The Summer Little Black Dress ~ Two Ways

Happy Hump Day, pretty girls!! Hope your week is going well! Today I am excited to be co-hosting with the lovely Victoria from The Mummy Chronicles. Check out her blog if you haven't already and give her some love. Then link up with us below!

Last week, I showed this LBD that I bought because I desperately needed an updated dress. I dressed it up and bit and wore it to my 20 year high school reunion. But one of the reasons I bought this dress is because I knew how extremely versatile it would be. So today I'll show you one of my favorite ways to dress it down ~

In the dressy version I just wore heels and a fun statement necklace and called it a day! It was easy and a classic look that I feel won't ever go out of style. Of course, I had to have a pop of PINK :)

In the dressed down version, I used a WELL WORN piece in my closet--my military vest. See other ways I have worn this vest here and here. I got it last year at TJ Maxx  for $40 and the cost per wear has got to be pennies at this point!

Black Dress: Leith/Nordstrom (exact)
Military Vest: TJ Maxx (similar, this one is AWESOME!)
Ladder Necklace: (splurge, steal)
Sandals: Target (exact, similar , option)
Cognac Tote:Nordstrom (similar, similar)

 We might not always think to "dress down" our LBD, but with this dress it's entirely possible! This is the perfect "running around town," lunch with girlfriends or shopping outfit! It's completely comfortable and unfussy, which I really strive to bring to all of my outfits.

Have you ever "dressed down" your LBD? Or do you even OWN an LBD?? I owned (and WORE!) the same one for more years than I will admit!!!  It's nice to have a new one :)

I'm co-hosting this week's Whatcha Wearing Wednesday link-up with Victoria from The Mummy Chronicles . She's all about fashion, fitness and cars. Check her out!

Follow her on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook too.

An InLinkz Link-up

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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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Ways to Wear ~ Mint & Navy

I love doing Ways to Wear posts when I show how to wear different colors or pieces in your wardrobe multiple ways. This Wednesday, in Part 3 of Building a Wardrobe You Love, I'll be talking about buying pieces that are versatile and can be worn multiple ways. Having versatile pieces is so important when building your wardrobe! Just a few simple changes to the same piece of clothing can completely change the outfit! Here are some past posts where I showed multiple ways to wear one item:

Camo Pants
The Green Shirt
The Striped Dress

Today we'll talk about multiple ways to wear the Mint & Navy color combo. Remember in last week's Getting Pin-spired post, I talked about looking at Pinterest for color combos you like? Yeah, you probably don't remember, so the post is HERE :) LOL! Anyhoo--I have found some color combos on Pinterest that I never would have thought of on my own. One of my faves for Spring is mint and navy. I bought a pair of mint jeans a few years back when mint was really having it's hey day, but I still love them! When I first got them, I pretty much only wore them with white or grey, but over the last few years, I've found so many other colors that look great with "mint!"

If colored jeans (mint colored, in particular) still scare the bejesus out of you, no worries. You can work mint into your wardrobe with a t-shirt, cardigan or scarf, too.

A very impotant note....all of my outfits on this blog are outfits that I would wear (or HAVE WORN) in "real life." They aren't just for the blog. I think it's important to point that out because I want you to know that I have "tested" every outfit for it's practicality! I have seen so many pics on Pinterest that are gorgeous, but that would never translate to my "real life" as a busy mom. Beautiful pictures...mine are not! But my goal is to give the everyday gal real-life, practical outfit ideas.

So with that being said....

1. Way #1 ~ With leopard! Because....why not??!! I've said camo is a neutral, but leopard is also a neutral! It goes with everything! Including mint & navy :) I kept the accessories simple and just let the subtle leopard speak for itself :)

Way #2: With navy stripes ~ Very simple, everyday outfit. The nude flats keep it casual, yet pulled together. Next time I wear this, I will definitely half-tuck my shirt. It's a little on the long side. Just sayin. #nobodysperfect

Way #3: With a scarf. ~ The navy scarf kinda tones down the bold mint jeans. I love this look--so simple. Definitely one of my go-to's I mentioned in "easy outfit formulas" --jeans, tee, scarf. Done & done!

Way #4: Mint Cardi & Gingham ~ Have I confessed my love for gingham yet?? Loooove me a little gingham! Here I just did a little bit of mint in the cardi and a pop of red in the necklace.

Links to items

Mint Jeans (similar)
Navy Polka Dot Scarf (Target)
Mint Cardi (Old Navy)
Distressed Jeans (Old Navy)
Nude Flats (similar)
Gingham Shirt (similar)
Navy Striped Tee (similar)
Leopard Heels (similar)

See you back here on Wednesday for the 3rd part of the Building a Wardrobe You Love series!! I'll share with you my list of closet basics to start your wardrobe. Read Parts 1 & 2 of the series here:

Part 1: The Two-Step Closet Purge
Part 2: Get Pin-Spired!

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Linking up with a few of my favorite blogs: Get Your Pretty On,  The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Jo-Lynn Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, Momfessionals, Tucker Up, Happiness at Midlife, More Pieces of Me , On The Daily Express, Fizz &Frosting,
Rhea Et Cetera & I Do deClaire, Style Elixir

Ways to Wear ~ Camo (Camo is a neutral!!!)

I posted Part 2 of the Building a Wardrobe You Love series EARLY....so if you missed it, you can read it HERE. You can also read Part 1 HERE. Today's a little "bonus" Wardrobe Wednesday! :)
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Listen up, girls. I know this might blow your mind, but did you know CAMO IS A NEUTRAL??! Yep, you heard me! Camo goes with everything and you pretty much need to get **something** camo in your wardrobe this spring!!

I'll share a little secret--a loooong time ago, I wanted to be in the military. Yep, full on. I was ready to sign up and be shipped off to wherever they took me. CLEARLY, that didn't happen and although I won't go into the nitty gritty about what made me change my mind, I will tell you that I have a very warm and fuzzy place in my heart for camo. I mean, I liked camo before it was COOL! (because I'm super un-cool like that). But camo is cool now, so I can finally come out of my camo closet!! Yipppeee!! #soliberating

Camo may scare you (totally normal), but I think clothing retailers are starting to tone it down a bit to make it more mainstream. My absolute favorite pair of pants right now are these "soft green" camo ones from Loft:

Heaven. Not only are they super soft and amazingly comfy...they go. with. EVERYTHING. I'm telling you, camo is a neutral!! Check out all ways you can wear these pants!!! And just a note, I created about 10 more outfits other than these when I was playing around, but the collage looked "cooler" with just 6 (b/c you know I'm cool like that!!) :)

Way to Wear Camo #1 ~ With bright colors! Camo and bright colors go hand in hand! Think coral, hot pink and cobalt blue.

Way to Wear Camo #2 ~ With black. This one is obvious, and I love it! A nice black blouse and heels would dress the pants up and make a perfect going-out outfit!! My outfit is just a black tee and flats and it made a great everyday, errands type outfit. Super comfy!! You know "comfy" is my middle name :)

Way to Wear Camo #3 ~ With a grey or white tee. Again, this is an obvious one but another of my faves. This look is perfect with a jean jacket and my beloved Converse. It would also look awesome paired with a cute, white graphic tee.

Way to Wear Camo #4 ~ With mustard or yellow. I'm telling you, almost every color paired with camo looks great! Mustard/yellow is no exception!

Way to Wear Camo #5 ~ With stripes! Don't be scared of pattern-mixing! Stripes may not be obvious to pair with camo but it totally works!! I think are stripes a neutral, too but that's another post :)

Way to Wear Camo #6 ~ With blush, pink or pastels. Again, not so obvious but I really love pairing the slightly "edgy" camo with a soft color.

Are you brave enough to try camo pants??? My Curvy Skinny Loft pants are nearly sold out, but there are some in petite sizes. They run on the big side so I would size down. They are also supposed to be "cropped" ankle pants--I am 5'4" and got the regular (non petite) size and you can tell the are a great length, just not "cropped." Below are a few more options. If camo totally scares you, you can also wear any of the above looks with just plain cargo-green jeans or pants!

Land's End Slim Leg Muted Camo Pants

Sanctuary Relaxed Stretch Twill Pants (limited sizes)

Union Bay Camo Cropped Pants

Loft Skinny Cargo Pants

Don't forget, you can "like" A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook, HERE

Follow me on Pinterest, HERE

If you missed the first two posts in the Building a Wardrobe You Love Series, you can read them here:

Part 1: The Two-Step Closet Purge

Part 2: Get Pin-Spired!

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Linking up with a few of my favorite blogs: Get Your Pretty On,  The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Jo-Lynn Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love Momfessionals, Tucker Up & Happiness at Midlife

Ways to Wear ~ Simple Green Shirt

One of the major shopping pitfalls is buying clothing that can only be worn in a few different outfits. I LOVE when I can find an item that can be a workhorse in my closet that I can pair with multiple items to make a bunch of outfits.

This green shirt from Target is definitely one of those items! {I know last week's post was on an Target item as well....I actually do own clothes NOT from Target--for the record #justsayin } There are plenty of shirts similar to this at other stores (see below), so you can find one that strikes your fancy. Having this exact Target shirt is not essential. Nor is the color of this shirt. Choose any color you like! I'm just showing you ways you can wear a shirt similar to this one--basically a flowy, not tight-fitting style, no collar (so you can dress it down) and preferably longer in the back or "tunic" style so you have the option of wearing it with leggings.

 There are sooo many ways shirts like this are a wonderful addition to your closet:

1) It can be dressed up or down. You can pair it with jean shorts or a pencil skirt and it never looks out of place (for the record, I don't own a pencil skirt, so you will just have to take my word for it or try it yourself! LOL!)

2) It can span multiple seasons. Here in Northern California, I can wear this shirt all 4 seasons. With shorts in the summer and a blanket scarf and boots in the winter.

3) You can find one for not a lot of money. This one from Target is $20.

Here are the larger versions of the outfits above:

 1. Cozy in the winter: Paired with a blanket scarf and boots.

2. With a Vest: Throw on a vest and boots and it's a great for fall or winter.

3. Summer Fun: The shirt is light and breezy and I love it with shorts and flip flops or wedges.

4. With black pants or leggings: I've worn this outfit to work several times--black pants and ankle boots. Also, the shirt is longer in the back and it totally covers your booty so it's also great with leggings and tall boots!

 5. Converse Love: I can't go a week without my trusty Converse! I throw this shirt on and it's super casual and dressed down.

6. Wear it with your boyfriend: I'll be wearing this outfit a lot during spring--boyfriend jeans and wedges with a sloppy tuck.

7. Fall Florals: I love this outfit for the beginning of fall when you aren't quite ready to say goodbye to summer--Boots and a floral scarf.

8. Layered: This shirt is also great layered under a poncho or cardigan!

This exact Target shirt isn't available online (WHEN is someone going to let Target know their website SUCKS??!!), but I have seen it in multiple stores. Now they have cute spring colors like cobalt, hot pink and mint. I can't comment on the lighter colors--I only have it in black and green. The lighter colors may show wrinkles more.

Here are some options for a shirt similar to this one:

1. Pleione Mixed Media Tunic: This top is GORGEOUS in person. I bought the red one and it was to die for. However, it wrinkled so much I had to return it. Literally within an hour of putting it on, it was wrinkled beyond wear. That being said, I have heard wonderful things about the black one, which I don't think shows wrinkles as much. Like my Target one, it's also long in the back so you can wear it with leggings.

2. Old Navy: This one looks light and breezy and I like the pleating detail on the front. It also comes in navy, ivory and "guava."

3. Lush Roll-Tab Shirt: I have this Lush top (in a print) and I LOVE it!! It's great quality for the price, too. I love all of the Lush tops!!

How would you wear a top like this?

And fun news! Next week, I'll be starting a 4-Part Series on Building a Wardrobe You Love. Since Spring is right around the corner, it's perfect timing to start cleaning out your closet and thinking about your Spring wardrobe. Here is the schedule of posts for the upcoming weeks! I hope you'll join me!

Check out some of my other Wardrobe Wednesday posts....

The Striped Dress
Easy Outfit Formulas
Getting Dressed, Mom Style

Linking up again with some of my favorite blogs: A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals, Grace and Love &  Jo Lynn Shane

XO ~ Casey