PICK A HAT

Sure, the dermatologists say you need a proper topper to keep the sun off, but have you ever noticed how the wrong headgear can turn a styling look into pure dork? For hat-picking wisdom, I sought out Jenny Seth, buyer for Hats in the Belfry, with locations in Annapolis and Baltimore (as well as in Philadelphia and Destin, Fla., and online at http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com ).

"What will look good on you depends on things like your height and the shape of your face," Seth says. "Trying on a lot of hats is the way to go to see which looks great." If you're short, for example, steer clear of the wide brim -- unless sun protection is your main aim, in which case fashion be damned and your skin will thank you later.

Hats in the Belfry carries some 1,500 different hats, Seth says. "We can steer you in all kinds of directions, which is why we have so many." For that unforgettable look that makes a poolside splash, for example, you might consider the metal Viking helmet ("due to its weight, there will be extra shipping cost," so Web site says). Feeling young again? Try the propeller beanie. And there's always that tasteful classic, the two-can-capacity "beer buddy" drink hat, complete with drinking tube. I suppose it's too much to hope that any of these are the ones Seth means when she says, "We have hats that we sell hundreds of every season with a basic brim size that looks good on pretty much everyone."

If you must be serious (sure you can't be tempted by the Glitter Carmen Miranda hat? Very seasonal), for pool or beach, Seth suggests "more durable straw or cotton, something packable that can take getting wet." For making the scene around town, "we might suggest a toyo hat -- it looks almost like straw, but you can dye them to match anything, so we color lots of different shapes and sizes in toyo." Also, "Seersucker is huge again this year." Or you can make like Britney Spears, who popped into Seth's Florida store for a pink cowboy hat.

If sun protection is your goal, Seth says, "You want a fabric with a tight weave, one that the sun won't go through that also looks good with your face." That is, if you can bear to pass up the Flappy the Flying Chicken baseball cap.

BUILD A SAND CASTLE

Forget packing sand in a plastic bucket. It all starts with pancakes.

Lucinda "Sandy Feet" Wierenga, former English teacher, author of "Sandcastles Made Simple" (Stewart, Tabori and Chang) and a serious contender on the international sand-sculpting circuit (yes, there is an international sand-sculpting circuit -- you can see Wierenga's prizewinning entry in last year's Virginia Beach Neptune Festival at http://www.neptunefestival.com/2004sandcastle winners.htm ) shares the scoop on the art of building your own castle in the sand:

1. "Dig a hole by the water's edge down to the water table. Mix up the sand and water really well in the bottom -- most people don't realize how much water you'll need -- and then scoop up big handfuls of the wet sand."

2. Slap the handfuls one atop the other like very sloppy pancakes. "Stacked sand is happy sand."