Well, summer is here. To say that I am thrilled would be an understatement. Summer, I’ve been waiting for you for a while now. Welcome!

The items in my summer essentials bag are pretty much the same as last year and I have added in these items as well (and gotten a larger bag!):

+ chapstick
+ light scarf
+ lamy fountain pen
+ small empty zipper pouch for treasures my nephew and I find
+ Crop No. 2 (the perfect summer layering item if I do say so myself)
+ set of Tombow markers + set of Stabilo pencils (I make a lot of art in the summer)

I’m planning to make my favorite cobbler, my summer pancakes and my fresh strawberry scones (I’m still perfecting this recipe but will share it when I get back!). And then there’s my new favorite: fruit smoothies. We’ll be sharing some of our recipes in the next issue of 3191 Quarterly. Stay tuned! I’ll be drinking Steph’s cold brew and my On-And-On cocktail making big batches of my pesto to serve with pasta and fish.

Oh and let’s not forget about salads! Everything here was from the farmers market (with the exception of avocados). I go to our market twice a week and eat, almost exclusively, the foods I can buy there. Summer’s bounty, yes yes yes!

I’ll be making at least one summer trip to New York (love the pace of the city in the heat) for cocktails and wanderings and I’ll be heading to the cottage in Cushing (see my photographs in Q5) for a few weeks.

I plan to swim, head out to the islands, drive up Chase’s as much as possible and wear a handkerchief on chillier evenings.

And I’ll be doing a lot of porch-sitting. S i g h … so good.

My Must-Have Must-Do Must Feel LIST is very much the same. Summer is something special; it’s a feeling and a lifestyle that is unmatched. We are off to enjoy it. All of these photographs were from last summer (all represented on my summer blog with our More & Co. assistant Chloe) and when I get back I’ll share some photographs from this summer thus far.

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Please note: We are on holiday until July 6, 2012. Our shop is open during these weeks but we will be taking some time off from this space. See you back here in a few weeks with some fun surprises!

We have just returned from our first (short) summer adventure at the coast, and it’s on. Summer is on.

Technically, the solstice isn’t until Thursday. I’ll be having my celebratory gin and tonic that night for sure.

All signs are pointing to summer. Strawberries are ripe for the picking. I’ll be making my dad his favorite strawberry shortcake for Father’s Day. Then, we’ll be awaiting the arrival of all the other berries and summer fruits. Crisps, popsicles and smoothies in mason jars will be made daily.

At home, I’ll be switching to cold brew, hanging my laundry on the line, serving salad for dinner, and maybe engaging in the occasional water balloon fight.

A batch of fire starters needs to be made. We have plans to head back to the beach, the mountains, and the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Time to hang the hammock.

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Please note: We are on holiday until July 6, 2012. Our shop is open during these weeks but we will be taking some time off from this space. See you back here in a few weeks with some fun surprises!