--I just had a terrible case of Lamp Love in the Home Goods (Lamp Love is a serious medical condition, affecting millions of decor-attuned Americans, although my doctor keeps saying he hasn't heard of it. My accountant is equally ignorant). The emerald green with the grass green is not a great match, but I'll find another spot for it soon. It was just too fascinating a piece to pass up, and of course, it was only $49, and then it was only $40, when I found a small crack in the base and negotiated with the store manager.

Later, I did some digging online, and found the same lamp available at the Lamp Store for $120. The base is just fantastic.

I love the gold lining in the shade--it has a candlelight glow in the evening.

//Images, my own, and the lamp store//

Circumnavigation of the globe: My Airline Opinions

I have just returned from an around the worlds trip with my family. Our trip gave us reason to fly in many aircraft, including the 100th Airbus A380:

We experienced several airlines, and varying standards of service and in-flight food, and in-flight entertainment.

The main carriers we flew with were Air Malaysia and Air Tahiti Nui

We also flew regionally with Air Asia and Aer Lingus, and of course Air New Zealand
As budget and regional airlines these can not be faulted. Professional and friendly service, of course no trimmings, but who needs that on a 60 minute flight? Good pilot skills and well maintained, new aircraft.

Local flights were all on Airbus variants, mostly the 320 range, while the Air Tahiti Nui flight from LA to Tahiti was on a A340-400. The Air NZ flight was a Bombardier from Paraparaumu to Auckland

So International Airlines first: Tahiti Nui
(LAX to Papa'eete, Tahiti)

The Rangiroa, the A340-300: F-OSEA was a great aircraft with up to date passenger comforts and technology. Service was on "Island time", and though friendly and hospitable, pales when measured against airlines such as Air NZ, South African Airways, BA, Lufthansa or Qantas.

Noticeable was a paucity of drinks rounds. Drinks were only served with the meal, no separate pre-dinner drinks, no offers for more drinks, only a water round halfway through the flight. The food was good, French in origin, but on both Tahiti Nui flights the bread rolls were not heated, and appeared decidedly stale.

Other than this I could not fault Tahiti Nui. A nice touch was the distribution of frangipani flowers after take-off at LAX. (A nice island touch, which sets the scene for a tropical holiday experience. I suspect this may have replaced the initial drinks round though, and I would rather have had a beer ! Going through US customs and immigration is thirsty work. )

Flying back to NZ was another story. Think the oldest aircraft in their fleet, in-flight entertainment not working, not for anyone. Stafff shrug, sorry, it doesn't work. 9 hours of BOREDOM. This crew a bit more forthcoming with drinks, but you had to ask. Again the drinks round was absent and the cold, STALE BUNS! For goodness sake Tahiti Nui! Get your act together! 

Everyone in Tahiti eats fresh Baguette! What is up here? 

Landed safely enough, but I doubt I'd easily fly Tahiti Nui again. I think better value can be had from other airlines for the same price.

Air Malaysia can not be faulted, great service, great food- probably some of the best inflight meals I ever had was on board the A380 - On the way to London ex KL the Chicken Biryani, was as good as you'd get in a restaurant. Well done.

Kids under 12 were allowed on a behind-the-scenes tour of the aircraft. 

No amount of trying to convince the cabin crew that I was 12 would work. 

(Think the moustache and "traveller's beard" the kids had convinced me to grow was a dead give-away!)

$24 POTTERY BARN HACK

Flipping through a Pottery Barn catalogue recently, I was thrilled to see these interesting navy and white ikat prints--aren't they striking? They reminded me of a new set of table linens that World Market is carrying, and that, the previous week, I had sadly left behind in the store because, after considerable effort, I could not think of a justifiable reason for buying them.

When I saw these prints, I knew exactly why I "had" to have the World Market linens. Hurrah! Six different Pottery Barn prints, $156 a piece, or $929 for the set. 

Here's my version: World Market linens in IKEA frames, for $24 each (frames plus napkins), or $48 for the set. 

Unfortunately, I can't show them as a display, because I'm planning to hang them in my office, but you get the general idea. I went with white RIBBA frames from IKEA, instead of black, because I like an airer look. I'm crazy about the chevron ikat.

A view of the Pottery Barn prints in a bedroom. You could absolutely do them with black frames, too. 

World Market's ikat linens. I used the napkins, and there are at least four patterns--they run about $3.99 each (two are shown here).

This chevron ikat is my favorite by far!

And look what happened--I ended up just buying them for my table, too. They're marvelous with the Juliska Country Estate pattern. I've started collecting the set due to family pressure (it's the South. You must have dayware and china patterns chosen for family and friends to gift you with over the holidays, and this is not optional). P.S. The placemats have a different pattern on each side, which is very fun.

I chose Country Estate because it's chinoiserie/British/blue and white awesomeness/has matching ginger jars. And, because it has a special place in my heart. I first discovered Isis Ceramics, of which Juliska's pattern is the mass-market version, when I was at Oxford. The little dish in the upper left hand corner is one of Isis' hand-painted scenes of the University. The little elephants are salt and pepper shakers, another World Market find.

Juliska Country Estate.

Back to wall art. This is how I'll hang the set (propped up, as you can see). The rather crooked piece in the center is my attempt at framing a paper cut out I purchased in Shanghai. Plainly, I'm going to have to get a professional on the job, but it will play nicely with the ikat patterns.

If you wanted to exactly duplicate the Pottery Barn look, IKEA has these black frames, also for $20 each.

/Images/ Pottery Barn, IKEA, Juliska, my own/

JEWELED TOPIARY

Since we're still in the 12 Days of Christmas, I feel justified in one more Christmas post—this one about my favorite, and simplest, bit of holiday decorating this year. I have a mossy topiary that lives year round on a Chinese garden stool in my living room, but it was looking a touch summary for the season. After a brief hunt through my costume jewelry, I turned up enough brooches and pins to dress it up for the holidays, pinned them all into the moss, and voila!, a jeweled topiary. And now that I can see all of my pins in plain view, perhaps I'll remember to wear them...

I love the star-shaped brooch, center, but the tiny little turtle crawling away, upper left, is a darling.

There are a few earrings in the mix too—a pair of starry studs, and even a dangler, lower left hand side. You could certainly make almost any piece of jewelry work—even necklaces could make a "tinsel" garland!

  /All photos by Sanity Fair. Please request permission to use./

Happy Xmas and Prosperous 2014

Wishing all my blog followers a Happy Xmas 2013 and Prosperity in 2014

A few Aircraft related festive photos:

THE BAMBOO CHRISTMAS TREE

This year, I have been visited by the Allergy Grinch. My allergies have been so terrible recently I've given up many beloved holiday traditions, including forcing paperwhites and other bulbs. But it hadn't occurred to me until Thanksgiving that I couldn't have a TREE. If you saw my Christmas tree posts in 2011 and 2012, you know I collect chinoiserie Christmas ornaments, and tracking down the odd (I'll admit, very odd) Asian-inspired Western-tradition object is one of my favorite obsessions. So what to DO with all of them this year? The first thing I thought of was inspired by the image of lanterns hanging at the end of slender bamboo poles--I could create a bamboo "bouquet," wiring ornaments to the end of each rod. When I shared this idea with friends and family, their natural response was:  "Why don't you just get a fake tree?!?" Because, frankly, this totally obvious solution had not occurred to me. But it was too late. I was already off to the races, by which I mean the tropical plants aisle of Michael's; I had it all to myself, as the only non-populated square foot in the entire eye-popping, cornea-endangering pointy fake poinsettia and glittery branch maze of a mega-store.

So, I created a stick tree. Honestly, I kind of like it. Although it does lack lights, it has other merits, namely, no watering. Also, if anyone has been naughty, Christmas morning the switches are on hand.

To my surprise, I managed to dangle the majority of my collection on my spindly "tree," including several new favorites I picked up on a trip to China earlier this year. I'm proud of the swirly blue and white ball on the right, because...

I bought it here. On the Great Wall of China. Yes, there is a gift shop on the Great Wall (what a question). Yes, I found it. And YES, they were selling a Christmas ornament. For any of you who have ever been obsessed with collecting anything, you can guess how it felt--epic shopping victory! (Also, it was pretty cool to be standing on one of the great ancient wonders of the world, to keep things in perspective.)

Another view, farther up the Wall.

The little red lanterns I found in a stall in Shanghai's Temple of the City God market--they originally had tiny suction cups attached, so that drivers could stick them to their windshields for good luck--but of course, all I saw were wonderful Christmas ornaments!

Happy red lanterns are ubiquitous in China--this one adorned a decorous beam in the Forbidden City.

Cascading in the lobby of the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

In a rural mountain village, Guizhou province.

A covered bridge in the city of Guiyang.

Back stateside, one of my favorite ornament finds is this shimmery-sided foo dog; his bark is worse than his bite.

Like last year, the tree "stand" is a ginger jar.

Parting shot, 2012's (actual) tree--a Tony Duquette Christmas!

//All images, my own. Please seek permission for use.//

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Smaug on a Plane

Air New Zealand Unveils Smaug on a Boeing 777

Hobbit fans can finally see the most-anticipated character in the movie trilogy, the dragon Smaug.
While Smaug has previously been glimpsed in part, his full body has never been revealed.
Ahead of the premiere of the second part of the Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug, Air New Zealand on Monday unveiled a 54-metre long image of the dragon on the sides of a Boeing 777-300.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the airline had worked with Weta Digital "to reveal their star to the world".
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For the last premiere, the airline created another Hobbit-themed plane which carried stars to the Wellington premiere.
Director Sir Peter Jackson said he was proud to debut Smaug in New Zealand.

"To see Smaug fly off the big screen and into the skies like this is pretty exciting," he said.
The plane will fly to Los Angeles on Monday evening, arriving in time for the premiere on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, a giant eagle - a character from The Hobbit - was unveiled in the Wellington Airport terminal, alongside the character Gollum which was put up a year ago for the first premiere.
A further addition will be added at the airport.
Meanwhile, Peter Jackson and Middle-earth have popped up in a swanky Beverly Hills hotel.
As part of a Tourism New Zealand promotion, four replica sets from the movie were built inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Jackson's three Lord of the Rings films and last year's first Hobbit film have created a tourism bonanza for New Zealand and Saturday's event was designed to attract another wave of American visitors.
Jackson shot all of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films in New Zealand and the Oscar winner joked he might even squeeze out a fourth Hobbit film.
''We have a few little corners of New Zealand that we're saving up for The Hobbit: Part Four,'' Jackson smiled.
''You never know.''
Jackson was joined at the event by The Hobbit's stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans and Dean O'Gorman.
The sets at the Hilton included Laketown, shot at Lake Pukaki, Hidden Bay (Turoa, Ohakune), Forest River (Pelorus River) and Beorn's House (Paradise, Queenstown).


Video:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9465138/Hobbits-Smaug-debuts-on-Air-NZ-plane