Checking Out

A few nights ago, a friend and I were discussing how we both had mentally checked out for summer. Summer is unfortunately no longer a season marked solely by fun day in and day out. Well, at least it isn't to me. I think that unless you are 1) a parent with young children, 2) a school teacher, or 3) someone who spends the summer living in a different locale from where you usually reside, then summer is just another season, albeit a really hot one. That's not to say that I won't enjoy the quietude and downtime. I plan to spend time at the library doing research- just for fun. (Spending all of that time indoors will explain why I'm going to have to hit the bottle...the bottle of St. Tropez self-tanner, that is.) I want to read a lot, hang out with friends (how fun would it be to relax at that table in the middle of the pool, at top?), and take some time for self-reflection. And most of all, I really want to get the creative juices flowing. Sometimes, a crazy schedule and a calendar full of commitments can stymie one's creativity. Or is that just me?

Tomorrow, I'm going to post about where I wish I was traveling to this summer, but today I'm simply going to show photos that evoke the carefree spirit of summertime. Who knows? Perhaps they'll get our creative juices flowing.

PS- I can't talk about Summer and not mention Atlanta's own Marcia Sherrill and her Anabelle collection handbags...so perfect for Summer. I need to get one of her pineapple print totes to hold my papers between home and library. The collection has recently been mentioned in O Magazine and WWD. Looks like it's going to be a good Summer for Marcia!



This pool pavilion, located on the grounds of a Portuguese estate, was decorated by the late Valerian Rybar. The walls, you ask? What is up with those stunning walls?? Why, they're covered in blue and white Portuguese tiles that were decorated in a Jean Pillement-esque Chinoiserie pattern. Have you seen anything so beautiful?





Treillage at Duke Gardens, c. 1966.





A lanai, located on Gorce Island, FL, that was decorated by John FitzGibbons. Wicker chairs, shells, dining al fresco. Does it get any better?





What does a platter of crudites have to do with Summer? I don't really know, although I usually eat celery stalks with pimento cheese for lunch during the summer. I also like the surtout (replete with rosemary stalks) that surrounds the spread.




Jack Lowrence's pool Gazebo at his home in Woodside, CA.


Lowrance pool pavilion photo from Architectural Digest California Interiors; Rybar photo from Chateaux and Villas (The Worlds of Architectural Digest). All other photos from various House & Gardens from 1966.