27 Jul Things I Love About Summer

Happy Friday Ladies

Keeping it a bit light today as I have been encountering a few sleepless nights due to Perimenopause or maybe Menopause, we don’t quite know yet. My doc seems to think at 50 I am still in Peri, I beg to differ. I do think the term “Hot Flash” is not accurate however, as there is no “flash” but rather a long drawn out evening of Night Sweats! Such is life! Anyhow, I thought I would talk about what I love about Summer!

Being that this year and summer is going by a bit quickly, and it is almost August, I thought it would be fun to talk about what I am enjoying.

1. Farmers Markets and outdoor stands- We love going to the Farmer’s Market in town or making our way to the nearest corner store for our fruits and veggies! I can not get enough watermelon, cantaloupe and peaches! I am Queen of the watermelon! Besides cutting up the tasty treat in squares and getting seedless watermelon, we enjoy making muddled watermelon martinis and freezing some for cubes . Yum!
2. Vineyards-  I am very much a red wine girl and my tastes have changed in what varietals I enjoy. I love learning about various regions and North Carolina now has over 100 Vineyards! Read about one of NC Vineyards in this POST.
3. Sangria- Speaking of wine, I make my own Sangria recipe and it is so easy and good! You can use red or white, add peaches, strawberries, berries – add a bottle of cab or pinot noir for red, pinot grigio or chardonnay for white, and peach schnaps. I let it sit overnight in the fridge.
4. Dining Al fresco– Another thing I enjoy is being able to sit outside and enjoy a meal. Lots of great restaurants have outdoor and patio seating and more are getting or are dog friendly, so we take advantage of bringing the puppies to hang out. If i could eat outside year round i would!
5. The Sun. Sitting outside on our porch to work on the blog is so enjoyable. I listen to the birds and just love being outside! It beats the confinement of the Winter months when it’s too cold to be on the deck.
6. Reading– I LOVE Handmaids Tale, and think that Elizabeth Moss is great in the role! (Still don’t you love Aunt Lydia?) I began reading the book by Margaret Atwood and love all of the details you don’t see in the show. I’ve loved Moss since seeing her play Peggy on Mad Men.  I need to get Kindle unlimited or my mom mentioned the program Libby, which offers free books.
7. Ice Cream Stands- We love taking the pups to Bruesters in the summer. They have doggy ice cream treats, which is basically a milkbone treat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But, they love it! They don’t lift their heads out of the cup the whole time!
8. Pool– Our pool in the development is open May 1 ( a bit early!) to the end of Sept. It is nice to cool off and just read – plus swimming or just being in the warm pool is great on my muscles! Read about my collaboration with Rose Fulbright, a British Luxury designer, who sent me a handmade/painted Kimono for the pool. Read post  HERE
9. Light nights. I love that the day is longer and it doesn’t get dark early. I am truly a Fall Girl at heart, but do appreciate this time of year for this reason!
10. Summer Concerts– Well, you read about my experience at the Def Leppard/Journey Concert, but here I am talking about outdoor concerts. Charlotte has a great amphitheatre and we have Summer Concerts by the Charlotte Symphony I love attending. We last went to hear Broadway Shows- and I can listen to songs from Phantom and Rogers and Hammerstein over and over!
11. Wearing dresses. Blog photos can be a challenge in the summer from too much sun to too much sweat, ( glowing) but i love to wear dresses and am enjoying linen/keeping cool this time of year. Read about Stying a Safari dress Here.
12. Vacations! – Many times we go to the beach or somewhere new to explore, as the last two summers I wrote about our vacation to Savannah and Tybee Island, as well as the summer vacation prior to The Outer Banks. ( read post) This year we are planning a trip in October to Europe. I love to explore new places and get away! Everyone needs to take a break!
13. Lemoncello- My mom introduced me to this Italian liquor. It’s very refreshing and so good!
14. Taking the puppies with us- I love sitting outside at restaurants with the pups. So fun to bring them along

These are just a few things I love and would love to hear what you enjoy about Summer before it comes to a close! 

Pop over to the Turning Heads Tuesday Linkup if you havent had a chance to sit and read through the blogs. Available all week.

Have a great weekend!

Jess xo