Tomorrow marks the official start of summer, even though Baton Rouge has already been sitting in the 90-degree heat for awhile. When I lived in Indiana, I loved summer. Of course, I was in school, so that meant summers off from class, working shifts at the custard shop,  cool night drives on winding country roads, and if I was lucky, a summer crush.

Since I work now, all year, summer isn’t quite the same. And I’m not sure this southern heat is made for bodies getting close. However, there’s still a few things I love about the summer months, so here they are…

Pooltime

With this heat, a pool is not even a luxury, it is a must-have. I am lucky enough to have access to pools, and often, this relaxation time includes refreshing cocktails, friends, and many hours on a raft — like the donut raft on the left (a great investment).

A day at the pool also means an entire day wearing no pants, and instead wearing a swimsuit. I know that, especially for women, swimsuit season can be stressful.

But when I’m at the pool with my best friends, I know they’re not going to judge me, no matter how I look, so I always try to find cute, fun swimsuits. I am loving the ruffled bandeau tops that are in style this season!

Coconut… Everything

Ahh, the smell of coconut makes me think of the beach, and the beach makes me happy. So when summer comes ’round and I’ve got an excuse to wear/use coconut body products, I am all over that! Here are some of my favorites:

• Moroccainoil Moisture Repair shampoo & conditioner — Has a slight coconut scent and is gentle enough to use on color-treated hair (I’m a natural blonde, you know, so I’ve got to keep my chocolate waves intact).
• Softsoap Coconut Scrub — Nothing fancy here, just a simple bar of coconut soap that’s studded with sandy exfoliants. It softens the skin but is created for everyday use.
• St. Ives Coconut Milk & Orchid Extract Body Lotion — Again, nothing fancy here! I love the light scent of coconut, mixed with the floral nodes of the orchid. I use this lotion all year long, and during the summer months, I like to add a dime-sized drop of sunless tanner to a few pumps of regular lotion to give myself a light glow.
• Coconut Bay, by Yankee Candle — Okay, I know this isn’t a body product, but I love this candle! I even have the air freshener in my car, and it makes me feel like I’m right on the beach, even when I’m driving to work.

White Denim

I know, it seems small, but each year, I look forward to when it’s socially acceptable to pull out my white jeans (and white white-leg trousers). White jeans, paired with a navy tank, and some gold jewelry makes me feel like a sailor, and nothing makes me happier than the thought of that. I especially love the destroyed, cropped white denim — am I stuck in the 80s? I just love this look!

Speaking of fashion, I also loved colored jeans, and am currently searching for the perfect pair of mint skinnies. A good denim vest is also on my personal wish list, as I think it’s the perfect thing to put over a maxi dress this season.

And finally, a summer outfit really isn’t complete without a great pair of sunglasses. Honestly, sunglasses really used to bother me in years passed, but lately, I can’t go anywhere without a pair. I’m not into designer shades, but I stocked up on a few cheap aviators (one has leopard print down the sides) and I love them!

Summer Reads

Summer is the perfect season to get lost in a book (okay, so is winter), but I feel like the warmer months produce great beach reads and hot romance novels.

I can recall many great days, lounging in the sun with a good book in my hands. There’s just no better way to relax! Here are some of summer’s hottest (supposed) reads:

• Friendswood by Rene Steinke — A big, moving novel of one tight-knit Texas community and the events that alter its residents’ lives forever.
• The Last Magazine by Michael Hastings — The year is 2002. Weekly newsmagazines dominate the political agenda in New York and Washington. A young journalist named Michael M. Hastings is a twenty-two- year-old intern at The Magazine, wet behind the ears, the only one in the office who’s actually read his coworker’s books. 
• Save the Date by Jen Doll — In Save the Date, Jen Doll charts the course of her own perennial wedding guesthood, from the ceremony of distant family members when she was eight to the recent nuptials of a new boyfriend’s friends.
• The Vacationers by Emma Straub — An irresistible, deftly observed novel about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family’s two-week stay in Mallorca.
  

Americana Nails

Not to push the issue, but Christian Dior is on point with this nail polish set for summer 2014 — that bright blue? Yes, please! And of course, each bottle comes complete with “CD” nail stickers, because branding your nails is completely necessary at this point.

Here are some other great nail lacquers for the upcoming season: Haute in the Heat by Essie, Life Gave Me Lemons by OPI, Fierce no Fear by Essie, Down to the Core-al by OPI, Strut Your Stuff by Essie, Marjorie by Julep, Roarrrrrange by Essie 

I hope you’ve got a great summer planned! Let me know what some of your seasonal favorites are!