summertime blues

I love summer. So much. I find the non-summer people strange. You know who I'm talking about: the naysayers who rag on the hot temperatures and say they're counting down the days 'til Christmas. I mean, I love the holidays just as much as everyone else, but what I definitely do not love is cold weather. And when you live in the Midwest, the cold weather is really, really, really cold. While we're still a few months out from decorating the tree or hanging up icicle lights, this is about the time of year when I start to get a little blue. Memorial Day was more than two months ago, and the 4th of July has come and gone. The back-to-school ads are all over the place and, before you know it, we're nosediving into fall.

"Where, oh where, has the time gone?" I often find myself pondering this question as August sets in. A part of my forlorn stems from working in higher education, where much of my job revolves around the academic year. In short: August-April = endless chaos; May-July = pure bliss.

Alas, there's no such thing as a clock that freezes time (at least not to my knowledge), so as the seasons go, so must we. And although the end of summer is impossibly bittersweet, the beginning of fall is truly one of life's essential delights. The cool air, the longer nights, the cozy sweaters, the cinnamon whiskey-spiked cider... ;)

But, for now, I'll enjoy these last weeks of summer as appreciatively as possible. I'll especially enjoy wearing effortless, simple ensembles like this plain white T paired with a denim midi skirt. I like that this look is a little dressier than, say, a T-shirt and jeans -- but it's still down-to-earth and approachable. To play off the denim, I wore blue accessories by the oh-so wonderful JES Design Studio.

Julie has been a longtime supporter of my blog. In fact, she was one of the first designers I ever had the pleasure of collaborating with, and it has been so rewarding to see her business grow over time. Of course, that's not at all surprising considering her utterly amazing designs. Seriously, I challenge you to not want at least a dozen pieces from her online shop, which is overflowing with bohemian-inspired, ultra-feminine jewelry that can complement virtually any look.

Take, for instance, this lapis necklace and these blue sodalite stone bar earrings. Talk about a match made in heaven! The pops of blue look phenomenal with the denim-and-white palette, although I can see these jewels pairing perfectly with a chambray button-up for a coffee date or a classic LBD for a night out on the town. No matter what, you're sure to find an excuse to wear these lovelies.