so long, summer

It's the last day of August and, even though we technically have 22 days left until autumn officially starts, the arrival of September is always symbolic of summer's end. The kiddies are heading back to school, the annoying tourists are finally fleeing the Cape, stores are already hockin' their Halloween merchandise... le sigh. So, in these last few weeks, I'm going to cram as much fun summer stuff in before I have to put the flip-flops away, and break out the winter boots and sweaters.

First up, a few last beach visits are definitely in order. We are blessed to have the beautiful Atlantic ocean a mere 2 miles from our new digs and I really wish I could spend more lazy days there, cautiously swimming to avoid any interaction with my least favorite sea creatures (horse shoe crabs, aahhh!), blissfully flipping through decorating magazines while I'm laying in the sand and dorkishly hunting for geologic phenomena and sea glass along the shore as the waves lap against my ankles. {I feel more relaxed just typing that!} Here's some of my favorite beach porn from this summer:

{that's my girl Maria in the top right. I am in *love* with her retro cherry bathing suit!}

Next, I want to utilize as much of the abundant warm-weather fruits as I can in one last summer dessert. I've made quite a few yummy, fruity creations this season - like blueberry pie, raspberry-mango-nectarine crumble and strawberry rhubarb crisp - but the recipe that truly takes the cake (pun intended), is the always fabulous and crowd-pleasing red, white & blueberry trifle.

I made this bad boy at least 4 times this summer and my family is still demanding another! Let me tell you: it is SO. FREAKIN'. GOOD! The combination of the rich cream, lemon-infused cake and juicy berries is absolutely divine-- it reminds me so much of cheesecake (but is much less of a calorie-splurge than the real deal). Its also a fairly versatile recipe; I substituted sliced strawberries for raspberries but, I imagine this would be great with just about any berry or sliced fruit. Also, you can sub store-bought lemon creme cake for the lemon-syrup-brushed pound cake if you're short on time.

As a third generation Master Bargain Hunter, I can also add that the end of August is a great time to load up on summer wardrobe staples because of all the sales going on! I know over at Victoria's Secret, they're having major sales on their chic swim suits, breezy summer dresses and comfortable everyday tops. Not to mention that today only, they are offering a free shipping upgrade on all of their summer threads with a $40 purchase! I think it may be time to finally buy this adorable paisley dress that I've been ogling all summer:

So hit up the mall or your favorite online retailer for some big savings on summertime duds!

Lastly, I want to take advantage of plentiful summer blooms and make myself one last bouquet while I still can. I am a total nerd for flowers and I'm lucky enough to have my mother's beautiful gardens at my disposal...

{see more of my mom's garden and other fun stuff over on my flickr photostream!}

I'm hoping to snag some gorgeous multi-colored hydrangea blossoms and some wild Queen Anne's lace, too-- my absolute favorites, as evidenced by my DIY wedding bouquet.

Savor the rest of your summers, darlings!

xxx,

Mrs. M