Summer Is Here

A promise of PASTELS.

   

Sherbert shades, muted prints, and “I hafta get usta” these color combinations.

Summer is all about petal soft colors and delicate “catch the breeze like a kite tail” fabrics.

 

 

  

From perfumes to pashminas, the girly girl season is upon us. 

No one channels a lovely feminine twirl better than Nichole.

Picture hats protect and frame the face. Hat boxes hide stacks of hats.

A handful of push pins, four empty guest bedroom walls and the décor is complete.

This year, I finally solved our yearly hat headache dilemma. I poured just enough boiling water around the inside rim of the straw hat, pushed a bowl into the hat and gave it few hours of unprotected sunshine until it was dry and a comfy size.

The too tight hat headaches are officially a thing of the past. The amount of wine consumed “under the hat”... well, that's another kind of headache.

 

Fruit infused popsicles are the “it” summer dessert. Clear grape juice, honey and fruit and yer done. It's like kids play, creating signature flavors with the addition of yoghurt, nuts, chocolate and even bourbon.

Like happy soldiers standing at attention in the freezer, these TOVOLO molds are the best I've found. You too can find them online.

 

For the past few months, I've been obsessed with these rainbow looking espadrilles from the south of France. My sweet friend Kate, found them in a charming French boutique and mailed this pair to me. Dreams do come true. Thank you Kate!

This season, from Bali to Africa, hand loomed and primitive woven fabrics are influencing designers and will continue to be in the spotlight right up and into Fall. Geometric patterns uncomfortably matched up with flowered prints is a “believe it or not” NOW “not to be ignored” combination. Try getting out of your comfort zone. This pairing is a really fun... although admittedly this is an odd way to “mix and match”...still it is a kind of sassy idea.

Kate Moss and I    have two things in common: our initials and this dress in Bazaar’s July issue. My gown and frame are 30 years older than Ms. Moss's : thank God for photo shop. My tongue is deeply embedded in my cheek right now.

Copycatting once more from yet another full page from Bazaar: enter stage left, one more of my vintage knit dresses. Taking the time to play dress-up: priceless. Looking serious and being frivolous was a real hoot of a good time.

Right now, deep colored vegetables and fruits are just too healthy to resist. The cherries, blueberries and kiwis in the frozen fruit bars and these dark luscious beets as a summer salad center piece make healthy foods.... definite no brainier choices.

  Oh, a perfect finish to this salad: goat cheese balls, dipped in olive oil and rolled in breadcrumbs topped with chopped “fresh from the garden” mint leaves.

   

After seeing Jean Paul Gaultier's fabulous show here in San Francisco and harking back to fond romantic memories of Venetian gondoliers, the search and rescue of my stripes was an easy challenge.

Although horizontal stripes aren't the most flattering way to show off inches, if it's happening... I'm either dragging them out of my closet or finding my stripes downtown. Happily, I found this silk sweater...right here at home... behind door number two.

Yummy in the tummy time. Cupcakes are so “IN” that they might just fade out soon. Next time it's your turn to bring the birthday cake... try stuffing cupcakes... with chopped up chocolate truffles, fruit jam or cream cheese. Every bite is a pop/pow of a surprise for every guest.

“Kimono Arms”. If you have “never to be seen in public” pancake arms, you needn’t allow them to stop you from wearing a summer sun dress. Simply start your Summer layering with a thin cotton shirt underneath. Oh re: attitude: collar up and re: age: chin up. There's no stopping you... or me. Right now, I'm in a : “Leave it to Beaver” 50's time warp state of mind.

Once more... here’s to laughing at myself and saving a pile of cold CA$H (right under our roof) for a night or two on the town. OK, so help me out here and let's do the math...OK so a  manicure, pedicure, red faced mud facial, dying and cutting my hair. The only “cost benefit” missing link that I really missed is an afternoon of talking the heads offof  the entire beauty parlor staff . For sure, it all adds up to a weekend away at a POSH resort.

Here's a snip-it of trivia... a sort of an FYI “just in case you didn't know” little cocktail conversation story for you. POSH means: Port Out Starboard Home. Coming and going, English nobility traveled to and from India on the cool sides of the ships...which was a very POSH way to enjoy their hot, hot summer voyages.

Each month, In Style magazine invites their readers to show and tell how they were influenced by “What's Trending”. Until I tried to find a pair of flower dusted jeans, I thought that this was a kind of ageless little LOOK.

Not being in the shopping or spending mood, I decided to paint over a few “can't help it” stains on these jeans . The paint dried and I was good to go...to a pricy POSH resort.

 

This tiny doll house “old as I am” potty is my little reminder to avoid “the pity pot”. Every once in a while, if I can't get beyond feeling sorry for myself, I look at this darling pot metal pot, give my sorrows a royal flush and... with a big smile, I get on with it. I think about rainbow colored espadrilles, fruit infused popsicles and hummm: what shirt I'm going to wear under my sundress. After all, minute to minute, day by day, the sunny side of the street, with protection, is a choice.