Life Lately: July

It's hard to believe July is already over and we're already well into August! Summer is going quickly and I'm not ready to accept that it's half over... It truly is my favourite season and I think July has always been my favourite month. The moods of summer capture me- the slow, relaxed attitude that everything seems to hold, the intense sunbeams that wash over you, and the way everything is thriving, especially in nature. It inspires me to thrive and live more in every moment of each day. I often find that winter forces me to just get through day after day with a lot of struggle and while I still have internal struggle in the summer, those outside sunny influences help me to live a little better through them. So here's what's been keeping me busy this July:

From the top // 1. So many beach days. We try and find any reason to go. I'm going on my second year living in a place that has such quick access to a beach and I'm trying to take advantage of it as often as I can! // 2 + 3. Speaking of beach days, I started off July by celebrating my 25th birthday on the beach! And, while everyone is usually disappeared on vacation during my birthday, I did get to celebrate with a couple close friends. We ate cake and enjoyed the sunshine- it was all I needed. // 4 + 5. M and I have been trying to get as many date days in as we can. It's been a little harder than we initially had planned because of the whole teacher-on-strike situation. He had originally planned to teach summer school and have the afternoons off, but we've enjoyed a few good weekends together to go on dates. These model shots were from our date in North Van to celebrate our 1 year anniversary! It was simple and sweet. // 6. Also on our anniversary, we made sure to stop by our favourite dessert place ever, Sweet Revenge. This place is phenomenal and very special for us. We've been going there for tasty treats from the very beginnings of our relationship. // 7. I've been making lots of yummy treats, including this massive + delicious pancake (dutch baby) which I shared on TCC blog. // 8. Coffee drinking and recipe planning galore. // 9. Planning and painting so many new projects! Keep your eyes out for more on this in the coming month :)