Hairstyle How-To: Asymmetrical Figure 8

This sleek hairstyle can take you from office to holiday party, depending on how you accessorize it.

Here are some photos, clickable for larger pictures as always, with instructions following them.

It's made by doing a Figure 8 updo as shown in this entry,  however, instead of moving the top coil of hair straight down to create the "8 effect", you move the coil in a slightly diagonal direction.

After that, move the coils to position them for your desired look. This makes it look much less like an 8.

Put in hair sticks and you're done. In these photos, I'm using Mei Fa Hairstyx in Raspberry.

Hope you're having a lovely pre-holiday weekend.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all, and extra hugs to anyone feeling alone today.
xo

Hairstyle How To: Double Vertical Braids

This is an different variation on wearing a regular single braid or double braids. It doesn't look too interesting when you're standing still, but it creates an interesting swing when you walk.

I often do triple vertical braids, but for today i just did two. I didn't part the hair evenly enough into two sections that the braids were equal in width, but this gives you an idea of how it's supposed to look.

This is clearly an easy hairstyle to do.

Firstly, I parted my hair as if I were making a half-up, and I braided that area.

Secondly, I braided the remaining hair.

As I said earlier, this style has much more impact when one is moving. It creates an attractive swing, and has even more impact if you try three vertical braids.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.

xo

Hairstyle How-To: Franny's Easy Holiday Updo

I know that a lot of people are looking to try a new look in updos for the holiday season. I believe that the easier, the better, most of the time. This is another very quick and easy hairstyle that takes only a minimum of practice to achieve an optimal look. It's surprisingly impressive from behind, and shows quite nicely from the front. It's something like a French Twist with a large loop on the top and can make quite a bold statement if done correctly.

Here is a back view of the updo: (All photos are clickable for larger pictures and closer viewing.)

The Instructions:

1. Gather hair as if into a ponytail.

2. Loop ponytail around two fingers on left hand. (all of this will be opposite if your are left-handed.)

3. Twist the loop that you have created in a counter-clockwise direction.

4. Continue twisting loop until you run out of hair to twist.

5. When you've run out of hair to twist, tuck the ends into the French Twist-like portion of the hair and secure near the top of the twist and under the loop with a barrette or hair clip. In this example, I am using a medium Ficcare Maximas in Blue Jeans. I must mention that I did not end up tucking all of the ends into the twist in these particular photos.

6. Fan out loop, and leave it free, as I have done, or pin the loop in place to achieve your own desired look. You may want to pin some parts of the loop up and some in other directions for a different effect.

Here are two other photos of the finished product:

I hope that you'll give this updo a try. As I have mentioned it's extremely easy to do, and I'd love to hear how others have made it work with various hair types.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.

xo

Hairstyle: Dutch Braided Bun

The hairstyle I'm wearing today is a Dutch Braided Bun. If you can make a regular French braid, you can make a Dutch or inverted braid. I've mentioned before that to make a Dutch Braid, you cross the middle strand over instead of under for every round of braiding.

I Dutch braided my hair and continued the braid to the ends and fastened it with a hair-friendly elastic. Then I took the braid, coiled it around itself and secured it with a Ficcarissimo in Emerald.

The braiding in these photos looks a bit loose. I think my hair was a bit too soft today to do a really nice tight Dutch braid. Sometimes it's easier to have a tighter braid a day or two after washing. However, if you know me, you know that I like looser braids just as much.


It's been a very windy day here today, and this is the first time it is actually starting to feel cold. We got the tiniest dusting of snow flurries. It was so light that it looked like the powdered sugar on a doughnut. Here for a few moments and then gone.


I hope that everyone has a lovely weekend.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Hairstyle: Asymmetrical Boho Bun

Today I'm wearing an Asymmetrical Boho Bun.

I did a rather loose Dutch lace braid from my right temple to my left ear. Making a lace braid is just like making a regular French or Dutch braid, except that I only add new hair to the outermost strands as I go.

And to be honest, the term "Dutch braid" is really a misnomer, but it seems to be the common terminology for an inverted French braid. With a Dutch braid, the centre strand is always braided over the other two strands rather than under as in a usual French braid.

After I finished braiding, I just twisted a bun under my left ear and pinned it into place. It has a bit of a messy look, but it just doesn't look right to me if it's too perfect. It should look as though it's just thrown together.

I hope that everyone's week is off to a good start.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

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Hairstyle How-To: Twisted Crossed Half-Up

This style is just about the easiest half-updo that I know. However, I think it's elegant in its simplicity. (Photos clickable for larger image.)

I parted each side of my hair from the crown to the ears. I took the right side and twisted it inwardly three times, then took the left side and twisted it inwardly three times.

Then I crossed the left twist over the right twist and secured it with a Ficcare beak clip.

It really couldn't be easier.

For anyone who's wondering, I still have the migraine that started on Monday. I did however, get a better sleep last night. And once again, I'm happy to say that my spirits are good.

'Til tomorrow my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Hairstyle How-To: Tucked Draped French Braid

My hair wasn't up to having a length photo taken today, but I took a photo of the hairstyle of the day instead. 

This hairstyle is a Tucked Draped French Braid. It's a very simple style, if you know how to French braid.

To create a Draped French Braid, you don't French braid the hair at the scalp. Instead, you hold the strands out from the head at a 90 degree angle and braid there. As you add each new strand, you add it at the same 90 degree angle, parallel to the floor.

After finishing the braid, secure with a hair friendly elastic. Roll the tail up, and pin it to the nape, and that's it!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Happy birthday Lulu, and I hope that your celebration this evening is a lovely one.


'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Hairstyle: Herringbone Braid Half-Updo and: 6 Months of Blogging

Hi everyone! Thank you all for the good wishes. I did sleep well last night and I was indeed able to enjoy the beautiful day we've had here today. Lulu, you're right; it's been just like a perfect summer day.

Today marks six months since I started this blog. I couldn't have imagined then that I would write an entry every day for six months.

Since April 8, 2010, this blog has been visited by people from 2036 cities in 89 different countries who have spent a total time of 24 days and 7 hours reading (my own family is not included in these stats). My blog is small potatoes compared with the longtime career bloggers, but it still boggles my mind that anything I've done has managed to reach all corners of the earth.

If you're under 40, you likely can't grasp just how mind-blowing it really is. When I was a young woman, just making an overseas phone call was still a big deal and we couldn't ever have imagined a day when just about everyone would have a cell phone. The last thing we could have imagined would have been having the ability to connect with people all over the world via something like the Internet. It amazes me still, when I think about it.

Writing this blog has reminded me that one is never too old to try something new. It has helped me to get over myself, and not worry if I write something that someone might find foolish, post a photo that is not perfect, or make a video in which I'm stumbling over my words. It's something I simply couldn't have done five years ago.

So for those of you who are still in your 20s or early 30s, and you're starting to feel the panic of "running out of time", please know that you can change and grow and learn new things throughout your life. You don't have to do it all now. There is still so much to look forward to, and let me also tell you another thing. Being 50 is not the same as being old.

Most of all, I am filled with gratitude daily for the comments and feedback that some of you leave, and for the emails and messages I receive. Believe me, you all give me so much more than I am giving and I am truly grateful.


Okay, now about hair. Today I've done a herringbone braid half-up. A herringbone braid is one of the simplest braids to do, but I do have to warn you; it can be tiring to do, especially on really long hair. The strands are small, and it takes patience. However, it's extremely easy, so that makes up for it.

As you can see, my braid in these photos is not perfect, but I still like the way it looks. Perfection is over-rated.  Photos can be clicked to enlarge them.

For those of you who have never made a herringbone braid, a half-up is a nice way to start.

To make a herringbone braid all you need to do is

1. Divide hair into two sections.
2. Take a small amount of hair from the outer portion of the left section and transfer it to the right section.
3. Now take a small amount of hair from the outer portion of the right section and transfer it to the left section.
4. Repeat until you have as much hair braided into a herringbone as you wish. 
5. Tie off the end with a hair-friendly elastic.

Another way that many people like to do a herringbone braid is to make a ponytail first with a hair-friendly elastic and then do steps 1-5. I like to do it without a ponytail tie to start, because I like the v-shape it makes at the top, but both ways are pretty.

To my Canadian friends, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving weekend. I hope that you spend time with people whom you love, and if not, that you can connect with them in some way.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all, and extra hugs to anyone who is worried today.

xo

Hairstyle: Mini-Basket-Weave Half-Updo

First of all, thank you for your comments and show of support yesterday. It was a rough day and you all helped me stick to my resolve to trim very slowly until my damage is gone rather than give way to thoughts of cutting it all out at once. It is so true that I would regret it. And it's a good lesson for me to live with my hair being less than perfect. It's also true that we are our own worst critics. 


Today I had a nice visit with an old friend. We've been friends for over 30 years, since I was just a slip of a girl of only 18. We try to meet up once a month for a few hours, just to keep up and to share our new favourite books and movies, and to catch up on one anothers' lives. It was very pleasant, and it has become an important ritual to me.


I still haven't managed to quite figure out the new hairstyle I have in mind that I mentioned on Saturday. I won't mention it again until I have a handle on it.


I will share with you today's hairstyle. Now that it's getting cooler, sometimes I like to be able to wear half-updos, which keep the delicate canopy hair out of harm's way, but still allow me to show some length.

This is one of the very first half-up hairstyles I learned, other than a simple half-up ponytail, many years ago. I saw it in a magazine long before I joined LHC and began to attempt more difficult styles.

Photos are clickable, as always, for more detailed viewing.

I like this half-up because anyone can do it, and it's just a bit more interesting than a regular half-tail. It works best with a beak clip. In these photos, I'm using a medium-sized Ficarre Innovation beak clip in Pink Marble,  but I used to use a simple Goody beak clip that I purchased at  the drug store that was extremely inexpensive.

To make this style, I parted my hair from ear to ear over the top of my head. I then pulled back the front section I had just parted as if I were about to make a ponytail. I then divided that "ponytail section" into four equal strands. After that, wove the outermost left strand towards the right: under the next strand, over the next, and under the next. Then I took what was now the second strand from the right and wove towards the left:  under the next strand, and over the next.

Then I secured it with the beak clip, concentrating primarily on the left-hand side. It's nothing terribly fancy or exciting, and it's very easy, but it's just a little bit different. I hope you like it.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Video How-To: Figure 8 Updo

This bun is fairly easy, once you get the knack. I tried to go slowly so that you can follow along. I hope it's helpful to some of you.

Remember, if your hair is too short or too thick to do this bun right now, you can always do a Figure 8 Half-Up, or do two or three Figure 8 Buns in a vertical row.



Thanks to all who left comments and sent emails. I can never tell you how much I appreciate them. I will respond as soon as possible.

'Til tomorrow. Much love to all, and extra hugs to anyone feeling lost today.
xo

Hairstyle How-To: 3 Braid Half-Up

This hairstyle is inspired by Arwen's half-up hairstyle in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.  It's really easy and it's kind of fun.

To make this hairstyle I:

1. Parted my hair across the top of my head, from ear to ear. I clipped that hair up and out of the way and put the length in a ponytail to also keep that out of the way. The hair clipped up is my half-up hair.

2. I parted the front section I had made in the middle.

3. I then took the left side and divided it in half vertically from part to hairline.

4. I braided the front half of the left side of my hair.

5. I then took the right side and divided it in half vertically from part to hairline.

6. I braided the front half on the right side of my hair.

7. I took the loose section that remained from the original part (the back of the left and right sides of the half-up hair) and braided it.

All of the photos are clickable. It's really easy to see, especially on the right side, the breakage that I'm gradually cutting out. 

And just for fun, here is a comparison of this hairstyle made today with a photo of this hairstyle made on January 19th of this year. The length of my hair looks thicker in the January photo, but that's because I put less of my hair in the half-up section.

It's a nice reminder that my hair really has grown in 8 months, despite my regular trims and cutting 2 inches off of the tip of my V-shape in June.

Hope you like this style.

I tried the lemon juice rinse today, and my hair is very soft and shiny. It's too soon to really tell about the frizz. but my hair is nice and smooth.

My verdict:: too soon to tell for a straightie, but I'll be doing it for the next few washes.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love and extra hugs to anyone who is missing someone today.
xo

Hairstyle How-To: Folded Braid

Well, I'm just barely starting to feel a bit better, so I'm still not feeling too chatty, but I do have some instructions for a really simple style. It works with shorter hair, and looks great with much longer hair. As long as you have hair long enough to braid, you can make a version of this simple, casual style.

1. Make a braid high up on the head and fasten the ends with a hair friendly elastic.

2. Fold braid under and bring tasseled ends right up to the base of the braid.

3. Shape hair into place and fasten with a barrette or a spring clip. In these photos, I am wearing a Ficcare Ficcarissimo in Emerald. You can play around with the placement of the clip and how you arrange your braid. This style can look very different depending on how you place your braid and barrette. For a more finished look, lightly dampen the hair first and perhaps use Aloe Vera Gel, or hair friendly styling gel.

For every day, I like the slightly dishevelled look, as anyone who follows this blog knows.

Still hoping to feel better tomorrow. I'm hankering for a good yak. Thanks again to all who have sent get well wishes, and positive thoughts.

Love to all. 'Til tomorrow.

Rose Bun

Today I'm wearing a Rose Bun. I made it by putting my hair in a ponytail, dividing the ponytail into three and then making three separate Rope Braids. Written instructions on how to make a Rope Braid can be found in this entry.

After the Rope Braids were made, I then coiled all three braids, pinned them into place and created the Rose Bun.

 

In these photos, there are a lot of sticking-out ends. If I were planning on having a more polished look for an evening out, I would likely dampen my hair with distilled water and perhaps add a bit of gel before making both the ponytail and the Rope Braids. I might also add a hair stick or another hair accessory for adornment only. In a future entry, I'll post photos of such a polished Rose Bun.

Before too long, I'll make an instructional video for making Rope Braids for those of you who prefer visual instructions.

I enjoyed and appreciated the comments to yesterday's entry, and I will respond tomorrow in the comments section. I'm still having a rough go with the migraines, and I can't spend any more time writing today.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.

Hairstyle How-To: Flipped Ponytail

A flipped-through ponytail is a very easy variation on a regular ponytail, and can also serve as a base for some hairstyles that I will be demonstrating in future entries. It's a softer look than a regular ponytail, and can be worn high or low, off to one side and even horizontally.


When I did a tutorial on my Easy Summer Updo, I did an inverted version of a flip-through. Today I'm demonstrating the regular flip-through.

I used to do this style with my fingers only, but it is quicker and easier to do with a Topsy Tail Tool.

1. Put hair in ponytail. It is best to make the ponytail well above the nape. In the photo, this is about the lowest that the ponytail could go and still have a flip-through work.  Experiment with the placement of the initial ponytail.

2. Place tail of Topsy Tail tool vertically behind ponytail holder.

3. Feed hair through the loop of the Topsy Tail.

4. Pull ponytail completely through behind ponytail holder.

5. This is the finished product. Once you're done, check to see if you have a split above the ponytail holder as I do in this photo. You can then take a fine toothed comb and comb the split together, if you desire.  Also, check to see if the ponytail holder still shows.  If so and you want to cover it, adjust hair with your fingers to completely hide the ponytail holder. I'm afraid I forgot to do these checks before taking the final photo.

So that's a Flipped-Through Ponytail.

On a personal note, I never should have implied yesterday that I couldn't feel any worse than I did. I truly tempted Fate. Last night I awoke with chills and a fever, after only 2 1/2 hours of sleep. That did not make me feel any better today. Somehow, and I don't know why, occasionally fevers come along with the migraines. 

So I'll be relaxing for the rest of the evening, heading off to bed early, and hoping to get a good and full nights' rest.

Thank you to everyone for your well wishes yesterday.

'Til tomorrow. Love to all.

Video How-To: Gibson Tuck

The Gibson Tuck is a great protective updo, but it gets harder to do the using the usual instructions after hair gets much longer than shoulder length. This video gives step by step instructions on how to do the Gibson Tuck for longer hair.  



I hope that this video is of help to some of you.

'Til tomorrow, my friends.  Love to all.

Hairstyle How-To: Annalee's Folded Twist

I based this hairstyle on one done by someone close to me by the name of--you guessed it--Annalee. :)

Here are the instructions.

1. Twist hair straight upwards, in a counterclockwise direction.

2. Place pinky finger of right hand as an anchoring spot near the crown of the head, and bring the twisted ponytail around the anchor.

3. Grasp the loop that has been formed and flip it to the left.

4. Place flipped loop against head. If you wish, you can wrap the ends and tuck them in.  I leave the tail hanging out. Prepare to secure the style with a hair fork, hair sticks or a hair clip.

5. Here is the finished style. I secured it with a Ficcare Maximas in Royal Blue (or Sapphire) from the Lotus Jewel II Collection.

I hope you like it, and I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend. 

Love to all!  'Til tomorrow, my friends.

Video Hairstyle How-To: Southern Tease

This is a variation that I came up with to make the Southern Tease or Southern Pleat hairstyle work for me. The methods used in the other instructions I'd seen just didn't work on my fine and slippery hair. It's a really good protective updo, and it's very easy to do.

While I've slowed down my motions for the video, the style usually takes me about 30 to 40 seconds and actually works out better than when I do it quickly than it turned out in the video.

I hope you like it.



Love to all.  'Til tomorrow, friends.

Hairstyle: 3 Knot Updo

Today, I'm wearing another messy/casual updo. It's made from three knots pinned down with the ends sticking out. This style tends to look slightly different every time I do it.

To make this updo, I divided my hair into three. I made a part on each side of my head from the crown to the ear. The back section was the largest.

I took the back section, wrapped it around my fingers, then pulled the ends through the loop that was created by the wrapping. Essentially it's a slip knot. I then just pinned the knot into place.

Then I took the loose hair from the right side, crossed it over the pinned knot and then created a second knot, which I then pinned into place on the left. Finally, I took the loose hair from the left, crossed it over the two knots and created a third knot on the right side, and also pinned that into place.

The reason I crossed the left to the right and the right to the left is so that the parts wouldn't show.

If I wanted to make this style more polished, I could take the ends of each knot, wrap them around and pin them under. I could also use a smoothing hair-friendly gel or spray if I wanted to reduce the flyaways.  However, for a casual summer day, I like the flyaway, ends-sticking-out look.

I can do a step-by-step of how to make the knots in a future entry if anyone is interested.

I hope that everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend. Myself, I'm feeling a bit better than I was yesterday.

Love to all.