Black And White And Loved All Over

Coney Island Beach, Society 6

Everyone's whining about the heat in the South, and I get it. It is balls-hot outside. But whenever I feel even the least bit grim about it, I consider the alternative, which is the bitter, icy, gray, endless sonofabitch that is winter.

Here I am in the middle of another love affair with summer and I'm sticking my tongue out at Old Man Winter. As with most love affairs, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so as I pined for summer throughout the winter it grew more luscious in my mind. Turns out, it's not technically especially luscious these days in Nashville, where the thermostat in my car reads 103 just like everyone else's.

But hear me out because what I'm trying to say is ... summer really is great; you might just not know it right this second.

Here are some quick notes on the joys of summer:

- the days are longer and more crammed with backyard BBQs, outdoor concerts, happy hour cocktails on patios, festivals and block parties.
- tans really are pretty if you don't think about the cancer part.
- idealism comes easier. For instance, I like to think that if I lived in California, I'd surf. And I like to think I'd have a body as warm and brown and Banana Boat-smelling as a coconut cake fresh out of the oven.
- romance comes easier, too: picnics and initials-carved-in-trees and bare legs all help with that.
- the trees and grass are greener and thicker and, on a personal note, offer more privacy so I can pretend that I don't live in such close proximity to crackheads and thieves.
- ice cream tastes even better.
- loud music in the car sounds somehow better when the windows are rolled down.
- ceiling fans are awesome.
- people take more vacations 'just for fun' instead of the obligatory treks lots of peeps have to take for winter holidays.
- swimming pools, oceans, and lakes are pretty and swimming underwater is magical.
- pedicures don't go to waste.
- sunshine is an all-natural mood booster.
- the produce is fresh and colorful and the food is lighter and healthier.
- fireflies.

OK, that's all I got at the moment, but I know I'm leaving tons out. You guys have anything add to this love letter to summertime?

When did home decor get so stuffy? Who really wants to make small talk in a formal living room or belly up to a dining table with fine china? I mean, I don't. I've spent the last week scratching my head about which room in my house would be most optimal for hanging a mirrorball--living room? Kitchen? Here are some other things I've been thinking about, too:


Put the writing on the wall. Chalkboard paint is all the rage now. Fun for kids and also for adults, it's great for jotting down favorite quotes, love notes, to-do lists and reminders, or house rules (Supernanny-style). Or just doodle french bulldogs if that's your thing. We have one in our kitchen and it keeps inspiring me.

Design*Sponge

Built a fort. Even if you don't have kids. Especially if you don't have kids.

Cakies

Hang a swing. I've been lusting after this swing that hangs inside Nashville's Tweed Baby Outfitters. It was handmade by super-craft-genius owner Maggie Tweedie and can hold up to 220 lbs. Maggie gets the swings from Ikea and then covers them with her imagination, which was also in full effect on that incredible tree bookshelf she designed.

.... or rig a hammock wherever you'd like. An indoor hammock? Dude, count me in.

Flickr

Get creative in your kid's room. Childrens' rooms have always been the post popular palate for parents to get creative, but these days it's gone beyond hand-painted Pooh Bear murals. Like, uh, below. These parents obviously had an epic budget, but I love that they totally went for it with this pirate ship bed.

Ohdeedoh

Or, you know, just skip the stairs. Need a drink of water before bed? Just swoosh on down to the kitchen.

Walyou.com

 Make a messy bed fort. Who cares if it looks like a place where a teenager would blare Zeppelin and blow pot smoke out her bedroom window? That's the point.

Smile and Wave

Have you guys heard about these travel websites that let you rent out private apartments?

- Airbnb
- Homeaway
- Cross-pollinate

A Cup of Joe first clued me in to them, and I started to browse them recently for our Barcelona trip. I know we won't be spending a whole lot of time indoors, but I wanted our landing pad to have more character and privacy than a hotel room. And I am just such an environment person; if things look pretty and smell pretty and if the space is bright and tidy then I feel more relaxed and invigorated at the same time. Specifically, I was looking for a claw-foot tub where I could take long soaks and a little balcony where Nekos and I could have our coffee in the morning.

And look what I found, bitches!!! It's so affordable, too. Swear.

We'll have this ah-mazing one-bedroom apartment to ourselves. And that balcony I was dreaming of? I guess I'll just have to work with this PRIVATE GARDEN TERRACE instead.


The only teensy downside? Nekos and I are gonna have to rock this double bed, even though we're so used to our king-size-don't-even-touch-me-with-your-foot current sleeping arrangement. Ah, well!

Actress Elsa Martinelli, 1955