The Curated Weekend | She Said, “I Think Summer Suits You.”

Earlier this week, Rick, Zoey, and I were out for an evening walk at dusk. The sun was setting in shades of orange and red against one of those clear blue California skies, and one of my neighbors was walking toward us on the wide street.

As she approached, she looked at me and said, “Suzanne… I think summer suits you.”

I smiled — first inside, then out — and replied, “You are right. I love summertime!” But her comment stayed with me.

What I loved was that it didn’t feel like a compliment about what I was wearing on the outside. At that particular moment, I felt as though someone had seen exactly how I was feeling on the inside. Content. At ease. Happy. And that felt really good.

I do love summertime. Maybe that’s another musing for another day, but I’ve been thinking about what I might have been doing differently that evening — what was projecting that sense of ease.

Maybe it was lingering over coffee on the patio and puttering in the garden. Long evenings that stretch on just a little longer. Walks with Rick and Zoey where the conversation becomes the journey instead of the exercise.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped trying to fit summer into my schedule and started letting summer set the pace. What a gift to have a few months each year that remind us to slow down and enjoy where we are.

Welcome to The Curated Weekend — a collection of style, beautiful places, thoughtful finds, and the little moments making life feel just a bit richer. Think of it as our weekend catch-up over coffee.

What I Wore (and Why)

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that I collect black dresses — but never basic black.

I look for dresses that are relaxed at first glance, but have something unexpected about them: a quality jersey fabric, a one-shoulder neckline, a ribbon down the back, a beautifully tiered skirt, or some other detail that makes the dress feel special without making it fussy.

I currently have four that I rotate through all summer — three by Cuyana and one Lee Mathews dress I found secondhand. All four check the same boxes: elegant yet incredibly comfortable, easy to travel with, easy to care for, and versatile enough to take me from working at home to a day at the beach to drinks or dinner.

Unfortunately, Cuyana has moved more toward its beautiful leather goods, and its clothing selection is now limited. The good news is that I’ve found like-new Cuyana pieces on The RealReal, thredUP, and Poshmark. The quality is so good and the styling so timeless that these pieces continue to have a very healthy second life.

They also layer beautifully. I’ve worn them with cardigans, blazers, cashmere pullovers, kimonos, and — yes — my favorite denim shirt. Add jewelry, a scarf around the waist, a hat, your favorite tote, sneakers, sandals, or kitten heels, and they work.

The older I get, the more I realize that style has less to do with what we’re wearing and far more to do with how we’re living.

Suzanne Bell

That’s really what these dresses represent for me. They make getting dressed easy, but never boring. They support the way I actually live instead of asking me to create an occasion for them. And that may be my favorite kind of style — effortless, easy, elegant, and anything but basic.

Worth Listening To

A few weeks ago I listened to Episode 2.6 of the Almost Reckless podcast with Amy Smilovic of Tibi and Bobbi Brown, founder of Jones Road, and so much of the conversation really stuck with me.

In their discussion, Amy and Bobbi reflect on the long arc of their careers — the pressures that come with building a business while raising a family, the instinct required to begin something new, and the role authenticity plays in creating something that lasts.

I could relate to so much of what they were talking about because their careers were taking shape during the same years I was working my way up at Nordstrom. It brought me right back to the late ’80s and ’90s — the era of the black power suit and heels, when many women, myself included, were learning how to project confidence while finding our place in corporate leadership.

I still remember what a big deal it felt like when we finally decided women in the store could wear skirts without stockings. Times were changing.

Listening to Amy and Bobbi talk about corporate pressures, trusting their instincts, adapting, and eventually coming out the other side felt very familiar. Different businesses, certainly, but many of the hurdles were the same.

There is also a very personal Bobbi Brown connection for me. When I was managing Nordstrom in San Mateo, our store was selected as one of the early Nordstrom locations to carry the Bobbi Brown line. I’ve followed Bobbi’s story — and used her products — ever since.

Still on My Vanity — 30 Years Later

One of those products is Bobbi Brown Beach. I’ve worn this fragrance since the brand’s early days, and nearly thirty years later, my daughter wears it too. There is something wonderful about seeing a product that was part of my life at her age become part of hers. Some things really do stand the test of time.

A Beautiful Place

I’ve been walking this same stretch of beach in Aptos since I was a teenager growing up in the Bay Area.

Coming down the hill toward New Brighton State Beach still feels familiar to me after all these years. Homes have changed. The topography has changed. Restaurants have come and gone. But the ocean stays the same, and there is something deeply comforting in that.

I’ve watched the infamous cement ship at nearby Seacliff go from a place where people walked out to fish, to a closed pier, to what is now mostly ruins where the seagulls gather to rest.

I’ve taught my own children how to hunt for sea glass along this shoreline. We’ve walked with seagulls overhead, watched pelicans dive into the water, dolphins play just beyond the breakers, seals pop up to investigate, and even spotted the occasional shark.

Every visit brings something new while somehow feeling exactly the same.

Now I come here with my own family, adding new memories to the ones I’ve carried since the late ’70s. We’ve stayed in beach houses with family and friends, celebrated birthdays here, and eaten more than a few slices of Princess Cake from Gayle’s Bakery in nearby Capitola.

Some places don’t simply hold memories. They quietly become part of who we are.

Suzanne’s Notes

Best time to visit: Early morning as the marine layer begins to lift, or late afternoon through sunset when the beach glows.

Don’t miss: Gayle’s Bakery. Grab a number and order lunch. Bell family favorites include the mac and cheese, kale salad, and chicken salad sandwich. Before you leave, pick up a slice of Princess Cake — and a few pastries for tomorrow morning’s coffee.

Perfect for:A long beach walk, hunting for sea glass, watching pelicans dive, dolphins play offshore, and — if you’re lucky — spotting one of the occasional sharks cruising beyond the breakers.

Little Luxury

One of my favorite little luxuries is Acqua di Rose from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence.

I first discovered it about seven years ago when my daughter and I wandered the cobblestone streets of Florence in search of the original Santa Maria Novella. The historic Officina traces its roots to the Dominican friars who arrived in Florence in 1221, and Acqua di Rose is one of its oldest preparations. Walking into that beautiful old pharmacy feels like stepping into another time.

I came home with the rose water and have rarely been without it since. I mist it on at night after my skincare routine, after makeup in the morning, and sometimes in the middle of the day simply because it feels refreshing.

Years later, when my daughter studied abroad in Florence during college, she made the trek back to Santa Maria Novella on her own. She selected a perfume for herself and brought one home for me as a gift.

I love that. A place we discovered together became somewhere she returned to on her own — and then brought a little piece of it home to me.

Every time I spray the rose water, I think of Florence, those cobblestone streets, and the memories we now share across two different chapters of our lives. That’s my favorite kind of luxury: something beautiful that carries a story with it.

Five Curated Finds

Inspired by the podcast, this week’s five finds are all from Jones Road — Bobbi Brown’s clean beauty brand and the products currently making up my under-ten-minute summer makeup routine.

After cleansing and sunscreen, this is pretty much it. Easy, polished, and still very much me.

1. What The Foundation (WTF) | HERE

On days when my skin feels a little drier, this is the foundation I reach for. It’s moisturizing enough that I skip a separate moisturizer under my sunscreen. It gives me coverage while still letting my skin look like skin.

2. The Foundation Stick | HERE

I alternate this with WTF depending on how my skin feels and the weather. The stick is drier and a little more straightforward, which I especially appreciate on warmer days.

3. The Face Pencil | HERE

I use this under my eyes, on my eyelids, and anywhere I have redness or a blemish. It’s quick, precise, and one of those products that makes you look more rested without looking made up.

4. Tinted Face Powder | HERE

My favorite product right now. This magical color-correcting powder really works. It’s finely milled and lightweight, sets everything, minimizes shine, and somehow blends the whole face together without looking like powder. I use Rose at times and reach more often for Light in summer.

5. Miracle Balm | HERE

This product is unlike anything else in my makeup bag – ever. If I could keep only one shade, I would choose Tawny — it adds warmth and glow while also helping even out my skin tone. Sunkissed is another favorite when I want a little more warmth. My daughter now uses Miami Beach on her cheeks and loves it. If you’re new to Miracle Balm, watch Bobbi’s application video (HERE); there really isn’t another product I know of that works quite the same way.

This entire routine takes me less than ten minutes, and that’s about all I want to give my makeup in the summertime. Effortless. Easy. Elegant.

This Week’s Reflection

I’ve thought about my neighbor’s comment several times since that evening.

“I think summer suits you.”

Maybe what she noticed wasn’t summer at all. Maybe she noticed contentment.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the things that have earned a place in my life — not because they’re new, but because they continue to bring joy, comfort, beauty, or connection.

A favorite black dress that’s traveled through the years.

A fragrance that now sits on both my vanity and my daughter’s.

A spritz of rose water that takes me back to wandering Florence with Alia.

Summer mornings when Ryan is home, sharing a cup of Bulletproof coffee together in the sunshine on the patio — one of my favorite parts of the season.

A beach that has held decades of family memories.

Walks with Rick and Zoey.

Puttering in the garden.

Time.

Maybe that’s what summer gives me more than anything: enough space to notice.

A beautiful life isn’t created by becoming someone else. It’s created by noticing the moments when you feel most like yourself.

Suzanne Bell

Before summer slips away, what is one place, ritual, person, or simple pleasure that makes you feel most like yourself? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

P.S. If you enjoyed this week’s Curated Weekend, I’d love it if you’d share it with a friend who might enjoy slowing down with a cup of coffee and a little inspiration.

Until next weekend,