One of my main online influences, Pigmami aka Heather Hurst, is my go-to for necklace layers, color theory, personalized rings, snack picks, and outfit textures (not to mention her absolutely impeccable Hermès scarf collection), and one of her recent posts was about everything she loves during the summer. I’ve never loved summer time as I’m a greater fan of cold weather seasons and places (my November meal trips to New York with bffs Brandon and Parker in college are some of my favorite memories!), so I tend to think of the hot period as the worst time of year. I often thought there were no other benefits to summer than the long break from school (which I had to fill with summer school anyway thanks to my stupidity in math and my teacher mother!!), but now that I’m older I’m trying to romanticize this section of year just as Heather does and would. To follow that romanticization of these months, these are the foods, activities, wardrobe items, and events I love most in the summer!
- An abundance of my favorite fruits in season (or just widely available to me) – mango, watermelon, cherries, pineapple, strawberries, etc.
- Family gatherings every month for birthdays, holidays, and family members returning to visit
- Long walks at night with my partner and our dog Soup (don’t love the early afternoon and mid-day walks though)
- Seasonally-appropriate colorful outfits on my body and in windowsills!
- Pasta salad in stores, restaurants, and homes (my favorite is the Sam’s Club sun-dried tomato and pesto pasta salad that I love even despite the kale)
- Bright hair clips and patterned hair scarves
- Long friendship hangs with my Hawaiʻi best friends at my bff Kaiʻolu’s house (which always end in karaoke and her sister Puaiohi’s famous brownies)
- My cousin Conor’s birthday pāʻina where we feast on my uncle’s bbq chicken and sing lots and lots of karaoke (do you sense a theme here?)
- Breezy and colorful linen shirts for layering
- Late night Baskin Robbins runs with my partner
- My new bright, groovy area rug in the living room!!
- Layered and stacked necklaces, bracelets, and rings (I’m trying to add this one to my collection)
