Considering how much I harp on about it, it should come as no surprise by now that summer is my favorite season. I love warm weather and sunshine (and that’s part of the reason I named my blog Sunkissed Steph), but more than that, I love everything this season stands for: adventure, freedom, indulgence, spontaneous bottles of rosé and trips to the ice cream shop. And while I wouldn’t call my summer particularly adventurous this year, there were still plenty of special moments throughout — moments that when strung together add up to a season well spent. With Labor Day now behind us, I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite moments from the past three months.

1. Summer started off with a bang thanks to a trip across the pond with my family to visit my sister, who was studying abroad in London. It was a quick 5-day trip over Memorial Day weekend, but we managed to squeeze in plenty of sights.
2. Then at the end of June, I hopped down to Palm Springs to spend a lovely long weekend with my BFF Tienlyn before she welcomed her baby Neo just a few short weeks later.
3. While David and I may not have had any exotic vacations planned, we did make the most of our time at home by spending many a weekend exploring everything the Bay Area has to offer, from the SF Moma to lavender fields in Santa Rosa to Filoli Garden to the outlets in Livermore.
4. And since we weren’t heading out of town much, we also used the season as a chance to nest (although let’s be real, I’m never not nesting): we added new plants to our growing collection, rearranged some furniture, and swapped out our dining chairs.
5. Alas, summer doesn’t mean I don’t have to work (if only), but that didn’t stop me from taking advantage of opportunities when I could. When an August work trip down to LA landed on a Friday, David and I decided to extend the trip through the weekend to accommodate a visit to Universal Studios.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper outfit post without addressing summer fashion! I may not have fallen back on a typical uniform or outfit formula, but there was one element that accompanied me through every adventure this season: my gold jewelry. No matter what breezy silhouette, playful print, or buzzy trend I was wearing, none of my looks were complete without the dainty stacking rings and delicate earrings I consider part of my signature style. Looking forward to taking these everyday pieces straight into fall — and extending that summer feeling no matter what season it is.

In collaboration with Nakturnal