MY BIRTHDAY

My birthday was July 24th! It's like Christmas Even & July & it's no coincidence July & December are my favorite months & it just may have something to do with my birthday & Christmas. Ya' think? And lucky me - they're spaced out just perfectly!

SEASHELL CRAFTS

One of the ways my niece & I bond down the shore is by walking the beach & collecting shells & unique rocks. You wouldn't believe it - it gives us hours of busy work. We collect, we wash, organize & then discard because some we snatched she decides she no longer likes lol. And then we're left with just our faves which I then help her craft with. Two of my fave things she's made for me are this picture frame & plaster mold.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to rush the season. The only season I try to rush is the time frame between New Years & spring. I want to cherish every ounce of summer... but there's just something fun & kitschy about Christmas in July that gets me excited.

ELIN HILDERBRAND WINTER STREET SERIES

Are you familiar with Elin Hilderbrand. She is my guiltiest pleasure summer author. Every book is set in Nantucket & her books are the absolute best to read by the pool or beach. The last few years she's been writing a series about Christmas in Nantucket & it's kinda the perfect combination of a beach town book mixed with Christmas in July. I read the fourth installment last week down the shore & it of course did not disappoint.

ICE BOTTLE CHILLER

I actually don't have my own but my parents had one down the shore & my sister had the bright idea to add shells to it for my birthday dinner. I've seen them do cranberries around the holidays but the shells were suuuuuuch a cute touch. This one is from Williams Sonoma but I don't think they sell it anymore but I found one just like it on Amazon.

So those are the 5 things I'm obsessed with this week. What random things are you into so far this summer?

Cheers - Hal