Summer Musts

Yikes! How can it almost be the end of June? I feel like I haven't fully grasped summer yet. So, inspired by Jillian's summer bucket list over on the lovely Cornflake Dreams, here are my personal must-dos for the rest of summer:

Go on a bike ride somewhere pretty.

Stroll a farmers' market.

Have a pool day.

Take a trip to Chicago.

Rent a canoe and get out on the water.

Grab cocktails on a rooftop.

How about you?

Photos from here, here, here, here, here and here. 

Outta This World

My parents live out in the country, and one of my favorite things to do in the summer is stare up at the stars. Their house is far enough away from city lights that at night the sky absolutely sparkles.

There's a special celestial, cosmic quality to these dresses, found on Les Nouvelles. Made by Cacharel, Risto and Gryphon, they bring to mind solar systems or the moon or a twinkling sky.

Photos from here. 

Whirlwind

I'm back from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I had a great time on the trip. We fit a lot into just a few days. We listened to music at indoor concerts and outdoor festivals, saw a wonderfully diverse collection of art at a museum and lovely decorative papers at a store, caught a performance of Shakespeare in a beautiful park, ate at several restaurants and beer-tasted our way through the city. A full and fantastic visit, to be sure!

Photos by me. 

Solo Mission

I'm off on a work trip for the rest of the week. It's in a city I've never visited before, and I'm looking forward to exploring. Traveling by myself is not something I do often, but I'm hoping it's a nice little adventure with time to read, think, discover and perhaps unwind a bit.

Photo from here. 

Purple Love

While we didn't have many plans for the weekend, the past few days certainly kept us busy! I had a great time at a friend's wedding shower and a family dinner, my husband and I made progress on house projects and we capped the weekend with a nice outdoor dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. We also fit in time to go to a homes tour that's held in our city each summer. One house in particular caught our attention, an interesting place decorated with shades of purple and glam touches. Here are a few quick photos I snapped:

Photos by me. 

Happy Weekend!

The weekend is just hours away, but I'm not sure what the next few days will bring. We have plans to spend time with family and friends, and maybe we'll tinker on some projects around the house and perhaps we'll go on some fun outings. But no matter how the weekend shapes up, I hope we take time to appreciate the sights, sounds, colors, tastes, warmth and beauty of summer.

Photo from here. 

For Us?

On this beautiful sunny morning, let's pretend someone sent us a lovely bunch of flowers that we can admire and smell all day long. (Or we could visit Printed Canvas on Etsy to order these pretty prints for ourselves.)

Photos from here. 

Naturally Beautiful

I've been a fan of Kerri Russell ever since her Felicity days. (Wasn't that such a great show?) Her style, both onscreen and off, has always seemed to be rooted in natural beauty. So I'm not surprised to see the same aesthetic in her gorgeous Brooklyn home, featured in Elle Decor. What a calm, cozy and sophisticated space!

Photos from here. 

Girl Time

We are back from our girls getaway, and what a fantastic time we had! It was so nice to truly spend time together, in a way friends don't often have a chance to when life is busy. In our little hotel room we crammed together, gabbing and snacking and listening to music like we were teenagers again. We survived a somewhat treacherous kayak trip, and followed the ordeal with an afternoon of wine tasting. We literally danced the night away at a dive bar and spent the next day strolling the charming town and browsing its shops and lakefront. We goofed around, told stories, shared challenges and encouraged one another. In other words, we had perfect girl time.

Photos by me. 

Hittin' the Road

I can barely contain my excitement! In a few hours I'm going on a weekend trip with three of my girlfriends. To celebrate my friend's upcoming wedding, we're road-tripping to a lake town where we're planning to go wine-tasting, kayaking, shopping and out dancing. These girls and I became friends in the seventh grade, so there's lots of history and laughs to fall back on -- and I'm looking forward to creating more fun memories.

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic weekend!

Photo from here. 

Screen Style

The Sound of Music is an incredible movie, a film that always uplifts and inspires. Julie Andrews is wonderful in it, and Christopher Plummer is so dashing. But until recently I never gave much thought to the fashion -- but it's pretty great too! Here are a few of my favorite things:

Green and white prints feel so fresh for running around this summer -- singing on a mountainside, climbing trees and falling into lakes are optional.

* Green dress

* Skirt

* Print dress

* Shift

* Top

* Shoes

I'm crazy about the full skirts and nipped waists that the girls wear in the movie. And who doesn't love a cute sun hat?

* Skirt

* Hat

* Camisole

* Flats

* Blouse

And I want a soft, fluttery-sleeve dress perfect for falling in love and kissing in a gazebo!

* Short dress

* Long dress 

Underfoot

Lately, I've developed a preoccupation with rugs. I think they're gorgeous and I love how they tie a room together (to borrow a quote the Dude). I'm not sure if a rug -- something blue or patterned or both -- is the element missing in our living room. But in any case, I'm drooling over these beauties by Madeline Weinrib:

Photos from here.