5SOS_009 〰️ WEARING NOTHING EDITION
Cheeky photo by Kava Gorna / Edit by me
If last week we pranced around in the dancing rays of the mid-summer sun, this week we settle in to the season's stillness. These days are long and hazy. Air grows thick, and we grow contemplative in its embrace. Succumbing to the heat...the sweat...the slowness.
May you excavate a little more sweetness from summer's sensations this week. May you bask in the relief of your shower's COLD-dial (extra points if it's outdoors!). May you massage your beaded-brow with the side of a frosty can. May you throw the blankets to the floor and sleep fresh and free - beneath only the whir of an overhead fan.
These are the dog days of summer, babe. Rejoice in their misery and magic, because when they're gone, we're gonna long like loyal puppies for their return.
1. Sight
Women are pretty, women are playful, and women are powerful. All our goodies are captured in the work of Kava Gorna .
No matter your sexual persuasion -but speaking as a straight lady- I think it's a beautiful exercise to appreciate, celebrate, and be inspired by the female form.
Plus, her book "100 CHEEKS" is all about our
BOOTIES in DENIM CUTOFFS.
2. Sound
She's not Swedish, she's Norwegian. She's hasn't yet earned her place in the dancefloor Hall of Babes. She's not #queen Robyn, but she's Dagny, and her latest groove has been making me MOOOOVE for days...
"Wearing Nothing"
...Sensing a theme here?
3. Scent
Let's face it, at this point, our only way to cope with summer's swelter is skimping down to our skivvies - for as many hours and in as many situations as society will allow.
The only respite finer than (nearly) naked is ALL MINT, ALL OVER, ALL THE TIME.
Right now I'm throwing peppermint at (well, in) everything. I harvest mint leaves for my morning water and afternoon tea. I place a tiny dab of essential oil just above my upper lip (it's like inhaling Superwoman energy). And best of all, I shake 5 drops of essential oil into both my body wash (Dr. Bronner's) and post-shower moisturizer (a Shea-Butter, Jojoba Oil concoction that miiight just be COMING SOON to my shop).
4. Taste
I think the time has come for me to share the beverage that literally gets me through every. single. day. Not just the super hot ones, but especially the super hot ones.
It cools down the body, aids in digestion, tastes f*ing phenomenal, and has a name that's weird, sassy, and straight-forward. I give you
Mother Juice - Recipe
(the name needs work, I know)
- 1 big @$$ mug or glass or freakin' flower vase
- 1 organic lemon, peel 1-2 strips (with the best peeler) and juice (I'm old-school and like this👌🏾 reamer)
- 16-20 oz spring water (Mountain Valley and Saratoga are 💯 and rather accessible)
- 1-2 Tbsp unfiltered apple-cider vinegar such as Bragg's, vigorously shake bottle before opening (make sure it contains the "Mother" aka strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria)
...Now the name makes sense, right? Maybe?
- Organic stevia extract, to taste (Omica Organics has unmatched quality and a little goes a long way, so pace yo' self)
Directions: Peel that lemon and toss in the vibrant yellow rinds to your big @$$ mug (or flower vase). Cut the lemon in half and juice out every drop into your vessel. Add the water and apple-cider vinegar. Add stevia extract, starting with 1/2 of a dropper-full. Stir and taste. Still wayyy too zippy? Add 10 more drops of stevia. Keep tasting and adjusting until it's delicious.
Optional: Top the base recipe with your fav La Croix or Zevia (if using the latter, cut back on some of your stevia extract) for some bubbly action. I like the way it tickles my nose. Sure, toss in a few ice cubes in the summer, but generally try to drink beverages at room temp...Ayurveda says cold dranks douse the digestive fire. And, remember our friend, mint?
💦🍋🍏🍹
5. Touch
I honestly can't tell you the last time I chewed gum, much less the big, juicy, Bubblelicious bricks...
But what's unmistakable and unforgettable is the feeling of blowing a balloon of fruit-flavored plastic-y goodness 'til it bursts on your nose and cheeks.
I can't get enough of this video by Alice and Emily Stein. "A sun-soaked celebration of the transience of childhood...remind[ing] us that youth is not only to be celebrated as something brief, but to be enjoyed for its spontaneity and individuality." -NOWNESS. Have some
