Swing into summer with Play Ball!

Hey there! Welcome back to another day of FULL-ON AWESOMENESS. 

Exaggeration? Not if you’re Finn Hawley, age 8, baseball player and superfan. When he found out I was doing a stamp set with a baseball theme, iterations of the word “awesome” were flying at me like balls hit off the bat of Stan Musial.

Finn loves baseball. He loves playing, he loves watching, he loves stats, he loves players, and quite simply, he loves The Game. This snapshot of Finn playing third base was taken last year, when the Red Hot Fireballs (don’t you dig those smokin’ hot red jerseys and caps?) were in the midst of a local rec league game.

 

I’m a born and bred St. Louis Cardinals fan, and the same goes for my family (I mean, what’s not to love? GO CARDS! Woooooo!!!). Finn’s dad’s side of the family—ESPECIALLY his dear Grandma Mary—are crazy for the Chicago Cubs. I don’t know if you follow the majors, but the Cubs and Cards have one of the biggest rivalries in baseball. Usually it’s a good-natured ribbing, but man, the fans can get a bit, well, colorful in their support or disdain for their chosen team. My kiddos are big supporters of BOTH teams, and often can be found wearing Cubs and Cards gear at the same time. A recent example, we went to the first Cubs-Cards match-up this season (pic below). Finn is wearing a retro-style Stan Musial (“Stan the Man”) jersey that I sewed for him (with a red Yadier Molina Cards t-shirt underneath!), paired with a bright blue Cubs ball cap. When asked by folks sitting near us how he could be a fan of BOTH teams, he said with confidence, “I really just love the game.”

That kid. Don’t you want to hug him?

So, I’ve designed a set in honor of this beloved game and my snuggable little baseball fan: Play Ball!

 

My set is a bit different from other sporty sets, as I’ve chosen to celebrate the vintage look and feel of baseball: the old felt pennants with exuberant one-of-a-kind lettering, the well-worn woodgrain and colorful stripes on the old bats, the trusty ball cap (which can be personalized with your team colors, how do you like them apples?)—it’s the little details that make something feel special, and I hope you and the sports fans in your life will think this one’s a big hit! 

I know some folks who have decidedly smashed this one out of the park—the Bloom Brigade! Hope you’ll go run ’round the bases to see what they’ve created with Play Ball!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thank you so much for coming by... and please pop back in tomorrow, as I have something sassy to share for our next set sneak!