Tropic like it's hot

The summer heat is here, and before we wax nostalgic about sweater weather, let's embrace it. Once January hits, we will look back on these days and wonder whether we made the most of it.

It's all about saturated colors, splashy prints and tropical fruits. The latter is the perfect way to cool off. I already blogged about bringing back the pina colada (are you on board?) but have you ever had a mango lassi? Mango is mixed with yogurt to make it smooth, cardamom to make it exotic, and blended with milk and sugar to make a drink that cools you down on a sweltering day. There's a delicious recipe right here.

It's a time for muddling. Muddle papaya into your lemonade, muddle mint into a sparking batch of mojitos. I'm a huge fan of coconut, inside and out. I slather myself with coconut-scented sunblock, stay hydrated with coconut water, and at night, I moisturize my sun-soaked skin with dollops of organic coconut oil.

And as far as saturated colors and splashy prints, Ladles & Linens stores have recently been decked out in cheerful hues: hot pinks, canary yellow and of course those cool shades of blue. Here are some joy-inducing photos of our Richmond and Lexington locations, stocked with everything you need to make the most of summer.

We can't wait to see you!