20 things I (really!) want to do this spring and summer!

The birds are chirping up their orchestral tunes, the daffodils are out in full force, and I have officially worn open toed shoes for the first time this year! We're a month into spring already and suddenly, exquisitely, majestically, and so very beautifully, there is an almost hyper-abundance of things to do and see and savour again for the first time in many, many months.

If our plans aren't already set in motion beforehand, as the weekend draws nears, Tony or I will usually ask the other person what we might want to do on Saturday and Sunday. The answers can range from yard saling to fishing, thifting to the farmer's market, just depending on which one of is doing the replying. Fortunately we're both great at splitting our free time amongst each other's passions, while also sharing in many of the same ones (say for example, attending auctions or sitting on the beach in our camping chairs and watching the onion skin hued sun be swallowed up for the evening by the sagebrush covered Okanagan hillside) and that ensures that our weekend are usually a blast.

This time around when Tony posed the question to me on Friday, my mind didn't just stop at the coming two days, instead it shot off into a rapid fire Hollywood movie worthy montage of many of the fabulous things that I want to do, not just right here and now, but throughout the coming weeks and months that will fill the sublimely warm seasons of spring and summer.

This flip book of activities that these two can house is as good as endless, especially if you happen to live near water or other highly inviting landscape features. It can have a thousand pages, or just a few that you revisit time and time again, taking to heart like the lyrics of your favourite summer songs. The following are twenty that are topping my list this year and that I sincerely hope are able to come to fruition!

20 awesome things I really

want to do this spring and summer 

1. Test drive all of the great vintage, repro and vintage appropriate warm weather clothing I picked up over the course of the fall and winter and feature oodles of it here in future outfit posts.

2. Watch the stars shine like a hundred billion sparkling fireflies from atop Apex Mountain on a hypnotically warm night.

3. Get so lost in the enchantingly loveliness of the season that I forget not only what time it is, but what day of the week it is, too!

4. Barbeque a lot. I mean risk wearing out the grill levels of barbequing.

5. Watch the twinkling, gorgeous Canada Day fireworks that are shot off over Okanagan Lake down at the beach.

6. Try to spend at least a few minutes, but ideally an hour or more, outside every single day.

7. Think of my Halloween costume well in advance October and then start making and/or buying the necessary elements.

8. Go fishing with my honey. He fishes, I lounge on the dock and converse with him, and delight in each and ever dragonfly that lands for the quickest of pulses, on my bare, suntanned skin.

9. Get said suntan without burning to a crisp first. Easier said than done when you scorch faster than a piece of toast, even after being slathered with industrial grade SPF!

10. Fly a kite! I was probably 12 or 13 the last time I did so.

11. Have a bonfire, complete with marshmallows (and thus naturally, s'mores) at the beach (own town allows you do so in some areas).

12. Visit the traveling carnival (midway/fair) when it's in town (it's almost a running joke how often, despite madly wanting to do so, I end up missing it, usually due to my health).

13. Go on at least one road trip, even if it's just a weekend long getaway. My immense sense of wanderlust is usually strongest during these sublimely lovely months of the year, thanks in no small part, I'm sure to the fact it was when my parent took us on holidays around the province when I was a youngster.

14. Picnic like it's going out of style!

15. Buy some coloured chalk and let my inner five year sidewalk artist run free.

16. Come the early days of August, watch the Peach Festival Parade on Main Street (I haven't been in over half my lifetime!).

17. Put the frozen yogurt maker we bought at the end of last summer though its paces!

18. Take a houseboat cruise ride on Okanagan Lake for the first time (how I've gone 30 years without doing so before is beyond me!).

19. Attend our town's toe-tappingly fun annual square dance festival.

20. Camp!!! (After all, it is an in-tents experience! :D)

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

♥ ♥ ♥

I know that there's a very real chance I won't get to everything on my list, modest sized though it may be, this spring and summer, but even just having these desires down on virtual paper makes the possibility of them turning into something tangible seem all the more likely.

Chances are, for every one that does happen, ten marvelous unplanned or very last minute activities, invitations, feasts, and trips (even if that word is simply used to describe a five minute drive somewhere) will occur and come the last days of summer, when summer gets ready to hand the torch over to autumn, I'll look back on these months and smile ear-to-ear.

Spring and summer never disappoint (see 2012's post 25 reasons to love summer for some of my personal favourite reasons why that rings true for me). Even when the going gets tough in my daily life, something about sunlight until nearly 10 pm, the ability to walk barefoot in warm-as-oatmeal sand, the wearing of sundresses and strappy sandals, the consuming of light, fresh fair for nearly every meal, and the treasure trove of memories that this time of the year houses all ensure that it's worth jumping out of bed in a happy-go-lucky mood, no matter what you might have planned - or not – for the day.

So tell me, my dears, what's calling your name this spring and summer? Will you be mapping your every move, taking it nice and easy, or - as I tend to do - balancing the two to create a generous stretch of months so lovely they make every last icicle, snow bank, and extra woolen layer of winter worth it a thousand times over.

Here's to the prospect of all that this half of the year holds in store for each of us - may it be a spring and summer to delight in and cherish the memory of forever!

Seeking summertime serenity

✯ Day 240 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's a little hard to believe that this is really, truly, the last Sunday of August. Has summer slipped away from our grasp entirely yet? No, thankfully, but with the return in a few short weeks of autumn, we really don't have to much longer to latch onto and savour the splendours of this toasty season.

This year has seen a summer of ups and downs for me. It was a a juxtaposition of trying days and moments of beautiful happiness. I've squeezed in time to be creative and churned out several lovely (if I may say so myself), scrapbooking pages and cards. I wrote good old-fashioned letters, swapped Girl Guide patches, enjoyed many wonderful chats and days with my sweet husband, and came up with a couple of new recipes that I'm presently smitten with.

There were dark moments due to family issues, tons of medical related matters, and a heat wave that would have made the Devil himself sweat, but as we near the end of 2011's summer season, I already find myself wishing it was June 1st again.

Perhaps that's just it, maybe part of me I want a redo on this summer. Life doesn't work like that though (for better or worse). It's an ongoing series of days that we get through as best we can, always hoping for a bright tomorrow and a today that we can say was regret free and lovely, exactly as it was.

I don't have any major plans in the works for fall, not sure what winter holds in store quite yet either, but that's entirely ok. The older I get, the more I love celebrating each day as it happens, taking it at face value and trying (with varying degrees of successfulness) not to worry too much about what lies on the unknown horizon.

This mindset doesn't give one carte blanche about their destiny, instead it aids in making the present considerably less taxing on your soul. Or at least, that's what I'm learning it means.

So long as summer is still here, I hope to get in some more nights spent watching falling stars, days of eating fresh seasonal produce, and mornings spent embracing the wonders of this magical season.

{Tranquil, lovely 1920s summer sailing photograph via *Kichi* on Flickr.}

 

Though even this past week was quite hectic (!), at the end of nearly each day, I've found myself greeted by a sense of innate serenity.

This feeling greets me as dusk sets and the weight of the day starts drift from my shoulders. It's sweet and oh-so-welcomed, as I'm a rather notorious worrier. Yet fretting, as touched on above, rarely gets you anywhere and robs you of the kind of peace you deserve deeply right now.

So while last the Sunday in August is here, I'm trying to hold onto the sense of calm, imagining myself out sailing on a placid sea, perfectly content in the moment, holding nary a grudge against the tough times this season, and grateful each day of summer we have left.

Pausing to remember that the glass is half full

✯ Day 227 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

My husband is not a pessimist by any stretch of the imagination, yet I think he'd be the first to say that between the two of us, I tend to look at things with the more rose coloured glasses. As such, it touched me a lot when, just the other day while we were in the living room, out the blue he looked up from his laptop and said rather matter-of-factly, "Life is good".

Yes, sweetheart, it is.

This year has been a rough one on various front, and we've both been contending with some pretty heavy medical issues on top of many other things. It seemed at first as though 2011 couldn't deliver a good day to save its skin, and it's still not winning any "best year ever" awards (not by a long shot).

Yet, as with many of the harder times in life, you can't help but grow during the challenges. They push you as person, make you strive harder toward your dreams, remind you of the things that matter most in this crazy world of ours.

Tribulations are by no means a 20th or 21st century invention. Whether it was outrunning a sabre-toothed tiger thousands upon thousands of years ago, praying the black plague spared you, or forging your way across a fledging continent as a pioneer, the human race has dealt with negatives and hardships of every magnitude since the dawn of time.

Some trials are massive, others only seem it. Some break us, some make us, and others turn out to be false alarms. There are good days and bad, but if you see the potential for sunshine on cloudy ones, you'll usually pull through those bleaker moments in one piece.

As we hit the middle of August, I'm reminded of a Jane Austen quote, "To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment." To me these words tie into my husbands positive sentiments about life.

During these last few sizzling hot weeks of summer, no matter where you feel your life is at right now, it's important to take a moment and pause.

{Take your cue from this charmingly sweet 1930s pair, pull up a table and your finest tea set and spend a little time in the garden - be it proverbial or not - to recharge your spirit, remember what truly matters, and see the glass - or the teacup - as half full. Vintage photograph via lovedaylemon on Flickr.

 

Stop to let yourself breath. To count your blessings. To spend a few calm minutes in the shade, refreshing your soul with the beauty and energy of summer. Like most hardships we face, this season does not last forever, and its immensely important to savour the good in while we still can.

As this new week begins and we usher in the last chapter of summer, I hope you'll echo my husband's lovely statement, and take a minute to remember that, when all is said and done, life really is good.

Summer nights, how I love thee

✯ Day 221 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Vincent Van Gogh once said, quite fittingly, "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day". I, for one, am more than a little inclined to agree with the artist, and perhaps at no time of the year is that notion more apt than during the summer.

Night is an enigma, a joy, a fright, an adventure. It calls to us and yet can put our guard up, for we're taught from the earliest of ages that it is during the night when things of danger and potentially even evil lurk. As we grow up and the line between day and night fads somewhat, we often cease to fear the dark, yet we maintain a healthy respect for it.

In an era, now over a hundred years old, of electrically lighted cities and towns, highways and everyday streets, night doesn't necessarily hold all of the power it once did, but it still retains an illusive quality that endears it to my heart like a dear friend.

While there is much to be said in favour of a summer day, it is night that makes for my most favourite part of this tantalizingly warm season. Summer nights as a child held a world of possibility that the day simply could not compete with.

On the warmest of July and August eves, in a corner of B.C. that swarmed with tourist activity from sun up until sun down, my parents would sometimes take me - and when they got older, my siblings, too - to the local beach at night.

The lake that this beach called home was separated by a narrow two lane road from a long strip of hotels, restaurants and small shops, many of which had neon signs that cut through the inky blackness like permanent fireflies.

In water so warm you almost boil an egg, I floated on my back and gazed up through wet eyelashes at those glowing signs, a sky of dusty stars, the outlines of tall hills surrounding the town. The unforgettable scent of fried foods, car exhaust, suntan lotion, cotton towels and damp sand filling my nostrils.

{Night swimming is joy that's long been embraced by swimmers of all ages, the darkness somehow making the simple act of playing in the water about a million times more fantastic and magical. Vintage photo by O. Winston Link via UTATA.}

Those nights of swimming, a blend of serenity and energy few things I've ever experienced can match, are but one page in the history book of summer my life has written.

There are also smoky campfires, lengthy road trips, tree house sleepovers, neighbourhood parties, drive-in movie theaters, shadowy games of hide-and-go-seek, the intoxicating aroma of honeysuckle and wisteria wafting through my bedroom window, hours spent secretly sitting on the roof of our small Edwardian home with my little brother as we craned our necks to watch for bats, shooting stars, and - we hoped - perhaps, just maybe, (this being the era of X-Files after all) a UFO.

For every summer night I've lived, I have a memory, and each is a cherished possession. It was during summer nights that I first hitch-hiked (sorry, mom!), first watched a drag race, first remember staying up to see the sun fully rise.

I grew taller, got braver, became stronger, let go and embraced a million things in those summer nights of childhood. I kissed and cried, planned and dreamed with eyes wide open. I pinky swore, sung until I was hoarse, made solemn promises, and, in so very many ways, grew up.

At all times of the year, I am more of a night person than a lover of day. It is during this current season however, when the moon winks at the world, a cotton sundress can be worn comfortably at 2am, and an exhilarating, electric energy pulsates through each fibre of the air, that I recharge my soul's batteries, recall those magic memories of youth, and stay awake far later than most, blissfully thankful for the power and, as Van Gogh described, rich colours of summertime nights.

Isn't it high time you went on a picnic?

✯ Day 205 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There was a sense of contentment that washed over me yesterday, stemming from the fact that the Vintage 365 project had retuned to its usual daily occurrence once more. I'm comforted by this feeling and believe that it will help fuel my blogging fires in the coming weeks (as goodness knows, I have the energy levels of a comatose slug right now ).

As well, in writing Saturday's post, I couldn't help but be reminded of the myriad reasons why I adore summer, hold it dear to my heart, often wish it would linger on until the end of time. It's far too easy to gripe about the heat (which, yes, for most of us summer does deliver in spades) instead of stopping to find pleasure in the bounty of wonderful points this season holds.

Without a doubt, one of the most delightful things to do when the dog days of summer are upon us is go on a picnic. Whether in your backyard or a hundred miles from home, a picnic - teaming with scrumptious foods, cool beverages, and a few simple ways to pass the time (vintage novels, kites, perhaps a croquet set) is a resplendently lovely way to devote your time.

Sundays, primed for relaxation by their very tranquil nature, are an ideal day in which to indulge in the splendours of a summertime picnic.

{While a trip to Grand Canyon and a feast overlooking its breathtaking views might not be the cards, there are countless other beautiful spots of all sizes that can make for a fabulous picnic destinations. Vintage National Geographic image via the owls go on Flick.}

 

Regardless of if you're more of a beach bunny or a lush green field loving gal, prefer the companionship of just one special soul or a team's worth of friends, pack lavish spreads or just tote along a few simple, hearty foods, a picnic can be tailored to your specs however you fancy.

For those, like myself, who live in a home that lacks a yard you can call your own (fellow apartment dwellers raise your hands), escaping for a few hours to a verdant park, sandy shoreline, or shady wood can feel like manna from heaven for our parched souls.

Even if you have a yard of your own in which to spread out out a checkered blanket, a change of scenery and the opportunity to eat while the golden sun dances across your skin can often be precisely what the doctor ordered.

Treat yourself to an afternoon outdoors, forget the hustle and bustle of this crazy electronic era we're living in and reconnect with with al fresco eating.

Create your own enjoyment, bring friends, let the kids have a second helping of dessert, slip your sandals off and tickle your toes with wispy blades of grass, wear your favourite vintage sundress in the whole wide world - and above all else, have fun! After all, that’s what picnics – and summer its very self – were designed for.

A return to daily Vintage 365 blogging

✯ Day 204 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Tossing and turning were rampant as I debated earlier this week whether or not to return to daily blogging again. The most recent medical procedure I underwent (on July 8th) left me battling some unpleasant side effects, which I'd been spared from the other two I had back in June. I have not returned to the state where my health was prior to these three procedures and can only hope that as the summer rolls on, I eventually will.

In a way, I almost feel like if I were to do another "Vintage 365 group post", it would be even more justified now then at almost any point in the past six weeks, however I miss blogging. A lot.

In the wake of the events that have transpired lately, some well meaning folks have suggested that perhaps I should step back for blogging or part ways with the 365 project. Such comments were made from a place of care and concern, by those who know me best and have watched me do daily battle with my health problems for years now. However - while I know that I'm usually little more than a moment away from suddenly not being able to blog - for the time being, I'm far from throwing in the towel on either CV in general or the 365 project.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring - none of us truly do - but, right here and now, I know that I've been desperately missing blogging and am very glad to be able to resume adding posts on a daily basis.

I may, before 2011 is done and over, need to (due to my health) put together round-up 365 posts again, but as always we'll just take things one day at a time and enjoy life in the moment.

Indeed, isn't the whole season of effervescent sunshine, stunning verdant landscapes, electric warm night and fabulous seasonal eats supposed to be about enjoyment?

Sure the daily grind and demands of life may mean that you can't run barefoot through the grass, hopping too and fro over a sprinkler any time the urge strikes or ride your bike around town with your friends for hours, stopping for a cold soda pop at the corner store as the sun beats down your neck, like we used to do as kids, but even the busiest or most stress laden of us can find ways to extract fun and happiness from this splendid season.

{Then as now, always and forever, summer is at its finest when we embrace it with open arms and the wide-eyed wonder of a child. Vintage photograph via Paper Dolls for Boys.}

 

Summer is a season that is grand in scope, but built of simple pleasures. I'd love nothing more than be able to hit the open road and travel this month, but that's simply not feasible for me right now. Instead of bemoaning this fact, I need only catch the scent of a summer rain shower, watch roses swaying in the breeze, bite into a silky, juicy peach, or stand in a ray of sunlight and feel the very essence of serenity bathing over me to discover the power and possibility that summer holds.

It will be winter far too quickly, Canada being as fond of the frosty season as it is. Yet for now, no matter how I'm feeling or what I think it might be nice to be doing, I am content with the timeless, alluring, almost whimsical components that make summer the unmatched pleasure of life that it is.

I'm very happy to be blogging again, my sweet friends, and hope that no matter what's transpiring in your world right now, you're able to bask in the beauty and magic that is summer.

Boatloads of glamour on the open seas

✯ Day 126 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

The breeze was satisfyingly warm like a first bite of a just-baked cherry pie, the light so gorgeous a million painters would fail to adequately capture it's colour precisely. The day was akin to so many others in summers come by, yet also unique, unforgettable, perfect.

Or at least that's what I like to imagine the setting was like for the confident, immensely lovely young woman in this fantastic colour photo from 1948.

This image looks as though it could have been a movie still. The understated glamour of her whole look, the alluringly adventurous setting, and the instantly relatable slice of marine life element of this endearing image make it nothing short of  sublime.

Though we're still a few weeks away from the official start of summer, finding this marvelous vintage photo (which comes via ElectroSpark on Flickr) seems to have somehow switched on the summer light bulb for me. Now I’ll sit under it and wait for Mother Nature to catch up and keep me - and this unnamed, absolutely beautiful vintage woman – company all season long.