Relaxed Curls & Bun on a New Model w/ a New Flower

Please welcome my lovely niece, The Princess! A beautiful child with enough attitude for 2-13 yr old girls. ;) She agreed to model for me and I was so excited to fix her curly locks!

The Princess has naturally curly hair, very curly! I relaxed the curls with a replenishing spray and a touch of silk'n'curl. I brushed through her hair gently with an air-cushion brush. And then it was time for the style...

I put the top half of her hair into a ponytail, leaving her "bangs" and a bit at the sides out. I parted the bangs far to one side. I added the bangs to the side hair and made a simple braid, adding the braid  to the ponytail.

The same for the other side...

Next I made a very loose bun by simply picking up the hair, giving it two twists and then wrapping it around the ponytail. I left the ends sticking out slightly and secured it with a clear elastic. One great thing about curly hair, you never have to "do something" with the ends. ;)

I let the princess pick her accessory. (and I loved her choice!) This is a flower clip that I don't think I've featured on my blog before. It is cotton candy pink & white with a touch of feathers in the center.

Our mini modeling session was a blast; she was super serious about it! ;)

She was so pretty and walked around like the princess she is, all afternoon! ;)

Product Review Time:

This spray is on my mind today, mostly because I ran out and can't find it anywhere, AGHH! ;) I searched Dove's website to find a retailer... KMart on the other side of town, that's it! ugh, I don't really shop at kmart... at least not in the last 7 or so years. Sheesh! Walgreens is willing to have it sent from another location and that will take 2 weeks as it travels by truck, nice... I "ordered" 4 bottles. Lol, does that tell you how awesome this stuff is?! Okay, here's the deal.

DOVE Daily Moisture, Damage Therapy, Daily Hydrating/Replenishing Mist. (It has had other names, but the formulas are almost identical. The most recent does not have glycerin, a good thing I promise!) This works wonderfully for girls with dry or damaged hair. I use it on myself and on Alex. I have also used it on other little girls. In fact, I prefer to use it rather than water when dampening the hair. It does exactly as it says, replenishes the hair. I like to test limits and I've been using this stuff for a long time. I have drenched Alex's hair with it and when it dried, it was as though I'd just washed and conditioned her hair. No joke, it's the best stuff ever! ;) I have used it for every hair type, including one little girl with slightly oily hair. It even seemed to freshen her hair up and leave it less oily! I highly recommend this to help keep yours and your daughter's hair healthy!

Fabulous, Step by Step

Just in case anyone missed it, there is a GIVEAWAY in the post about Alex's recital. http://tinydiva.blogspot.com/2010/07/be-my-little-baby-bumblebee.html

A pair of hairbows available to one lucky winner, so comment away! ;)

And now for the 'do that I did for Alexandra's Faboulous photos... The up close, step by step pics I took of this hairstyle...

I started, as usual, by separating two sections in front and holding them back. I put the bottom into a low side ponytail. (Oh, and please ignore the sand... we have it under their playground/fort and it's always in her hair!)

Next, I parted the front into smaller sections and started some french braids. I put three on one side and just one on the other.

I pulled everything together into a messy bun type thing. I had to use one bobby pin for that last braid that wouldn't quite stay. Then some hairspray because her hair was frizzed out!

Add a bow and some sass and there you have it! ;)

I want FABULOUS! Give me Fabulous!

Alex loves HSM and that song is her favorite. That's how she decided to describe this set when she first tried it on! ;) It is definitely over-the-top... and I just LOVE it! ;)

This is an all new outfit from the Fairie*Kisses Couture Line. (For those who don't know, that's me.;) I have made tutus and bows for quite a while and I've done some simple skirts and tops. But this project was a major feat! ;) I love all the steampunk stuff that I've seen on Etsy and other places, so I just had to try my hand at it! This was a blast to make and Alex just fell in love with it! ;)

Ruffles always make things better! Alex insists on them every time I start a new project!

Lace is great too, so girly! And then, of course I had to make a mtaching hairbow.

We had to do a special hair-do for the pictures too... I parted out the sections I wanted and held each aside with a ponytail. I put a french braid in each section then pulled all the ends and the rest of the hair together in a low side-tail. I made a messy bun then topped it off with her new bow. Voila! ;)

I like how the whole thing turned out! It looked adorable on Alex and she felt simply "Faboolus"! ;)

My Favorite Style... on an adult ;)

Finally back online after the cruise... Holidays can be so crazy! ;) Anyway, this is my go-to style when I can't think of anything else. And I found that it looks very nice on adults also. But first, here is a sunset shot I took from the ship...

Okay, so french twist braids from each side and then pulled together in back.
I started the braids just above her ears and continued them back. When I got to the back area, I stopped doing a french twist and just continued with a regular twist braid. I had her hold that while I did the other side and then I pulled them together in the middle.

I think this looked so nice! ;) A very sleek style. I loved it with her straightened hair.

Okay, so glad to be back! I have tons of new things going up in my Etsy shop. Bows make great stocking stuffers. ;) Also, I'll have one last giveaway for the year coming next week! Miss all of you, blog family! ;)

Lovely Updo ~ A Poof & 2 French Braids

Finally a new style! ;)

This was inspired by a style I saw on a tv show...

It was pretty easy to do, but I did adapt it a little for short hair.

I started with a simple little poof on top. I used just a touch of mousse and did a small amount of teasing/back-combing in the middle of the top section. Then brush the top smooth and add an elastic about an inch away from the head. Then pull on just the bottom part of the hair in the elastic to tighten it. This puffs up the hair a little better.

And really, you could stop there, it is cute enough. ;) Anyway, I did french braids in the remaining hair, one on each side. And I sort of braided toward the middle by taking more hair from the outside than the inside. Although I used all the hair, I put the elastic in above her hairline.

After both braids are finished, put use another elastic to hold the ends together. For short hair, this seems to be the best way to go. I twisted the pieces in and up before putting them together, but you could also do a pull-through knot. --- For longer hair, you have several options. You could just pull all the hair into a low ponytail, or do a bun. You could curl the ends or do a messy bun. It would also be cute to do the braids straight down, then split the top section in half and add it to the braids. Just a few ideas. ;) ---

Okay, so this step is difficult to explain, and obviously I'm not really that good at it anyway. ;) I took the hair in that top section and pulled it to the side turning the end up. I added the end to the ends from the braids and used an elastic to hold them together. Then just move the section back in front and mess with it 'til it looks right. Lol, yeah great instructions, huh? ;)

And to hide all those hairs I had sticking out... a flower clip! ;)

If you wanted to hide the top elastic, you could do a wrap around with the hair or use a smaller clip, I was pleased with the finished 'do and Alex loved it too. ;)

I actually think this style is kind of fancy and would look really pretty for a dance. ;)

Going back in time... pics of the Streamer Bows

The first three pictures here are of a custom headband I made last year for a Mom wanting to do B&W portraits. I came across these while looking for the others and remembered how much I liked them;) Anyway, I think I might make another to list in my shop...

Usually my hubby thinks that Alex is "over the top" when she models my items, but this one he just loved! He said it had a rather "film noire" feel. Lol, it was pretty cute;)

These next pics are from Alex's 2nd bday. I painted her shirt with a cute little cupcake and then made some streamer bows to match.

Save the little bump she got on her lip, she looked so perfect;)

She also wore this set to the Zoo and got so many compliments! I sold two shirts and 6 sets of bows just from that day;)

Well, hope that helps with what the Halloween streamers will look like. These are a perfect bow for pigtails. They also look super cute on the side of a bun or underneath pigtail buns. Lots of fun;)

I just remembered that a few post back, she was wearing some other streamer clips. Just click the link to see them...

http://tinydiva.blogspot.com/2009/08/twist-and-back-and-twist-and-back.html

Getting her to hold still!

I have been asked a few times how I get Alex to sit still while I fix her hair, so I thought I'd give a few tips;)

The truth is that Alex really loves to get her hair fixed, but she doesn't always stay still; which is why I rarely have good tutorial pics;) And she isn't the only little girl whose hair I fix regularly. But really, there are a few tricks that I use.

1. Spray bottles are miracle workers! Make sure it's for water only, and show your little one how to spray it into her mouth, fun fun fun!

2. Little girls love lotion and the like. Put a dab on each arm and leg or maybe a tube of chapstick... you'll definitely have a few focused moments.

3. In a real pinch (we're talking about being on a time crunch and there's a wedding or similar important event) let her play with a box of Kleenex. This mainly works for toddlers. You will have a mountain of tissues, but they'll be entertained;)

4. Beads and lacing string.

5. Stickers and a fun picture to decorate.

6. Favorite cartoon. This one doesn't really work for us,(no tv) but some moms swear by it;)

7. Treats that take concentration;) Pull'n'peel twizlers, Fruit Roll Ups, Pez, etc.

8. Food... breakfast can be a great distraction!

9. Sing songs or talk with her. I know this sounds silly, but sometimes focusing the attention on her instead of her hair is exactly what she needs;)

10. Your wallet/purse (or a play one). Most girls love to take the cards out and put them back.

11. Let her play with a few hairbows, elastics, clips, and bobby pins. Put them in a closed container or bag and let her get them out, put them away, and organize them.

12. Find a stopping point (or make one;) and take a short break! For example, when I did her rockstar hair... I teased it like crazy, let her run around for a few minutes with her brothers, and then finished the style!

13. Take it outside! Sure the wind might be slightly annoying, but on a nice day your daughter will love going outdoors to get her hair fixed, promise! ;)

14. Okay one more, so I don't end on an unlucky number:) Minimize other distractions. Hair time is typically alone time with mommy. For two reasons really... it gives me a definite 10-15 minutes each morning with each of my kids. And secondly, it keeps those rowdy boys from making Alex turn her head suddenly when I am in the middle of a french twist braid;)

Another tip to make things easier is to buy a button-up shirt that is a size or two big for your little one to wear while you fix her hair. With her church/school clothes underneath staying perfectly clean.

Okay, good luck with your princess; I hope some of these help!

There are also a few things that will make these things work better. Find a button up shirt that is a size or two too big to go over clothes. You can fix her hair, let her play a little/eat/whatever without getting her outfit dirty or worrying about pulling things over her head. Always have an activity/distraction and a backup on hand, but don't let her see it until she needs it (or you need it;). Make sure that you do her hair more often without helps like snacks/etc. than you do with(even if it means doing ponytails every day but Sunday;) It really will make a difference if you only pull out the really special ones (meaning the ones that really enthrall her) at times when you don't have any other choice. This way the excitement and newness of it won't wear off and you will have that secret weapon when you really need it!

An updo for short hair

I have been wanting to try this style on top, but just kept forgetting when I was actually fixing her hair. Anyway, I think this is a pretty 'do that could be worn for a wedding if you just curl the ends.

To start, I parted the hair far to one side in a sweeping sort of curvy motion(yes, I just said that;). Next I parted out each twist braid section in the same manner, holding each back with an elastic. French braids or twist braids, or even pony braids will work for this style.
I one section at a time and continued with a normal braid/twist braid when I had reached the end of the section, then secured the end with an elastic. After I had the braids finished on both sides, I gathered them all up into an elastic. Then, I was able to remove the elastics from the ends of each braid and fan out the remaining hair.

For the back, I just pulled up the hair that didn't fit up to into a ponytail and did a pull-through going up. You could do a messy bun, curls, tease, whatever to give the hair a little oomph so that the two bits blend together.

Alex still had a little that wouldn't go up, but I think it was cute and would have looked pretty with a quick curl;)

I added flowers to top off the look and was pretty happy with it. Alex was excited to have her hair "up, puddy" again;)

Before I go, I want to say thank you to everyone who responded to my last post with comments and emails. I really appreciate your feedback (both positive and honest criticism alike!) I really enjoyed making her outfit and would love to sell custom sets in the future, so your ideas and suggestions are always welcome. As always, I am honored that you have visited my blog! Thank you;)

2 French Twist Braids + a Pony

This is a great style! You can make this very dressy or just fun. I chose this because we were having an all day graduation party/mini family reunion. The kids hopped in the pool around noon and stayed in until dark, except for two short breaks to eat:)

Part the hair however you want.
Not sure you can tell, but I pull back the bangs and some hair behind them leaving a little piece in the middle sticking out in front.

I put an elastic around the bangs+ section. Then I use that little piece I left out to tie a knot around, hiding the elastic. This seems to work best for me, but some use a piece from the pony...

This part is hard to explain, but it really is simple! My camera doesn't do video, sorry:) Split the hair in front into two sections, cross them over each other once. Add the next section of hair(as shown in the picture) to the bottom piece, then cross them again the same direction. I just grab some hair, I want something sort of relaxed, but you could use a comb for the sections. You continue adding the next section of hair to the bottom piece and cross them. These sections should be from the top of the part all the way to the bottom of what you want braided...

When I get to the back/crown of her head, I stop and add an elastic.

You can just leave it like this and cover with a bow or flower. This time, I added the two pieces together in a pony and did a pull-through. I had straightened her hair the day before, so it was sticking out everywhere:)

I added flowers, and voila! Okay, so it was early in the morning and she fell asleep:) Kinda glad I still have her little booster seat:)

It looked really pretty half down, but for the pool I wanted it all up!

I just took the flowers out and put all of her hair that was down into a messy ponytail. It was adorable and stayed for the rest of the day!

Her hair got soaked, then dried, then back in the water... still stayed up...

Even when she could hardly stay up:)