Silk Neck Scarf

            In recent decades, silk neck scarves have been confined to flight attendants and Parisians. However, they've been popping up everywhere lately! The timeless accessory was tied onto practically every fashionista at New York Fashion Week, including models at J.Crew and Chloé, so it's safe to say they've made a comeback. And personally, I love them. They're the kind of thing you can dig up in your mom's box of clothes from 20 years ago or find at some trendy boutique (I did both). Not to mention they are super transitional and markedly chic; if Jackie O. could wear one in the White House and Kendall Jenner can sport one in the airport you can surely pull it off at any time.

Today, I'll be showing you how I styled a silk neck scarf with a casual twist.

scarf | shirt | shorts | shoes

(other favorite silk scarves here, here, & here)

Stay sunny,

Meg

Coffee Date Outfit

Spring is officially underway, which means so is the season of awkward sometimes chilly but also sometimes warm temperatures. This type of weather leads into an "outfit guessing game," which is definitely a challenge when you're trying to get ready for the day. But have no fear, because today Mary Kate and I are showing you two transitional spring outfits!

As you've probably noticed, casual dresses are a wardrobe staple for me. I've recently been loving one from Madeline, and I decided to dress it down by adding sandals and a denim jacket. The jacket is perfect for when it is cooler during the day, and the sandals add a springy touch.

All photos by Rachel Issler (check her out!)

 I couldn't resist sharing this picture of my latte- isn't it the prettiest?

Of course, no coffee date would be complete without a photo op.

dress | jacket | shoes (similar) | necklace (similar)

As I mentioned, I am collaborating with Mary Kate today... so here's a sneak peek of her post! Check it out here. 

Stay sunny,

Meg

DIY Pom Pom Coverup

Two weeks before I was set to leave for Florida, I laid out all my spring and summer clothes to see what I still needed to get. Everything seemed accounted for, except for a beach coverup. I turned to Pinterest to find one to buy and I saw a photo of Merrick in an adorable cover up, and I knew I had to have it. I clicked on the link only to find that she didn't buy it, she made it. You know I love a challenge, so I mustered up all the sewing skills I possibly could from when I was six and headed to my local fabric store. I followed Merrick's directions for the most part, which you will find in bold below, but I added in my own directions to make it a little easier!

Materials:

• 2 yards lightweight fabric - more or less depending on your size, and how long you want your coverup  (I'm 5'2" and I had a bit of fabric left over)

• 6 1/2 yards pom pom trim (I didn't use all my yardage, but I came close)

• matching threads

• trim for neckline  (I used one yard)

Graphic from Merrick's tutorial

1. Fold your fabric in half and cut a half circle, as shown. Open up your fabric and you should have a perfect circle of fabric.

I recommend measuring wrist to wrist, or elbow to elbow depending on how you want to make the coverup fall and let that be the length of the diameter of the circle. In order to maintain symmetry, I ironed the circle in half and then in quarters.

2. Mark the center of your fabric and cut an opening for your head. I wanted a v-neck in the front, so I cut accordingly.

3. Fold the edges of the neck-hole over twice and hem in place with your matching thread. Cut notches along the curves so the hem lays flat.

Don't skip the part about cutting notches!

4. Measure your neck-hole opening and cut a piece of your neckline trim so size. Pin in place around the neckline and then sew in place with matching thread. 

I wanted a Sail to Sable-esque neckline, so I used a thick trim and folded it like shown on their tunics. In order to get it to lay flat, I pinned it while the coverup was on a hanger and then ironed it in place. I sewed it on by using a zig-zag stitch on each side of the trim. 

5. Then hem the entire circumference of the coverup with matching thread. 

I didn't do this part, because honestly I didn't see it, and my coverup turned out absolutely fine. The thick part of the pom pom trim covers up any raw edges! 

6. Once the entire coverup is hemmed, pin the pom pom trim around the circumference, then sew in place with matching thread.

The fabric might start to buckle, so keep it taut and go slow.

7. Finally, fold the coverup in half and do two small stitches on either side, under the armpit. These little stitches will keep the coverup from sliding around when you wear it, and keep the sides from being completely open and exposing.

That's it! Enjoy twirling around in your new coverup.

Stay sunny,

Meg

February Recap

Can you believe it's already March? I blinked and February was gone, but I packed in as many things as I possibly could into 29 days! I was so busy, and I didn't have a ton of time to blog, so I thought I would recap it all in this post.

1: Park City, Utah
My family and I spent a weekend surrounded by the prettiest mountain views ever. I ate a lot of good food, spent the majority of the time with skis on my feet, and explored all Park City had to offer.

2: Red Dress Fashion Show
This was a total dream-- some of the members of the fashion club at my school and I got the opportunity to model at a fashion show. The show was a benefit for the Heart Association and the gorgeous dresses were all handmade by the University of Cincinnati's DAAP students. It was really interesting for me to see "behind the curtain" of a fashion show, and walking the runway was never something I expected to do at 5'2"!

3: Kendra Gives Back Party
Another "pinch me" moment from February was getting to host a "Kendra Gives Back" party at my local Kendra Scott store. I chose the charity Girl Up, which you can read more about here, and we raised over $350 for the cause! I had a blast seeing everyone who came, designing things at the Color Bar, and meeting Carly & Madeline (who made the dress I'm wearing!).

4: Anna's Birthday!
My friend Anna gave up Instagram for Lent (props to her), so I thought I would give her an extremely belated birthday shout out on A Sunny State of Mind. For Anna's birthday, we had a super fun fondue party that may or may not have included High School Musical singalongs. Here's to 16, Anna!

5: Father Daughter Dance
Every year my school has a father-daughter dance, and I personally like it even better than homecoming! We all go crazy dancing, and the cheerleaders decorate the gym like how school dances look in all the movies.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my February :-) Happy March!

xoxo,
Meg

Healthy Breakfast Ideas {Even if You Don't Like Breakfast}

I love brunch, but I hate breakfast. It grosses me out to have barely been awake for 30 minutes and have to scarf down a meal before leaving for school. I despise oatmeal and cereal in the morning, along with frozen waffles etc. So, over the years I have had to get pretty crafty with my breakfasts, I've even had peanut butter and jelly for breakfast before. Through my many breakfast experiments, I have found the perfect breakfast for me, I'm sure you'll like it too!

1: Power toast

This is my go-to breakfast before running, but it is just as yummy for a regular day.

• Spread almond butter on multigrain toast
• Drizzle with honey
• Sprinkle about 2 tsp of chia seeds or hemp hearts on top
• Add sliced bananas

2: Broiled Grapefruit

I know broiled things sound kind of gross, but trust me on this one!

• Cut half a grapefruit and section it
• Sprinkle brown sugar to your liking on top
• Place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar melts/starts bubbling

I finished off my breakfast with pressed espresso, as I have been obsessed with my new coffee press lately! 

This meal actually gets me excited to get out of bed in the morning, which I think is a huge step to becoming a morning person. You can read more about becoming a morning person in this post- rise and shine!

Stay sunny,

Meg