Summer Play
Checking in
It has been a crazy past few weeks at the lake. Crazy in a good way—summer is always crazy in a good way, isn’t it? But this week I really hit my limit in terms of capacity. So here’s hoping it’s all easy breezy from now on.
I had a couple of different plans for today’s post, but none really came to fruition. I have been having SO MUCH FUN with my summer content, especially my stories on Summer Reading, Florine Stettheimer, and Jacqueline Marval. I went back and forth on whether to post this weekend at all. No big deal to take one week off, right? (Except I barely ever take weeks off and it FEELS like a big deal…. but I don’t know why). So, instead of taking a week off, I thought I would just do a casual summer check-in (note: I do not do casual well).
A Whimsical World Summer Reading List
The community here has grown substantially over the last few months, mostly thanks to my Big List of Whimsical Artists. So I thought today, I would start off by introducing myself for those of you who are new here!
Women of Summer with Jacqueline Marval
For those of you who have been following along, you know how much I adore living seasonally. When the humidity rises, the sun intensifies, and the storms, at their most powerful, “roar without rage”, my world recalibrates. I become “summer Lauren.” Who is entirely seperate (but also obviously intimately related) to “Fall Lauren” and “Winter Lauren
To give you a quick recap: Homeworthy came to the house to shoot (video tour coming soon!), and we had another house shoot right after. Later that night I also hosted a dinner for Ring Concierge (it was a 7am - 10:30pm kind of day which I do not recommend). Some of my team was in town, so there was lots of filming (after a year-long hiatus, I am back at it with Reels) and in-person meetings.
Explore the LES Summer Lookbook (It’s Really Fun)
On Friday we launched our summer lookbook, which I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. And when I say “working on,” I really mean playing. Because that’s really all I want to do this summer…play. I want to splash in the water with my kids, wake-surf, bake in the sun, doodle, get lost in the worlds of summery artists, and read books filled with magic. I want my life to be full of joy, dreams, and fanciful musings, and I wanted to create something for LES that captured that spirit visually. I want bright colors, sunshine, and whimsy (shocker?). Basically, I want to take play seriously.
So, today it’s going to be a bit of a visual diary:
Explore the LES Summer Lookbook (It’s Really Fun)
That’s all for today! What kind of play has been filling your summer days?
Don’t forget to hit that heart! It helps more than you know. If you liked this, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a comment! For more creativity, you can follow me on IG and explore years of art and design articles on the LES Journal
Keep Reading…
The Whimsical World of Florine Stettheimer
My notes on Florine Stettheimer have gone (somewhat) viral, so given how much her world seems to resonate with all of you, it felt only right to give her a proper moment in the sun! And truly, what better time than summer? Today, we’re stepping into the life and work of this delightfully eccentric artist.
Summer Reading: All The Books I Read in June
This is my 100th post here on Substack! That feels big! Exciting! This space has truly become so special to me—an avenue for my whims that I deeply needed. It has unlocked my creativity in ways I never could have expected, bringing with it a totally unexpected sense of connection and opportunity. If there is one thing this milestone has taught me, it’s that you should never discount writing about your passions for no other reason than pure curiosity. I am thrilled to mark this milestone with what has become my favorite series to write.
A Story of Creation & Discovery in the South of France
Our summer journal is now live! You can view the issue here!