Monthly Archives: January 2010

Moody

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Slim Paley Photo…………………………..Moody Roses from my garden

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Haughty Moody

Irish artist  John Lavery  Study for Hazel in rose and gold, 1921 (National Gallery of Ireland)


.Photo uncredited………… Anglo Moody

I don’t remember where I found this photo.  It’s another that has stood the test of time on one of my inspiration boards.  Something about the mood of this room just speaks to me, despite the  rather torturous looking weaponry.  The hide thrown over the heavy lushness of the rug, the roaring glow of the fire reflected in the ruby leather chairs, the chicken wire against the stone walls- it’s British eccentricity at it’s best.  I even love the Harry Potteresque serpents keeping sentry at the hearth

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Reading Mood

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I read this book about 7 years ago and was quite amazed by it.  For obvious(?) reasons it popped into my head while I was musing about the colours and feel of this post. And something else that is amazing to me?  I knew just where to find this book- and I have a lot of books.  A LOT of books!  I really, truly should have been a librarian, except for the fact that I don’t organize books well, so I probably would have been fired all the time.  But there isn’t a single room in our home that isn’t groaning with my books and yet I could probably tell you where most titles are in a pinch.  What is that about?? I can’t find the car keys I had 5 minutes ago, or for that matter, even remember where I parked the car, and once, as you might recall from an earlier post, I lost a bed, but somehow my brain photographs my inventory of books.

Sorry…was I rambling? Perhaps I should have saved that for another “Things That Amaze Me” post.  If you see this again,  please pretend you didn’t read it before.

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Slim Paley Photo…… A bookcase in my home  ORGANIZING MOOD

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French Boho Mood

Isabel Marant,  Spring 2010 collection. What’s the connection you might ask?  Well, you know,British army khaki, fabulous fur jacket- the fur rug.  The room above looks a little chilly, the coat is warm….and again, I love the effortless eccentricity, (not that I’m wearing the shorts, thank you very much, other life- time)   I’m so excited that Isabel Marant is opening her first shop in the U.S., in New York on Greene St. in the spring!  And if you, like me, happen to live in Santa Barbara, you may find the collection at Diani, on State. St.

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Slim Paley photo……… Traveling Mood

A residential field of tulips I snapped just outside of Amsterdam.

A trip to Holland during Tulip Season, which peaks around April 15th should be added to your “Bucket List” (I like this premise, although I don’t like the word bucket, please let’s think of a better one).  Anyway,  the tulips are one of the most outrageous things you will ever see.  You will CRY. Seriously!  The Keukenhof Gardens in full bloom has to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately all my photos are hard copies which I have yet to scan, save a few.

“During the 1620s and 1630s, financial speculators in Holland went mad over the brightly-colored flowers: at one point in 1633, a farmhouse was traded for three tulip bulbs. The “tulip bubble” collapsed in 1637, leaving speculators bankrupt, but Holland has continued its love affair with tulips to this day.  The ultimate tulip paradise is the Keukenhof Gardens, a 70-acre field outside the Dutch town of Lisse.”  (excerpt from Frommer’s)

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Moody Mood

Just a simple little number from Rodarte, Spring 2010. I like it because it’s such a no-brainer and so easy to put on when you’re running out the door…  I’d wear with it, oh say, some high heeled boots, lace up of course :)

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Slim Paley Photo               Masculine Mood

A masculine mood in Sun Valley (picture with a small serape rug and a  curly lamb fur cushion on the chair please)

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Dramatic Mood

Kind of hiddy, kind of cool.  I’d love to see this fireplace in a much warmer, more rustic looking room.  Against a stone wall, with reclaimed wood floors, and fabrics with some tooth and texture- perhaps even a dash of plaid thrown in,  I think the contrast would be really striking.  If I knew how to photo shop I would try it.  What say you?  I bet men would like this.

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Fantasy Mood

And girls would like this.  My Favourite Dress (available on Amazon)

.Images from the book

“This lavishly illustrated publication is a commentary on the emotional attachment that various key fashion personalities from designers, celebrities, models, photographers, stylists and fashion editors have with the one thing that is treasured in their memory or wardrobe: their Favourite Dress. 75 designers and key industry players from around the world have described the very personal reasons behind their choice, through text, photographs by leading fashion photographers, fabric samples, original sketches and other ephemera their choices come alive on the page. The dresses selected by these individuals are intriguing and highlights the intimacy that the designer and wearer feels with their garment. This book gives the audience an opportunity to explore how a dress can be a creative statement, a symbol of celebration, power, and individuality. “My Favourite Dress” is about choice, memory and a moment; a must have for any fashionista.” (From publisher, Oct. 2009)  Oh  ya- We all need this book.  My mood is getting better…

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Interesting Moody.

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Slim Paley photo…… Armchair Traveling Mood

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Photo from my Inspiration board…….Cute Moody

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Now that’s just CRAZY MOODY!

Gasoline Rainbows…

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image castletroycollege.net

To read the letter in larger print click here;  Letters Of Note

J.D. Salinger passed away today at the ripe old age of 91.  Perhaps there is something to be said for “getting away from it all”. I imagine I join millions of others in saying his “Catcher In The Rye” was a pivotal novel for me . It was truly the first time, as a young reader, that I felt the author was really talking to me and not just telling me a story.  I fell in love with Holden Caufield way back then and I never lost the love. To be sure, other suitors and their creators have come along, too myriad to list (OK, Garcia-Marquez gets a shout out) but Holden and  J.D. will always occupy that special place in my heart.

Alright, I’m a little verklempt (sp?) so let’s consider this “Mini-Post Thursday”.  I’ll be back with more colour tomorrow. Night All…

PS.  The above website Letters Of Note (.com)  is a very cool site.  Give it a gander.  ”Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated every weekday. Edited by Shaun Usher.”  (from the Letters of Note website)

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Memory Lane

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Slim Paley photo of my porch


I’ve been posting for just a little over six months now.  Being a novice, there’s always a steep learning curve, but so far I’ve really enjoyed creating Slim Paley!  Now that I’ve accumulated over 100 posts, I thought perhaps it was time for me to start categorizing them, which then led to the idea of writing a little “Catch Up”  post as I have quite a few new visitors since I first began. :)   In no way should this be misconstrued as a way of procrastinating, or even getting out of the whole “Categorizing” thing altogether… it will happen…but let’s keep our priorities straight!

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Way back  on Lash Chat (9/24), I discussed my dilemma of using Neu Lash to thicken my lashes, only to find I had more lashes growing out of the tear-duct corner of my eyes than my actual eyelash line.  Since then, I’ve stopped using Neu Lash and instead, got my eyelashes tinted black at a salon (like you could do this at home)  Now I am back to my normal longish but sparsely spaced eyelashes (fence post-like might be an apt description), but jet black and of a more dry and stick straight- ahead nature. Who knew that dying your lashes takes some of the curl out?  The only lashes that didn’t stop growing profusely after I discontinued the Neu Lash were the ones growing in my eye corners.  You see Murphy’s Law even applies to vanity.

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Speaking of Murphy’s Law, I did a post awhile back called “Murphy’s Wall” (11/11) about renovating my younger son’s bathroom.  I’m sure you must think that would be finished by now. You would be wrong in that assumption. It wasn’t titled Murphy’s Wall without reason.  Let’s just hope it gets finished before he grows up, falls in love, marries, and the new, vastly irritating daughter-in-law wants to change it again.  (Because of course my children are never going to actually move out and leave me :)  )

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On the upside, I did a post called “Things That Amaze Me” (10/18), which is actually one of my favourite posts for a few reasons. Firstly, I must admit I love the photos, secondly I really loved all the great comments and lastly, in complaining about my fingernails, it lead to someone telling me about Biosil for hair and nail growth.  While I haven’t noticed any improvement in the hair department (which naturally, or rather UNnaturally, could be due to the fact that I had it chemically straightened to within an inch of it’s follicular life) my nails are REBORN.  NO JOKE.  My fingernails were so soft and weak they would bend in half if you looked at them the wrong way.  Now- Super Talons!!  It’s crazy.  It took about 2 and 1/2 months to notice the difference.  Trust me on this one.

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Another of my favourite posts was “Fearless Fragrance” (10/04)  I guess because I am obsessed with perfume, although I haven’t always been, and I fell in love with Luca Turin’s turn of words when describing scent.   Since this post went up I have a few new fav’s;  Tom Ford’s collection of Musks and White Suede (in a gorgeous rosewood caddy, and Guerlain’s outrageously romantic Iris Ganache.  Bal D’Afrique by Byredo Parfums has been calling me too, but I’m trying not to take the call…

What are some of  your Favourite Favourites??!

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On a slightly less sexy note, I bought the ThermaPAK  Heatshift pad from the “Last minute Gift Ideas” post. LOVE!  It’s the little things isn’t it?? I’m clicking away as we speak, in bed, and my husband isn’t giving me Stink Eye for my laptop fan going off.  Somehow the pad keeps your lap cool and deflects or absorbs(?) the heat from the computer at the same time. This is a Good Thing.  More Midnight Madness Shopping time!!

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Another item I particularly love that I hadn’t tried yet when I mentioned it on the post was the Diptique Roasted Chestnut candle.  DEEEvine. It smells like it’s raining outside and very cold, and you get to spend the whole day in bed with magazines, with a fire going, while someone cooks sweet-smelling  treats for you.  That’s exactly what it smells like.  At $65 it’s a splurge but everyone comments on how gorgeous the scent is.  I say we all put pressure on Diptique to put them on sale as it’s a “HOLIDAY” scent.  Nudge, nudge, wink wink.

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Santa did buy bring me a couple of other items on the S.P. Christmas gift lists including the Bentley of food dehydrators “THE EXCALIBUR”!,  It’s fantastic, other than the fact that it’s so big it needs it’s own space in the garage.  It has a fan, my old one did not, which seems to facilitate the drying process, I guess not unlike a convection oven? Paging Alton Brown…  Anyway, it’s cool and it definitely works.  I might even try drying rose petals or whole flowers in it.  I’ll keep you posted.

Slim Paley Photo Here I put the roses in an antique leather gentlemen’s cologne case

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Got the new Mac Mouse too (Cool Gifts for Fellows 11/10), although the eagerly anticipated announcement of The iPad today might make my new little mouse feel more like a dinosaur.  Who can keep up?!  Is it a phone? Is it a computer?  Is there a leopard print carrying case available??   Who’s buying one?!

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Lastly, a Burmese official announced yesterday that Aung San Suu Kyi  (8/12) would NOT be getting a reprieve on her 18 month sentence (for some crazy zealot swimming onto her property while she was under house arrest) therefore she will not be released until November.  She has now been incarcerated for 14 of the past 20 years, I believe.  But the Bomb In The Underpants Man will receive an All Frills Package trial here, in addition to “his” Miranda Rights and a defense lawyer that we’ll all pay for.   Arrrgh.

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No wonder we seek joy, solace and even escape, in beautiful things…

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Slim Paley Photo Sun Valley

Vitamin C Type A

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Slim Paley Photo

I picked these from my garden this afternoon   ~  Don’t be jealous- we do get earthquakes, fires and floods…

‘Tis  the season for Blood Oranges!  The colour simply delights me every time I slice into them and the intensity and tangy-ness is incomparable.

I’ll share my Secret Recipe;  Freshly squeezed juice of blood oranges +  Miller’s Gin.  The secret is in the gin and the blood oranges.     Don’t tell anyone who doesn’t read Slim Paley.

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Slim Paley Photo

Miller’s is a very nice clean tasting gin that doesn’t interfere with the flavour of the juice.  In fact it runs interference for just about everything after a few sips.

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Blood oranges, like all citrus fruits, are a good source of vitamin C. One medium-sized orange contains 260 milligrams of potassium, 15 percent of the FDA’s daily recommendation. The fruit’s red pigment, anthocyanin, is an antioxidant that reduces the risks associated with many ailments, including age-related illnesses.
Blood oranges diminish the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer and bad cholesterol build-up. They may also reduce the risk of cataracts, and aid in the body’s healing process.
Eating a medium-sized orange provides 28 percent of the recommended daily amount of dietary fiber[citation needed]. Oranges can also be a valuable source of iron, calcium and vitamin A.  (nicked from Wikipedia)

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Blood Orange Sorbet

1. Juice your blood oranges. Then measure the juice.

2. For each 1 cup (250ml) of juice, figure 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar to be added.

For example: Use 1/2 cup (100g) sugar for 2 cups juice (500ml).

3. Put the sugar in a small, non-reactive saucepan. Add just enough juice to saturate it very well. Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

4. Stir the sugar back into the reserved blood orange juice.

5. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker.

(Adapted (word for word) from a David Lebovitz recipe)

Photo from Dreamydish.com

Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients

Makes 1/2 cup
3 oranges
1 cup sugar
Directions

Using a citrus zester or vegetable peeler, shred long strips of orange peel.
Place strips in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain; repeat two more times with fresh water.
Place sugar in a clean saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the citrus strips to the boiling syrup; reduce heat, and simmer until strips are translucent, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let strips cool in syrup, at least 1 hour. Remove from syrup when ready to use.   (dead lift from Martha Stewart)



Miquel Coelho Photo

I  don’t really care for candied orange peel but I think they are beautiful and I must say these ones look delicious and downright chic. Roll orange peels in sugar before serving if desired, or dip into tempered dark chocolate.  Grapefruit, lemon or limes may be substituted.  Wouldn’t all of them together be gorgeous?! I’d be tempted to make them just to go with my decor!

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Slim Paley Photo

Jo Malone Orange Blossom perfume.  Still the BEST orange blossom I’ve found.  Free shipping from JoMalone.com

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Slim Paley Photo

My buxom blood orange tree

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The Arrival

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Slim Paley Photos

Much like the highly anticipated arrival of le Beaujolais Nouveau in Europe every November, I happily await the sprouting of my helibores.  A humble little flower, not unlike the Beaujolais in that regard, it still has earned a soft spot in my heart for it’s sheer consistency, not to mention that it takes literally only moments to throw together a pretty bouquet- they practically arrange themselves.  Well,  lo and behold,  le helibore est arrive’! There is hope for Spring people!  I took these photos in my severely sodden garden yesterday morning as we enjoyed a brief (so they say) respite from El Nino.  It is supposed to return tomorrow.  I will be double checking my kitchen gutters you may be assured.  And for those of you inquiring after Rachel U. the spider, she appears to have forsaken her spot in front of my desk window, at least for now. As I said, she never seemed to catch anything there anyway.  In the meantime, during these hot chocolate and Wellington boot days, I have the pretty little faces of my helibores to enjoy while the rains continue to throw us into a complete tizzy here in Southern California.

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Recommended reading with your hot chocolate;  Any of the gardening books by Beverley Nichols.  A friend gave me some for my last birthday and I just love them.  Like having Noel Coward in the garden.  All available on Amazon.

Down the Garden Path has stood the test of time as one of the world’s best-loved and most-quoted gardening books. Ostensibly an account of the creation of a garden in Huntingdonshire in the 1930s, it is really about the underlying emotions and obsessions for which gardening is just a cover story. The secret of this book’s success — and its timelessness — is that it does not seek to impress the reader with a wealth of expert knowledge or advice. Beverley Nichols proudly declares his status as a newcomer to gardening: “The best gardening books should be written by those who still have to search their brains for the honeysuckle’s languid Latin name … “

(from the dust jacket)

Beverley and Whoops

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