Kenzie Girl

Cindy Lou Who and Crayola Markers

2011-12-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know about everyone else, but every year, the week before Christmas is spirit week at my kids' school. Today is Crazy Hair or Crazy Hat Day. This is also the first year that Makenzie has fallen in love with Cindy-Lou Who from the Grinch. So of course for crazy hair day she asked for Cindy-Lou hair. This was actually relatively easy to accomplish. We parted out a circle-ish section of hair on top of her had and stuck a plastic cup on her head. We then pulled the hair from the circle up and around the cup forming the cone shape. We added a bow on top and curled her hair hanging down. We then took the remaining hair and did two braids pulling them up and bobbing pinning them into place. We then curled the ends of the braids down. It took about 20 mins total because I was trying to find a cup that we couldn't see through her thin hair.

For Aidan, we used a green crayola marker and colored the front of his hair, then gelled it up into place. Super easy and took less than 5 minutes.

Sometimes the best hair...

2011-12-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a hair mom. I LOVE having Kenz's hair done and looking all pretty every day. She enjoys picking out styles to wear and helping me come up with new ideas. HOWEVER... doing hair is one of those things that to be honest, doesn't always get done the way I would like it to. However, throughout the last few years I have learned a few things. The most important thing I've learned is not to panic. In the early years of hair-doing, if a style fell out, or a hat messed up her hair I would worry. Especially if it was an event of some sort where pictures would be taken. It took me a good couple years to loosen up and relax, we've learned that not every hair has to be in place, and in fact sometimes the best hairstyles for pictures are loose and natural. For example, recently my husband and I took the kids to a local park to walk around and shoot some random pictures. In the car on the way Kenzie's hair fell out and she stuck her hat on her head and we just went with it. When I got home and I loaded the pics onto the computer I was actually quite happy with the way her hair looked natural and comfortable. Here are some pics for examples:

Belle Hairstyle

2011-12-03T11:12:00.001-05:00

I know it has been a long time since we've posted any hairstyles, but we have a few photographed and ready to be posted again, so we thought we would add some new ones.
The first style that I'm going to post is not one that I thought of, actually The Story of a Princess and her Hair did an amazing tutorial Right Here. The only thing that we did different, is for the bump we just bobby pinned it in place and put a headband under the twists instead of the bracelet around the bump.
Here's our version:

Double Criss-Cross (take 2)

2011-06-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Back two years ago, I posted this hairstyle and although I've done it once or twice it isn't something I do very often on Kenz. BUT I love it. I just find that it has a bit of an elegant touch done with french or dutch braids. To see the original post click here. Back the first time I did it Kenz's hair was much shorter so the ends of the braids were just tucked under and pinned. Now that her hair is longer we braided to the ends and then formed a braided bun at the nape of her neck and pinned it securely. I added these cute little flowers and we were all set for church. I think one of the things I like the most about this style is that it looks pretty and elegant and I was done within about 20 minutes.

Purple Streaks

2011-06-10T10:54:00.001-04:00

Miss Kenz is a girly girl. But more than being a girly girl, she likes to experiment with different ideas and new things. Recently she has liked colours in her hair, so a while back I bought some pink hairspray at Claires and we would occasionally streak her hair with that. The only problem I found was that it could take up to 10-12 washes before the pink would come completely out even though it is supposed to wash right out on the first try.

So in chatting with other people, someone brought up a different way to colour streak hair - using Crayola markers. Yep. We experimented on a small section of hair and I was amazed at how easy even dark colours washed out. Now today Kenz was in the mood for a make-over morning. She loves to give me make overs and she loves when I do make-overs on her. When it came time to do her hair she initially wanted the pink hairspray, but I didn't want to have to deal with it in her hair for two or more weeks, so we decided on purple crayola marker streaks. The look so cute yet so grown up in her hair, but they were fun and she loves the way they look.

To do her hair this morning, we started with a basic centre hair part and clean, dry, hair. Then I take a small chunk of hair from by the part line and use paper towel underneath so I only get the chunk of hair I want coloured. Then I used the marker to colour the hair. I did two streaks on each side of the part and two small hippie braids crossed over to the back to finish off her look. I wanted the purple streaks to be visible but not too much for her - after all, she is only 5! But, she's happy with it so I'm happy with it. Makeover = Success!

I love that Kenz lets me do her hair still and that it gives us time (almost) every day together to bond and chat and have fun. I also love that she has her own personality that knows what it wants. I remember back when I only had my older boys, I used to see girls with streaks or crazy colours in their hair and I used to think to myself: 'my daughter would never be allowed to do that to her hair!'. Ha! The things that have changed since I became a parent!

Headband - Still my favourite

2011-05-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

Out of all the fancy hairdos and things we do with Kenz's hair, I have to admit the simple braided headband is my absolute favourite. It doesn't matter whether it's french braided or dutch braided, twist braided or any other braided, I just love the way it always looks so clean and shows off most of her hair without having to do much. I also love that a french or dutch braided headband usually lasts at least 2 days in our house. Doesn't she look cute? (Dutch braided headband, with off centre part):

Sorry for the blurry pics, but you get the idea!

Weekend at Nannies

2011-03-20T07:13:00.000-04:00

The kids (all 4!) spent the weekend with Nanny (grandma) to give Dad and I some peace and quiet. Before they left Nanny asked me to put Kenzie's hair up so she didn't have to do anything with it. This is what we came up with:

Yes, surprise surprise, it's lots of braids. I always find this the easiest for her when she's away for the weekend. It's a wakeup and go style.

Dress Giveaway!

2011-01-15T14:11:00.002-05:00

Anyone with a little girl needs to head over to Megan's Closet and check out the giveaway going on for the ADORABLE dress!
Click Here!!

The extent of our hair-doing

2010-12-12T06:24:00.000-05:00

Winter hit hard here last week and even before that it was cold. With three kids to get ready for school in the mornings, one to get ready for daycare, and myself to get ready for work, we've opted for simple multiple day styles lately. Kenz has sported alot of braids. We find they last a few days, stay somewhat together even with the winter hats, and have so far kept the endless lice at school away. So this is alot of what we are doing. Pretty boring eh!

Simple Twists Pulled into a Pony

2010-11-05T18:59:00.000-04:00

I really liked the look of this simple and sweet hairdo when we did this the other day. We've been mainly sticking with french/dutch braids these days so this was a nice change from that too.

It was really easy and only took a few minutes. We did four ponies across the front of her head and then twisted each side together to form twists. Put the twists in a low ponytail and a bow. Easy and done!

I felt like making bows... and a pretty Flower Bun

2010-10-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I'm cheap. I don't like buying bows because where I am they are usually pretty pricing. Buying from online boutiques can also get pricey especially once you add in shipping. So since I love bows in girl hair I learned to make my own. Now the odd time I do splurge and buy something but I usually it's just easier and cheaper to make what I need. Yesterday I just felt like making a few so while we watched a family movie (Hook! Everyone loves Captain Hook!) I took out my bow making supplies and got started. This is what I came up with for halloween:

Just some cute everyday bows, I really was in the mood for nice simple classic bows, nothing too big or too fancy today:

I got a little baggie of these "scrapbook bobble thingies" at the dollar store last year and finally put them to good use, can't wait for winter so I can use these, I have lots of ideas for them:

These are made with some eyes I bought years ago when I was going through a doll-making phase. I have halloween do that I think these'll be perfect for!

And lastly I made Kenz some new flower clips. She picked out the flowers at the dollar store a month or two ago and requested some flower clips for her hair. She picked the silver ribbon that I lined the clips with too:

Something about a classic bun is just pretty on a little girl:

Do you make your own bows, flowers, clips? I found that once I started it turned into an obsession, I have dozens all styles, all colours.

Mmmmm!

2010-09-28T15:30:00.003-04:00

Check out what we've been up to with all the kids lately! Yummy fall (or anytime treats!) And the kids love that they can help out with this one! Assorted Candy Apples!

Two Do's

2010-09-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

These two hairdos have been pretty popular the last couple weeks. It's really the same hair do finished differently. I made two dutch braids in back of Kenz's head. As soon as I was done adding hair neckline, I tied the braids together with a clear elastic. I then took a small piece of hair and wrapped it around the elastic hiding it. Then I took another clear elastic and including the tail from the wrapped piece of hair tied off the pony at the base of the wrapped hair. Cinch it upwards so the elastic is hidden and voila a cute easy hairdo. Now in the pictures below I also did a zigzac part.

For this variation on the above do, I tied off each braid seperately at the neckline and wrapped each the same way as above. I've done this one with a straight part down the middle.

One other note is that for these braids I don't usually start them too high, I usually start with an ear to ear part and then do the middle part so the starting point is the same on both sides.

The idea for this one came from Babes in Hairland although mine isn't an exact copy, it definitely inspired me for this one!

Enjoy!

Keeping the Lice Away...

2010-09-17T22:26:00.000-04:00

It is only the second week of school way up here in Canada. But go figure of course there is already a GIANT outbreak of headlice going around my kids school. Um Yeah. I was not thrilled with the notices that all three of my children brought home in their backpacks this week about the lice outbreak, I really don't think any parent is. However this year it hit me a little harder than in previous years.

In the past if the boys were to catch lice I wouldn't have been too worried - I mean worse case scenario I shave their heads - easy solution! However now that Makenzie is at the school, sitting in a class where who knows how many children are carrying this horrid little beast (yes I hate lice THAT much!) I'm a little panicky this year. So to make a long story short, here is what we've been wearing to school this week for hair to hopefully help keep her hair from hanging/swinging/getting infected with lice.

The pictures are from two different days she wore this style. It's really easy once you get the hang of this one. Part the hair however you'd like and start braiding in a rounded shape towards the back, when you get to the back keep braiding the other side back to the front. Braid as far down the hair as you can and either curl it back and pin it with bobby pins, tuck it under and pin it, or as you'll see in the second set of pictures I brought it across the front of her head like a crown - she loved it this way, told her whole class she was a princess.

Last but not least - load it up with hairspray. I normally don't use a ton of hairspray but she needs it for this style to last the day, and although I'm pretty sure it's only a myth, I keep hoping that the hairspray will keep them away!

Giveaway!

2010-09-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

Anyone who loves giveaways for their little girl will love this one Megan's Closet! Make sure you head over and check it out!

Braided Bun

2010-09-04T14:53:00.001-04:00

This is really cute and a good way to incorporate different styles of braids. For this one we added a 5-strand braid in the top centre and the bottome centre braids. We also left the tail of the bun hanging down for something different.

Loose 1/2 French Braids

2010-09-04T11:46:00.001-04:00

I enjoy doing these braids when I'm looking for a softer, looser look for Kenz that still keeps her hair out of her eyes. It's pretty easy, just 4 french braids where you only add hair to one side as you're braiding (1/2 french braids). We left the rest of her hair down.

More Braids... and Beads!

2010-08-16T20:15:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love this style. We've done it a couple times now and I think it's one of the few that we both love. Again, there really isn't anything fancy to this but I just think that the simplicity of the beaded braids with the rest of her hair down is great.

What we did: We parted out a square-ish shape on top of her head and horizontally parted out each row. We braided each towards her right side and hung 3 beads on the end of each one.

View from the top:

Another Side View:

And lastly - look at that attitude... since when do 4 year olds start acting like teens when you want to take their picture?

My baby girl is growing up so quickly!

Just Some Braids

2010-08-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

This is honestly nothing special, more than anything just to share why I haven't been posting new styles lately... Since I've been back working full time again it has been hard enough for me to get everyone out the door on time in the mornings so this has been a frequent hairdo over the summer. It is good for swimming, for dad, for when we're just plain busy. Put simply it's just braids. I don't use product in her hair to hold them in so we usually keep them 3-4 days, and then leave her hair down (or a simple style) for a few days. Since I've relaxed alot on her hair the parts aren't as straight as they could be, they get a little fuzzy, and they are definitely NOT tight.

Here's the most common way I've been braiding her hair - 1 braid across the front, 6 braids down the back:

Side View:

Other Side View:

Top View:

Front View:

Triple Threat

2010-07-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

This style is nothing fancy but I thought it looked really cute and it got a lot of compliments. Basically I just did three french braids from the front to the crown and then tied them all together in a messy bun with the rest of her hair. Then I topped it up with that adorable flower bow that I made :)

She wasn't in a smiling mood at all that day until I showed her some clothes I had picked up for back to school (yes I know I'm a little early). Here she is after about 15 outfit changes and a happy attitude change!

Sigh! She looks so grown up here!

Sweet Summer Hair

2010-07-05T10:23:00.000-04:00

Since it's summer time we've been trying to keep Kenz's hair kept neat but we don't want to spend a lot of time on it. Braids are a simple way to do this that I think is just classic and neat looking. Lately though we've gotten just a little bit bored from basic braids and decided to spice it up a little by changing over to the 5 strand braid. I've been practicing this for a while (on Kenz's Barbies!) and am finally confident to post a basic 5 strand braid on our blog. So here it is, simple sweet 5 strand braids! If anyone is interested in it I can make a tutorial on how to do a 5 strand braid. I found the best way to learn was by saying the steps out loud as a braided and practicing on dolls. That way she didn't have to sit still for long periods of time.

There you have it, sweet summer hair for a sweet little princess, and for a cute variation, add a cute bandana :)

Summer Fun

2010-06-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

So sorry we've been MIA lately. I have lots of new hairstyles waiting to be posted, but wanted to check in and let everyone know I'm still alive. Summer has suddenly gotten a lot busier around here than I thought it would and I've started back to work full time 5 days a week so we're busy busy. Now that we're getting into more of a routine again, I think I'll have a little more time to post! For now, here is Miss Kenz's latest adventure... it is her very first year playing soccer. She loves it and scored her very first goal this past Wednesday! Way to go Kenz! Here is a picture I took before her very first game (that game got rained out!) I know her hair is a mess but once the coach called to tell us the game was cancelled I didn't bother doing it. But stay tuned, I've been searching for the best way to keep her hair contained during soccer season so we'll see where this hair journey takes us!

Sewing Project...

2010-05-03T22:58:00.000-04:00

Hey! Check out my latest sewing adventure HERE! I'm new to sewing and having a blast with it! Tonight I made Kenz a skirt, matching doll's dress, and hair clip. Be honest but nice, what do you think of it?

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some pics of her actually wearing/holding all the new things I made tonight :)

So Proud!

2010-05-02T16:57:00.000-04:00

It may seem a little bit strange to be proud of this, but I definitely am. Now it's not strange when your child takes after you and does an amazing hair style on another girl, or a doll, or even you. However when suddenly I found my house strangely quiet this afternoon what I found made me very proud.
My daughter decided that her youngest brother Cole should "match" her.
Kenz decided to do Cole's hair. She began by luring him into a room in which he is currently not allowed without me (the bathroom). She then proceeded to occupy him with something he isn't normally allowed to "play" with (his toothbrush). Following this she took out a comb, the spray bottle, a single elastic and a bow that matched the ones that she is wearing today.
Now if I knew she was doing someone's hair I admit I would expect it to be messy and not at all neat. However this is what I found:

For a 4 year old girl who refuses to do even her own doll's hair because she can't get the hair not messy she did an amazing job. Upon the initial sight I thought for sure that one of her older brothers had in fact done it and just blamed her. But upon investigation I discovered the older boys laying comfortably on the couch watching Star Wars, no knowledge of what was happening in the bathroom.

I don't know, what do you think... To me, it looks like something I would have done, she even parted it out to perfection... but I didn't do it so it must have been my four year old stylist :)

Another quick shot:

I am so proud (and a little jealous) of my baby girl's natural ability to do hair! (And yes I took his hair out right after pictures!)

Nothing Fancy

2010-05-01T15:36:00.000-04:00

Before I get into today's style I thought I would share what Kenz's hair is like. I know I've been talking about it alot, but here are a few pics to show the different lengths I've been working with when doing her hair. We've been growing out her bangs for close to a year now so while I can actually do things with them, alot of styles still require creativity in getting those bangs included or out of the way. The back of her hair is quite long now but is thin in places from where it has been previously broken. Anyways, here are the pics of her hair down:

Now today's style I called nothing fancy because really it isn't. But everytime we do this we get tons of compliments on it. All that it is, is the top half of her head put into 4 quickly done french braids. I pulled everything up into a sort of bun thing... I can't call it a bun or a messy bun, it's kinda a bit of both. Then I added a bow to the top. This took only a few minutes and like I said gets noticed all the time.

Just the braids done:

All pulled up, back views (the bow looks off-centre, but it's not):

Front View:

Overnight Braids

2010-04-19T09:30:00.003-04:00

Miss Kenz didn't like getting her pics taken this day so these are the best shots I got. This is a basic do for sleepovers. The kids (all 4!) slept at our friend's house the other night so I wanted to put something in Kenz's hair that would need nothing the next morning. All I did was part out 6 sections of hair and braid. I didn't even braid to the bottom of all the sections. It was a really nice random hairdo that stayed put. These pics were taken the next day so I realise there are a couple of fly-aways!

Haircare - Questions!

2010-04-18T17:39:00.003-04:00

So, I've been doing alot of "hair research" lately. Learning about different types of hair and how people care for their/their kids hair. Now it just so happens that in conversation last week I was talking about hair with an aquaintance and I was comparing different types of Hair. Now Kenz and I appear to have the same brownish/blond thin, dry hair, so this aquaintance was surprised when I said how different our hair was. An example I used was washing hair. My hair gets greasy, not healthy greasy - greasy, greasy if I don't wash it every day or every other day at the most. Now Kenz on the other hand I only wash with shampoo once every 1-2 weeks. We rinse through the week and have to add moisture to hers every day or it gets so dry it breaks in my hands. Now this person I was speaking with was looking at me shocked by this point. "You only wash her hair every 1-2 weeks? Doesn't it get dirty?" I kind of looked at her like she was nuts. I admit, for someone to not wash "white hair" every couple days definitely isn't what we are taught. In fact I wash my boys' hair more often then Kenz's. But seriously, do people really think I would let my daughter go with dirty hair? Just because I'm not shampooing doesn't mean it's not clean.

Another point I made about the difference in our hair is that my hair is thicker than it appears. I've gone to numerous salons that always mis-judge how much hair I actually have and how thick it is. Kenz has thin hair. This same aquaintance then went on to say that maybe Kenz has thin hair because I don't cut it enough! We trim Kenz's hair (just the very ends) every 2-3 months, just because I'm growing it long doesn't mean it's unhealthy and needs to be cut every couple weeks, her hair is growing quickly, when it starts to split we trim it. Why does everyone assume that modern little girls need bobs these days?

Anyways, enough of my rant. My question is this, how do you care for your kids hair (or your hair!)? Since Kenz has such different hair from what I'm used to I'm still working on a routine and trying to figure out what works to grow her hair long like we want without breakage. So I'm curious, how do you care for your (kids) hair and could you give a brief description of your (kids) hair? Do you ever get anyone look at you funny for something you've done in your haircare routine?

Curlformers Part 2 - The Results!

2010-03-27T11:01:00.004-04:00

Well, I must say that I am very impressed with my first attempt at curlformers and I will say that they were definitely worth the investment.
To begin, when I bought the curlformers I only bought a single package of 8 because of the price I wanted to try them before investing a huge amount of money. I was 2-4 curlformers short of being able to do her whole head but I figured that was fine because of what I was planning to do in her hair anyways.
So Thursday night we washed hair and put in the curlformers. I'm also going to note that I did NOT use ANY product in her hair for our trial run, not the night before, not the next day, not at all. Friday morning we overslept and were running late getting out of the house. To do her hair I quickly took out the two back curlformers and I was already impressed!
Next we did a really loose and quick braid up the back of her head and then took out the rest of the curlformers and put everything into one pony.

Here is the result: Beautiful curly pony.

Side view:

This next pic is Friday night when we took out the pony and the braid, note that the curls are still holding great without using any product!

the last pic is a bonus pic of Saturday morning after sleeping on the curls from Friday see that the curls are STILL intact! (Just a little messy!)

Overall we had a great first run at using curlformers and I can't wait to get out and grab another 8 pack for Kenz's hair. One more note I want to add is that Kenz has very straight, thin hair. It does not hold curl from anything else! This product really works :)

Giveaway!

2010-03-27T09:42:00.001-04:00

Since I'm currently posting about Curlformers, I thought I would include a link to a giveaway going on right now over at Beads, Braids and Beyond! Check it out!
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/03/curlformers-giveaway.html

Curlformers Part 1

2010-03-26T19:06:00.005-04:00

So I've seen the posts by many others and decided I wanted to try curlformers. Now, I am no hair expert. If you saw my hair you would be appalled, I don't even own a curling iron! (Yes, it's true!) So I researched these curlformers and being that I'm in Canada, could not find them anywhere. So I visited the Sally's website and tried to order them... only they don't ship to Canada. Finally I found a brand new Sally's store pretty close to where I live. Great, I visited the store yesterday and picked up my first package of 8 curlformers for Kenz's hair. At twice the price it's sold on the website I wanted to be sure they would curl Kenz's pin-straight hair so I only grabbed one package. I've gotta say that I was impressed.

After Kenz had her bath and washed her hair last night I went to work putting the curlformers in. Pretty easy. Only 8 wasn't enough for her head (I figured it wouldn't be). So we did the top part of her head and she went to bed, I left the back out of the curlformers because I knew what I was planning for today. Anyways, here are the pics of Kenz wearing her curlformers, later on I will post part 2, with the results :)

Stay Tuned!

2010-03-17T19:06:00.004-04:00

So after a long winter's break, Kenz and I have decided we want to continue blogging this spring. But why have we been away you ask?? Well, we live in Ontario Canada so while winter is wonderful and we love the snow, we wear alot of basic braids and ponies that I don't need to worry about under a warm winter hat. As much as I love fancy styles and I still did quite a few over the winter months, it just wasn't a regular thing. The second reason we haven't been doing alot with hair is because Kenz's hair has been SUPER dry and really prone to breakage, you might even see a bit in some of the styles we're going to post, thankfully with the warmer weather it seems to be less dry and able to tolerate her hair being done more often. But the good news is the snow is gone and spring has sprung, even way up here in Canada. So stay tuned because we're back and we already have a few styles waiting in our folder to post :)

The "H"

2009-11-20T21:06:00.004-05:00

If you haven't noticed, I've been really into doing simple braids lately. They're quick and easy and almost anyone can do them, and not only that but there is so much you can do with them!
This is a pretty quick and easy style again. Basically it's two ponies with braids in the front and back joining each pony. Once the braids were added and the ponies were done, I took a small chunk of hair from one pony, braided it and added it to the other pony. Added some bows and we were out the door.
Take a look, it looks like an "H":View from the back, underneath the left pony:Just another back view, I apologise for my pics on this do, they weren't the greatest and there weren't very many:This is the best front shot I got, she did not want her pics taken!

Braids to the Side

2009-11-18T09:32:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick and easy do to spice up the same old ponytail. Now I'm not a lover of side ponies or buns or anything. I like symmetry. But for some reason we've been doing a lot of side do's on Kenz the last little while and I still think they're cute.
This one wasn't meant to be what it is, but it worked.
To do this one, part the har just behind the ears and put two little ponies in the front and two in the back. Braid the front ponies and add them to the back ones. Take the left back pony now and braid it adding it to the right one. Now form a messy bun, or whatever you want from here and add a bow to finish the look. Takes less than five minutes and still looks cute.From the left side:From the right side:From the front:

Headband Style Braids

2009-11-15T20:27:00.003-05:00

So I don't really have the words coming to me tonight to describe this hairdo, so hopefully the pics will do a decent job. Basically it's 2 (regular) braids in front and they are joined to a (regular) braided headband in the back (2 braids in front, 4 in back). Cute for those with trouble frenchbraiding a headband or for those with daughters with shorter hair in the front.
A view from the front-top: View from the top-left:

View from right side: Front view:

Oh, and because the braids are basically a little braid, then elastic, then little braid, elastic, etc... this one can stay in a few days for a trip to Grandmas (yes, this is what she did, it still looked perfect when she came home, and Grandma just had to comb out the back hair!)

Twisted and Braided Ponies

2009-11-08T14:23:00.003-05:00

Again I didn't do step by step pics because I didn't think this would be as cute as it is, but this style I think may have made it onto my favourites list. It's fairly quick and easy as well so most people can do this style.To start off, part the hair down the midle and divide each side into 3 (or more) sections and put each section into a pony. Now cross the top two ponies over each other twice (so the same sides hook into the next elastic) and hook to the next pony. Continue down to the last ponies and braid the ponies to the bottoms. It really is simpler than it sounds and cute too! Here's a back/sidish view:

A view from the top of her head:From the back, all finished! We didn't add any bows or accessories today but it would be cute with bows to finish it off and match her outfit!

Random Twists and Things

2009-11-02T07:46:00.003-05:00

I didn't really have a plan with this style and wasn't intending to make it a post, but it turned out kinda cute and funky so here are the pics of her hair all finished:
To start this hairstyle, divide the hair in half horizontally at the crown. Next I divided the top in half and did 5 little ponies across the front of her head. I used diamond shaped parts to spice it up a bit.In the second section I put in three little ponies and then the fun parts start. Unfortunately I didn't do step by step, but if you look closely at the pics you should be able to see what I did.
In the front centre pony I did a twist braid and held it at the back centre pony with a clip. On each side I did a double cross/twist thingy and attached the two front middle ponies to the twist and back pony with an elastic. The sides were put together.
Next I twist braided the middle pony down as far as her hair would let me and put in an elastic. Then I took the two sides and twisted them together as far down as I could (this left me with two twists on top of each other). Now I twisted those twist braids together and secured them with an elastic. I covered the elastic with just a small clip. Back view of the twists: Front view:

Side View:

Braids and A Side-ish Pony

2009-10-29T21:03:00.004-04:00

Here's an easy one for my comeback into the blogging world. Hopefully now that things have settled down a little more around home I can get back to blogging regularly. So to start we have a pretty easy do that shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

To start this do part the hair from behind one ear to the front of the other (a very diagonal horizontal part) and divide the top into some diagonal vertical sections (we had 4 I think).Braid those top sections and then pull all of the hair including the ends of the braids into an off-center/side-ish pony. Add a cute bow and you're all done. Simple and takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish.You could take out elastics holding the braids or leave them in, I left them in because it was a bit of a rushed morning.She had some attitude this day so this was the best front shot I got.

Side Dutch Braids

2009-09-08T20:00:00.003-04:00

I know, it's been a while since I've blogged! Let's just say it was a super busy summer and leave it at that okay?! Anyways, now that school is back in and I'm settled into my new job, I'll probably be blogging regularly again... I know I know! I keep saying that! Anyways, today's do isn't so much a tutorial as it is a brag post.
Why is it a brag post? Because I've been working really hard all summer long to teach myself to dutch braid. I've been able to french braid forever but for some reason dutch braiding is so much harder for me. So I know it's not perfect but here is an example of one of my fave dutch braid dos. Three to the side, into a messy bun: Top view:

Front view:

A closeup of one of the braids... not bad if I do say so myself!

Faux French Braid

2009-08-30T20:08:00.002-04:00

This is for all you ladies who want a look similar to a french braid but just can't do a french braid. I use this one quite a bit and I CAN braid simply because it's more sturdy than a real french braid.Start this one off by parting the hair horizontally and putting into little ponies in a line all the way down her head. I think Kenz usually has around 6 of these.
The next step is to regular braid the top section and then add it to the second pony with another elastic. Do the same thing with the second pony all the way down the head.
That's it, braid the last pony and tie off with an elastic and you are done! Easy Peasy!
Top View:Side View: Back view:

I've been away!

2009-08-30T13:09:00.003-04:00

Wow, I was just noticing how long it's been since I've posted and just thought I'd let everybody know that I will be back to posting regularly soon. The end of summer is hectic here, I started a new job working nights so my body is way out of whack and the kids don't start back to school until September 8 so once things settle down I'll be back.
I'm hoping to start posting and playing catch up tonight, so don't be surprised if I post 1 or 2 times a day for the next couple days.

Fancy Pony

2009-08-15T14:44:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty basic but cute style. I was actually planning on posting a different do (Side Braids part 2) but my camera batteries are dead, so I'm doing this one instead today. Again, it's pretty self explanatory so if anyone has any questions just ask. Start with 2 elastic braids going back to the crown and then braid them.

Add them into a low pony and add a bow:

Easy and cute.

Side Braids Part 1

2009-08-14T15:07:00.002-04:00

This is cute, and easy if you can french braid. It's a nice alternative to the traditional 2 french braids! It's pretty basic so here are the pictures: This is the side we started the braids at by her ear:

This is where we joined the two braids and did a semi-pull through bun kinda thing:

From the front:

From the top, note how long her bangs are that they actually stay in the braids without help:

Simply Sweet Summer Hair

2009-08-07T12:37:00.002-04:00

We don't always pull all of Kenz's hair up, although it may seem that way sometimes. This do only uses about half or a third of her hair and is a really cute princess crown do that is quick and easy. Start by parting out a circle on top of the head and parting that into 6 or 8 or 10 parts, however many works for you.

Twist braid, braid, or pull the sections into a crown shape:

Attach the two back middle sections somehow (we tied and then used an elastic)

Brush out the rest of the hair and you're done! Doesn't she look like a totally different kid with her hair down!

Pretty Picture Hair

2009-08-06T17:41:00.003-04:00

I didn't get very many pics of the actual do for this one, but it isn't difficult to figure out :) Basically it's a double braided headband with a messy bun. Kinda simple and cute for the pics I was trying to get.
Here is the view from the top: The side view:

The back under-side. Since her hair is too short for the two braids to meet in the back I braided each braid in with a small section at the back of her head. Then I joined the two braids and braided that adding it to the messy bun:

The top side view:

And the front:

Braided to a Pony

2009-08-04T14:05:00.005-04:00

I've been away from the computer the past couple weeks, but I should be back and able to post regularly again now, and I have quite a few styles in storage just waiting to be posted.
This is a simple one and can be dressed up or down, it's good for everyday wearing and I am glad to say that I can finally get Kenz's bangs into the braids without having to do anything special, they still stick out a little, but they stay.

To start part the hair down the middle to the crown and across like so: Next start french braiding one side and tie off with an elastic at the end of the section: Do the same on the other side: Pull the hair into a pony adding the hair from the braids and add a simple bow: View from the side: View from the top:View from the front:

See what I mean? Quick, easy, and Cute!

Star Power!

2009-07-27T12:03:00.004-04:00

I know most fellow hair-bloggers have seen this before because it is a direct idea from Jenn at Girly Do's. This is the second time I've done this now and I absolutely love it because it's something super cute but really surprisingly quick and easy (especially once you've done it a couple times!)This is step one, you are going to need 5 ponies that make up the 5 points of the star. This pic gives an idea of how to divide the parts (I know my parts are pretty crooked!).Step 2: Divide each pony into 2 and partially braid or twist braid each one temporarily securing with an elastic or clip. You should have 10 sections now.Step 3: Take 1 braid and join it with a braid from the pony beside it. These will be the stars inner points. Do this all the way around.Step 4: Take out all of the temporary elastics and join the 5 new ponies in the middle making one big pony.
Now make a bun, you can do anything really. I did a ballerina bun, but messy buns also give it a fun look.For anyone wanting to know, this is how I secured her bangs into this hairstyle:A view from the front. Isn't she pretty!
You can do so many things with this. When Jenn did it she wrapped ribbon around it, you could bead it if you had the desire... you can braid, twist or do nothing with the lines of the star. Plus it can be used for different holidays... you could use it for the fourth of July, Christmas, You could easily make it into a 6 point star, soften up the lines and make it a flower instead, the list of possibilities is endless!

Half French Braid Ponies

2009-07-27T09:46:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty easy do and takes only a few minutes if you can french braid. First I parted her hair down the middle, keeping her bangs seperate because they are too short to stay in the braids.
Next I parted each side horizontally at her crown.
Then I french braided the tops pulling them into ponies and including the rest of her hair where the braids stopped.
I now braided the ponies and flipped them under making a sort of loop and securing it with an elastic.
The next step was braiding her bangs and adding bows. The back of her hair

The side view:

From the front:

Photo Free Friday

2009-07-24T18:34:00.004-04:00

I checked my usual blog reading list today and came across this nifty idea by Jenn over at Girly Do's. She has posted photoless instructions for a hair do and asked us to try it and share the link on her blog. So this is what we've done. Go HERE to see the instructions.

This style was a little challenging because her bangs are too long to stay down and it's difficult to keep them in a longer french braid, so there are quite a few shorter pieces sticking out that I tried to hide.View from the side that's hooked into the ponyI liked the look of this but it didn't feel complete until I added the bows to it. Some styles just need that bit of extra help :)

French Braid... With Bangs IN

2009-07-17T19:55:00.003-04:00

Okay, two things, first you know I've been growing out Kenz's bangs so this style is great because it keeps them back and out of her face without having too much going on. Second, I love the look of a single french braid on almost anyone. It has got to be my all time favourite hairstyle. So I finally figured out a way to make this work with Kenz and her long bangs!
To start this style, make an elastic braid starting front middle of her head and do it back to the crown (we did 3 elastics), and don't forget to include the bangs!Now take the hair from that 3rd elastic and divide it into 3 to start your french braid.French braid all the way down and add a bow to the bottom...Ta Da! Simple, cute, easy, and classic. This do is perfect for Kenz's hair!

Lots O' Braids...

2009-07-14T14:23:00.004-04:00

This is really simple and fun and used alot in the summer to get her hair off her face. I didn't explain much or take step by step because it's pretty self-explanatory. (And yes, I know her headband doesn't match, but it's the one she wanted to wear today...)

The back: The top. We braided the bangs and added them into the first braided pony...

The bottom at the back, we did the same things as the front:

A view from the front:

P.S. I was going to add beads to the bottom of the braids, but ran out of time, stay tuned one day this week for my how to on adding beads!

Summer Giveaway!

2009-07-13T20:20:00.003-04:00

If you like hair accessories as much as we do, check out the summer giveaway going on at Sugar and Spice! She is giving away 3 prizes so go on over and check out the awesome prizes sponsored by Chic Clips!

Braided Heart

2009-07-08T13:04:00.002-04:00

I should save this for Valentines Day but I figured since I didn't have a new style to post and this was sitting in my folder for a while I would go ahead and post it. For this one I'll try and explain since I don't have very many pics.

French braid two braids starting at the crown in the middle and braid towards the front of her head and then back around the sides towards the back. Braid as far down as you can and join the two braids to form the bottom point. At this point I did a twist braid where the two braids attached and I also did 2 twists and 2 braids randomly in the bottom part of her hair. When I was done I wove a pink ribbon around the heart to define it a little more. The pics don't do this one justice. It's really pretty in person! Maybe one day soon I'll redo it so that I can show a step by step and how cute it really is!

More Braids

2009-07-07T19:37:00.004-04:00

Nope, Kenz still isn't feeling much better but today we decided to do her hair anyways because we were going to the pool and I figured if I at least braided it then it would dry quicker and stay out of her face.

We started by parting her bangs and tying them out of the way.

Next we made a part at her crown horizontally and put the bottom in a pony out of the way.

Next we sectionned out small sections and french braided braiding as far down as I could. I think we ended up with 6 sections.

We gathered all the sections and added them to the bottom pony making it into a sorta bun thing. Normally I would take out all the elastics holding the small braids, but I wanted to finish this up quickly today.

Finally we 1/2 french braided her bangs, adding hair only to the front side and put an elastic in after all the hair was added, tucking the remaining hair behind her ear.She likes this because it's a no fuss no fix hair style that lasts all day. She actually went to bed tonight with the entire things still in and I'll probably leave it in for tomorrow too!View from the front: She was not too happy to be posing for pictures!

Best Toys for Girls

2009-07-06T11:59:00.003-04:00

So since princess Kenz is still not feeling good I thought I'd post some of the best toys that I have found for toddler/preschool girls. This is obviously just my opinion but these are definitely the 3 things Kenz plays with the most!
#1: Dress up clothes. It doesn't matter if you buy special clothes or just give her old hats and mitts and shoes she LOVES to dress up. We have to boxes full of different dresses, shoes, crowns and purses that she is constantly playing with.

#2 and #3: Monkey See - Monkey Do! Kenz and her youngest brother are only 2.5 years apart so I think when he was born she really wanted to feel apart of things and did that by copying what mommy did. The first is a sling made by my good friend Brandy at Evie Slings. I also have an adult version that I love :) The second is her stroller that Grammy and Papa gave her for Christmas one year. It is the Graco version and has the carseat just like our stroller. This stroller goes literally everywhere with us!

Anyways, that's it for today! I hope my reviews have been helpful!

Sick Princess

2009-07-05T12:24:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know that posts may be a little scattered for a while. Miss Kenz has a nasty cold that has really taken her out of things. The last thing that she has wanted is me pulling and tugging at her hair!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T20:46:00.002-04:00

I wanted to wish all Canadian readers a Happy Canada Day today! We were on our way out for Canada Day festivities and didn't have a ton of time for hair but wanted to do something "Canadian", so here is my quickie Canadian do:
Start with a headband part and do an elastic braid starting at one ear and go straight across to the other ear. Put the rest into two lowish ponytails. Use a needle to wrap red ribbon around the headband and continue to the ponies wrapping it around and tying around the elastic. Add two shorter pieces of Maple Leaf ribbon adn you're good to go!

From the front:

Cross Up Ponies

2009-06-28T20:29:00.002-04:00

First I apologise for the crappy pics, we were on our way out to church and I wanted to snap a couple quick pics of this do, View from the front:

This style is super cute and pretty easy to do. She got tons of compliments on it today. I'm not going to do a step by step as you can pretty much see what I did but for a brief description:
1. Part out a centre part.
2. Starting at the bottom section out a small piece on each side and put in an elastic
3. cross the first ones over each other and add to the next sections
4. Continue up until you reach the top of the head
5. Again, Kenz has bangs so I pulled them up and added them to the section with the ponies, straight back.
6. Add ribbon or bows.
View from the back:
From the top:

Another back view:

Braided Ponies

2009-06-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

This is a quick and easy do for something with a little extra and no extra time. Begin by sectioning a square out on top of the head and french braid that section as far back as the section goes and continue regular braiding til the end.

Divide the rest of the hair into two ponies and add the braid into one of the ponies.

Braid both the ponies as far as you can and loop back up securing with an elastic. Spike any loose ends (or curl them) and add bows.

This took about 5 minutes before we left for the school and looked super cute!

View from the front... doesn't she look impressed... with the bangs we just combed them to the sides today.

Twist and Shout

2009-06-24T12:29:00.005-04:00

This is a fun and easy style to do, and it's great for summer because it keeps hair up and off the neck/face/shoulders.
To begin part the hair down the middle front to back and pull 1 side out of the way while you work.
Take the half that you are working with and divide into sections going back. If you are trying to keep bangs off of a face like I am you can pull the first section with bangs directly into the next section.

Take the front section and start twisting until you are past the next elastic.

Add the twist into the next elastic and comb out the hair.

Continue all the way back on both side so you have two sets of twist braids. Ta Da!

View from top front so you can see that I took her bangs directly to the second section without twisting them.

Another view from the front:

Bangs Pulled Back to Braid

2009-06-22T10:36:00.002-04:00

Since we're growing out Kenz's bangs and they are always in her eyes we've been doing alot of things like this style lately. It's pretty self explanatory but if you need step by step instructions:
1. Part the hair down the centre and do a horizontal part across the front. Our first one was just her bangs.
2. Add those parts into the next small sections.
3. Add the second sections into the third crossing over into the opposite side.
4. combine the third sections together into 1 at the fourth section.
5. braid and secure the fourth section.
My sections are really crooked in these pics so pay no attention to that. It is a really cute hairstyle when the sections are a little more even.

Elastic Braids, Messy Buns

2009-06-20T11:03:00.003-04:00

This is a very easy hair style and cute for girls with long or short hair. Section the hair horizontally and put in two elastics. Add those sections to the next sections. I have three elastics on the top, and two coming from the bottom meeting the middle elastic.
View from the back:

You can either leave it in ponies as above or turn it into messy buns and add cute bows:

Twisted Ponies

2009-06-20T10:44:00.004-04:00

This is another cute variation on two pony-tails. Yes we do lots of similar styles here. This one we start out with a small part in front and do two small ponies. Then divide out the next section and taking the two from the front cross them over each other twice to form a twist. I did one more section like this on the top and then I went up the back of her head doing a section like this. Then I just looped the ponies into a sorta half ponytail and left it there.
Yes, I know her bangs are atrocious. We're growing them out so most of the time they are pulled back this day they just happened to be left down.

Day After Simplicity

2009-06-18T09:47:00.002-04:00

We don't always do something fancy here. Sometimes day after do's are the simplest and cutest thing we do.

For this do we left french braids in for a full day and then the following morning took them out and just finger-combed through them adding a pretty blue headband! Simple and Cute!

Elastic Madness

2009-06-16T10:21:00.004-04:00

This is a fun way to pull the hair back off of her face and neck for the summer without doing just a plain old pony.
Start off with a part down the centre (somewhat) and take a square from the front and put it in an elastic. Do the same with the other side of the part.

Take another square on one side of the part and add in the opposite piece from the front. Repeat forming an "X".

Repeat this until you are at the back of her head.

Now for the sides: start at the front and do an elastic braid back following the same parts as earlier. Don't forget on the last one to add everything from the back in that section. Repeat on the other side.

Now take the two sides and bring them together into a pony in the back under the other two:

This gives the overall pony some height for those of us with kids with fairly thin hair in pony tails.

Next I added a fairly small bow:

There! It's finished!

Crazy Braids

2009-06-15T16:23:00.006-04:00

Before we begin with the style, don't forget to check out the giveaway going on here!
See why I call these crazy braids? It drives me crazy getting the parts straight and getting her to sit still while I do it. But I absolutely love this style and think it's such a pretty look to do with a little sundress or to wear to church.
To Begin: Part the hair about an inch back horizontally from ear to ear: (My part looks wider because of her bangs)

Start at one ear french braiding taking from only one side and braid all the way across and keep normal braiding when you run out of hair to add. Tie it off with an elastic and do another part just back from that:

Start at the opposit ear this time and braid across just like above (Yes I know my parts are very crooked!)

Do two more sections in the back going back and forth in direction. You should now have two braid ends on each side of her head:

I didn't show this step but take both braids and tie them together then tuck underneath and pin into place with a small bobby pin:

Smile:

Giveaway at Sugar and Spice

2009-06-15T13:03:00.002-04:00

One of the blogs that I like to follow regularly is Sugar and Spice and All Hair Nice so I thought I'd post about this cool giveaway that they are having that started TODAY! So go on over and check it out!

4 (and a half) Braids

2009-06-09T21:24:00.004-04:00

Okay this is my second post today, I know, I'm just trying to catch up from last weekend when I had a whole bunch to post and then my modem broke so I had no internet... Anyways... This is a pretty basic do and I do it usually for the crimps in her hair the next day. We did this yesterday and it held through all day yesterday plus today so we'll be taking it out tomorrow and doing a fun do.
Divide the hair into 4 sections and french (or dutch) braid:

Pull the four braids together in the back and put in an elastic holding them underneath so they form a kinda bun thing:

Braid the bangs if your daughter has them... for some reason I couldn't get them to stay in a french braid so I ended up dutch braiding... still looks cute.

I used this ribbon tied bobby pin to hold the end of the top braid at the start of the next braid and then stuck another in on the other side so it looked even:

This is one of those styles that looks complicated to non-hair-doers but if you know how to french braid really takes no time at all:

She was happy that it was a quick style:

X-Woven Ponies

2009-06-09T13:55:00.004-04:00

This is another cute alternative to plain old pony tails.
First Divide out the front of the hair into 2 sections and divide each into 6 sections.

Now make three X's in the front: Hopefully my pics explain this better than I can. I don't have words coming to me today.

Next make your two ponies.

Add in the top ponies one at a time. Far left to the right pony, then far right to the left pony. Next middle left to right pony and middle right to left pony. Then center left to right pony and center right to left pony.

All Done!

5 Topsy Tails

2009-06-08T13:54:00.003-04:00

This is a fairly straight-forward do so there are no step by step instructions. Basically I parted off the front of her hair into 5 sections and put each into a little pony that I put a topsy tail (pull-through) into. The rest of her hair I just combed smooth and left down

Un-Done Hair

2009-06-08T08:48:00.003-04:00

So for anyone wondering what happens on days where I don't do Kenz's hair I'll show you :) I get asked all the time why I do her hair almost everyday... and this is why :)
This was after wearing a little pony the day before...

This was a day we had just brushed it back neatly... this is what happens when we try that:

A humid day and her hair puffed right out:

Again we had just brushed it down this day:And more recently I hadn't done her hair so she did :)

X - Braids to Bun

2009-06-07T18:52:00.003-04:00

This is a very pretty hairstyle that can be done loosely (as I've shown) or tightened and fancied up for a very pretty updo.
To begin section the hair into four pieces:

Next french braid all of the sections towards the middle of the head:

I didn't show this next step but then you put all of the braids in an elastic at the center point of all of the braids and unbraid the ends so you have a pony. Next you do your bun or messy bun:

Add a flower or don't. This is a beautiful style with or without add-ons:

Say Cheese!

Zig Zag Braids

2009-06-03T08:52:00.004-04:00

This is a kinda fun style for the odd occasion. I found a variation of this somewhere in blogland but I can't recall where exactly so I apologise if it's yours and I haven't given you credit.

To begin this style separate the hair into 6 ponies as seen here:

Begin braiding from the bottom left (just a regular braid and add it into the bottom right pony. Now take the bottom right pony and braid it up to the middle left pony and add it in:

Now do the same thing but start at top right and go to top left and then middle right... you should now have two ponies:

Next take one of the ponies and braid it adding it to the other pony so you only have one side-pony now:

She fell asleep for the next part:

I now took the pony and braided it into 3 uneven braids. You could do a bun or leave it as a ponytail if you wanted.

Add in a cute bow and you are good to go :)

Basic Pony Tails

2009-06-02T11:57:00.003-04:00

Kenz wanted something a little more simple today... she asked for two pony tails so I complied. The only thing is with ponies her hair from the front of her head always falls out into her eyes so I always modify it. Here is an easy way to keep shorter hairs in front in the pony. (Candice, this will work for Ella too :) )
To start I pull back the bangs in a square section(these two were actually left over from yesterday):

Next I take the right section and cross it over adding it to the next square left section (this works better on wet or damp hair). And I cross the left over to the next right section:

Continue in the same way for the third section so the hair should like somewhat like this:

Next I parted the remaining hair and put it into two ponies (or you can do one, whatever you prefer!) If you do two ponies cross the top ponies over again before you add them in:

Add some cute bows on the ponies:
Views from the front:

Hair Bow Test

2009-06-01T15:23:00.002-04:00

So I made up some new bows the other day and wanted to test how well they would hold in baby hair and since I have a baby (although he is a BOY... my hubby is gonna kill me!) I thought I would try them in his almost non-existent hair! TADA:

Bangs Hold Back

2009-06-01T15:08:00.002-04:00

Kenz has had her hair pulled back a lot lately so today we just did a simple little thing to get her bangs off her face since they are at the stage where they are always in her eyes. We started with a center part and did some little ponies on each side each going into the next horizontally down her head. On the last one we topsy-tailed it and voila. Simple and sweet at the same time!
Please excuse the pics she was not very co-operative today!

Shortie Twists

2009-05-31T15:05:00.002-04:00

For those of you out there that think short hair can't be cute, have a got a cute shorty-do for you today!
Miss A has very short baby hair that doesn't part very easily and curls like crazy when I play with it.

So I took two roughly centered small ponies and did some topsy tail (pull throughs) in them. Then I divided each into two and did some corkscrew twists in them. A quick but cute baby do! Isn't it cute!

Fancy French Braid

2009-05-29T09:49:00.004-04:00

This twist on a french braid was inspired by one of Kenzie's many Barbie doll's so that is where the credit for this idea is going.
We did this do on both Kenzie and Miss K this morning:
Miss K just has two regular braids braided into a french braid in the middle:
View from the side:

View from the Back:

View from the top:
Kenz has the same style but with two topsy tails (pull throughs) in the front to keep the shorter layers in front from falling out.
View from the top:

View from the back:

View from the top:

Ribbon Headband, Braids and a Bow

2009-05-28T18:43:00.003-04:00

So Miss Squirmy wasn't too co-operative when it comes to pics today so I will try my best to explain.
I started off with a long piece of ribbon and wrapped it across the top of her head with the tails of the ribbon hanging down either side. Then I took her bangs and made them into tiny ponies on the front of the ribbon and attached those ponies to two tiny ponies behind the ribbon. Then I brought those together.
Next I started braiding the side of her hair... just regular old braids, nothing fancy... except that for one of the pieces of the braid I used the ribbon and just two sections of hair. When those were done I attached them in the back under the rest of her hair.

Finally I took that top pony and used it as the center piece for the french braid I did with the rest of her hair. When I was done the braid I took the leftover ribbon from the other two braids and tied it around the braid at the neck and added a matching bow.

This do didn't really take all that long and was great for keeping her hair (bangs and all) off of her face.

My apologies to the person I got this from because I can't remember who it was but I got the general idea from another blog somewhere... if it was you let me know and I'll give you the credit :)

This one could also just have the two side braids attached in the back with the hair left down... this is what we had when we took out just the middle braid:

If anybody has any questions on how I do a particular style or has something that they would like me to show just leave a comment and let me know!

Chain Link Crown

2009-05-26T13:53:00.003-04:00

This do takes a little more time than most the ones I do but it is the kind of hairstyle I will leave up for at least 2 days. It's pretty self explanatory if you look at the pics and I'm not too good with words today so I won't describe how to do it. Now today we did it with dry hair, normally I would do it with damp hair and I think I will from now on. With her hair dry there are too many fly-aways and the parts aren't as neat as they should be.

Twists and Ponies

2009-05-26T13:41:00.003-04:00

Yet another do with her hair pulled back off her face with two mini ponies. This time I twisted the two front ponies into two more smaller ones behind those and then took those ponies into the two main ponies. (I know... I can't describe today... look at the pics :) )
Next I put a couple of little twists in the ponies and added some little green clips and we were done!

Multiple Braids to Bun with Bangs Pulled Back

2009-05-25T16:23:00.003-04:00

Since it's summer time now and we've decided we want to grow out Kenz's bangs we're going to probably be doing a lot of similar styles to this one with her bangs pulled right back off her face.
To start this style I pulled her bangs off her face by doing two rows of elastic braids. Then I regular braided the ends of the elastic braids together. Next I took all of the hair around her head and did 6 more regular braids.

Next I pulled all of the braids back into a pony tail and took out the elastics from the ends of the braids and then made it into a sortof bun. I was going to do a ballerina bun but got impatient and just did a half a messy bun.

Isn't it pretty like a flower or star?!

Elastic Braids to Messy Bun

2009-05-21T09:51:00.003-04:00

This one is great for getting bangs off of her face and for warm or windy days where the hair needs to be pulled back.
Start by sectioning front/back and then section the front into rows. Make the rows into squares starting at the front and do a tiny pony. Take the hair from the first section and add it to the second section. Keep going until the hair is used up. Try to keep the parts even as you do each section.This is what it will look like with all the rows finished:Add all of the hair into a pony in back and make it a messy bun. Add in a pretty bow (I told you the bow I made yesterday would look great with this outfit!) and you are done!

Two Messy Bun variations:

2009-05-20T20:54:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I'm looking for a good and sturdy - windy outside - 3 year old wants to play rough - hair do. I love doing a messy bun variation for this because it holds up really well to wind and play and you don't have to worry if it does come out a little. The first 3 pictures are one style and were taken after a full day of playing outside:

For this style what I did was four knots in the top half of the hair. The back half of hair was divided into two ponies and then the top two knots were added into the ponies. Next I braided the bottom two knots and added them into the ponies with a new elastic. Then I took yet another elastic and only did a half a pull through and pinned down the bun randomly to create the messy bun. This style only takes a couple minutes to do, I think choosing her ribbons took longer than actually doing the style.
This is style # 2 and I think it's a little prettier for when we are going out and I know she will be playing but I want her to look just that little bit nicer.

The first thing I did for this was divide the top and bottom sections of hair. The bottom I put into two ponies and the top I divided into 4 sections. One at a time I took the right two sections of hair that was left out and added it to the right pony twisting it before securing with an elastic. Then I did the same to the left side. I created my messy bun look the same way as above with the half pull through and pins.

Again, these pics were taken at the end of the day and it's still looking pretty good considering the wind we've been having lately.

New Bows!

2009-05-20T20:49:00.003-04:00

Yay! I finally had a few minutes tonight to try out some of my new ribbon that I have been sporadically buying lately and thought I should share some of the results. I was in a fairly simple mood tonight so nothing too fancy but I think they all turned out pretty good:
My favourites this time I think are the pink and green polka dots :) Although the black and white single one will look great with her red outfit tomorrow!

Double Criss-Cross

2009-05-13T17:12:00.003-04:00

So I know I did the single version of this not long ago, but I really like the way this turned out doing it doubled up.

Top View:

Bottom Underneath View:

Side Upper View:

Side View:

Woven Braids

2009-05-09T22:50:00.003-04:00

So I was browsing other hair blogs this morning looking for something I've never tried before to do in Kenzie's hair for Mother's Day. Here is what we came up with, originally found at http://girlydohairstyles.blogspot.com/2009/03/x-marks-spot.html . I really like the way this turned out on Kenz but I think if I were to do it again I would definitely use a smaller darker coloured ribbon so that it isn't quite so eye catching... this one would be better a little more subtle.
A brief description: 5 French Braids, woven together with 4 Pieces of ribbon and then flipped up at the bottom.

Shortie Topsy

2009-05-05T20:45:00.005-04:00

Who remembers the topsy tails that were on the infomercials back in the 80s/90s... I do! I used to have a home made one (thanks dad!) and not too long ago I wanted to achieve the same type of tool so I used a piece of pipe cleaner and some electrical tape and made my own. I did this because topsy-tails are a cute look for little girls with short hair, or long hair, good for keeping shorter pieces tight etc...
Too demonstrate just how cute they are with short hair: Miss A. has 4 tiny little topsy tailed ponies on top of her head (3 across the front, 1 across the back), topped off with a cute bow:
Here, Miss Kenz had 4 tiny topsy tails going across the front of her head into two upside down topsy tail ponies:

Double Twisty

2009-05-04T19:03:00.004-04:00

This is a fairly simple way to look complicated. It's also alot easier than braiding for alot of people to do.
Since we're doing two of these twisties, part the hair down the middle (side part would work too!) and take a section from the top of one side.

Secure the section with an elastic (it keeps the twists tighter), and start twisting the hair.

Using your preferred method (comb or hand) take another small section of hair and add it into your twisty and continue to twist some more.

Do this all the way down until it looks like this:

Twist until the very bottom and secure it with bobby pins twisting back up so that it's off the neck. I use two bobby pins per side to secure (4 total). Here is what both completed sides look like:

And your done, if you desire you can add some flowers or bows, but I kinda like this one as it is.

View from the side:

Knots

2009-05-04T18:49:00.005-04:00

So normally hair + knots is a no-no. Sometimes however they can be helpful in keeping shorter hairs in a ponytail or other hairstyle. In case you are wondering, here is step by step on how I do my knots.
Take two strands of hair and tie once, then tie a second time and secure with a clear elastic. Easy Peazy!

Hair Accessories

2009-05-04T11:02:00.005-04:00

What's a simple way to make a basic hairstyle look different and unique? Add accessories to it! Accessories and fun and funky and great for any girls' hair... not only that but they are incredibly easy to make at home. Making hairbows, headbands and other accessories is also a great bonding time between mom and daughter. While I make all of Kenz's bows, she sits and helps pick out which ribbon to use, which centre piece. Sometimes she helps me glue (she's only 3!). Here are some of our home made collection:
Coming Soon: More tutorials on how to make your own bows, headbands, and flowers :)

If you aren't crafty you can always contact me and I can make you a custom bow (or set) for minimal cost + shipping.

What's a great way to deal with after-braid frizz? Do a low pony-bun (don't pull the pony all the way through) and slap on a great big flower clip, voila! Fancy Shmancy!

Coming later today: Knots

Braids, braids and more braids...

2009-04-30T12:53:00.008-04:00

The most common way Makenzie wears her hair is braids of some sort. For me they are quick and easy and keep her hair somewhat neat. The awesome thing about braids (especially french or dutch braids) is once you get the hang of it the hair doesn't really need to be that long and it can be done in almost anyones hair.
So today we have random braided hair dos :)
#1: Meet A:
Meet A's First Braid:
#2: Meet K:Meet K With Both a Single French Braid, and then A Double French Braid into a low pony:

#3: Meet Younger Kenz:Kenz with 6 Simple Braids (3 on each side):Kenz with 4 Simple Braids (2 on each side):

Knotted Triple Braids

2009-04-30T12:44:00.005-04:00

This is really easy for something different. First I started with three knots in the top of her head (details to come tomorrow!) and then I used the tails from the knots to start a french braid down the middle of her head, I rough parts all ended at the centre of her neck. Then I french braided the sides and flipped them up securing them to the centre braid with a clip. This takes only a couple minutes to do :) But I'm not too much of a perfectionist so the braids are a little messy, the parts are estimated :)

Headband Braids... Multiple Uses

2009-04-28T19:30:00.009-04:00

Headband braids are simply french or dutch (I really can't dutch braid) braids across the head to look like a headband. Since Makenzie has such a strong natural part and many layers in her hair we usually part up the middle and do two braids, one down each side of the part. I love this style because it can be the base for so many other styles so once you learn how to do this one you can do pretty much anything.
In this first picture we have simply done the french braids to the ears continuing in regular braids and attaching them at the bottom of her head under her hair. We left the rest of the hair down and that way we could see the beautiful hair down, but it was still kept away from her face by the headband.

The next couple pictures are all the same style on different days. Headband braids into two ponies. Cute and simple, but different. This is one of our favourites. Finish them off with cute bows, ribbons or funky colours and you're good for the whole day :)

This next one is always cute too: Braided headband style (2 braids) to the ears and then finished off as regular braids and attached at the back of the head (over the hair) with an elastic and finished off with a bow :)

Here's an example of a single braided headband. It isn't the greatest because for some reason her hair just doesn't like the single one. But it serves the purpose :)

Once you can braid you can do so many styles! Use your imagination and see what you can come up with!

**EDIT**

I found some better pictures of a single braided headband although in these ones I divided the headband section into two parts. The very front I left out and once I had braided the second part I attached the left out part under her hair to form the headband. I got the idea from the blog "A Princess and Her Hair" (See links at left!) and it worked really well.

How To: Make a Hairbow:

2009-04-27T13:31:00.005-04:00

Girls at OYP, this is for you :)
Pick your ribbon and cut even sized pieces 4-6 is usually a good number :

Find the centre and stick the needle through:

IT will look like this:

Then fold over (start at bottom ribbon and put through needle:

So it looks like this: YOu can either leave it or bunch it together (see next photo)!

If you're doing another layer now is the time:

Use a small piece and glue it over the centre:

Now take a bobby pin (my preference, pretty much any type of clip will work and glue a ribbon to the part that will attach to the bow)

Glue the whole thing to the bow like so:

Ta Da! Use this method as the base for many other styles of bows :)
If you need further clarification on any step just let me know!

The Day After Braids

2009-04-26T12:18:00.002-04:00

So she seems to like the poof that is her hair following a day in braids, so here' s a super easy way to keep it somewhat controlled but still semi-down so she can enjoy the poof.

This do is also easy to modify! Just section off the hair in front and starting at the sections by her ears put into an elastic. do the same with the next section adding the hair from the first section. When you get to the middle, just pull it all together into a half pony.

Simplicity

2009-04-26T08:13:00.003-04:00

Sometimes we're going out first thing in the morning and with getting 4 kids ready to but wanting her hair still looking cute we go with something a little more classic. Still quick to do, but always cute we have two simple french braids together at the end.

Criss Cross Frenchies

2009-04-24T22:00:00.005-04:00

This is one of my favourite fairly quick do's for everyday wear. It is alot simpler to do than it looks providing you can already french braid and it is a little bit different but not different enough to look odd.
Start by sectioning the hair into four and then clip 2 diagonal sections out of the way. Start braiding the top loose section diagonally going right down into the opposite bottom loose hair. over the centre there may not be enough hair to continue french braiding so just regular braid until you can pick up hair again.
Once you are done that side secure in an elastic and do the same with the opposite side of the head. you can either attach the braids at the bottom, stop braiding at the neck, or braid all the way down and leave them. I've shown two different finishes here. We also used these colorful braided pieces (6 for $1 at dollarama) to make it a little funky!
Back View:
Front View:
This is a closeup, it was a different day and the braids weren't as good as normal (she was really fidgety!) And we finished with cute bows instead of the colored braids, The braids also came together at the bottom.

Princess Hair Crown

2009-04-24T21:34:00.005-04:00

So for those of you who have a little princess, I came across this hairstyle somewhere... I'm not quite sure where... but anyways, I came across it and since my little girl is always a princess we decided to give it a try. It turned out really well.
Since Kenz has a very strong centre part we try to work with it rather than against it so we began at the centre part and french braided taking hair from only one side rather than both, in a circle down to the bottom centre. I kept the hair in the centre clipped seperately and braided both sides the same... kinda confusing description but you get the idea. Then we just took the ends and included them in a messy bun in the middle with the rest of her hair. Top it off with a big ribbon and voila! A Princess Crown Headband!

Baby Hair!

2009-04-24T21:18:00.010-04:00

So I already said it I know, but ever since she was small enough for antennae, you bet I had them in! And if it's too short even for a tiny little do, there is always a pretty headband option!

Baby Hair Style #1 : Headbands!

Baby Hair Style #2 - Hats/Bandanas!

Baby Hair Style #3 : Single Antenna/Fountain!

Baby Hair Style #4 : Multiple Antennae/Baby Tails!

Welcome to my blog!

2009-04-24T20:54:00.002-04:00

So I decided to get on the blogging bandwagon... it's true. Over the next few days I will probably be doing quite a few posts with some ideas that I've already got sitting in my "blog it" folder on my computer.
But what am I blogging about exactly? Well... I'm blogging about GIRL TIME in a house full of boys. I am currently a full time SAHM/WAHM of 4 - yes I said four kids. I have three boys and of course my girl Kenz. Kenz is 3 years old and has a head full of gorgeous blond hair that both her and I enjoy doing in fun and interesting hairstyles. Ever since she had enough hair on her head for little "antennae" we have been doing ponies, piggies, and braids. Not only does it keep her hair neat and tamed but it gives us a few minutes every day to spend together.
This blog will mainly be aimed at her different hairdos since I've had so many people comment on them lately but I may get side-tracked from time to time and ramble about anything else I might think of us primarily "girl".
I hope that anyone who stumbles across my small space enjoys my ideas and ramblings!