Fab Finds...celebrating summer!

rainbow pillow cover by meringuedesigns

The weather here in Portland, Oregon has been G.L.O.O.M.Y. After teasing us two weeks ago with summer-like weather, everything changed and has been stormy and cold ever since. I think we are now having the winter that we never really had. So I'm going to do my best to combat the situation by thinking about Summer, dreaming about Summer, and even shopping for Summer. (Or at least window-shopping for summer!) To me, summer is all about flowers, bright colors, and America's favorite pastime. Which isn't really my favorite pastime, but since my husband adores baseball...well, I've become a fan too. Since he now (drumroll please) subscribes to my blog...honey, there's even a find in here for you! (I'll give you a hint: it's NOT the paper flowers. As much as I'm sure you love paper flowers. What man doesn't?)

design-your-own bird and branches pillow cover

The three pillows in this post are all by meringuedesigns. I discovered this Etsy seller when reading LeAnn's blog, Vintage Sassy. LeAnn's got great style and I knew if she had a favorite Etsy source for pillows, it must be a good one. It is! Love all the pillows and covers at meringedesigns.

orange full bloom pillow cover

It's happy, bright, cheerful...it says summer to me!! Also by meringuedesigns.

paper mums from paperplatypus

The aforementioned paper flowers. Aren't they lovely? These would be great for a wedding, or garden party, or funky decor around the house. Paperplatypus has a wide variety of styles that are very detailed, yet not so realistic that they lose their funkiness. (Is that a word? It is now, I guess.) I'd attach these to stems and place in a vase, or glue them onto a blank canvas and make a 3-D art piece. Gorgeous!

The Game for All America baseball poster by eye4media

Ladies, bear with me for a moment. I'm going to talk baseball. In fact, you don't even have to bear with me...you could just scroll down to the next photo if you'd like. But for the .5% of my readers who are either 1) men or 2) care about baseball or 3) care about men who care about baseball, this gift idea is for you. Here's the history on this piece. For a long time, I've been stalking (I mean following) Anne Harwell's blog, Annechovie. You may remember her as being the one with the gorgeous chair artwork that I'm in love with (I own no less than eight tiny prints of hers). Her grandfather (who just recently passed away) was Ernie Harwell, the announcer for the Detroit Tigers for 42 years. Represented on this poster (created by Anne's brother and Ernie's grandson, Josh Harwell) is Ernie's poem that was his own special definition of baseball. The poster was created as a tribute both to him and the great game of baseball. Wouldn't it be a great gift for the baseball lover in your life? (Okay, honey...you can thank me later...I just mentioned the word "baseball" seven times in one post. Which will most likely never happen again, so enjoy it while it lasts!!) 

1776 glittered burlap banner by funkyshique

Moving onto the American holiday of Independence Day, which we celebrate on July 4. This banner by funkyshique has got to be one of my all-time favorite Fourth of July decorations I've ever seen! It is stenciled with "1776" and red, white and blue glittered stars at each end. We don't seem to talk a lot about the Revolutionary War, but that's where this country began, and I love both the history and the whimsical nature of this banner. For me, the combination of rough burlap + sparkly glitter = LOVE.

Also by funkyshique are these adorable gift bags. Each one is stenciled with a pink glittered cupcake. You get a set of four for $12. Aren't they the cutest? I had so much fun browsing in this shop. Funkyshique makes banners for just about every holiday, and I love every single one of them. I can't stand tacky holiday decor, and these are so NOT tacky. Even the St. Paddy's day banner is great! What I would really LOVE is the package where you can choose any 6 holiday banners for $100. How fun to have a cute banner you could pull out for each season or each holiday.

Happiness mug from brookish

Happy sighs. Finally, someone who loves Jane Austen and modern design, too. This mug would be a great way to celebrate any occasion and bears a quote from Pride and Prejudice, when Jane gets engaged to Mr. Bingley. What a great way to celebrate!

Half agony mug from brookish

"I am half agony, half hope." The other side of this mug displays the "half hope". In the words of seller brookish, "Any Persuasion fans out there? It's up there with P&P for me, although not as quotable. This however, is a mug-worthy line from Capt. Wentworth in his highly romantic letter to Anne Elliot." Jane Austen again provides the language for this lovely mug. As a mom of three little ones, I'd say this mug pretty much describes how I begin each day. ;-)

bridesmaids neclace by mollusa

And last, but not least, this necklace struck me as gorgeous. It's listed as being for bridesmaids, but it would be lovely to wear to any event this summer that calls for that extra special touch to your wardrobe. Etsy seller mollusa makes gorgeous clutches, hairpins, and jewelry, all with these fabulous handmade flower touches. Great for wedding parties, but lovely for special occasions too.

There you have it! You know, a funny thing happened as I was writing this post. As I wrote about summer, and things that remind me of summer, my spirits lifted. Just a little. Maybe yours will too?

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!