Links I Love

1. The coolest DIY lace doily bowl. (apartmenttherapy.com)

2. Hilariously ironic video with Louis CK. (dangerousminds.net)

3. This 5 minute homemade fudge would make a great last-minute gift. (sayyes.com)

4. Removable wallpaper - the perfect solution for renters. (amberinteriordesign.com)

5. Surreal places that actually exist. (distractify.com)

6. Animal key chains. (gingersnapblog.com)

7. A beauty minute with Rashida Jones. (garancedore.fr)

8. In love with this beach towel. (anthropologie.com)

9. Crispy smashed potatoes for a weekend brunch. (trendland.com)

Summer To-Do List

Since summer's now in full swing, I put together my to-do list for the season, filled with ten things I'd love to accomplish before Labor Day.

1. Start a book club.

2. Have a staycation in L.A. (I'm leaning towards Malibu or Laguna Beach).

3. Get our backyard ready for outdoor entertaining.

4. Host a World Cup viewing party for the final game.

5. Embrace meditation (I've been really enjoying this app).

6. Learn to drive stick (a weird thing I've always wanted to do).

7. Find the perfect black one-piece.

8. Figure out a summer tradition (along the lines of this post).

9. Make a binder with all of my dad's recipes.

10. Finish making my favorite recipe's from the cookbook The Looney Spoons

You can also see my summer to-do lists for 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010if you need a bit of inspiration to create your own.

Summer To-Do List

 Since these are the first weeks of summer, I put together a to-do list with some of the fun things I'd love to do this season. I hope it inspires you to put together a list of your own to celebrate this time of year!

1. Host an outdoor movie night.

2. Take a scenic road-trip and stop at cute beach town along the way.

3. Learn this song on the guitar.

4. Make peach-infused brandy for summer cocktails.

5. Have a bocce ball tournament & bbq with friends at the beach.

6. Finish our taco tour then move onto finding the best ice cream.

7. Go to JAZZFEST on Friday nights to hear jazz.

8. Take sewing classes (mainly so I can make breezy dresses).

9. Attempt to embrace yoga (third time's the charm?).

10. Make friends with someone who has a pool.

P.S. Past summer to-do lists here, here and here.

Links I Love

1. Famous places from above. (sftimes.com)

2. Love this grilled cheese party idea. (ohhappyday.com)

3. Spring trench-spiration. (habituallychic.blogspot.com)

4. Homemade coconut milk. (thekitchn.com)

5. I love the idea of layering a few of these clips in a row. (jcrew.com)

6. Anatomy of an outstanding résumé. (dailyinfographic.com)

7. A chic DIY magazine rack. (fallfordiy.com)

8. I can't wait to make this spring vegetable risotto. (bonappetit.com)

9. Things you didn't know about The Shining. (mentalfloss.com)

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

I know a lot of people that don't eat breakfast and are able to function normally. I'm one of those people. If I have a pretty substantial meal early in the day, I'll be a useless mess. Thankfully my boyfriend is an early riser and typically makes a pretty dense breakfast, but on the days where he's not feeling it, we have several go-to smoothies (recipe below), which can be made in minutes. My favorite is this blueberry coconut version, which has enough stuff to kinda hold me over to lunch, but isn't quite as satisfying as eggs and bacon.

It's also thick enough to eat with a spoon, if you like to add a topping like fresh berries or chia seeds.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut water 

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk 

2 tsp honey or agave syrup (adjust sweetness to preferred taste)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 or 2 fresh nectarines (optional, when in season)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like Warrior Food)

1/2 - 1 cup of ice (depending on how thick you like)

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (optional)

1 tbs chia, flex or hemp seeds (optional)

Recipe

1. Place liquid ingredients into blender, followed by the ice, fruit and protein powder.

2. Turn blender to highest setting and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Don't mix for too long, or the protein powder may get slightly gummy.

3. Pour smoothie into a glass, top with fruit or seeds and enjoy!

Links I Love

1. The best cooking tricks from Bon Appétit. (bonappetit.com)

2. DIY copper hanging planters. (stylemepretty.com)

3. Fascinating read on why women don't ask for more money. (npr.org)

4. 32 things you didn't know about the women of SNL. (cosmopolitan.com)

5. The smartest dog with amazing self control. (theilovedogssite.com)

6. Cute "bunny tail" donuts for Easter. (jacquelynclark.com)

7. The perfect spring LBD - boatneck, eyelet and 25% off. (shopbop.com)

8. One man's hilarious Saturday mornings. (youtube.com)

9. Road trip ideas from Los Angeles. (lamag.com)

Sandal Combinations

There are two items that I've always fostered an unhealthy obsession for: sandals and nail polish. In the early days of my blog, gladiator sandals were everything, and I'm not talking about a slight wrap-around-your-ankle kinda deal. The more the straps snaked up my entire leg, encroaching on my upper thigh, the better. I've since calmed down on that look (in fact, I've been almost averse to the trend ever since), but thankfully, there are a lot of great designs currently available and I rounded up nine of my favorites of the season. Since your feet should be pampered and pretty after following my short tutorial here, I've put together a collection of sandals paired with complementary nail polishes.

Classic gladiator ($60) + femme neutral

Fresh, white, basic ($185) + bright turquoise

Striped and preppy ($98) + modern orange

Woven eclectic  ($220) + matching coral

Dainty red ($188) + edgy metallic

Strappy neutral ($89)+ cobalt blue

Black and white graphic ($695) + neon yellow

Neutral color-blocked ($99) + girly pink

Sexy classic ($227.50) + perfect red

Links I Love

1. Tips for making your denim last. (blog.madewell.com)

2. Rare photos that are weirdly addictive to look at. (news.distractify.com)

3. DIY modern pet bowl stand. (almostmakesperfect.com)

4. Keri Russell's skin secrets. (refinery29.com)

5. The prettiest wall paper - I like the "Peonies Persimmon" (riflepaperco.com)

6. Caramel corn cake. (lapechefraiche.com)

7. Striped cocktail napkins with a nautical vibe. (food52.com)

8. The ultimate wedding planning checklist. (oncewed.com)

9. 6 things the most productive people do. (businessinsider.com)

Seasonal Traditions

The other day I ran into my neighbor on our street with her two little girls running in circles around her. One was dressed as a princess and the other was in a bathing suit, her ponytail still damp from a trip to the pool earlier that day. I asked how they were doing and she said, looking rather exhausted, "Well, it's officially summer." She was referring to the fact that both girls were out of school and fully entrenched in summer-mode - trips to the beach, afternoon Popsicle and sleepovers mid-week. And it made me slightly envious to realize that unless you're a kid or have some of your own, there's no real way to delineate the different seasons of the year.

On the first day of summer break when I was in high school, my friends and I would jump in the car and head out to the beach. It was usually overcast and cold, but I loved that it was our tradition. We'd lie in the sand (so what if there were occasionally piles of blankets on top of us?), eat burgers and soft serve from the concession stand. That day was always special, but more importantly it was what it signified. 

As an adult, one of my biggest complaints is that each day tends to bleed into the next. And while I appreciate routine, there's something to be said about traditions that repeat themselves year after year. I'm not sure what that looks like at my age, but it's my goal to define that for myself, starting this summer. I can only hope that whatever it is will taste as good as that ice cream, eaten hurriedly on a foggy day with friends.

Soft, Sandal-Ready Feet

I was under the impression that once you reached a certain age, you became less ticklish. Apparently that doesn't apply to me, as I can barely think about someone touching my feet without flinching/kicking/flailing around. On the rare occasion when I treat myself to a pedicure, I end up splashing around in the water so aggressively that the manicurist can't even tackle my cuticles or calluses. But since sandal season is officially here, I thought I'd share some of my tips for getting my feet looking pretty, pampered and polished.

Step 1: Soak feet. This softens up the calluses and dead skin. If you don't have a tub I suggest buying an inexpensive portable plastic one.

Step 2: Scrub feet to exfoliate and remove dead skin. I like this one and concentrate on all parts of the foot, making sure not to forget the heels and tops.

Step 3: Use a pumice stone or foot file to smooth out the calluses. Since I wear heels so frequently, the ball of my feet are always hard, so I tackle that first. My mom recently gave me this foot file and I'm totally hooked - after just a few minutes, it gets rid of all dry skin.

Step 4: Apply cuticle oil.

Step 5: Massage feet with a rich, emollient lotion. I find that something with the word "butter" in it usually does the job, but clearly I'm not too picky (I'm currently obsessed with the coconut body butter from Trader Joe's). If I'm doing this at night, I'll occasionally slip on a pair of socks so that my feet are extra moisturized in the morning. 

Step 6: Polish toes. I've been rotating between three main colors lately: pastel blue (Essie "Borrowed and Blue", a reddish/orange (OPI "Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It") and barely-there pink (Essie "Ballet Slippers"). When I have a bit of color on my feet and want them to look really clean and pretty, I think a cotton candy shade always looks great.

For my pedicure, I use one coat of base coat, two coats of polish and then one coat of topcoat.