Baby Do's. Puffy Braid

Well, somedays you take what you can get on pictures. This one is a standby that I use on my babies while their fronts and sides are growing in.

Hearts take two

No tutorial on this one, I wasn't sure if it would turn out the way I wanted it to. There are a few things I would change. That first ponytail that is in a triangle? I would put the ponytail down as far as I could. The two on either side, I would bring forward towards her face. It will give it more of a definitive heart shape.

Instructions are simple. Start with the top ponytail and split it in two. Add each part to a consecutive ponytail on either side and follow the elastics into a heart shape to the end.

Without a ribbon...


...and with.

Hearts take one

In honor of Valentines Day and for something fun to do, we are going to do some "hair hearts".

First, start out with a ponytail from the part to the ear. Then tie a ribbon around the elastic. After I did this, I realized it was a waste of time because it fell out and I had to retie it. Forget what I said, just do the ponytail.

Then, flip the hair in a knot. Not one so the hair goes back on the head, but forward so it defies nature or gravity or something.

THEN tie the ribbon on. I promise, it's easier this way.

Now, split the ponytail in two and coat each side with gel or pomade and wrap the ribbon around like so (you want to make sure your ribbon is loooonnngggg. You want the ribbon to come up UNDER the sides...you will see why later. Wrap the ribbon around as far down as you can and secure with an elastic.

Now, ignore those for a minute. Part the rest of the hair in half and pull each side into a ponytail. The one underneath your ribbon wrapped hair, leave down, the one on the other side, only pull halfway through the last time you pull it through the elastic.

Now, have another elastic ready. Pull the two ribbon wrapped pieces into a heart with the bottom on the ponytail. Like so.

Secure them to the ponytail with an elastic. I didn't bother taking the elastics off the end of the wrapped peices. Who knows if the elastics would pop at dance class? I don't want to take any chances and I REALLY don't want to have to re-wrap her hair.

Make sure on that last pull through, you only pull it through half-way.

Tie the ends of your ribbon around the elastic and into a bow, and then tie another ribbon around the elastic on the other side

Like so.

Now curl those ends under and fluff them.

Voila...a heart! Can you see the reason the ribbon needed to go the way it did? It holds the curves on the top of the heart.

Double twists

Another rather simple style. You could just as easily pull each side into one full ponytail or two ponytails.

I have found that when twisting the hair back like this, if you make your first twists go up towards the crown and then do the final twist to the ground, they don't flip by the end of the day. Does that make sense or do I need to add arrows?

Baby Do's. Two and a half ponytails?

YAY! A fresh head of hair to add to my arsenal. People ask how my kids hold so still when I do their hair. Simple answer is I do it from the time they are babies. When this one hit a year, her hair started growing and it is getting super thick in the back. Could someone tell that to her front and sides?

Usually I do one or two piggies on top, but as they get a bit older and can sit for a bit longer, I get a bit more creative.

This one is basically a triangle in the front of the hair pulled into a ponytail. I parted her hair from the point of the triangle in the back down and made yet another triangle. I pulled that together and added the first ponytail. THEN I did another part on the other side and did JUST that into a ponytail. Sometimes I add bows. Okay, usually I add bows, but today I wanted just the color from the elastics.

And yes, I did curl her hair with a flat iron. Her hair is SUPER straight and if I don't, we get fly aways all day.

Update on Legislation

As many of you have heard...especially all 48 of you who have taken the time to e-mail me and tell me my information was incorrect, some in a not-so-nice way...they have added a "clarification" to the legislation that keeps second hand retailers safe. I read through the original bill, and there was nothing that mentioned second-hand retailers or consignment stores.

This clarification was released on January 8th. I posted on January 5th. At the time of my posting, no current specifications had been made and there are still quite a few holes that need to be filled.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

I still maintain my position that products need to be checked at the source and the price shouldn't be passed on to consumers. I also believe that the government should specify information in the first place so citizens feel secure in their business and economics. To pass a bill that had so many questions and was so vague is very harmful. One can only wonder how many more clarifications will have to be made.

No more hate mail. Please.

February 10th...National Bankruptcy Day

I know this is a hair blog. I am totally aware of that. However, today I feel the need to put something out there that may push readers away.

Soon, a United States law will go into affect that will have a profound impact on small business, including ALL on my sidebar. It is called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It is a law that in essence, prohibits anyone from selling products to children under twelve without rigorous lead testing. This includes ANY products intended for use by a child. Small businesses, Etsy, E-bay, Craigslist, Freecycle, thrift stores, garage sales, even hand-me-downs are included in this measure.

I am disgusted. That means no more give-aways. I could be prosecuted if I give something to one of my readers. I would by law be required to provide a "chain" to where I received the item, and the person who donated the item as well. Can we say McCarthy?

All items that haven't been tested for lead by February 10th will be required to be thrown into a landfill. I am disgusted that the country I live in, who boasts of its many freedoms, would do something as heinous as this. So much for "going green".

I understand the need to test for lead, however the lead problems are from China. Not the beautiful heirloom doll house my dad made for me when I was a little girl. According to the law, instead of leaving it to my girls, we will have to toss it. You won't be able to give those hardly used clothes to Goodwill or your neice or neighbor. Clothing prices at retailers will go through the roof because of the sheer cost of testing each article of clothing. I was thinking today that it reminds me a lot of why our country established it's own union. Taxation without representation. The bottom line is what matters. Forcing people to buy retail instead of buying used. They can't tax clothing that has already been sold. No more boutique clothes. No more homemade puzzles. No more toys that Grandpa lovingly worked on for over a month.

What makes me even sicker is that OUR house passed it with no nays and only a few in the Senate. I have a pit in my stomach. I can only imagine who is in the back pockets of these lawmakers.

For living in a country that boasts being a democracy, it sure feels a lot like communism.


To see more about National Bankruptcy Day SEE HERE

To see how it will effect the prices of your children's clothing, SEE HERE

An article to see how this will effect thrift stores SEE HERE

How it will effect small business like Etsy SEE HERE

For a Facebook group that helps you to see how you may be able to change the law SEE HERE

Write your congressman! I just did!!!