Hidden Etsy Gems, Elin Hilderbrand, and a Summer Playlist

that I've been loving this week

Jun 22, 2025

On The Sunny Side #28 is a weekly round-up where I share a few sunny things that have brightened my days, what I’m reading, watching, and obsessing over too.

Greetings from Cape Cod!

This past weekend I spent on the Cape for a friends Bachelorette party. We had a lovely time—eating all the lobster rolls, getting out on the water, and of course celebrating our bride-to-be. I felt like a main character in an Elin Hilderbrand novel, which was very appropriate seeing as I read The Five-Star Weekend leading up to this trip.

Today I wanted to share a few things that I’ve been loving lately. Think of this as an abbreviated version of my monthly fixations that’ll be live next weekend, which holy cow!! How has June gone by so quickly?!?! Can someone make it stop 😅

P.S. Please click the heart 🤎 on this post! It helps others on the Substack platform find it.

Hidden gems on Etsy

The theme for my friends bach was Mermaids. Without going ham on a bunch of sh*t I wouldn’t wear again, I opted for subtle accessories. This lead me down an Etsy rabbit hole and I picked up a few things that I’m obsessed with.

Hibiscus hair clips to add as a a makeshift bag charm, and actually holds your hair in place. I bought four of these for the girlies and I traveling from Chicago and everyone loved them. I know you can get similar clips like this from Amazon, but does Jeff really need more of our $$$?

If you’ve been on the hunt for a summery beaded necklace that isn’t going to break the bank, might I recommend this Mixed Bead Pearl Necklace and pearl shell earrings from the same Etsy shop? I will be wearing both of these long after this weekend.

A bookish shirt that makes for a great sleep shirt, beach cover up, conversation starter in one. I bought this for the bride-to-be’s PJ/lingerie surprise gift with a pair of boxer shorts. Another big win from Etsy!

Elin Hilderbrand Novels

reading Elin outside isn't required but highly encouraged

If you’re looking for a quintessential summer read that isn’t a fluffy romance or romcom then you have to pick up an Elin Hilderbrand novel. Most of her books are set on Nantucket and are chock full of hydrangea bushes, crisp cool glasses of wine, and engaging characters. As mentioned in the intro, I read The Five-Star Weekend right before my own Cape Cod weekend trip and it was nothing less than idyllic. I’ve already placed a hold on The Perfect Couple (and yes, I have watched the Netflix show already) for my return, and I *loved* The Hotel Nantucket last summer. It was my first Elin and a great intro to her writing style and quirky characters.

Rewatching The Summer I Turned Pretty

in anticipation of the release of the third and final season of this series. My hubs men’s baseball league is in full swing which means I’ve got some solo TV time on my hands. Instead of figuring out what I should watch next (which if you have a show rec, tell me!) I made the executive decision to rewatch The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Summery Dinner Playlists

to play while cooking dinner or dining al fresco with a big ole glass of wine (or if you’re like me a bubbly water).

A few more links before we go

🍾 What to do when traditional celebrations are costing upward of $1k? Is the simplest of answers to just say no? And what the heck is a Hatchelorette?

🤰🏻 An interesting read of women sharing if they think it’s selfish to have kids or not.

👔 When you need ideas on how to style a button down (it’s behind a paywall but Kelly’s got a 7-day free trial).

🎥 The trailer for the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. I can’t help but wonder if it’ll follow the book or diverge?

🌬️ Want to visit Chicago and live like a local this summer? I’ve got a guide for that!

Alright friends, I’ve gotta go catch my flight home to snuggle all the fur babies (and hubby of course).

Before I go, for any of the Elin Hilderbrand lovers, what’s your favorite Elin book?? I’m tempted to read as many as I can this summer.