July is magical in the South. Everything seems to slow down. The Sun is hotter, the air moves slower, and the days crawl by. Southern summers are one-of-a -kind and we southern belles are lucky enough to be a key part of that. It is always everyone’s favorite time of the year, no argument there. Growing up, summertime meant throwing away all of the contents of your book bag and then heading straight to the pool. Sleepy mornings, big breakfasts with siblings, afternoon naps, popsicles after dinner, and then evenings catching lightning bugs in mason jars. Weekends held trips to the grandparents, and if you were lucky, to the beach. While the childhood joy of summertime might have changed, there are still so many good things for the southern belles of the world to enjoy.
Driving with the windows down with the radio up, large glasses of sweet tea, handpicked buckets of strawberries, and that summer romance that makes you tingle all the way down to your toes. Tossing out those school dress codes for cut-off jean shorts, afternoons floating out at the lake, nighttime concerts from the crickets, and the complete lack of plans. No matter if you are spending your summer working a job, taking classes, or relaxing poolside, there is a true sense of freedom that comes with summertime. It is like stepping out of your “busy” shoes, and putting on those favorite jelly sandals from your childhood again. Those July days move slower, and it is like the to-do lists all get shorter.
While the end of July draws nearer and those hectic days of August are threatening to fill up those agenda pages again, savor these days. Spend that evening sitting at the lake watching that sunset. Sleep in, then skip your coffee and reach for lemonade. Breathe in that summer air and enjoy this, because you, my sweet southern belle, were made for these days!
Caroline is a soon to be teacher studying at Clemson University. She is a dancer, tour guide, sister, daughter, girlfriend, and lover of all things bright and cheerful! She has been an Ashton Brye™ Rep for a few months and we adore having her as part of our team. You can follow Caroline's college fairytale on her blog,
