Scarf Twist DIY

How many times have you looked through the beautiful pages of the J.Crew catalog and wondered how they style every page so effortlessly? I know I wonder that every time I look at it and I'm a fashion stylist. haha.

One of the styling details that stood out in the latest J.Crew catalog was the way they tied their scarves. Scarves are a beautiful and functional accessory  to wear as we approach the cooler months. I put together a simple little DIY on how you can get the twisted scarf look. If you're tired of simply wrapping the scarf around your neck or always having to rely on infinity scarves to look good try this trick.

1. Pick a scarf that is pretty long. I used a light-weight cotton scarf, but a thick wool scarf or even a silk scarf would be great with this technique.

2. Tie the scarf to a handle. In this case I just used a door knob.

3. Twist the entire scarf tightly until you can't twist it anymore.

4. Take the end off the door holding tightly to each end to make sure it doesn't unravel. Bring the two ends together and you'll notice the scarf wrap around itself until it looks like below. (Don't let go).

5. Hold the ends tightly so it doesn't unravel, and wrap it around your neck. Put one of the ends through the loop at the other end of the scarf and secure by tying a knot.

Voila! You can keep the knot in the front or place it in the back. I think scarves are a great way to dress up a casual t-shirt like I am wearing.

Comment below if you have any questions.

Hair Whip

Happy Wednesday! If you're lacking in the inspiration department maybe these photos will bring something out of you. The wild movement of the hair is so inspiring to me. It brings out the feeling of freedom. What is inspiring you lately? 

Images: Tiefgang, unknown, StyleCaster

Want vs. Need

I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately in regards to AVE Styles. If you read the Desert Rendezvous post you probably could deduce that. I value honesty and transparency, and when people take off their masks usually the best conversations come about. So, in light of that truth I'd like to be honest with you. Being known is something that has always driven me since I was a kid. The desire for someone to notice me. I think it drives a lot of us, actually. I suppose that's why social media is so successful. In my heart I know, however, that the desire to be known is a greater and deeper longing that can never be satisfied by success in the fashion industry or even marriage and motherhood. And yet time and time again I find myself down in the dumps because the numbers aren't what I want them to be or that my project didn't get published or someone didn't pick me to be a part of a collaboration...blah blah blah.

Here's a quote I read from this amazing book about radical stories of love. "I've learned that God sometimes allows us to find ourselves in a place where we want something so bad we can't see past it. Sometimes we can't even see God because of it. When we want something that bad, it's easy to mistake what we truly need for the thing we really want." - Bob Goff, Love Does

When I start to think what I really want vs what I really need it puts things in perspective. What I really need is purpose in this life, and I know that it's only found in God. Everything that I do (wife, mom, stylist, friend, daughter...) is all for a greater purpose. And sadly, what I have been wanting is just recognition. If you're wrestling with the same thing, let me pose a question. What if you get the recognition you dream of? Then what happens? I promise you that you'll only want more and it will never satisfy. Pinky promise. Seriously, you'd think almost a million followers on Pinterest would be enough wouldn't  you.

It's a daily battle, but I know that I will win the war with God's help.

Photos by Jasmine Star

Pinterest Hair Tutorial: Tuck 'n Roll

I've been on Pinterest since  the beginning of 2011. It has taken me two and a half years to actually attempt an online hair tutorial. Yep, you heard that right. haha. My frustration with my hair has been an on-going thing since my mom stopped doing it for me when I was seven. I don't know why it took me so long to trust the internet with my hair, but I'm happy to say that I tried a great tutorial and found some success. I chose the simple tuck 'n roll. There are tutorials for this style all over the place, but I thought Refinery 29 did a really great job with theirs. Check out my results below, and click here for the DIY tutorial. It was SOOOO easy, and now you can see me wearing my hair this way at least two days a week.

Do you have any recommendations for other great hair DIY's? I'd love to hear them!

Gingham Style Party

Earlier, I posted some Instagram moments from my iPhone of Elle and Ryan's joint birthday party (see post here). Today, I'm sharing some beautiful pictures of the day captured by my dear friend Gina of Gina Meola Photography.

Gingham was the inspiration behind this party. My husband wears the pattern all of the time. We took the idea of an in-door picnic and ran with it with some party planning assistance from  my friend Jessica Helgeson. If you know me at all you know that I don't like throwing parties all that much. I love going to them, but definitely not hosting them. I needed some help without a doubt!

My mom flew in for the event and was kind enough to take care of all of the food prep with additional helping hands from my friend, Kim, who drew some pretty chalk art work.

All of the fluffy poufs you see in the photos were made by my sis-in-law Nicky.

So, you might be asking what I actually made...Well, a zillion and one origami cranes, an awesome birthday banner and some runners. I literally patted myself on the back because for a not-so-crafty gal I thought it would pretty good. haha.

Most importantly, Elle and Ryan had a terrific time, and that's all I wanted. Until next year...