I don't know about you, but I love fall!  I love cozy sweater weather, the smell and crunch of crisp autumn leaves, and of course pumpkin spice everything.

It's Whitney here from Whitney à la mode and you may be wondering why I'm starting my Summer Series post with a love letter to fall.  Well friends, in an effort to truly embrace the end of summer (as opposed to prematurely jumping into the next season), I'm here today to remind myself (and you) why this is a lovely time of the year!

Warm-Weather Tailgating

Like most of us, I usually associate football season with fall.  But while we technically still have about a month of summer left, football season is in full swing!  Why not embrace the best of both worlds and enjoy tailgating before the cold, rain, and even snow make an appearance?  It's so nice to be able to wear my favorite Michigan State t-shirt without worrying about all the layers.  You also have to admit that it's nice to indulge in your favorite tailgating finger foods without the constant pulling on and off of gloves.  So let's leave those space heaters at home and enjoy the weather!  Go State!

Iced Coffee


I'm no discriminator when it comes to coffee.  I love it hot or iced, home-brewed or from my favorite coffee shop, with a little milk or full of sweet syrup!  While I'll enoy my hot coffee when the time comes, I will embrace my favorite iced brews for a couple more weeks.  This summer I discovered a great local coffee shop called Strange Matter Coffee Co.  If you find yourself in the Lansing area, I would highly recommend the Nola Iced Coffee with almond milk.  Delicious!

My original goal was to think of ten reasons why we should stay excited about summer...but then I got stuck at five.  I enlisted the help of my family members who each provided one thing they love about this time of year and here are their answers:

Papa à la mode: "Great time of year to golf."

Sister à la mode: "How about perfect weather for morning and evening walks and last end of summer ice cream treats!"

So there you have it, friends!  Did I convince you to remain excited about the end of summer before jumping into fall?  What is your favorite thing about this time of year?  Do any of our reasons match?



Whitney is the newest contributor for The Blended Blog and also shares her thoughts over at Whitney à la mode.  She is a French teacher with a passion for fashion, her cat, strawberry pie, the Mitten State and either a glass of red wine or a cup of coffee (depending on the time of day).  Whitney à la mode is mostly a personal style blog with a sprinkle of lifestyle posts.  In English, we often use "à la mode" to order ice cream with our dessert.  However, in French, "à la mode" means in style.  Please join Whitney on her journey in becoming a bit more "à la mode!"