Giveaway Winners

Hey loves! I am finally back from our wedding and honeymoon festivities!  However, I am still trying to catch up on everything.  Sorry for the delay!  In the meantime, here are the winners of my two giveaways:

Guest Post: Mary

Hey Y'all!  I'm Mary, the girl behind, Eat Drink & Be Mary.  I'm a girl in her twenties who recently graduated college, and am now learning to love long distance.  A coffee loving, DIY crafting, recipe trying, legging wearing, Instagram obsessed, aspiring teacher and Christian.  Just trying to find my place in this "big girl" world, one blog post at a time.  You can often find me raving about a recipe I recently tried, an outfit I got a great deal on, or just a hodge podge of what's on my mind lately.  Pour a cup of coffee, pull up a chair & stick around for what I'm super excited to share with you today...

Now I know we've all seen different tutorials for the infamous sock bun.  But don't you dare click away yet.  This is not the average tutorial!  

We're well into Summer, and the days are long & HOT!  I love having long hair, but somedays it's just too darn hot to not pull up.  But in the summer I want a hair do that is quick & requires little-to-no heat (ain't nobody got time to add more heat into the mixture on a summer day)!  In comes the SOCK BUN to save the day.  And what do I do when I found an even easier way to master something?  I run and share it on the interwebs...

This tutorial includes no actual sock (despite the name) & is the easiest way to master this bun!  I learned how to do this EASY sock bun from my dance teacher, and have loved it ever since.  Gone are the days that I struggle with that dern sock in my hair trying to get an even, circular bun.  Anddddd your hair doesn't have to be incredibly long to master this up-do.

What you'll need: This bun donut & a handful of bobby pins.   Optional: If you need to texture/dirty up your hair put some mousse, hairspray, and/or tease your hair before starting.




Let's begin... Step 1: Put your hair in a pony tail.



Step 2: Place the donut around the ponytail.



Step 3: Separate your ponytail in half, and pull the top part up.



Step 4: Spread your hair around until the donut is completely covered, and secure with a hair tie.

Step 5: Take ends of hair (in sections) and twirl them around the bun, securing with several bobby pins. I separated my hair into 3 different sections.

Step 6: Hairspray away at that bad boy.  TA-DA!!

There you have it a quick and easy way to style your hair this summer that looks professional and cute!  Is this not the easiest tutorial you've seen yet?  What is your favorite summer hair do?  Are you a "sock" bun fan?

 

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Pricey vs Affordable

As I am away on my honeymoon, I thought I'd share some good fashion finds!
I'm always on the hunt for a good deal especially when it's trending in fashion.
I am on the search for some new pumps and outfits while on my trip! I will showcase them when
 I get back from my honeymooning bliss! 
Here are a few helpful hints to find the shoe your looking for that won't break your budget!

 

Hope in a Blog- Honeymoon Packing Tips

Hello, hello my name is Hope from Hope in a Blog and  I am taking over Miss Lisa's blog today as she is busy getting married and honeymooning.  As a recent wife myself, (May 31, 2014!) I am totally a bit jealous of Lisa's wedding and honeymoon bliss - I want to do it all over again. Anyway,  if you're about to be wed and then honeymoon bound and heading somewhere warm, packing is of the essence! Seriously! My husband and I spent a glorious 10ish days in Greece after we got married and it was absolutely perfect. One thing that I did learn, I over-packed! So below I have listed some little tidbits I learned about packing for a honeymoon, once my honeymoon was over.

1. Bathing Suits. You don't need twenty five. Just pick your solid favorites + hang dry them whenever you are done wearing them. Let's face it, you're totally going to wear your favorite bathing suit more than once...right?!
2. Heels. Never wore them. Not once. Now, that could have been the cobblestone and hills that made up the Greek Isles but, it was nice to wear pretty sandals. If you're going to be walking around uneven sidewalks and/or sand- ditch the heels. Bring your favorite pair of wedges and a lot of pretty sandals and you are good to go.
3. Sweaters. BRING THEM! It may be blasted hot during the day time but that little bit of sunburn paired with sundown might just cool you down more than you like. Bring wraps, light sweaters, and scarves. Accessorize, ladies ;)! 
4. Meds. Spyros + I brought Tylenol, Benadryl, and Zyrtec on our trip. It all came in handy. We didn't however pack anything for a cold and of course Spyros woke up quite stuffy one day (bad luck, I guess?) so we ventured down to the Greek markets and got him some cold medicine. Let's just say we hope that it was FDA approved...!
5. Hats. I bought a cute little fedora at Nordstrom as an impulse buy before we left for Greece and I wore it every single day. Kept my scalp from getting burned and my face away from too much sun, plus I felt super trendy. Bring a baseball cap for your hubby too!
6. Waterproof or ziploc bags to hold wet swimsuits - just in case one isn't completely dry before you have to pack up.
7. Sunscreen - if you're checking a bag - pop your favorite sunscreen in, it's much cheaper to buy it at a drugstore than at the hotel resort you'll be staying in.
8. Your chargers!!! Seriously. Don't forget those for your phone or camera!
9. What I wish we had packed is something to make our phones waterproof - that way we could have jumped in the sea and snapped pics. 
10. Did you get any fancy lingerie from your bridal showers or bachelorette parties? Pack it ladies, it's your honeymoon!!!! 

:: Also...don't forget to bring your selfie arm because that's what honeymoons are all about! ::

And those are my tried + true honeymoon packing tips, ladies. Now...pack me and my hubby in your suitcase?! Thanks! Xx.

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Thanks so much Hope for helping me out while I currently am on-board a Southern Caribbean cruise ship.  Hope, you are so right! I always pack a million and one swim suits and only end up using 5 of them!  I need to stop buying swim suits..   Yeahhhh like that'll ever happen!    As of today we are docking in Antigua (St. Johns)! Tomorrow we hit St. Lucia!  I am so excited! Hope you are all having a fabulous July since I will be absent for most of it!! xoxo

Honeymooning with The Green Fashionista

 Hey everyone! I am still on my amazing honeymoon cruise with my NOW hubby!  It feels so neat to say that! So while I am away, Kate from the Green Fashionista was kind enough to discuss her honeymoon with all of you!  They looked like they had THE best time on their honeymoon!  Also if you are stopping by for the weekend recap, I am not participating while away (that would be a little difficult wouldn't it?) BUT you can stop by Bella from Dateless in Dallas to add your weekend recap link!   (Don't forget to grab the button below)

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Now take it away Kate!

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Hey there! I'm Kate and you can find me blogging over on my little corner of the internet Green Fashionista where I blog about everything from fashion and beauty finds, recipes, my weekend shenanigans, and travel. Hop on over and say hi! I'm excited to fill in for the lovely Lisa today as she's waist deep in all the excitement of her fabulous wedding and honeymoon!



After 16 months of wedding planning, we were not just looking forward to the wedding day itself, but the honeymoon. With all the stress and excitement leading up to the big day, getting away from it all as newlyweds and relaxing in paradise was much needed.

We knew we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had ever been and somewhere that would be more secluded for romance and relaxation. While flipping through a bridal magazine, I found a real couple's recap of their honeymoon at Qamea Resort & Spa in Fiji. I immediately looked up the resort and fell in love with the honeymoon bures (villas) on the beach, the rock form pool, and the fact that it only accommodates 36 people at a time. SOLD!



The flight to Fiji was 10 hours from LA and included in our package, but living on the east coast meant we had to get out to LA. So, we decided to get creative and flew into Vegas for a few days after the wedding, then rented a car and drove to LA to fly out to Fiji. We had the best of both worlds... celebrating in Vegas and relaxing in Fiji.

We stayed at the Mirage, where we were upgraded to a suite just for being FB fans and were greeted with a bottle of champagne on ice when we got to the room. We spent the day at their pool club "Bare" where we splurged on a day bed (the VIP table of the daytime pool lounge) which included free food and drinks. We had VIP for their nightclub that night (which was stil JET at the time) but we drank way too much in the sun that we never made it past dinner and crashed. Womp womp.

On our way to LA we stopped at the Hoover Dam, and then drove through the desert to get to LAX. It was absolutely surreal to know that our next stop was Fiji!

*Giant double decker plane to Nadi, Fiji*

*Itty bitty plane from Nadi to Taveuni*

*Gorgeous views from the plane over the Fijian islands*

*Pulling up to Qamea Island by boat*

*Our Honeymoon Bure*

*View from our bure*

The private courtyard of our bure included an outdoor spa and rock shower. Amazing!

All of our meals and activities were included in our package, and we took advantage of a few excursions including hiking to some waterfalls, snorkeling, and an afternoon at Honeymoon Beach where they drop you off by boat on another side of the island with a picnic lunch and pick you up later.

The rest of the week was spent by the beach and the pool, kayaking, dinners on the beach, and receiving our complimentary couples massage. One of the things that stood out to me the most were how beautiful the stars were at night. It was almost unreal how clear it was and how bright the stars were.... gorgeous!

*Snorkeling the South Pacific*

*Beautiful Sunsets*

*Serenaded at dinner on the beach*

*Cheers to our beautiful marriage*

*Send off with flowers and the staff even gathered and sang to us as the boat pulled away*

Such an amazing experience that still feels surreal *4 years later*. I got sticker shock when I went back to the resort's website to link it to this post. The price has gone up significantly and no longer includes meals and activities.. yipes! Maybe our little diamond in the rough is no longer a well kept secret. I'm sure they offer some good deals throughout the year you could always jump on. Happy travels!

You can keep up with all of my travels on my travel tab which has recently been updated to include the recaps from my trip to Spain, France, and Portugal last month.

Guest Post: Music Essentials

Hi everyone!  I am Krista over at Kristie's Blue Jeans.  While Lisa is off having her magical day and hopefully a very relaxing and well deserved honeymoon, she has been kind enough to allow me to take over her blog for the day.  First off, congratulations Lisa!  May your life be filled with love, blessings, and much happiness.

My blog is a lifestyle blog where I write all about my daily ramblings, experiences, epic fails.  Sometimes I throw some fashion in there, product reviews and essential music playlists.  Today I wanted to do a little music playlist for summer.

Music is a big part of my life, it can be great for any type of mood or to change any mood.  Here are a few of my all time favorites that I have incorporated in one big Spotify list!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

I guess you can say I have an all over taste when it comes to music. I didn't really throw in any rap/ hip hop as I am extremely partial to old school 50 Cent and Eminem and sometimes I get a little embarrassed by that. Why? I have no idea, especially considering I put Miley up there! I think it is really important to mix classics with country and current popular trends. Otherwise a playlist can get super boring.

What is part of your essential playlist?

Budget Lists: Guest Post

Hope you are all having a great week so far! While I am honeymooning with my boo, Merrissa was kind enough to guest post for me!  Take it away... 

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Hello Everyone! I’m Merrissa and I blog over at Rad Maverix. Before we dive in to today’s post how about I tell you a little about myself?

· Oklahomie

· Banker by day; dog-mom to 3 (very) spoiled Mini Aussies by night.

· Sarcasm is my love language.

· In the process of starting up a tees & tank shop for the rad & young at heart.

· Former PETA member now practically married to a cowboy/rancher who spends most of his time on the Rodeo trail (He’s a Team Roper for any of you that might follow the sport of Rodeo).

· My mom is my best friend & we are dangerous together!

· Currently remodeling our 1940s ranch-style home. (This project is never-ending.)

· Hopeless romantic & lover of vodka-water and wine.

· Cowboy—err cowgirl—boot hoarder.

· List-maker and felt-tipped pen enthusiast.

I wanted to write a really intense & intriguing article related to weddings since, you know, this is Miss Lisa’s Wedding Month (Congratulations!!!). But let’s face it, I’ve never been married, or engaged, and I wouldn’t even know the first place to begin! So that’s why I’ve put together two printables, a to-do list & matching budget worksheet, designed by yours truly.

I love lists…here are a few reasons why:

1. The tasks that need my attention are centralized to one location. If it’s not in front of me I will forget to do it, every damn time.

2. It brings so-called order to chaos. Lists help me organize what otherwise seems overwhelming.

3. The satisfaction of crossing off a task I have completed. Sometimes when I’m rewriting a To-Do list I will write a task I have already completed just for the satisfaction of crossing it off my list. Don’t judge.

4. Obviously, it helps me remember to do things that are pertinent and it shows me what I have already accomplished.

5. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Lists are normally not infinite; therefore they don’t go on and on and on…

6. Lists help me from hopping on the procrastination train. Helps keep my head on straight and allows me to tackle the work one aspect at a time.

7. I like to feel productive. Refer to #3.

Wedding Budget Sheet #1

Wedding Budget Sheet #2

Hustle Harder

(The info on the Budget Sheet was extracted from Realsimple.com.)

Xoxo

Merrissa

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin’

Guest Post : Ericka

Hi there Showered with Design readers!  I'm Ericka from This Crazy Thing Called Life.  I'm excited to be guest posting for Lisa while she is enjoying her wedding and honeymoon.  I can't wait to hear all about her big day--she is going to be such a gorgeous bride!

I started my blog a couple of years ago after I got engaged and was in the process of becoming a first-time home owner with my then fiance, Kevin.  We got married on June 29, 2013, so we are just over a year!  You can find all of the details about our wedding and our home buying/owning process on my blog, along with recipes, diy projects, our fur baby, and all of our other adventures!

Today I wanted to share a few things I have learned during our first year of marriage.

Having a joint bank account was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  I thought I would really struggle with this, since I've always been pretty financially independent, so I thought I would struggle having to "share" my money with someone else (sounds dumb, I know).  However, it really didn't change anything at all, which was great.  I know couples all handle their finances different, but having a joint account has really been great for us.

It doesn't really feel different being married versus dating or being engaged.  This might not be the case for everyone, but aside from the fact that my last name is different and I get to call Kevin my husband now (which makes me feel old), it doesn't really seem too different (besides the fact that we get asked about having kids ALL the time now).  This might have to do with the fact that we dated for almost six years before we were married and lived together for three of those years.  I think if we wouldn't have dated for so long, or wouldn't have lived together first, it would have felt way different.

Marriage takes work, but is totally worth it!  Even though I just said being married doesn't really FEEL different, it is very different when it comes to decision making.  When big decisions come up, you have to make sure you make those decisions together.  I think most of those decisions are financial ones, or at least for us they have been.  But they could be job related, family related, etc.  In the end, you have someone on your side.  Someone rooting for you when you succeed and there to pick you up when you fall.  You get to go through life with your best friend, and that is the best part!

Thanks for reading!  Hope you all find these tips to be somewhat helpful, and thanks Lisa for having me! Hope you have the most fabulous honeymoon!

 
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If you want to write about your weekend recap (Since I am absent gettin' hitched, check out Dateless In Dallas's blog and write about your weekend! Don't forget to grab 
the button below :

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