A Poodle Skirt Summer

I dreamed last night that I was wearing a poodle skirt. Now, I realize that this might seem like an innocuous fact, and a weird way to officially start a new summer series, but I share nevertheless. It was pink. I had a ponytail and ruffle socks, of course, to complete the look.

Fitting
Now normally the fashion choices of my dreams wouldn’t be of consequence, but considering that the theme of this summer’s series is “retro,” I found it fitting. Because after a very complicated stretch of months (economic meltdown, political unrest abroad, pending pandemics, etc. etc.), I’ve been craving a simpler time.

Simple Summer
And so it was with simplicity, and apparently poodle skirts, that I settled on the idea of spending my summer enjoying simple and community-oriented things. And as I mentioned on Friday, I’m not alone in my appreciation for the low-tech pleasures of summer cookouts, gardening, hiking, swimming, star gazing and the like. You know--the stuff childhood summer memories are made of.

The Skinny
So the next twelve weeks will be fairly laid back around here. I’ve broken the months down into two-week sections, with a summer topic assigned for each. Sort of like quick summer school sessions, only without the “school.” Or course I can’t stray too far from creativity and design, so a few weeks will be devoted to “making things pretty.” And there are other themes as well, but I won’t get too detailed now.

The Week:
I will, however, share with you what is coming for the rest of this week:

* tomorrow: in addition to writing, I want to experience this summer hands-on. So, naturally, I’m scheduling field trips. I’ll give you more information about how you can join me, or schedule trips in your own town, tomorrow.

* later: check back to view a tentative preview of the whole summer series, including topics and dates. Also, hear my summer plans for Smarty Pants and Flickr groups!

* Finally, I’ve created a special webpage for Retro Summer ’09, and will continue to add to it throughout the season. Take a minute to visit by following this link.

And no--for the record, I do not own a poodle skirt. Nor do I have plans to wear one this summer. I won't make any promises about ruffle socks or ponytails, though.

Previously Related Posts:
Favorite Things
Indulging in Summer Mornings
Retro Summer '09 on stephaniehillberry.com