Viva La Fiesta!

By Slim   |   36 Comments

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Slim Paley photo

It’s FIESTA time this week in Santa Barbara!

 We are enjoying absolutely gorgeous weather for it too.  The atmosphere downtown is appproprately heightened and the streets are swelling with all the Swells 🙂  My favourite  Maitre’D With No Equal, Eric of the infamous Lucky’s in Montecito  tells me business is booming and judging from the valet line of cars on Coast Village Road  these fine summer evenings, it’s obvious Eric speaks the truth. It’s also obvious that Josh Holloway, aka “Sawyer”, is being a tad lackadaisical (you have no idea how long it took me to spell that) about stalking me at Lucky’s.  We celebrated my father’s 80th birthday there just the other night. Lord Almighty they shake a mean vodka martini. Just not quite mean enough to conjure a Sawyer sighting.

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But back to La Fiesta;

It’s all guac, salsa, chips, chile rellenos, margaritas, & peach sangria all the time…. Friday is the big parade on State St. The children all dressed up just melt your heart.  It brings a salty tear to my eye to remember Older Son in his full fiesta attire taking part in the parade many, many margaritas ago… (just to clarify those would be my margaritas not his 🙂 )

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Giorgio de St. AngeloSlim Paley photo

If I were going, which I’m not, as I have other obligations that day, I might be tempted to pull out my cherished Giorgio di Saint’ Angelo velvet shawl, a little piece of 70’s perfection that I bought at auction  several years ago. So very Jerry.  It came with a halter top that’s smaller than a kleenex. Single ply.  God bless you The 70’s.

Mika Ninagawa

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A vintage Fiesta poster

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oh so pretty!

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Slim Paley photo

Dransfield & Ross cocktail napkins from The Picket Fence, Ketchum Idaho

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Elliott Mann Bag (link below)

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via The Loaded Trunk

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Moschino crocheted lantern

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Steven Meisel

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.Slim Paley Photo

Table Throw  from Etro.

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John Conroy Images

Elliott Mann bag

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Pillow from The Loaded Trunk

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This is a rather special Fiesta as it also marks the 225th anniversary of our beautiful Santa Barbara Mission

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I love these little individual “Mexican Trifle”s – Double dip to your heart’s content!

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.Slim Paley photo

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Watermelon Sangria

(via Allrecipes.com)

Directions

  1. Place 9 cups of watermelon cubes in a blender; blend on high until very smooth. Strain juice through a mesh strainer into a large pitcher. Pour the wine, vodka, triple sec, and simple syrup into the pitcher. Stir to combine. Mix the remaining 3 cups of watermelon cubes, the lime quarters, orange sections, and blueberries into the sangria. Chill for 4 hours before serving..
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“Goth Fiesta”   It’s a look.
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Have you read Conquistadora yet?? It’s receiving wildly mixed reviews but I must say I’m tempted.
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Slim Paley photo

Viva La Fiesta!!

On the rocks with salt please 🙂

For  schedule of events & more info click here

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36 Comments

  1. You know, your genius lies in finding that dazzling common thread – the color thread – the thread of inspiration and desire – and your ability to find the friggin’ photos to drive it home. Yes a book. I will help with the launch party. Let’s go!!!

  2. If you go by the Mercado Norte at MacKenzie Park on Fri 5-10pm or Sat. between 4 and 9pm stop by the Boy Scout fundraising booth — Roasted corn on the cob and burritos — my son Adam and husband Mike (in my new profile pic) will be there working so if you ask for them and introduce yourself, believe it or not, they know “Slim Paley” – haha — I drool over your photos and share them and some of the stories from time to time. 🙂 BTW, LOVE the velvet shawl!

  5. Love all the color and spirit of this . It saves me a trip downtown….. 🙂
    and….
    You look especially good in the Miesel
    photo… Adios.
    Happy 80th dad. Xo

  6. Santa Barbara is a continent away for me…but I plan to whip up the watermelon and take some great blue shirtings that I have and sew up a caftan with coral/orange trimmings and have my own fiesta night this weekend. Thanks for the beautiful inspiration.

  7. Love the idea of the individual Mexican “trifles”! Glad to see your clivias blooming – mine didn’t this year (?). Adore seeing the wild, bold color schemes. Another great post – thanks Slim!

  8. My two kiddos will be in the El Desfile De Los Niños (Children’s Parade) on Saturday afternoon. We already started to decorate the red wagon float they will be riding in and my husband and I will take turns pulling them down State Street. I think that will earn me a margarita (or two) once we’ve made it to the finish 😉

    Viva la Fiesta Slim!

  9. I love your blog and I am always inspired by your musings, sense of style and in this case drink choice! If it were not so early that watermelon on my counter would be put to good use and the trifle… a brilliant combo for the stifling heat where I am… Many thanks for including The Loaded Trunk today…
    roni

  10. I’m reading this whilst having my shredded wheat and green tea breakfast, and now I’m craving a margarita. And that crazy striped caftan has me yearning for the new Missoni for Target line. What a great way to start the day!

  11. WOW….thank you for this spectacular burst of color to start my day! I’m going to throw on something very bright and cease the day! It’s a great day for a fiesta!

  12. How many calories in that Mexican Trifle? I’m watching my weight so I’m guessing it’s not on my diet. I’ll just have the Watermelon Sangria then. 🙂

  13. Slim, thank you for another lovely post. I am surrounded by a foggy drizzle in San Francisco, and you have taken me away to a lovely world of sunshine, margaritas, beautiful colors, and most important of all – Sawyer! I wonder what his nickname for you would be?? Muchas gracias!

  15. Cannot wait to try your watermelon Margarita–and the perfect balance of these hot weather colors–August is always the perfect color month for me. I am inspired.

  17. Never made it to Fiesta Days but will have to fix that next time I’m in Calif. Your vintage shawl is amazing, along with everything else.

    Seriously, you need to do a book.

  18. The photos of your flowers make me want to live in Santa Barbara but
    sorry that I can’t afford. Your flowers are sooo beautiful.

  19. fun post!
    Happy the weather is cooperating for La Fiesta, It’s even cooperating for us in Vancouver, could be a sangria weekend for me!

  21. Ole! Makes me miss Santa Barbara and all of that fabulous Mexican food! The fiesta sounds spectacular, and those darling little children would make me misty as well. I don’t approve of all of this growing up stuff! The watermelon sangria sounds like a dream. I am going to share it on the Splendid Market facebook page right how! BTW ~ I love picket fence in SV.

    Wishing you better luck with Sawyer in the near future, I am sure he will come to his senses! ebh

  22. Yum! Mini Mexican heaven(s) that allow double dipping!
    Your flowers. Always!!!!!
    Those cocktail napkins kill me. Pom pom happiness: I simply must have them!
    The colors are tantalizing….mmm!

  24. Viva La Fiesta! Yes, we are having lovely weather this year. Beautiful Santa Barbara summer. Love your wonderfully colorful photos and postings.

  26. Beautiful, as always! Love those Elliot Mann bags….oh, and the sangria. (duh 😉 ) Just read Joni’s post about you and the kitchen makeover. Seeing all her favorite images from your blog in one place just screams “BOOK!” Please?

  30. Made me miss my Santa Barbara a bit–then celebrated FIESTA by your richly colored & post! Gracias!

    Now live steps from the Carmel-by-the-Sea Mission–contains California’s 1st library, and Father Sera, founder of the Missions, is buried under the altar. He was from Majorca and see that style in the beautiful Mission architecture. Incredible that our beloved Mission is 60 years older than Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe in Paris!

    ¡Viva Santa Barbara! ¡Viva La Fiesta!

  31. I LOVE YOUR PICTURES!
    I feel like I should printing and framing some of them…they are absolutely gorgeous.
    You definitely have an eye to capture beautiful vignettes.

    I for one will be trying that watermelon sangria…it’s making my mouth water just to think about it.

    Maria
    http://facebook.com/DecorBeat

  33. I really like the crochet Moschino-lantern. Do you happen to know where I can find a crochet pattern for it? Also it sounds like your fista would be fun to attended!!!
    Thanks Debbie

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