Things I Have Been Loving This Summer

Happy August!  I thought it was time for another What I've Been Loving post, since the last one I did was back in May.  The items I will tell you about are all over the map this time.  Pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and settle in for a chat!

Corn Salad.  Oh my gosh, I could eat this "side salad" as a meal in itself.  It is so full of all the flavors of summer and is easy to throw together.  Just look at those colors.  I took the picture before adding a cup of halved cherry tomatoes.  The recipe (below) is quite adjustable--leave out the cilantro if you don't like it, just go with half a jalapeno etc--anything goes.  It is great to make with leftover ears of corn, but it's so good, I will cook up the corn just for the salad.

Tap on the picture to enlarge it and make it easier to read.

For over five decades I have fought my curly hair.  As a teenager, at one time I would actually sleep on orange juice cans that I had rolled my hair around in an effort to straighten it.  Over the years I have used hot rollers, flat irons and blow dry sessions that take a half an hour to get my hair to be straight and shiny.  But that isn't my hair's true nature, and this summer I have been letting it have it's way, and I like it!  Do you fight your wavy or curly hair?  I have been using some products by Deva Curl that help your hair keep it's natural curl.  You can get a starter set for $30 at Ulta, which contains their four most basic products.

I have also been loving my shiny silver jewelry.  Do you exclusively only wear silver or only wear yellow gold?  Or do you go ahead and wear either metal depending on your mood or outfit?  My wedding ring is yellow gold, but there is something about shiny silver jewelry that is so summery.

The necklaces all came from JJill, and were very reasonably priced.  I bought them awhile back, but they have things that are similar.  The earrings and cuff bracelet I have had forever.

My house is smelling very summery with these candles from Yankee Candle.  I have been enjoying Mango Peach Salsa and Color Me Happy.  They are seriously yummy.  I have some end of summer/early fall candles lined up that I want to start burning (Harvest and Apple Cider), but these two are taking FOREVER to burn down.  I swear I burn them for hours everyday and the level hardly moves.  I guess they are a good value, since they burn so many hours!  I only buy them when Yankee Candle has a good sale, which seems to be every couple of months.  Do you like to burn candles in your home?  I love the warm ambiance they create.

I've been smelling pretty darn good myself, with the help of this fabulous body creme by Jo Malone.  It is such fun to visit a Jo Malone counter and try out all the lovely fragrances.  It is very hard to pick a favorite.  Their scents are all super simple (just one or two notes), such as the one I chose, Orange Blossom.  When it comes to fragrance, I prefer a perfumed body cream to a spray of cologne.  It lasts longer and is more subtle in my opinion.  And it moisturizes my dry arms and legs.  It is pricey, but lasts me a long long time.

Next up is some make up that has been making my life a lot easier.  Instead of liquid foundation I have been wearing a stick foundation and love the way it looks and stays on in the heat.  There are several excellent stick foundations that I have tried (MakeUpForever, Bobbi Brown), but my favorite is by Lancome, a brand I haven't used for many years.  This stick foundation comes in a gazillion colors (seriously, at least 40) and is so creamy and easy to apply.  You just draw it in stripes on your face, then blend it thoroughly with a dense flat brush.  The finish is so skin like and natural looking, light weight and lasts all day.  The foundation brush I like is by Sigma, but there are lots of good ones out there.  

Also in the picture above is a cream blush by Bobbi Brown that I love.  It looks way dark, but goes on pale pink and looks so natural.  I guess that is why they call it Pale Pink Pot Rouge.  The trick to using these cream products is the brush.  It needs to be soft, but very dense.  I dab the little Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques in the pot and apply just the tiniest bit to the apples of my cheeks, then blend super well with the brush.  It really looks very fresh and natural.  The brush is only $5.99 at Target!  And you could definitely use it with a stick foundation as well, since it has the denseness required.

I also adore cream eye shadow sticks.  I have found several brands to be amazing, with a great selection of colors (Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Nars).  I recently discovered that good old Lancome has them as well, and for a bit less in price.  The thing with cream eye shadow sticks is that you just swipe them on, blend with your finger or a brush and you are done.  One and done.  And their staying power is better than powders any day.  They are particularly nice in the summer, in the heat or at the pool, but I love them all year long.

Last make up item, these Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lip Shines are available at your drugstore, Target, Kmart for under $9.  They come in a ton of colors and keep your lips looking glossy and tinted (but not sticky).  They are very hydrating and I like them so much I have nearly every color.  They do go on much lighter and more sheer than the color you see in the tube.  You can use them alone or as a gloss over your regular lipstick.

I can't do a favorites post and not mention a book.  Or books.  Ever since we started watching the Harry Bosch series on Amazon Video, I have been hooked on the books by Michael Connelly.  Harry Bosch is a detective, and there must be two dozen police procedural books that Connelly has written featuring him.  Every now and then I get obsessed about an author and if they are prolific, my life is taken over while I try to plow through all their books.

I was getting very tired of spending $9.99 for a new Kindle book every week, so I ventured out and discovered my county library.  Who knew it would be such a great library?  The one in our town is dismal, but if we just drive 16 miles to the county seat the facility is awesome and they have all the Harry Bosch books I could ever want.  Do you use the library?  It is such a money saver and you don't have to have the books cluttering up your shelves when you are finished with your book choice.

So there you have it, my favorites this summer!  Tell us what products or things that you have been enjoying!  It is always so much fun when folks share in the comments.

 

 

Comments

[Barbara Anne]

Thanks for all the wonderful and helpful suggestions! I've made some notes. :)

Yes, I use our county library a lot and am often there weekly.

No 1 for me is peach tea! Yum!!

Hugs!

[Susan]

Thanks for all the great tips on makeup. And the corn salad looks delicious.
I was tired of spending a lot of money on Amazon books too. What I discovered was that I can look up the book I am interested in on my public library's website and many times they have a digital version that can be borrowed from Amazon for FREE. Of course you have to be willing to read on Kindle, I know a lot of people prefer real books. But I live overseas, without access to a real library, so Kindle is a blessing for me.
Also, at the beginning of every month, Amazon Prime customers are given a choice of one of 6 brand new books on Kindle for free. So that's a great way to get new books too.
Enjoy August!

[Susan]

Thanks for the makeup reviews- think I will check out those foundation sticks. The corn salad looks yummy too.

I use the public libraries in my area. You can also borrow ebooks. You can download to your tablet using the Kindle app or for iPad, kindle or ePub, using an app called Overdrive. I live 10 or 15 miles from the library so I don’t need to drive in each time a reserved book is in. Great in the winter!

[Cathy]

I use our county library system a lot. The catalog is online and I can reserve books so when I see/hear about a book I want to read (like right here on your blog), I go online and reserve it. They hold it for me at the desk when it is available, couldn't be easier. But we still do our bit for the publishing industry as my husband (retired high school English teacher) buys almost all the books he reads, and he reads many!

[gailss1]

I agree...to much money for all these books as I read a lot so do use the library now too. Great make-up tips and am going to try the salad...thanks

[Mary Kastner]

The salad looks wonderful. I just finished a sweet little embroidery piece. I haven't done any of that craft since I was a kid. The stitches came back to me quickly and I really enjoyed it. I think you could easily incorporate pieces into a quilt. It is just plain hot here and I am ready for a change of weather. Thanks for all the makeup tips. I need to do some major replacing in that department.

Mary

[Jane]

Yes, I use my library often and I am also able to borrow quilt books from my library too. I love that I can also request books that are at other branch libraries in my County to be delivered to my branch library for me to borrow. Jane

[Kyle]

Thanks for sharing all your wonderful summer loves. It's fun to try new things.

[pam hansen]

Love your curls and am totally envious as I have straight hair with no body. Thanks for the make up
tips and your recipe for corn salad looks delicious.

In summer I enjoy drinking pina coladas. An easy blender recipe is available from Meredith Laurence, "The Blue Jean Chef."

[T Holzer]

I love seeing your pics! But many of these brands I've never heard of and we don't have in Canada. We do have Lancome and I use their great pink lipsticks, but I'm gonna check out that stick next time I visit their counter.
My summer share is my OluKai flip flops. We found these shoes when we vacationed in Kauai and fell head over heels in love with them. Flip flops that have arch support and that we can wear all day long and our feet never hurt. Incredible shoes! Worth every penny!
Have a great day. Have your temps dropped down there at all??

[Sherry V.]

I am a "curly girl" also. . . and have let it do it's thing for 40 years. I got tired of the chemical straightening, the juice cans, etc., etc.

No I keep it on the short side and I am a "wash & go" gal that just needs a pick to get through the day. Much easier and less work.

I don't wear makeup except for special occasions, too much work for me.

As for the library. . .I am a power user. There are a number of libraries in NJ that are part of an interlibrary loan system so I am able to get books delivered to my local library from any of them.

It is a great program and most of the books that I get are not available in my local library. . .so I get the convenience of a local library without the limitations.

[carolyn]

The corn salad looks delicious! Just want to give you a heads up about DevaCurl. My hair suddenly got curly a few years ago. Bizarre. In my efforts to figure out what to do with it, I started using Ouidad products which I loved. Then I went to a DevaCurl stylist and started using their products. My hair started falling out. At first it wasn't a lot, then after a month or so it was falling out in clumps. I'd shower and the drain would have a huge handful of hair in it. Once I stopped using it, within 4-6 weeks, my hair was back to shedding it's normal amount. So, proceed with caution...it may not happen to you, but wanted you to be aware and watch for it, just in case! :)

[Jan]

Thanks for your makeup recommendations. Our greenhouse is starting to produce. Cold home grown broccoli in a salad has been on our table quite a bit & it's a go-to summer side dish we love!

[Bridget]

Love my Yankee Candles, love the summer smells and looking forward to getting out my pear candle :) My summer fav has to be homemade lemonade! not too many things I make from scratch but this reminds me of my grandmother.

[Donna]

Your corn salad looks yummy! I will definitely be trying it out.
It's funny really, that my hair was always straight when I was growing up and it was hard work to get it to hold a curl. But in the last ten or so years, it has become quite wavy. I've been using DevaCurl styling cream to give it curl and not frizz, but I also use the Moroccan Oil treatment. I love the smell of the oil.
And yes, I use our local library all the time. Most books that I read come from the library. It also has a great service for members called Hoopla which allows you to read e-books, listen to audiobooks and music and watch videos that are not at your local library. I often listen to e-books when I'm sewing or working in the kitchen.

[Chrisknits]

My hair is curly, and I used to despair, but now I just let it curl. But I hate when the humidity makes it curl around my face!!! LOL

[Hildy]

Thanks for this abosultly fantastic post I love all the things you talk about.
I only wear silver jewellery it just looks so much better with my skin tone.
Like you I do have curly hair and I hate it! That's why I'm always dry blowing it and straight it out with a brush but the huminaty in summer is not my friend and it keeps to bounce back (sigh).
I love my local library and I'm sp happy that München has actually the biggest library system in Germany with over 3 million(!!!) books. I think it's toally worth the not even 20€ you pay for an annual membership it's just amazing. The evn have a big english selection which is great for me because I read all books in English (most of the time the German translation really sucks).

[Jody]

Loved your post today!! Was a fun read. I too have curly hair but learned long ago to just go with it instead of fighting it. I have been using Wen Tea Tree shampoo but I do use a L'Oreal for curly hair about once or twice a week. My wedding set is also yellow gold but I live in silver jewelry!! I also am a huge fan of the library. Ours here in central Ohio is great and from what I hear one of the best in the country. I also recommend supporting our libraries as I work for a non-profit that supports libraries all over the world.

[ina]

Nicole, you may be able to use the online library service to order books to be sent to your local library. We have that here in Alameda County. You can even drop off locally or do an extension to keep the book longer by using online system. ;p

[Laura]

LOVE Harry Bosch (and Mickey Haller series).
Do you have an ereader? If so, you can probably get overdrive on your library site and download the ebooks or audiobooks to your ereader or phone.
Also, thanks for the recipe idea--sounds delicious!

[T Black]

Check out the READS online system. With a PIN from your local library, you can download books via Amazon to your Kindle. It's fabulous!!

[Sally K]

I use my library often! My library has a "hold" feature on books that have been ordered. I especially like to see if new quilt books I'm interested in purchasing are available. Sometimes I have to wait, but it has saved me money and space on my quilt book shelves to review them before purchasing!

My husband and I have just finished the first season of BOSCH. He has read the books and now I am ready to read them also. I have to see which ones we have and them I'll check out the library.

Thanks for all the "favorites". I'll be checking some of them out too!

[Anne Simonot]

Libraries have played a big role in my life always! I’m a big reader, like you, and libraries keep reading affordable. Real books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines — I borrow them all. Such a great resource for all!

[Jennifer in Indy]

Great list! I love JJill - clothes and jewelry, wear my wavy hair straight but have been thinking for about a year that I’d like to figure out how to wear it wavy sometimes, and I love my library! I create my book list online, request them when I am ready, and pick them up at my local branch. You should check to see if yours is on Overdrive - if so, you can check out digital books too and several come through the Kindle app. Have a great week!

[Lisa D.]

Sorry to be commenting on such an old post, but my goodness, your curls are so beautiful! I'm glad you are embracing them!