The Composed Connoisseur Dispatch — Summer
My seasonal musings on what worked, what wooed, and what came up woefully short.
This summer has been so hot that the Halloween decorations beginning to appear in stores feel like a heat stroke-induced fever dream. Between Strawberry Lemonade ice pops, white wine in the freezer, and keeping the AC running at a level my electricity bill is still processing emotionally, I have been doing my absolute best to survive.
I know August is technically still summer. But the second Trader Joe’s puts pumpkin puree on an end cap, it’s fall to me. Salted caramel mocha, I am on my way.
Here is what got me through.
The Romance Novel
Scandal of the Summer — Alexandra Vasti
Full disclosure: if Vasti writes it, I will read it. This historical romance follows the daughter of an Earl and a former privateer captain, and just when you think you know where it’s going, the winds change and set the ship on an entirely new course. I was completely taken with it and could not wait to see what happened next.
If your whole summer vibe has been ‘bring back men who yearn’ — get thee to the bookstore.
[Scandal of the Summer on Bookshop.org] ← Not an affiliate link, I just need someone to gush with.
The Drink or Food Find
White wine + Trader Joe’s ice pops. Stay with me.
It has been so hot that putting a bottle in the fridge for two hours isn’t enough anymore. My solution: the pineapple-and-coconut ice pops from Trader Joe’s, dropped directly into a glass of your white wine of choice. Fruity and sweet with a crisp bite from the wine. A completely perfect porch pounder experience.
You’re welcome.
The Class or Experience
Candle Making 101 at Heartbound Bookshop
I was back at Heartbound for this one. Briarwick hosted the class in collaboration with author Melissa Whitney. I made both candles on offer, had an absolute blast, and came home with something I actually made with my hands. Learning the candle-making process, spending time with other romance readers, and crafting something unique: a Solo Saturday wild-card that delivered on every level.
The Finance Find
I finally opened my 401(k).
I have been planning to do this with my current employer for longer than I’m comfortable sharing in print. This month — a three-paycheck month, which felt like a sign — I did it. Did I wait until the last week of July, meaning it won’t take effect until August? Yes. Am I counting the follow-through anyway? Absolutely. The decision is made. The paperwork is submitted. Future Laura is already grateful.
The Embarrassing One
I am in a perfume phase, and it has gotten out of hand.
It started when a friend gave me Cloudland by Fulton & Roark, which led me down a rabbit hole of independent perfumers I had no business discovering at this stage of my budget.
The culprit: Fueguia 1833, found while wandering a mall with entirely too much time and curiosity. Their store is set up with round-bottom glass flasks above every bottle — you go around smelling them based on the listed scent notes, which is either a delightful experience or a trap, depending on your self-control. I became obsessed with Land of Champions. It smells like an oncoming rainstorm and freshly cut grass. The second they notified me it was back in stock, I went and bought a bottle.
I regret nothing. I also regret everything. This is the perfume phase.
The Anti-Rec
PowerApps. Spare yourself.
This low-code development platform promises you can build apps without traditional programming. The promise is a generous exaggeration. The templates give you almost no freedom to make the minor visual adjustments that would make the thing actually work for your needs. You cannot access the underlying code — which would be fine if the templates weren’t so rigid that wanting a text input container to be 140 by 70 becomes a twenty-minute argument you lose. And when your data set grows from one CSV to six? It simply cannot handle it. Does not want to. Refuses.
If you want to build something functional, find another platform. PowerApps is not it.
That’s the summer in a Dispatch. One good book, one very cold drink, one candle that smells like sunshine and satisfaction, one financial decision I am retroactively proud of, one perfume I cannot justify, and one piece of software I hope to never think about again.
Pumpkin spice is coming for us all. I, for one, am ready.
What’s one thing from your summer you’re genuinely glad you tried — and one you’d like to quietly leave behind as the seasons change?
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I am also ready for pumpkin season!! Thanks for sharing this 💫