Summer Moodboard
From the draft archives
A/N: I’ve been doing through my truly unhinged amount of drafts here on Substack and finally sharing pieces I worked on without ever hitting “publish.” Here’s one of my favorites, which I wrote two Julys ago.
I mean… I need to get this together.
I’ve been deep into the summer nostalgia this year for a variety of reasons. Seeing my child attend the same camp I (and my father and his siblings) attended really impacted me in a way I didn’t expect, particularly as so many things are still the same. Days are spent in the same timeless, endless way: camp dropoff in the morning, with long hot days spent outdoors. Water balloon fights, sailing Optis, swimming on the narrow stretch of beach, outdoor showers. Lunch on the junior club porch overlooking the water. Friendship bracelets and lanyards in the shade of the great big oak on hot afternoons before pickup. And it’s still the same, despite the massive shifts in technology and, frankly, the extreme pressure on children to keep up, do more, why aren’t you learning French at the age of two? Summer is for living. The way life should be.
Here’s my personal summer moodboard as we head into deep summer, filled with only the best parts of summer: what I’m reading, what I’m seeing, what I’m making.
Our beautiful hydrangeas
Reading: up north at the cabin by early bird
Why you should read: A deeply touching place-specific love letter to countless summers spanning generations. The Big House in Substack form.
Life jackets all in a row. Summer camp!
Reading: Summer Camp by And I’ve Been Saying That!
Why you should read: Aesthetic with a big dose of The Parent Trap thrown in.
Looking up
Reading: Let’s go to the lake by Teahouse
Why you should read: It’s an entire day in a post: what to wear, eat, listen to. Summertime perfection.
Reading: Confirming the ocean is still healing by Lunch on Friday
Why you should read: A summer weekend on LBI, a place I visited every summer of my childhood, but so applicable to a girls’ weekend in any summer town.
Lobster dinner, rosé, well-loved Porthault linens, Portmeirion china, and antique silver.
Cooking: The Way Life Should Be, or Pasta with Lobster
Why you should cook it: Truly summer in a bowl. The fresh herbs and buttery lobster make this dinner—and it’s so easy to do most of the heavy lifting in advance. I make this every summer at least a dozen times (though I do occasionally sub in scallops or shrimp for lobster.)
Race Committee rewards
Mixing: Southsides
Why you should make them: it’s hotly contested which liquor forms the Southside’s base: gin, rum, or vodka. In my opinion, it’s not remotely in doubt—rum all the way! Here’s our club’s special recipe with a personal twist.
Thank you so much for sharing my lake essay!!! It’s from so long ago I’m so flattered you enjoyed!!! 💗