I'm Nikki, a creative old soul who loves tea time, tip-toeing through gardens, mounds of books, swaying to records, watercolors, sunset walks with our three yorkies, and star-gazing with Paul. This blog carries snippets of my life with just us two (five with Rusty, Lucy, & Ethel) - I hope it brings you happiness as you snuggle in with something warm and delicious and begin reading. Enjoy, friends!

the blog!

If I had to choose:

Summer Hygge

I’ve been thinking of autumn and winter already, even though it’s mid-July. The last month of extreme heat has had me feeling summer isn’t the lovely carefree days I imagined in the dead of last winter. Besides the heat, May and June were extremely busy for us; social obligations, family get-togethers, weddings, babies, illnesses, etc. I felt like I hadn’t even been able to reach summer yet. Until the past week.


Life has slowed down immensely for us and for that, I am grateful. My social battery was constantly flashing red in the last two months and now, I’m able to recharge. I’ve finally planted annuals in my flower beds, I’ve dusted the cobwebs out of my greenhouse, mulch has been added to nooks in the garden, windows have finally been open, multiple walks a day doesn’t seem as daunting with the early morning and evening temperatures providing cool breezes. Bouquets from the garden scatter the house, weeding has felt more like meditation and less like a chore, and even delicious scents of cinnamon drift through every room in the house as things bake in my oven (who says cinnamon rolls can’t be enjoyed in the summer, too?).


I’m feeling alive and it’s wonderful. I don’t feel as if I have to race towards anything or I have to wait until “this next thing is over” before I begin to settle and enjoy summer. I don’t have to wait until autumn to be cozy and truly live with the season. Because summer really does have a hygge life of its own, don’t you think? And now that it feels truly upon me, I’ve been thinking that between the moments of hurriedness, there have been quite a few things that have already helped summer feel like a childhood type of summer. Do you know what I mean? Aren’t we prone to feel nostalgic before every season arrives? When you think of autumn, maybe you remember when your family would go pumpkin picking and you hope to replicate that for your children. Or when the first snow comes, you might begin to feel the rush you once did as a kid hurrying to get your sled ready for the hills. What about spring? My birthday is in spring so I tend to remember my favorite times with friends in our alley, playing games until the street lights came on, and then having sleepovers with barely any sleeping happening.


Can I be honest with you? Summer has historically been my least favorite season. I used to say as a kid, “I’d rather be cold than hot because you can always get warmer.” My Nordic genes were not made for this heat and so ritually, summer has been a season I look forward to ending immediately.

But then last year, summer was my haven. The sun kept me warm when I felt the world go cold, the flowers kept me company when I lost hope, and simply sitting in the garden was my tiny piece of paradise when nothing else seemed to bring a smile to my face.


And now that I’ve got my bearings together and I can look at summer in the face and truly see all it’s little beautiful imperfections, I’ve discovered summer has its own hygge life. I’ve made a list:

  • morning walks through the cottage-lined streets to get iced coffee
  • feeling the breeze from the oscillating fan as you lay on the couch in shorts and a tanktop
  • eating a popsicle on the back concrete steps as the sun goes down
  • brushing past herbs in the garden and smelling their sweet aroma
  • sounds of a metal bat hitting a ball, followed by loud cheers and yelling
  • fresh flowers in a vase from the garden
  • the energy you feel when walking through art festivals, food festivals, fairs, etc.
  • warmth of dirt as you weed or dig
  • the taste of cold pineapple or watermelon after it’s been cut
  • leisurely walks as the sun goes down and the sky turns to periwinkle
  • twinkle lights popping on the neighbor’s house as you make your way down the street
  • damp clothes hanging on the line, coming back inside smelling enchantingly clean
  • pulling up weeds by its root
  • walking back in the house, legs dripping wet, towel wrapped around after just getting out of the pool
  • holding a warm tomato from the garden
  • laying on the couch, windows open, and you hear wind chimes
  • running through a neighbor’s automatic sprinkler when you’re on a walk and it’s muggy
  • insect and frog music as night crawls across the sky
  • the constant shift of the sun, its angles changing daily through the windows


What about you? Is summer your favorite season? Is it your coziest? Or do you find solace in another one?

I hope you’ve been enjoying the summer days — before we know it, the acorns will begin to drop, drop, drop, and the sky will become bluer, the smell of bonfires will sift through the air, and then you’ll hear the geese say goodbye as they head South. I’m still very excited for what’s to come, but I’m going to do my best to enjoy the hygge of summer, and I hope you’re able to, too.

PS. Calendars will be arriving any day now!!! I’ll keep you posted. 🙂

Big hugs and love to you,

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