Summer

 Summer has been blissful this year; it's been less hot than in previous years, and we even had a couple of weeks of cooler temperatures at the beginning of the month ... something I've never experienced in August before!

I found this pretty wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg in London in June, and I just love how fresh and summery it looks. 

Accessorising with my MTC pendant necklace in ivory (very few still available here)

I often combine florist-bought flowers with berries and foliage I find on my walks with the dogs, and I love the texture and homemade look it adds to a flower arrangement.

What a joy to discover how perfectly the new dress goes with my emerald green Superga sneakers and Kelly Double Tour bracelet in Bamboo

I came across this spectacular sunflower field last weekend, and it was magical to see how the wind made them dance and sway in the breeze (you can see a video of this on my Instagram here)

When family comes over in the summer, we have dinner on a big table, and fun, long evenings. In previous years I've been throwing away mountains of paper napkins at the end of each meal, which seemed so wasteful. A couple of months ago, I found vintage French Damast napkins dyed in pink at a local textile market and embroidered each with a different colored star. Everyone loved having their own napkin, and I perfected my satin and chain stitches in the process! 

The new vegetable patch has been my absolute joy; it has grown abundantly and is a source of constant wonder: Within two weeks, the young courgette plant has grown in leaps and bounds and produced its first flower:

In less than six weeks, it has grown into this ...

... and produced its first courgette a couple of days later!

It sounds like a cliché when people say there is no comparison between homegrown and shop-bought fruit and vegetables, but it is true. You can't get fresher, tastier and more beautiful vegetables than those from your garden: I pick them just before making dinner when they are still warm from the sun they've been soaking in all day. 

with some pasta and parmesan, fried with onions and garlic. Bon appetit!

 

In addition to the courgettes, we also have lettuces, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers ...

... which makes for a lovely lunch:

and aubergines, too!

I came across this fabulous recipe of baked sweet potatoes, roasted chickpeas and tzatziki by @powerplantblog on Instagram (here). It's packed with nutrition and flavors and is quick and easy to make. What a lovely and colorful dish to inaugurate my new Tall Trees dinner plates with! The plates feature Melissa White's Tall Trees design for Kit Kemp (here)

You might remember the Tall Trees wallpaper in my bedroom that I blogged about last year (here). It makes me happy every time I enter the room ... it is such a serenely beautiful design. I'm so thrilled that it has now become available as dinnerware.

A picture of my workspace that I posted on Instagram a couple of weeks ago ...

... is featured on Andrew Martin's "In Real Homes" gallery on their website. I was so happy to find it there and could not be more thrilled.

I hope you are enjoying a happy and beautiful summer, and have a wonderful remaining August!

xx

As always, there is no sponsored content, and I don't have any affiliation with any of the brands mentioned.  Here all relevant links in case you are interested in more details:

Diane von Furstenberg Abigail Dress here

Kelly Double Tour bracelet in Bamboo here

MaiTai Collection pendant necklace here

Tall Trees porcelain here

Tall Trees wallpaper here

Andrew Martin "Real Homes" gallery here