Fire up your barbecue and drown out Mother Nature's pleasant murmuring with this AvantGuardian summer-flavored playlist. Shut up cicadas! Shut up hoot owls! Rip the lame-ass earbuds out of your iPod and plug in some speakers, sucka, because these warm days won't last forever.
I'm sure there aren't many who know the sounds of summer quite like Thoreau. But when it comes to food, forgive me, get out the way.“I did not use tea, nor coffee, nor butter, nor milk, nor fresh meat, and so did not have to work to get them; again, as I did not work hard, I did not have to eat hard, and it cost me but a trifle for my food; but as he began with tea, and coffee, and butter, and milk, and beef, he had to work hard to pay for them, and when he had worked hard he had to eat hard again to repair the waste of his system.”
listen to the summer we recommend listening with headphones and a cold beer The summer is making me happy and in the winter I’m counting sound to make me feel better so… the sound of summer… That’s yummy.
Friends — They are like air bubbles on water, hastening to flow together. History tells of Orestes and Pylades, Damon and Pythias, but why should not we put to shame those old reserved worthies by a community of such? Constantly, as it were through a remote skylight, I have glimpses of a serene friendship-land, and know the better why brooks murmur and violets grow. This conjunction of souls, like waves which met and break, subsides also backward over things, and gives all a fresh aspect. I would live henceforth with some gentle soul such a life as may be conceived, double for variety, single for harmony — two, only that we might admire at our oneness — one, because indivisible. Such community to be a pledge of holy living. How could aught unworthy be admitted into our society? To listen with one ear to each summer sound, to behold with one eye each summer scene, our visual rays so to meet and mingle with the object as to be one bent and doubled; with two tongues to be wearied, and thought to spring ceaselessly from a double fountain. -Henry David Thoreau (b. July 12, 1817)
Summer is definitely my favorite season. Despite the few minor setbacks like the temperatures pushing 100 degrees and the bugs that give welt-sized bites, summer is the season to be social. My favorite way to socialize is by grabbing dinner and sitting outside. Though the weather is perfect during the summer for twilight meals or late afternoon drinks alfresco, more often than not I have a problem of deciding what to wear. I have to dress consciously for the sweltering weather, but without sacrificing my personal style. Trapeze dresses come to my rescue. They are the perfect airy silhouette that boosts both functionality and elegance. Teen Vogue is enamored by the flattering sleek shape and inspired by the fun the trapeze dress offers. TopShop, Shopstyle, and ASOS are also promoting this perfect summer dress as they offer a variety of styles at economically friendly prices. The trapeze dress is the best way to look chic both before and after the margaritas and nachos. But the best part is with its breathy silhouette, there’s always room for pie. Photo Credit: asos.com, topshop.com
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” said Jack Nicholson to a reporter who requested he remove his sunglasses for a photo. “With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and seventy.” Street style can get pretty stale when everyone from Milan to New York is cursing the winter of their discontent. The fashion capitals of the world spent the last season buried under the puffy jackets and voluminous scarves needed to get through the months of endlessly falling snow. While the recent inclement weather made for some great innovations in the footwear and active apparel markets, fashionistas far and wide were anxiously awaiting a change in scenery. What better than the rising mercury to inspire new trends? Summer is always the perfect season to revamp your look: the sun is bright, the days are long, and spring is finally ready to shed its layers. Nonetheless, the current economic climate can make seasonal wardrobe overhauls difficult, if not impossible. Luckily, investing in statement accessories is an affordable alternative to a full closet makeover. Sunglasses are the perfect summer accessory. Instantly chic, the right pair of shades can take an entire look from commonly banal to alluringly elusive. From the uneven cobblestones of the
