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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Create28 Fall ~ Carrie's Recap

Oh my goodness! It's the end of October already and the close of another Create28. Friends, I'm so glad you took this journey with us. Style is always better with friends. I consider myself doubly blessed that you are here {my readers} and that I have lovely co-hosts {Whitney} and {Casey}.

 I know I have enjoyed your looks on Instagram each day. Thank you for showing us your style!
 To be very honest, my month has been jammed packed with so many things that I have struggled with putting together looks. For most of the month it did not feel like fall, which made it hard to get into the groove of fall looks. I've also been at war with my closet. What I mean by that statement is I have been having difficulty liking my pieces and finding I don't love very many. The ones I love I save for something "special". In the midst of that craziness I enlisted the help of my hubster. He gave me some incredible input which helped me to choose looks which I love from Create28 and really define me. {More on this conversation and such in an upcoming posts. Please stay tuned!} So these are our favorite looks.
color mixing-grey:wine:navy
fall colors collage
patterned bottoms
grey sheath collage Create28Faves Collage
It's odd that most of my faves were skirts and dresses. I rarely have the opportunity to wear them because my workplace is very casual and mostly denim is what is appropriate on a daily basis. Maybe that's what made Create28 fun for me...creating looks that I don't always get to wear on a regular basis.
Of course, I have a fave of Whitney's! Love her plaid look so so much. Mixed with the stripes makes it even better! She's such a cutie!

My fave from Casey was her long cardigan. Every element of this look just works together so well. It's just cozy, comfy and oh so perfect for fall and winter.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Dyr9yPAO-3miwGArsrwR_Juw0dpxeQ7FvfH4Oi7by_BzyP3SY_x6gh2DIeZDkBQr1U_pPxfZEdQXg7MMuAdVkjtVTtR3vZ2q5wJL6VZE1DwQrN9eoYSRPs4iAfBVbVF_NTLMEMK5Odd/s1600/LONG+CARDI+1.jpg
That's our wrap on Create28 Fall Looks. We loved it and loved having y'all with us on this journey. We'll be putting another one together after the holidays. Please join us again and join in!
Create28 Collage Where I'm linking up.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Create28 Fall ~ My Recap!

It never fails. October goes by SO QUICKLY...then all of a sudden it's Thanksgiving...then Christmas...then boom..2015 will be history! This October flew by and I had so much fun with my blogging besties Carrie and Whitney showing some fun fall outfits.

Today I'll be recapping a few of my faves and my favorites from Carrie and Whitney as well!!


Here are the outfits and details ~

Outfit 1: Fur and Gingham. Read original post HERE.

Jeans: Old Navy (similar)
Ankle Boots: ( similar)
Shirt: Target (similar)
Vest: option


Outfit 2: Herringbone Vest and Faux Blanket Scarf. Read original post HERE.


Jeans (my FAVE to wear with boots!): exact
Striped Tee: Target (similar)
Vest: via Jane (similar, similar)
Boots: Frye (similar)
Scarf: Similar

Outfit 3: Long Cardigan and Boots. Read original post HERE.


Cardigan: cute option, cute option , cute option
Sweater: option, option
Scarf: similar, similar
Ponte Pants/Jeggings: similar, similar
Boots: Corso Como/Nordstrom (similar)
Boot Cuffs: DIY'ed

Outfit 4: Plaid dress and Boots. Read original post HERE.


Plaid Dress: Target (exact, see other options below!)
Boots: Corso Como/Nordstrom (similar)
Scarf: Nordstrom/BP: (option,option)

Outfit 5: White after Labor Day. Read original post HERE.


White Jeans: Loft (similar)
Sweater: Nordstrom Rack (similar, similar)
Leopard Scarf: H&M (similar, similar)
Boots: Corso Como/Nordstrom (similar)


Outfit 6: My Fall Go-To Look....totally ME!!! Read original post HERE.


Jeans: Wit and Wisdom/Nordstrom (exact)
Plaid: Express (exact, cute option, cute option)
Scarf: similar, option
Boots: Frye/Nordstrom (exact, similar)
Necklace: Stella & Dot (exact)

Here are my favorites from Carrie and Whitney ~

Carrie:  I LOVED how Carrie mixed different tones of purple/marsala to to create this awesome combo!! The little ankle boots added the perfect amount of "fall" to this outfit! LOVE IT! Read her original post HERE.

Whitney: I have always envied the shirt-layered-under-dress look and so far it hasn't worked on me! But man, does it work on Whitney!!! I LOVE her combo of stripes and chambray too! What's not to love? Read her original post HERE.



Well, that is a WRAP for Create28 Fall Looks!!! We have truly enjoyed seeing all of your looks on social media!! Thank you so much for joining us!! Carrie will be recapping her looks tomorrow.

We are already scheming up our next project so stay tuned! The next fun thing will be the Winter Challenge--registration opens 11/20 and get ready!!! I LOVED LOVED the winter challenge last year!!


Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

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Create28 Fall ~ Whitney's Recap

I'm beginning to feel like a broken record at the end of each of the Create28 challenges that I've done, but wow, time really flew this time!

I have to admit that our Fall Challenge was a bit of a struggle for me, mostly because of my hectic school schedule.  Our last challenge fell during my summer break when I had plenty of time to devote to outfit creation, photo shoots and post writing.  The excitements and stresses of being in the first couple of months of a new job, however, made these tasks more difficult.

In a low moment a few weeks ago, my mom asked me if I would be willing to give up blogging in order to lighten my load a bit.  My immediate gut reaction was "no."  Regardless of how stressed I feel, this blog is one of the only things that I do for me.  As a teacher, I spend most of my waking hours giving and creating for others.  I really need this space because it gives me a reason to check in with myself every once in awhile and to do some thing that I truly enjoy!

So thank you for stopping by my little oasis!  I hope that you've had as much fun with Create28 as I have.  What were your favorite prompts this time around?  These were my personal favorite looks:

Plaid  /  Moccasins  /  Trend

Looking at these pictures together, I'm a bit surprised.  If you've spent any time around these parts, you may have noticed that I adore skirts and dresses...but I'm wearing pants in all of these looks.  Weird!  I think this might be because I've changed my eating habits in the last couple of months and am feeling better about myself and how I look in my pants.  The other common thread amongst these photos is a somewhat drapey top.  I guess skinny jeans + comfy top = my fall uniform!

I definitely wouldn't have made it through this month without my beautiful friends and cohosts, Carrie and Casey!  Carrie has the put-together office look absolutely down and Carey is the epitome of California cool.  These were my favorite looks of theirs:


So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, for playing along and for being part of my blogging experience!  Until next time, au revoir!



Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Create28 Fall ~ Four Essential Vests for Fall

I rarely come in contact with a vest I don't like...cargo/military, puffer,denim, herringbone, fur you name it! I love vests! They are such a nice, functional layer to your Fall outfit. Here I'll show you my top FOUR favorite vests for fall...


Vest #1: Herringbone ~ This vest is an oldie but goodie. It's a "look for less" vest I picked up from Jane.come, a knockoff of the original J. Crew herringbone vest.

The Herringbone vest works great with ~
~ Jeans
~ Burgundy Jeans/Cor
~ Plaid

Herringbone Vest: Splurge, The Look for Less

Vest #2: The Puffer ~ I love puffer vests on days I just don't want to wear a full-on jacket or coay but need the extra warmth and layer. This down one from Eddie Bauer has been in my closet for YEARS and I wear in constantly on the weekends, to soccer games and other causal outings.

The Puffer vest works great with ~
~ Jeans
~ Casual outfits
~ Sneakers
~ Plaid shirt

Puffer Vest: Eddie Bauer (cute option, cute option)

Vest #3: Cargo/Military  ~ This is hands down my most worn vest. I wear all 3 seasons...with shorts and tees in the summer and with jeans/dresses/tights in the fall and winter.

The Cargo/Military vest works well with ~
 ~ Jeans
~ Casual dresses and tights
~ Leopard
~ Plaid
~Stripes
~ Layered over sweaters
~ ANYTHING!! :)

Cargo/Military Vest: option, option

Vest #4: Faux Fur  ~ Yes, it's a trendy item (see yesterday's post HERE), but since I was able to get this vest for a steal, I latched on to the trend :) Fur vests, if you find the right one, are just a little trendy update that your wardrobe might need for Fall!

The Fur vest works well with ~
~ Plaid and Gingham
~ Jeans
~ Dresses
~ Black Jeans
~ Sunglasses (just kidding..it was literally 90 degrees when I took this pic!)

Grey Fur Vest: option, option

Are you a vest lover like me? What are your favorite vests for fall???

I can't believe it, but October is coming to a close and we are winding down #Create28 Fall Looks! Join me on Friday as I recap my favorite looks from the month including my faves from Carrie and Whitney!

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

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Monday, October 26, 2015

Create28 Fall ~ Pinned It & Did It!

One of my favorite ways to get outfit inspiration is of course, Pinterest! Problem is, I Pin a zillion things and follow through on one or two! This is why I love these Pinned It & Did It posts! It forces me to go back through my pins and find ones I have been dying to try.

Here is one of my VERY first pins--one of the first Fall outfits I pinned when I first opened my Pinterest account a year or two ago!


I have LOVED the fur vest (I love vests of any kind...more on that tomorrow!!)  but I know it's a trend and I typically am very cautious when I purchase "trendy items." I will wait a season or two to see if the trend sticks or goes away because the last thing I want is a closet of things I can't wear.

So I am going to lay it all out about the backstory of this vest ~ First, it's a kid's vest (Justice!!!). Next, I found it at a kids consignment store! The best part was, it was $7. I figured $7 wasn't bad to "try the trend."

Will I splurge for a more expensive version? Probably not. Fur vests can go bad really quick if you don't get the "right" one and you can end up looking like you had a dead animal draped around you. So the ones I have found and actually LIKED are pretty pricey. There are other more classic pieces I want to spend my money on (AKA: The Blardigan)!!

Verdict: Consignment stores and the kid's section work well for me when trying trendy items!!! :)

Here are some of the fur vests I like where the "dead-animal-look" factor is low :)

Time to link up! Don't forget to use the hashtag #lovelylittlealamode on social media!


Hosted by ~
Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram
Whitney/Whitney à La Mode ~ Bloglovin/Instagram
Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Whitney's blogs to see if it's you! My favorite look this week was Hilary from EmbellishMINTS. I am a sucker for cobalt and stripes and she wears both PERFECTLY. Read her entire post HERE.


Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up
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Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Seven on Sunday ~ Week 43

Day 1: Sunday ~ One of our favorite days of the year...Pumpkin Patch Day!!!!!!!



Day 2: Monday ~ The kids had the day off school and Brookey had a sleepover so I took these fools to the park!


Day 3: Tuesday ~ Taco Tuesday! Or actually, steak fajita with homemade salsa Tuesday :)

Day 4: Wednesday ~ Sarah and I tried the new Vietnamese place in town and this kid ate EIGHT egg rolls and would only let me have a TINY bite! Look at her covering her last roll so I wouldn't eat it!!! She's definitely got Asian in her blood!!!!

Day 5: Thursday ~ Ran across this on Facebook....employees of my friend's company have these on their desk. Love it :)

Day 6: Friday ~ After a lifetime of hating mornings, I have come to LOVE the quiet, stillness of the morning. I wake up at 5:00 everyday except the weekends when it's 5:30 :) Love the sky and the sunrise and just the beauty of what the day ahead will bring. #blessed #grateful

Day 7: Saturday ~ I woke up this morning feeling AWFUL (seasonal allergies, head cold, etc) but I rallied with a trifecta of Shaekology, Detox Tea and a Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte and rallied to see these kiddos play! They both played SO hard and I officially have NO VOICE (or nails!)


 Team Captains


 Then the Crazy-Bus was off to Lowe's!

 Big day for Sarah! Now that she's in a booster seat, she gets to ride in Daddy's (super clean) car!!! (what's Buddy doing??!)
Have a super week!! XO

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

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Create28 Fall ~ Whitney's Aztec Prints

I think I might have a thing for blush pink Aztec print.  But seriously, what could be better than a cute print in my favorite color?  ...Especially when it comes in cozy pieces like that scarf and this over-sized cardigan!


Really though, is this called Aztec print, southwestern print (like I called it last year), or something else?  In any case, I love it and I had been on the hunt for big, chunky cardigan in this print for over a year.  It's one of those pieces that I would see on other girls but just couldn't find the perfect one for my closet.  But then I found SheIn with cute, trendy pieces for the right price and this cozy sweater was delivered to my doorstep!

I do want to be honest about my experience with Shein, though.  While I love this cardigan, I was a bit disappointed with the company.  I ordered three pieces and sent two back because they felt as cheap as they had cost.  On top of that, the return process seemed a bit shady and return shipping wasn't free (a luxury that I have become used to).  I suppose you get what you pay for!


But let's get back to the outfit details!  My first inclination was to wear this cardigan over skinny jeans with a basic tee and flat booties.  But since Create28: Fall Looks is about pushing ourselves to be creative, I decided to try the chunky cardigan with a basic dress and all black except for my booties.  And I love the way the look turned-out...although I'm already looking forward to that cardigan and skinny jean combination!

You guys, we are almost done with another month of Create28!  Can you believe it?  I'm loving the looks that you are posting on Instagram (#Create28FallLooks) and I'm looking forward to another Monday link-up tomorrow where Carrie, Casey and I will each be featuring a "Pinned It and Did It" look!


What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Old Navy (similar)
Cardigan: SheIn (similar, similar)
Necklace: LOFT (similar, similar)
Tights: Target (similar)
Booties: Old Navy (similar)

Quick and Easy Meal Prep for Breakfast + Lunch + Snacks!

Ready for a SUPER quick and easy meal prep?! No joke, it took me longer to find all the lids to these containers than it did it prep my b...