The Braid Bar

They just opened a new "Braid Bar" in a salon at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. They are charging $45 for a braid that looks very similar to my Day 16- Birthday Hair. Would you pay someone that kind of money for a braid? I guess it is like a updo and braids can last. I might need to think about working that into my services...

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/08/best_bet_john_barretts_braid_b.html

Day 26- "Sweet and Simple Hair"

Lincoln suggested that I was trying to make my hair too intricate and that I was either going to burn myself out or I was getting to complicated. I totally agree. I decided to just do some simple braids on the side of my head and pinning them around the back of my head. Like a little crown if you will. It is sweet and easy and it takes no time at all. You don't have to spend forever on your hair in order for it to look nice and polished.

Have a happy hair day!

Day 25-"Hiking Hair"

We are getting so close to the end, and this is what I come up with. I am a little ashamed. It was my day off so, Lincoln and I packed up the car and headed out for a day in nature. We had a great time hiking and spending time outside. Clark was great and the weather couldn't of been better. We came home and stayed busy with all of the little things that you do on a saturday. I even took a little nap, it was awesome. THEN, and only then did I think to take a picture of my hair. You can see that it was a total mess after all the running around. A more put together person would have fixed it, but not me, I wanted to show you what it looked like after my long day. I knew I would be busy today and I would be out and about, so all I really wanted to do was wear a ponytail. But not just a regular ponytail, one with a little pizzaz.

I sectioned my hair in two parts, top and bottom. I did two dutch braids starting at my ears and meeting in the middle of my head. I then just made a simple ponytail. It was so easy. And clearly it lasted all day even with the hiking, napping, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking... you get the idea. What a great day!

Four-Strand Braid Tutorial

Here it is. The braids everyone has been asking about. Let me know what you think. I want to hear from you on whether you were able to figure it out or not. Enjoy!

Have a happy hair day!

Mastering the French Braid

This tutorial gave me quit a fit. I wanted to post it yesterday with my last post, but for some reason it was not loading. So, here it is my French Braid tutorial. I know that some of you know how to do this, but for those of you who have never figured it out, this video is for you. I did both the dutch braid and the french braid. Enjoy!!

Have a happy hair day!!

Day 20- "Oh No She Didn't"

If you have not mastered the art of french braiding your hair by now, you probably think all is lost in ever learning how. I would like to challenge that way of thinking by telling you that you CAN do it. There are so many people out there who struggle with the simple task of weaving their hair back and forth while picking up small strands of hair to join the weave. I promise it is all about practice. I would suggest you get the hang of it on someone else's head first if you are really struggling. It is all about seeing the pattern and keeping the sections clean. Here are the simple steps to remember when french braiding.

1. Only make one pass of each strand before picking up small sections to join with the two outside strands.

2.Hold the three strands of hair in one hand, in between different fingers, while the other hand picks up hair on either side.

3.Hold the hair as close to the base as possible, not at the ends where the hair will braid too loose and fall out of the braid.
4. Make sure each section you pick up is the same amount of hair each time.
5. Repeat over and over until you reach your hairline, or your desired spot.

I swear it is that easy!

I am trying to make my face have as much attitude as possible, am I pulling it off? Ok, maybe not. Just promise me you will try to french braid your hair if you don't know how, and if you do, try the dutch braid. You wont regret it.

Have a happy hair day!

There was supposed to be a new tutorial with a how to on french braiding, but I can't get it to work. So, I will have to have Lincoln post it tomorrow. It is late and if I wake him up to show me how I would be a bad wife. I promise you will get it tomorrow. Pinkie swear!

Day 18-"Four-Strand Flat Braid"

I love this braid. It is so much easier than it looks and it is so pretty. I usually only do it when I pull a small amount out of my face like the picture. I like the fact that it isn't your average braid, but is just as easy. I have a tutorial coming showing you how to do it, but being sick really put a halt on the tutorial. I felt like my head needed a little break from my hair being up so much, so I thought a simple braid would work

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some fireworks!!

Day 17- "Sweet Swiss Miss" or "Almost Amish"

I am not too sure about this look. I see it on other people and I think it looks great. On me, however, it looks and feels a little Amish. I love the Amish, I just don't want to be mistaken for one. What do you think, does it work? Have you tried it? I think my braids got too thin on the ends and it didn't stay as think as it should on the top. Oh, well. It was a fun try

Oh, and don't mind the light fixture in the background. :)

Have a happy hair day! It's so good to be back!

Day 16- "Birthday Hair"

That's right, it's my birthday!! I am not one for making a big deal of my birthday, but it turned out to be a really nice day. Spending my day at work was not something I wanted to do, but it turned out fine. I was able to block out some time to have dinner with Lincoln and Clark before I headed back to finish a few more clients. I love living close to the salon!!!

To continue with "braid week" I did a dutch braid zig-zag across my head. A dutch braid is basically a regular braid, but inside out. You turn the hair out as you braid, and to get the zig-zag, you only pick up the hair for one side of the braid. Am I confusing you yet? Well, I will just have to do a video to show you. But for now, I am going to bed. It's my birthday after all, I am getting older and these late hours are killing me. :)

Have a happy hair day!!

Day 15- "Rope-Braids"

Today marks the first day of "BRAID WEEK!" I hope you are all as excited as I am. I want to open your eyes to the wonderful world of braids and twists. Oh, my!

Today I wore my hair with two rope-braids down either side of my head. I finished the braids off in the middle back of my head, then I just twisted them up and secured them with bobby pins. SO EASY!

I actually fell asleep on the couch before Lincoln could take the picture, so it is a little frizzy, but still in tact.

I have many braid tutorials coming, AND.... A GIVEWAY!!! So, get excited.

Have a happy hair day!

Day 14- "Four-Strand Rope Braid"

Today has been a day of scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. It was a day of laying low. I wanted to show the four-strand rope braid so you could see how pretty your hair can look with all the variations of braiding. Even if I don't look so great, don't mind the stain on my shirt, my hair is out of my face and woven into a fun little braid.
I am declaring next week "Braid Week" I will only do my hair with variations of braids and twists. I will have tutorials on most of the braids, including this one, and other more intricate braids. So, if you don't know how to braid your own hair, get ready, you will know by the end of the week.

Have a happy hair day!!

Day 8- "Father's Day Hair"

Happy Father's Day!! I wanted to show my appreciation to Lincoln by wearing my hair the way he likes it. Lincoln is amazingly supportive when it comes to my crazy love of all things girly. I have more clothes then I need (did I just admit to that?), I have SO much makeup and I write a blog about how I style my hair. HELLO!!! I don't think he knew what he was in for when we got married, but he is very supportive and helpful. (Who do you think takes most of the pictures?) Anyway, I wanted to show my love for him by wearing my hair the way he likes most- straight.

When I do a intricate style or lots of curls I NEVER let him run his fingers through my hair until the end of the night so he doesn't mess it up. However, when it is straight he can play with it to his hearts content. I added the braids to give some character to the otherwise straight hair. I have two on my left side, one on top of the other...
...and one french braid on this side. The braids help to keep the hair out of my face and they are so in right now. Thank you Lauren Conrad for making them so mainstream.
You want this simple look? Here are some key things you need to know.

STRAIGHT HAIR-

Assuming you have smooth hair and it isn't TOO curly, here is the 411 on straightening out your hair. You have to smooth it out as best you can while you blow dry! Having a good silk product (my favorite is Moroccan Oil!!!) is so important. It will help to smooth out your hair as well as protect it. Use your hands or a wide tooth comb as you dry it to make it as smooth as possible. Once it is 100% dry it is time to section it off into small sections to flat iron it. Section it much like the way I showed you in the Loose Curl tutorial. Use small sections for best results. I would also recommend a heat protector to help fight fly aways and damage (caviar anti-aging rapid repair spray is my favorite). Using a good straightener is CRUCIAL to getting a nice smooth style. If you use one that is not a ceramic flat iron you are doing some major damage. I know that they are not cheap, but if you use it all the time, and you don't want to ruin your hair... THEN GET ONE THAT COUNTS! It is worth the money, I promise. I use a FHI flat iron. I know this is a really quick rundown, but I have a feeling most of you get the idea. If there are any questions, let me know and I will address them.

FRENCH BRAIDS-

Hrmmm, where do I begin? It is like a braid, but attached to the head. I guess the only way to explain it is to show you. I might have to do a tutorial later. The way I learned is on my sisters head when I was about 9 or 10. I did it over and over again while we watched the Disney Channel family movie. Once you figure it out, you can do it anywhere. I will show you looks with different braids in the future. They are so fun and so important to know. Well, at least I think they are.

Ok, that was way too much writing. Are you still with me? I challenge you to wear braids in your hair and make sure it is touchable for your love. If not for your love, then for you.

Have a happy hair day!

Day 5- "Topping off a fishtail"

Today was a day to wear a hat and sport the classic fish braid. I have to admit, I am not very good at doing this braid. I can do braids in my sleep, but the fish braid always seems to get the best of me. The hat was for added style and for sun protection. You can never be too careful when it comes to those pesky UV rays. I have a really large head, so I usually have a difficult time finding hats that fit. I found this lovely at Target in the guy's department!! I am not above wearing a guys hat.

Today's tip- Embrace the bobby pin! I have a HUGE box that seems to be used more than anything else. Lincoln is always finding them all around the house. Sorry honey! But seriously, USE BOBBY PINS!!! I will be using them in almost all of my styles, so go out and get some today.

Have a happy hair day!

Day 4- "It looked better in person"

Sarah asked me to show more angles of the style. I did my best. It was a very busy day, so I am happy I wore my hair up. I love french braiding my hair. I learned how to do it by practicing over and over again on my sisters while they watched the Disney Family Movie when we were younger. Being able to do it on my own head as given me so much versatility. I will teach you one day if you ask very nicely. Ok, you don't even have to ask, I am dying to teach you. I am working on some video tutorials and I can't wait to share them.

Have a happy hair day!

Day 3- "Braids in the Park"

Today was a gorgeous day that was spent playing in the park. I wanted my hair off my neck and away from my face, and this style totally did that for me. Even though I did start to feel like a hip pioneer woman by the end of the day, I love braids in my hair. The twists and braids will be a reoccurring theme in this 30 day challenge.

I have heard your requests (both online and in person) and I am going to work on a few video tutorials to show you how I do some of my styles. I also plan on making some posts dedicated to product and hair color. Get excited.

Have a happy hair day!