Visible Monday: How do you feel about headbands?

Headbands are in style.

They're everywhere you look these days...and they come in an endless variety of colors and styles.

I must say, I was slow to hop on the headband bandwagon (say that 3 times fast.)  I couldn't get rid of mental images of Hillary Rodham Clinton "standing by her man"...or myself in the fifth grade.

Also, I've unfortunately, down through the years, seen many women-of-a-certain-age wearing headbands to a rather frumpy, dumpy effect.  

Finally, I realized that headbands can be quite attractive, and a fun way to change up your look.

I purchased the headband above at a local dollar store.  I got three or four headbands there...they were all name-brand (Goody, I think).  This one, and the black one at the bottom of this post, are the kind that go all the way around your head with an elastic base.

The above was probably my least favorite headband look for me...curly with no bangs.  I'm self-concious about having no bangs at all.  I kept thinking, "Is my forehead too wrinkled? does my face just look too plain without bangs?"

I've also tried it straight without bangs, although I don't have a picture of that.  Not my favorite look for me, but I've seen many other women rock it beautifully.

I do love that headband, though...my sister picked it up for me at Old Navy.

I liked this one...curly with bangs and a black-bow headband that goes all the way around.  Again, a dollar store purchase.  

I purposely put a light filter on this one so you could actually somewhat see the headband...it's not very visible in this picture.  My 20-something daughter has since adopted this headband, and I must say it looks adorable on her.

How about you?

Have you gotten into the headbanding trend? Let me know!

If you want to give it a go, be sure and pop into a dollar store...you can experiment without committing a lot of money!

I'm taking part today in Visible Monday, hosted by Not Dead Yet Style! Join the fun!

Do you appreciate your hairstylist?

Your hairstylist probably knows more about you than your doctor. A good hairstylist not only gives you the most up-to-date hairstyle that you can replicate at home, he or she is also a good listener. Hairstyling is an artful skill that boosts self-esteem and makes clients feel good. On April 25, take time to show your favorite hairstylist your appreciation.--from news.yahoo.com

There's no doubt about it, a really good hairstylist is a treasure.

April 25, 2012 is Hairstylist Appreciation Day.

There are few feelings happier than the day you know you're getting your hair cut and/or colored...especially when you know and trust your stylist.  You feel like a new woman!

Looking back on all the people who have cut, styled and/or colored my hair, I've been pretty blessed.

Price has always been an issue for me.  I just can't afford to spend a ton of money on my hair.

 Right now, my hairstylist works in a terrific salon in a small town over half an hour away from me.  The drive is worth it because not only is the price much less, but Lori is a talented stylist and colorist, and I've been very pleased with her work.

This has worked against me in the past, though.  For a couple of years, I had a bargain stylist who was dirt-cheap.  I thought this person did an OK job, but looking back at pictures of myself during this era, I can see that my hair was really not very flattering.

 The old adage "You get what you pay for" comes to mind.

I've had some wonderful stylists in the past who have since moved away. I actually followed Samantha through stops in three different salons!  This girl really had a talent with hair.

We all know that when you take a photo to a hairstylist, you shouldn't expect miracles.  She/he can use it as a guideline, but chances are, it's not going to look the same on you.

However, one time I took a photo to Samantha and I think she came pretty close!

Photo I took to the shop on the left--me post-cut on the right

Sam ended up moving away and getting married.

How about you?  Do you have a hard time finding someone who does your hair the way you want it? Is cost an issue?  Do you change stylists frequently, or tend to stick with one for years?

Let me know in my comments section!

Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like.  ~Author Unknown

How do you handle your curly hair?

What I WISH my hair looked like! (actress Debra Messing)

I've had curly hair all my life, and although my mane was once the bane of my existence (clever, huh?:), I've now made peace with it.

But after reading my friend Ashley's post on curly hair, I thought I'd share a few things I've learned in my years of dealing with curliness and ask if you have any advice to share.

Not long ago, I blogged about the complicated hair routine I had to go through in the 70's.  Thankfully, excellent modern products and styling tools now mean that I can have straight hair, too.

I would have to say I divide my time about 70/30 with 70 being wearing my hair at least somewhat straight, and 30 allowing it to dry naturally, with the help of styling products that make the curls look prettier and less frizzy.

Here are a couple of products I really love:

Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray by John Frieda:

Believe me, I've tried all the high-end products for curls, and this works as well or better than most of them and at a fraction of the price!

I spray this on after washing my hair, then either let it dry naturally or partially dry it with a diffuser.  (If your blow-dryer doesn't have a diffuser, you can get a cheap foam one that looks like a microphone shield at Sally's Beauty Supply that fits on most dryers.  They are a boon for curly hair, cutting down on the frizzies considerably.)

Three things I love about this product:

• It gives your curls SOFT definition, not crunchy crispiness!
• The next day (if, like me, you're not one who washes your hair every day), you can spray it on again, scrunch slightly, and the curls are magically back in place.
• It's inexpensive, and you can buy it almost anywhere.

Sleek and Shine Anti-humidity Smoothing Milk by Garnier

My sister actually just introduced me to this product when I was in Texas, and I made sure to get some for myself right away.

This is a terrific product whether you intend to wear it curly or straight.  If you're wearing it curly, work it through your hair BEFORE putting the Dream Curls in.  If you're wearing it straight, work it into your hair AFTER blow-drying and BEFORE using a straightening iron.

Other than these two mainstays, I'll try most products.

Lately I've begun to use Velcro rollers when wearing my hair smooth, but not completely straight.  I will curl each section with a large curling iron before putting a roller in and spraying it.  I totally use the technique demonstrated by Emily Eddington of Beauty Broadcast in this tutorial.

I rarely wear my hair completely straight--I prefer a full, voluminous look with some teasing and body.

Here are some pics of some of my hair looks:




Curls when my hair was a bit shorter



All-out curls



A flippy look (loosely) based on LolaMarie7's "Texas Barbie"



One of my straighter looks

Trying Kate Bryan of The Small Things Blog's "Loose Waves"

By the way, I have both a large curling iron and a straightening iron, and often use them interchangeably.  I'd like to invest in a very small Hot Tools curling iron to add scattered ringlets when I wear my hair curly.

What do YOU do with your curly hair?  Have any products that you can't live without?  Any techniques that have worked well for you?  Let me know in my comments!

Adventures in Hair Drying

Reminiscing about my complicated "hair routine"

Today is Hair Dryer Appreciation Day, according to halife.com. And boy, do I appreciate the hair dryers of today. And actually, all the hairstyling tools and products available today that WEREN'T there when I was a teen-aged girl in the 70s.

When I graduated from high school, the most popular and acceptable way to wear your hair was long, straight, and parted down the middle.

Not an easy feat when you were born with naturally curly hair.

When I think about the shenanigans I had to go through in order to come up with this look:

Yep, that's me.  And as you can see, even with my best efforts, I didn't get the board-straight look I wanted.  (Oh, Hot Tools Straightening Iron, where were you when I needed you!?)

Here's what I did to achieve the look:

• Grew my hair out as long as I possibly could
•  Washed my hair, rolled it on big curlers, and sat under an old-fashioned bonnet-style hairdryer for an hour.  (It's a wonder I didn't cook my brains!)
•  Took the rollers out and put my hair in a pony-tail directly on top of my head.  Divided the pony-tail into two sections and rolled them with two orange-juice-can-sized rollers.
•   Kept those in my hair for some time (overnight if possible) before brushing out my hair into a semblance of straightness.

I still can't believe I went through all that!

The 80's brought blessed relief.  I forgot bonnet-style hairdryers even existed.  It was the decade of BIG HAIR, and baby, I had it!  I was the envy of all my friends because I didn't need a permanent and never had.

It was too good to last.  Seemingly overnight, everyone was wearing stick-straight hair again. Once again, I was the odd girl out.

Fast forward to today.  Women everywhere embrace curls and volume as well as straightness.

If I want to have really straight hair, I have the tools to make it happen--the efficient blow-dryer, the powerful straightening iron, any number of pro-sleek and anti-humidity products.

Or...and I often do this...I can just let my hair be curly.  In that case, I don't even have to use a dryer--or I'll use mine with a diffuser attached.

But one thing I love is that, thanks to great hair-dryers and wonderful styling products, I HAVE OPTIONS! :)

What about you? Got any memories of crazy things you went through to achieve your hairstyle?  Will you be appreciating your blow-dryer today? Let me know in my comments section!

Visible Monday: Beachy Waves Hair on a Winter Day

It's 40 degrees with snow on the ground where I live, but that didn't stop me from wanting "beachy waves" today.

 I subscribe to Kate Bryan's Small Things Blog, watched her tutorial for loose "beachy" waves this morning, and thought "Why can't I try that?

So I did, and I think it came out OK! Not as awesome as Kate's of course, but her hair is just amazing.

That's one thing I've started doing just in the past couple of years--watching YouTube tutorials on everything from hairstyles to make-up to scarf-tying.  If I'm to be the best "woman of a certain age" I can be, then I need to stay on top of things.

There's no way I can look just like the young girls, nor would I even want to try.  But if there are some tips and tricks I can pick up, and some new looks I can adapt to my style, why not?

I'm  wearing an Ann Taylor Loft Outlet black V-neck here, but I thought I'd liven it up with a necklace I usually wear in the summertime.

Here's one side-view of the beachy hair.  No, it doesn't look as perfect as Kate's, but hey--if I was really on a beach it would look much worse than that! :)

And just to bring us back down to earth, this is what it actually looked like outside my house when I left for work this morning.  I have to say I love my red coat that I got at Macy's a couple of years ago.  It's stadium-length, warm and cozy, and brightens up even the dreariest winter days.  The scarf I got last year at Wal-Mart for 5 dollars...love it too!

I'm linking up with Visible Monday, hosted by Not Dead Yet Style--join the fun by clicking on the icon!

Some Awesome New Blogs I've Found!

I've adopted a new life verse for myself. It's Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

As a news reporter, I'm constantly confronted with things that are disturbing and ugly--the violent side of humanity.

I have to stop frequently and remind myself to think about things that are just, pure, and lovely.

So I've memorized that verse. And I'm trying to surround myself with things that are in keeping with that verse...and that includes the blogs I read.

I have some amazing blogs on my sidebar...check all of them out! Of course, I don't blanketly endorse everything that's written on each one, but there's some good stuff there.

In recent months I've found some more wonderful blogs that enhance my online experience and therefore, my life.

Here are a few of them:

I love this young woman's vibrant spirit, lovely style and missional heart. Right now she's on a visit to China, which seems to own a big part of her heart.

Pam of Over50Feeling40

Over50Feeling40--As I get older, I never want to "give up" when it comes to my looks or my style! Blogs like this encourage me to be the best "woman of a certain age" that I can be.

This is from Pam's mission statement:

"Just after my fiftieth birthday, I received a brutal wakeup call….my new driver’s license came in the mail! I looked at the woman in the picture and was shocked…she looked elderly, worn out, and downcast. She was overweight and wearing an oversized, man’s polo making her appear much larger. She had no makeup and frayed, greying hair. The picture communicated that she was tired and had given up on herself. On that day in 2003, I realized that I had given everyone in my life (my family and students) every drop of my time and put myself on the back burner. I began with vigorous determination to reinvent myself. The journey has led me to fun, joy, peace, confidence, and new directions…but is a continuous process.


"Therefore, my mission with over50feeling40 is to inspire women over 50 to look and feel their best… to strive to be women of strength and dignity…and to enjoy every single day of life…one day at a time."

Castles, Crowns and Cottages

I've been following Anita for some time, and I truly love her unique blog! Anita doesn't post every day, so a new post from her is an event!

She displays gorgeous images and ties them all together with writing that is nothing short of poetic. I have commented to her that her blog is like an oasis of loveliness on the internet. It's like a little visit to a beautiful, relaxing and encouraging place.

The following blogs inspire me with fashion and beauty in my previously stated goal of "being the best 'woman of a certain age' that I can be"!

Girl With Curves

Tanesha Aswathi is a stunningly beautiful young woman who embraces her God-given shape. She posts outfits of the day that are absolutely gorgeous. I enjoy checking out the styles she puts together.

Kate Bryan of The Small Things

Kate is a professional hairstylist with some awesome YouTube tutorials on hairstyling and other style advice. I've really been enjoying both her tutorials and her blog.

So take a few moments, check out these blogs, and enjoy the loveliness!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Hair

Check out these luxuriant manes!

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Taylor Swift

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Rita Hayworth

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Zoey Deschanel

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Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton)

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Jane Fonda

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Rachel McAdams

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Beyonce

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Keira Knightley

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Greta Garbo

Do you have a favorite???

I'm participating in Semi Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Flip Flops and Pearls!

Life Made Lovely: Lovely Braids

Few hairstyles are as lovely, as serene, as graceful as braided hair. My own hair is too short to effectively braid, but I love looking at the various lovely braided hairstyles that are out there.

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If I tried this look, I would end up looking like a frumpy old hausfrau. On this young girl, it's adorable!

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Actress Kate Bosworth, looking regal in a braided style

I love this look on my friend Ashley (who I've known all her life!)

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Pretty, n'est-ce pas?

I absolutely love the look of a French braid...and I like how this girl left some of her hair out of the braid

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One of the latest trends is the loose, casual side-braid or "fish-tail" braid. I think this look is lovely!

So there you have it...some lovely braids. If you'd like to try some of these looks yourself, simply go to youtube.com and do a search for "braid tutorials." You'll find a bunch!

I'm participating today in Life Made Lovely, hosted by Blessed Little Nest...join me!