INTERMISSION: CHAI BREAK

Happy Winter Solstice

"In the depth of Winter, I finally learned that within me lay an an invincible Summer"

Albert Camus           

Winter Solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere between the 21st-22nd of December depending on your time zone. This is officially the first day of Winter, it happens when the North Pole tilts 23.5 degrees away from the sun, it is the longest night of the year. On a very good note, after this event the days will slowly get longer until the Summer Solstice!

Pictures via National Geographic, Flickr, Tumblr and Pinterest,

HERMES SPLENDID VISIONS

The First Step in The New Century : Party of Princes Paris 2000

Colour and Fantasy Paris 2004

Indian Fantasies (Colour) Paris 2008

Year of Africa : The Traveller's Room Paris 1997

Argent Contemporary Paris 2011

Travel the world with the stupendous windows of Hermes Paris. Pure Creative genius! I think I will make this into another series, there are so many to choose from.

I wonder if they hire more than one team to do the window displays. What an amazing job, wish I could do that. I shall investigate this further, in the meantime enjoy your journeys.

www.hermes.com

Mirror Mirror in the Desert

“Lucid Stead is about tapping into the quiet and the pace of change of the desert. When you slow down and align yourself with the desert, the project begins to unfold before you. It reveals that it is about light and shadow, reflected light, projected light, and change.”

Take  a Desert, a Shack, some mirror, Led lights and the vision of a young man named Phillip K Smith III , put them together and voila you have this wonderful imaginative but yet so simple installation. it just fits perfectly with its location that you think that it should have always been there. 

Over the course of the day the Lucid Stead metamorphoses into different visions, the sharp and shiny mirror bands reflect back the shapeshifting landscape, one minute the mirror image is picture perfect and then slowly with the moving sun it starts to soften its mirror image and starts to glow within as the very clever use of LED lights come alive in its changing colours.  

Very well executed Mr. Smith, I so wanted to see this , as millions of others this has been posted all over the world!! I had to share too, its just too damn beautiful! I want one ! 

I wonder what the animals in the desert thought of this! 

For more info on the Phillip K Smith III see below, and for Miami Basel his work will be featured in Untitled Fair from today. Also the great photography are by Steven King and Lance Gerber all courtesy of Royal Projects in Palm Desert California. 

http://pks3.com

http://royaleprojects.com/

Food is Art II

Maggie Austin started her career as a classical ballet dancer, then having been accepted at L'Art de la Patisserie program at the French Pastry School, Maggie trained with the best world renowned chefs and pastry champions learning the top techniques in this art using the finest of ingredients. She Graduated from the program with honors, after which was accepted for internship at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago , a Mobil Five Star, AAA Five Diamond and 10 time James Beard Foundation Winner that is recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Truly an Art, her Haute Couture cakes are just perfection, inspired by Edwardian Botanical prints, fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Carolina Herrera, Flowers , textiles and more. They are lovingly made by hand at her Washington DC Studio, yes even the flowers are made from sugar, impressive. I have never seen such elegant and beautiful cakes, there are such perfection that you just want to throw yourself a party to have one made.

Just Splendid xo

All Images via,

www.maggieaustincake.com

Nour El Nil

Nour El Nil " Light of The Nile" , just the name on its own makes you want to run and book one of these beautifully decorated Dahabiyas , which were historically built to carry Royal families . I was doing research on Nile Cruises for the perfect boat for a private party and stumbled upon this gem of a fleet.

Nour El Nil has a choice of 4 Dahabiyas, Meroe , Malouka , El Nil and Assouan. They are similarly decorated but are of different sizes and cabins. You sail at a slow pace lounging on one of those elegantly stripped cushioned beds on the upper deck watching the Nile unfold before you, visiting the magnificent temples and docking on beaches for a swim.

Am sure with the renowned Egyptian Hospitality a trip with Nour El Nil would never be forgotten.Enjoy exploring their site , as they say in Egypt Inshallah (god willing) you will be soon voyaging on the splendor of the Nile.

NB. The owner of Nour al Nil is an accomplished writer whose wonderfully titled book "A Winter on The Nile: Florence Nightingale, Gustave Flaubert and The Temptations of Egypt" Would be a great companion on your journey or at home.

All pictures via www.nourelnil.com

Happy Full Blue Moon in Aquarius August 20th 2013

MOONWALK

The ultimate full moon shot. Dean Potter walks a highline at Cathedral Peak as the sun sets and the moon rises. Shot from over 1 mile away with a Canon 800mm and 2X by Mikey Schaefer. This shot was part of a bigger project for National Geographic called The Man Who Can Fly. channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/th­e-man-who-can-fly/ Directed by Mikey Schaefer...mikeylikesrocks.com Produced by Bryan Smith Concept by Dean Potter Music: Slate - By Wil Bolton From the Album: Time Lapse on Hibernate Recordings Licensed through: Audiomoves - audiomoves.com

Valley Of the Kings, Egypt 2019

Acrylicious

 Modern Acrylic Designs by Alexandra von Furstenberg

1970's Lucite Game Table via 1stDibds

Pair of 1950's Lucite and Wood End Tables via VandM

Lucite X Chair with Clint Greggory Cushion via VandM

Triangle Lucite Lamp with Zebra Shade by Clint Greggory via VandM

Set of Albrizzi Ice Buckets via VandM

1960's Lucite and Black Patent Leather Dinette Set via 1stDibs

Shades of red and pink Screens by Emmanuelle Moureaux

Kodachi Aroma Sticks Stand by Emmanuelle Moureaux

"There Is No Chair"  Red Chair Quan via Jia Moderne

1970's Italian Lucite Candle Holders via 1stDibs

Acrylic , there seems to be so many different types of names for this plastic , Lucite being my favourite,  something to do with the quality and colouring and how wears with time, that is why I leave the technical data to the experts.

What I do know is that here are so many beautiful ways to use this material as shown above, I always like Lucite/Acrylic for its light but yet durable quality. The way it reflects light and seems to be complimentary to finishes like brass, leather , wood to name a few, or Just with bold colours that offset strong lines in a modern design. It inspires me, maybe ill contact one of these designers to customize something for me.

Plastic is fantastic xo

Resources.

www.alexandravonfurstenberg.com

www.1stdibs.com

www.emmauelle.jp

www.jiamoderne.com

www.vandm.com

London Culture Spring 2013

  Am so looking forward to this Spring round up of amazing exhibitions in my city of London. x

David Bowie Is

23rd of March-11th of August 2013

The Victoria & Albert Museum

David Bowie at The V & A

Becoming Picasso 1901

February 14th-26th of May 2013 

The Courtlauld Gallery

Becoming Picasso

Man Ray

February 7th- 27th of May 2013 

The National Portrait Gallery

Man Ray Portraits

Lichtenstein: A Retrospective

Tate Modern: Exhibition

21 February – 27 May 2013

Lichtenstein A Retrospective

Midnight at The Oasis

Sunrise on The Great Sand Sea

Meet the Flintstones 21st Century

Bedroom Adrere Amellal

Siwi Man Photo by C. Stamba-Badial 

Drinks by the Salt lake 

This was were I stayed in Adrere Amellal view of the lake all around

Drinks at the Fire pit 

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Temple Amon

Adrere Amellal Bedroom

Dunes of The Great Sand Sea

Date Palms at Siwa

One of the many lounging nooks in Adrere Amellal

Locally  handmade Kaftans by the Siwi Women

The natural spring pool at Adrere Amellal

Illuminated "Kershef " Wall  a mix of rock salt & mud

Dinning under the palms Adrere Amelall

Sweet water oasis in the middle of the desert

Riding the dunes in the Great Sand Sea

Dinner in the middle of the desert

Dusk at Adrere Amelall

Magic dinning locations dotted around the property

Candle lit bed time

Sun setting over the dunes

“Oh that the desert were my dwelling place,

With only one fair spirit for my minster.

That I might forget the human race,

And hating no one, love her only.”

Lord Byron

In the  magical Great Sand Sea of Egypt's western Sahara on the boarder to Libya lies a diamond named Siwa. An Oasis filled with history and legends,such as the Temple  of the Oracle of Amun~ RA. Were Alexander The Great consulted the oracle in order to seek confirmation that he was the son of Zeus and the rightful ruler of Egypt. Or something like that.

I was invited  about 8 years ago to a wedding in Cairo by dear friends of mine. Included was a trip to Siwa a couple of days  before the wedding, staying at the amazing eco lodge Adrere Amellal. The love project of  visionary Dr Mounir Neamatalla a very elegant egyptian environmentalist. The words eco lodge dont always make me jump with joy, but a trip to the Egyptian desert I could not miss . 

When we arrived we all had a big smile on our faces as we took in the scene before us. The sacred white mountain towers over the property with views on  a vast salt lake , date palms  and in the distance the dunes of the great sand sea. Dotted around this setting are traditional buildings made by combining rock salt and mud called "Kershef", 40 rooms all furnished in locally artisanal furnishing, beds made out of palm with Egyptian cotton sheets and fluffy pillows. Bedouin carpets and beeswax candles everywhere  there is no electricity, no phones, no air conditioning or wifi.

Really a place to give in to the mystical call of the desert, at night they light up all the pathways with candles and dinner is served in the most amazing locations all over the property with the light of the stars as company. Date souffle served on silver plates and wine drank out of crystal glasses, the food was amazing, all the staff are local Siwi whose origins are Berber. On one night they came and played traditional Bedouin music , they danced like mad and so did we! When ready to retire, A member of staff would accompany you with a lantern to your room that glowed with candles, I would slip myself into the soft sheets with the breeze of the desert lulling me to sleep. 

Morning starts with a delicious breakfast over looking the lake and then preparation for a ride on 4 X 4 in to the Sand Sea so called because it was actually a sea, you can see fossils everywhere, as you ride over the dunes driven to mad perfection by the charming and hilarious locals its an exhilarating experience. They would stop and give you a board to surf the dunes if you wished or just sit and take in the unforgettable experience, everyday they planned a new surprise in the desert, which I would not give away as these surprises are truly special.

Once back at the lodge there are many more things to do, you can float on the lake or swim in the natural green pool under the palms, or for some you can go riding in the desert. There was also a trip into town to meet the local women whose embroidery is magnificent all supported by  Mounir Neamatalla and his also very elegant sister Laila, they produce kaftans, home furnishings and jewellery done by the local community. There is also a lot of history in the area and again I will not divulge too much here as to make you want to go and see for yourself but one of things is have swim in Cleopatra's Bath. 

 Thank you Dr Mounir for creating such a wonderful place and thank you my dear friends for letting be part of such an amazing journey. When are we going back?

  Adrere Amellal

Siwa

Photos via above websites & Flickr.