I live in Sherman Hill Historic District in Des Moines, which is about a minute from downtown. My roommates and I got really lucky to find the house we live in — it's huge, beautiful (built in 1895), and the perfect location! It's a duplex with two units — ours still being over 3,000 square feet.
Along with the big, beautiful house is a small backyard. The woman we share the duplex with has a garden in her backyard and it's absolutely beautiful! She grows flowers, fruit, veggies ... you get the idea. She always lets us know that we are more than welcome to come over and pick fresh raspberries whenever we want, so of course we take advantage of that!
Fresh fruit is just one of my favorite things about summer, which got me thinking about everything else I love about summer.
Fresh fruit. Obviously, because who doesn't!? I'm not a huge fruit eater. I guess you could say I'm picky? But I do get super excited when I know the fruit is going to be fresh and sweet. My favorite summer fruits are raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon.
Flowers. There's just something about fresh, colorful flowers! I love having a fresh bouquet at our house — usually as the centerpiece for our dining room table. I love any kind of flower, but my favorites are dahlias, peonies, carnations, and cosmos.
Ice cream. This is a give-in, am I right? We live a couple blocks from Smokey Row, which is a very popular coffee shop in Des Moines. It's not great that we all have a sweet tooth. You could say we've made it a habit of walking to Smokey Row for shakes about every other week. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a really good, simple ice cream shake!
Longer days. Bring on more daylight, please! I always feel like there aren't enough hours in the day, which is why I love that summer brings longer hours of light! I definitely think I wake up earlier and go to bed later in the summer. It's just such a happy time with so much to do!
Outdoor festivals and concerts. I'm sure a lot of you can agree, there's just not a lot that compares to the atmosphere at an outdoor concert. Live music in general is one of my favorite things. Last summer I went to Lollapalooza which was an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, this summer I've been saving up for other trips, so I couldn't attend a big festival again.
Patio happy hours. Again, being outside (obviously) but also with a good beer or moscow mule. Sign me up. If my friends and I go out for drinks, we always, always find a patio. Why would you want to sit inside when it's sunny and warm!?
The Farmer's Market. The downtown Des Moines farmer's market is famous. Well, maybe only to the people who have been to it. Going to it is a big event in itself. Whether you're there just to walk around outside, get fresh fruits and veggies, listen to live music, see everyone (and their dog) out, or grab some good coffee and a breakfast sandwich, I love the atmosphere at the farmers market! It gets super busy around 10, though, so going earlier is better.
Summer fashion. I love fashion in every season, but I especially love how fun the fashion can be in the summer--crop tops, fun-cut dresses, tank tops, cut-off shorts ... the list goes on and on. And it's easy, too. You can just throw on a pair of shorts, a tank, and sandals and you're set.
Being tan. This one is simple. I love being tan!
Parties and get-togethers. I just feel like during the summer, you can always find an excuse to throw a party or have people over. I know you can do that anytime, but during the summer it's just different in my mind. You can porch sit, have a bonfire, play yard games, etc.
What's your favorite thing about summer?
xoxo
Shelbie Renee
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