.
.
Slim Paley Photo………………..Ranunculas in the pantry sink
.
.
Happy Friday Favourites everyone! It’s a gorgeous day here in Santa Barbara. We are busy sprucing up the garden, getting some Spring-time painting done (a wood shingled house is a needy mistress) and hard to reach windows are being washed. What a great feeling! It’s not going to rain again until Fall now, right?
We took some friends from NY out for dinner last night to one of our favourite local restaurants and hello there Murphy’s Law- it wasn’t good. First time we’ve ever not had a great dining experience there. Isn’t that so frustrating and embarrassing when you have talked about how great a place is? OK, I have vented, now I have to walk away from it…it’s over.
Walk away… Right now. Finished. On to Friday Favourites;
.
.
.
.
No, I’m not obsessed with Jo Malone, but I can’t help admire how the company continues to deliver beautiful products in fresh and fun ways. Brand new for Spring is their collaboration with British paint and wallpaper company Farrow & Ball (another favourite of mine) resulting in a limited edition of five of J.M.’s most popular scents presented in five of Farrow & Ball’s most popular colours. So pretty and a perfectly lovely Mother’s Day gift idea. (And don’t we love new gift ideas?!) Available mid-April thru mid-June.
.
..
We returned home to watch our recording of “Housewives of NY” just to add insult to injury (not that I’m still whinging about dinner, because I’ve so let that go now) but I think the show might have actually ‘jumped the shark’ for me with the addition of the new cast member. How fake and boooorrrring is she? I’m hardly looking for Anna Karenina-depth character development on Bravo, but couldn’t they have found someone even vaguely tethered to reality? I don’t know…perhaps this was just what I needed to nudge me off of these ridiculous shows and back to a good book just before bed.
Although, ya gotta admit Ramona coming down the runway with that walk and those EYES last night was PRICELESS!!!
(omg. I’m going to hell for this- which is really terrible because all The Housewives are going to be down there)
.
.
Not only that, but one of my good friends told me the Aveeno Cleansing Pads I recommended last week have Parabens in them. Which I think means we have to clean the cleanser off really quickly or we will get Paraben stuff on us. I am at present testing out the paraben-free cleanser she has urged me to try and I will report back after a week or so. In the meantime, if you are using the Aveeno pads, just wash fast.
.
.
.
.
.
Those of you lucky enough to be in NY at the moment will not only be able to partake of the Takashimaya closing sale, but will also be there for the first week of the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at MOMA – one of my favourite photographers (May 11- June 28th)
.
Cartier-Bresson used a little Leica- Just like me! 
.
Anyone else inspired to start shooting in Black & White??
.
.
And while we are on the subject of persons of the French persuasion…
.
If you love the french language as much as I do (but speak it as poorly) I’d like to share this favourite with you;
.
photo from French Word a Day
A sweet little thrice weekly visit to France. It’s really charming!
.
~
.
And if you are just crazy lucky and happen to be in London tomorrow…
.
.
.
The Grace Kelly Exhibition starts at The Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria & Albert always puts on such fantastic exhibitions so I’m sure this is probably going to be FAHbulous!
.
.
.
.
And lastly, courtesy of a couple of Slim Paley readers…
.
.Apparently, I have a new Fan!!
.
One of my most Favourite things of all?? Friends with a great sense of humour Thank you for this!
~
.
.
Oh you know what…I just can’t end on that photo!
.
.
GRACE KELLY (Mika)
.
.
I would kill to be at that Grace Kelly exhibit! You are right, the new housewife is NYC YUCK I don’t even think she is pretty. Too much botox!!!!!!!
I started to read your post and had to jump up and run to the bathroom to rinse my face! I had just used the Aveeno pads which I have actually had for a while now but had no idea they had bad things in them as they feel so nice when you use them. I will stay posted to see if you recommend the natural ones you mentioned. I hate to think how many other things I use have parabens in them but now that I know about the Aveeno I just can’t use them. I watched Housewives NYC for the first time last night based on your recommendation. Wow…Im so thankful for my life and friends. These women can’t be for real. I did love the bulging eyed model-too funny and I wish I knew which was the new housewife-they were all unreal to me. On the whole though the show was really depressing. I will stick with Life or maybe the new Nine by Design?
Thank God for SP….I was into my second hour of ranting about an Anniversary Garden I gave my husband which is coming in at 4TIMES the estimate!!!!!!!!! And I’m looking at it!
UGH! You continue to remind me that these are problems of the lucky duckies..especially that photo of the fishmonger. I mean….I could be a fishwife!
But what a lovely idea- an Anniversary Garden- I love it!
Somehow, I see you as a Grace Kelly! I still covet the charm bracelet she wears in “Rear Window”….how do we track that down? Maybe on RL’s new web site? Hmmmmm, will have to investigate! Ranunculas are a long time favorite….and these are breathtaking!
Jo Malone….anything. Hooked. GLAD you’re grabbing a book instead of housewives…
I can’t even capitalize it. Where do they find these train wrecks? You’re too classy for
that! Thanks for the French Word site! That will be fun. Have a marvelous spring cleaning
sunny weekend! Cheers!
Wow Kelly- How much do I love you for this comment?!! Sadly, the closest I come to Grace Kelly is that I have a charm bracelet and a few Hermes scarves…
Oh yes, and I AM married to a Prince
PS. RL has a new website??!
Henri Cartier-Bresson, looking forward to seeing the exhibit! One of my favs too. As you know I am a big fan of B/W. Cannot watch ny housewives, i know no one like that here.
Wow, It’s Fri. again! Where did that week go?
Lovely way to end week with your post. How very beautiful Grace Kelly was. Taken far too soon. Then I smile again looking at your pantry sink with the stunning raninculas. . .I will rush past the fish wife to say Lagerfeld Rocks! Cute song.
Thanks again, Happy Weekend until next time.
Please ask Karl where I can get one of his T-shirts!
You are a bad bad girl — that picture of Ramona is priceless! She looked positively maniacal on that runway last night. I too bought the Aveeno pads and I love them — now I can’t use them? well I sure hope you find us a good replacement — I was in Nordstrom last weekend at the Jo Malone counter to see if they had the Farrow & Ball candles yet (especially my favorite Lime Basil) they didn’t know anything about them — hopefully they will appear soon. Great post Slim!
Oh my goodness I loved this article on Grace in Vanity Fair… the perfect words. And I love this post!! As always. xx
Slimmy,
still in NYC…I may be able to see HCBresson AND go to Takashimaya…and there is a Jo Malone on Madison. I’m also stopping by Chanel to see the new I Heart Slim Paley Tees.
Haaaa!! Lagerfeld’s head photo-shopped on to the body of a guy in an “I heart SP t-shirt” …. hilarious! And how about his trademark tie and shirt collar poking out of the top?!
Jo Malone and Farrow & Ball ~ there’s a marriage made in heaven.
This afternoon I visited Jo Malone and had some fun dabbling with their dazzling array of cream and black bottles. I layered White Jasmine & Mint and Black Vetyver Cafe on my wrist and fell in love with it for the second time. The woman behind the counter looked baffled and remarked that it was an “unusual combination”. What do you do with that? How to blow a sale in 1o seconds. I look forward to checking out the new Malone/Farrow & Ball candles when they arrive. What a brilliant campaign.
Brilliant Friday post!
I’m going to the Grace Kelly exhibition the week after next, would you like a catalogue?
Happy Weekend!
Thank you so much Andrea- that is really sweet! I have a friend in London that is going also.
I hope you really enjoy it- please report back!
Love your Friday’s! and LOVE Grace Kelly. oh to be that beautiful!!!
Purple ranunculus AND Grace Kelly all in the same post! Beautiful!
Thanks for the great info in this post! My son is finishing up a semester of college in London right now and I may be able to talk him into getting over to the Grace Kelly ehxibit. I LOVE the French Word site! After 3 years of French, I still can’t speak it..it looks like a great resource for places to stay as well….I’m thinking full immersion ( wishful thinking) I loved the anniversary garden idea too…(my new tree is happily planted in front of my porch)
I wish I was so fortunate that I could Jet off to London and N.Y and see these amazing exhibitions
but on the other hand, I’m so incredibly fortunate that I don’t look like Ramona after I’ve had a glass of Pinot Gris.
shouldn’t those candles be priced the same in Canada as in the U.S seeing as our dollar is at par?…..just saying. It’s tough being a Canadian sometimes.
Great post Slim! I love your Friday favorites.
also loved Jane’s idea of an Anniversary Garden:)
Ditto what you said Canuck. Why are we charged a premium when our dollar has traded at par and above!?!? This morning I was at Barnes and Noble and they charged me 6%!! I said “hmmm that doesn’t sound right. Our dollar closed at .989 yesterday”. The sales clerk told me that 6% is what their bank charges them to handle foreign cash. (We want to be sure 2010 bonuses for the bank’s executive team are well funded.)
I love Jane’s anniversary garden too. Beautiful.
LC
Loved your picture of the Ranunculas.. I discovered these last spring. They make such a great arrangement. The only sad part is they only bloom for such a short time, but are a wonderful show of colour until our summer flowers are ready for planting. Slim, my husband is your best fan when it comes to your photography. At the moment he has your beautiful red rose as our screen saver. Every other day he has another of your pictures up on the screen. Also, a request from my husband for more recipes!!!!!!!.He made the soup recipe a few posts back…delicious. Beautiful pictures of Grace Kelly. And I also, will have to find one of your T SHIRTS…………..Enjoy the weekend.
That is SO nice! I love your husband! And you are right- I haven’t posted a recipe in a while…
I better get back in that kitchen
PS. Only bad thing about Ranunculas- they’re like a Four Star hotel for earwigs – ugh.
You put into words my feelings about the Housewives….my DVR is not longer set and I feel released from that foolishness!! But I may not erase “Ramona on the Runway.” I’ll watch it and feel better when I’m trying to get over embarrassing myself.
HCB superb, Grace divine, KL scary. The first photo of the dark purplish flowers too gorgeous.
Bonjour Slim, Many thanks for recommending French Word-A-Day. Today’s word will be posted at the blog soon: it is “ébouriffé” (ay-boor-ee-fay) which means dishevelled, kind of like those going-to-hell housewifes you mention!
Regarding ranunculas, I had the exciting surprise this week to see these flowers popping up in my garden. (I had tossed out the pot at the end of last season, thinking the flowers were finished. Thankfully the pot didn’t land far from the garden wall… and there… the little fleurs took hold of the earth below their “feet” and bloomed again this year! The colors of your flowers are beautiful. Merci pour tout!