White Out: Dog Days of Summer

Today is my last day off before I head back to work.  I didn't really get a "summer" this year as once I was done with the school year, I had one day off before teaching summer school.  This year, two weeks was enough time for me to clean out my closet and sell/donate half of my clothes, tidy up the house, make it to the beach once and a pool, finally complete The Sopranos and binge watch two seasons of House of Cards.  We are also currently dog sitting my husband's dog, Jazz, who stayed living with his mother when we got married.  So technically, my summer was filled with dog days (you can find the original meaning of the phrase HERE).   I have pretty much been living in all white the past few months and with the purging of my wardrobe, I made sure to keep simple staples with clean lines. 

Cheers to the end of my dog days of summer!

Cloth & Stone top, Madewell shorts and sunnies, Vans

All Things Pineapple

This is my favorite time of the year as a few of my favorite fruits come in season: pineapple, watermelon and blackberries. It seems like this season, it is all things pineapple, everywhere! This trend is getting me excited for summer days spent reading by the water (after teaching summer school of course) and evening BBQs with friends and tiki drinks on the porch.

All via Pinterest

Palm Trees//Summer Breeze

Last week it was way too hot in LA and while summer officially begins in a month, it came early this year.  I found this dress at Crossroads a couple of weeks ago and thought I would need to wait until July/August to wear it, but I was able to wear it sooner than expected.  I love the indigo blue palm trees and the 1920s style drop waist.  Paired with some Swedish Hasbeens that remind me of the 20s/30s, I felt like an F.Scott Fitzgerald character named after a flower or herb, so naturally, we went out and I ordered a gin cocktail.

Dress from Crossroads, Clogs: Swedish Hasbeens,
Anthropologie Sunnies, Yanessa B necklace

Warby Parker Summer Collection

Last week, it was over 85 degrees in Los Angeles for six consecutive days.  Anyone who is a southern California native, knows that our endless summer is rapidly approaching and warmer weather is here to stay (at least until mid-November when our "winter weather" sets in).  This being said, I am so excited about the new Warby Parker Summer Collection.  I am sure everyone knows about Warby Parker and their Home Try-On program, but I recently learned that they have a Do-Good program where they will donate a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that is purchased.  Since warmer weather has already arrived, I am currently in the market for some summer shades and love their new styles!! Here are a few of my favorites.

I love the wooden frame styles like the Ornsby (top) and the Cliff (bottom)

Banks in Sea Smoked Tortoise would be fun with a bright orange or coral lip

Quimby in Absinthe is from the latest Spring collection but I LOVE this style!

Since I also wear glasses for vision (thanks Dad) and I am in the market for new frames….these Haskell frames are the perfect color and shape!

You can view the new Summer collection HERE. 

Summer Cocktails: Infante

After heading back to work this week after almost a month off for summer, I decided to still celebrate the warm evenings with a drink. I first tried the Infante when I went to Son of a Gun for my anniversary dinner.  It was so delicious there: sweet, tart and strong! I decided to replicate it at home and the result was nearly just as great (the one thing I would like to change is to make my own Orgeat from scratch). This is definitely a cocktail you want to have outdoors as the sun is setting so it is already twilight as you sip away.

Recipe: 
2 oz Tequila
3/4 oz Orgeat (Almond syrup)
3/4 oz lime juice
Fresh ground nutmeg (garnish)

This is super simple to make. Just add tequila, orgeat and lime juice in a shaker and shake well! Pour over ice and garnish with nutmeg. Then enjoy!

Darling Summer Issue

Happy August! I know summer has been here for awhile now, but my summer just started last week and I am definitely enjoying some down time catching up on home projects, reading and much needed organization. Last year I blogged about Darling Magazine and their Kickstarter project here to go from begin strictly an online magazine to print and I am happy to state that it has been around for all four seasons now as it began with Fall and is now Summer!  It is encouraging to read the articles written by real women with similar passions and concerns as mine, inspiring to browse through the pictures and it looks great on the coffee table! You can get a summer issue here or at one the many stockists (including Anthropologie) and look out for Sabus and I while you're at it ;)

Summer Cocktail: Rosemary Gin Fizz

I am keeping my word to begin making delicious and fresh summer evening cocktails while I am on break.  For something refreshing and simple, I made a standard gin fizz but added fresh picked Rosemary from my herb garden.  It was perfect for a lovely evening to enjoy with friends!

Recipe:

1 lemon

1/2 tsp agave nectar (add more if you want it sweeter)

Rosemary sprig

1 1/2 oz Gin (I used Aviation)

splash of Club Soda

**Make sure to muddle some of the rosemary with lemon juice and agave nectar, then add gin and ice and shake. Top with soda water, garnish and enjoy! So simple.

July Cara Box {nautical}

This month I participated in the Cara box gift box exchange again via Wifessionals, with the ever so appropriate theme for summer: nautical.  I realize that nautical has been a trend and is possibly overdone at this point, but as someone who has always loved all things nautical (I am a July baby after all) I couldn't have been happier.  I was partnered up with Stefanie and Ashley this month, both of whom it was nice getting to know better via their blogs and email conversations.  It was a bit difficult to keep up this month as I was teaching summer school full time and was swamped with lesson planning and grading.  Anyway, when I arrived home from my last day teaching and saw the little box on my porch, I ran in the house and couldn't wait to open it.  Thanks so much Ashley, I loved everything and my house is now finally feeling a bit more summer-like.

Ashley sent me a tumbler, sunglasses, blue and white nail polish (very nautical), the cutest notebook, an Anchors aWeigh sign (I believe she made), post-its for my upcoming school year (little did she know, I live my daily life by post-it to do lists), and a super cute picture frame with an anchor and a painted wooden A (both not pictured).  SOOO thoughtful!!! =)

Farmer's Market Evening Cocktails {Pin}spirations

My summer finally begins today as it is the last day of teaching summer school in what has been a crazy busy month!  Nothing sounds better than walking to the farmer's market and making some fresh summer cocktails to enjoy on the porch with my husband on a warm summer evening!

All images via Pinterest

June Cara Box {fair}

This month I participated in my very first Cara Box exchange!  It is hosted by Kaitlyn of Wifessionals and was created in order to connect with other bloggers and bless the other person with a fun themed box of goodies.  I really enjoyed this first one although had a bit of trouble with the theme, Summer Fair or Circus.

I was paired up with Stephanie and Ann Marie (ps-the box is on it's way and should be there within the next day! so sorry for the delay) and it was really nice going through their blogs and getting to know a bit more about them.

Stephanie was so sweet in emailing me to find out about what I prefer and learn about some of my favorite memories of the fair.  After a few weeks of emailing back and forth about life, love and LA, I was so excited to see the box inside waiting after a long day/night at work!

First off, it wouldn't be the fair without cotton candy!

Not sure if she included these because she saw on my blog I like beer or it was intuitive, but either way,  these are great!

So fun and colorful!

A reusable togo cup in order to stay hydrated in the summer heat!

She threw in some of her favorite lip balm which I was super excited about as all of my students used this and I was curious.  The flavor was perfect for summer!

I shared with here that one of my favorite fair memories was always getting BBQ corn with my mom so she got me these great corn holders!

Thanks so much Stephanie and I can't wait to read about your new adventures in Colorado soon! This was really so much fun and I can't wait to participate in July's nautical box swap!