Summer Living {Screened Porches}

As much as I love being outside when the weather is warm, there are certainly times when the bugs are a little too pesky, and in those moments, I long for a screened porch where I can retreat.

Coastal Living

Heather Garrett Design

Evan Sklar

House Beautiful

House Beautiful

I love the relaxed nature of these rooms; each of the spaces above seems to encourage taking a deep breath and following it with a contented sigh.

‘Dare to dream...'

The 4^th of July celebrations kicked off at RAF Feltwell with a rousing speech by the director of ‘Tops in Blue’ USAF performance troop, in which we were encouraged to ‘dare to dream’ - about what, however, wasn’t all that clear. It seemed less about the possibility of a change in American foreign policy and more about shoring up those ‘values’ which are apparently so crucial to life in a democratic society. Anyway, this all took place in one of the remaining American military enclaves in East Anglia. Lakenheath and Mildenhall are close by but are possibly too sensitive to host an event which is open to local civilians or interested party crashers like yours truly. Feltwell, it seems is no longer the home of the 5th Space Surveillance Squadron (departed in 2003) which, according to Global Security was ‘responsible for detecting, tracking and identifying the status of satellites orbiting Earth’ using ‘the Deep Space Tracking System (DSTS) and low altitude satellites using the Low Altitude Space Surveillance (LASS) system’. That would account for the unavoidable presence of four unique radomes, one of which was used as an improvised projection screen for a vast image of the Statue of Liberty. The 48th Fighter Wing, our host, (also known as the Statue of Liberty Wing) is also based at RAF Lakenheath where, two days earlier, Joe Biden flew in on a ‘unspecified mission’. I didn’t see him here, anyway…

Inspiration Board {4th of July}

The 4th of July is a holiday I absolutely love, not only because I adore choosing a festive outfit, as I mentioned yesterday, but because is a day that is often filled with family, friends, fabulous food, and, my favorite, fireworks. It is a day that seems to lend itself perfectly to not only celebrating the ol' Red, White, and Blue, but a casual outdoor summer wedding as well.

Row 1: Tec Petaja via Once Wed, Martin Lof, Paloma Images via Once Wed. Row 2: Martin Lof, Paloma Images, Orchard Cove Photography via Style Me Pretty, Kristi Blunt. Row 3: Home Beautiful via Brown Button, Myrtle and Marjoram Photography, EyeSpy Photography via Snippet & Ink, Myrtle and Marjoram Photography, Cannelle et Vanille. Row 4: Leigh Miller Photography via The Bride's Cafe, Home Beautiful via Brown Button, Tec Petaja via Once Wed.

For those of you in the U.S., I hope you have a most wonderful Independence Day, and to those of you outside the States, I hope you're having a fantastic weekend too. Happy 4th!!

Holiday Dressing {4th of July}

While I can't say I decorate my house much for most holidays, I must admit, I am always excited about styling an outfit to coordinate with a holiday celebration.

Yes, I am that girl who wears green on St. Patrick's Day, and come the 4th of July, I find myself pondering what combination of red, white, and blue I will wear for the festivities of the day.

Kate Powers

Amanda Pratt

Jimmy Backius

Chloe Mallett

Anthropologie

Victoria's Secret

I already have an outfit planned for tomorrow, but, if I were doing any last minute shopping, I'd happily pick up any of these pieces to show my patriotic spirit.

L: J.Crew R: Anthropologie


L: Urban Outfitters R: J.Crew


L: Anthropologie R: J.Crew


L & R: Anthropologie


L: Calvin Klein R: Haute Hippie


Left, Middle, Right: Anthropologie


L: ModCloth R: Max & Chloe

*And, although I do love showing my holiday spirit through my clothing choices, someone please stop me if you ever see me don one of these as a serious fashion statement.

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.