The Summer Baby Effect: Why I Believe in Everyday Celebrations

I was born in the heart of August.

That sweet, slow part of summer when the sun lingers just a little longer in the sky, and everything feels slightly faded—like a memory being made in real time.

But here’s the thing about summer birthdays: everyone’s gone.

At least that’s how it felt growing up. Friends were scattered. School was out. Camps, road trips, family vacations—whatever it was, it meant that birthday parties were rarely planned. Most of the time, they were impromptu moments with whoever was around: summer friends, close family, the neighbor who happened to stop by.

And over time, I started to love that.

 

Learning to Celebrate the Everyday

There’s something sacred about the spontaneous gathering.

Not the carefully curated dinner. Not the RSVP-required party. But the kind of moment where someone shows up with a bottle, where the table is imperfect, and the laughter just happens.

Those are the moments I started to cherish most. And maybe it’s because my birthday never felt tied to the calendar, but to connection itself. No pressure. Just presence.

That’s why I believe in everyday celebrations—the kind that feel like a warm toast to life as it is. The kind that aren’t staged, but remembered.

 

 

The Heart of PEC Was Born in These Moments

 

Printed Echoes Creations was never meant to be about grand occasions.

It was meant to be a quiet revolution in how we connect—with art, with words, with each other. That’s why our What-If Collection exists: to offer cards you don’t overthink. Just write it. Give it. Let it land.

It’s also why we created Apéro Invite, a limited-edition card that invites celebration with no occasion needed.

Because the most meaningful gestures are often the smallest ones.

“There is no remedy for summer but to keep singing its song.” — A quote that lingers with me from Maria Popova’s writing, one of the few places online that celebrates thoughtfulness the way I wish more of the world did.

 

How My Summer Birthdays Shaped the Way I Give

 

Now that I’m older, my favorite kind of gift isn’t the expensive one.

It’s the handwritten note tucked into a book.

It’s the card someone saved because it said exactly what they couldn’t.

It’s the surrealist art print that quietly speaks to a season of your life.

It’s the kind of gift that makes someone feel something—and that stays long after the moment has passed.

This is also why PEC believes in artful gifts they’ll actually keep, and why we encourage slow, seasonal reflection over fast gifting cycles.

According to Psychology Today, small, thoughtful gestures often have the strongest emotional impact because they’re unexpected and personal—exactly the kind of connection PEC wants to spark.

 

A Few Everyday Ways to Celebrate (No Occasion Required)

 

 

And that’s what I want to keep creating, with PEC, with my art, with every card that carries more than words.

 

If this resonated with you, I share reflections like this in Echoes, our gentle monthly newsletter—along with exclusive little gifts, early access to new pieces, and a few artful surprises.

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