July Wrapped 2026 - Monthly Art Check-In
Welcome back to my monthly blog post, my July Wrapped! July is truly the definition of summer. The lasting heat, long days, and break from routine will forever be written in July's 31 days. I find such beauty in the red of strawberries ripening on a vine, and in the yellow of flowering canola fields; paintings and poetry come easily. This feels like the month when it is easiest to love your most basic self; after jumping in the water, your makeup washes off, your hair dries to its natural texture, and the sun invites your freckles back. Despite this lovely freedom, the immense change of autumn looms over me. Packing lists and deadlines fill my notes app, reminding me just how precious this last month is. So here are some ways to make the most of August, the month that is both a love letter and a farewell to summer.
Be Spontaneous- Summer is coming to a close! I am a firm believer that the warmer weather and longer days make us more willing to take a chance, and I recommend you take advantage of it. SO say yes to something you normally wouldn't, and make plans to add adventure into your days.
Get out into the Community- There are so many FREE (or low-cost) things to do in our communities, and I fully believe we no longer use them to our full advantage. Art galleries and librarys at both free to visit and often host free events for community members. So this month, go out of your way to attend something like this.
Joan Didion's Packing List- This is another lovely article by Vogue that I loved this month. It dives into the basics one needs for travel, and I find the writing calming and reassuring.
Fresh Flowers- August is a lovely month to invite nature into your home, and there is no way more beautiful than fresh flowers. I am personally cutting and bringing in flowers from my garden, but supermarket flowers are lovely as well.
DIY- Make something yourself this month. My recommendation is to upcycle something you already have, but don't love. A fresh coat of paint or stain, break out the sewing skills, or break it apart to aid in other projects.
Say Goodbye with a Bang- And finally say goodbye to summer with a bang. Host your friends and family or invite them out; just find a way to spend time with the people you love doing something you love. It is the best way to feel connected and grounded moving into this new chapter.
Thank you for reading these little pieces of advice, and I hope you try one! Having a little sticky note above my desk with ideas like this really helps me remember to incorporate them into my days.
July Favorites
Slippers- I've been loving my new pink slippers for walking around the house despite the summer heat.
Sunrise Woods Perfume- From Bath and Body Works, I think this is such a classic summer smell.
Lululemon Headband- I love this baby pink sweatband from Lululemon for days when the hair is feeling a little wild. I wear it to work when I waitress, and I think it dresses up the all-black outfit in such a cute way.
Now, a little about me. As of today, the Instagram account has grown to 419 followers, soooo we actually lost a few over July. I am not surprised, honestly, as I have disappeared from social media recently. I am trying to enjoy summer off of a screen, and thus posting has unfortunately not been my priority. July was full of fun little art projects. I did a lot of watercolour (even got the boyfriend involved) and gouache. I revisited the summer craft series and made a mood board for the summer and a bikini box. Both now have proud places in my bedroom. I continued to work on my acrylic piece depicting the La Fortuna waterfall I visited during my time in Costa Rica on my mission trip. I love this piece, and it had such a fun process as it is mostly foliage, which I love to paint. I brought my sketchbook with me as I travelled and tried to do a painting everywhere I visited. I created quite a few pieces I love. To gain some inspiration, I visited the local Okotoks Art Gallery, which was holding its member exhibit. The pieces were all stunning, with Albertan landscapes as the focal point. That's all from the art side of things this month!
In my personal life, July was the definition of summer. It was filled with fireworks, lots of sunset drives, and slow mornings. I went to the Jon Pardi concert during Stampede with my friend and mom and had a blast. My first time at Cowboys Music Festival, and we were able to get pretty close to the stage, and of course the music was amazing. We also spent lots of time at both the river and lake catching fish, boating, and sun tanning. I made a day trip of going up to Kananaskis with my friend for a hike and lunch, which was lovely. I watched the High River chuck wagons; it was very exciting to watch, and later that week I volunteered at the Dimond Valley Car Show to raise money for my 4H club. To end the month, I spent a week in Sicamous houseboating on Mara Lake and Suswap with my family and boyfriend. Lots of fishing, boating, and relaxing. It is so beautiful out there and I enjoyed having time to enjoy the company of my loved ones.
Thank you for tuning in if you've made it this far! I will try to post one of these at the end of each month to keep everyone updated. Let me know if you have any other ideas for what I should write about in these blogs (my dms and email are open!)
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