Happy Summer!

Today is the Summer Solstice, and I am totally ready for the official start of summer.  The weather in Boston this week has been gorgeous; warm but not too hot, zero humidity, breezy in the evening...  Did I somehow transplant to California?  Seriously though.  Here are some happy summer things to start the season right:

Okay, so I haven't been to the beach yet, but that doesn't stop me from faking it with another layer (or two!) of bronzer.  Summer beauty products are tricky though.  When the temperatures rise, no girl wants her face to melt.  This luminizer from Benefit is a beauty product that I've heard a lot about; it is essentially a shimmery highlighter for your face.  You apply it to your cheeks and brow bones and then blend with the handy blending tip.  I'm dying to try it this summer, when I'm stuck in the office (sigh) but craving the beachy glow of a woman of leisure.
  

Watts Up! Luminizer in luminous champagne, $30
by Benefit Cosmetics

Not only is today the first day of summer, but it's also National Wear Your Lilly day!  Pulitzer, that is.  My newest Lilly love is the Jolene Skirt, a soft jersey maxi skirt with diagonal seams and stripes to match in a soft, tidal blue.  When I said I was all about maxis this season, I wasn't kidding.  Plus, in honor of Lilly day, you score a free Lilly key chain with any purchase or a printed wristlet with orders of $250 or more.  I love it when there is a cherry on top.

Jolene Skirt in tide blue lazy days stripe, $148
by Lilly Pulitzer

This Monday night, I was able to watch The Bachelorette with some lovely ladies AND have my nails painted by my amazingly talented friend, Aimee.  In honor of summer, I now have OPI's Hot and Spicy on my nails, a punchy lobster orange that pairs perfectly with nautical colors like navy and white--but that's not all.  I am also a total stud; well, my digits are at least, thanks to Aimee's guidance and the tiny gold pyramid studs on each of my nails.  It's okay to be jealous.

Orange Studded Nails--
love love love.

Remember making friendship bracelets?  I was obsessed.  Growing up, whenever we would take long family car trips, I would tote my trusty box of embroidery floss and fashion all sorts of fantastic bracelets that adorned my left arm like whoa.  Yes, I have always been this cool.  So you can imagine my excitement when I saw that friendship bracelets are making a comeback--for adults.  In the July/August issue of Martha Stewart Living, friendship bracelets are the main attraction--and they're all grown up, thanks to sophisticated color palettes, metallic thread, and other adornments.  Maybe it's because my nails are already studded, but I feel like a speckle of studs or perhaps even rhinestones would really take this summer camp classic to a fabulous place.  I honestly think I need a Bedazzler; do they even make those anymore?

Friendship Bracelets, All Grown Up
from Martha Stewart Living, July/August 2013

During the summer, I hate to turn on the oven when it's already so hot outside already--particularly when our house is regrettably not cooled by central air but by two window AC units and half a dozen old school fans.  Needless to say, summer salads and other cool treats are an absolute must.  I'm currently obsessed with this watermelon, feta, and arugula salad with balsamic glaze.  I had a version of it at Bertucci's about a month or so ago, and I have been in love ever since.  Plus, it's super easy to make:

Ingredients:
1 5-ounce package baby arugula
8 cups 3/4-inch cubes seedless watermelon
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar glaze*

*Balsamic vinegar glaze can be found in the vinegar section at most supermarkets, but in a pinch you can make it yourself by boiling 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to 3 tablespoons, (about 6 to 7 minutes).

Preparation:
Arrange arugula over large platter. Scatter watermelon, then feta over. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with pepper.

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad

with Balsamic Glaze

from Bon Appétit

I feel like I should also put a summer to-do list in writing so that I can be held accountable for my grand plans.  Otherwise, it seems summer always slips through my grasp, and it's Labor Day weekend before I know it.  So--in no particular order--here are 10 things I hope to accomplish before the clock chimes Labor Day, and the fashion laws force me to stop wearing white:

-Reread The Great Gatsby (my favorite summer book)

-Finally complete Harper's baby book (she is going on 2, after all)

-Make s'mores around an outdoor fire

-Redo my bedroom decor

-Explore a New England beach I haven't been to before

-Finally have a picnic with my amazing cousin before she moves 

-Go for long summer walks (a favorite pastime)

-Do more yoga

-Eat fiddleheads while they're in season

-Plan my perfect 30th birthday in the absence of Chanel (tick tock!)

And on that note, it only feels right to greet summer with F. Scott Fitzgerald:

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees--just as things grow in fast movies--I had the familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

Happy summer!

I Am Thankful For My Fashionista Friends, Episode 14: Soft Hands

Shea Butter Mini Hand Cream, $10
by L'Occitane

With the holidays fast approaching, not only have I been thinking about the people, places, and things that have inspired me, but I've also given much thought to the amazing gifts I've received over the years--both big and small.  I received one such gift--small but mighty--during high school, when Irma, mother to my dear friend Luke, gifted me my very first tube of L'Occitane hand cream.  I didn't know then that one little tube would have such a profound influence on me (and more specifically, my hands) so I remain thankful to my other mother, Irma, and the gift of soft hands.

Made of 20% shea butter, honey, and sweet almond extract, L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream is designed to heal, protect, and moisturize dry or dehydrated skin.  What I love most about this hand cream is that it is fast absorbing, leaving hands soft and refreshed rather than icky and greasy like some hand creams.  Plus, the handbag-friendly 1-ounce mini tube is easy to tote, and a girl on the go never knows when she might need to moisturize at a moment's notice!  What started as a gift has become a cosmetic staple, and I've been carrying a L'Occitane hand cream mini around with me ever since.  So thank you, my dearest Irma, for this fabulous gift--and for the secret to the softest hands ever.