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Posted on 06/04/2012 by Slim Paley

Daphne Guinness

I‘m back. omg. The dog ate my blog.

Happy first week of June to everyone!

Hope you are enjoying summer weather wherever you may be and not the notorious June Gloom that arrived right on schedule to the day here in Santa Barbara.

We had a hectic but fun filled week celebrating Younger Son’s graduation from high school.

We’re now officially “Empty Nesters” (Sound of page turning…)

It’s all good though.

No, really.

I’m fine

All babies leave the nest and I suppose in the scheme of things, we humans are blessed to keep ours nesting much longer than most creatures do.

As good a segue as any into a post about the plethoraof birds we have flying about here this Spring!

Everyone is talking about it. It’s like there’s a giant casting call for a remake of Hitchcock’s film.

Sadly the 3 beautiful turquoise eggs in the nest right outside our window finally hatched but the babies disappeared just 2 days after they were born.

I’m convinced it was crows as the nest was right below this window and there is no way the rose branches would support the weight of our massive raccoons.

Then again, this guy was hanging around and looks rather scary (what is he??)

On a lighter note,

Martin Johnson Heade

I can barely walk through the garden without getting dive-bombed by hummingbirds- they’re so adorable and always seem to be having so much fun!

I have a feathery fashion show right outside my window every day.

Junya Watanabe, Spring 2012

“Hummingbirds” rug, The Rug Company

Anndra Neen’s sculptural bird cage evening bag.

Orpheus 8

A tiny yellow bird perches on the Cecil Brunner roses at my desk window.

Timorous Beasties wallpaper

Stella McCartney and a feathered friend sharing a cuppa.

We’ve certainly been getting a big kick out of the ducks camping out in our stream lately.

“Are you looking at me??”

“Maybe you didn’t hear me…

I said ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME??”

Wampoia Club, China

Berthe Morisot’s (1841-1895) “The Cage”

Birdcage chandeliers at RestorationHardware.com

Dale Chihuly (I’m guessing ?)

A bird in the hair…

Sanderson wallpaper

Decorative wooden birds available (on sale 40% off) at Wisteria.com

The Bird Whisperer

Vogue

Junya Watanabe Spring 2012

.Slim Paley photo

.Crunchy wonton noodles, melted chocolate and Jordan almond eggs (via Pinterest)

Bird file folders and stationary both on sale right now at Wisteria.com

Shourouk Swarovski crystal choker

Credit unknown

Hope you had a great weekend and are also enjoying the great outdoors. I’ve missed you!

HERE BE DRAGONS

Posted on 11/12/2010 by Slim Paley

Painting of Captain Frederick Gustavus Burnaby by James Tissot

Slim Paley Photo

Slim Paley photo

From the top of the mountains in Montecito, CA. this afternoon.

“HERE BE DRAGONS”

I love this saying. The phrase denotes dangerous or unexplored territories and derives from the medieval practice of painting dragons or sea serpents and other mythical creatures in uncharted or blank areas of maps. I thought of it today when a friend and I hiked up to the top of the mountains above my home in Santa Barbara. As you can see, it was the most glorious of Autumn afternoons, and the endless vista over the Pacific Ocean reminded me – Oh yes, Here indeed Be Dragons…

Then, lo and behold, tonight, I saw real Dragons – much scarier than any our imaginations could possibly conjure!

OMG- another doozy episode. I cringe for Kelsey Grammer.

But all is not lost, or adrift in treacherous territory, so don’t write me off as a completely vapid HWOBH addict just yet…

I offer you some charming and fun ways to bring the real beauty of cartography into your home-

sans serpents & silicone!

Some classic music to travel by (I’ve Got The World On a String- Frank Sinatra)

Nate Turner Design

Replica of vintage map of London from Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware

Map of Paris cake via cakeasart

The true story of the “Al Capone” of map thievery

Map Chest from

WISTERIA CATALOGUE

Slim Paley photo

The Palazzo Farnese

The “Map Room” of a beautiful private villa outside of Rome (people really lived like this!)

Slim Paley photo

Axis Maps has created these amazing maps made up entirely of text.

OK, I’ll admit it. I think it’s magic.

Both levitating globes available on Amazon.com

Scratch off Maps via I Want One Of Those.com

via Martha Stewart Magazine

Ballard Design

Book shelves and a ceiling “wallpapered” with map wrapping paper via Garden & Gun

Slim Paley photo

A panel (one of forty) in the “Map Room” of the Vatican

Slim Paley Photo

The story of the man who first mapped the earth from beneath the surface (by fossils and rock layers)

Little White Dog on Etsy

While compiling this I remembered reading somewhere that the London Tube Map had been voted the most beautiful subway map in the world.

So I typed ”The Most Beautiful Map in the World” into Google. Guess what? Google doesn’t believe that’s what you really want to know. They keep insisting you mean “The Most Beautiful MAN in the World”. Seriously. And some of their choices are questionable. Don’t believe everything you read on Google-No photos of Sawyer anywhere…although Joni over at Cote de Texas‘ favourite guy made the cut. Check it out if you don’t believe me (after you finish my post of course )

Restoration Hardware

The Gold and Gem-Set Cigarette Case, Cartier 1935 (Estimate 150,000-200,000 (British pounds) ) to be auctioned at Sotheby’s November 30th, 2010

Say what you might about the Duke & Duchess of Windsor- they had amazing style and a flair for choosing romantic gifts for each other.

Cartier was commissioned to design this cigarette case commemorating the three holiday voyages Edward and Wallis took together during 1934-1935- a particularly poignant time in their relationship, as Edward made the historical decision to abdicate in order to marry Wallis less than a year later.

Hmmmm…

I had a boyfriend once who gave me a full Car and Tire Repair Kit for my birthday.

I’m just sayin’

Perhaps that’s why, many years later, I bought myself several pairs of the The Duchess’ evening gloves from the famous Duke & Duchess of Windsor auction (1997) at Sotheby’s.

Take that Car Repair Kit Boyfriend.

“Gerhard Mercator 1595 World Atlas- Cosmographicae”

Gerhard Mercator was the greatest cartographer of the 16th century- his most famous contribution being “Mercator’s projection” the technique of rendering the globe onto a flat surface.

Whatever would he made of G.P.S. ?!

I always have some map wrapping paper on hand for gifts for boys. I like it tied with plain, rough brown twine- no bows of course. Stocking up on a few plastic dragons from a toy store could complete the package- a perfect moment to teach kids what “Here Be Dragons” means!

Above photo via Curious Sofa

Bought these fun paper place mats at Pierre La Fond Upstairs in Montecito. A tablet of 50 with city maps of NY, Tokyo, London & Paris

Another fun teaching tool for kids! Also available on line at Switch Modern.com

A beautiful and unusual map

(photo via Cote de Texas)

Susan Stockwell

Paper Map dresses by

artist Susan Stockwell

P.S. I intended including some travel/map “Apps” on this post, but seeing as I’ve already time traveled way past midnight, I’m going to leave those, and any other cool cartographic comments open to suggestions…

Navigate Safely Friends

ROCK BLOGSTER

Posted on 07/27/2010 by Slim Paley

Slim Paley photo

Greek kitties

Grey, Gray, Gris… whichever way you spell it, we are experiencing IT big time this summer in Santa Barbara. The sun hasn’t come out ALL DAY, yet again. I’m writing my Congressman person. This is ridicoolus. In any case, our stony skies have inspired me to share this amazing little Spanish guest house featured in the June 2010 issue of Interior Design Magazine with you. May all of you in warmer climes feel cooler just looking at it

Photographs by Roland Halbe

House of Rock

This tiny cliff side guesthouse situated on the rocky Costa da Morte, high above the Atlantic Ocean in Northwest Spain was designed by Ensamble Studio principal Anton Garcia-Abril, who describes it as an “unearthed truffle” The construction consisted of digging a large hole and then compacting excavated soil around the cavity to form a rough retaining wall. Concrete was then poured around stacked hay bales placed within the hole. Once the concrete was set, the compacted soil was removed to reveal the boulder- like mass in the photo above. How to remove the hay bales still within? A hungry cow named Paulina was employed. Several months and 600lbs later, Paulina waddled away, and this 270 sq. ft. mass was left to complete. Much like a well designed boat, most of the interior components are multifunctional. The headboard is also a cabinet that houses a sink at one end; doors at the other end conceal a toilet. Garcia-Abril even found space to include a fireplace- something any self respecting cave-person couldn’t possibly live without. I find the juxtaposition of the primordial and modern minimalism to be completely magical, don’t you? Although truth be told… they had me at “truffle”.