Friday 24 December 2010

Merry Christmas!

(photo Colliers)
From a warm 14 degrees to a chilly minus 5!  Landed in Gatwick ok and headed up to Yorkshire.  Would be nice if we lived in Buckingham Palace as pictured above (photo Andy Hooper, Daily Mail), alas, ours is a smaller place.  To see such snow in London is quite a sight.   Delayed posting as lots going on.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I look forward to posting more Croatian delights in 2011. Cheers!

Saturday 18 December 2010

Winning Ticket ... again.






We had a lovely evening at the Foreign Circle Christmas Party on Wednesday last week for the english  speaking expat residents of Dubrovnik.  The tombola offered some fabulous prizes, and my number came up! 2 nights B&B in the 5 star Hotel Excelsior.  The hotel has enjoyed the presence of guests such as The Queen, Liz Taylor & Richard Burton, Hollywood stars etc.   Our zero temperatures outside and flurries of snow made our stay even more enjoyable in the warm spa.  I won a similar prize last year with 2 nights B&B at the Hotel Radisson .... think the Foreign Circle may ban me from entering next year.

Friday 10 December 2010

LottyB in Mustique & now in Croatia

Beautiful silk sarongs: the originals all hand painted

Gorgeous vibrant colours: perfect photos to look at on this cold December day
Here is Lotty at work on a special commission for the Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados
Lotty has created new gift boxes for her silk items
Last year I did a post on LottyB, the talented artist based on the gorgeous island of Mustique in the Caribbean. She creates exquisite designs on silk for sarongs, kaftans, dresses, blouses, scarves etc.  They are sold in chic hotels and boutiques around the world.  I bought a "purple puppy" charmeuse silk blouse a few years ago, shipped from the island which is beautiful.  Yesterday Lotty emailed me about her revised website.  I was intrigued to read under stockists: Caribbean ... USA ... UK ... and now Croatia! 

Friday 3 December 2010

Gorgeous Adriatic Beach Home

We are fortunate enough to have friends who own this gorgeous ground floor apartment with amazing Adriatic Sea views. The terrace, remodeled in 2009 uses quality stone sourced locally and is heaven on a summers' evening with the outdoor entertaining and enjoying bbqs.
An ingenious inlaid nautical compass created out of different types of stone creates interest
The creative stone bench called "the cigar smoking corner" is for banishing smokers. However, this is a great corner for viewing the stars (very little light pollution) and looking at the Old Town of Dubrovnik.
The island of Lokrum and the rear of the Old Town.
Fully equipped kitchen leading onto the dining room and overlooking the sea.
The Italian made dining table is made of volcanic stone and took 7 men to bring to the apartment. Showing an underwater scene, the table top needs no coverings at all. The glass tryptic on the wall has been created by talented Niko Cuckovic of BeCraft.
The classic red and white stripe cushions on the furniture gives a beach home feel to the living room.
Open plan living and dining area, all sea facing and capturing the stunning Adriatic views. The little glass table at the bottom of the picture (above) is also a Niko Cuckovic custom special.
Light and airy this 2-bedroom beach home takes full advantage of living by the sea. It is just a pleasant 20 minutes coastal walk to Dubrovnik Old Town too, making it an ideal location for holidays. My friends are selling this apartment (email me) and are confident the new owners will enjoy the light, space and views as they have over the last 6 years.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Taking the Biscuit

I came across a motoryacht called "Biscuit" launched this summer and the interior grabbed my eye! Aubergine deck chairs! Fabulous. Yacht interiors are as attractive to me as house interiors even more so, as every minute detail has to be thought about.

Sleek and stylish as all Italian-built yachts are, this 29 metre (95') yacht was built by the Filippetti Yard.
The custom made interior has been designed by Milan based Hot Lab Studio with attention to detail throughout. Great music on the website if you click on the link.





The yacht is on two levels and boasts 2 twin staterooms, a VIP suite and a master cabin. There are comfortable crew quarters for 4 crew.

Precious leather flooring

Looking forward to seeing this yacht (perhaps) gracing our Adriatic shores here in Croatia next year.