A big old thanks...and a giveaway *****It's Over*****

I have noticed a slew of new visitors to my blog. I want to tell everyone who has mentioned my attempt at beautifying the world one hair style at a time to their friends and family a big ol' THANKS!

To show you how much I appreciate your loyalty and cyber-friendship, I am doing my first give-away.

Here is a preview. In addition to these bows, I will also have two other sets and some flowers as well. I will post pictures as I complete them. Don't look too close, I'm not a professional, I am just having fun making them.

The catch, you need to leave a comment on this blog post. I will randomly pull your comment number and this contest will end on Friday, May 2 at 3:30pm Mountain Standard Time.

A comment from a reader..

Anyone who actually follows all of that advice, is a complete and total sheep. Not just a poser, but a conformist follower. It's so sad how some people say that being 'emo' is being unique and individual, when you are just reading a few 'how-tos' on the subject.

If you truly are being who you really are, and truly are being an individual, then nobody can give you a 'how-to'. Develop your own personal style and be yourself, not just one of the mindless followers of thousands of teenagers who all look and dress exactly alike.

On that subject, it actualy truly saddens me when I read a few of these comments saying 'heavier set guy, not fat, just bulky, i know this is a bad thing' or 'little puggy (not fat) how to I trem it down to small again? (with out turning it into muscle?)'

The foolish people who write these articles are just contributing to the body image crisis that is sweeping this world, making these peoples self esteem PLUMMET. The people who leave these comments are probably at an incredibly healthy and attractive weight, but people writing these how to be emo articles are telling them LIES about who they 'should' be.

If you are truly overweight like 300kg then I'd say lose some weight but it's not a bad thing to have a few curves!!

WHY are you telling them what to do and how to live their life, how much to weigh, how to look etc., and WHY are you listening to these people telling you to do these things? You are perfect the way you are- your true self is who you were meant to be and not what some 'how-to' tells you to do on the internet.

Don't put on the mask of labelling yourself, become truly unique and appreciative of who you really are on the inside. Nobody can tell you how to dress or how to look, only YOU can tell yourself that.

It really is sad, that people think they need to conform to some emo standard of style to give themselves any worth.

You need not be anyone other than yourself. Don't let people tell you how to live your life, only YOU can tell yourself that. I eagerly await the day that people finally start to wake up to who they really are inside.

Short Hair Part Puffy-Braid

Section the top of the hair into a square.

Make your first part going across the head.

Pull into a ponytail.

Secure with an elastic.

Part the next section going across the head.

Comb down smooth.

Pull the first ponytail into this and make a second ponytail.

Secure with an elastic.

Pull the last part of the square smooth and add the hair that is already in the ponytails to this section.

Secure with an elastic.

***I have included two pictures of this. One with a bow and one without. It is harder to see the elastics with the bow. A ribbon would allow you to see more detail.

Looped Upside-Down French Braid

Today she wanted her hair to look like Kierstie from "American Girls". So I tried. However, that hairstyle doesn't work with upside down French Braids. Only the normal style. Whoops! So here is our creation from my mistake.

Wet the hair, part down the middle.

Pull one side of the hair into a temporary ponytail.

Upside down French braid the opposite side.

Secure the bottom with an elastic.

Take the bottom and fold it up towards you to where the hair meets the neck.

Secure the "loop" with another elastic.

Tie your ribbon on the elastic.

Piece out the ends.

Repeat on the other side.

Scarf and Flippy Ponytails

AYSO stands for 'All Your Saturdays Occupied".

Which is exactly how we spend every Saturday morning.

And spring is in full, windy force here.

Hence the scarfs.

Plus, I think they are cute.

I just pulled her hair into two flippy ponytails low on her head.

I sprayed well and added the scarf.

She looked adorable running...or so I hear. I stayed home with a baby who would not have done well in the wind.

But at least we don't live in tornado row.

Spring Scarf

Pull hair into a lose, temporary ponytail.

Take a triangle of fabric, or a pre-made hair scarf.

Wrap it around the base of the hair and tie it where the hair meets her neck.

Pull the ponytail out.

Either curl the hair or smooth it out straight.

If you choose to leave parts of the hair down, do that before you put the scarf on.

Spray and be done!

Short and Swirly with a French Braid

Take the top of the hair and section it into a square.

French Braid the hair to the crown.

Secure with an elastic.

Curl all of the ends with a flat-iron or a curling iron.

Spray the hair.

Add ribbon.

5 things you can do to keep your hair style looking 'young'

Have you ever paid attention to the way a woman's hair looks? That is a rhetoric question by the way.

Our hair style is probably one of the first things that people notice, after our face of course. If you are not paying attention to your hair, it will probably show up by making you look much older than you really are.

There are simple quick fixes that you can do yourself to keep your hair style young and fresh.

1. Add bangs. As we age, there are many developing lines and wrinkles on our faces. Bangs help to camouflage some of these lines and help to draw attention to our eyes for example, instead of the neckline. Long, angled, side-swept bangs are very popular right now and tend to flatter just about anyone who wears them.

2. Color up. Darker hair colors tend to draw attention to skin tones, lines and wrinkles. By coloring up 2 shades from your natural hair color, you will have a lighter, more fresh looking hair style and color.

3. Add highlights. Highlights are a great way to add lighter color to your hair. There are kits that you can buy at the drugstore, or you can schedule an appointment with your hair stylist to get just a few highlights around the face.

4. Don't do updos. Updos look so glamorous, especially for weddings and proms. But one thing you must consider is that high or total updos can make you look very matronly and draw attention to your neckline. If you want something different for a special occasion, try a partial updo and leave out wispy strands.

5. Grow your hair. Longer is better when it comes to hair styles. Longer hair tends to soften your appearance and make you look younger.

In short, you can do some things to make your hair style look young. Visit http://www.hrhairstyles.com/ to find out what the celebrities have been doing with their hair lately.

Spikey French Braids with a Zig-Zag Part

So I took a stab at the flippy ends. This is what happened.

She likes her hair crazy for soccer. That is my fault. I told her soccer players have crazy hair. I don't think I was lying.

The only difference between this one and the one a few posts down is the part.

Short Hair Ponies on Top

Since we cut Spunky's hair short, we get to come up with lots of fun new hairstyles. This is one of many that I have in my arsenal. Get ready. ;)

Oh, and she looks thrilled in this picture.

Simply part her hair on the part.

Pull the hair on each side up leaving about 1.5-2 inches of hair above the ear.

Attach bows.

Curl the ends.

Two French Braids with Spikey Ends

You know, some people are just blessed from the time that they are born with beautiful thick hair. My niece is one of them, and my friend Laurie has three of them. I remember when Little Londynn was born. She is three weeks younger than my Spunky. She was born with gobs of gold hair that never fell out (lucky Laurie)! While my Spunky was resembling Mr. Clean and making do with brain squeezers, Laurie was able to put cute clippies and bows and piggies in her daughter's hair.

Not much has changed. Londynn has super thick hair that makes me drool. Here is one of the super cute styles that Laurie does to her hair.

Thanks Laurie for your submission! Keep them coming!

Part the hair first. Laurie parted it on the side and then once she got to the crown she took the part over to the middle.

French braid down the first side. When you get to the part of the braid where you no longer have any hair to braid, this is where you end the braid.

Use your elastic to pull the braid through. When you get to the last loop, only pull the hair 1/2 way through.

Do the same to the other side.

Then put a ribbon or bow on the ponytail For super thick hair like Londynn's, a clip bow would probably stay in if you found the right place for it. For my dd's thinner hair, I would tie a ribbon around the elastic.

Then take your flat-iron or your curling iron and spike out the ends. Spray the hair.

David Cook

David Roland Cook. Don’t be surprised if that name sounds familiar or rings a bell. David Cook is one of the 10 semi-finalists in American Idol’s seventh season. A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, the 25 year-old Cook started his foray into the world of music, singing and playing the guitar and bass guitar, when he was in second grade. His love for music continued throughout high school and in junior year, Cook and his friends pooled their talent and resources together to form a band called “Red Eye.” Red Eye became a permanent fixture in school functions and assemblies and was eventually renamed “Axium” a year later. The band became a staple in the nightclub scene and was even named as one of the country’s Top 15 Independent Bands. Axium disbanded in 2006 and Cook relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He eventually moved on to join another band, named the Midwest Kings.

It was in Omaha, Nebraska where David Cook auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol, singing Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer.” Even in the audition, it was already apparent that Cook has been greatly influenced by the emo genre and lifestyle, which traces its roots back in the 80s. When Cook sang Lionel Richie’s popular hit song “Hello,” American Idol Judge Randy Jackson affirmed this observation by commenting that Cook took a pop hit and successfully transformed it into an emo one. From his fashion sense, to his hairstyle, to his musical performances and renditions in American Idol, this guy is as emo as anyone can be.

Week after week, David Cook continues to astonish the judges and the viewers alike with his surprising renditions and amazing vocal prowess. With his powerful voice and one-of-a-kind performances, who knows? He might just be your next American Idol!

David Cook : Hello
Uploaded by patinette

Hair Headbands

Lately in little girl world, we have been experimenting with what has been dubbed as "hair headbands".

I don't know about the rest of you, but put a headband in my daughters hair and it is taken out within minutes, if not seconds. THIS is a superfun, and super cute alternative.

It is really easy. You part their hair and then section it off in the front. I pull the hair that I am not using into a temporary ponytail so that it doesn't get in the way. From here, it is just up to you to decide how to make your headband. My daughters have a lot of wispy baby hairs, so the upside down French braid is our favorite. It stays put the best. My friend, Hilary, leans towards a normal French braid or a French twist, as featured below.

Once you have decided what your preference is, you braid or twist all the way to the ends. I secure each of the ends with an elastic and then band the two under the hair.

Once you band the two parts together, you can either curl the hair, leave it straight, pull the rest up into a ponytail or a flippy ponytail. It is limited to only your imagination.

Brightly-hued Highlights

The emotional punk movement, more popularly known as “emo,” espouses a person’s uniqueness, individuality, and freedom of expression. A person who can genuinely be described as emo does not only appreciate emo music, but also lives out the emo way of life through his daily actions and through his sense of fashion.

The girl on the picture seems to take on an emo sense of style and fashion, as is apparent from the way she dresses up to the way she fixes and styles her hair. Some of the usual features and characteristics commonly associated with emo hairstyles are seen present here: the long, straight side-swept bangs, combed over to one side of the face, partially covering one eye; multi-colored, brightly-hued highlights and lowlights all over the head.

Emo Band: Paramore

Paramore is a Grammy-nominated American emo band formed in 2004, having been influenced by such bands as Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate, New Found Glory, and Death Cab for Cutie. Hayley Williams (lead vocals/keyboard), Josh Farro (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), and Zac Farro (drums) are the four current members who make up this band from Franklin, Tennessee. This fast-rising band released their debut album entitled “All We Know Is Falling” in 2005 featuring their first single “Pressure,” as well as other songs such as “Emergency” and “All We Know.” Their second and latest album to date entitled “Riot!” was released in 2007, featuring the singles “Misery Business,” “Hallelujah,” and “Crushcrushcrush,” among others. This album turned gold in the same year, after having sold more than half a million copies in record shops.

As briefly mentioned above, Paramore’s music has been greatly influenced by various emo and rock bands. This rapidly-emerging band has been nurtured and supported by the record label Fueled by Ramen, which also nurtured other well-known emo bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco. Although some people may think of them as a pop-rock band, most of their fans really consider them as an emo band. As Hayley Williams once said in an interview, Paramore’s music is emo without being whiney or bratty. They downplay the emotional aspect of their music and instead they focus on the energy and dynamism of it. If their sound is not enough to convince people that they are indeed an emo band, have a look at their hair styles and their fashion sense. All of them sport straight hair with fringes combed over to one side of the face and tight-fitting shirts and skinny jeans. This is more than enough proof that Paramore is a band espousing emo, not just through their music, but through their lifestyle as well.

Long Knots

*This hair style was submitted by Melissa. THANKS Melissa!

One of my daughter's friends had her hair like this the other day and so I asked her mom how she did it. It was so easy! I couldn't believe it.

You have to have it wet, at least on the top, and use mousse, gel, or whatever you normally use to help hold the do, then hairspray afterwards

Just divide into sections, then divide each section into two parts.

Literally it's just a knot that is wrapped three times intead of just once.

Pull the 'knot' tight and hairspray it.

Cool, huh?

Boldness, Uniqueness and Individuality

It is very hard to encapsulate and restrict the definition of emo hairstyle. Truth be told, it can be many different things to many different people. For example, this particular type of hairstyle can definitely be classified as emo mainly because of the way the bangs have been styled and parted and also because of the way it has been dyed or colored. As you can see, the bangs are straightened and combed over to the right side of the girl’s face, just above her eyes. This is a very common hairstyle theme, especially for girls espousing the emo lifestyle. The bottom part of the hairstyle seems to be made up of long black-colored extensions that provide contrast to the top part of the hair, which is colored medium blond. Creating a distinction between parts of one’s hair aims to represent boldness, uniqueness and individuality, qualities often associated and represented by the emo way of life.