a summer shipping break + last chance for Beatrix in print!

 

Just like that, it’s summer. School has been out for one week and we’ve already checked off so many things from the summer bucket list. Deck parties, reading in the hammock, early morning runs, nature camp…how I love this time of year. Even with the heat dome last week that made things rather steamy here in Michigan, oof.

 

We’re leaving at the end of this week for Amsterdam, so Mr Rae and I have been making plans for what we will do with our days there. I’ve been spending a lot of time on Duolingo trying to learn Dutch. It’s so exciting - our kids haven’t ever left the North American continent and I’ve been wanting to take this trip since 2019. It’s going be an amazing adventure, no matter how it all shakes out. I’m trying to keep my expectations in check for everything we will see and do so that I don’t — as Clementine put it — “ruin our vacation” with my go-go-go attitude. And just in case you’re wondering, when I asked Clementine what would make a good vacation, she said reading books (that’s her in the photo above, BTW). Related: this post on “Is it a trip or a vacation?” really made me laugh. This is 100% A TRIP. Someday I’ll take a vacation again, but this definitely won’t be it.

 

In the meantime, here are some things I thought you would enjoy, early summer edition…

 

Some summer sewing inspo for you! I've been rather fixated on maxi-length dresses, which are great for staying cool in summer heat. 

Here are a few of your makes that I featured on Instagram:

You can find the Trillium and Ruby patterns in my shop! 

stitching: I turned my Pattern Club sampler into a little pouch. It’s the perfect size for my hand-sewing projects or a paperback book.

 

reading: OMG two amazing reads this month: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. All I can say is that you manage to dive into either of these masterpieces this summer, buckle up and hold on because it’s going to be a WILD RIDE. I loved that both tackle tough issues but still manage to be page-turners at the same time, quite an impressive feat. Both also feel like required reading if you live in the USA, y’know what I mean?

 

enjoying: Peach sherbet sunsets (above), shasta daisies in bloom, our local summer music festival, and a trip to the Toledo Zoo (below).

 

eating: I dare you to watch this IG reel and not immediately run to the store for puff pastry. Jenny of DALS recommended the Asparagus Tart recipe from Julius Robert’s cookbook, The Farm Table, in her newsletter a couple weeks ago and I made it last weekend for Father’s Day. I used chives and mint and asparagus from my backyard garden beds, and it was so incredibly delicious. Honestly how can you go wrong with goat cheese and puff pastry?

 

 

OK - that's all for now! I'll be back in July with more summer sewing inspo, pattern updates, and hopefully some fun photos from our trip to show you.

 

Hope you're having a lovely summer!
Rae