Monthly Archives: January 2011

Cabin Fever

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We’re having our first cloudy and very windy day here in almost two weeks- oh! I just looked out the window and it has started to pour! Still, not complaining- compared to what’s going on in other parts of the country, we are blessed indeed.  In any case, it’s the perfect day to take a visit to some snowy scenes and cozy hearths, I’d say.   (and may we have just a moment here? There is NO FOOTBALL today!! I don’t know what happened, but I’m not saying anything…the peace is heavenly :) )

Something beautiful to listen to while you stroll; 


(Is that a voice, or what?!)

Slim Paley photo

My kitchen is Sun Valley

One counter is zinc with an integrated sink, the others are Absolute Black granite honed.  The lower cabinetry and floors are all reclaimed wood. The island is 3/4 wood and 1/4 granite for chopping by the stove. I always like to put a hidden plug on kitchen islands to place a lamp- it feels homey :)   Also, please note my “Butler’s Bells” above the zinc counter, a la “Downton Abbey”!

Slim Paley photo

There is only one small overhead cabinet in the kitchen, which you see to the right of the fireplace- and I don’t even fill it. All our dishes are kept in the antique armoire to the left of the fridge. Now that TV’s are flat, there’s a lot of armoires out there out of a job!   The dish towel rack is a vintage heated towel bar that mounts to the floor and the wall.  Don’t look at how messy my pots are.

Inside the armoire

Who does ” Chic Rustic Cabin” better than Ralph Lauren?

Fendi, Dolce & Gabanna, and Max Mara

Slim Paley photo

Sun Valley

Nothing better than a fireplace in the bedroom- although now I’m looking at this photo, I’m wondering who stole the ottoman…

photo Mercia De Vries

From one of my son’s old books “Teddy’s World”

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Mandatory Cabin Libation

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The metal fireplace surround in the Sun Valley dining room my genius Iron monger made (he made all the log holders too)

Fireplace by AK-47

I think this is so cool! When not being used, it has a cover so it can also be a coffee table.

via Marie-Claire

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Slim Paley photo

A cozy lean-to at The Point, in the Adirondacks

The Point

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Sunlight streams in over one of the built in beds in the boy’s room, Sun Valley

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The boy’s bathroom in Sun Valley. It was hard to take a good photo as the skylight was covered in snow

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Junya Watanbe Men’s Fall 2011

My Front Door, Sun Valley

Chanel Boots

Slim Paley photo

My friend brought me this from a shop in Paris. She said she saw it and instantly thought of me. It’s a pre-measured  rice pudding with caramel and hazelnut concoction. If you’re ever in Paris, you must look for this shop- she said it’s beautiful and amazing.

Note to self;  Make sure to remove all the wraps from caramels before dumping into milk next time :(

Slim Paley photo

Yum!!

A wonderful Christmas present- a set of these adorable mini Le Creuset crock pots in aubergine.

D & G and Martin Margiela

A Definite on MY BUCKET LIST:

WHITE POD, Switzerland

All photos via White Pod.  Please check out the video link at the bottom of the page.

and now, back to Sun Valley;

Slim Paley Photo

a nice afternoon walk in the ‘garden’

J.W. Anderson SS11 “Festival Boots” with Swarovski crystal toes. Made in England.

The Ultimate Snow Boots!!  I can’t help it- I love them!!

Slim Paley photo

Then a nice long bath

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Grab a book from the mezzanine

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and curl up to watch the sun go down…

Slim Paley photo

Happiness is a pile of old books

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Recording of Robert Frost reciting his poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”; 


WHITE POD LINK

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Cheers!

XX

Tangerine Mimosas All Round!

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Tangerine  Mims All Round!!

WOOT WOOT!!!



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OMG-   I made it!  I’m IN!

THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH to everyone that voted for me!!!  I recognized so many familiar names and “faces” over on The Homie nominations and I can’t tell you how touched I am. You guys are The Best-  You really are My Homies!!  Not only did you help me make it into the top 6 9  (hey- whatupwidat BTW??)   but I received the largest amount of  nominations!   I’d also like  to thank my director, my make-up team, my lawyers…oh, and most of all, my MOM for finally being persuaded to enter her “Passport” information and place that swing vote for me!!  It’s fricking AWESOME!

Look!

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OK, so you know when I said that part  before  about “I’d just be so happy to make it into the Final 6″…

Not taking that back, don’t get me wrong, but….

:)

You know me,  you know where I’m going with this, right?!

What if…

 


Slim Paley photo

If I could just win the $50 grand prize we could all have caviar with our mimosas!!!

All you have to do is click HERE and vote for Slim Paley again, or for the first time, if you haven’t voted yet. The Good news is  it’s much easier this final go round! ;  I take that back- today the site’s been so shaky  Evi Quaid’s getting jealous.

When you get to The Homies Contest on Apartment Therapy, you will see this:

To vote again now if you’ve already signed in and voted once before  click; SIGN IN .

If you do not have an account,and are voting for the first time please click; REGISTER

You might have to click on the “Vote below” directly underneath the list of finalists to refresh the actual voting buttons- or you might not, depending on the site’s mood that second :)

I really apologize for all this boring information- I feel like  Jeff at Tribal Council!

 

Once again, Thank you so much for all your support and quite frankly all this fun!

 

 

I’m sending you  flowers from my garden with  heartfelt gratitude

 

Slim Paley Photo

 

 

In the meantime, I’m going to be doing a lot of this;

 

 

Oh, I almost forgot… Good Luck to all the other contestants…NO, really


I dedicate this post to every school volleyball, basketball & baseball team captain who picked me last :)


 

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Bed & Breakfast

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Slim Paley photo

I found this vintage toaster at an antique show and I thought it was so pretty that I decided to collect them.

That was about 10 years ago.  So far, this is the extent of my collection, but I’m working on it.

Slim Paley photo

A very inviting “Come back to bed” in the English country side

Are you a morning person?  Pas moi.  Do you love breakfast? Not me.  I find breakfast to be the most boriiinng meal of the day; so few choices and usually accompanied by bad hair & make-up.  That being said, one of my semi-resolutions for the New Year (and I say “semi” very loosely, as I just made this resolution last week, is that I’m going to try and eat healthier breakfasts and drink freshly squeezed fruit & vegetable juices.

Don’t get me wrong…I love a good fry-up just as much as the next guy, but some effort will be made to Go Greener this month year.

Behold The Old Me;


Slim Paley Photo of an old Simpson’s  menu

Be still my cholesterol challenged heart  (well, truth be told, I could have lived without the lamb bits)  Simpson’s In-The-Strand on Piccadilly St. in London used to be my favourite place to go for a good old fashioned English Fry-up, with lashings of good strong tea on the side.  Sadly, this breakfast is no longer with us (I’m probably the last remaining survivor)

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Slim Paley photo

This morning’s breakfast included bacon and eggs with white truffle salt, fried toast and fresh squeezed apple & carrot juice

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Technically, this should have been garnished with a slice of green apple but I thought if I used cucumber I could recycle the photo as a Bloody Mary, so if you see it tagged as such in a later post, just play along

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All Slim Paley photos

Gorgeous mushrooms

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Slim Paley photo

Tomatoes roasting over my kitchen fire in Sun Valley.

My iron monger made the iron ‘roaster’ for me. It swings in and out on a hinged arm.

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My small & cozy Sun Valley bedroom

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After a Sunday breakfast like the one above, climbing back into bed is pretty much mandatory.

Slim Paley Photo

A well rounded breakfast is always served at our friend’s glorious home in Greece

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Via Flickr

Do you prefer a healthy herbal tea in the morning?

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Slim Paley photo

Chamomile and stone bench in my Santa Barbara garden

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A regular cuppa tea?

(PG Tips or Marks & Spencers are my personal favourites, as are these Tea Cup pigs, as long time readers know. Check out her little pinky held up!!)

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A big fat capp?

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A delicious fresh berry smoothie?

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Or something a wee bit naughtier?!

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And Now, Behold; The New Me;

Slim Paley photo

The breakfast table will always be set like this

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Photo via Simply Breakfast

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Have you tried the “Granola Snack” mix from Costco?  It’s delicious!! Although it says snack on the box, I pour milk over it and eat as cereal. It has tons of nuts and dried fruit.

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This photo is also via Simply Breakfast

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Another very inviting bedroom (credit unknown)

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Yum- that Greek yoghurt is soooo delicious with fresh honey, berries & figs picked off the trees

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Morten Holtum

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Breakfast in Bangkok

Bring on the Mangosteens!

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I love these little egg shapers from Williams & Sonoma

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via Food & Wine

Sure, once and a while there will be the occasional slip up, when the boys all want to go to IHOP and I can’t resist the cheese blintzes smothered in sour cream and strawberry jam. I’m no angel.

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Speaking of jams…

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This is only a partial selection of the jams available at Fortnum & Mason in London

Vons- Hang your head in shame

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This will be the next toaster I buy -  For the Collection!

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Slim Paley photo

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Now Don’t Forget; Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day!

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And…

photo J. Schlabotnik

If I make it into the Final 6 in “The Homie” awards…

Tangerine Mimosas For Everybody!!

Lastly,

It would really make my day if you would listen to this.  I just hate to cry alone.

“Atticus”

Click here

How can anything this short, and without any visuals have so much of an emotional impact?  I’m a complete puddle on the floor now.

Hope you are too – In the best possible way, of course :)

xx

The Homies 2011

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Slim Paley photo

The Kitchen Fireplace, Sun Valley

 

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It’s that time again!

I know we’re just fresh off the flush of the Golden Globes and all, but THE HOMIES are ON over at Apartment Therapy.

What’s that you say??  Hey-I didn’t know either, until one of my readers was sweet enough to nominate me today, but  it’s already been going for 3 days!

Nothing like arriving at the Beauty Pageant late, with your wig all askew and pantyhose on backwards, but there you go…

SO….

I’m asking for my very first shameless favour from you since I started Slim Paley – If you wouldn’t mind taking the time to register a vote for me, I would be ever so appreciative.  I won’t pretend it’s easy (OK, maybe it’s easier if you haven’t had a glass of wine)

This is what you have to do (to be my best friend forever…or, until the most popular boy in class likes you better than me :) )

First go here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/the-homies-best-home-design-blog-of-2011-submit-your-nominations-137078

Scroll down to the bottom of the page (WAY DOWN – cause Helloooo- alot of other people got here first) and click “register to leave a comment” (or Sign In if you are already registered at Apartment Therapy).

After you have registered (and confirmed your email) OR signed in, please leave the following comment EXACTLY as it appears below:

Name: Slim Paley
URL: http://slimpaley.com/

Click Submit Comment.

DONE! YAY!!

I realize this takes a few steps and a few minutes out of your precious free time, so I THANK YOU  IN ADVANCE so much!!

xx Slim

PS. Most of those other contestants- they stuffed their bras…I’m just sayin’  :)

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Slim Paley Photo

Roses & Apples from my garden

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BLUE MOOD

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YVES KLEIN (1928-1962) blue; immaterial sensibility

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Helena Christiansen in, hmmm, I wanna say Versace.  What say you?

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Michael Kors Spring 2011

I‘m in a bit of a blue mood tonight.  Not too much to say, just feeling this colour, so I thought I’d share it with you.

I heard the best line in an old movie last night ;

Man to a Woman ; “Maybe he just wants to be alone. Didn’t you ever just want to be alone?”

Woman ;  “Sure,  but with somebody else!”



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YVES KLEIN “At Work”

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VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

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I’ve lost the credit, but let’s be honest, we weren’t buying this anyway were we?

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.SMEG fridge

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.CITEAUX stove, France

Imagine spending this much $ on a stove and being brave enough to pick blue?!  (Not that it wouldn’t look fantastic in the right setting)


Lost this credit too. Please don’t report me to the Blogger’s Defense League

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CHANEL 2011

Vogue.com

Now that’s the way to tone down a Ladies Who Lunch Bag

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MARTIN MARGIELA spring 2011



MARTIN MARGIELA Spring 2011

The entire collection was this silhouette, no joke.  Mr. Margiela, come back to us.

Definitely not for Squares :)

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.Slim Paley Photo

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

Blue Agate and Sodalite Cuff by SIMAN TU

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.DIOR

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PRADA

Trying to imagine my husband’s face if I came downstairs in this outfit

MANOLO BLAHNIK

He’d like these much better!

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artist ROBERT FOLEY

RADO

DYSON bladeless fan

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STUDIO GLITHERO

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BLUE BOAT designed by artist XAVIER VEILHAN  (this IS a real boat, not a painting :) ) Aprox. 200,000 euros


The WITTELSBACH-GRAFF

internally flawless, deep blue diamond weighs 31.06 carats and is one of the rarest stones in the world.

STUBBS & WOOTTON


TOM FORD MENSWEAR

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“NOVANTATRE S24S2″ by DE GRISOGONO

18kt white gold, set with 282 baguette-cut blue sapphires of 25.60 carats

(I’d say it probably comes with a mighty fine case too )


FENDI

From the Blackthorn collection by SHAUN LEANE

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VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

Donna Karan

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Phew.  I feel somehow less blue after all that…blue

How about you?!

xx

PS. So glad my jammies aren’t by Margiela :)

PPS. Don’t miss reading the comments on this post- there’s a link to a fab video ode to blue posted by Kendall Conrad!

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