friday five - random things that remind me of childhood summers

Happy 2nd (official) day of summer!

For most of us, we're already in the throes of it with heat, humidity, and kids home from school, but today the calendar says it's summer (in spite of what the weather has already been telling us).

I love summer - the extended daylight, the balmy evenings, the more relaxed schedule. And it brings about a nostalgia for me that doesn't happen much with other seasons. Summer reminds me of all the fun I had when life was filled with more running wild than responsibilities.

And in keeping with my nostalgia, I thought it would be fun to write a blog post about the random things the remind me of my childhood summers. Sure, there were beach trips and days spent at the pool, but those are typical summer nostalgia. My list includes some other, less common, things.

Ready? Here we go.

1 - Making jewelry

I spent summers making friendship bracelets and clay jewelry. Art, in general, was a big part of my summers, and summers are what instilled my love of creativity. These days, I don't have nearly as much time for those things, even though they feed my soul.

But this summer, I'm making some changes. In hopes of getting myself into gear to start moving toward some longer term goals, I enrolled in a formal, online jewelry design program. Some of the things I already know, but now I'd like to learn some new things, refine my techniques and ideas, and kickstart things by forcing a schedule.

I'm hoping this is just the beginning of a new jewelry journey for me. After this, I want to keep moving and learn additional things like CAD (which is also in line with my industrial design goals).

It may seem like a crazy time to take on yet another class or endeavor, especially when I have some other classwork going on, too (related to my day job and consulting business), but the truth is, there is never going to be a good time. Life will just get crazier and busier, and if not now, when?

Wish me luck chugging through this! I haven't been this excited about taking classes since I was in grad school!

2 - Caboodles

They've made a comeback, you guys! I had several Caboodles - some filled with makeup (as I got a little older) and the rest stuffed with supplies to make jewelry. Since my summers were filled with making jewelry, it's not a stretch to see why Caboodles remind me of those summers.

I recently bought myself two small Caboodles and filled them up with new jewelry supplies. One of my hobbies is also collecting supplies, which is a completely separate hobby from actually doing anything with said supplies.

3 - Watching Saved by the Bell reruns

No seriously. I loved that show. I have no idea why. Looking back, it's absolutely cringeworthy. These days, I can get my fix on the Zack Morris is Trash Facebook page. If you haven't heard of this, you really need to check it out. It's hilarious and each video breaks down an episode and exposes Zack Morris for the jerk he was.

4 - Magazines

Specifically, fashion magazines. My tween/teen years were spent reading YM, Teen, Seventeen, and Sassy (in my 20s and 30s, my favorite was Lucky). I spent tons of time reading these magazines (and getting inspiration for jewelry designs). And I kept all of them. For years. My mom finally threw them away (against my will, by the way!) when she moved into a different house and didn't feel like lugging them around.

Those Lucky magazines, though? Oh, I still have every single one. And my husband has just loved lugging those around for our many, many moves over the past decade or so. In our new house, I have them in bookshelves in our upstairs loft where I'm also in the process of creating a cozy reading nook (which, let's be honest, will double as a dog lounge).

5 - My hometown

Summer in Lancaster, Pa. is a little bit magical. Sure, there's no beach, but there are fireflies, lively music, fun events, and the weather, while still humid, is so much better than here in swampy Charleston during those summer months.

Even as an adult, I loved sitting in the sunroom of our house downtown with the sliding doors open, listening to the summer sounds of the city. For me, it's comforting. And I always love going home for visits in the summer.

And Lancaster just keeps getting better and better! We have a trip coming up in August and I can't wait for B to experience this vibrant city again.

Queen Street in Downtown Lancaster during a street Festival

For me, summer reminds me of a simpler time in my life where I didn't have to worry about anything but having fun. This year, maybe I'll recapture some magic with my jewelry design adventure. And maybe I'll find some time to reread some of those old Lucky magazines, too.

What reminds you of your childhood summers? What season is your favorite?