One of my favorite books is about a businessman who buys an entire country on a whim (out of a catalog). Okay, so I admit it isn’t a real country, and there are a few strange creatures that complicate his purchase, but for some reason I just never tire of reading it.
With Christmas just over, there are still lots of excuses to buy last minute gifts. So, I wondered what sort of weird, expensive and unusual gifts I could find, in a catalog, if money was not even a consideration. And, lucky for you, most of these can still be ordered in time for New Year!
Complete with a library (books included), a customized herb garden, and an elegant chandelier, this very posh Chicken Coop comes with your own, personally selected, heritage hens. ($100,000.)
I love this Written Word Clock that tells me the time, simply and kindly, in words that require almost no brain power on my behalf. eg. 4:21pm = Twenty-one minutes past four p.m. ($219.95)
An umbrella with an honest to goodness, lifetime guarantee (really). At $200. it will pay for itself (eventually). In the interest of staying dry, I will cautiously trade practicality for good-looks, and ignore the fact that it is quite boring to look at.
If I had my own private plane, then of course this would be my suitcaseof choice ($87,000. does seem like a lot, but at least it is real leather). I tried to find out how much my plane would cost, but apparently that is a negotiable issue. I did, however, find out that you can get a used one for as little as 2 million, but would I really want a used, inexpensive private plane? Hmm….probably not.
In a slightly (not much) generous moment, I would also buy thesesterling silver condiment lids for all my friends who love Marmite, Jam and Ketchup. Fortunately, they do come with a full jar, but it does make you wonder what happens when they’ve finished the contents. Do I keep them supplied with Ketchup, month after month, or do I give them strict instructions to wash and re-use? (which seems a bit gauche for $150.).
Finally, just because I can, I would have to have this miniature, signed, original illustration by Garth Williams, that was done for the book “Little Fur Family” in 1946. ($7,500.)
Why not spend some time coming up with your own luxury list; it is a lot of fun imagining what you could get, and you will be a amazed at what is out there! Why not dream a little, and begin with the Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gift List for 2012.….
Photograph of Chickens, from, where else, but “Better Hens and Gardens!”
For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/
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