Coffee in the Garden: July
I have been wanting to write this post, since, well, May, but I’ve been enjoying the slow summer days with our family. I’m hoping to write another Coffee in the Garden for August before the baby arrives, but we will see where my energy is at. I love sharing these random things that are on my mind, what I’m loving, listening to and of course, what’s happening in the garden.
Speaking of the garden, this may just not be our summer. The Japanese beetles, the terrible heat and this week with all of the rain; it’s been a tough go. The zinnias are thriving though, we have plenty of fresh herbs, the tomatoes are growing and it looks like the dahlias are here to stay. We will see what August brings for the garden.
Now, let’s get to what I’ve been reading, listening to, cooking and wearing this month.
American Royals lll: Rivals- It took me a little while to get into the third book in this series, but now I’m hooked! I love following the characters and wondering what’s going to happen next.
Rhythms for Life Podcast- I take away so much from each episode that Rebekah and Gabe Lyons put out every week. Two episodes I highly recommend listening to are #131 and #134.
I’ve talked about this in stories on IG, but this pregnancy has had me craving everything spicy! From the Real Mexican Sandwich at Henris in Atlanta (IYKYK!) to now my favorite spicy condiment, The Zhoug Sauce; I just can’t get enough spice! This week I’ve been making a salad dressing with this condiment and it does not disappoint. If you like cilantro and jalapeños, then you will love the Zhoug.
A few favorites for this month:
I kept hearing about the Diana Zip Neck Sweatshirt from Sloppy Joe from other bloggers that I follow and I wondered what all of the commotion was about. I had no idea that a sweatshirt could be the perfect combination of oversized and flattering at the same time. It is so soft and I’m in love with the powder blue shade.
When I’m not in the AC or at the pool, I’ve been wearing my striped dresses from KULE. They are comfortable, but I can also wear them all day long, out and about.
AILLEA sent over two things for me to try earlier in the summer and I’ve been using them everyday, I love them so much. The Maya Chia Body Oil smells amazing and leaves me feeling moisturized the entire day. It’s great to use after a day in the sun. Speaking of the sun, I’ve been loving Le Prunier’s Plumscreen. It goes on sheer and protects my skin from the sun. It’s a win, win combo. These floral shears that my sister gave me for my birthday are perfect for clipping all of the summer blooms. I love the pink color. I can’t forget to leave out the Garden Tote I designed with Breck & Grier, the tote I’ve been using for everything this summer. I still can’t believe that it all came to life and I’m so happy with how it turned out.
Lastly, I’ve started journaling again and not only is Simplified’s Linen Journal beautiful, it’s functional too. I just love the Sage color and the blue ribbon detailing. It’s a reminder for me to slow down and get my thoughts out on paper before the craziness of the day begins.
That’s it for this month, I hope everyone is enjoying a slow, happy summer. -Ashleigh
