The Last Few Weeks of Summer - This & That
This time of year is so bittersweet for me because it seems that the best memories happen in the summer when my family is together! This year, my youngest daughter and her husband and my sweet grandson Bristol couldn’t be with us at the beach and we missed them so much…but they are traveling around Europe (finally) and I couldn’t be happier for them. I really want my girls to live their own lives and that makes the times when we can be all together are even more special.
Lately, I’ve been thinking so much about mindfulness and staying in the present moment because that really is all there is. I try to remind myself that worrying about the future or bringing the heaviness of past events into the present robs me of the beauty of now. There are certainly lessons learned from past events and wisdom gained by looking at how things could have been handled differently but other than that, there is nothing to be gained. The best way to create the lives we want is by taking the beautiful memories from the good times and the wisdom from the hard times into the future as we travel down the path of life.
As the days begin to get shorter and the temperatures begin to drop a little, we can enjoy being outdoors even more. This is the time of year when I want to sit on the front porch in a rocking chair with a glass of wine and a good book in the late afternoon (with a couple of lazy dogs by my side). When September rolls around, I start to look forward to fires in the fireplace and sweater weather, but I still want to enjoy these last weeks of summer! Here’s what I’ll be doing, eating and wearing!
The farmer’s markets are full of deliciousness right now from sweet tomatoes to the most tender okra and the peaches are only getting sweeter. Last night for dinner, I made a simple salad with fresh tomatoes, and burrata. I drizzled it all with good olive oil, added freshly ground black pepper and Maldon sea salt and it was amazing. I could have made this my dinner but since Baldy was home, I grilled some chicken and roasted fresh okra in the oven (my summertime favorite). This time of year, food is supposed to be easy!
Last Thursday, my daughter Rebecca & I went to the movies to see Where The Crawdads Sing and I can honestly say that I think the movie was every bit as good as the book and we both loved it. The movie lasted over 2 hours which seemed like 15 minutes. If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it and then you should definitely see the movie! It brought up some very thought provoking questions about many issues in our society, but of course, I won’t go into those because you need to see the movie for yourself! I’m including the trailer below just in case you haven’t seen it yet!
Last night, Baldy and I were looking for something to watch and stumbled on Extraordinary Attorney Woo on Netflix! Woo Young-Woo is an extremely smart girl who has autism spectrum disorder. She didn’t speak until she was 5 years old, but could read any book and remember what she read. Her autism causes her to struggle with social skills and empathy making her awkward. Because of her photographic memory, Woo Young-Woo begins work at a large law firm and even though she faces many obstacles including prejudice, she is able to brilliantly solve cases and become successful. This series is heartwarming and fun to watch!
Wear your whites into fall by adding booties to a dress or a pair of jeans! I bought this Veronica Beard Dress in the spring and I’ve worn it several times (and it’s been borrowed by a daughter). I would like to wear this dress a few more times because I really love it… so I decided to pair it with tan suede booties. Styled in this way, I can wear it well into fall and even add a jacket if the weather is cooler! Both the dress and booties are on major sale and there are plenty of sizes left in both!
I’ve been accused of having 30 sweaters that all look the same and for the most part they are grey! I don’t know what it is about jeans and a chunky warm grey sweater, but it works and I love the combination! The grey sweater here is a little jazzed up with the words “Do What You Love”, but as far as I’m concerned, that makes it even better! Hoop earrings and a cream bag are closet essentials and of course, a cute pair of sneakers! Below I’m sharing a few Crazy Blonde approved grey sweaters!
The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Amazon $18
“One day, the mountain that is in front of you will be so far behind you, it will barely be visible in the distance. But the person you become in learning to get over it? That will stay with you forever and that is the point of the mountain.” ~ Brianna Wiest
I’ve just ordered You Are the Mountain by Brianna Wiest. It will be the third book I’ve read of hers and I’m sure it will not disappoint. The ideas in her books are simply stated and life changing. I recommend keeping a highlighter and journal close by while reading!
Vacation is a wonderful thing, and coming home from vacation…not quite as wonderful. This past week has been a week of catching up. It’s Saturday morning as I write this post and I’m happy to be back at my desk sharing my thoughts! Baldy and I are going to hear Smokey Robinson tonight and I couldn’t be more excited. Hopefully tomorrow, I can enjoy a few hours at the pool and take my grandsons for ice cream.
I’ll be taking the rest of August and September to work on a few new things and then on September 29, I’m leaving for Germany to visit my daughter for a couple of weeks. The travel restrictions have finally been lifted and we’ll be taking a couple of trips and I am so excited! Life is busy, but good!
Have a fabulous weekend and let me know if you’ve seen the movies, read the book or have any other comments! I love hearing from you!