Perhaps I'm an old soul, but I still love to write letters. With such a hectic schedule it seems there's not much time to practice this fine art, but summertime always causes me to slow down a bit. Here's some sweet stationary I hope to pick up next time I'm out and about.

We're wrapping up the July/August issue here at Coastal HQ, so I've been surrounded by summertime cheer inside while the stubborn gray skies linger outside. Here are some pretty things I'm keeping around in an effort to hang onto that sunny feeling!

Graphic Terry Chaise Cushion Covers; potterybarn.com. Rock Lobster Intarsia Cardigan; betseyjohnson.com. Wood Outdoor Umbrella + Stand; westelm.com. Our Most Buzz-worth Margarita (featured in the June 2009 issue, on newsstands now!). Enjoy Your Meal Silverware Napkins; plumparty.com. Wire Basket; crateandbarrel.com. Grid Pattern Dinner Plate; target.com.

Our Editor Lindsay Bierman recently snapped these images of some great coastal items at The Monogram Shop. This iconic East Hampton retailer offers all sorts of personalized items from beach towels to Lucite trays. You can bring a little bit of the Hamptons into your home by shopping on their Web site. Here's some of Lindsay's favorite finds:

Solid Color Beach Towels $60

Striped Beach Towels $80

Creating perfectly smudge-able lines just got easier with the advent of Revlon's Beyond Natural Eye Pencil ($7.99). I'm really bad at using eyeliner, but this pencil makes it so easy. And truly, it creates these great medium-thick super blend-able lines that I love.

I was talking to our Advertising Production Manager Meagan Yeilding recently and she raved about Aveeno Lip Conditioner ($3.69) (she just bought three tubes!). Here's what she said:

"I love it, because it truly conditions your lips. I use it as a base coat before putting on gloss or another color, but it does well standing alone too. It has a little bit of a sheen, so if you’re in a hurry or don’t have color with you. It serves as a conditioner and clear gloss combined. Plus, it smells good and is affordable. so it's hard to resist."

Courtesy of aveeno.com

I'm a natural blond, but I'm finding that as I get older my highlight are starting to fade into a  not-very-pretty dull brown. In an effort to preserve my salon hightlights and boost my natural color I recently picked up John Frieda's Color-Renew Tone-Restoring Shampoo & Go Blonder Lightening Conditioner ($7.99 each). After a couple of washes I was sold. My hair really does look lighter and brighter.

Courtesy of johnfrieda.com

I don't know what it is (too much continuous coverage of Octomom?), but I have developed an octopus craving of late. Everywhere I turn, there's something adorable or stylish I am itching to get my hands on.

If I had a sleek, all-white beach house, I'd put one of these on a lacquered side table. Each one is made to order, so the only problem would be deciding among the lovely colors (full disclosure: I covet the brown one).

Americans have long had a love affair with the beach. That’s clear from a new web site, LIFE.com. Its collection of photos include seven million images from the archives of the storied magazine, which is affiliated with Coastal Living.

On its home page today, it features a slide show of folks having fun at the shore. From blanket tosses to sunbathing to cuddling on the sand, you’re sure to enjoy this nostalgic journey.

According to People.com, actress Gwyneth Paltrow has designed a limited-edition bikini for Lilly Pulitzer. Paltrow and eight other stars have created exclusive looks in the company's preppy prints for A Colorful Cause: Celebrity Designer Program, which honors the label's 50th anniversary by supporting The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation.

You can purchase the designs in April at Lilly Pulitzer stores or online at lillypulitzer.com.

Click here to learn more about the foundation and its efforts to fight a rare children's skin disease.

Look for 15 of our favorite swimsuit picks for summer coming to CoastalLiving.com in May!

Confession: I bought four pairs of shoes this weekend. I know, I know. We're in a recession, but somebody has to keep the economy running, right?

Photo courtesy of dsw.com

If your closet looks like mine then you have shoes climbing the walls and covering the floor. Okay, okay, so I could put some sort of appropriate shoe rack in there. But what to do with my flip flops?

Our copy editor Katie Finley brought me the answer today. A flip flop holder! This modular shoe rack mounts to the wall for easy access and creative display. Click here to find out more.

A Mary Kay rep in my neighborhood dropped off a pamphlet this weekend, and I noticed they're featuring a new collection called Coastal Colors. According to their Web site, it's inspired by "ethereal layers of sky, a sparkling ocean and a silky beach."

The limited-edition collection includes: a Mineral Eye Color Palette with three Coastal Colors, two eyeliner pencils in Bahama Blue and Tahitian Gold, and three lip glosses in Polynesian Petals, Caribbean Coral, and Hawaiian Sunset.

Glad to see we're not the only ones who enjoy the look of the sea.

For more visit marykay.com.