{1968 Design Classic by Pierre Balmain for Singapore Airlines Stewardesses}

As international consultants we have been several times aboard a Singapore Airlines flight. In-between we saw numerous times the Singapore Airlines Stewardesses in their beautiful uniforms, especially during our stopover at Singapore airport. In 1968, French Couturier Pierre Balmain was asked by Malaysian Singapore Airlines to design uniforms for their cabin crew. Balmain based his design on the traditional Malay sarong-kebaya. Very much like the Indonesian sarong-kebaya. Below, you will also find a link to my post about me wearing my silk Indonesian Sarong Kebaya...

Pierre Balmain designed borders around the hems, neck and cuffs, using cut edges from traditional batik fabric. Each uniform is fully tailored, with a minimum of two fittings with each crew member for her 4 new uniforms annually.

Singapore Airlines is also the world's most awarded airline

The epitome of Asian grace and hospitality, the Singapore Girl has been synonymous with Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines with the heavenly destination of Bali.

I have been to Bali twice and Pieter went there on vacation with his daughter Liz.

For both of us fond memories. 

We also went to Singapore several times.

The French L'Internaut showed the Singapore Girl recently in The Most Beautiful Stewardess Uniforms 

The above text is being translated from French.

In addition to being very pretty, the company Singapore Airlines hostesses radiate in this uniform by Pierre Balmain, a French couturier. Since 1968, the outfit remains unchanged and will not go out of fashion: how can one not fall in love with this pretty floral bolero in midnight blue?

Have you ever seen those pretty sarong kebayas from Singapore Girl?

Related links:

Singapore Airlines Uniform | Fashion Design Classic with photos from Singapore Girl in Balmain 

Singapore Girl | The epitome of Asian grace and hospitality - slideshow with sarong kebaya views
History singapore airlines 1968 sarong kebaya was introduced
The ‘kebaya’ and sarongs of Jl. Sulawesi, Denpasar | bustling shop for kebaya and sarongs on Jalan Sulawesi in Denpasar, Bali
{My Indonesian Silk Batik Sarong & Kebaya} | previous post by me

{Tea at Château Neercanne in the Carrière Poswick & Orangerie}

In MAASTRICHT, the capital of my Province of birth in THE NETHERLANDS, we had the XVth INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE SCIENCE AND CULTIVATION OF EDIBLE FUNGI. My husband had been lecturing many times for the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MUSHROOM SCIENCE. So for the Millennium year we decided to fly to The Netherlands for meeting with a lot of former colleagues and friends from around the world. Even though my husband had retired, he still liked to meet with them. BUT, not having to lecture himself, as all previous years, he too could join the Spouse Programme and thus we ended up together for Tea at Château Neercanne in Maastricht.

This Tea was given in the Carrière Poswick  & Orangerie.

My husband is seated right in front of the waiter...

As you can read below, the Carrière Poswick and Orangerie is hewn into huge Roman marl caves as you clearly can see in this photo.

Balcony of The Netherlands

Funny that they call Château Neercanne the Balcony of The Netherlands... (just click above link)

It even is the only terraced castle in the Benelux (Belgium - Netherlands - Luxemburg)

This was the occasion...

First we of course did have a nice walk around this special castle that also is an UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

Here I am to the right (in jeans suit from Escada) with dear friend Judy O'Neil from Canada.

This sadly was the very last time I got to see her...

We did consulting work for her husband's mushroom plants in Canada.

Sande Chase (from the blog: A Gift Wrapped Life) from East Windsor, Ontario knew Judy personally. 

Judy worked from Sande's design studio years ago and they went together to High Point, North Carolina for the Furniture Show one year. Small world...

While they prepare for our Tea, we have a nice conversation with this International group.

This is a photo taken from the terrace looking at the Carrière Poswick & Orangerie where we enjoyed our tea and/or coffee.

Here I enjoy the splendid view over the Jekerdal valley.

You can have a look for yourself by watching this short video...

Neercanne | video showing the Château outside and inside

Related link: 

Château Neercanne | Camille Oostwegel showing you the Château in English language

{Our Adenium obesum Desert Rose Surprise}

On May 28, Pieter had a surprise for me in the greenhouse. The Adenium obesum Desert Rose was blooming! We used to have this on the window sill in the bay window area but since it is a poisonous plant for pets, it had to go to the greenhouse... As much as I love plants; I love our felines even more! In Africa its toxic sap from the roots and stems is used as arrow poison. It is native to the Sahel regions, south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), and tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia. 

As a matter of fact, Travel - Fashion - Lifestyle blogger friend Tammy Lau from Edgymix did show them in their natural environment in one of her posts: The Most Alien Place on Earth-Socotra  isolated from mainland Yemen you can view them in the top photo, above the subject line.

It is happily blooming inside our greenhouse! Quite a Surprise...

They do have lovely flowers!

Related link:
Adenium obesum | Wikipedia