Create28 ~ 4 Easy Ways to Wear a Summer Scarf

Hello, FRIDAY!!!

Fall and scarves go hand in hand. I always look forward to breaking out my scarf, ahem.....collection come Fall. Let's just say I have a few scarves....let's just say I may have a slight scarf, problem :) Scarves are just such an EASY way to add color and life into an outfit. Not to mention, they are functional so you know I'm all over easy and functional :)

However, in the summertime, you might not always think to reach for a scarf. I get it. When it's 100+ degrees out, any type of clothing besides a swimsuit on your body is enough to make you sweat--especially anything around your NECK! But on warm days, it is possible to wear scarves without overheating. Here are a few ways to make scarves work in the summer ~

1. The Jersey Scarf ~ Small and lightweight, this scarf is almost like a glorified necklace! It's just the right size to add color to an outfit, without being too close to your neck . The jersey material is cool and won't make your overheat. This scarf is a 27 inch infinity loop and measures 26 inches wide., so it's pretty small. Look for similar dimensions if you are buying a scarf online.

2. The Necklace Tie ~ When you have a bigger scarf and you want to keep it away from your neck, you can "twist tie" it up using the method below. It becomes almost like an infinity scarf and a cute little "necklace." :) The "twist tying" keeps it away from your neck. This scarf measures 72 inches long and 26 inches wide.

The Necklace Tie Method (Twist Tie)

~ Start with the ends of the scarf evenly down your back.

 ~ Bring the ends forward, to the front of your body

~ Starting on one side, wrap the loose end of the scarf around the loop that's formed. Keep wrapping until you get near the end of the scarf. 

~ Repeat on the other side. Adjust as necessary. You should end up with both sides twisted and away from your neck. I like to leave a little out and let it hang a bit.

3. As a Belt ~ What a fun way to add a little something different to a boring jeans/tee outfit! And nothing near your neck! Score!

4. On the Bag ~ If all else fails, a pretty scarf always looks nice tied to your purse or bag!

If you are really awesome, you can use scarves in your hair in the summer, too! I'm not that advanced yet, but I'm trying :) I will keep you posted, but don't hold your breath waiting for any scarf-hair-tying tutorials! HA! Stop by tomorrow when Carrie will show off her awesome summer statement necklaces!

In the meantime,  here is more summer scarf inspiration for you!

Follow A Little Bit of Cheer's board Summer Scarves on Pinterest.


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Create28 ~ Maxi Dress Looks

Happy Friday, friends! Hope everyone is ready to get the weekend party started! I also hope you are enjoying the first few days of our Create28 ~ Lovely Summer Looks! Don't forget to play along and show us your looks using #Create28SummerLooks on Instagram or link up your blog posts here every Monday in July!

Today is Maxi Dress day!! A maxi dress is one of those super versatile items in your closet--you know I'm a fan of those, right??! I like to get a lot of bang for my buck and I think when buying items of clothing it's important to be able to wear it several different ways. Even when I buy things on clearance at Target, I ask myself -- will I be able to wear this item 3 different ways? or will this item coordinate with 3 other items already in my closet?

Here I dressed up this jade green maxi dress with some simple jewelry, wedges and a clutch.

Maxi Dress: Nordstrom/Lush (exact, in Jade)
Pendant: Kendra Scott (exact, in Mother of Pearl)
Clutch: similar, similar
Bracelet: Stella and Dot (exact)

Here I threw on a chambray shirt. I also did a little "inside tie" to give it even a more casual vibe. I'll wear a maxi like this tied or with the "inside tie" to the pool or just lounging around. The inside tie is also extremely helpful when your maxi length is perfect with wedges but too long with flats or flip flops.

The "inside tie."

The inside tie is super easy to do ~

Step 1 ~ Gather about 2-3 inches of fabric from the inside SIDE of your maxi skirt (the amount of fabric you will have to play around with depending how short or fitted you want the dress).

Step 2 ~ Using any hair elastic or rubber band, tie up the fabric, just like you would tie a ponytail.

Step 3 ~ Turn dress back the correct way and you are DONE! :) You'll end up with a cute little "inside tie." Of course you can always just tie the skirt of your dress into a big knot but this is something a little different and I feel like it's easier to walk when I tie mine up this way :)

Check back tomorrow to see my Patriotic look! Carrie and Whitney will also be showing off their red, white and blue looks too and so check them out as well! Can't wait to see you pretties as well. Use #Create28SummerLooks! Happy 4th, everyone!!!

I'll leave ya with some more fun maxi dress inspiration from my Pinterest board ~

Follow A Little Bit of Cheer's board Maxi Dress Looks on Pinterest.
 
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Denim Vest Love & Easy Tutorial

Today I am co-hosting a link-up with two LOVELY girls--Jill at Doused in Pink and Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom. Jill is super crafty so hopefully she approves of this post! HA! Link up with us below!!!

Girls--as you  know I am participating in the Summer Style Challenge. The thing about these challenges are they are truly CHALLENGES. They often put you outside of your comfort zone to try things you might not ever dream of wearing! A few past things I never thought to wear before the challenges...

~ Stripes and florals

~ Denim on Denim

~  Palazzo/Track pants

All of these things were outside my comfort zone at first but now I LOVE them!!!

I have to say, the Summer Challenge is definitely "challenging" me more than others! One HUGE "I will never wear that!" item on the list this challenge is a denim vest. Is it just me, a child of the 80's and 90's, that just makes you think of Billy Ray Cyrus, Achey Breaky Heart, when you think about about a denim vest??!! I know vests are mainstream now, but still. This isn't Billy Ray, but you get the idea....

But darn it, I was going to try to and step outside my comfort zone. So I went onto Pinterest and found these outfits....(better, right?)

Hmmmm...that looked  promising!!! So I started looking for some vest options...here are some GREAT ONES!

Then, in a short, rare, flash of genius, I remembered my huge "donate" pile that was ready for Goodwill and low and behold I found a denim jacket. Hmmmm......dare I just cut the sleeves off??! I am NOT, repeat, NOT a seamstress and the farthest thing from a DIYer! But I dared. This is how it turned out ~

 I think it turned out great!! I'm still feeling a tad Achey Breaky but I'm warming up to it!

Girls, you can do this, too in 3 easy steps. If I can do it, ANYONE can. I swear! I found ANOTHER denim jacket in my donate pile to show you how it's done.

Needed: Denim Jacket, Sharp Scissors (I used a pair of sharp scrapbooking scissors). I preferred the smaller scrapbook scissors so I could be more precise when cutting around the arms.

Step 1: Locate a denim jacket, preferably thrifted and INEXPENSIVE. I would not pay over $10. See fit guidelines below. Fit is VERY important!!!

Step 2: With your scissors, make a small cut right near the seam where the jacket's arms are sewn. This will allow you to easily get your scissors into where they need to be.

Step 3: Cut all the way around the jacket sleeve, cutting as close to the seam as you can to minimize fraying. In the first pic, you can see how close to the seam I'm cutting. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for the other sleeve.

Voila! A denim vest is born!!!

A few notes ~

~ Fraying: When you wash your jacket, it will fray just a tiny bit. If you cut close to the seam, it's hardly noticeable. If it bothers you, you can easily just trim it off with your sharp scissors or apply Fray Check, a seam sealer right at the edge where you cut it.

~ Denim jacket fit guidelines: When looking for a jacket to make into a vest, SIZE DOWN! A vest is meant to be fitted to avoid lots of extra bulk. When I put my vest on, it barely buttons. I would even look for one that is too tight to button (but still fits everywhere else), so you get a nice "open" look in the front (please don't ever think about buttoning your vest!). If you look at the pics of the girls at the top, their vests are all very open in the front.

There you have it! Are you brave enough to try a homemade vest??!

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Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files!

Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files with Jill at Doused in Pink and Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom! We are excited to have you here and would love to have you link up one of your latest outfits with us.

We are always looking for Co-Hosts for Thursday Fashion Files. If you haven't signed up to Co-Host, but are interested, sign up by clicking HERE. 






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Guest Co-Host:

Casey from A Little Bit of Cheer is our co-host this week. Casey has been blogging since 2008 and it started as a digital scrapbook to document memories of her kids childhood. Now her blog shares outfits, but easy recipes and her family life. Casey wants to bring a little bit of cheer to anyone that stops by... be sure to stop by and say hello to her today!

Now let's get linking!

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