Tag Archives: blogging

Oh #$&^*%(#… It’s December!!

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Wait

Does the calendar say December 8th already??

et moi, without a single post up yet for the month?.

I guess that old kidnapping story won’t fly again.

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or  ”the dog ate my computer” excuse.

To tell the truth, the days have flown by and I’m as surprised as anyone that Christmas is just a little more than two weeks away.

I’m out of my sling, driving again and continuing physical therapy but, with no offense (my therapist is adorable) the process alternates between being boring, guilt provoking and painful (insert your old relationship’s name here)

The upside is I’ve found I have a ton of company. I’ve joined a ‘Torn Rotator Cuff Society’ where we all give secret “Live Long and Prosper” salutes, albeit with awkwardly hunched-up shoulders.

Christmas will be different in our home this year. I’m not decorating in our traditional fashion, so unfortunately, I won’t have my usual Christmas fare to share. It would be impossible for me to get on a ladder to dress the tree. Let’s get real, I still can’t even tie up my hair.

OK, let’s get really real, did I mention I gained 10 lbs? NO JOKE, therefore not at all funny so stop laughing!

Who would imagine that months of no exercise, a steady diet of comfort food and a newly acquired penchant for red wine would be so deleterious??

But I don’t really like to talk about weight, diets and yucky things so we’ll leave that there.

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December sunset in Santa Barbara

Changes are afoot for ‘Slim Paley’. Good changes (hopefully)

After 4 years it’s time.

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Somebody forgot to tell my roses it was December.

I’ll be tinkering with my entire format and design, so please bear with me in the following weeks.  I need to address issues such as my crowding columns and “Category Cloud” disappearance.

Let’s face it-”Slim” needs a lift

I’d like to return to shorter, more frequent posts and possibly include some short videos too.

2014 Baby!!

In the meantime, please do visit my past December posts in the Archives,

as well as The Popular Kids,

and my Travel tab which I’ve been updating slowly but surely.

More new travel coming soon!

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Keep your cool in the crowds, don’t let the holidays make you crazy, and remember…

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to breathe.

And feel free to comment with any great holiday tips for us :-)

Happy December!!

~

Dog photo via Pinterest

It was my birthday

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white rose bouquet

I tip-toed away and had a quiet little birthday this week. Not a momentous one, nothing ending in a “0″ or marking another decade. Just one of those that glide by with the swiftness of a bird’s wing, a gentle whoosh,silent … Continue reading →

Happy Labour Day Weekend!

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Happy Labour Day Weekend!

Oh YAY.

The weekend that officially licks the stamp, seals the deal, clicks the “send” button on Summer.

 Super.

And me, with all these lovely, summery images & ideas still left to share…

And possibly one of the greatest summery songs by one of the greatest summery bands;

So you have to promise to listen, nice & loud as always, while you stroll leisurely through this post…

(there’ll be a test to make sure you were listening afterwards!)

bouganvilla covered terrace

Well. We’ll soon be kissing these scenarios good-bye, won’t we?terrace with lanterns

( 2 images from Tumblr )

890A8404and no longer running out to my garden to gather roses for the table

(OK,  laying it on a bit thick here-hopefully we still have a couple of months left of roses in Santa Barbara)

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I never got to finish the ultra impressive “SUMMER ICE” post I was working on.

(Martha, you can breathe a sigh of relief my friend-the above was my very best effort- they were supposed to be ice balls but the two halves wouldn’t stick together. It looked so easy in the Japanese video)

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I wanted to say what a nifty idea this was-freezing aloe vera juice into ice cubes to soothe nasty sunburns.

Particularly great for using on your kid’s friends so they go home and say “Timmy’s mom makes aloe ice-cubes for sunburns!! “

and you just sound like the best frickin’ mom ever.

PS. I never made them.

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I also never told you about my trip to the city of Orange recently where the temperature reached a 100 degrees and as I stepped out my car I spotted this super cool old fashioned ice-dispensing machine. Instagram American Graffiti moment. IF I were old enough to even remember that movie, which, no way, I’m not. My husband told me about it.

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Oh, I had so many summery images collected

canoe as table

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Some, like maybe this one of Daria Werbowy, you could have lived without. But if I’m in testy mood, I’m dragging you with me.

We’re a team here-you’re in or you’re out, you know that.

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Skinceuticals Sunscreen, Slim Paley photo

I had a whole summer skin products thing I was working on…

but I’ll just say; for me, this was the best face sunscreen I found. Broad spectrum, very lightly tinted, thin consistency (though slightly oily, not a bad thing for me) and a whopping SPF 50 without feeling like you have a mask on. Also comes un-tinted.

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Did I get a chance to write my post on “HAMMOCKS”?

NO.

Well, that post is still coming, maybe even tomorrow, so don’t try and stop me.

Bloody Labour Day.

And did you know that this past Friday, the 30th of August, was “National Marshmallow Roasting Day”?

Swear to God.

 I even had a “Roasted Marshmallow Post” so here it is, somewhat condensed;

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Roasting by the river’s edge in Idaho.

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Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake (with Greek yoghurt!) HERE

mulit-prong marshmallow roasting stick

Help me find these??

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Some perfectly roasted giants mallows I posted on Instagram last month.

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Aqua Creations’ Origami LED “Marshmallow” lamps are folded from a single sheet of paper.

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covered porch, Sun Valley, Slim Paley

The antique lantern in my covered porch in Sun Valley always reminds me of a toasted marshmallow.

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Marshmallow outdoor furniture

marshmallow shaped hanging light

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and if  you’re cramped for space, how cool, er hot, is this wall mounted barbeque from Sigma Focus?!

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bracelet & watch

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and when all else fails…

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XOXO SP

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Top photo Kate Moss by Patrick Demarchelier

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Pre-Summer Rerun

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Do not adjust your dial. There is nothing wrong with your screen.

This is indeed a rerun of a June 2011 post. Honestly, pinky swear, I never do this.

OK, maybe I’ve done it just one other time. Hey-It’s no crime. Haven’t we all re-read a good book on occasion?

Or worse, not even realized we’ve read a book until we’re too many pages in to admit it?!

But, here’s the thing; I’m traveling at the moment.

I promise to be back with a new post very shortly.

In the meantime, this should help to prime your Summer juices…

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Don’t forget to start your summer inspiration board (this is my beach house one, also from June 2011)

Original post link:

SUMMER’S ALMOST HERE

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and just to assuage my guilt a wee bit, I’m including my newest Summer cocktail;

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It couldn’t possibly be easier, more decadent or delightfully confuse childhood memories with naughty grown up pleasures more!

“The Creamsicle”

1 part Advocaat

2-3 parts 7-up or Sprite

small ice cubes

Fill small(ish) glass tumbler with ice, pour chilled Advocaat over cubes, add 7up & stir lightly.

The drink will froth up beautifully…

along with memories of sticky, sand covered popsicle sticks stuck to beach towels, miniscule bikinis, tan-line comparing and sun burned boys.Who amongst us cannot relate?? :)

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Cheers and have a great weekend!!

PS. Instagram photo taken in my “new” old conservatory. Vintage lamp from the Marches aux Puces, Paris. Which, may I add, cost way more to rewire Stateside than the lamp itself.

That calls for a 2nd cocktail in my “Summer Reading” book, don’t you think?

PPS. Header image from my post on the The Maldives in the “Travel” section.

~

Slim Paley Daily #4

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IMG_4308“Cecil Brunner” climber outside my office window this week.

 Thank you so much for all your kind words and wishes on our 25th  anniversary yesterday, both here and on the FB page.

I was truly touched.

Happy Thursday night!

Now, back to the daily share, before it’s Friday…

If you’re anything like me (and you know you are because you’re here) you have about 50 million photos saved on your computer but aren’t printing any of them. Am I right? Sure, digital photography is utterly awesome and we’re taking TONS  more pics than we used to, but other than on a computer screen, they’re not tangible…

One of my Spring resolutions is to change that.

You saw my Moo cards-I’m on a roll…

Here are two more fun ideas to help get your memories off the screen and into the hands of someone you love ( that could just be yourself!)

Screen Shot 2013-04-25 at 9.30.23 PMI’m totally in love with the look of these photo books you can create at Artifact Uprising

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I’ve been following them for a little while on Instagram and I’m so inspired by their style and company ethos.

They also have a blog that might ignite some grand ideas for your photos-they attract a charming crowd.

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Have you ever thought of making tiles with your photographs?

These large slab tiles (12 x 12) at  Image Snap are only $35

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Or an 8 x 8 square for $27.  Dude. Seriously.

Great gift idea.

You can even make teeny 2 x 2 tiles for $4 each.

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I could do a bathroom wall of my roses!

Have I made anything with Artifact Uprising or Image Snap yet? No.

Am I sharing them with you to push myself? Kinda.

Great. Now I have so many ideas and images swirling in my head, I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.

Thanks a lot. Until Friday…

Good Night!