Nichole Robertson from Little Brown Pen is offering up some of her favorite things about summer while I’m off on my vacation enjoying some of those very same things! – jen
By guest contributor Nichole Robertson
Hi everyone. It’s Nichole here from Little Brown Pen. While Jen is gallivanting around the country in a a fabulous sundress (this is how I’m choosing to picture her on vacation), I’m here thinking about what I love most about summer. In order to put this list together, I challenged myself to write my favorite things down as quickly as they came to me without editing my responses. I do this often when I want to give honest answers and not some fantasy version of how I see my life. I can’t be the only person who does this, right?
So, here we go.
Farmer’s markets. I grew up in Lancaster county, PA. In addition to the main farmer’s market in center city, you can’t drive more than a mile without seeing a small farm stand where a farmer or gardener is selling fresh tomatoes and corn. I can’t imagine a summer without Silver Queen corn or fresh-picked tomatoes. I now go to the farmer’s market’s in NYC or Northern, NJ, but honestly, they’re no where near as special.
Lancaster. Given the above answer, this is no surprise. Though I couldn’t wait to leave at 18, I’ve come to fall in love with my hometown as an adult. It’s peaceful, quiet, quaint, and most of my family lives there. I have about fifteen photos of this particular hill I love it *that* much.
Peonies. I squeal when I see peonies for sale in the market. Peonies = summer.
Green. Grass, vines, trees, anything green. Bonus points if it’s gracefully swaying in a pre-thunderstorm breeze.
Smoothies. Smoothies are my main delivery system for summer berries. I make them for myself and my family almost every morning, and sometimes again in the afternoon. My favorite concoction lately is a blend of blueberries, mango, milk and honey.
Birds. My husband jokes that one day I’ll be labeled the bird lady. I try to attract them to our windows to amuse our indoor cat, and I’ve befriended a woodpecker who has drilled a few holes in the window outside our terrace window. I love to hear them chirping in the morning.
My in-laws lake house. My husband grew up learning to swim and sail on a Northern, NJ lake. It’s a special place we visit often now that my in-laws live there full time.
Whoopie Pies. Lancaster again! It’s the quintessential Lancaster County treat, and no summer picnic is complete without them.
Fresh food. I can go weeks without cooking in the summer.
Watching my sons in nature. Their natural curiosity and innocence reminds me of my own youth spent exploring the country.
About the contributor: Nichole Robertson’s two-year stint as the beauty and fashion blogger at Bravo TV was her initiation into the blogosphere and she now she can be found over at Little Brown Pen. She’s also a copywriter and currently works with Tribal DDB and Amala–an organic skincare brand from Germany. Her and her husband and have an etsy shop where they sell photos in addition to calendars and illustrations inspired by their time in Paris. You can visit their shop here.
mmmmm… those tomatoes and that fruit salad have got my mouth watering!