The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

You tell 'em, little Fisher-Price Little People man.  You tell 'em.

Well, Internets, now that Memorial Day has come and gone, you know what that means.  Well, if you happen to call any one of the fifty states of a certain set of united ones your home, you do; if not, allow me to explain.

See, it is not the American way to wait for things like, oh, the summer solstice to declare the start of  what is easily the most anticipated season of the year.  Nope--that's for all the rest of you silly saps.*  As far as we're concerned, summer starts roughly 20 days before the subsolar point reaches the Tropic of Cancer (AKA latitude 23.44° north,) and we celebrate accordingly by barbecuing, swimming and basically anything else that strikes us as particularly summery.

However, don't go thinking that we're bogarting all the summer--we also believe that summer ends on Labor Day, which--interestingly enough--clocks in about 20 days before the autumnal equinox, so we get about as much as everybody else.  We just seem to think it starts earlier and ends sooner than the rest of ya'll do.

So it is with this in mind that today's post is all about that most summery of summertime accessories: the sunglasses.

First up is this lovely pair made from bamboo.  Which is pretty cool in and of itself, but then they went and painted them green, which pushes them over into Critically Cool.  Because Green = Awesome.  Always.

Speaking of things made of wood, I am loving this stripey-veneered pair of sunglasses.  The pattern is deliciously retro, but since I don't  recall there being many sunglasses featuring wooden veneers back in the '80s, the material keeps them looking fresh.

This handpainted pair of sunglasses is inspiring in a very bad way.  Why do I say that?  Because it looks so pretty and after you look at them for a little bit, you start thinking to yourself, "Hey, I have a paint pen, a pair of sunglasses and a house free of people to talk me out of this--I can totally make my own pair!"

Note: I am not saying that this did happen.  I'm just saying that it could have happened.  There is a difference.

Granted, this painted Pac-Man pair is no less inspiring, but the temptation is easier to resist when your sunglasses' frames happen to be brown instead of black.  Can't think of too many old-school video games that had a brown background screen, can you?

And just because I'm aware that the crystal-studded look is all the rage, here's a pair of embellished heart-shaped sunglasses:

Sure, they may not be as sparkly as some, but admit it--if they make you as happy as the woman currently modelling them, who cares about sparkle?

And in that note, see you Friday!

* In regards to those who also live in the northern hemisphere.  For you southern hemisphere types, that's your winter solstice and you have my sympathy.