lovin' lately

a collection of things bringing texture, color, and atmosphere to my life lately.

A roundup of the tiny things bringing whimsy, color and comfort to my life this week. No deep essays today, just a collection of recent obsessions, late-night media binges, and cozy habits I wanted to share with you over a cup of coffee.

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🎵 Summer Album: Heatwave by MICHELLE

had way too much fun making this

I am completely, entirely OBSESSED with this album, every year as summer approaches. I have it on a loop. Trust me, listening to it is a truly cathartic experience. Right now, the outside temperatures are well over 100°F, and the beat of this album is perfect to give you a boost during a heatwave. It has the right vibe for summer. Every single track captures a specific type of energy, but my absolute favorites are “THE BOTTOM,” “IDEAL,” “LOVE UR NAME,” “STUCK ON U” and “2.25.” If you listen to “IDEAL”, pay close attention to the end of the track, the lyrics get so playful and fun right as the song wraps up. It is the ultimate summer soundtrack. I am one of their biggest fans.

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🎬On the Screen: A Wes Anderson Summer

If you know me, you know that I struggle though the summer. Specially when August rolls around. In order to survive the heat, I turn to cinema as an escape, and right now, I am firmly in a Wes Anderson state of mind. There is something about the way he captures light and color that perfectly mimics a heavy Texas summer. The burnt oranges, faded ochres, dusty turquoise, and buttery yellows that define films like Asteroid City and Moonrise Kingdom look exactly like our stark, cloudless, heat-hazy skies.

Even though those movies are not set in Texas, you can clearly feel how growing up here influenced his eye for color. He captures exactly what a person in Texas sees every single day, translating that specific landscape into something magical. His films have become a true sanctuary for me this season, which is why I am officially going through a full marathon of his filmography this August.

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🚿 A Summer Shower Ritual

The only way I can survive a Texas summer is with a cold shower, and lately, I am leaning heavily into refreshing, icy scents. I am Lush girl at heart, just as much as I used to be a Teavana girl (rest in peace to true favorite).

As soon as the temperatures reach triple digits, I rush to Lush to pick up the Dirty Springwash shower gel. It feels like the absolute act of self-service. It is incredibly refreshing, and I truly cannot live without specially during a heatwave. In the part of Texas where I live, the weather doesn’t cool down in the evening; if it is humid in the morning, it stays just as heavy and humid at night. Because of that, coming home from evening walks with my dog, Prue, and stepping into a freezing cold shower with a crisp peppermint shower gel has become my most sacred summer ritual. To add to the icy vibe, I have also been pairing it with the Intergalactic shower gel to turn my bathroom into a refreshing, minty oasis. It is the only thing getting me through August.

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I would love to know: what tiny things are helping you get though the week or the summer? Are you hyper fixating on a specific song, binge-watching a new show, or leaning into specific self-care ritual? Let me know, I am always looking for new recommendations to add to my list!

-Lily H

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