Miss Tess as Fancy Nancy

A while back, Tess was invited to a Fancy Nancy Gala with some of her best girls. She needed to get all dolled up and wanted her hair the way Nancy wears it way up high on her head. We had a problem, the underside of Tess's hair is short...way too short to be pulled up so high without most of it falling down within an hour.

A concocting we went.

First I combed most of her hair as high as it would go and I parted it across her hair from earlobe to earlobe. I pulled that section into a ponytail and flipped it into a knot where the hair came out the top instead of the bottom.



Then I parted another section from the top of the ear to the top of the other ear and pulled it into a ponytail as well. I also picked up the first ponytail and put it in with this new ponytail. Before I secured it with an elastic, I pulled some pieces out. Then I flipped that ponytail into a knot as well.



I pulled the rest of the hair and this ponytail together. As before, I pulled pieces out of the ponytail and secured the ponytail WAY up high.



Now, curl all of those pieces that you left hanging down. Just so you know, the bottom pieces when we did it THIS time were a little wonky. The first time I did this, I left longer pieces down, which is what I would advise doing.



Now, add your elastic tied with a bunch of organza ribbon (or bow or whatever is FANCY in your house) and fluff all of those curls.

A Fun Christmas Updo

Because really, I don't know what else to call this.

We did this little ditty on Sunday and I LOVED it. I curled it tighter because, well, I felt like it. Today the curls aren't as tight and I STILL love it!

Start by pulling the hair into little triangle ponytails. With Tess, I started on either side of her bangs and went to her crown, then from that ponytail (and the one on the other side) I went just beneath the ear. What was left, was one more ponytail...like so.

Then I pulled each ponytail into a knot.

A bit closer.

Next, I took each ponytail and combed it to the center. When I had them all in my hand, I went around to each ponytail and pulled a little hair out of either side. You can see them hanging down. The middle I secured in another ponytail that I didn't pull all of the way through. That's just a temporary fix for a minute while I do a few more things.

Curl each of the pieces that you had pulled from the original ponytails and then spray the heck out of them with hairspray (dumb humidity).

Now I pulled the ponytail all of the way through and curled the rest of the pieces. Then I tied a bow around the base and fluffed the ponytail.

Ta-da!

More Knots

Wet the hair on the top and the front.

Make a slanted part. From that slanted part, you part the hair down from the end of the part to the ear. Divide this section in half, I followed the original part. Pull into a ponytail and secure with an elastic.

You then pull the elastic into a knot. To see a tutorial on how to make a knot, go HERE.

Then take that first knot and pull the hair from that knot down into the next section and make another ponytail. Then you make another knot.



Repeat on the other side.



Now, you could just leave it like this. It would be pretty with curled ends to make it feminine, however, it was PE day. Lots of running involved. So we pulled it back.



And we did just one more knot.

Technique---Knots

I have had quite a few requests for basic techniques. Here is one for "Knots"

I apologize in advance for the flash. I usually turn it off, but since it was starting to get dark, the flash needed to be on.

Start with her hair in a ponytail. This is straight-out-of-the-shower, so there is no hair spray or gel involved. I usually use the product. It makes for a smoother knot.

Slide the tail end of a rat-tailed comb under the center of the ponytail. It makes you feel better if your comb is pink, by-the-way.

Holding tight onto the comb, pull the elastic up, I'd say about 3/4 of an inch.

Now, follow through with your forefinger all the way through the hair.

Flip the hair up and


through the space where your finger is.

Pull the hair all of the way through.

Pick up the ponytail and

split it in half.

Then pull the two sides until the elastic is tight agains the twists.

Then I comb the hair smooth.

Ta dah! A knot!

Climbing Knots

Say hello to a new blog dedicated to more fun hairstyles. Piper's mom has some amazingly beautiful styles. On her blog they call these bugs, on my blog we call them knots. They are the same thing. I did this style from her bloggy on Tess this morning. Stop by and tell her hello!

Knot with Curls

I pulled the top half of her hair smooth and then did a knot. I curled the ends with the flat iron.

Upside Down Knots

I can't believe that I haven't shown this one before. I love this one because my girls don't have a lot of natural body...we have to fake it. I pull the hair up into two ponytails. I take my rattail comb and slide it under the middle of the ponytail and pull the elastic out just a bit. I then stick the elastic through the part that I just made.

Don't mind the off part. I'm kind of having a bad day.

To show you what it looks like underneath.

Knots of Three

I pulled her hair into three ponytails on a diagnoal. Then I knotted them. Knotting...for those who are new to this, is putting her hair into a ponytail and then parting underneath the elastic and pulling the elastic through the part.

Cascading knots

Divide the hair in half. Pull into two ponytails and knot them. Then add that ponytail to the next section and knot again. Do the same thing one more time.

Knots

Some call these topsy-turvy ponytails, we call them knots. Whatever you call them, they are great for vacations and swimming because they keep hair out of sweaty faces. Pull the hair into a ponytail. Use a rat-tail comb to divide under the ponytail in half. Take the elastic and pull it through the part you made. Clear as mud? Good.