SUMMER DAYS (& NIGHTS)
Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Edition
Welcome to Summer Odyssey 2022, where flip flops and tank tops equal “fashion statement”; laptops and patio recliners displace computer desks; and pool parties, beach outings, sports… make that all things fun and alfresco… give us carte blanche to Let the Sunshine In. Here’s hoping my summertime picks will score high on the serendipity scale!
BEACH BLANKET? BINGO!
Love, love, love at first sight and touch. I know it’s a blanket for lounging and lunching, but Caminito has nuanced traditional Mexican weaving into the 21st-century so deftly, their pieces are equally amazing draped or hung indoors. My personal “throwmance” is with the Luna Fresca Blanket Roll, a design honoring the moon in all its phases. Info: caminito.co
COOL FOR THE SUMMER
Each season, high priest of bags & beyond SCOUT dazzles with fresh styles and new takes on past faves. Their Summer of 2022 collection bounces jauntily from colorful beach bags and humongous totes to coolers, makeup cases, and umbrellas. As it is, I’m all kinds of obsessed their happy-making Sun’s Out Fun’s Out Collection. Info: scoutbags.com
EMPOWERED LINES
In the throes of my annual swimsuit cringe, I had an aha! moment on Infamous Swim’s website where all babes and bods are mirrored in the models and “safe” is preempted by sexy confidence. Swimwear lines are defined by prints—both frothy and feral—and epic comfort, which includes matching suits for kids and swim trunks for dad. Info: infamousswim.com
FLAT OUT FABULOUS
Audrey Hepburn movies made me lust after perfect ballerina flats. Disappointment ensued. Then word spread that BLOCH had turned its famous dance-shoe artistry into cushiony, street-savvy Ballerina Shoes. Flawless, no matter how hard I pound the pavement. Styles include two-toned Rigel’s femme nod to classic spectator shoes. Info: us.blochworld.com
GRILLMANSHIP
Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, but grillmasters beware. you will be called upon to ply your craft all summer. Hint from the pros: BYOTools. The quality stainless-steel O-Yaki Perfectly Portable Grill Set has a travel-ready case so that I can bring my carving, skewering, flipping & basting skills directly to my adoring public. Info: o-yaki.com
IT’S A BREEZE
Heat waves are my kryptonite. I sweat… I burn… I pray (hard!) for A/C. When exposed to sun and humidity in a ballpark or running errands, I’m doomed. Or I was, until redemption came in W-Fan Essential, a lightweight, quiet, hands-free, rechargeable neck band fan that gently cuts to the cool with five settings. Halle-summer-lujah!
Info: spiceoflifeusa.com
O SOLO VINO
Picnic coolers (sigh) are all about single serve: water, soda, and beer, period. Wine-wise, solo cans and boxes exist, but if you prefer your Rosé or Chardonnay chilled in upscale bottles, Wander + Ivy has you covered. Organic grapes from award-winning vintners are the key to wine nirvana, including two awesome reds (no cooler needed).
Info: wanderandivy.com
PANEL DISCUSSION
PANEL DISCUSSION
Created for cookout dudes sick of trotting to the kitchen every 10 seconds, GRILLKILT’s cornucopia of durable pockets, clips and panels (add or subtract for size), ensures the wearer is within grasp of cell phone, towel, utensils and cold drink. Part apron, part organizer, mine’s already morphed into a workshop essential. Genius. Info: grillkilt.com
POCKET CHANGE
Phone. ID. Keys. Debit card. Go. A girl can dream. Still, once Pursesuitz Pocketwear® Tank Tops caught my eye, dreams melted into reality. Suddenly I’m Wonder Woman: braless yet supported; at the gym and moisture-wicked… on the subway… schmoozing at Starbucks. My stuff? Nicely stashed in ultra-secure tank top pockets. Info: pursesuitz.com
PRACTICAL MAGIC
As a kid on summer vacation in the Midwest, my arms and legs advertised a losing battle with mosquitoes. As an adult visiting the Hamptons, the voracious pests still have my number. Eco-savvy INZECTO Mosquito Traps (safe even for bees & butterflies) let the bitten bite back and reclaim backyards for people and pets… for good. Info: inzecto.com
SELF PRESERVATION
When “catching some rays” risks mutating into burn central, a post-sun Theraderm Cool Skin® intervention ramps up healing before blisters and pain can run amok. Naturally, SPF prior to exposure is a mondo must, particularly where the face is concerned, and here Platinum Protection Sunscreen rules. Summer skin’s ultimate dream team.
Info: theraderm.net
THE ART OF THE SERVE
A culinary collage of cured meats, cheese, fruit & dips, charcuterie boards are what the cool kids set out on sultry summer nights when cooking is (literally) off the table. For newbies, Joycelyn & Co.’s Cheeseboarder arrives with cheeses, sausage, tapenade, crackers and more, plus bamboo cutting board, dipping dish, mini spoon & spreader.
Info: jocelynco.com
THRILL AS YOU CHILL
Seeing how realistically terrifying T-Rex came off in the Jurassic Park films, it is reassuring that PoolCandy’s inflatable T-Rex Tube Runner is benign by comparison. Still, he’s no pushover, either, thanks to a 66-watt motor, 3-blade propeller and the wherewithal to tool around the pool with up to 250 pounds of human tucked inside. Info: poolcandy.net
TRASH TO TREASURE TROVE
The game-changing collaboration Dune Jewelry & Co. x 4ocean is influencing the way we raise awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans, one piece of limited-edition jewelry at a time. Merging earth elements with recovered plastic, Dune has created a collection worth investing in as beautiful as it is relevant to our oceanic future.
Info: dunejewelry.com/4ocean-x-dune