Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish all of you a wonderful & blessed Thanksgiving.  Despite all the current issues I'm having, really in the big scheme of things, I truly am greatly blessed and all of you out there in bloggy land help bless my life on a daily basis & I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for you & all the support you give me!

If you are newer around here -- I do have a few fun Thanksgiving do's if you're interested -- you can go HERE or my personal favorite (the one pictured) you can go HERE.

  

For a fun addition - I might even try adding the a googly eye to a hair pin -- similar to what I made for our Halloween Spider found HERE.

Anyway - I just wanted to let you know how thankful I am for all of you!  Thanks for all of you who have e-mailed me suggestions about migraine help, and encouragement as I'm down and out with all of this.  It really means a lot to know you care.  Once again, have a fabulous Thanksgiving & for those of you that are Black Friday shoppers -- I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get those amazing deals you are looking for.  As for me -- I'll be home catching up on much needed sleep and staying warm!

Rubber Band Video

For those of you that might have been wondering where I've been -- maybe there have been a few?!  It's just been more migraine stuff.  More doctor's appointments and trying to figure out my dumb head.  Just know that for a while it might be slower around here because I am trying to take care of me.  The hard part about these things is that they take me out for a day or two at a time - sometimes a couple times a week, and then I'm constantly playing catch up with everything in my life.  It really stinks.  So please have patience with me & know that I'm not gone, but things are just not good right now for me.

Anyway - I've had many questions over the last while about rubber bands that I use & so I put together a quick video to show you what I use.  Hope this helps some of you.

We Have a Winner

The winner for Tammy's Funky Flowers has been announced.  If you entered the giveaway head over HERE to see if you won!  Hope you're having a great Monday! :-)

This and That

I know most of you that follow one hair blog probably float around between us all - but just in case you weren't aware of what my BFF Jenn @ Girly Do's has got going on right now you need to go and check out her post about the Handmade Auction for Ash.  I talk to Jenn every day -- a lot of times more than once a day (we seriously need to be next door neighbors) and she has told me so much about Rory and their sweet little Ash. I'm so excited that she came up with the great idea of a handmade auction.  Now I'm not exactly Miss Crafty-Pants, but my girlies got excited about this and have gotten involved.  Anyway, I just wanted to give an extra heads up about this great cause & hope that you can help spread the word or help contribute whether it be through donating something you've created or by bidding on the items starting on 11/18.  Once again, head over HERE to find out all the details on Jenn's auction.

And now that it's several days past Halloween I'm finally getting around to uploading pictures from the holiday!  And much to my disappointment, many of the ones of Bee were blurred.  She was sooo stinkin' excited she couldn't contain her excitement and wouldn't hold still!  Oh well!  She wanted to be a dinosaur and so no girly frilly stuff for her - she was a green dinosaur!  Goose was a pirate and Bug was a witch!  Nothing out of the ordinary but they sure had fun - well Bug actually ended out getting sick & throwing up just before the parade at school - so needless to say our weekend was interesting!

 

And last of the "This & That" is just a fun book I came across recently.  My girls love love love to read.  Despite the older girls being into chapter books they still love a good picture book.  Who doesn't though, right?  I always randomly pull books off the shelves to check out & I grabbed this one last week:

Very fitting for a hair blogger I thought!  Anyway, if you ever feel like your dd is stubborn & won't let you brush her hair, wait until you read about Ella Kazoo & her stubborn streak!  Anyway, it's just a cute little book that I had fun reading with my girls.  Next time you go to the library you should check it out.  Haha - I feel like I'm highlighting a book like they used to on Reading Rainbow! LOL  I don't think it's on any more though -that dates me nicely doesn't it!!

And P.S. - don't forget Tammy's Funky Flower giveaway going on over HERE! 

Elegant French Twist Updo & Giveaway

*** Giveaway is closed ****

We were feeling extra fancy a couple weeks ago and I'd also been sent that gorgeous red  flower in the picture above (more on that in a bit) that I wanted to try out, so we came up with this beautiful updo fit for any wedding, formal school dance, or really any time you want to have some really elegant hair!

Begin by parting the hair out on the top of the head - from the temples straight back and around the back of the head.  Basically the area that you'd make a little "spout" on a baby when they have just a bit of hair on top!  Secure it with a clip to hold it out of the hair for now.

 

 On the right side of the head, smooth the hair towards the back of the head and make a seam of bobby pins.

You will be making a French twist.  By making this seam of bobby pins it helps ensure the hair on the right side doesn't start slipping out.

Proceed to make a French twist.  It's impossible to take pictures while making one!  Sorry.  If you don't quite know how to do one of those, Jenn has a post HERE that demonstrates nicely.  We have to do it a bit differently with the seam of pins since Goose has sooo much hair.  But Jenn's post is how I do them normally in Bug & Bee's hair.  Secure the French twist with as many bobby pins or hair pins as needed.

Now the real fun starts!  With the hair on the top of the head that you had sectioned out - take a section from the back and part it across the entire length of it - from left to right.

Now divide it in half right down the middle.

Take the piece on the right and mist it a bit with water or hair spray to get it smooth.  Then pull it over to the left side.  Wind the ends up to to make a nice loop/circle of hair.  Secure it with a bobby pin/hair pin or two just to the left of the top of the French twist.

 Here's a view from the top once you've done that.

Now take the section from the left.  Mist it as well so it is smooth & has minimal fly aways.  Cross it over the top of the section of hair you were just working with.

Bring that section of hair clear over the top of the French twist, and down the right side of it.

Take the ends of that section of hair and roll them up to form another loop/circle of hair.  Secure at the bottom right side of the French twist with bobby pins/hair pins.

Back on the top of the head, part out another section right across the top of the head.

A view from right above:

Again, divide it in half.

With the hair good and smooth, take the right section and bring it over to the left side.

Bring the ends down underneath the very first loop/circle you did.  Roll the ends of the hair up to form another loop or circle with the hair.  Secure with bobby pins/hair pins.

 Take the hair on the left and gently pull it back to form another loop/circle on top of everything - to the right of the first circle you made - almost on top of the French twist.  Secure it with more pins.

Here's another view from the top.  Now you've got just one more section up front and everything else is pulled back and looped around the French twist.

Take the last section of hair up front and mist it so it is damp.  Comb it to the left side of the head and start to twist the hair downwards - toward the face.

While twisting bring it back toward the back of the head. where all the other loops or hair are.  Tack it in place below that first loop you ever made with a bobby pin.

This may look sort of like a big old mess of circles and bobby pins but no worries!  Just follow the same direction of the other loops/circles of hair you previously made and this section of hair is easily incorporated into it all!  Just secure it with a few pins where needed.  Once you've finished pinning this section in you can be all done!

Here's a view from the left side when it is all done:

The right side:

Straight on from behind:

And from the front .... now .... Do you remember at the beginning of my post I mentioned getting a new flower that I wanted to include in this hairdo?  Well, I've got to say that I thought this updo was very pretty on its own, but when I added this flower it just made it completely beautiful.

I'd like to introduce you to Tammy's Funky Flowers.  She sent me this beautiful red beauty that I am so excited to use, especially with the holidays coming.  It's going to look great with some of the girls Christmas dresses.

 

What do you think?  Stunning, right?

Now here's the great news.  Tammy has generously offered to do a giveaway from her site -- so head over to our giveaway blog to find out more details.  I'm so excited about this giveaway!  So what are you waiting for?  Go HERE to read more!

Disney on Ice Winner

I hope everyone had a fun & safe Halloween.   Ours was interesting - but still very enjoyable!  I just wanted to let you know that our last winner has been announced for the Disney on Ice tickets.  Head over HERE to find out if it was you.

Come back tomorrow for a fabulous updo & a fun giveaway that is open to everyone - regardless of where you live! :-)