Nostalgic Girl Summer

At my Mamaw’s house in Newellton, Louisiana. She could grow anything, and her hydrangeas were legendary. My swimsuit/jean shorts/athletic socks and velcro sneakers look is pretty legendary, too. Circa 1985

Every June I go through the same experience: craving a slower, gentler pace to my days, while still trying to meet the demands of owning a business. I think it’s a holdover from my childhood in the 80s when we had to entertain ourselves, even if sometimes we had to sit in complete boredom. The days stretched out for hours, and we had to learn how to fill the time without running the roads or staying glued to a screen. Things were simpler back then, and now, as an adult, I crave simple pleasures during the summer months.

So I’m declaring it now: this is a Nostalgic Girl Summer. No more barreling through the week, only to overschedule my weekends. I want to make the most of summer through simple joys that don’t create more obligations or stress for myself, and reclaim the peaceful pace of summers from my childhood.

Switch the Scents

French Tulip by Seda France is one of my favorite fragrances for summer

The candles I burn change with the season, and summer means lighter, fresher, and more romantic scents. I want fragrances that remind me of my summers here in Louisiana - dewy, floral fragrances that recall memories of flinging open the back door and running to the backyard to pretend-play that my dad’s greenhouse was my tiny apartment and the mud pies I made were my lunch. Or scents that remind me of pulling honeysuckle flowers off the vine and sipping drops of nectar the way my parents showed me.

Right now I’m rotating Flamingo Estate Night Blooming Jasmine & Rose Damask, Glasshouse Midnight in Milan, and Seda France French Tulip. Florals that feel like an open window and a merciful breeze through the humidity. Nothing that smells like a pina colada (a low bar that most “summer” candles somehow fail to clear).

Make the Bed (Cooler)

My mom’s family was always big on a summer family reunion, and Mom has always been big on dressing up. I have no memory of this particular day, but I can guarantee you that we were sweaty and the fat rolls on my baby thighs are most certainly full of dirt. Circa 1980

There’s something about a cooler bed in summer that makes the whole season more bearable, especially in Louisiana. I can vividly recall sleeping with just a sheet and a ceiling fan overhead that squeaked out a rhythm that became a lullaby. I’m a devoted bamboo sheets person year-round (once you switch, there’s no going back), but summer gets one big change: the duvet comes off entirely. No insert, no fight, just lighter layers that don’t trap heat. And guess what? If the bed doesn’t get made, I’m not going to worry about it. It’s summer. We all need to chill out.

Bamboo Sheet Set, under $150

A Bowl of Cherries

With Dad on the John Deere Gator at the Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase, Louisiana. He was the director here from about 1995 - 2004.

Our home was always stocked with fresh produce, thanks to my Dad’s job with the LSU Ag Center’s Cooperative Extension Service. His position as a horticulturist required him to consult with farmers around the state, many of whom would send him home loaded down with fruits and vegetables from their crops. A core childhood memory is standing at our kitchen sink with watermelons so big and ripe that simply inserting the knife into the center would cause the whole melon to split open. To this day, I still prefer room temp watermelon over cold because we couldn’t wait to get the produce out of the back of his truck and into the kitchen to devour. They were hot from having been there on his drive home, but we didn’t care. They were juicy and sweet, and one of the highlights of summer.

This summer, I’m going to stop fussing with elaborate floral arrangements and let a big bowl of fresh produce be the centerpiece. It’s the laziest styling trick I know, and it works every single time. Varying color and textures is the difference between styling it as a centerpiece and dumping fruit into a bowl. A footed bowl looks best.

Bonus: you can use your decor in salads, desserts, or just as a snack!

Pewter Footed Bowl

Embrace Summer Fridays

My favorite summer ritual has nothing to do with design. Around 4 pm, I give myself permission to knock off early without an ounce of guilt. We also implement Summer Fridays at the studio (half days, no apologies) so everyone can fully embrace the joy of summer. I’m usually heading straight home to get in comfy clothes and snuggle up with my cats. I’m one of those crazy people who loves a blanket year-round, so I switch out to my lighter-weight throws in summery hues to optimize the dopamine/oxytocin effect that a pile of cats in your lap produces when mixed with a favorite color.

This herringbone throw is my favorite! It comes in 18 colors!

Productivity isn’t measured in hours chained to a desk, but stress is. By observing Summer Fridays, we all have time to spend with our families or just decompressing at home, which boosts morale and makes us even more productive as a team. The work will still be there when we get back on Monday. The sunset on Friday evening won’t.

Just Say No

A core childhood memory: playing on what I now realize is an incredibly unstable jungle gym well into the evening hours. There’s a very specific sound associated with a late summer evening in the South, when the cicadas begin their nightly chorus. If we stayed outside late enough, we could count on fireflies (although we called them “lightning bugs”) making an appearance, and we’d do our best to catch them. Circa 1986

This is the real summer reset. I stop saying yes to every social obligation and protect the quiet evenings at home. A glass of something cold, the AC humming, and a great book is my idea of a perfect summer night. Perhaps it stems from having summer reading for school when I was a kid, but getting lost in a great novel over the summer is one of my very favorite things in life. I discovered some of the books I’ve cherished for a lifetime over those summers - To Kill A Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, Cold Sassy Tree, Their Eyes Were Watching God - and am currently obsessed with The Book Thief, which wrecked me in the best way. Read it if you haven’t.

I was unprepared for a book about Nazi Germany to be both funny and heartbreaking, but this one managed to be both.

For me, a memorable summer doesn’t mean a packed schedule. It means a slower pace. Fewer commitments and the permission to do absolutely nothing on a Saturday if that’s what the day calls for. Home is all about those sweet memories, even when they don’t involve epic adventures, and summer is when I lean into that hardest.

That’s Nostalgic Girl Summer. Small shifts that make the season feel meaningful. Summer is short. I’d rather spend it enjoying my time than comparing highlight reels on social media.

I’ve included everything you need to create a Nostalgic Girl Summer in my ShopMy, linked below. From those summer reads and a vintage juice pitcher to my favorite tote bag and sheet set (spoiler: I get mine from Amazon!), you can create a simple summer that has room enough for you to do nothing.