Holidays call for light and breezy dresses worn with flats and a barefaced glow.

These ones ($66) from Etsy seller Ramies tick every box. They are custom-made to your digits, feature charming accents (pleats, pockets and pretty buttons) and come in a comfy, breathable linen.

I chose the Summertime dress in sorbet pinks and lilacs, but it is available in every colour you could possibly wish for.

Sadly, my summer will not include a Roman holiday, but this dress will happily take me to Muskoka and back. —Athena Tsavliris

www.etsy.com/shop/ramies

Once a fashion faux-pas, mixing silver and gold is now an accessory all right. But what’s even cooler than a silver and gold mix-up? Answer: a metal mix-a-thon.

CoutuKitsch is a Calgary/Winnipeg mother-daughter duo behind a vintage-inspired accessories collection that includes many mixed-metal pieces. 

A few of my favourites are the duster earrings, made up of delicate copper, antique bronze, gold, silver, and gunmetal chains ($25) and the hand armor vintage brass cuff/ring that’s attached by the same chains from finger to wrist ($40, pictured).

The line also includes handmade scarves, cufflinks and accessories with a more delicate look for those who aren’t ready to become metal heads just yet.

At Etsy.

Skip the monthly puppies-dressed-up-people-clothes motif and for 2011, keep track of the days with a cool Keep Calm and Send Up Calendar.

On the heels of last year’s obsession with the famous war-time tagline, “Keep Calm and Carry On,” the new year edition includes a motto for each month like “Wear Bikini and Avoid Mirrors” in June, and “Say Thanks and Exchange for Jewelry” in December.

As for January, "Keep Warm and Get It On."

US$6 (plus shipping) at Etsy.

We’ve tried it all: flash cards, lists and even the Fifty Nifty song. And finally, we’ve figured out what it takes to memorize the 50 states: cheese.

AHeirloom, a Brooklyn-based husband and wife team, has created the state series cutting and cheese boards. Made from butcher-block bamboo plywood (plyboo), the boards, each one in the shape of a state, are available in amber and a natural light tone. They’re continually adding to the series so if your favourite state isn’t yet there, requests are accommodated.

No word if that includes provinces.

US$38 at Etsy.

We’ve long had a love affair with the leather bags and bow clutches by Hoakon loves Helga, but now we’re having a summer fling with the line’s newest beach totes and bike bags.

Made from fabric and deconstructed vintage leather jackets, the bags are all handmade in Calgary. The upcycled, fully lined, textured black leather bike bag with a zipper closure and vintage belt straps for attaching to your handlebars (US$65) is the perfect cruiser bike accessory while the Ikat print beach tote (US$65, pictured) even has a pocket for your summer read.

Summer loving happens so fast.

At Hoakon loves Helga’s Etsy Shop.

It may not be ladylike to discuss the birds and the bees, but wearing them is another story.

The Pollen Series by Carl Abad (from $300 apiece) is a collection of statement necklaces inspired by fluttering birds, pollen-gathering bees and blooming flowers. Made from reclaimed jewellery and antique pieces, the necklaces are reworked and designed to balance the shape of the female body with heavy detail on top and lenthy strands to elongate the silhouette. 

The buzz-worthy, one-of-a-kind pieces are often added to Abad’s Etsy shop but they don’t last long.

www.etsy.com/shop/carlabad

Dear Beyoncé,
Instead of telling him to put a ring on it, he should put the whole world at your fingertips.

Or, at least Seattle, Paris, Pisa and London with the clever and cute Landmark Ring (USD$24).

Created by Los Angeles-based jewellery line Plastique, this precious set of four bands includes mini versions of the Space Needle, the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Big Ben.

Now cue the backup dancers.

At www.etsy.com