We were thrilled to spent last weekend in South Lake Tahoe with some friends. Paul and I have been going up to South Lake together since 2016 but I think this was the first time since high school I have actually swam in the lake. It was a cool 68* and just perfect. My 10/10 recs from a decade of visits: The Coachman Hotel (great vibes, free nightly s’mores, comfy beds), Naked Fish for sushi (get the Tuna or Himachi sliders — or both!) and Lake Tahoe Boat Rides for getting out on the water. I’m already dreaming about our next trip back.
Our book club pick for July was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. It was The Most Divisive Book we’ve read so far! I took the whole month to read it (starting and finishing other books in the middle) because it was definitely one you can pick up and put down. I described it to my book club as more of a meditation than a novel and one of my friends nailed it when she said it reminded her of Humans of New York. There is little that propels the story forward and minimal plot until the end when there is finally a cataclysmic event and we get twenty pages of narrative. The first 200+ pages are observations about art, food, life, loss, war, grief, forgiveness, music, love, parenthood and seeing people for who they are. I loved it and ended up highlighting many passages like this one: “I like to have something I’m working on for the sheer pleasure of being creative…[paintings] like that usually don’t sell, but they pay me in other ways. They keep me in love with what I do.”
My pottery obsession continued in July. I am experimenting with more detailed glazing techniques (like splatter paint and tiny flowers). These take more time and it’s hard to get them exactly right, but that’s why I am practicing. If you missed it, I recently shared a video here with some before and afters. As for what I am going to do with all these bowls…I am not sure yet. I have learned over the past few years that I can’t make any (good) business decisions in the summer months when my kids are out of school. Maybe in September I will have come up with a plan.
Last month I shared a cute pair of shorts and this month I have a cute pair of jeans. 100% cotton denim (so no stretch). Slight barrel leg. Fun stitched detail. Probably better for shorter folks (I am 5’3” and they hit right at my ankle). $40. (PS — 5 bonus points if you spotted that sleeping kitty in the back of my mirror selfie.)
The best thing I made in July was my natural dye quilt. It came together quickly because it was just squares. I joined nine 2.5 inch squares of dyed fabric as “randomly” as possible and then sewed them together with white squares of fabric to make a checkerboard pattern. I backed it with a liberty floral cotton and bound it with a striped linen that I had left over from a dress. My favorite part is the purple I got from our wine grapes. It’s a such a fun pop of color.
I (happily!) pay a lot of money for fun and unique zinnia seeds but taking my breath away this summer have been the Oklahoma Pinks! They are new in my garden this season and I will be planting them every year from now on. Such a great pink and so many layers of petals.
As of last week, I am halfway through my unofficial 100 day project. I have now made 56 creative collages featuring my own photos, sketches and in progress crafts from each day. I’ve done the 100 day project before and I know the ebbs and flows of this commitment, and yet, I am still finding myself stunned by the volume of work that gets generated. 100 days is a long time and I am so excited to see where this one ends up.
