Summer of Sweet Simplicity 🌼
Notice more, rush less, find joy in simplicity.
Let’s start here: I’m a crier.
Always have been. I cry at commercials. I cry at weddings. I cry from the kindness of strangers in the grocery store. I used to wish I weren’t so soft. But lately, I’ve realized softness is my sharpest edge. It’s the thing that keeps me paying attention.
This week, my son graduated from kindergarten. Seven seconds in, I spotted the first wobbly construction-paper cap rounding the corner, and just like that, my mascara packed it in. It wasn’t even his cap. It wasn’t even him. It was the knowing that he was next. That time is slippery. That love makes you cry in school gyms at 8:30 AM on a Monday.
I looked around. Mascara smudges, watery smiles, damp cheeks, mine, theirs, all of us. It felt like a collective exhale, a moment where no one pretended not to feel. And in that breath, something clicked: We’re all just doing our best. Loving hard. Letting go. Reaching for something tender in the rush of it all.
Each kid stepped forward and announced who they wanted to be.
A peacekeeper. A veterinarian. A dad. A superhero who shares kindness with everyone.
And in that moment, between the tears and the sweetness and the letting go, two things settled deep in my chest:
Life passes quicker than we are ever ready for.
And the best moments? They’re never the loud ones. They live on the soft edges. In the ordinary, imperfect beauty of right now.
This is our collective condition now, isn't it? Always catching up with our own lives. Thinking we're present until some moment, a kindergarten graduation, perhaps, reminds us how much we've missed while planning, documenting, or just trying to keep up with the pace.
So this summer, let's rebel against complexity. Let's reclaim simplicity as our superpower.
Free readers: This week's favorite finds, simple summer joy, and a graduation recap
Paid members: unlock low-effort, high-flavor summer dinners, effortless tips for dreamy outdoor living, and the BEST summer sandwich.
$7/month = one blueberry iced latte. Your call. 🫐
In My Search Bar:
Pool floats, taco salad, and tiny heart lamps…
Plush AI-Powered Fashion Search: Like your best-dressed friend helping you find a summer dress in under 15 minutes
Ledge Lounger Laze Pillow Float: Your official excuse to nap in the pool all summer long.
Tiny Heart Lamps: Insta-worthy cozy vibes in one click.
Satin Oil for Body & Hair: The shortcut to looking effortlessly sun-kissed.
5-Minute Taco Salad: There's something about a classic taco salad that just screams summer. Recipe below ↓
Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (Old El Paso or Lawry's for that nostalgic flavor)
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the orange kind, not fancy)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 bag Doritos or Fritos, slightly crushed
Catalina, French dressing, OR The Green Sauce That Will Change Your Life
Optional: sliced jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole
That room you've been staring at for 8 months? Let's fix it.
Send over three photos, a mood-board link, and a two-minute quiz. I’ll send back a shoppable plan that says “buy this, skip that,” plus the layout sketch to pull it off.
$297, one-week turnaround, zero upsells. Seven seats between now and beach season.
“Peyton talked me out of a $2,400 sectional. We instead got two pieces we hadn’t even thought about that changed the way we live in the room.” — Note from a Happy Subscriber!
Click DONE if you're ready to stop overthinking your space.
Rule of thumb: If it takes more than 15 minutes, costs more than $50, or requires a five-step tutorial, it's not allowed.
Barefoot breakfasts on the porch
Watermelon wedges sprinkled with tajín
Fridge-chilled pillowcases
Iced coffee in a jam jar
Driveway stargazing (popsicles required)
Peach slices straight from the fridge
Linen pillowcases misted with beach spray
Dandelions stuffed into a shot glass
Curbside sunset watching (seltzer in hand)
Firefly walks right before bed
The Good Stuff
Grapefruit at seven a.m., sea-salt sprinkle, instant Amalfi daydream.
Honeysuckle in a thrift-shop juice glass. Free perfume, zero effort.
Patio movie night: one bedsheet screen, a projector, popcorn that tastes faintly of SPF.
“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."
― Nora Ephron
The Overlooked
Baking a layer cake just because it’s Tuesday.
Last summer’s overplayed playlist, nostalgia that beats any algorithm.
Snack-style patio supper: chips and chilled pinot grigio
New Obsession (Under $50)
A vintage toolbox turned jewelry vault. Gritty shell, treasure inside.
Snif Crumb Couture travel spray: smells like warm croissant crumbs and good decisions.
Dirty Labs Bio-Enzyme detergent: lab-level clean with a “someone-else-did-the-laundry” scent.
Sweed Beauty Lash Lift Mascara: Sweden’s secret to fanned-out lashes, skip the curler, keep the drama.
Maison Louis Marie No. 04 mini perfume: basically Santal 33’s cooler little sister. pocket-size, cabin-approved.
Simple Summer Dining Secrets
Cozy and simple is our motto this year. I've tested dozens of summer meal approaches, and the conclusion is clear: the less complicated, the more likely you are to actually enjoy outdoor dining rather than just photographing it.
The Three-Ingredient Dinner Formula
After analyzing our most successful (and frequent) summer meals, I've identified a pattern that works every time:
Most members recoup the $7 before their next Coffee run.