Confessions of a Maine Blueberry Fan

If you've ever fallen in love with Maine blueberries, there's a good chance they've found their way into your kitchen, your home, and maybe even your décor. Around here, blueberry season doesn't always end when the berries are gone—it often lives on in mugs, tea towels, pottery, and the little reminders of summer that make a house feel like home.

(It Started with One Little Tea Towel.)

Nobody plans for this to happen.

Nobody wakes up one morning and says,

"Today, I'm going to turn my kitchen into a blueberry-themed masterpiece."

No.

It happens much more quietly than that.

One summer, you buy a jar of wild Maine blueberry jam.

The next week, you spot the cutest little blueberry tea towel.

Well...

It would look perfect in the kitchen.

A month later, there's a blueberry mug.

Then another one.

Because apparently one mug gets lonely.

Before you know it...

You own blueberry potholders.

Blueberry dish towels.

Blueberry napkins.

Blueberry placemats.

Blueberry canisters.

Blueberry serving bowls.

Blueberry coasters.

Blueberry artwork.

Blueberry candles.

Blueberry soap.

Blueberry oven mitts.

Blueberry magnets.

Blueberry everything.

You don't remember making this decision.

It just...

...percolated.

It Always Starts Innocently.

You're walking through a little gift shop in Maine.

You weren't shopping for kitchen décor.

You were looking for...

Actually, you don't remember what you were looking for.

Because suddenly you're holding a blueberry butter dish.

And you're convincing yourself...

"Well...I don't actually have a blueberry butter dish."

Which is technically true.

Five minutes later...

You're carrying a shopping bag.

Then You Start Coordinating.

This is where things escalate.

Now you're thinking...

"The blueberry towel doesn't really match the blueberry mug."

So naturally...

You need another mug.

Then another towel.

Maybe a table runner.

A little pottery.

Nothing crazy.

Just enough to accidentally create an entire blueberry collection.

Your Friends Notice.

Someone walks into your kitchen.

They pause.

They look around.

Then they smile.

"You really like blueberries."

You laugh.

"I guess I do."

Guess?

There's a ceramic blueberry pitcher sitting next to blueberry salt and pepper shakers.

There is no guessing involved anymore.

You Begin Decorating by the Seasons.

Spring?

Tulips.

Winter?

Snowmen.

Christmas?

Plaid.

Summer?

Blueberries.

Always blueberries.

Because nothing says "Maine summer" quite like tiny blue berries on absolutely everything.

Then Comes the Gift-Giving.

Your family has figured it out.

Birthdays?

Blueberry gifts.

Mother's Day?

Blueberry gifts.

Christmas?

Blueberry gifts.

Vacation?

Someone brings you home...

...a blueberry spoon rest.

And somehow...

You genuinely don't have one.

You Have Opinions Now.

Not all blueberry patterns are created equal.

Some are too bright.

Some are too modern.

Some are too fancy.

You prefer the ones that look like they belong in a cozy Maine cottage where someone is currently baking a pie.

Congratulations.

You now have favorite blueberry artwork.

You Start Finding Blueberries Everywhere.

At craft fairs.

At antique shops.

At farmers markets.

At little roadside gift stores.

At that one shop you only meant to browse.

You tell yourself...

"I'm just looking."

We've already talked about this.

Nobody in Maine has ever...

...just looked.

Then Someone Says It.

"You know...

...you have a lot of blueberry stuff."

You look around.

The blueberry wreath.

The blueberry cookie jar.

The blueberry pitcher.

The blueberry bowls.

The blueberry towel hanging on the oven.

The blueberry centerpiece.

The blueberry calendar.

The blueberry artwork.

The blueberry...

Well.

Maybe they have a point.

But Here's the Thing...

Blueberries aren't really the point.

They're a reminder.

Of warm July afternoons.

Of roadside farm stands.

Of stained fingertips.

Of pie cooling on the counter.

Of picking berries with family.

Of long summer days that somehow never feel long enough.

Every blueberry in your kitchen quietly says the same thing.

"Remember summer?"

And somehow...

You do.

Every single time.

One Last Confession...

If you've ever walked into a gift shop...

Picked up something with blueberries on it...

Smiled...

And said,

"Well...I don't have one of these."

Congratulations.

You're not decorating.

You're collecting little pieces of Maine.

And honestly...

We think your kitchen looks beautiful.

Just don't be surprised...

...when you come home with another blueberry tea towel.

They travel in packs.

We have notes. 🫐🍁

Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is the founder of 207 Vibes and firmly believes there is no such thing as too many Maine blueberries. She also suspects blueberry tea towels multiply when left unattended. When she's not exploring Maine, she's probably writing about it...or coming home with "just one more" blueberry-themed treasure.