As a testament to the fact that my craft projects are taking so long that I almost forget having started them, the seemingly simple task of making a few lavender bags is a pretty reliable barometer. Time from first whiff of fresh lavender in the aisle of my local grocery store to having a small stack of shabby chic bags to pepper about my closet and lingerie drawers...about 6 weeks. In which time I could probably have grown the lavender, not just dried and packaged it.

Mid-August...seems about the right time to redouble my bitching regarding the heat, humidity, and general sticky-icky-ness that is becoming more insufferable every day (I know, I know...I'm a grouch...and I'll be regretting my words during those long, cold, winter nights...but...right now...with the thermometer in the 90's...I'm feeling snarky). Today's bout of Scrooge-ish bah-humbug-ness came about after catching sight of what I can only refer to as "hot 70's librarian boots" from Stella McCartney...

At the beginning of every summer...in that epicenter of the storm...my "mind's eye"...I imagine a season of outfits in which I will be crisp and cool...calm in the heat and humidity. The fact that, as each summer draws to a close, I feel bedraggled...sweaty...and longing for the comforting cocoon of sweater and coat...does not lessen my madness.

Especially when I come across pictures such as this...Camille Bidault Waddington...at her summer home in France. Relaxed, yet polished. The seemingly "effortless" outfit that is so blindingly difficult to attain.

Two words that you don’t want to find staring up at you from your inbox (especially when, pressed for time , you’re just trying to find anything urgent that you have to take care of)...”statement” and “pants”.

Separately, perfectly fine words...combined, they strike fear into the hearts of man (well, this woman at least) and trigger the inevitable thoughts of the “objects will appear larger than in real life” variety in relation to the posterior region.

Like me, you may have had a yen to jump on the sonic skincare bandwagon and buy Olay's very wallet-friendly cleansing system...wanting, for once, to be frugal. Like me, you may have found this to be a frustrating and virtually impossible mission as no drug store seems to have them stocked on the shelves (the space is there for them, just no product...my personal theory is that they are delivered in the dead of night and sold by pushers by the back door of the store). Alright, I could have ordered one online...but, illogically, I considered it a drug store purchase and was not going to admit myself defeated by my inability to find it in an actual bricks-and-mortar drug store.

Friends, I admitted defeat.

Not to the point where I bought Olay's $26 version online...or where I broke down and ordered Clarisonic's $200 version that I knew (in my heart of hearts) was the one that I really wanted. No, I went for the mid-range NutraSonic Face Brush Skin Care System for $86. Yes, it's a strange kind of retro blue...and no, it doesn't have a timed shut-off like it's more expensive cousin...but (after a couple of weeks use at home and in hotels) I can say that I wouldn't give it up without a fight. Skin is smoother (I'd use the "baby's bottom" analogy but, never having touched an infant's derriere I'm unable to accurately make a comparison)...pore's are smaller...and (let's be honest) less grubby looking. And, as I have a five-year old's love of pushing buttons, it's made my morning post-wake-up routine a lot more fun.

Summer, or so they say, is a time for laziness...I find this especially true when faced with the prospect of working on a day when the temperatures are in the mid-90's with depressingly high humidity. Time for cotton shirts folded into origami pleats...golden knots...and multi-layered skirts. Relaxed, yet crisp.