Organic fruits never used to look as good because of the fact that pesticides weren't used and they got knocked around a bit more. I have noticed lated here though that a lot of organic looks every bit as good as non organic. Maybe they are using more controlled environments, before they were more hippy grown. Sometimes they have to be picked before fully grown and the bugs descend on them. I've been thinking of using a big tub on my back balcony to grow a selection of salad things, a couple of lettuce, some mini cucumbers and even some cherry tomatoes - just one or two plants to give me enough to get me through the summer, but then I wonder really if the effort is worth it.

Hi Chookchook. I relation to your question about reproduction Murano Glass that is flooding the market, almost 99% of them originate from China. You will also find that almost ALL Chandeliers that claim to be Murano Glass that originate from China are hand painted and baked PYREX (a glass substitute) which is then sold off as MURANO GLASS. It is ILLEGAL to call a product that does not originate from or has not been made in Venice MURANO GLASS. You can call it "MURANO STYLE" but nothing else. Unfortunately, there are thousands of Chinese knockoffs claiming to be murano glass that are simply PYREX which has been spray painted then baked. This is why when you see a product advertised as MURANO GLASSf that seems to cheap to be true - this is why. Also, they MASS PRODUCE each and every Chandelier as almost every segment is blown into a mold, not mouth blown. If you look at a true piece of mouth blown glass, you will see what we call RIPPLE LINES which is where the glass expands and grows during the blowing process, very similar to ripples on a pond when a stone hits the waters surface. Also, you may see irregular randomly placed air bubbles in the glass which is not a defect, but a sure sign that what you are buying is indeed mouth blown. You will also find that the Chinese NEVER use REAL GOLD in their Chandeliers or any other item, only genuine MURANO GLASS used 24 Kt gold leaf which is rolled into the glass in the very initial stages of production. You will however find that Chinese do you a technqiue called AVVENTURINE which is where copious amount of Copper flecks are blown into the glass. The MURANO masters also use this technique but the quaility if EXCEPTIONAL, unlike the Chinese knock-offs. ALL products that we make originate in Venice and carry one or more of the following to assure you of its authenticity 1. An acid etched or diamond point signature of either the furnace or the Maestro or both 2. An attached lablel which will be either a Vetro Artistico Murano (VAM) label of the furnace or a PROMOVETRO CONSORZIO MURANO label 3. Depending on the furnace, an embossed Glass seal with each arm of the Chandelier signed an numbered 4. A certificate of Authenticity signed by and issued by the furnace who produced the Chandelier or any other item for that matter. As you can see, purchasing from any organisation who does not have a thorough understanding of and intimate knowledge of the furnaces in Venice, the techniques used by the Maestros and the various components and producton techniquesf that have been handed down through the centuries is leaving themselves open to huge financial risk If an item is being sold that is claiming to be AUTHENTIC MURANO GLASS, then the person you are purchasing MUST be able to provide you with a written legally enforacable guarantee, that certifies that what they are claiming to be murano glass can be traced back to a furnace and its origin confirmed. The Chinese WILL NOT do this as their products are PYREX, NOT glass so BUYER BEWARE. There is only 1 glass artist operating in China that has actually been trained in the use of just some of the techniques used by the Masters in Venice. Even he is not allowed to call his products MURANO GLASS but "MURANO IN STYLE". I trust this helps you understand exactly what you are dealing with when it comes to companies or individuals offering MURANO GLASS for sale. If they cannot prove it is indeed authentic and can provide backup documentation to support this, then DO NOT buy unless you really love it purely for its asthetic value. Being the largest Murano Glass delaer in the world, your only safety net when purchasing anything claiming to be MURANO GLASS is to do so through someone like us who provides you with a 100% ironclad guarantee of what has been mentioned above. Best regards Dean

I also like the provincial chair, although it's a more relaxed country style than the table, which I also love. This is really interesting and is a statement on it's own, obviously it needs chairs so I would suggest a relaxed but formal upholstered chair, something like a all back wihtout arms, with a nice fabric will accentuate the interesting geometry in the table frame. If you were to include chairs like the cross back, they would both fight each other visually as they have different styles and both are timber sections. Busy to look at. You mentioned balck or oak, both are gorgeous, oak can be found almost black as it's so popular. There aresome gorgeous chairs which have a curved side and are upholstered, so they feel like lounge chairs but tuck into a dining table. Coco republic have them, and the style is found replicated almost anywhere you look.

Each time we travel, I try and bring a little of that place back with us. It might be the masks we bought in Indonesia, some beautiful chopsticks from hong kong, a mosquito coil holder and box of coils from Thailand, bowls from Berlin, salad servers and tablecloth weights from NZ, a milk jug from Paris etc. We use these items or have them on display. Makes for an ecclectic collection that brings back happy travel memories.