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Slim Paley photo
I’m most happy to report that this little guy has usurped the gigantic spider’s real estate outside the window at my desk. He is here every day with a partner of equally vibrant plumage, which leads me to wonder if perhaps they are two males? Aren’t the females usually more modestly attired?? I’m not a bird person at all, so if you told me this was a baby peacock I’d believe you. In fact, I like to believe it is 
What GORGEOUS weather we’ve enjoyed in Santa Barbara the last couple of days! It feels like summer full throttle, although perhaps not quite as much as NYC which topped out at an amazing 90 degrees on Wednesday, but I’ll take our high 70′s, thank you very much!
I really cannot believe Friday is here again so soon, but the good news is I’m excited to share with you some fun and, as always, completely random favourites this week;
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My favourite new Uggs (yes, Uggs! $120) Finally, a pair of sexy summer Uggs- Husbands rejoice! (alright, so they’re not heels, but it’s a start…)
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Slim Paley photo ……………
Fabriano Mediovalis stationery (single deckled cards 2 1/2 X 3 3/4, 100 pcs)
I’m a paper freak so I love these little cards I found Upstairs at Pierre LaFond in Montecito, CA. (There are also several places to buy them online) They are great for hand-written place cards, gift enclosures, even for miniature water-colours or sketches when traveling. Keep several in your handbag for note sharing- along with a burnt umber ink calligraphy fountain pen. Your thoughts and directions, heck, even telephone numbers will carry so much more impact…So much chicer than “Bumping” iPhones! (Not that I know how to bump my iPhone – do you?! I wish I did!)
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Slim Paley photo
I’m also loving these Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads I picked up at Target. They are just ever so slightly exfoliating (and I mean ever so slightly) but they are really nice for cleansing without leaving your face feeling super dry. They are very thick and big! Too big really. The Thrifty Good Wife side of me is tempted to cut them in half, but the Virgo germophobe side worries that the cut ones would contaminate the rest of the container. I wonder which side will win out? Meanwhile, Aveeno, if you’re reading this- WHO has this big of a face? Please make them smaller and give us more in the jar. Thank you.
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Slim Paley Photo
Oh these are good! Sweet, but good. Especially the Toasted Coconut flavour. I found them in at Atkinson’s grocery store in Sun Valley, but they came all the way from Vancouver, BC. from Butter Baked Goods. Idaho can’t be the only place they’re sold in the States so keep an eye out – It’s always fun to find something a little out of the ordinary to bring when you’re going to someone’s home.
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Calling all Tea Party-ers! But let’s not talk politics! How funny are these tea bags from a German company ca
Pret-a-porTEA Tea Bags
Tea Party anyone?llLet’s just promise not to talk politics! How funny are these?! They are available online from a German company callede Donkey Products.com. Unfortunately, it appears to be the only place to buy them, at least for the moment, and my German is about as stellar as my Spanish, which means I can’t get past “In den warenkorb” and “Zur Kasse gehen”. Help? anybody?? I can’t figure out if they are telling me to put the teabags in my shopping cart, or turn myself in. Never been so terrified to click before. But look at Audrey- so cute!! I want one!
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I’d like to take credit for these flowers, but alas, they’re from Dandelion Ranch , my favourite place to have flower arrangements delivered from (in the Los Angeles area) Dandielion’s flowers are inventive as well as pretty, nothing run of the mill here, even the containers are creative. Not to mention their staff’s abundance of patience when I’m trying to control every aspect of an arrangement from 90 miles away. Love that
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The carousel in front with over 150 scents
Sorry, I admit it, I’m completely obsessed with perfumes. Look, it could be worse- it could be jewelry. Have you tried Memoire Liquide yet? They are wonderful- SO many scents that you can mix, create your own concoctions- one could spend hours at their counter. I first discovered it at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and bought the little set of 3 bottles- fantastic for evening bags and travel as they are very small and have roll on applicators.
From the LA Times:
Memoire Liquide
Sisters Robin Coe-Hutshing and Jennifer Coe-Bakewell started custom blending scents in 1984 at their small fragrance counter in Fred Segal Santa Monica. Today, they own Studio Beauty Mix, the apothecary-style, multi-line beauty product store at Fred Segal, which also houses the Memoire Liquide counter where scents are blended into perfumes, lotions and body washes.
Coe-Hutshing has filled the fragrance bar with more than 150 perfume bases, which are, in turn, composed of multi-note scents that she has named to invoke a memory or capture the notion of the scent. “Sensuel” is one of those multi-note scents and includes red tea, sandalwood and musk, a mix that reminds her of a stay at hotel in Kyoto, Japan, with sandalwood floors and the faint smell of incense in the air. “That was a really good vacation,” said Coe-Hutshing, who also developed all the Stila fragrances and has consulted with various beauty companies including Estée Lauder and Bath & Body Works.
Like “Sensuel,” every multi-note scent can be worn alone or layered with others. Coe-Hutshing said that customers tend to choose three or four blends, but there is no correct number. “There’s no answer to how many scents is too many.”
I haven’t tried the newest collection yet, but I’m loving the descriptions;
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Memoire Liquide is available online, but I would suggest playing at one of their counters first. Fred Segal, Bloomingdales, and Henri Bendel’s are a few of places you may find it.
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.Lastly, perhaps I’m very late to this party but OMG- my mom bought me a pair of these LaCross eyebrow tweezers with a built in LED light- GENIUS!! Available all over the place online.
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Wishing you a wonderful Friday! (Anyone else get shpilcus (SP? My Yiddish is right up there with my German and Spanish) watching Housewives of NY again tonight? You know I never ever understood those girls in school who wanted to physically “fight” each other…until now. What did Kelly Bensimmon say this week? ”Like you have to feel sorry for models- Like they have to be on their own like so much of the time” What?? Really?? And why is that? So Hilar. Sue me, I’m hooked!
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Favourite Friday cartoon from The New Yorker
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Sweet Friday to You!
OMG how cute are those teacup …what ever they are called!
oops- thanks for pointing that out Babe- I forgot to say they were called “Pret-a-porTEAS!
Happy Friday to you!
I knew I’d seen those somewhere before, check out Charles and Marie for those and lots of other fun finds: http://charlesandmarie.com/tea-party
(and I think it’s less of a risk because it’s all in English!)
Fantastic!!
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Thanks so much for the link ‘Daughter’ ! ( A Born Shopper- makes a Mama proud!
Love the Uggs-so summery and fun. What would you wear them with? I never know when they tie like that at the ankle if they really look good with a skirt or if you have to be a 6′ tall model to successfully carry off that look. I am 5’7′and closing in on 50. What do you think?
I would wear them with a cropped jean or capri pant.
I agree with Lady Eve, Jass
Although I think they would also be cute with a long white vintage cotton eyelet skirt, or long denim skirt with a slit that shows the tie up.
Those tea bags are adorable! Love all your favorites today, especially those Uggs! What?
Is there hope for Crocs to come up with something that cute? Er, probably not!
Your feathered friend is quite handsome! Now I can picture you writing from your desk
with that beautiful view! I look forward to all your FF’s, thanks so much for sharing your
terrific taste!
Slim,
The tea bags…..where do you find this stuff? But it was the coconut marsh mellows that left me speechless. I must be late to the party too, cause I have never seen the LaCross tweezers. I was glued to my TV last night too. Love my NYC housewives trash TV. I think what intrigues me is their whole lifestyle and do they really act like that or is it for effect? Can’t help but want to tune in each week!
Happy Friday, SP ~
I am so glad I have the opportunity to possibly teach YOU something for all the things you show me……
GOOGLE has a “language tool” to the right of their search as a hyperlink: if you copy and paste your text in a foreign language in the TRANSLATE TEXT box, then it will translate for you.
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=&ie=UTF-8&text=In+den+warenkorb%E2%80%9D+and+%E2%80%9CZur+Kasse+gehen&sl=de&tl=en#
In this particular case, I chose German to English and got In The Basket and Go To Checkout..
Wha La
BTW, I love your beautiful peacock!!
LuvYa-MeanIt,
Courtney
PS ~ Don’t start watching RuPaul’s Drag Race…It is FIERCE with those runway drag queens!
thanks for the “language tool” tip:)
Thanks Courtney! I had no idea that feature existed on Google.
I think I’ll probably take a pass on Ru Paul’s show- I hate it when guys are better at doing their make-up than me.
As ever, great photos, great finds, and a good laugh! You’ve really got some style, SP!
Courtney beat me to it – love Google for figuring out stuff – shop with passion!
I’m never surprised anymore about what comes out of Kelly’s mouth anymore. I’ll be surprised when something substantive comes out (gotta love her huge apartment though – but not the horse sculpture). Jill’s still disappointing… sigh… think I’m hooked?
Love this post! FF’s is a great idea, fun way to start a weekend..
and I love that Butter is just a few blocks away from me, it’s a definite “go to” for my friends and I when we are in charge of desserts.
I also love the Fabriano little cards and use them for love/cheer notes to family members tucked somewhere that they’ll find during the course of a busy week! They are eco-friendly since they are made from linen rags and not whitened. This size makes nice calling cards especially when letterpressed. They also come in mailing sizes with envelopes and go through printers easily. Some brides-on-a-budget print their own invitations on these cards and they look classic and high-end. There are similar cards by Amalfi but a bit whiter in color. Both are produced in Italy by generations old family-owned paper makers. Most art supply stores carry them as well as some stationers.
I really wanted to say that no way Pamela Anderson will bathe in my Tea but can’t get over your Desk Window Bird and ALL your Friday Favs – from the Flowers to the scents, passing through the sweets I’m not even sure it’s legal to go this overboard in the same Post
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Thank you so much! Sweet Friday to you too and a gorgeous and Sunny Weekend!
Teresa
P.S. Guys
– all that paradise and two days in a row they meet in the same place?! guys, no doubt LOL. Lucky You!
Slim, I love the Friday Favorites. SO much fun to read. Re:Housewives…..so love! I am on my way to perfecting impersonations of Kelly and Skinny Bitch, or whatever her name is. And I haven’t yet perfected Crazy Ramona’s Crazy Eye Bursts but whoa! That’s gonna be a good one if I can get it down.
Memoire Liquide is divine. And the scents last! They do not fade after a few months. I have a custom made bath gel that is still fragrant after many months. I can spend hours at their “bar” sniffing scents and coffee beans.
I have been looking for the perfect paper for business cards–thanks for providing the answer and the source! Have a great Spring week-end.
I love your new window friend…he is dashingly handsome!
I sure hope you name him
How cute are those tea bags?! And I love that they put Karl Lagerfeld in such feminine tea cup pants
Great Friday Favs — and YES — I am hooked on NYC Housewives!
Maureen
I agree great fri. faves. Your beautiful bird coming every day, Uggs introducing these adorable sandals- Who knew ? I can see them with a long peasanty skirt for summer, and yes cropped pants.
The teas are so cute, gotta get those. Every thing is so inviting and as for those flower arrangements I think they have copied you Slim!
Happy weekend. Thanks again for helping us see the beauty around us.
Oops to say nothing of your amazing sense of humor .
those tea bags are just the most creative things/gifts I’ve seen in a long time!!! Can’t wait to purchase some! Just LOVE your blog! Thanks SP