With such sunny sunny weather I've been craving more color in my wardrobe. Pops of green and blue and red. Yes please. But then I came to the sad realization that I have hardly any color in my jewelry/accessories. 99% metal with some color here and there---I need more color! And then I saw these lovelies: 
Summer is the Champion. Hello pretty pop-o'-color! Where have you been hiding?
These cutie studs are sure to catch an eye or two. The Summer is the Champion studs are from the b&i Music collection. To find out more I asked Betsy to shed light on their story.
Barrie: This piece comes from the Music collection. Tell us a little bit about the collection as a whole. Why music?
Betsy: My first love in life is personal human connection---with family, friends and the community that surrounds us and the stories that emerge and revolve around those connections. My second love in life (which is very strongly tied to the first) is music. My parents made sure music was a huge part of our lives from day one. I can't think of a Saturday morning in my childhood when we weren't rocking out---literally, dancing around the room, on the couches, dad throwing us in the air...all to the sounds of the greats. When I dream of starting a new collection, I can't help but brush the ideas up against the most important experiences in my life. Music is one of those.
Barrie: What was the inspiration and story behind this particular piece?
Betsy: Music was the jumping off point. I also had developed an obsession for a particular African bead---folklore says the beads are cut from old vinyl records. The connection was too perfect. I was interested in how color and shape correspond with music. For each piece, I would listen to the selected song over and over again and begin sketching. This particular song makes me think of wild abandon, soft summer love, sun kissing the body. It reminds me of those times with my family, sharing music together, laying in the summer grass next to a love with the vast black sky and stars everywhere. That is what I see in these earrings.
**Sidebar! (Barrie again) I know you're all drooling right now at how amazing these little square muses are, but some of you might be thinking, "What do I wear these with?" Oh my goodness thank you for asking! How about I show you what I would wear them with. Yeah? Cool? Cool.**
This House of Lolo Sleepover Tee
This classic little number from Coach
THESE chunks of heaven from Solestruck
And top it off with this!
Okay, okay. Back to the interview...
Barrie: What three words describe the "Summer is the Champion"?
Betsy: Balance, Play, Warmth
Barrie: What occasion are these studs perfect for?
Betsy: A bonfire with new friends and old friends and a nice cold beer.
Find our inspiration images *here*
Nothing like soaking up the sun during a Portland summer. Ahhhhhh.... ***Song of the moment: Summer Is The Champion, by Laura Veirs***