I feel like I have a lot to smile about right now. Summer is almost here. My girlie will be out of school in 3 days so that's good news for you guys - we'll be able to post more:) Summer also means 2 weeks at the beach!! Can. not. wait.

Also - my man graduates college today. After going for 10 years, many degree & school changes he is officially done!! & to add to our exciting week - he won a drawing at work for a 7 day cruise to Mexico for the 2 of us!! Hooray!!

Since I'm in such a good mood this morning - I'll finally post this. It has been in my folders for a few weeks now. Like I said - once this girlie is out of school - hopefully be hanging around here more often.

If you can't french braid - or don't have time - cut the braid on top - but *warning* it adds so much to this & it's darling. This would be perfect for another short hairstyle. Anything with the runners going up is awesome for short hair because it keeps all those straggling baby hairs up.
Start by adding 3 elastics on each side at the bottom of the hair (yes I see Lola & Lota in the tv. charlie & lola is a favorite during hair time:)

Once you've got your 3 elastics on each side - start at the bottom & bring them together, in the middle. Take the next section to the middle but include the bottom with it - making your way up.

Here's what it should look like:

I did the braid with only ONE strand. Remember this? Super easy. You start a regular braid & only add to one side of the braid (right side in this case) so it flips the braid more on it's side.

With the french braid on top, divide the hair on bottom into 2 sections & throw those into 2 pigtails, like so

We finished with messy piggies because they are the fastest for us. But if you would like to take the time to curl or do something else - it would all be cute!

Front view:

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Hooray for spring!! I love this time of year & the beautiful weather with all the blooming flowers. But it looks like it's not going to last for long because we are getting some rain this week. Of course over Easter weekend. Here's my new post:

These braids are SO easy & you can really end the hair any way you want. We wore it like this on Sunday but kept it all down, or you could do 2 pig tails or you could do half up half down. So many ways. This was the fastest way for me today

Part your hair on the regular parted side. Start a braid by sectioning off just a small section at the front of the head (off the part)

Start a 3 piece braid, then add ONLY a piece from the top & add to the braid. Everytime you get back to that part - add JUST from the top.

Here's what it looks like: Add an elastic at the base of the braid. On Sunday, I kept braiding (without taking any pieces - regular old braid to finish it) & brought all braids together but do what ever is easiest/fastest for you.

Get your next section just right near the first braid & do the same thing. You will notice you won't have to braid as far because you are starting back just a tinch further back.

I did it 3 times on this side. You can see my spacing isn't the best - so maybe space yours a little better.

Same thing on the other side - only doing 2 braids since there's not as much room on that side of part. Then I brought all the hair together to a side pony & pulled it into a bun.

Spray to hold, add a bow & you are finished. My bow is from Kyla's Kreations. Check her site out if you are looking for some new, fun bows. Her link is on the right under my lists. Again, like I said - you can finish this however you want. I wanted to leave it down & curl her hair but it was not in our time - but that's what is great you can always modify!!

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UpsideDown FrenchBraid

I totally remember going to my sister & asking her to do an upside down french braid on my hair for school & I would flip my hair over the bed & she would frenchbraid away. Then with the end of the tail - she would tuck it back into the braid. Well - I decided to do something pretty close to it. Don't mind the unmade bed (sheets are being washed:) This would be really cute for church...umm might have to do it again for tomorrow!
I had her flip her head over my awesome unmade bed.

French braid away - going as far as you want. I went a little more than half way on her head.

Flip her head over & pull all of the hair into a ponytail. My girlie's is a high pony tail because I wanted to make sure her curls were on top of her head.

Curl the pony & pin it so the curls are on the top of the head. By doing this - the french braid is much more visible - which is what we want to see, right?

side view:

Front view:

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Where have I been???

Wow!! Where has the time seriously gone? Life has just been crazy, crazy!! I keep thinking it's going to slow down this week - but it only gets worse. We are getting ready to go to Costa Rica next week so I've been trying to get lots done before we leave, which includes a project for Super Saturday that is like the next day we get home & I started teaching piano this fall & my little girlie is in preschool & the mornings (even though she leaves at 11:) we just don't have time to sit & take pictures - so there you have it. But I promise - I'm still around!! I actually have a couple hairdos that I have ready to post - it's just the "getting around to it" part that's hard. I know people are waiting for a new post so here's something VERY VERY quick that hopefully anyone can do:

Part the hair on the side. French braid just a few strands down on one side (if you aren't very good at french braiding or dont' know how, just do a regular braid - it would work just as well)

The other side, you are going to twist. Don't put an elastic in just yet!!

Bring the braid over so that it is on the side - not middle (kinda hard to tell in this picture but it is more on the side) Take the elastic out for the braid so you only have one elastic holding them both together.

I just curled the hair & added a bow. How fast is that??? But just kind of fun with it being 2 different braids on the sides. Here is a side view of the french braid.

front view:

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It's yet another Fancy Nancy hairdo

I had someone email me this picture recently asking if I could explain how they ended it so I thought it would be fun to share how to do this. First, I didn't make my braid as thick as her's is in this picture so it makes a big difference. Also, there are many ways you can end this: do one on each side & bring them together. Only do this one side & go around as far as you want, putting a bobby pin in place to hold it, or do what I did for this fancy nancy party.
She got invited to another fancy nancy party, which she so loves birthday parties, but the ones she gets to get all dressed up for - she loves even more. You can see how my braid is much smaller than hers up top because we did 2 braids instead of 1.

This picture is kind of dark - sorry! You start off with your 3 strand braid. Then you add only ONE side:the top - just like we've done on a braid a few posts back.

Instead of adding that NEW strand into your braid, keep it down & just go ahead & keep your braid going, adding one strand & keeping it down as you get to the left side. If you look closely - you can see I've dropped my fourth piece or piece I have just added. It is a little awkward at first & don't worry if the hair is all bunchy at the top - it is fixable!!

Once you get to as far as you've wanted to go (I added pieces all the way from her left side of her head) just braid a regular 3 strand braid to finish it off. Then tug down on those pieces that you added that are all bunchy at the top. They should smooth down perfectly!

I added another braid & brought the 2 braids together at the end. I love how you can see the pieces added going straight down.

Then I just curled the ends of her hair, added a bow to match & sprayed our favorite glitter in her hair.

Side view:

front view:

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a french braid on it's side

If french braiding doesn't come very easy to you - this is a simpler way to french braid. You only take strands from one side, instead of both, making the braid look like it's leaning on the side instead of flat. It's a fun little twist to the normal french braid.
I started by sectioning what I wanted in the braid & clip the rest back so it doesn't get included. I failed to show that I brushed the hair that was going to be included in my braid forward since you are only taking from one side. Makes it much easier - you'll see once you get going.

I realize this isn't a very good picture but just wanted to give you an idea how the braid goes. Start with your regular 3 strand braid. When you come around to the RIGHT side, grab a strand from the hair brushed forward. DO NOT grab anything when you get to the left side!! Keep going until it's the right side's turn again & just keep grabbing as you go along only from that right side. Make sense?

From the front, this is what it looks like. Add an elastic to secure the braid.

I pulled the rest of the hair up into a side pony, including the braid. This is what the braid looks like from behind, you can see how it looks like it on it's side. If you wanted, you could only grab from the left side & this would be in the front. Up to you!

front view of braid

I wanted to show that you could do it on 2 side by side braids, also. But when you do the left side, only grab from the left. When braiding the right side, only grab from the right. You can go as far down as you would like.

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french braid tutorial...finally!!

Hooray!! It finally worked. I tried showing this the best I could, but it would have taken forever if I went all the way down. Let me know if you need a better explanation - I'm just excited this finally posted:) I forgot to show this: usually when I'm done with the braid, I smooth the hair with the comb to smooth out all the bumps, then spray it with hairspray.

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Braided Bun

Part the from the part down to the ear & pull the rest back in a pony. This is what you are going to french braid.
French braid all the way down.
Pull the rest into a pony tail.
Now bring the braid into the pony but have to go over, across it (like shown) so it looks like the braid is wrapped & keeps going with the bun. Add elastic to secure it.

So I forgot to flip this picture & too late now. Sorry!! Braid the pony tail & braid as far down that you can.
Wrap the braided pony into a bun. If bobby pins help along the way, use them. I used an elastic to secure it at the base. I didn't want any of the ends of the hair showing so I tucked it under the elastic so you couldn't see it.
Add a cute bow & you are finished.

***If you are interested in me showing a video tutorial on how to do a french braid - please leave a comment.

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