For most of my life, summer has been my favorite season. It has that golden, lazy kind of magic — the kind that begs you to linger, to stroll, to savor. It’s sundresses in gauzy fabrics and salty sweat that lifts from your skin in a blue pool or an icy river. It’s sunlight that overstays its welcome in the most gracious way, urging you outdoors for just a little longer. Corn on the cob. Juicy watermelon. Heirloom tomatoes warm from the vine. Bunches of basil as fragrant and unruly as wildflowers.
Summer sings. Sometimes it even shouts. It overwhelms the senses in a way that feels like youth: brazen but radiant.
Though autumn and winter have recently begun to pull at my heart — with their introspection, quiet, and deep rest — summer will always be my first love. Especially summer in California.
I wanted to create a small altar, a vignette really, that pays tribute to that feeling. That particular kind of sun-soaked California summer that’s equal parts sensual and nostalgic. To do so, I made a list of objects that felt aligned with that energy. Then I wandered through my house and garden, gathering what I could from the list — plus a few things that simply caught my eye. I always gather more than I need, knowing that the process is intuitive. The arrangement has to be felt as much as seen. I play. I remove. I shift. I listen for when it feels right.
Below is the list I created, along with my timelapse of how it all came together.
I didn’t just want to decorate a space — I wanted to distill a season. To bottle up the joy and freedom of summer, and place it somewhere I could see it, touch it, and return to it. Maybe that’s all an altar is: a love letter in physical form.
If you were to make an altar to your favorite season, what would you include? What does that season feel like in your body, in your memory, in your dreams?
Summer Altar Elements
Linen, lace, cotton, gauze
lemons, limes, grapefruit
butterflies, dragonflies, birds, insects
nests, honeycombs, birds eggs
grass, hay, dandelions, wildflowers
stripes, umbrellas, awnings
sand, pebbles, crystals, seashells
herbs, succulents, ferns, stems, blooms
strawberries, watermelon, corn, basil
summer-themed art, graphics, photos, postcards
jelly jars, mason jars, earthenware, pottery
silk ribbons and bows
seasonal fragrances
