Braided Crown 3 Ways: The Bohemian Wrap

It is here at last, part 3 of my first ever hair tutorial, a Braided Crown 3 Ways. I am calling it The Bohemian
Wrap. This look sure has quite a bit more personality and funk than the other two crowns I have shown you, which is why I love it. I've been an avid wearer of a forehead braid for quite some time; for as long as my hair has been long enough to allow it, actually. Up until recently I had only been braiding a forehead braid to just past my ear and wearing it with my hair down. Or around the back and into a side ponytail. I thought, why not take it a step further? I love the spin a forehead braid puts on a braided crown, so I had to share.

This may be the most difficult of the braids I have shown you. It is tricky to get the end of your braid to lay right. And it may be tricky for you to braid your bangs. It will be more difficult if you have bangs that are shorter than to your ears, but you can definitely still try (be prepared to be tucking lots of ends in with bobby pins)!

1. Begin by combing through your hair to remove any tangles. Run a tiny bit of coconut oil through your hair with your finger tips, if you'd like. Doing so will help with frizz and create a nice smooth braid. Create a very deep side part and comb your hair flat over to the opposite side.
2. Select three strands of hair about an inch back along the side part and begin french braiding towards your forehead.
3. Once the braid has reached your forehead, continue to french braid but only gather new hair from one side. Gather from the side towards the back of your head, creating nice loops on your forehead.
4. Continue in the fashion all the way across your forehead, sloping downward towards the opposite ear.
5. Bring the braid over the top of the ear a bit, and continue it toward the bottom back of your head.
6. Once the braid has reached the back of your head, begin a normal french braid again, gather hair from both sides as you braid.
7. Braid all along the back and then slowly braid up again, towards your other ear, until you have all of your hair in the braid. If your hair is not long enough to braid all the way around, consider ending the braid near your first ear and wearing it with your hair down or bringing it to the opposite side into a side ponytail or starting another braid on the opposite side and meeting them in the back of your head (covering up the ends with a bow or clip if needed).
8. Finish the braid and bring it back over the top of your head, being careful that the hair around the ear lays flat when you do so.
9. Meet the end of the braid with the beginning of it as best you can and pin in place.

Be sure to also check out part 1 and 2:
The Criss-Cross Applesauce
The Upside Down and Around



P.s. I'm sad looking at this pictures because I lost one of those little white square earrings when I was camping and I am a baby.

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Camping Along the Middle Fork

I'm back! I know you missed me. The past few days we've been on a little escape in the trees. Will and I were invited on a lovely camping trip by our dear friend Lindsey (who is a great planner, by the way) for the Fourth. We drove up a little early Thursday morning to find a nice spot for everyone along the Middle Fork of the Boise river, up past Arrowrock Dam. Will and I arrived well before the rest of the group and headed straight for the river with our chairs and some beers while we waited for everyone to arrive.

The first day Will and I spent exploring and relaxing in the water while people slowly arrived. My lovely friend Christina made a yummy curry that night for dinner for everyone with fresh vegetables from her garden, and Will and I brought some sockeye salmon (with a brown sugar, soy sauce glaze and sweet onion) to share and we all dined like kings. I sadly retreated to bed early the first night, as I was feeling quite a bit sun sick (I told you I don't handle heat well; heat stroke is zero fun.) and was tired from a long day. Friday Will and I got up early, having gone to bed early the night before, and had some delicious bagels with salmon cream cheese, hard boiled eggs, and grapefruit for breakfast. Don't you just love that I'm telling you about our camping trip and the thing I am most excited about was the food? I just love food, okay? As per usual.

I felt like Will and I were the weird hippie old couple of the group, going to bed early and waking with the sun, with all the knowledge of the forest. Haha. Will agreed with me. I love my friends, and their amazement at using a hatchet for a spatula. I chose to stay behind while the rest of the group went swimming down at the reservoir during the day Friday. I knew if I went I would have blazed completely in the sun; it was a little easier to control my sun exposure in the river. Plus, I just enjoy the scenery of the river quite a bit more. Christina and Isaac stayed behind with us as well, and spent the day sipping on gin and juice in a little pool along the side of the river. We also spent some time wading through the river, fording the river, and exploring the surrounding area. Christina classified some plants for us and Will attempted to spot out some fish. We did see some little tadpoles, though! We split some peanut soup that I made ahead of time for lunch and took an afternoon nap before the rest of the group got back. The rest of the night was spent around the fire, chatting and drinking good wine. And I only had one anxiety attack the entire trip (sorry guys)!

It was terribly hot (but you know how I feel about that) but all in all it was a great time spent meeting some wonderful new friends, and getting to know old ones better.

Tent City, you will be well remembered.

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Sweet Potato Ranch Thin-Crust Pizza

Sometimes great things just happen to me completely unexpected, you know? This pizza was one of them. I think the reason it was so great was I was about like 5 minutes away from eating crackers in some form for dinner. Because I hadn't been to the grocery store in some time but was way too hungry to go there now. Does that ever happen to you? This was on Saturday, my "cheat" day, and I had been craving pizza like a mad woman (as per usual). So finally I just decided I would find what ever vegetables we had left in the refrigerator and make my self one. Because I will do anything for pizza.

Now that you have the back story, this pizza turned out way better than expected. I used ranch for the sauce, because hey, why not? (also because there was nothing else) and topped it with a combination of sweet potato, spinach, and red onion. I, of course, realized as soon as I was pulling this out of the oven that I had a can of artichokes hearts. I was pretty upset about not discovering that earlier, so if you have them include them. Because artichokes make literally everything better.

As always, I recommend sipping on some red wine will you prepare this.

Sweet Potato Ranch Pizza, makes one large thin crust pizza

Pizza Dough, I always use this recipe

1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 a sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/4 to 1/2 a cup ranch dressing (I used Newman's Own)
dried basil and oregano, to taste

Begin by making your pizza dough (feel free to use my recipe), kneading it and then rolling it out to the size of your pizza pan or stone. Let it sit while you cut up all the vegetables you will be topping the pizza with. I heated up the sweet potato in the microwave for about 4 minutes first, to get it a bit tender. Then, using a spatula apply a thin even coat of ranch dressing to your crust, using about 1/4-1/2 a cup depending on how large your pizza ends up being. Then layer the veggies on. Finish by topping with fresh mozzarella, feta crumbles and sprinkle with basil and oregano. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. I always cook mine for 20 minutes and then turn the broiler on high and let it get all crisp and bubbly for another minute or two.

Slice up into pieces of desired size and serve with some balsamic vinegar for dipping. Or smother it in more ranch like Will did. To each their own.

Enjoy!

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Braided Crown 3 Ways: The Upside Down and Around

Here you have it, lovelies, part 2 of my first ever hair tutorial, a Braided Crown 3 Ways. I like calling this one The Upside Down and Around, because of the way you have to comb all your hair forward and hang upside down for a bit to achieve it. This is a more traditional way of achieving the gorgeous braided crown style than The Criss-Cross Applesauce and also a step or two up in difficulty. But don't let that discourage you, practice it a few times, and I'm sure you can get it down. At first I had difficulty getting the braid to lay right when I brought it around front to the top of my head and had to do it a few times every time to get it looking right. I can now get it in one go! Marvelous.

In my opinion, The Upside Down and Around is not quite as playful as The Criss-Cross Applesauce. Rather, I think the style of this one is super elegant and classy. But still the kind of classy you can pair with jeans and a t-shirt if you fancy. Try giving it a go!



1. Begin by combing any tangles out of your hair and then comb it all completely forward.
2. Select three strands of hair from the bottom center, near your neck.
3. Using these three strands, begin braiding a french braid in an inside out fashion. To do this, when you go to cross the strands of hair, bring the strand under the previous one instead of over, collecting more hair with each strand also. Braid upwards at an angle, sort of towards your ear. This is where I had trouble for the longest time. You do not want to braid straight upwards to the top of your head, rather bring it around the side a bit. Think of a halo or a crown sitting on your head and creating that roundness.
4. Once the braid has reached the top of your head, flip right side up again. Continue braiding in the inside out style, gathering the hair from the top of your head, including your bangs if you've got 'em (you can totally leave them out, if you want, don't let me tell you what to do).
5. Braid all the way across you head, eventually bringing the braid back down and back a bit. Gather any remaining hair from the nape of you neck, if any, and finish the braid.
6. Take the end of your braid and loop it around the back of your head following the pattern already there from the start of the braid. You will pin it back into itself.
7. Using a generous amount of bobby pins, secure the end of the braid in place, as well as flattening any bumps and tightening flyways. If your hair is not long enough for the end of your braid to reach all the way back around, you can secure the end into a bun, or hide the end of the braid with a cute lace bow.
8. Once pinned in place, loosen some of the loops of your braid up a bit, for a more romantic look.

There you have it. Have you worn your hair this way before?

Don't forget:
- you can see The Criss-Cross Applesauce here
- and The Bohemian Wrap is now here

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Look Whose Belly is Disappearing: Revolt Check-In Week 9

I had a lovely, empowering week with Revolt. I'm really excited because I've finally started to loose fat from the places I've been wanting to the most. It is a shame you can't target fat loss, I could of done without loosing some of my boob size. Now, I don't mind that too much, but I would have rather lost the fat from my thighs. Up until this point, I've been loosing body fat from my upper body just fine, I've seen my chest and waist and belly shrink significantly. Now I am finally seeing some of that fat I have always had, around my thighs and 'love handles' slowly diminish. So exciting! But not as exciting as rocking every one of my workouts lately! As I've explained before, all Revolt exercises are broken down to 3 levels, from beginner to advanced, so no matter where you are on your fitness journey you can find what works for you in each exercise. I started out as a 2, the intermediate level, and as I've gotten stronger I've floated between a level 2 or 3 switching up or down depending on the exercise. I am proud to say that this is the first week were I managed to complete all exercise at the highest level! Even upper body. And it felt great. And I wanted more! So I added in some fun dynamic (read really hard, super sweaty) yoga and a few extra cardio circuits. I was in exercise bliss.

That was until Saturday, when I embarrassed myself hiking and totally biffed it down a slippery, rocky hill. I managed to scrape my left leg pretty bad, as well as my hands. But the cuts and scraps and blood didn't bother me; what did is that I also managed to bruise up my knee really well and hurt my wrist too. My leg is still in pretty bad shape, I may have pulled something in my calf because it is either fine or hurts like a motherfrakker, depending on which way my foot is pointed when I go to lift my leg. And my knee was already in bad shape from landing weird on it on a camping trip awhile ago. I think my wrist will be back to normal in a few days, it just feels a little stiff and bruised.

So, as you may have guessed, I'll have to take it easy here for the next few days. Which I know is necessary, but I am still pretty bummed about. We are starting a new Uprising today, which means a whole new month's guide, brand new exercises, and a yummy new menu. It also means no more Tabatas! We're returning back to giant cardio circuits, which I am excited to try out again at a higher level. I am most excited that my suggestion of cauliflower crust pizza made it on the menu, though! Healthy pizza all week!? Yes please.

As promised, I've included more progress pictures. I have to apologize that the lighting is so bad in the last two of these. I'm just glowing yellow a bit. But in the front view, can you tell that my thighs are finally changing a bit? And that from-the-side picture, where did the belly go!?

Well, wish me a quick recovering so I can start July strong! Hope you are all feeling lovely today and I hope it is not as deathly hot as here, where ever you are :)

Disclaimer: I was chosen as a Revolt Fitness Program blogger and received free membership to try the fitness program. All results are real and my own. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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This is Why I'm Happy

These pictures were just too cute not to share. Oh, these two. I am one happy lady.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend with those you love.

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Braided Crown 3 Ways: The Criss-Cross Applesauce

I am so excited to share my first hair tutorial with you guys! And because it is my first tutorial, I wanted to do something extra special. But also something that I actually do wear myself regularly. I of course immediately thought sharing a braided crown would be perfect. I soon also realized I wear a braided crown an assortment of ways. So, lucky you, I am actually doing three tutorials. That means it will be coming to you in three parts.

Braided crowns are a go-to of mine these days. I remember when the style was first becoming popular in my neck of the woods and wanting desperately to join in, but my hair was still a little to short at the time. But I kept trying; I'd put little bow were the braid ended or gather the end in a bun instead of wrapping it all the way around. When my hair was finally long enough to wrap my whole head braided, I may have jumped for joy a bit! And by that time I had plenty of practice and had the braided crown look down a number of ways. This has come in handy lately as the weather here has sure gotten unbearably hot fast and I have a whole lot of hair that I'm still not sure what to do with. I've probably mentioned it before, but this is the longest my hair has ever been (and I have to convince myself everyday to not take scissors to it). I am happy that it now seems to be long enough to allow me to do any kind of style I can think of (except cute, short ones of course). So I've been getting it off my neck and getting creative with it to.

This braided crown, which I love to call The Criss-Cross Applesauce, is most likely the easiest of the three braided crowns I will show you. As such, it is the one I wear the most. It takes a matter of minutes, two normal braids, and some bobby pins to pull it off. It is, in my opinion, a perfect combination of sophistication and casual. You are bound to get compliments on this hair-do. I'll leave it at your discretion as to whether or not you want to share how easy the look is to achieve :) Plus, you may be able to pull this off with shoulder-length hair, so long as you don't have a ton of layers.

1. Begin by combing any tangles out of your hair and then gathering your hair into two sections.
2. Apply a tiny bit of coconut oil with the tips of you fingers to each gather section. Braid one section and secure it with a small rubber-band (the closer to your hair color, the better). Do this to the other section as well. I like to hold my hair outward as I am braiding it, versus braiding downward,  allowing the base of the braid to be a little looser. This will help your braids sit better around your ears as you pull them up.
3. Take one of the braids and cross it over the top of your head. Adjust as needed, to get the braid to lay flat around the ear. Using bobby pins, pin the braid in place on the top of your head, paying extra attention to the end of the braid and making it lay flat. I like to imagine placing it where a headband would rest. Once pinned, loosen the braid up a bit carefully with your fingers to make it look more natural.
4. Do the same with the other braid. Cross it over the top of your head and the braid already pinned in place, tucking the end of it into to the other braid. Pin in place. Add as many bobby pins as needed for the braids to feel secure.
5. Tuck in any unwanted flyways and tuck your bangs back if preferred.

See, super simple. It just looks like you spent a lot of time on it. Plus, braided crowns are perfect for dirty, summer hair. And a HUGE thank you to my sister, Bee, for taking all the pictures for me. And for not thinking I was weird when I asked you to come over and take pictures of me doing my hair :)

Update:
- you can see The Upside Down and Around here
- and The Bohemian Wrap is here now too!

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