Bathing Beauties

So far this summer has been a hot one, and as we all know there's no better way of escaping the sweaty wrath of Mr. Golden Sun than by fleeing to the nearest body of water.  Since we're in the thick of the heat right now, I thought I'd dig up some of my family's old beach photos to see the way previous generations have rocked it out in their summer gear (plus I had an excuse to dive into piles of photo albums in the air conditioning). Have fun perusing through some summer memories and take note of all the awesome bathing suits!

my grandmother Estelle, left, 1950's

Estelle and my Poppop Jack, right, with family 1960's. I particularly  noticed the bathing caps which are 

definitely a thing of the past, and Poppop Jack's awesome Ray Bans

LOVE Estelle's white one-piece on the far left 

Notice how put together her hair and makeup is, even on the beach!

My mum Julie, 1970's at her home in Hertfordshire, England

Amazing pin stripes...

The details on this modest two-piece are so beautiful, plus the original 1970's-style giant sunglasses

Estelle and her best friend Shirley in Florida, early 1960's

Once again with the bathing cap - only this one appears to be way less practical!

A lovely example of the 1960's sun bathing experience... 

Compliments of Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee (they still make this stuff).

Uncle Alan, Uncle Josh, and my dad Neil, respectively, in matching pin-striped swim shorts

Mum sunbathing, 1990... this suit is one of my favorites.

Closer look at the lace detail at the top and the texture of the material. 

My parents honeymooning, 1987... nice short shorts dad! Mum rocking a great 80's style black and gold high cut bikini.

Plastic aviators, headphones, more short shorts... looks like it was a good day at the beach.

And for laughs... me, age 2, on a purple day!

Inspirational Environments

In the tradition of most summers thus far, I have the luxury of being able to escape from the hot and sweaty streets of New York to my parents' house in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Being home truly lets me unwind and enables me work on projects I've been meaning all year to complete, and to enjoy other things I've had to put on the back burner. Not to mention, I actually get a REAL CLOSET (ask any New York girl how important this is)! I only get to be home for a short time this year, it's my first stop before 5 months overseas (which is sure to bring many more excellent posts!) so I think that's why I've been appreciating it so much more this summer. This posting is a celebration of being one of the lucky ones that have a safe and inspiring home base... I hope it inspires you too!