Summer uniform

Currently loving the "Women of Mad Men" style posts on Tom & Lorenzo, and obsessing over Midge. She's a minor character in Season 1, and I didn't pay that much attention to her when I watched the show initially. I mean, how could you, when there is so much delicious Betty and Joan to drink up?

 Via

However, after reading these posts, I can't help but DESPERATELY need well tailored, high-waisted, black cigarette pants and a little bohemian half shirt. I imagine rocking the half-shirt with a pair of cut-offs and huaraches, serving margaritas on my front porch to friends.

I have tried Googling "cute boho half shirt" with no luck. If someone finds one, let me know. I'm about 98% sure this shirt and cut-offs combo would replace my romper (!) as my go-to summer staple, so really, I'd be doing the world a favor by finding one.

On an unrelated note, the days are becoming unbearable (110 last weekend) but I love the hot summer nights. The air is warm and you start to treasure the breeze. It makes me itchy for all-night conversations with old friends, driving out into the desert until I can see stars, cold drinks and mixtapes. I can't wait for monsoon season to start. Warm thunderstorms are the best part of living in the desert.

Tonto, again

I hate camping. Hiking, exploring, grilling, campfires, s'mores, yes. Actually sleeping outside, being shower-less, no. I tried. I really did--but I really just want to sleep in a real bed, and take a shower when I wake up in the morning. This is my life. Don't judge me.

The hike we took was gorgeous--up through mini-mountains by Sycamore Creek, to an abandoned copper mine and caves that are now (surprisingly) full of water. I took a lot of pictures of the creek, small waterfalls, wading pools, and flooded washes. Seeing natural, flowing water still seems like an anomaly or small miracle.  I nerded out over cool rocks and threw pieces of shale against the trail to see it break across the thin, perfectly parallel layers. I imagined the creatures living in the epeiric sea that created it.

The best part? Boyfriend handed me a leaf, and said, "It's a tree star. Yep yep yep!"

Oi, I melt.

IN WHICH our heroine ventures east

Mini road trip with the boyfriend today. We drove through my favorite part of Arizona, the Tonto National Forest, to Saguaro Lake and Payson.

Growing up, I never appreciated how beautiful the desert is. I thought it was brown, dry, dead. I think these pictures can easily prove me wrong.

We had a great day until our trip to Roosevelt Lake was canceled, thanks to my car overheating. The little chipmunks in my engine didn't like running up so many hills in 90 degree weather. I had packed us a Ploughman's picnic lunch for us to eat at the marina, which was unceremoniously relocated to the back seat of my car while the engine cooled down.

Strangely enough, eating hunks of baguette and brie cross-legged in the back seat of my Civic was fun with the boyfriend. Simply put, he is my best friend, and I love him. Even with the detour, I had a great day.

PLUS, Urban Cowboy is on the Country Music Channel. Who doesn't love that?

PS - YUP, that's my romper.