Keeping Our Cool with Summer Treats

New England summers can be two extremes, picturesque blue skies with puffy clouds and a nice refreshing breeze or the hazy, dense, humid days where it feels like we’re all trapped in one huge sauna. Whatever the weather might be outside, at the shop, we hope our space is a little oasis for anyone stopping by.

As part of running a small shop, the challenge of curating products from a dizzying array of options looms ahead with summer trade shows right around the corner. At the same time, a fun aspect of being a small team is seeing how our collection shapes over time, peppered with a variety of products influenced by our different personalities and preferences. Whether it’s cute animals drinking boba, pen ink colors, or little trinkets, there’s hints of each our favorite things throughout the shop. 

We thought it would be fun to share how each of us enjoys the summer along with our favorite foods to beat the heat. We've also listed some products that bring these fond activities and memories to mind. You can see the full collection of products inspired by summer treats here.

Jenny

Sweet: Herbal Jelly ( 龟苓膏) literally translated word for word: Turtle Smilax Glabra Jelly
Product: Take it Slow Vinyl Sticker, Asian Snacks Washi Tape, Chill Otter Vinyl Sticker, Tea Time Washi Tape

Herbal Jelly saved me while walking around in Hong Kong visiting local store in hot and humid weather. It is a great sweet treat for the summer. It recovers your energy and you don’t feel as guilty after eating it like ice cream (another of my favorite summer treats).

Savory: Blue crab in Maryland
Product in shop: Treehouse Party Greeting Card

If I could, I would love to visit Maryland every summer just for the crab. It makes my mouth water just by thinking of it. 😋 Of course, eating crab and visiting local stores are like being in heaven for me.

 

Victor

Sweet: Soft Serve Ice Cream 🍦
Product: Hobonichi Memo Paper - Keiko Shibata: Ueda-san's Summer of Hugs, Taiyaki with Bunny

While ice cream can certainly be appreciated all year round, I particularly enjoy the soft serve version during the summer months. Eating this tasty treat brings back fond memories. As a kid, I would always order a chocolate-vanilla swirl at the amusement park or at the beach to cool off after playing all day. I may not go to these places much anymore, but I still get the craving for a soft serve cone on a hot summer day.

Savory: Lobster
Product: Lobster Penpal - Notepad, Orange Lobster Hand-Embroidered Pin, Seagrass Lobster - Greeting Card

When I was young, my dad always took us on summer road trips along the coast of New England. Whether it was down to Cape Cod or up to Maine, we’d always stop at a local lobster shack for lunch. I would order a lobster roll cause I was too lazy to crack shells. But since meeting Jenny, I’ve learned to appreciate getting my hands messy (food tastes better when you’ve worked hard for it) and have graduated to whole steamed lobsters. We’ve made it our own summer tradition to drive up to Rockport, MA and enjoy some of freshest catches every season.

 

Veronica

Sweet: Frozen coffee with coconut and caramel
Product: Opus 88 Mocha Coffee, Coffee Uni-Ball One P, Travel & Sketch Green Pocket Palette, Coffee Cat Small Canvas Tote Bag

I wasn’t always a coffee drinker. Then at some point, I found myself like a stereotypical New Englander ordering iced coffees when the temperature hits the 50s in the winter. When it’s actually hot out, my favorite coffee order is a blended frozen coffee with coconut flavor and caramel. At the risk of getting debilitating brain freeze, I’m forced to drink it slower, which is not the case with a typical iced coffee. I feel spoiled living near a few independent coffee shops. Two of them even roast their own coffee beans! They're the perfect places to relax before heading out on a long car ride in the summer with my family.

Savory: Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Product: Animal Car Keychain (Pig and Corn Car), Maileg Miniature Fruits and Veggies, Fruit Roll-Up Washi Tape

Summer is CSA season for my family. We spend Friday afternoons picking up our fruits, veggies, and flowers at a local farm. My kids run around the flowers or help pick berries. I always look forward to the corn harvest ever since my husband introduced me to Elote (Mexican street corn). It's quick to make and the toppings are the perfect blend of flavors on a hot summer night.

 

Jean

Sweet: Watermelon
Product: Appree Watermelon Fruit Stickers, Pentel Krazy Pop Electric Watermelon Iridescent Gel Pen

To me, summer means watermelon. Watermelon’s not just a food, but a whole ritual. It starts when you pick the melon: tapping at the outside, carefully assessing the yellow spot. Then comes the crisp sound of the splitting rind, and the anticipation for the reveal. Is the inside perfectly ripe? Friends and family gather around to share a single giant fruit, complimenting the host’s selection if it’s good, griping about the store if it’s not. I’ve always loved the refreshing taste of watermelon, but I also cherish the mundane little spectacle that each melon comes with.

Savory: Basil
Product: Aroma MT washi tape, Herbs Hand-stitched Notebook

I first grew basil more than ten years ago, in a third floor Somerville apartment with roommates who also knew nothing about gardening. We bought some plastic flowerpots from Ikea, haphazardly wired them onto the railing of our false balcony, and filled them with soil and sprouts. Sometime that summer, a mourning dove made its nest in one of the pots. Despite our inexperience and the surprise guest, we harvested several handfuls of emerald leaves in mid-August and made the most delicious pesto I’d ever tasted. No doubt there was better stuff out there, but nothing quite compares to the flavor of fresh cut herbs and accomplishment. I’ve been planting it almost every summer since.

 

Yulan

Sweet: Orange
Product: Orange Grove - Notepad, Classic Sport Honey Fountain Pen

Summer is probably my favorite season to enjoy an orange treat. Whether it's a tall glass of ice-cold orange juice, a spoonful of sweet and tangy orange jelly, or a piece of rich chocolate infused with zesty orange flavor, there's something about citrus in the heat that just feels right. Of course, can't miss other citrus treats like honey lemonade and yuzu cheesecake! The bright, refreshing taste of orange captures the essence of summer, light, energizing, and full of sunshine.

Savory: Vietnamese summer roll
Product: Rosemary Mint Bar Soap

I feel Vietnamese summer rolls taste the best during the summer. The lightness of the rice paper, the crunch of fresh vegetables, and the burst of flavor from the mint create a refreshing contrast to the heat. Paired with chilled shrimp or tofu and dipped in a classic Vietnamese savory sauce, each bite feels like a little escape from the sun. They are easy to make, fun to customize, and perfect for sharing. Highly recommended if you and your friends are looking for summer activities!

(Yulan didn't have photos of her treats, so we had to make do with what we had. Sounds like the perfect excuse to go eat more oranges and summer rolls!)