June's beachy beauty

The June issue of Martha Stewart Living arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and its lean size actually speaks volumes about its breezy content. Beach houses, seaside printing projects and light, airy recipes perfect for those warm days by the water fill this little issue. I had rated last June's issue as the worst of 2008, but this year's June offering is a delight.

The cover has a fresh, summery vibe - the living room of a Long Island summer home by the sea.

The bedroom in the same home begs for a 20-minute cat nap between swims.

The mud room of the house is all set for outdoor play, stocked wtih beach towels and flip-flops.

My favourite feature is an article on using sea-themed patterns in printing projects for summer. Above, a pink sarong is splashed with starbursts in a darker shade of rose using starfish as the stamping mechanism.

The starfish pattern is repeated here in blue on a child's white t-shirt.

Using resin and plastic fish forms, create a wall-mounted aquarium of colourful prints on rice paper.

Beautiful seashell patterns on an assortment of cool-coloured pillows and cushions lend a nautical touch to this lounge-friendly nook.

Whether you roll it up and place it in a time-worn glass bottle to be tossed into the ocean, or send them the usual route, your own personal stationery can evoke the feel of a pebbled beach by laying beach stones or shells on paper and spraying the area with watered-down paint in cool shades of blue.