From top centre - clockwise:  Hat | Carters, watering can & tools | Indigo, Bunny Skip Hop Backpack | Indigo, Heart swimsuit | Joe Fresh, Canada Outfit | Joe Fresh, Heart Pants | Children's Place, Sandles | Joe Fresh, Lace Shoes | Zara, Jean Shorts | The Gap, Lace Top | Korea, Green Sunglasses | Carters, Blue & White Flower Romper | Joe Fresh, 4 Calico Critters | The Bay, Canvus bag | Chapters/Indigo, Pineapple Guy | Gift from Auntie Nicole, Potty Time Book | Indigo.

Summer is that time of year where you spend the least amount of time in any clothing that sticks to you.  It also, for us, was potty training season and this meant that our little 'Z' spent most of her time pant-less.  If we were home, she was usually just in a t-shirt or dress. (not pictured here are 3 dresses that she grew out of and we are not packing away.)

These are the items she spent the most time in this summer minus one dress that is pink, that is featured in her Spring Capsule of this year.  Many of the items she had from last year and still fit.

My personal favourites are her new shoes from Zara which opened in Halifax recently, her backpack, and blue romper that I wish she had worn more (potty training & rompers don't go together.)

Clockwise from centre:  Summer Darling Magazine | Darling.com, Heart Locket Necklace | first gift from my boyfriend now husband over ten years ago, Brown Felt Hat | Indigo, Black romper | The Gap, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub | Indigo, Navy T-Shirt Dress | The Gap, A Giving Key | The Giving Keys, Green shorts | The Gap, Pink Graphic T | Modcloth.com, Starfish Keds | Soft Moc, Jean Shorts | Bluenotes, Sun Glasses | La Vie En Rose, Clenser, Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Facewash | Sephora, Coral & White Striped Silk Tank | Pseudio, Black silk tank top | H&M, Sports Bra | Aerie

This Summer I found myself desiring new pieces I didn't truly need but knowing that I would be best to focus on the ones that counted.  Not pictured here are a few summer dresses that I wear often during the summer, various tanks that I at times wear underneath clothes, along with athletic wear.  I own two 3/4 length yoga pants and 2 yoga tops that I wear for workouts and other various athletic activities.  

The Navy T-Shirt dress was 100% the most used and best all around item I committed to adding to my wardrobe.  I have 2 other Navy Dresses. One is formal, and the other is more silk and good for summer day outings, but both leave me feeling a bit more dressed up than if I am just kicking it during a weekend.  So I found this T Shirt Dress at The Gap on sale and I LOVE it.  Dressed up or down, this is a winner.

Also added was the green shorts which I needed badly.  Since having a baby over two years ago I have only owned that one pair of jean shorts and this summer I found myself wanting to wear shorts more than dresses and needed a pair that would pair with more dressier shirts but wouldn't leave me feeling too formal.  This pair is perfect with dressier tanks or shirts tucked half way in but also relaxed with a graphic T.

Lastly, of note, I had broken my heart locket last year that Jeremy gave me when we were teens and it was his first gift to me.  I wore it 24/7 while he was away at sea over the past two years for a month at a time.  One would think that it would have been a babies grabby hand that broke it, but it was me, leaning over a table, getting it caught in-between slats.  I was a bit sad about that.  Recently we got it fixed for our six year wedding anniversary.  It's a simple and inexpensive piece but it means more than anything expensive.

Which goes to my last point:  It always pays to put more towards a classic piece and less towards the trendy.  The core base of my capsule wardrobe tends to be expensive items but those extra details are where I choose to find cheaper alternatives or wait for the right sale.  

Want to see how my Summer Wardrobe has evolved?

SUMMER 2016

It's no secret that I love seasons.  That idea of a season changing and bringing something new.  I love seeing what three months can bring and finding ways in which to celebrate them.

TO CELEBRATE:

We had a few friends in, ate a skillet of S'mores, BBQ sausages and other snacks.  We caught up, shared laughs and walked down to the water to light some sparklers.  It was simple really but in life, it's the simple things that count. 

Celebrating summer is more than just a reason to have a party, it's a reason to reflect and look forward on what is to come.

Here's to you Summer and every little lesson you gave me.

Summer 2017 Playlist

Click the link for what I have been listening to this summer.
Less than a month left of summer!

I used to own a ton of movies.  Now, with Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. and living a minimal lifestyle it seems less necessary.  

I paired down my DVD film collection over the years and decided that for me, I only will pursue owning copies of musicals.

Musicals are not just a collectors item for me, but also a passion.  I adore the art form of musicals and I am in the practice of re-watching musicals more often than a non-musical film. 

With that as a disclaimer.  Here are my Summer Film recommendations from our small collection at home:

1. LALA LAND

New this year, a musical which is an absolute dream for anyone who grew up on 'Singing in the Rain' and everything 'old Hollywood'.  I adore Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and was completely caught up in the tale of two people trying to make their dreams happen.  Set in the 'love it or hate it' L.A., the best time of year to watch it, is when you too, are sweating on your couch with the fan blowing.  Another day of sun anyone?

2. MAMA MIA

Another summer musical set in Greece with everything 'Summer Love' and hilarity in the mix.  It's the perfect mother / daughter summer evening date.  Lemonade anyone?

3. FATHER OF THE BRIDE

Classic rom-com with the focus on the fathers inability to relax and let live.  Martin Short and Steve Martin have a way of keeping me in stitches every time I watch it.  EVERYTIME.  Also... there are some tears to match the comedy.  Tissues anyone?

4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Maybe it's being set in the Caribbean that makes it perfect for summer or maybe it's my memories of watching this film with my cousin during summer sleepovers.  Our fingers covered in dorrito crumbs, burping from the insane amount of pop and gummy worms we inhaled.  Either way, this one is a summer movie of nostalgia for me.  Doritos anyone? 

5. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

From childhood this series was always watched in the summer.  Being maritimers only a skip and a hop away from Prince Edward Island, our connection with Anne is deep in our veins and of course every single line of this Made for TV movie series has been memorized forwards and backwards.  Raspberry Cordial Anyone?

Films I don't own but would re-watch for summer time

- The Notebook
- The Parent Trap (1997)
- Singing in the Rain
- Then & Now
- Finding Nemo

From my Bookshelf.

It's no secret that I adore reading and I adore the changing seasons.  

Surrounding my home with little bits of seasonal decor / items keeps me feeling fresh and renewed daily.  It's a trick I play on my anxious spirit and I love how it grounds me.

For the Summer these reads already on my bookshelf are the perfect fit for hot days in a hammock, on a beach or even curled up on the couch while it rains. 

Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery

Being a Canadian east coaster means this just comes with the territory for summertime.  Not only is summer the time of year we visit the Island but it is also the setting of most of this classic book. 

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Not only is this a rapid read, but it is deep and comical.  I have a hard time with books about racism, the war etc.  Mainly because I find they leave me greatly affected and sad.  Which, of course is important and something I believe any piece of artistic work should aim to do.  Reveal truths and be raw.   But one isn't always in a place where being deeply saddened by literature is desired.  This book brings such a great literary addition to my library.

The Nest - Cynthia C'Aprix Sweeney

You either love it or hate it, and I LOVED it!  Maybe it's the way this writer makes everything feel classy and absolutely real at the same time, or maybe it was the ending.  Either way, family dramas are always a win for me.  I read this quickly.

Better Than Before - Gretchen Rubin

I read this last summer alongside my Aunt and underlined the heck out of it.  Reading about personality and characteristic tendencies is a great discussion tool and there was nothing like sitting on my Aunt and Uncles porch with white wine while my toddler napped discussing our own traits in the summer heat.  Reading this book and the conversation around it is one of my favorite summer memories. 

In this episode I talk about my Summer Shorts.

IN THE PAST:
Summer Toddler Capsule Wardrobe

Making space.

At the beginning of the summer I wrote down my three values this season.

Writing.  Beach.  Water

Three things.  

Somehow I keep finding ways to sabotage them.  Be it adding another responsibility to my list, saying yes to something I felt obliged to say yes to.  Make my weekends busy with to dos when I could have been at the beach, the list is endless.

Before I enter August, the mid way mark, I want to honour myself and these three values.  Because clearly I haven't done it yet.

How?

When I review the upcoming week ask myself, is what is filling my days and time reflective of these three values, writing, beach and water?

If not, then do what needs to be done to postpone, delegate, renegotiate but do this every Sunday.

Begin each week knowing that I am honouring these things.

Every season has it's needs and goals.  This summer I need to respect myself and these values long enough that they get heard. 

In this video I tell my best friend what is going to be on my feet all summer.  
And I also share my love of KEDS! 

This Summer I am minimizing distractions and focusing in on two specific projects.  This means a lot of time at my desk and a lot of time learning formatting programs and editing skills.  

Both of these projects are women centred and focus on highlighting women through story, history and project creation.

I will be updating on my progress here and starting in July, monthly newsletters.

I am aiming to develop two specific pieces that bring multi-dimensional women to the spotlight and in one project specifically, to give a voice to how personality stereotypes limit our understanding of ourselves and others.  

Women supporting women isn't just a hashtag, it's a force to be reckoned with and I hope that as I bring life to these two pieces I will be able to align this work and myself with women who will breathe life into it and me.  

Heres to the ones who dream.  

"WRITERS ARE DANGEROUS PEOPLE
Never take a writer for granted.
They are snipers armed with words.
They know how to aim with sentences.
How to fire with paragraphs, and
how to immortalize their kills in verse."
- Nakita Gill

I am heading into a summer of writing and spending a lot of time in here.  

Currently, I am getting it ready so that my focus can be maintained in this space.  Minimizing clutter, reviewing notes and making sure that even the candle I light is exactly the type of scent that will inspire me.  

These may seem like simple silly things, but I am an atmospheric writer.  I write best when I set the stage.  Past posters of two of my plays above me to remind me that I have done a thing or two, pictures of two women who have seen me through the worst and the best, an ampersand ornamental to remind me that there is always more to come and a fluffy mat for my bare feet in the early morning or evening.

For my deep and fun loving toddler, I have an Ikea table and chairs, with various creative elements and toys at her disposal.  The IKEA cart with various supplies 'crayons, play dough, paints, colouring books, etc).  Daily we come in here and practice what it means to give your creative self a ponder.  

Next time, I will show you my desk at a closer look when I have the appropriate camera to capture it.  For now, this will do.