Tag Archives: swimsuits

SWIM

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photo Shayne Laverdiere

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Less than 4 days left until the official start of Summer

Are you in the swim yet??

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Have you noticed that bathing caps are feeling very au courant ?

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Alex Katz

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Every once and a while I hear of something new or, in this case, something old feeling very new again and think

Genius! WHY didn’t I think of that?!

Exactly my thought when I first read about the “AquaLilies”

“Aqualillies is America’s hottest water ballet entertainment company, reinventing the classic art form for the new millennium.”

“Our goal is to inspire people with beauty, grace, and spectacle, bringing to life the magic of the universe through synchronized swimming and dance.”

Check them out here;

AquaLilies video 

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Aqualillies

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Deirdre

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Alysha

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The Aqualillies have even received the stamp of approval from the original Queen of  Water Nymphs herself,

Esther Williams  (now 91)

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Esther Williams

Who didn’t love to watch these movies on a rainy Saturday afternoon ??

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The Aqua Lillies in action

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Picasso’s “The Bathers” (1918)

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A fun summer read

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The shade any self respecting mermaid will be wearing in the pool this summer

Dior’s “St. Tropez”

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A Lily in action

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True Confessions; 

I can’t dive. Never learned. Never will.

Just thinking about it sets my nasal passages afire.

But just in case you’re more aquatically inclined than moi (which would pretty much be any and all of you)

the Aqualillies are holding auditions as well as classes right now.

What are you waiting for?

 Hurry up and get your swim on!

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Black & White Stripes Redux

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Poolside, the Tintagel Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka

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It seemed everywhere we turned in Sri Lanka, black & white stripes beckoned.

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Slim Paley photo

The Tintagel Hotel

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Slim Paley photo

Lobby of the Tintagel Hotel

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We were so inspired!

Of course I had to answer the call.

Now as shopping meccas go, Sri Lanka’s not, well, Mecca, but I did manage to purchase a few things.

I found a great woven cotton black & white striped tablecloth and napkins (which didn’t make the post due to laundering concerns, having been packed with the black rubber coasters I bought that turned my bag into a tire factory for the rest of the trip ( picked up in our first port of call too. A lot of them.)

Well, honestly, who knew they would smell so pong-y?!

(have you read “King Leopold’s Ghost”?  A startling book about the history of the rubber trade in the Congo)

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Slim Paley photo

Gazpacho & stripes.  (Note rubber charger :) )

Ga.

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Slim Paley photo

We loved the black & white striping at The Kahanda Kanda Hotel, Galle, Sri Lanka

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 apparently somebody else was also digging the combo 

and didn’t attend his “Lizards #101 Blending In” class.

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 Ralph Lauren does it beautifully

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Going to be pulling out my black & white shirt with the itchy collar and soaking it in Downy til it cooperates.

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I even ordered these straws. Probably won’t use them with the tablecloth, but…

Never say never.

I did buy coasters made out of tires.

PS. Straws can be ordered here

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Slim Paley photo

Paradise Road, The Gallery Cafe, Colombo

19th century Swedish corner bench via Balsamo Antiques NY

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Amelia Handegan

Great little pop of blue from the bedside lamps!

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My beach house stair railings from the second floor

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Love this mix in AD

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Cute idea for a tea towel bar.

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Slim Paley photo

Tea towels from “Bed Bath & Beyond” $9.99

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via

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Slim Paley photo

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Gourdon, France

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credit unknown

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black & white stripes with wicker always works

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photo of Miranda Kerr

been there.

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Natasha Poly. Isabel Marant jeans if memory serves.

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If memory also serves, I had a couple of these little crocheted numbers…

a far cry from last week’s Costco porno dummy suit (still sitting in my car)

Growing up,  my mom  used to say with a sigh; “Every Dog Has His Day”

( my mom’s from Dublin, she has 50 million of these expressions)

I never really liked that one because I never understood it,

 and now that I do , I still don’t like it :(

but it did come to mind when I saw these

swimsuits hand crocheted in Australia and  available on Couture Lab .

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Slim Paley photo

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.D Will Black & White stripes inspire you, or are you all about COLOUR for Spring & Summer?

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How about combining colour & stripes and having it ALL and we’ll just thumb our noses at those “Dog Days”?!

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S.P. photo

If you’re so inclined, you can find last year’s Black & White Stripes post  here

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Stay tuned for more travel and “Springing into Summer” posts soon!

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xx

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Setting The Bar

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.Slim Paley Photo

Have you Set The Bar For Summer yet??!

Stash all your wintry liquors away and head for the tropics.  Think fine white sand stuck to the bottom of your highball glass, whispering palms, a deeply tanned, slightly dangerous looking man in a Panama hat at the end of the bar…“What’s a beautif

OK, we’ll stop there, but get thee to BEVMO to check out some of the fun in the sun libations they’re stocking right now.  I’m not willing to admit how long Older son and I were in our local store…let’s just say we changed our minds about it being “too early in the day” to go for the $1 wine tasting offer.

 (Saturdays 12-5pm, 3 whites, 3 reds $1- you do the math)

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“Amuse your friends!”

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Camomile Grappa- practically health food

and so handy to carry

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The Ultimate Summer Bag

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Slim Paley photo

How about creating a spa caddy for yourself and most certainly for your summer guests?!  Here, I’ve included salts to mix with coconut butter for a great exfoliating treat, a bottle of beer for conditioning the hair (rinse well after :) ) followed by Moroccan oil for the locks and skin.

 Note; this spa caddy does not work well in teen-age boy’s bathrooms. Just sayin’

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So, I’ve pretty much milked the hell out of my interview with the charming House Beautiful contributor Lisa Cregan for The Chicago Tribune in the last few posts,  but you may find the rest of the June 2011 article in my “PRESS BOX” tab  here and just under the “Slim Paley” header at the top of this page.

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In the meantime, I’m taking my own advice and putting my smallest bathing suit in a place where I can’t fail to see it everyday.

We all have to face the dreaded moment when other humans are going to see us suited up this summer…

and my moment of truth is coming sooner rather than later

ooohhh- I just got a wave of nauseousness …

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