A Chic, Intentional Summer: Bucket Lists & Stress-Free Contractor Management
Summer has a way of making me want to do two seemingly opposite things at the same time: slow down and soak it all in, and somehow cram every possible adventure, project, recipe, event, and home improvement idea into the next twelve weeks. Maybe you can relate.
This season I’m sharing three things that have been on my mind lately: finding simple ways to make everyday life feel a little more chic, creating a summer bucket list worth chasing, and one of the fastest ways to lose an entire afternoon — managing contractors.
Chic
When I think about the women I know who seem effortlessly chic, it’s rarely because they have the most expensive clothes or the most beautiful homes. It’s because they seem present. They enjoy their coffee before it gets cold. They linger at dinner. They notice the sunset. They aren’t rushing through every moment trying to get to the next thing.
The older I get, the more I think chic is less about appearance and more about intention. It’s choosing to romanticize your own life instead of waiting for a special occasion. A few simple ways I’m embracing summer chic this season:
Switch up your home scent. Think citrus, sea salt, fresh linen, or coconut.
Create a Coastal Grandmother Summer playlist. Bonus points if it includes James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, and Norah Jones.
Upgrade your loungewear. Matching sets, breezy fabrics, and one great accessory go a long way.
Visit the farmers market and buy what’s actually in season.
Keep fresh flowers on the counter. Trader Joe’s bouquets absolutely count.
Eat dinner outside, even if it’s just takeout on the patio.
Sometimes chic isn’t about doing more. It’s about enjoying what you’re already doing.
Chasing
Every summer deserves a bucket list. Not a productivity list. Not a home project list. A fun list.
Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped making lists of things we wanted to do and started making lists of things we needed to do. I’m as guilty as anyone. There will always be closets to organize, emails to answer, weeds to pull, and errands to run. But summer feels like the perfect reminder that life is meant to be lived, not just managed.
So this year I’m bringing back the summer bucket list — not because I need one more thing to accomplish, but because I don’t want September to arrive and realize I spent the entire season crossing things off everyone else’s list. Here’s what’s currently on mine:
Go to a rodeo
Watch a movie at a drive-in theater
Hike at sunset
Finally learn how to play pickleball
Complete a 1,000-piece puzzle
Make homemade jam
Host “Desserts on the Driveway” with neighbors (you all know I love alliteration!)
What are you chasing this summer? I have a feeling we could all use a little inspiration.
Contractor
Speaking of things I don’t want to spend my summer doing… let’s talk contractors.
If you’ve ever called three contractors, waited two weeks, received one estimate, followed up twice, and then wondered if everyone collectively disappeared, you’re not alone. One of the most common things I hear from clients is, “I could probably handle the project itself. I just don’t have the time or energy to manage all the people involved.”
Honestly, that’s the part most people underestimate. Finding the right contractor. Scheduling estimates. Comparing quotes. Coordinating access. Following up. Confirming timelines. Making sure the work actually gets completed. It’s not difficult work. It’s just relentless.
And for busy professionals and families, it often becomes one more thing sitting on the mental load list for months. Whether it’s painters, landscapers, electricians, handymen, cleaners, or organizers, I help clients manage the process from start to finish so they can focus on their lives instead of tracking down vendors.
Because while summer should absolutely include a bucket list, “call contractor again” probably shouldn’t be on it.
One of my favorite parts of writing these newsletters is the reminder that we’re all trying to figure out the same thing: how to make room for the people, experiences, and moments that matter most.
So here’s your gentle reminder to buy the flowers, make the bucket list, and ask for help when you need it. Summer goes by quickly — let’s make sure we actually enjoy it.