Saturday, 6 December 2014

Porcelaine de Limoges

When Peter and I go to Limoges airport, we always have a look at the display cabinets dotted around the place. Limoges is famous for their porcelaine, which can be extremely traditional. I tend to be attracted to modern designs, as traditional French anything usually translates into very over-the-top fussy! Here are a couple of examples:



Here's a selection of contemporary designs. I don't like all of them, but some of the items are exquisite.
















Friday, 5 December 2014

Beautiful photo collages

Istanbul based artist Merve Özaslan creates collages using vintage photographs and photos of nature. The results are quite interesting. The artist is also quite beautiful...


http://merveozaslan.tumblr.com










Thursday, 4 December 2014

I won't be around this afternoon, but the blog will be safe...

I have a couple of fierce guard dogs!


 
I have a hair appointment at 2pm, then some shopping in Tulle. A hat will be needed, as my ears will be too exposed after the haircut! The weather changed dramatically this week, with temperatures taking quite a  plunge, from around 65 to 32F! Snow is expected on Saturday. Brrrr....

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Fantastic rainbow in Rajasthan

These photos from India have an incredible variety of colours and are simply beautiful!









Saying goodbye to mother

Mrsgunka sent us this joke. Thank you, MrsG.

We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Years Eve Party. We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. We phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi. The taxi arrived and we opened the front door to leave the house. The cat we put out in the back yard, scoots back into the front door.


We didn't want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird. My wife goes out to the taxi, while I went inside to get the cat. The cat runs upstairs, with me in hot pursuit.

Waiting in the cab, my wife doesn't want the driver to know that the house will be empty for the night. So, she explains to the taxi driver that I will be out soon, 'He's just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.'

A few minutes later, I get into the cab. 'Sorry I took so long,' I said, as we drove away. 'That stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out! She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck. Then, I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me. But it worked! I hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!


The cab driver hit a parked car.
 

Thursday, 27 November 2014

Green living in a big city

I saw this and had to share it with you. These buildings are very beautiful and the concept is fantastic!

Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) comprises two landscaped towers that between them contain 113 apartments offering expansive views across the city. It was inaugurated in Milan, Italy, in October 2014.

The residential towers were designed by Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca and Giovanni La Varra. It also involved input from horticulturalists and botanists.

Each individual dwelling features a private garden which protects interior living space from acoustic pollution, dust particles, harsh winds and direct sunlight. At roof level, photovoltaic panels contribute to the self-sufficiency of the complex, while greywater from the building is filtered and reused to irrigate the site.

On November 19, 2014, Bosco Verticale won the International Highrise Award, honouring excellence in recently constructed buildings that stand a minimum of 100 meters (328 feet) tall. The five finalists were selected from 26 nominees in 17 countries.