I was out for a stroll the other day when I heard it: the tinkling, warbling, tinny sound of summer — an ice cream truck! I couldn't even pretend to play it cool. My heart still skips a beat when I hear an ice cream truck kicking out the jams in the distance. So let's get excited about the sweet, sticky months ahead. First order of business: ice cream.

As the daughter of a painter and an organic farmer, artist Molly Hatch spent her youth alternating between creative play and physical labor. This early training ground would prove important later in life, providing the discipline and hard work for life as an artist. Today, Molly's colorful designs and illustrations adorn tableware, wallpaper and furniture. 

The Goodhood Store has been selling clothing and accessories for men and women since '07 but this year saw the launch of their Life Store, stocked with fresh and funky goods to outfit the home. The folks behind The Goodhood Store set out to be the destination for design in London's East End. Luckily for those of us who don't get the UK often (or ... ever) they also have a great web shop. 

Cocktail shakers with recipes printed on them are excellent space savers for your bar or tabletop. With these, there's no need to store and fumble with recipes. The best of the bunch is the shaker featured in the main photo by Kikkerland. It is printed with pour markings so don't need a measuring cup or jigger either.

We often say that you should stick with neutral furniture and then drop in color with accessories. We're also fans of swapping out throw pillows and blankets to freshen up a home. If you stick with these maxims, you'll definitely want to check out Pyar & Co.'s colorful pillows and throws sourced from fair trade laborers in India.

I don't have antlers on my wall. I love owls and sparrows, but don't own any bird decor. But foxes? Well, they might be my wildlife trend weakness, especially when they're on dishes as nice as these. 

Some people always have Saturday and Sunday to look forward to: The Weekend. But for many of us, weekends occur haphazardly and sporadically, with "my Saturday" falling on a Tuesday and "my Sunday" not appearing until the next Thursday. How do you mark your weekend, when it's not clearly marked on the calendar?

A delicious drink is one of life's simple pleasures. Whether you like to take your drink cold or warm, inside or outside, a covered mug will keep it fresh until your next sip.