Summer Patio Playbook 🍋
Field-tested & chaos-proof-ish
For the first time in my adult life, I'm actually looking forward to Summer.
I know. I KNOW.
Blasphemy coming from a Texan, where summer means three straight months of walking outside and immediately looking like you've been roasting at 375 degrees!
I've never been a "summer girl." Not even during my peak millennial crash diet era (which was, let's be honest, absolutely unhinged and something we should all collectively sue diet culture for). But something's different this year.
Maybe it's rebellion. Maybe it's a survival instinct. Maybe it's just that after the winter we've all had, I'm grateful for change.
Whatever it is, I'm suddenly excited about late summer nights.
Chiminea conversations that stretch until 2 am. The specific nostalgia hit of sherbet ice cream dripping down the side of a sugar cone. The smell of sunscreen mixed with leftover perfume that lingers on your skin after a shower.
Which is why I did what any rational person would do: I went rogue and spent 47 hours researching everything you actually need to survive summer without selling your soul to patio furniture propaganda.
Free readers: 3 patio fixes to survive summer without selling your soul to West Elm.
Paid members: unlock the full 20-item Summer Patio Playbook, my private “SOS” design hotline, and peace of mind.
$7/month = one coconut iced latte. Your call.
In My Search Bar:
Music, art, and orange floats…
🍊 The Overlooked
Instead of pulling out spring clothes, pack away what you already know you’re not reaching for.
What's left? Your real spring wardrobe. No capsule guilt. No drama. Just fewer decisions.
The Sherbet Float That Secretly Fixes Every Bad Mood
Forget root beer floats. Real ones know:
2 scoops orange sherbet
Topo Chico poured over the top
(Optional but highly encouraged) A splash of coconut milk or vanilla oat milk
Instant serotonin boost, ready in 5 minutes.
The Farmer’s Market Bouquet
The messy bundles of ranunculus, snapdragons, and whatever else looked weird and hopeful.
🌞 The New Obsessions
You know the slightly rickety metal café chairs outside trattorias?
They're popping up quietly everywhere. Mismatched is better. Outdoor dinner party energy unlocked.
Vintage cowbells: subtler, lighter, less bulky than Swiss ones.
They add the perfect old-world summer sound to porches and gardens without feeling kitschy. (Secret: search "vintage Dansk cowbell" on Etsy.)
Swap your duvet for a washed cotton or matelassé quilt now, and your entire bedroom feels 10 degrees cooler.
Best under-$100 find: The Company Store "Legends Hotel" lightweight quilt.
🛏️ Pro tip: Always size up one. Twin for a throw, Queen for a Full, King for a Queen bed, the "casually oversized" look = instant rich energy.
✨ The Good Stuff
Mom-and-Daughter Steamer Moment: The Nori Press
Tiny, lightweight, life-saving. Works on wrinkled linen, delicate cotton, even a rogue pillowcase.
Travel-Size Perfumes for Your Car
No vent clips, no vanilla cupcakes. Just stash a good roll-on (Maison Louis Marie, D.S. & Durga, Dedcool) and spritz the seats.
Your car becomes a moving Amalfi Coast fantasy, not yesterday’s Chick-fil-A run.
Handmade, natural wool, totally silent when you sneak to the fridge
at midnight.Feels like wearing clouds without looking like you gave up. (Also — they breathe, so they're perfect for weird in-between spring weather.)
Real stuff. For real life.
Not Pinterest sets that collapse the first time someone’s uncle sits down too hard.
🍹 The Good Stuff
Bring the Amalfi energy to your backyard
IKEA ÄPPLARÖ reclining deck chair + linen cover from H&M Home. Slatted teak-stain wood looks
🥂 A Cooler, But Make It Polo Safari
23-gal galvanized tub + two reclaimed leather belts = instant RL drink bar. Age the tub in saltwater for patina, thank me later.
Mosquito Repellent That Smells Like Côte d’Azur
Maison Balzac “Le Soleil” outdoor candle paired with Kinfield Golden Hour spray. Citrus, neroli, zero chemical funk.
👇 [Become a Member → $7/month]
(That’s like... one sad airport coffee.)
For the next 48 hours, paid members can reply to this email to grab a 45-minute Patio SOS session. A real, custom plan to fix whatever’s making your outdoor space feel off.
👉 Paid members get first dibs + $30 off.
Spots officially open June 1st.
Reply "SOS" to this email if you want in.
