Life lately, July 2018 edition

It's hard for me to believe that it's already the end of the July. Even though it's still very much summer, with strawberries and watermelons and high temps, today was a mere ninety-two degrees, which was nice, and it just barely hinted at cooler days ahead. As much as Texas summers can feel a bit challenging for me, I am thankful that there are summers, falls, winters, and springs to mark the seasons of life. In the spirit of embracing the seasons, here is what I've been up to these past few weeks:

• making Creamy Sausage and Kale soup (subbing in collard greens, since that's what I had)
• wearing an Acadia National Park t-shirt
• lots of knitting with stash yarn
• watching Lark Rise to Candleford with Nicholas (my third time through and still makes me laugh out loud and teary-eyed)
• pre-dinner naps on the couch with Nicholas
• listening to the O.C soundtrack (hello, nostalgia)
• lunch dates with girlfriends
• nut milk lattes, rosemary scones, and the tiniest baby socks for our expecting friends
• listening to a tiny bit of Christmas music this week (I just had to)
• french toast with nutmeg (tastes like the apple orchard and fall, ah!) + syrup-y scrambled eggs (for me, Nicholas doesn't prefer syrup anywhere near his eggs) + sauerkraut
• dates to the movies to see the new Mission Impossible
• wanting to read fiction! I just picked up a book from the library that I started at the beginning of the year and had to return, but now I'm going to finish it
• diffusing orange, clove, and rosemary essential oils (it smells like Christmas)
• loving this candle
• noticing a continuation of the trend of stunning sunsets following really hard days (it happens every time!)
• cutting out a muslin of my Klein dress to check the fit and practice techniques before cutting into my "good" fabric. But I hope it turns out to be cute/wearable
• baking a Texas Sheet Cake for Nicholas' half birthday
• the best gelato, in peppermint stick
• reading in the evenings, under the quilt
• finishing a knit hat
• making trips to the post office with fun packages
• ordering one of these diffuser (knitting) progress keepers
• organizing my creative brain by mapping out my next few months of knitting/sewing projects
• making coconut milk yogurt in the instant pot

Even as there are parts of summer I'm enjoying, I am excited for a whole week of highs in the 90's instead of triple digit temperatures. Today felt like a blend of summer and a tiny bit of fall. I made a trip to the pool which felt very summery, but also, right now, the whole apartment smells like fall, since there's a big batch of my homemade granola in the oven.

What does life look like for you, lately?