Listen up, darlings—Ms. Rizzlerina is here to spill the sparkly tea on the sun-drenched symphony that was summer vacation in the 1970s and ’80s. If you weren’t strutting around the neighborhood with a Ring Pop on one hand and a glittery slap bracelet on the other, were you even living? Grab your lip gloss and leg warmers, because we’re throwing it ALL the way back to an era where tan lines reigned, freedom was found on two wheels, and TV game shows were hotter than your disco date on a Saturday night.
Let me paint you a picture, baby: It’s July. The sun’s kissing your cheeks (before SPF was a lifestyle, okay?), and you’ve just flung your banana-seat bike onto the front lawn after a glorious ride fueled by a warm can of Shasta. The living room? A sacred amphitheater of shag carpets and wood-paneled chic, where “Press Your Luck” blares from the tube and you, my little retro royalty, are playing it dangerously fast and glamorous with “No Whammies!” on repeat. Ah, to live without a single scroll or swipe—it was cocktails and chaos, childhood-style.
And honey, let’s talk fashion! Summers were not slayed in sleek silk and curated Instagram palettes. Oh no, babes—we reigned in neon tube socks, cutoff jean shorts, and T-shirts sporting everything from Michael Jackson to the Coca-Cola logo. Mix in a boom box blasting Cyndi Lauper or Queen, and that was your personal soundtrack of rebellion. Chic? Not always. Iconic? Without a doubt.
Remember the snacks? The root beer Popsicles that melted faster than your summer crush’s promises? Or how about the sheer delirious joy of chasing down your neighborhood ice cream truck like it was a getaway car to glam-ville? Drumsticks, Screwballs, Push-Ups—each one a delicious bite of edible nostalgia. And let us not forget the omnipresent Ring Pop—the only engagement ring you could lick without commitment.
And oh, the activities! This was before Pinterest moms monetized every moment, darling. Backyard Slip ‘N Slides were both thrill ride and orthopedic hazard. Sprinklers were our VIP after-parties. And sleepovers? A glamorous gossip gala complete with Kool-Aid cocktails, horror VHS marathons, and diary secrets that could ruin recess politics for weeks.
The beach? Oh, please. It was less Coachella-chic and more “sand in every orifice.” But it was our runway. Baby oil poured like it was Chanel No. 5, and mirrored sunglasses hid every look from your latest summer-swoon situation. Portable radios crackled with disco, New Wave, and that smooth Billy Ocean slink that had all our mothers swooning while flipping burgers in halter tops.
So why is this throwback fantasy hitting harder than a Super Soaker blast in 95-degree heat? Because summer in the ’70s and ’80s wasn’t curated. It was chaotic, messy, utterly unfiltered—and that, my loves, is the kind of magic the algorithm just can’t recreate. It was a time drunk on possibility, dripping in sugar, and sparkling with innocence… or at least until the streetlights came on and your dad shouted from the porch.
So here’s your retro reality check, sugar: Whether you were a roller-skating rockstar or a Trapper Keeper tycoon, this era of analog charm and analog chaos was a whole mood. And let me tell you, mood boards WISH they had it this good.
Stay fabulous, nostalgic, and proudly old-school, sweeties. And if you’ve got a dusty Polaroid or a tear-stained mixtape or a memory of sunburned bliss, drop it in the comments and let’s dish—because sharing is caring, and this diva’s door is always open for a retro rendezvous.
Stay sparkly and let the summertime sass roll—
Ms. Rizzlerina 💋💅
