July is here! Now that summer has arrived, it's time to take advantage of the delectable weather's many benefits. Venture forth on that well-deserved vacation (road trip!), hit the beach with your nautical tote, have your first sophisticated dinner party, go antiquing at local flea markets and indulge in leisurely pursuits. Give the gift of gorgeous rubies to those lucky Cancers and Leos on your list and celebrate the marriages of friends and family by giving the gift of handmade. Etsy has you covered for the busy season ahead, and we hope this shopping guide keeps you organized and inspired.

Vacationing

Going on holiday should be an excursion to indulgence. Whether you're traveling to the beach, hiking in the mountains, or skiing in the Southern Hemisphere, Etsy's Travel Guide will help you check the necessities off your list and pack for your next adventure with style and sustainability in mind.

About

Once upon a time, it was very, very gloomy.  The skies thundered, the economy crumbled, and people only spoke to grumble. Everything looked bleak, bleak, bleak.

Until one day, shortly after a market crash and right before another round of layoffs, a girl named Miss B. came up with a terrifically bright idea.  As she later explained to her friend and business partner, Miss K., their mission would be to scour the world for the best in fashion, design, and décor.  Then, one by one and everyday, they would give it all away to some very lucky people.

This is how The Bright Side Project began on a wintry, gray day in February.

In February they gave away art for 28 days, In March they gave away 31 days of accessories.  In April, they celebrated social conscience with 30 days of eco-friendly everything.  And so on, and so on, and so on.  Suddenly things didn’t seem so bleak anymore.

In fact, metaphorically speaking, the sun started to shine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and everyone stopped for a second to remember life is (still) beautiful and there is goodness in the world.

To learn more about how The Bright Side Project works, click here.

Miss B. is the founder and Editor in Chief of The Bright Side Project.  She has over twenty years experience as a publicist for high-end and couture brands in fashion and beauty.  This means she is very good at finding anything you could ever want—sometimes before you know you want it.

When Miss B. isn’t scouting fabulousness for The Bright Side Project, she is writing at her craftista blog, The Blah, Blah, Blahg, and taking copious pictures of flora, fauna, and fashion.  She also designs and produces all sorts of lovely things for Besotted Brand, the company she shares with Miss K.

You can win Miss B.’s heart with animals (especially the baby variety), ephemera, shoes, the color aqua, crafty tutorials, and great photography.

Miss K. is the co-owner and Editorial Director of The Bright Side Project.  She writes most of the posts on the products and brands featured daily.  She is also an attorney, wife, and mother of two young boys aged 2 and 4.  She is a skilled negotiator and an expert on dinosaurs and things with wheels.

When she isn’t writing about products, she is writing about everything else at her personal blog, Pancakes and French Fries.  Sadly, Miss K is watching her figure and therefore does not eat pancakes or French fries with any sort of regularity.  She works alongside Miss B. at Besotted Brand and writes for hire at The Poem Company.

Miss K loves hats, brooches, books, art, things that are proper, anything your grandma would love, and especially elephants.

Here's the giveaway entry for JiJi's!

JIJI’S CREATIVE DESIGNS

Question: What does an avid surfer of Korean descent born in Lima, Peru but living in Brooklyn, New York do when she is laid off from her corporate job in finance? She takes a sewing class on a whim, finds her passion, and establishes a successful business designing and making handbags and totes. Naturally.

Friends describe Jiyoung Kim (Ji) of JiJi’s Creative Designs as a fun loving, free spirited hippy (which is exactly how I describe all my friends in finance), and with a life story as intriguing as hers, I don’t doubt the description. It is very, very unlikely that Miss B. or I will ever be as easy going, carefree, or as open to change as Kim is, but that’s okay because we can wear a new personality with Kim’s Everyday Tote .

What is so great about this tote is that it truly is an everyday tote, and that means you can carry it no matter what role you are playing. You can carry it to work (employee of the month), bring it out for drinks (social butterfly), carry your laptop to the coffee shop (aspiring writer), or toss in some diapers on the way to the park (super mom). Of course, it should be no surprise that Kim designed a bag with so many options–those are the kind of numbers you can expect from a free-spirited hippy with a finance background.

Ji Kim is giving away one Everyday Tote in Alexander Henry’s Secret Garden or Robert Kaufman’s yellow, black + white, Night * Day to one lucky winner. Please answer the following question by Friday, June 26, 2009 in order to win.

What is the most out of character thing you have ever done, barring anything x-rated or, you know, criminal?

Please start checking the winner’s box on Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Good Luck!