Slim Aaron Pool Party

song pairing: Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba 

The pool repair guy is here to finish fixing the pool

and it's 104 degrees

& all I can think about is making up a pitcher of

my super fab margaritas ( recipe below )

and invite a few friends for a

pool party ala Slim Aarons

Photographer Slim Aaron had a wonderful way

of capturing socialites and celebrities 

in their element by the pool

wouldn't you have loved to have been there ?

Penthouse Pool Party

The Escandon home Acapulco 1968

Actress Delores Del Rio Acapulco 1952

Family Pool
 Mrs A Watson Armour III (Jean Schweppe) with friends and family enjoying the pool on their estate at Lake Forest, Illinois 1960

 Scone Madame

Afternoon tea round the pool on a cold day at the home of interior decorator James Pendleton in Beverly Hills.

El Venero, the Moorish villa of Hector and Chico de Ayala in Marbella, Spain, 1971

Family Snapper

 Mrs. William Paley, Round Hill, Jamaica 1959

this is the Palm Desert party ...

that this famous photo, "Poolside Gossip" was taken ...

Lita Baron approaches Nelda Linsk, right, wife of art dealer Joseph Linsk who is talking to a friend, Helen Dzo Dzo.  The home was designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar Kaufman

\

Love love love this marble backgammon table ( where can I find one of these ? )

Keep Your Cool
Carmen Alvarez enjoying a game of backgammon with Frank 'Brandy' Brandstetter in a swimming pool at Acapulco 1978.

 

No pool party should be without a little Esther !

or

these margaritas

( seriously good ! )

dip rims of glasses in lime juice

then salt ( I like the Nantucket blend from Cost Plus )

In a blender add:

equal parts of a GOOD tequila

plain frozen concentrate limeade

and cheap mexican beer

Whatever amount these 3 ingredients combined amount to

match with ice

blend

If you prefer on the rocks, shake tequila, limeade and ice first

stir in the beer afterwards ( or you will have an explosion ! )

pour into glasses unstrained

~ MUY BUENO DARLINGS ~ 

Well, it's still hot

 the pool guy is gone

and so is 742.00 out of my checking acct

I'd say it's time for a swim

Won't you join me ??

Carefree weekend wishes to you all !

( don't forget your sunscreen ! )

On With The Shows

Had a blast at both my first Alameda point Show as a vendor and
at last Sunday's semi annual Pleasanton Show.

Both great days filled with
Free hee heeeezing dark mornings

massive amounts of coffee

old friends

and many new cool ones !

Beautiful

I really wish I took more pictures but here are just a few ...


freshly painted "vintage" portraits & decoupaged trays ...



repurposed ashtrays into ring dishes, doggie bowls ...
ribbons and loving cups from the early 1900's - the 1960's
well ... I totally addicted
and am creating and gathering like mad for the

Nov 1st Alameda
( that's right, the day after Halloween ! )

This time I'll be more prepared for a more stylish 4am entrance ? ((yeah right !))

Dancing on Air

Have you ever wondered
what it would have been like
to dance with Fred ?

New decoupaged dishes from House of Golightly

a little bit of Fred, feathers and FORMALWEAR

Fred Astaire note dish 4"x 6"

Bird Waltz 4" x 6"

Tailcoat dish 4" x 6"

An Aqualicious Day

I woke up this morning

only to find myself

dreaming
in aqua

TODAY IS ...

a day when my old absinthe fountain
becomes
a
mouthwash fountain

( just applied a french label then mixed both clear and turquoise mouthwash to get the perfect shade )

photo by lisa golightly

a day for beautiful handmade vintage number books from
Fanciful Designs


a day when stilettos and inflatable pool toys
just work


a day for an antique french monogrammed plate from
French Blue and Co


A day that I buzz about town on this ...


A day of velvet ribbon in every watery shade imaginable at Britex in SF

photos by lisa golightly

A day for a deliciously drippy opaline chandelier from
Paris Hotel Boutique

Today is a day for so many more dreamy things
like this bit of news

I may not ever want to go to sleep

Eloquence furniture also coming soon to the
The Paris Apartment

Let's Dish About Summer

Bonjour
&
HaPpY WeekeNd !

Time for a little shameless showing and telling
from the
House of Golightly

I can always tell when June is approaching here in no Cal just by the state of our garden. And just like clockwork, the 1st cherries and berries have burst onto the scene ... and to pop them in your mouth when they're still warm from the sun ( ohh yes ! ) I think my favorite thing however, is the intoxicating smell of gardenias outside my window ( which I can't resist wearing in my hair ). Such a beautiful reunion for the senses. Blend all that with the anticipation of homework-less evenings and lingering dinners alfresco ... it's no wonder I'm so ... well ... GIDDY ! ( I know, my Doris Day is showing )

Am I the only one feeling this way ?
What's happening in your part of the country ?

Anyway, been having a lot of fun altering vintage images and decoupaging them to clear glass dishes. The whole process just opens up a whole new realm of possibilities ! So here I am doing custom and I'm loving it. So fun meeting customers, collaborating ideas and then creating something they are thrilled with.

So marking a new season, here's a few new things ... some on Etsy and some sold as orders.

Bonne Chance 8" x 8"


Seek Love 8" x 8"


Marilyn Monroe letter 4" x 6"


You are the Best 6" x 10"


Run With It 6" x 10"

This is not a Pipe 4" x 6"


This week's fave custom pieces ...



FYI ... Check out the wonderful write up about Claudia from The Paris Apartment on Janet Solomon's French Blue and Co's blog ! Both ladies always have such beautiful postings that are both worth checking out.
and .... There is a wonderful giveaway for FREE advertising for 3 monthes on Claudia's VERY popular blog ( winner is announced Monday ) !
Learn about it all here

Giveaway ... "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ?"

Imagine ... if you were to have a dinner party, and could invite ANYONE ( living or not ). Who would you invite ? I love asking new friends this question ... the answers I hear are all so fun and insightful. So curious who would land on the guest list of your soiree !
So here's the giveaway part ... between today and Tues, the 31st, enter your dream-list of up to 6 "guests" in the comments of this post (one entry per person ). After having the the lucky winner chosen via Random.org , I will announce the winner on Wed., the 1st of April. At that point, I will then ask for their shipping address in a private email.

I have made this reverse printed and handsilvered beveled glass sign for the winner !

Here is just one of my guest lists ...

Robert Rauschenberg
( photo courtesy of americanpicturelinks.com )

Alexander Calder
( photo courtesy of worldsbestever.com )

Josephine Baker ( she was good friends with Calder )
( photo courtesy flickr )

Audrey Hepburn
( photo courtesy of flickr)

Philippe Petit ( you must see Man on Wire if you haven't already ! )
( photo courtesy of flickr )

and Abe Lincoln
( photo courtesy of flickr )
How fun would that be !

Good luck to all who enter ! XOL