Summer Style and NY

sun kissed with no make up, tan lines and summer bracelets on. cute, right? welcome to summer!

i'm keena! blogger over at

 just a dash of keena

I was asked to guest post for Caroline while she is in NYC, but the funny thing is, I am too! however, I am SO happy to make my appearance over here at love caroline.

A little about me and my blog, I am a 18 year old girl, just graduated from high school. I live in Orem Utah and I love it! I have a passion for exercising + running, crafting, being with my friends, and spending all the time in the world with my amazing family! I also have a big love for all things Disney, and so does the rest of my family! {see HERE}

I blog about my daily life with a little bit of craftiness, fashion, and random things I fancy. I personally take most of my photos posted, but my fabulous sister helps me out with the outfit pictures of myself! I have blogged for just over 2 1/2 years, and it has now become quite the little hobby! I call it my personal online journal.

stop by and say hello! I would love to get to know you!

xo, keena

Thanks so much for your sweet post Keena! Be sure your check out her blog!

Love for Missions

Hi! I'm Jessinia from Sea Glass and Ribbons. I blog about my life, my love for Jesus and my occasional DIY projects. I'm a recent high school graduate with a love to serve. I'm so glad that Caroline asked me to guest post while she's on a mission trip. Mission work is a passion of mine. Here's a little why.

To get to know my heart and thought read this journal entry from last February:

So here’s how I see it.

God set a restlessness in my heart for a reason.

Ever since I was young, I've been blessed enough to travel. I've traveled across the country, across oceans, across borders.

God gave me parents who see the value in seeing the world. I am impacted every time I go to a new place. I try new foods, hear new words, and see new places.

I love that anticipation on the flight. You've been in the air for some time. Staring off into the clouds, at the tiny land below. The plane’s nose turns towards the tiny land and it becomes larger. Things become more recognizable, the mountains rise, the waves on the sea show. You're in a new land. About to discover new things. Or maybe this is a familiar place to you. You've taken this plane ride many times. You know when the mountains come into view. Either way, it’s different. It’s outside your comfort zone. It’s new.

I call it restless heart syndrome. I don't like being comfortable.

This desire is deep rooted in my soul. I pursue adventure. Scuba diving amongst large fish and coral, parasailing over the deep ocean, rock climbing high walls, hiking up tall mountains, parasailing on vast waters, kayaking around the boats in the harbor. 

I do it so I may feel happy, strong, courageous.

I see the new things. I find new adventures.

That anticipation of new things.

Desire.

To know You. To love You. To serve You.

To be in a place that I may thrive.

I want to feel passionate about what I do. I don’t want to go through the motions.

My prayer:

Bring me to that place where I may grow, I may feed that adventure.

Help me to pray and find the words to explain how much I love You.

Bring me peace and understanding.

This was just the start of a long time searching for what was next for me. I had applied for colleges and thought that was what I wanted. But I had this desire tugging on my heart. I wrote about it in this journal entry and many others in the months to come. For some reason, I started to think about taking a year off to do mission work. I thought it may be a fleeting desire or dream. But when I really stepped back and took time to pray about it, I knew it was my calling.

This August I'll be leaving for the Dominican Republic for eight months. I'll be studying Spanish and the Bible and serving in the local community of Juan Dolio. I'm so excited for this opportunity to serve! You can read more about this adventure here. 

What you can take out of this? (because I know this is crazy, out of the ordinary, and not for everyone)

Ask God where you can best serve Him.

Find out what your passions are.

Be patient. I waited for months and months to find out where I'd be and it was hard, but so worth it.
Read the Word! God speaks through His Book. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Top Knot Tutorial from a Friend

Hello everyone over here at Caroline's place! I'm so happy Caroline asked my crazy butt to guest post...and a little touched that she trusted me to do it! Ha! Bless your heart, Caroline! I'm Lindsey and I blog over at High Heels and Training Wheels. I blog a little about style, a little about beauty and a lot about saving money. We po' folks need to look nice too, right? Today I'm giving you a tutorial on an easy top knot that works wonderfully for this unruly mess of hair on my head. You've got thin hair? You've got thick hair? I got you covered, girl!

Ok, so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here. There are tons of top knot tutorials all over the internet. Problem with that is, we all have different types of hair and they don't work for everyone's type....or skill set. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. I've experienced many failed attempts. So I'm trying to make it a little easier for those of us who are inept at these so-called "effortless" knots.  I have incredibly thin and fine hair. But I have mass amounts of it. So I have to treat my hair as being both fine and thick.  It's a gift, I'm just lucky like that. Other top knots have been too loose and had no volume because of my hair being thin and others have not been able to hold because I just have too much hair. This will work for literally either type. This method is goooold! (Are you reciting the Velveeta commercials too?) I've learned the tools you use can really make all the difference. Here's a couple things I use that I think help make it go from impossible and doable.

I use a soft bristle brush instead of a paddle brush to make my ponytail smooth. It helps to make it a little  tighter. I also use it to tease my hair instead of using a comb. It gives a little more volume and a little less "rat" like a comb gives. Anytime I've teased my hair with a comb, it's just a big, tangled, lumpy mess and it's impossible to brush out. This works a lot better than a comb, especially if your hair is thin.

I do a braid in my top knot and I use the clear elastics at the end of the braid. It's strong enough to hold really well but small enough to hide easily. I feel like it holds a lot better to have some sort of band instead of relying solely on bobby pins. These work great for both fine and thick hair.

These made all the difference for me!!  Because of the mass amount of hair I have, I could never get any "updo" to stay. It was always falling out. The small bobby pins just can't handle my hair but these super large bobby pins make any style possible and they'll hold all day. If you have thick hair these are invaluable. These pins are a beast! If you take away anything from this tutorial, the big pins are key! A small change like this can make the biggest difference!

Because I have such fine hair, it always slides out. Even just a simple ponytail will fall quickly. The rubber on these makes them stays put and my ponytails will stay tight but they don't damage or break my hair. These are another must!

Get to the tutorial already!

So the way I do the topknot is a little different than others but that's the point. It's what works for me and the thing does not move. I've even gone to sleep without taking my hair down and I woke up with it still in place. That's how good it is. As with any top knot, just start pulling your hair into a plain high ponytail. Tease the heck out of that thing with the bristle brush. It will give your top knot more volume but it also helps it stay and not come loose. If your hair is thinner, tease it more and if it's thick, tease less. You get the idea. 

 1. Divide into 3 sections and braid the ponytail loosely. Secure with the clear elastic holder.

2. Lightly tug on the braid to give it a little more volume and texture and to make your knot appear fuller.

3. Wrap the braid around the base of your ponytail like a bun and pin the clear elastic under. Pull on it and shape it how you want. Throw a few more pins in to secure it and boom! That baby ain't going nowhere. The teasing and the braid keeps it tight but it gives the appearance of a loose and full top knot. I guess it's technically cheating but no one needs to know, right? 

  It's securing it with a pony before you "knot" it and braiding that really gives you hold. You can spray it if you want. I never do and I never have a hair out of place so it's up to you. If you'd like a looser appearance,  adjust your braid and pull on it more before you wrap it, it will still hold. I've woken up the next morning and it's a looser but equally awesome look.

Day 2 hair

 I really don't recommend sleeping in a ponytail, it's murder on your hair, I'm just plagued by laziness. My point is it can look great both tighter or looser.

I hope you give it a try! Stop by High Heels and Training Wheels if you do and let me know how it turned out! And a big thank you, again, to Caroline for allowing me to visit!!

You can also find High Heels on Bloglovin', Twitter and Facebook! Stop by and say Hi!

Frugal Living and No Poo

Hi there! I'm Sarah from To Be Mrs. Collier and I am happy to be here to guest post for Caroline today. Although my blog started off as a wedding planning blog, I'm all about living frugally, recipes, faith, pin-busting and clean, natural living. I blog about my curious life. I blog about things that I do that I think that you might find interesting or uplifting. And I hope you like it, because I really like writing it for you to read.

Mr. Collier and I are shacked up in Nashville, Tennessee the Music Capital of the U.S. a.k.a. Music City. I work in a lab by day and blog by night. Timers and saftey goggles are my daytime fashion accessories. I'm currently working towards my doctorate in immunology, the study of the immune system. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after 5 long years!

pretzels, homemade peanut butter, apple french toast, crockpot meatballs

When I'm not in the lab, I spend my time working with the youth at our church, collecting and selling treasures, cooking, setting goals and accepting challenges. My latest challenge has focused primarily on going no poo or shampoo free. I'm a huge advocate for living frugally. I'm the kind of gal that coupons, meal plans, and shops at thrift stores or ebay because shopping at the mall seems wasteful. Again, I warned you, the blog is random! But I hope you stop by soon and say,"hello!"

Summer Essentials

Oh heeey everyone.

I'm Lacey.

I get my blog on over at Sunny + Turquoise.

I love sun and turquoise..can you blame me? 

When Caroline asked my to guest post I thought I'd share with you all what my summer essentials are.

You might think these are obvious but uhhh..they're mine essentials so lets roll with it. 

Fruit salad: It makes me feel healthy, clean and refreshed on a hot day. Enough said.

Deodorant: because I sweat when I'm roasting in the heat while out and about. You can never be over prepared with a mini one in your purse.

Swimsuit: I sneak away to the pool more than I should. I picked up top and bottom pieces at Target yesterday for $5 a piece on sale! Run I tell you. 

Cross body bag: the last thing I want to do is carry a heavy bag on my shoulder. This is easy, breezy and light on warm days. 

Sunglasses: I don't want people at the pool to know I'm creeping on them. I guess I don't want wrinkles around my eyes after squinting either. 

A good moisturizer: That has SPF built into it is essential. I'm trying to get better at protecting my skin, this is the start. 

Book: I need something to entertain me and keep my attention while I'm sitting outside enjoying the warm weather. Women's Health is another go to magazine.

Maxi: A versatile maxi that can be dressed up or dressed down is my go to on warm summer days or nights. So easy to throw on and look effortless.

White shorts: And jeans for that matter. They make you look tan, go with any color of top and are always a classy look.  

Summer drink: No matter what your beverage of choice is, having a go to summer drink that is refreshing and girly makes my summer days and nights a little better.

Stop my and see my at Sunny + Turquoise

June Giveaway=Free Stuff!

Hello world , June is already shinning bright so it's time to have a fabulous giveaway . 

I've teamed up with AWESOME ladies to have a fun event , you're gonna be lucky to have found it , lol ;)

Scroll down to find out what's up to grab . Woohoo , let's celebrate summer .

Us awesome ladies

Now start counting prizes of awesomeness

xx

2 months of ad space from Turquoise Bohemian

Gold Dangle Earrings from Serendipitous Whimsicality

Large Ad space on Love Caroline Blog

$10 iTunes or Google Play Card, 1 Month of The Sweet Bell Ad Space, & 5 Piece Stationary Set from Southern Girl Prints from Spunkee Belle

Suppori Baby Sling from Mom's Thumb Reviews

10$ designs credits of NBD Studio from Noor 

You're gonna find Ads to cards , earrings to design credits. What else did you expect? Yay ;D

Now enter the awesomeness 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

H54F: Summer

Happy first day of Summer and happy Friday! Here's what I did this week.

1. I made a cute box at the Mad Potter and love it! My family planned a big birthday party there for the May birthdays and I just got my completed work of art last Saturday. Such a cute place for parties.

2. Went to an outdoor theater and watched High School Musical. It was a lot of fun and the performance was awesome!

3. Downtown traveling. Went on a downtown bike ride yesterday. Loved it!

4. In love with my new Jesus sandals as I call them! I feel like I'm back in Biblical Times.

5. Had to do a little pose on the small train track that I saw in downtown.

Hope you had a great week too!

10 Things to Do This Summer

1. Set up a projector outside and watch a movie
This is so fun and easy to do. You can even make a party out of it and invite some friends over.
(Some neighborhoods host outdoor movie parties too so check your newspaper or google it)

2. Roast Marshmallows On a Fire
Summer is not complete unless you have a marshmallow over a fire. You could even do this while you watch a movie outside on the projector.

3. Bike around your city
 Me and my sister have been bike crazy this summer. We've gone around our neighborhood, downtown, and on different trails and parks. So much fun and a great workout too!

4. Go to and outdoor musical
 This past weekend my family and some friends went to see a High School Musical performed by a bunch of high schoolers in an outdoor theater. It was so much fun and I was really impressed with those kids who performed. They didn't mess up once and it was 2 hours long (And free!!) (Let's just say all the performers are destined for greatness)

5. Visit a Zoo
Zoos aren't just for kids. They're actually a lot of fun and I'm always amazed at how many and what animals I see. Take a camera and go have fun making memories with some family and friends! They have days throughout the summer, when you can go for free, so check out your local zoo website and find out when they are to plan your trip!

6. Go to a Water Park
No ones summer is complete with out going to water park. Whether it's Splash Town or Schlitterbahn, their all super fun!

7. Go Skiing or white water rafting
Their both so fun and pretty affordable. My personal favorite is white water rafting but skiing is so much fun to.

8. Go to a Concert
Every summer I always hear about free concerts that are happening and try to go. There always super fun and free! Nothing beats that!

9. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or Your local Mission Center
It's easy to become rapped up in ourselves but I always gain so much back when I'm helping others. So, go and volunteer somewhere like a mission center or your local soup kitchen and impact someone else's life in a positive way. It's really rewarding and so much fun.

10. Last but not least, go hang out at the beach
The beach is always so much fun and there is so much stuff to do at the beach: Sand Volleyball, tanning, swimming, shopping (WOHOO!!!), and of course eating. It's also really affordable and is perfect for a weekend trip or just a day trip if you live close to a beach.

Hope you enjoy your summer and don't forget to try some of these summer ideas! Their all free (except the water parks but hey not everything in life is free) and super fun!

Bloglovin' Blog Hop

<center> <a href="http://byourownblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/byou-bloglovin-blog-hop-1.html" target="_blank"><img alt="BLOGHOP" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8617324975_966612e7c2_n.jpg"/></a></center>

Thank you to everyone who linked up last time! Let's help this bloglovin' blog hop grow by sharing with your friends, followers, and adding the button to your sidebar!

Grab the button above and put it in your linky list or sidebar.

Follow your host, co-hosts, and guest host on bloglovin'. Leave a comment that you're a new follower so we can all come and check you out!

Link up your bloglovin' URL only. We had several people that submitted their blog's URL, but this is a bloglovin' hop so only link up your bloglovin' account, please!

Hop around and visit some of the other blogs that linked up and give them a follow. This is all about making new friends and finding new reads, not just linking up and expecting everyone to follow you.

Pin, Tweet, Facebook, blog this link up! The more exposure it gets, the more potential followers for you! 

Your Host:

B.You Blog

Your Co-Hosts:

Ashley @ A Fox & A Wolf

Torrie @ Fox + Hazel

Christina @ Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe
Natalee @ Eat Nap Play
Ashley @ Modernette

Guest Host:

Caroline @ Love Caroline

**If you are interested in being a guest host, please email us at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com

Mint+Lavender

V-neck: Target

Cardigan: Target

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Old Navy

 Ok, so I went shopping about 2 months ago to find some cute mint skinny jeans, but every pair I tried on was too tight, didn't have my size or was just not the right fit for me. When I walked into Target though, I saw these mint polka dot skinny jeans and was like, let me try these on. So I did and I love them, and so began my love affair with my mint polka dot skinny jeans.

Also, this is another whole outfit from Target except the shoes. I seriously do 75 % of my shopping there and love their clothes! I would love to hear some of your favorite places to shop!

DIY Washer Necklace

The DIY Washer Necklace has been going around Pinterest for a while, and me and my sister thought it was super cute, so we gave it a try. I was a pretty easy DIY and only took up an hour to do. Here's the tutorial to make one.

Materials Needed

• Pliers
• Washers
• 10 mm jump rings
• nail polish
• chain (I bought one at Walmart) 

Instructions

1. Gather all the materials for the project, and decided on what nail polish color you want to paint your washers.
2. Paint your washers. I applied 2-3 coats for each of my washers. (Also you can paint them on both sides to make them double-sided if you want.
3. Decide your design for your necklace and how many washers you want to use.
4. Connect the washers to each other using the 10mm jump rings.
5. Attach the chain to the washers and touch up any washers that the nail polish cracked off them.
6. Your all done! Strut your stuff and have fun!

Linking up with: Peacoats and Plaid, More the Merrier, Monday Mingling, Sami's Shenanigans, Monday Morning Gossip, I Love Bloglovin, Life Lately, This Weekend I, Sweet Sharing Monday, Monday Meet Up, My Greatest Hits, Monday Mingle, Monday Bloom