Inspiration Board {Lakeside Wedding}

I mentioned yesterday my fondness for lake getaways in summer, and a lakeside wedding seems like it would be absolutely perfect for the season.

Row 1: Amy Neunsinger, Caitlin & Evan- Luke Walker Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs, Anna Williams. Row 2: Tanja Lippert Photography via Southern Weddings, Jose Villa via Hostess with the Mostess, Ryan Phillips. Row 3: Anna Kern, Kelly Brown via Style Me Pretty, Michelle Rago Ltd. Row 4: Emilie Inc. Photography via Southern Weddings, Epicurious.

While I can't say I have ever considered the combination of red, yellow, and green in anything other than a stoplight, it just happened to develop as the color scheme of this board, and somehow, it seemed to work.

Summer Escape {Lakes}

While my family never had one regular vacation spot where would we trek every year, some of my fondest memories of summer revolve around time spent at various lakes.

Jonny Valiant

When I was growing up, not only were my best friend, Jenni, and I close, but so were our parents, and thus my family was welcomed at their weekend getaway. Summer memories from my elementary school years are peppered with days spent at their lake house.

Country Living

The lake was only an hour's drive from our homes, but, at that age, felt much further. I was always anxious to arrive, and the car ride seemed to last an eternity.

Country Living

The house was on a small, private island, and, although it was truly only a short distance from the mainland, it always seemed an adventure to reach. We would load people and belongings into a rowboat and traverse the distance between the shores; each trip, I prayed for the boat to not tip in transit.

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

This is not a tale of the exclusive and wealthy, however, but rather of a simple family cottage that welcomed many; the home was shared by their extended family, and I fondly remember afternoons spent playing on the banks of the lake alongside my brother, Jenni, her sister, and their cousins.

House Beautiful

The island seemed enormous from a child's perspective, although, surely, like many things remembered from childhood, I imagine I'd be surprised to see it again through an adult's eyes.

Country Living

Whatever the true breadth of the land, it was large enough to encompass more than it's fair share of memories including one of the day Jenni and I were given the very grown-up privilege of taking the row boat out to circle the island alone; sadly, our experience came to a crashing halt when, not yet a quarter of the way into our trip, we lost an oar in the water and had to be rescued by our dads.

Country Living

Summers during my middle school and high school years included time spent with our extended family on lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin. The lasting images from those trips are of riding over waves, first on an inflatable tube, then later, water skis, and feeling the wind whip across my face as I was pulled behind a boat flying furiously across the water's surface.

Pia Ulin

I traded the lakes of the Midwest for those of the South when I was in college. There was a lake 15 minutes from campus, and although it was far from a glamorous retreat, my friends and I loved heading off to its murky waters. The best spots were reached via dirt roads, and it felt like we were world's away as we lay sunning ourselves on the lake's dark sandy shores.

Country Living

I moved one state over to attend graduate school, and during that following summer, there were two holiday weekends spent lakeside with my friends from school. An unseasonably chilling drizzle didn't dampen our spirits as we celebrated our friends' engagement over Memorial Day, but it did cut short our time on the water; cruising around the lake in our rented pontoon boat, while lacking the adequate gear to combat the cold rain, wasn't quite as much fun as had planned.

Hakan Ludwigson

Our lake trip later that summer, over the 4th of July, proved much kinder, as we were greeted by beautiful, sunny skies and scorching temperatures, perfect for cooling off in the water.

Hakan Ludwigson

My memories of time spent on lakes has continued into my adult life too; E's and my house in central Texas is only a 10-minute drive from a lake where we watched a sunrise in the early days of our relationship, and since then, more frequently have viewed sunsets... have I ever mentioned I am a bit of a night owl? The lake also provided a perfect place for walks with our dogs and for an afternoon spent swimming the comfortably warm waters when my youngest brother visited us last summer.

Krakvik and D'Orazio

I know we aren't too far from a number lakes here in Houston, and I imagine it will only be a matter of time before we find ourselves making new memories in their now unfamiliar waters. Until then, I will dream of once again jumping into the refreshing water of a lake on a hot and sticky day, something that makes my list of things to love about summer.

Summer Writing Room

I adore so many of the elements of this room, including the bones of it. The wide expanse of windows, the dark wood paneling, and the hardwood floors create a space that is warm and inviting.

Hallie Burton

I also love the curve of the desk chair, the rug underfoot, the slightly industrial fan in the corner, and the stacks and shelves of magazines and books close at hand.

The room is perfectly suited for a summer home, and if I had one, I'd love a space very much like this. I can imagine happy hours spent writing and working at the desk, coffee in hand, pausing every so often to gaze outside and relish the view.

Whatever happened to Greenham Common?

Image from the Greenham Common Trust, 1996

Greenham Common: 'Scheduled Ancient Monument'.

Despite being no longer in use, the GAMA cruise missile silos at Greenham Common are still surrounded by three rings of steel fencing. Behind them the 'Scheduled Ancient Monument' still looks pretty forbidding though. Curious to know what plans English Heritage have for the site. I'm particularly looking forward to the 'Cold War Experience' (or some such enterprise), and the chance to part with a tenner for a look inside. Currently, however, the Greenham Common trust owns the area of the original base and have sensibly returned most of it to heathland and installed a memorial to the 1980's women's peace campaign. The trust also encouraged small businesses to settle in the old 'domestic' section of the site.

Summer Soup {Green Gazpacho}

On a hot day, nothing makes for a better meal than a chilled bowl of gazpacho; it is a staple in our house throughout the sweltering months of the year!

As we continue to look at things to love about summer, I wanted share two of our favorite recipes for this classic Spanish soup, starting today with a Mexican-inspired variation-- Green Gazpacho.

Green Gazpacho- Serves 4-5
(from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen)
Ingredients

-3 green tomatoes (3-inch diameter) or the least ripe you can find, cored and chopped.
- 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium (7-inch) cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium (4-inch) avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- A handful of parsley
- A handful of cilantro
- 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 juicy limes)
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 to 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon. red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- black pepper, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- Optional: tortilla chips for the top

Directions
1. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor, until reasonably smooth.
3. Transfer to bowl with lid and chill until very cold*
4. Serve plain or topped with tortilla chips

* For E and I, the leftovers are always enjoyed chilled, but rarely is the initial bowl enjoyed that way! Often we want to eat it immediately, so we dig right in-- room temperature and all. Also, this recipe is one that easily doubles.

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I will share the second recipe, a more traditional take on gazpacho, in the coming weeks.

Summer Siesta

In high school, I can remember being offended the day after a formal dance and a late night spent at friend's house when my mom suggested I take a nap. How childish! I was, afterall, 16. Although I ended up taking her advice and did nap that day, I did so rather begrudgingly.

Coliena Rentmeester

I discovered a true love for napping, however, when living in the dorm my freshman year in college. My bed was positioned by the window, and it caught mid-afternoon sunlight as it streamed into our room. I don't remember the first time I fell asleep while lying in that puddle of light, but, like a cat, I became crazy about napping while basking in the warm sun.

Martin Lof

Life has been feeling rather nonstop for E and I as of late, and I believe this is only the beginning. Looking forward, I'm not sure when things will slow down, which leaves me longing for a day where we can steal a luxurious nap together.

While napping will certainly do anytime of the year, grabbing a siesta on a warm afternoon and waking with many hours of daylight remaining is something I love about summer.