Embracing the Magic of Summer

Summer is here. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and life seems to have slowed down a bit. Though we can’t have the long stretch of carefree days spent playing in the sun until it finally sets as we did while growing up, there are still plenty of ways to capture that same feeling.

No matter what your age might be or where you find yourself in life, you can always embrace the magic of summer by paying attention to and being grateful for some of the simple pleasures that can be found this time of year. Here are some of our favorite things to take note of from the pages of Bella Grace.

21 Ways to Cure Summer Boredom

We’ve chosen three of Lyndsi Bigbee’s favorite ways to beat summer boredom to share with you here.

1. Learn how to make different flavors of homemade ice cream. Surprise friends with a batch at your next party.
2. Practice new ways of styling your hair. Spend time in front of the mirror braiding, trying new tricks, and exploring new styles. I promise it will be worth it. You could even buy a new headband, hat, or hair tie to go with it.
3. Spend an evening at a new restaurant you have always wanted to try. Instead of only staying a short while, spend hours with friends or family enjoying the food on the menu, sampling wines, and relaxing around the table without phones.

Words by Lyndsi Bigbee and Photo by Jovana Rikalo | Bella Grace Issue 36

15 Ways to Sweeten Your Summer

Here are four of Lola Lozano’s favorite ways to sweeten summer.

1. Embrace the sensation of freedom that comes from wearing an undone button-up shirt billowing in the summer breeze.
2. Book a quirky rental home you can drive to for a weekend, and clink glasses of bubbly with your companion(s) while you gaze up at the stars, preferably while sitting next to a bonfire or soaking in a Jacuzzi.
3. Roll down the windows and go for a drive, blasting Fergie’s album, “The Duchess.”
4. Squeeze a bit of lemon on every dish you make; it’ll keep the summer zesty and vibrant.

Words by Lola Lozano and Photo by Victor Bordera | Bella Grace Issue 36

Dear Summer, A Gratitude List

Sometimes summer magic means showing gratitude for the simple pleasures that come with the season. These are five things about summer Moe Phillips is especially grateful for.

1. Thunderstorms bursting with fireworks
2. A lazy afternoon spent drifting along in a canoe
3. Hot toes digging into wet sand
4. The endless view from a Ferris wheel
5. Cotton dresses and straw hats

Words by Moe Phillips and Photo by Lexia Frank | Bella Grace Issue 28

I Love (Summer Edition)

Here are six things Kelly Wendt loves about summer.

1. A popsicle on the Fourth of July, feeling every ounce of kid in me light up like a firework
2. The smell of Coppertone sunscreen
3. Lying on worn blankets under the stars, sharing things only the stars give us confidence to speak
4. Picnics of deli sandwiches, freshly picked berries, and garden greens under my favorite shade tree
5. The tangy sour taste of freshly squeezed lemonade
6. Channeling the kid inside me that lays dormant inside me until the first of June

Words by Kelly Wendt and Photo by Rachel Schraven | Bella Grace Issue 32

The Senses of Summer

And finally, we share four more things to love about summer, courtesy of Haley Moore Haskin.

1. The good times of open fields, ball games, and watermelon smiles
2. The simplicity of catching fireflies in the dewy grass ad the blue light of summer dusk
3. The dusky haze of smoky hot dogs and neighborhood bonfires
4. The excitement of funnel cakes, rides, and midnight lights on the 4th of July

Words by Haley Moore Haskin and Photo by Javier Pardina | Bella Grace Issue 32

So, what do you have in store for the season?

Find more inspiration for your next summer adventure in Bella Grace Issue 36.