messy bun...for the longer & thicker hair

I've had people ask how to do their girlie's hair in a messy bun once it gets so long & thick. Honestly - I'm not lovin' messy buns with my girlie's hair lately. Her hair is too long for them but time's come a calling when we are in a rush & they still are the fastest thing for me to do. This is a good example - normally - I don't like to do messy buns on one pony tail - it's just way too heavy...she'll even tell me her head is heavy on those days:) So if I do it in 2 pigtails - they usually look nicer & aren't quite so heavy.

So here you have your pony tail you want to make into a messy bun.
Pull it up 1/2 thru & secure with elastic

This is the secret right here: do the exact same thing as that first step. Fold the hair in half again & secure with elastic.

Then depending on the look I'm going for, I will add bobby pins to give it a more messy look - or use rubber bands & do the messy look I've always done. It's that second step that is helpful for those with longer hair.

Here's a front view

Hope that helps. There are some other ways that I also do that I will post later.

Double Rope Braids

My girlie's hair is just getting oh so long! I can't get her to cut it. I think she would look darling in a bob but she loves her long locks too much so we opted for layers, or "lazers", as she call them. She went up to our hair dresser & said will you cut Lazers in my hair? He looked at me like what???? Layers. They are long layers so it gives enough texture that when we curl it - it holds better & looks better. Also, because they are longer, when we braid or pull her hair up - the layers aren't sticking out with every braid.

So here's our new post:

Start by dividing the hair in half horizontally. Clip the top part up.
Begin to TWIST braid the hair. Unfortunately, I cannot find the tutorial that I have put up here on how to do this twist - so looks like there will be one coming soon. If you haven't learned this twist braid - you will love it - it seems to be a constant in our home.

Next, twist the top section - bringing the 2 together to make a side pony

I pulled the pony 1/2 thru an elastic. This left a good way for me to do a messy bun. I then pinned in to let the bun take it's shape how I wanted it.

I then curled the ends that were left hanging

& you're finished!!

front/top view

I feel like I have a lot to smile about right now. Summer is almost here. My girlie will be out of school in 3 days so that's good news for you guys - we'll be able to post more:) Summer also means 2 weeks at the beach!! Can. not. wait.

Also - my man graduates college today. After going for 10 years, many degree & school changes he is officially done!! & to add to our exciting week - he won a drawing at work for a 7 day cruise to Mexico for the 2 of us!! Hooray!!

Since I'm in such a good mood this morning - I'll finally post this. It has been in my folders for a few weeks now. Like I said - once this girlie is out of school - hopefully be hanging around here more often.

If you can't french braid - or don't have time - cut the braid on top - but *warning* it adds so much to this & it's darling. This would be perfect for another short hairstyle. Anything with the runners going up is awesome for short hair because it keeps all those straggling baby hairs up.
Start by adding 3 elastics on each side at the bottom of the hair (yes I see Lola & Lota in the tv. charlie & lola is a favorite during hair time:)

Once you've got your 3 elastics on each side - start at the bottom & bring them together, in the middle. Take the next section to the middle but include the bottom with it - making your way up.

Here's what it should look like:

I did the braid with only ONE strand. Remember this? Super easy. You start a regular braid & only add to one side of the braid (right side in this case) so it flips the braid more on it's side.

With the french braid on top, divide the hair on bottom into 2 sections & throw those into 2 pigtails, like so

We finished with messy piggies because they are the fastest for us. But if you would like to take the time to curl or do something else - it would all be cute!

Front view:

This was so fun to do. I have major spring fever & the weather was so nice last week that we had to pull out our skirts & capris & have a fun new do with all our new spring clothes. Please come back beautiful weather.
Start by splitting the hair in half like you are going to do pigtails. Put one half of the hair in an elastic to keep out of the way. You are now working with half of the hair. Right in the middle, divide a section that looks like a circle with hair surrounding the outside of it. Sounds confusing - look at the picture below:

Now the hair that is left out of that pony tail, begin inside-out french braiding at the top of the part.

You want to circle around the pony tail that you made making sure not to include any of the pony (again only the hair on around the pony)

Once you get to the end, now connect the braid with pony tail.

Do the exact same thing to the other side.

I finished with some messy buns. I originally had the ponies down & curled but I wanted you to be able to see the entire braid. Maybe if her hair were a little shorter I could have kept them down. It looks harder than it really is.

front view:

fish tail/messy buns

Hope you guys all had happy holidays & are now back into the "normal"swing of things. We just got back from Disneyland last week which was just a cherry on top to end our holidays. Now back to reality.

As I was doing this, I was thinking it would be really cute to do these little messy buns on a girlie with short hair or even just leaving them as piggies. My girlie's hair is getting so long that messy buns aren't just quite as cute as they used to be.
Start by dividing the front part of hair in 3 sections

FISH TAIL braid each of those ponies. It is a little bit harder fish tail braiding smaller pieces of hair - if you can't do it or don't have the time to do it, just do a regular braid or cork screw twist. Or you could leave it straight (especially if her hair is shorter)

After you have braided all three ponies, pull into pony tail directly behind the first 3 ponies including the braids in it.

I only did half way so that I could do 2 more piggies below. divide the hair however you feel, I wanted 5 messy piggies so this is how I divided it:

Turn each piggie into messy buns. Or you could curl them & put into messy buns or jsut leave them straight.

finished

We added a bow in the middle & it just wasn't doing it for me. Maybe a ribbon on each one would look cute.

front view

Just for fun...

Whoever said that braids were just for little girls? Yep...we have twinner hair. Only because I don't have 2 girlies to have them match each other:)
See - braids are for everyone!!

short hairstyle

I often get emails or comments that they wish their daughter's hair was longer or thicker or not so much in the mullet. Most everything I post - you can do on anyone - although some things you may have to simplify. I watched my little niece the other day & she did not want her mom to do her hair but when she was over, I asked if I could do it & she said yes. I thought it was a good chance to show a little girl with short hair & something fun you could do with it.
First, I wanted to show you what I was working with.

I started by parting her hair on a side slant. Going off of that slant, I sectioned the top half into piggies (scroll up to the top picture to see how I parted going off the side slant part)

Now go back & decide what side you want to start on & begin to make piggies directly underneath the first row of piggies. As you go along, cross over the top piggie, doing this all the way across.

When you get to the end, just bring the ends both together to make your side piggie. We didn't pull her hair all the way thru but then pulled strands just to give it a messier look.

Here's the front view. She would not smile normal so you get the pirate eye.

So now here's how my girlie's hair ended up being with this same style:

We did the exact same steps as I described but added a little "twist" to it. As you cross over each piggie, just twist over each other & pin one side while you are securing the other with an elastic.

Don't mind the very ornery face (she wanted to turn the camera on by herself so I don't get a smile) We left the pony tail down instead of pulling it into a messy bun & curled. Super easy - but a little different than the first!!

the Beehive

I don't know why I didn't take pictures for each step - but you get the idea with the few that I have. It kind of looks like a beehive so that's what we're going to name it today. I realize I've done a lot of braiding lately, especially inside-out french braiding. It's just so fast & easy for me to do & so many options. So if you haven't learned how to do it yet - watch the video tutorial below & for those who have - keep practicing because it gets easier everytime.

I've still had quite a few people email me or comment asking how to do the flower bun. Once again, if you click on the labels list, click on "Tutorials" & scroll down until it gives the step by step picture directions of how to do it. Hope that helps those who are still confused!!

I parted the hair all the way around the head, like a headband. What was left in the middle I pulled into a pony tail so I would not include it in my braid. Then I started inside-out french braiding at the front where we normally would part her hair. Braid all the way around the head, making a complete circle.

It was really easy to do, I just had to manuever my body around hers since she likes to sit in one place. When you get to the end, keep braiding to the ends of the hair.

I brought the hair that was left in the middle to a high side pony. Then did our messy bun on top.

I added a bow to the side pony (sorry I didn't take it right after I put it in - this is the best you get but you get the idea)