The Story Behind July 2025

July 2025: Designed by Me — Lily!

This month’s calendar design is extra special to me — because I made it!

July is my birthday month, so it’s always a fun time when it comes around and I get to create the design. People often ask how we decide who designs which month, and the answer is actually pretty simple: we each started by designing our birthday month and have moved through the year from there.

I designed this piece in 2024 while working on a personal goal: reading 50 books in a year — the most I’ve ever read in such a short amount of time.

As someone who is extremely dyslexic, reading for fun didn’t come naturally to me. In fact, before 2023, I hardly read at all. But after my boyfriend gifted me a Kindle, everything changed. I’ve become a huge fan of reading — and I wanted to share a few of my favorite books in case you’re looking for your next read.

Lily’s Favorite Reads

📘 I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
This isn’t quite a romance — I’d call it more of a humor novel. It’s set in an office and gave me The Office vibes while I was reading. If you enjoy romance but want to try something a little different (and funny), I recommend this one!

📘 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
A psychological thriller that’s become super popular — and for good reason. This was one of the first thrillers I ever read, and it’s still one of my favorites. If you’re in the mood for something that will keep you uncomfortable (in a good way) the entire time, pick this up.

📘 Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
I LOVE Katherine Center and have read most of her books. If you're looking for a great summer romance, any of hers will do — but this one stands out. It’s the book I recommend the most to friends and family.

📘 A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (ACOTAR series)
This fantasy series is wildly popular — and for good reason. I don’t usually go for fantasy, but once I finished the first book, I flew through the rest of the series. If you’ve never tried fantasy before, this is a great intro. Just a heads-up: the first book involves a lot of world-building, but stick with it — it gets better and better.

 I hope you’re all enjoying your summer — and maybe my July design will inspire you to pick up a good book, too.
Happy reading! ☀️📚💛