Summertime and the Livin is Easy

Gershwin composed this song back in December of 1933.  How is it that I occasionally hum this little tune when the sun comes streaming in through my window on a summer's day?  How wonderful to think that some things are timeless.  Gershwin of course is timeless and so is a summer's day.... Memories are too.  I can remember waking up to a beautiful day in Southern California when I was in my early teens and feeling like the world was my oyster.  All I had to do was find the perfect cotton shorts set and the perfect novel and the perfect spot in my climbing tree to read!  And lets not forget the lilacs!  As we know they did not last forever but the thought of them outside our windowpaned dining room window sure has.

That was an era and it was marked by an age of innocence as well as the beginning of a period of turbulence in the 60s.  The innocence being the American Dream which was felt and is remembered by so many.  This dream came crashing down of course with the Vietnam war and the Nixon era.  And of course the racial tensions that arose. 

 But some of us can look back with fond memories too.  Being a kid meant that there was always hope on the horizon.  That game of tether ball, that favourite book, a bottle of ice cold 7 Up, the beach at Santa Monica, driving through the mountains in a cool light green 60s Chevy with your family.  My mom always wore one of those beautiful 60s scarves.  Often in a sheer fabric so that the heat of the day would not melt you. 

These 60s Styles Are Now Back!

http://www.dujour.com/2013-05/1089/summer-beauty-trends#07And there are so so many things you can do with a scarf!

Cheryl Tiegs was my favourite model back then.  How I adore this sheer pale green dress and scarf combination.
This dress is in my Etsy shop and is right out of the 60s too! 

It is made of a soft linen blend and would look amazing with your favourite heels.  The perfect go anywhere dress!  Don't you just love the 60s swan in the background!  Here is a link to find this dress.  I teamed it up with a fully adjustable soft kid leather belt in blue.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/127412523/60s-linen-spring-dress-leather-belted?ref=shop_home_active

Lilacs in Van Nuys

We lived in Van Nuys when I was small having moved from Toronto and were part of the mass exodus of people who moved to California in the 60's from the East Coast. This was probably the biggest adventure of my life. Our original plan was to go to Boston but my Finnish parents were not impressed with the industrial side of the city where it just so happened that our luggage was to be picked up at the train station. This is the way I remember it anyway. We sat in the back of the old Ford Meteor and our parents asked us where we would like to move instead? We shouted out 'california!!' in unison and our split second decision was made. Or was it a split second...who knows what other conversations had transpired before that moment in time.
And we were on our way...then there were the lilacs. We lived in a quaint three bedroom house in Van Nuys...I'll try to dig up some photos...it was on Calhoun Avenue. Well we had a front porch that I spent almost as much time on as I did sitting up in an enormous tree in our backyard. The front porch was made of cement and painted grey. Beside it was a fragrant and large California lilac that took over most of what was our dining room window. It was one of those windows that you see in The Little Golden Books that featured stories about children running across meadows with flower wreaths on their heads and lambs running alongside. It was a wooden window that was made of three panes of glass with criss cross designs and painted white on the edges and on the criss crosses. The window opened up on the sides and you would catch the most amazing scent of lilacs. I often sat reading on that porch.
Now I have come to know that California Lilacs are indeed special and coveted by many as they are not only beautiful in colour but hardy and resilient as well. Sometimes I feel as if though I am destined to find that special place where lilacs really thrive. Not sure if I have found it yet as I have only lived in my house for 6 months and have yet to plant a lilac tree or bush. By the way this is only the beginning of my memories of Van Nuys.