july postcard '26

let july be july!!!

HI and WELCOME TO THE MONTHLY RECAP :)

I’m writing this after a long day of travel and I am deliriously happy (and sleepy). There is something that happens when I’m on a plane that makes me so contemplative and reflective (does listening to Televangelism by Ethel Cain on repeat impact this, experts say no). So, I’m thinking about this month, all the big and small moments. The days were long, the times were hard. Yet, there was so much love! We went to TWO weddings?!

How amazing is it to have people in life worth traveling for ! How amazing is it to see people I love find love. Yes, yes, in spite of it all, we are falling in love and celebrating friends and getting married. It moves me to tears, the human spirit. That even in the midst of hard times, we never fail to find each other.

Do you know what I mean?
What else is there in this life but to love and be loved????

July was full of sending mail, pool days, green dresses, stranger things 4th of july, weddings, colorado, friends, creative journaling, bathtub nights, DQ runs (duhhhh), new pens, new shoes, spanish lattes, bookstore hoppping, morning crossword and english muffins, deer in the yard, A KINDLE, local shops, AND SO MUCH MORE !!!

ROLL THE CLIPS !!!!!!!!!! :)

a couple of july standouts:

1. I went to a lot of bookstores and coffee shops this month!!! I luv to explore and I luv to pop into a bookstore whenever I can. They are some of my favorite places to sit, read, visit with friends, think about life, and hangout :).

   

   

   

2. I’ve been live laugh lovin’ my bathroom (yay)!!! It’s been nice to create a space and use it!!! Home is feelin’ like home <3

   

3. It’s crazy to say this, but this month I hit 12k on TikTok, 6k on insta, and 2K subscribers here on substack!!!
   LOOK, I KNOW that numbers aren’t everything but when this is all by chance, everything is a celebration !!!! And celebrate I will. (Because if I don’t, then who will????) I feel happy and proud and thankful. The best part of everything has been the community I’ve found :)

   (I link my insta in the reading, reading, reading section of this btw!)

4. It’s not living (summer) if it’s not with you (the pool). You know how it goes. The sun and the pool cures all. Like I said in a previous note:

   

5. This 4th of July we celebrated Stranger Things style: by playing DND with friends. I have no idea what I’m doing but that really isn’t the point. Maybe the real D20s we rolled were the friends we made along the way. <3

   

6. MY LITTLE BROTHER GOT MARRIED AND I AM SO HAPPY FOR HIM :). My sister in law is the best!!!!! I can’t believe we are old enough to get married! Where did the time go !!!!! :’) Life is beautiful and I am so happy to know the people I know. It was nice to be home and see family, too.

   

   

   ps, this is a pic of me and my fiance, NOT my brother HAH

7. I got some cool PR:

   1. I go by peaceluvoatmilk on tik tok and insta BECAUSE I LOVE OATMILK. But the oatmilk I love is not sold in texas so I have since switched to whole milk. BUT, THE oatmilk brand I loved in NYC reached out asking to send me some PR. HOW COULD I SAY NO !!!

      

   2. And Esterbrook (the pen company of my fave fountain pen ever) sent stuff too

      

8. My fiance and I visited Colorado to see a friend get married! Again, so much love and happiness and JOY in the air. We all need more weddings!!!!!!! Who is next?? (my brother for pt. 2 hahaa)(and then next year…ME)

   

   

9. This is not typical for me, but I DID make some purchases that I’m really happy about: a kindle colorsoft, a new fountain pen (purchased with a giftcard!), and some solomon shoes (I AM LIKE EVERY OTHER GIRL AND THANK GOD FOR THAT, THEY KNOW WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER, DO NOT BE DETERRED).

   

10. foooood things:

    

    

    

11. Andddd of course, journal things:

    

    

    

my petes and repeats <3

So, on TikTok (and insta) I started a new series that I’m calling my petes and repeats list. The list consists of things I’m loving A LOT, things I’m doing a bunch, things I have on repeat, my life lately, etc etc etc.

SO FOR MY FIRST PETES AND REPEATS:

• dairy queen blizzard runs

• puzzles, puzzles, puzzles

• spanish lattes

• stopping to take a picture

• garden salsa sun chips

• rhode lip balm

• bananas I share with the dogs (like I break off pieces not let them chomp where I bite haha ok)

• road trips with my fiance

• my holey Halley’s Comet tee

• doing things even when I’m scared <3333

• listening to Audrey Hobert on the kitchen speakers

• staying up late to read in bed

• stairmaster wednesdays

• blueberry pancakes

• chicken tenders by the pool

• standing in line for mid coffee (not something i’ve been loving but SOMEONE’S GOTTA DO IT and I guess it’s gonna be me)

• real and true lemonade (aka homemade lemonade)

• sunny pics (my dog)

If you’d love to hear me talk this more (haha), I have videos on both Tik Tok and Insta <3 hehe. (shameless plug? no, shameFUL plug ahaha)(okay).

song of the month:

This month was a fun time for music. This is no surprise if you know me, but this month’s song is Lost Boys (Acoustic) by Phoebe Bridgers.

**A special note to my parents: MOM AND DAD, this is the song i was telling u about!! Listen to this one and also some other ones that I will send you. She will be playing these when we go see her!!! Okay love u hehe * *

Here is the Apple Music playlist and the spotify one:

rose, thorn, bud:

Rose: I know I mentioned this, but watching my little brother get married this month was the highlight of it all !!!! So proud to know him and the person he has become. I could cry!!! <3

Thorn: Life is hard! This month I had a ton of anxiety & subsequent stomach issues (I live in fear of the cyclospora, but I am okay! For now, I guess HAAH).

Bud: Exciting stuff (at least for me) coming up: my fiance’s birthday, my bach, his bach, my dad’s birthday, my birthday, my brother’s birthday, my mom’s birthday…MY BROTHER’S WEDDING (pt. 2). I AM SO EXCITED :)

reading, READING, reading:

This month I read NINE books !!!!! <333333333 (nine threes in that heart for nine books awwwww ya)

• Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy

• Horse - Geraldine Brooks

• Worry - Alexandra Tanner

• The Message - Ta-Nehisi Coates

• Land of Milk and Honey - C Pam Zhang

• Sociopath - Patric Gagne

• Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman

• Lost in the Garden - Adam S. Leslie

• Lost & Found - Kathryn Schulz

I ALSO BOUGHT A NEW KINDLE (I did mention this earlier, but alas) ! After much deliberation between a kindle and a kobo, I decided on the kindle. BECAUSE I only use libby to read on my e-reader. I have three library cards (my pride and joysssss) and kobo only allows you to connect to one at a time. Ugh.

That being said, I love my kindle. Amen. And I did buy some new books! Look, I’ll never apologize for buying more books because one thing about me is I will be reading.

affirmation/quote of the month:

The quote of the month is actually a poem: Island by Langston Hughes.

The first time I ever heard of Langston Hughes was in 5th grade while listening to the Rent soundtrack (we switched between Rent and Wicked, I have always been this way). La Vie Boheme was sung numerous times from the backseat of my mom’s car with my friends. (DO YOU REMEMBER THAT MOM?)

I don’t remember exactly when or how I came upon Langston Hughe’s work, but when I did, I was excited to read more about him. He’s now one of my favorite poets, and this is one (of many) of my favorite poems by him.

THE LAST recipe of the month:

Friends, it is with a heavy heart (and full stomach) that I share that I may be retiring this section of the blog. We are absolutely cooking (true) at home, but sometimes it is hard to remember and share what we have made. My fiance is the Chef of the House, as well so, I’ll be honest, cooking is Not my Passion...

Forgive me.

Plus, I’ve added in other sections and as much as I love sharing I do know that making people read a long newsletter isn’t SUPER fun. (ahahaha)

What do you guys think? Will you miss the recipe of the month?

I DON’T THINK I WILL <3

hehe :)

ICYMI (some of my notes):

THAT’S ALL I GOT! :)

did u know that i love u! Especially if u read this whole thing.

Pls comment and lmk how many library cards you have. <3

UNTIL NEXT TIME :) goodbye n farewell

<3 Sam