Tag Archives: Idaho

Vintage English Garden Party

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vintage garden party

Happy Monday All!

I hope you enjoyed another lovely summer weekend,

and may I be so bold as to remind everyone that it IS in fact still summer?

So all you folks pinning Halloween ideas and Fall decor on Pinterest

just STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!

It’s only the 19th of August-The “F” word is still many weeks away!

Let’s make the most of these precious last days of warm weather, shall we?

Get thee to the beach, lake, park, garden, the roof of your apartment building (talking to my Older Son :)) tout de suite.

As long time readers of Slim Paley well know,  I’ll still be posting about my favourite time of year ’til I’m dragged away by the edge of my cover-up, clutching that last salt-rimmed Margarita to my heavily sun-screened/damaged bosom.

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I shot the above photo in my garden, as well as the ones to follow,

for my first

“One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale”

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Inspired by my recent trip to London, the excitement surrounding the arrival of Prince George, and yes, the last languid days of summer,

I chose a “Vintage English Garden Party” as my theme.

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Who amongst us doesn’t enjoy at least the idea of a lovely English picnic (paging Merchant Ivory fans) complete with vintage silver, the “family china” and tinkling crystal glasses of Pimms brimming with fresh fruit?

Downton Abbey

And who, like me, simply can’t wait for the new season of “Downton Abbey” to begin?!

slim paley garden

An Instagram of my garden

Fortnum & Mason window

The windows of Fortnum & Mason in London were bursting with the delightful components of an English countryside picnic.

London window shopping

I love how I caught the double decker going by on Piccadilly (even if I do say so myself)

Fortnum & Mason

Just look at that gorgeous giant Melton Mowbray pie!

F & M will fill a picnic basket that will positively make your toes curl and they ship all over the world.

Slim Paley Picnic

But back to me :-)

Everything in these photos will be in my sale (except the white table cloth & hat)

majolica & chintz

There are lots of my vintage goodies to choose from as well many items curated from One Kings Lane’s “Vintage & Market Finds”

vintage glass goblet

go ahead, have one.

English Country garden

Flowers in my friend’s English country garden

Wedgwood Majolica

A collection of vintage Wedgwood Majolica

vintage roses oil painting

A lovely & bright vintage oil of garden roses with an antique desert plate, part of a set, in the foreground.

Garden Wall vase & enamel coffee pot

“Garden Wall” vase and old enamel coffee pot

Hull vase

A Hull vase

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Note to Self;  notch back on the Pimms…

rooster basket

My sale starts tomorrow,  August 20th, 8:am PST

Please DO stop by and leave your calling card :-)

One Kings Lane Link

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PS. On a more somber note, thank you to the many readers  who have been checking in concerning the ferocious fire in Idaho. We are grateful to be back home safe & sound in Santa Barbara, but our hearts and prayers are still with all the amazing firefighters in Sun Valley and Hailey who are battling SO bravely to protect our beautiful town. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers too.

XX S.P.

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Hey 2013!

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I’m not ready to say good-bye to the holidays! waaawaa (hot tears crystalizing) The welcoming glow of the Christmas lights, the comforting decadence of home-made eggnog, the omnipresent scent of cedar & cinnamon as I walk through the door…parting tis not sweet at all…

In fact, why can’t we have our Christmas lights up all winter long?! Who was the big Grinch that decided that was just outré ? Probably the same wet blanket that mandated no white trousers after Labour Day or long hair after 40.

Well, let it be known, I mean to be a flame-spitting hellion in 2013 and break all the rules ( I’ve been breaking at least two of them for much longer than I care to admit anyway)

I’m still in Sun Valley and loving every frigid minute of it. Two nights ago it plummeted to minus 12 degrees at our property! To be outside for just a couple of minutes was positively giddifying. The landscape was sparkling like diamond dust, the air itself glistening, no longer the invisible element. Even though I had to sleep in my long johns, as the cold was finding every possible avenue of entry, it was still pure magic.

God bless youth, my younger son and his friend decided it would be the perfect night to take a jacuzzi. Outside.

890A5740I went out for two seconds to check on them and spotted these tracks on the jacuzzi porch.

890A5744 The boys came in shortly after.

890A5749By early morning you could see another set of interesting tracks leading down to the partially frozen river. The big ones on the left are my snow shoes but the single line on the right is an animal. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be left by a light footed deer wearing Manolo pumps, possibly Louboutins, definitely sober. No tracks back, so…did she jump into the frigid water? The first broken heart of 2013?

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890A5599More of my tracks along the side of my house. Gawd, I’m sporty. It’s a whole New Me in 2013.

But let’s not speak of resolutions just yet-it’s only the 3rd. You know how I hate to be rushed.

890A5563my fellow ‘shoers’

890A5631Let’s just have one more hot toddy on my  birchbark screened porch and ponder how cold it must be on the ski lifts right now :)

I heart Sun Valley

Happy 2013!

xox

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Header image via Tumblr

Greetings From Sun Valley

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Slim Paley photo

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Greetings from Sun Valley!

I escaped the “June Gloom” in Santa Barbara and I’m basking in the gorgeousness that is Idaho this time of year.

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Slim Paley photo

My intention was to treat this as a “spa” week; no naughty foods, no alcohol, lots of water and plenty of exercise. For the most part I’m doing well, but last night I got carried away listening to 70′s music on satellite radio (again) and all that reminiscing about high school and boys forced me to crack open a Corona!

A Bob Seger song led me to the edge and “Bachman Turner Overdrive” pushed me over. Remember the faces boys used to make when they danced to those “Guy songs”?!

Ick.

We’d be like “Gaawd-that’s Ricky from my math class” and your friends would be like “How do you know? You never go to math class” and then you’d be like “that’s why. Dorks.”

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The first day I arrived this is how much snow was still in the higher mountains

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A few days later it’s almost entirely gone.

It’s not hot yet but the days are long, with a hint of light still lingering in the big sky til after 10:00pm.

I know because last night I was telling myself I couldn’t possibly go to bed before it was dark!

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I love roasting vegetables in my kitchen fireplace winter or summer.

These are Anaheim chiles meant to be stuffed with cheese, except I ate all the cheese so they were just served drizzled with ghee, lemon and sea salt. Delicious.

Ever since “The incident of The Missing Wiener” on the outdoor bar-beque last year I’m a tad fearful of outdoor grilling .

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The scene of the crime

Tell me a bird can get into this grill when it’s burning hot and smoky and located underneath a really big overhang and fly away with a jumbo wiener.

I think not.

(don’t tell the fire dept. about the “big overhang” part)

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Speaking of animals,

Does this giant sweet potato/yam not look just like a walrus?

 It even has whiskers!

This photo was taken before the Corona.

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Speaking of the Great Outdoors, what are we watching on TV now that “Madmen” is over? 

Anyone going to watch the new “DALLAS”?

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Sweet Summer Memories

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.Rafting, Salmon River, IdahoSlim Paley

Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho

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I‘m baaaack

and keeping Summer Hours

as you may have noticed  :)

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Salmon River , IdahoSlim Paley photo

But I’m all in one piece,

and had the most brilliant time

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Osa Johnson book

My Survival Kit remains sealed

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Slim Paley photo

We traveled over the majestic Sawtooth Mountains into Idaho’s River of No Return Wilderness area.

 At one point (by land, not water) we actually crossed the spot where Lewis & Clark decided to turn back.

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Ya, we did.

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Rafting in IdahoSlim Paley Photo

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River has many moods…

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.on the river in IdahoSlim Paley photo

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Salmon River, IdahoSlim Paley

All equally beautiful

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Summer in IdahoSlim Paley Photo

River’s edge in Idaho is no slouch either

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River camping in IdahoSlim Paley photo

Our camp in the middle of paradise

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Snakes were wrestled

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roasted marshmallows

Giant marshmallows  slaughtered

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waterfallsSlim Paley photo

Waterfalls conquered.

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one pot cornbreadSlim Paley Photo

Ahhnd… then we ate cake :)

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orange berriesSlim Paley photo

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.white mothSlim Paley Photo

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wooden outhouseSlim Paley photo

We definitely communed with Nature,

however I’ll spare you “Le Groover Chronicles”

Suffice it to say that old friendships were cemented and new ones quickly forged.

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.hermit's shackSlim Paley photo

One day we came upon the deserted lodgings of an infamous Middle Fork River hermit.  With only a dog for company, he lived in this 8 X 8 structure for over 35 years, traveling to town just once a year for not much more than bullets, flour and salt.

 I really couldn’t have imagined we had anything in common…

until I heard he also hoarded  magazines.

Of course he used his to pack the spaces between the logs of his house as he had an extreme aversion to rats.

Odd lifestyle choice, considering.

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Hiking the river, IdahoSlim Paley

Speaking of packing… all in all I think I did pretty well- though in retrospect 4 hats and 3 books may have been a wee bit excessive.

A decent sized mirror would have been a much better choice.

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Slim Paley

Party over :(

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.Great portable campaign chair

.I live to glamp another day.

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Oh, PS.

I just realized this is my 301st post!

That means I’ve been blogging for just over two years now.

What a wonderful Blogmance it’s been- who could have predicted it would last this long?

  Thank you so very much for all the memories and for never cheating on me…

Uh…We have been faithful, haven’t we??!

xxx

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PPS.  For the most incredible rafting adventure you could ever wish for please visit:

 Far & Away Adventures

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White Water Glafting

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Slim Paley Photo

Thanks so much again to all of you who contributed book suggestions to the previous post. I’m really looking forward to going over all your comments again and compiling a list when I get home.

In the meantime,

I’m off White Water Glafting for a few days.  You heard me.

Glafting is the new Glamping.

 Sure, I know what you’re thinking…Slim- you don’t strike me as the sporty type, but believe it or not, I live for danger.

 Besides, I’ve done this before, although the river wasn’t as high the last time

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and the apparel ante has been seriously UPPED on this trip…

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Resulting in some agonizing chapeau editing

Slim Paley Photo

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Love these OMO nylon pants, but $1,700??

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The adventure includes yoga, fishing, great food and drink, and most importantly, a glamorous toilet (nicknamed “The Groover”) precedes the party to each campsite.

 Happiness is a well guarded Groover :)

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Slim Paley photo

Nothing like a friendly game of Bananagrams after a day battling the elements

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Slim Paley Photo

Did I mention the river is high where we’re going??

We’ve been told hiking alongside the river is also an option,

however the concern that lunch will be devoured by the Rafters before the Hikers arrive at camp has already crossed my mind.

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So just in case, I’m bringing giant marshmallows for fireside toasting

The days are warm but the nights are still cold

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Slim Paley photo

Have you seen these? They’re about 3 times the size of regular marshmallows- Now that’s my idea of multi-tasking.

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So off I go into the wild blue yonder

Wish me luck & I’ll

See you in a few days.

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No “Deliverance” jokes please :)

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