Welcome to Summer, my loves.
As an unapologetic woman, I can say with great authority I unapologetically love Summer, and not for the heat. I adore longer days, lazy afternoons, and of course, the beach. I love being at the ocean so much, and Memorial Day weekend was spent at my sister’s new house in Bethany Beach, Delaware. I spent summers at Rehoboth Beach with my family, so this stretch of coastline is nostalgic in the best of ways.
And though Summer signals a slowing down, I feel revved up.
I sense change afoot with the work I’m doing, and I’m here for it. Truth is, after Khan passed, I hit pause on making stuff happen. I needed to take a beat and just be still with the grief. My new baby girl Gidget has energized me. All that sweet glorious puppy power has taken me by surprise, and her sense of confidence and discovery is amazing. Plus, she is an excellent conversation starter, as not many can walk by and not comment on her adorable smallness. I find myself smiling for no reason, more often than not. And just like that, I’m back, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds.
As my yoga teacher said in class the other day, what’s in the way is the way. And though I’m not one to quote yoga teachers, that one hit right.
So here are a few items to help you hit summer just right, too. Is there anything better than a Summer Thursday? Well, yes. A Summer Friday. I love those. Little treasures all.
First up, Trader Joe’s new Brazil Nut body wash is only $5.99 and a dead ringer for the Brazilian Bum Bum version. My sis had it at her house, and it’s the beauty equivalent of a Summer banger. Run, don’t walk. It’s great.
In honor of my sis’s new house in Delaware and my week-long vacation in Rehoboth this summer, I give you these Old Bay Cheese Curls I spotted in Wawa. OMFG. So good. I love Old Bay so much. I know it’s a bit cilantro-like in its polarization, but it makes everything taste good. Cheese curls already taste good. So bonus points for The Bay. Also, on Amazon, they are beaucoup bucks, so don’t buy them there.
Fun fact. I don’t love the coastal grandma vibe. I don’t like linen drawstring pants, or rather; they don’t like me. But I do love a pretty little hippie dress with a trucker hat and some classic Ray-Ban aviators, and an anklet. This one is gorgeous, as are the many options on hand at Meadow Collective, a Miami-based store with an advanced degree in boho chic. That’s my version, and though Nancy Meyers may not approve, I do.
Iced coffee with half and half is a summer indulgence I can’t live without. There is just something about warm weather and Wawa or deli iced coffee that requires half and half vs. oat milk. Come at me. You know it’s true. Oh, and it must be at least 16 ounces, or it doesn’t matter.
A minimal bathing suit is ageless. No bells. No whistles. Simple. Chic. Done. Thank you, CUUP, for not only answering my bra prayers but also my bathing suit hopes as well. Love this new one-piece, too.
I love a summer rock tee. This shrunken one from Made Worn is terry cloth and so good. I wear mine with everything from black trousers and a slide to a slip skirt and a denim jacket. Good stuff.
White pants/jeans are a summer staple. I know I’ve written about them before, but I really dig these for their laid-back slouch that somehow still feels put together.
We all need one of these to pack for a weekend away. Dress it up, down, and sideways with a flip-flop or gold sandal. This one from Z Supply in black gauze does the job and can be worn strapless or tied and is also well-priced.
Fresh Sugar Lemon Body Wash reminds me of my friend Stephanie and her apartment on Kenmare Street in the early 2000s. I used to stay over at her place when I lived in Miami, and she always had this in her shower. It’s so perky and fresh and very on vibe for Summer.
Show me a beach bookstore I don’t like. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You can’t. Because I love them all in a romantic way. I’ll most likely never read the books I purchase there but browsing in a beachy book nook is a small slice of heaven. I’m working my way through Bret Easton Ellis’s new one, ps. God speed.
I am a bit of a salad repeat eater when I find one I love. This Summer, the lobster Cobb is my new Nicoise. It’s so good. This recipe from Ina Garten is glorious, but I’d skip the tomatoes because yuck. I hate them.
If I owned a beach house, I would also own these towels. They look like the perfect wrap-up after an outdoor summer on warm, tanned skin. Maybe they’d also work in Brooklyn?
I found these roped-up revelations in a surf shop Memorial Day weekend, and I am certain I will live in them all summer. I am also obsessed with these brown sandals, though I wouldn’t kick the black pair out of bed. Flat sandal perfection.
Summer fragrances are my love language. This and this mixed together is subtle hippie chic perfection (aka not college patchouli and more Le Labo Santal), and I still love the now discontinued White Peacock Lily from DS & Durga. According to Fragrantica, the top notes are Nerium Oleander, Grapefruit, and Cabreuva; the middle notes are White Lily, Egyptian Jasmine, Whipped Cream, and Violet; the base notes are Watery Notes, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), and Vanilla. It’s so yummy. You can hunt for it online here.
I’ve recently given my hair a good chop because of Naomi Pierce on “Succession,” and I’m loving it. It’s super wash-and-go friendly, so I’m loving JVN’s Air Dry cream for a perfectly textured tousle. I hate to blow dry my hair in the summer, so this is a lifesaver. Talk to me in July when the humidity is in full swing, though.
We all need a good spritz for all that schvitz, and this Caudalie spray was a lovely gift from a thoughtful friend, and it, too, is lovely. It cools me right down and is also hydrating and super refreshing. Oh, and bonus, it is a great pre-skincare primer and sets makeup too.
So bring on the Summer. I’m working on some new offerings, so stay tuned, and take it easy, or heck, let’s amp it up. Mid-month, I’ll serve up a few thoughts about timing (too old, too young, just right) from a midlife perspective. XO