Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Alrighty then! I have my very first two winners from my very first giveaway! I am so excited for you both!
The first winner is #13 (who says its an unlucky number?!?). That turns out to be a fellow hair blogger...The Peteresons from The Story of a Pricness and Her Hair! Congratulations! Just email me (joannbarber(at)gmail(dot)com) with which two sets you would like and I'll get them sent to you this week!
Winner number two is #2 (seriousl.y..some weird coincidences from Random.org tody!) and that would be Kathy! Kathy, I'll send you an email to get your mailing info and get yours off to you this week as well. Congratulations to you both! And, thanks to everyone for playing! As soon as I come up with something new to make for hair, I'll let you have another stab at winning! Have a great day!

My FIRST GIVEAWAy!!!

Alright ladies (and gentlemen if you are out there), my birthday was yesterday and I spent the morning putting together these clips for my first ever giveaway. I would have started this whole thing yesterda,y but my sweet uhbby took the camera to work. But, better late than never, right! First of all...please bear with me. My sweet little Alli bug spilled rootbeer on my laptop, so I have to go through and add all the "ys," "hs," and "ns." So, give me a break if I miss one here or there. Also, if you have any ideas how to get those keys working again, I'd LOVE you for it! Anywa,y here it is! My very first giveaway! All you have to do is enter. Nothing fancy. But, if you want extra entries here's how you can do it!

1 entry for leaving a comment.
1 entry for following me (if you are already a follower, just say so!)
1 entry for telling me how much you would pay for a set of these clips:

Group #1

Group #2

I am in the process of starting up an etsy shop and I don't know what to charge for these cute little clips. So, any suggestions would be appreciated! These are four different sets of crocheted flower clips. Large off-white, small light pink, Large raspberry, and small purple. The first winner gets to choose either the sets in the first photo or the second photo and the second winner gets the other ones. So, not only do you get three entries, you get two chances to win, too!

Don't forget to leave me some contact information, too. I would hate to have someone win and not be able to reach them!

The winner will be announced next Tuesday, so you have through Memorial Day to enter up to three times! So, thanks for all the love and GOOD LUCK!

I'm Not Dead

Man, I was just noticing how long it has been since I posted...almost a MONTH! Sheesh! I do have some fun ideas up my sleeve and I am working on my first giveaway...fun stuff. My girls will be out of school within the next couple of weeks, so keep checking back for some fun summer hairdos and a NEVER BEFORE SEEN GIVEAWAY! At least I've never seen them anywhere else. Ha! Anyway, we are alive and well, just finishing a little break! Thanks for bearing with me!

Happy Easter

Just a shot of my little cuties on Easter Sunday. I was very happy with how their pettiskirts and leg warmers turned out. As far as hair goes, I did THIS on Marianne and THIS on Allison. I hope your Easter was as wonderful as mine.

Sweet Hats

My cousin, Ashly has been selling hats for quite some time and I LOVE them all. She is so very talented! I recently started giving her piano lessons and I found out about her hat blog. So, I thought I'd share it with ya'll. Go to Hats by Ash and check out her mad skills. She can make anything. She sells hats, headbands, scarves and some other fun stuff that is so adorable (or cool...for the guys/littleguys). So, head on over and show my sweet cuz some love and fall in love with her stuff! Just go HERE, trust me.

Nominated

Alright! I'm so super excited about this. I've been blogging for about a year and a half and am loving it! Well, "The Mom" over at Babes in Hairland has nominated me for "The Spreader of Love" award! I am completely honored because this lady is the stuff! I had the opportunity to meet her at a little shin-dig back in December and she is fantastic! And SHE nominated ME!!! I fell so loved, which I suppose is the point, right? So, my job is to find 6 more blogs that I love and "Spread the Love." So, here goes:


1. Adopt a 'Do Cute Girl Hairstyles - This sweet mom started a great hair site that I love. But, as if that wasn't enough, she also posts a lot about adoption and an agency called Heart to Heart. I've never met her, but can only imagine she's a gem!

2. The Naulu Tribe - This mama has it all...including a whole crew of beautiful kids, including 5 girls who's hair she does every day. Incredible! She had a hair blog a while ago, but took it down after some hair blog drama. But, like many others, I'm waiting (not so patiently, mind you) for her to start it up again.

3. Cutie Pie Hair Creations - Again, I had the great pleasure of meeting this mom-of-six back in December. She is great! She does hair and makes bows and still manages to keep a six pack (wink wink). Check her out and show her some love!

4. Leslie - This is one of my greatest friends in the whole world. I look up to her so so much. She lost her husband in November of 2007 and has been so strong (even though sometimes she won't believe that). She has such a way with words that I enjoy reading every word of her posts.

5. Pure and Simple Beauty - This is actually a photo blog by my friends, Leslie. Am I allowed to nominate her twice? Well, if anyone deserves it, she does. Take a look at her amazing pictures and fall in love with their beauty!

6. The Story of a Princess and Her Hair - This woman is AMAZING when it comes to hair. She may have already been nominated (not sure), but I love her ideas. And she is always doing great giveaways. In fact, there's one going on right now. Go check it out!

Well, that was fun. If you were nominated, try to "Spread the Love" by doing the same as me. Congratualtions to all of those I love!

Fantastic Giveaway!

Okay ladies (and guys, I guess) here's an unbelievable giveaway that you need to check out! $20 gift certificate to Flowerz in Her Hair. Got to the sweet little lady at The Story of a Princess and Her Hair for the details. Flowerz in Her Hair has EVERYTHING you need for a little girl...bows, flowers, bracelets, binky clips etc. etc. etc! So, hurry on over and good luck!

Double Hearts

There are a ton of cute Valentine/Heart 'dos going around right now, so I thought I'd do my part. Now, I haven't searched long and hard, but this may have been done somewhere else. I kind of took THIS idea from Jamie at Jackie and Kassies Sweet Hairdos and did my own variation. So, here goes!

Start by making two pony tails. I like to start my part on the side then jig over to the middle. I think side parts are more flattering...but maybe that's just me :)


Split each pony into two sections and braid them both.

Now, take a bobby pin and slide it through a section of the braid where the top of the bump will be. Then, push the bobby pin into the hair above the elastic taking care hide it as much as possible. Do this for both sides of the heart.

Now, take a tiny clippy and bring the two braid ends together to form the point of the heart. As you can see from this picture, I braided down a little too far and you can see my elastics under the clippy. The goal is to hide the elastics with the little clippy. Then, you can curl the leftover hair and be done!

Here's a shot of both hearts. Yeah, I know. You can totally see the bobby pin on the right heart. But, what do ya do after the picture's taken and your little squirt has run off to play hide-and-seek?


I would love to see your Valentine hair ideas. You can email them to me at joannbarber(at)gmail(dot)com. If you'd like, I can even post 'em for ya! For some other great Valentine ideas try these:

Super Fancy from Girly Do's

Ribbon Heart from The Story of a Princess and Her Hair

Easy Heart from The Story of a Princess and Her Hair

or

Any of the cute ones from Jackie and Kassie's Sweet Hairdos

Have fun and Happy Soon-to-Be Valentine's Day!

A Simple Standard

This two hair-do is a standard in our house. It's quick and easy and takes about 5 minutes!

Double Twist to Messy Side Bun


Alright, ladies! Like I said, this is super easy! Just start by making a french twist on one side of the head. But, don't go back all the way to the middle. Keep twisting a little ways down the hair so you can bring it together with the other side later and secure with an elastic.


French twist the other side, going past the middle.


Bring them together, one over the other. You may have to re-twist the end of the first French Twist to make is tight again. Secure BOTH twists in the same second elastic.


Make your messy bun and VOILA! You have a quick, easy hairdo that turns heads!


Here's the 'do with a great big flower which I made from flowers I got at Michaels for 50% off! They were a buck a piece! My little blondie is sporting the same style, just with an inside-out French Braid. When I did the braid, I only took hair from the bottom...that makes it LOTS easier and quicker...which is ALWAYS good, especially for 9:00 am church and school! Good luck!

Rachel's First Hairdo!!!

Yes, my 6 1/2 month old daughter has barely enough hair for a piggy. I KNOW!!! It's super tiny, but I had to try. For those of you that have baby girls with stick straight hair, try leaving the tip of the piggy in the elastic until it dries. You may just end up with a little curl! If you can't tell, I am super pumped!


Side view :)


Front view :)

Shrek Ears and a Little Bonus

Okay, ladies. I feel a little guilty. I have had these pics for quite some time, but with all the Christmas sewing and preparation, I haven't posted them. I did some Shrek buns one day and that night, when I took them out to get Al in the tub, I had a cute surprise. I was only sad that I had to wash out that surprise. But, we have done this a couple of times since and it always turns out cute!


First, start by parting the hair. I have found that it works better with only half of the hair pulled up. And, if you use really wet hair for the buns, there are fewer flyaways and a better surprise!


Start twisting your piggy until it starts to double up on itself.


As you twist the hair, twist it around the elastic.


As you are twisting the hair around the elastic, twist it UNDER the previous hair. Keep in mind that the tighter your twist as you go, the better your surprise will be.


When you are done twisting, wrap an elastic around the Shreck bun at the very bottom so it catches in the end of the piggy. If you look close, you can see this on the left bun.


Here's a side view of the Shrek ear I just completed.

Top view of both Shrek ears.

Now for the SURPRISE!!!

I got this cute corkscrew curl out of the Shrek ears. I was so dissappointed that I had to wash them out the same night. But, I am thinking that if your little one slept in these, you would get the same effect the next morning. Enjoy!

Cute little curls, huh?

Doubly Fancy Schmancy

I had someone ask me to explain this hairstyle a little more step-by-step. So, I hope that Jenn from Girly Do's is okay with me doing a little more in depth tutorial on this "Doubly Fancy Schmancy" 'do. Here is a link to her original "Fancy" hairstyle. I have to tell you all that this woman is AMAZING when it comes to ideas for hairstyles. She has so many great ideas and she is very good at explaining things. And, her pictures are incredible. You would never know that my hubby does photography because I am not talented in that aspect. But, if you haven't been to Girly Do's, well, you had better visit her!

Okay, start out by making three rows of six piggies across. Here is a side view of the three rows.

On the top row, flip the piggies under for a little extra flair. You don't HAVE to do this step, it just makes the top look a little more pretty.


Here is the bottom view. I also flipped these piggies, but, like I said, you don't HAVE to.


Now, once you get all 18 piggies done (and flipped) you take the piggies on the right and attatch them to the piggies on the left. If numbers help, take front piggy 4 over to middle piggy 1. Take front piggy 5 over to middle piggy 2. Take front piggy 6 over to middle piggy 3.


Repeat this process on the bottom. Bottom 4 to middle 1. Bottom 5 to middle 2. And bottom 6 to middle 3.

Then, you do the same thing with the other side. Only this time, you weave the strands over and under the piggies that are already attatched. To weave, just go over the first strand, under the second and over the third. Then, with your second strand, go under, over, under. With the third strand, go over, under, over. I think a Topsy-Tail would work wonders to weave with, but since I don't own one, I just use my fingers and my comb. So, front 1 to middle 4. Front 2 to middle 5. And front 3 to middle 6.

Again, follow with the bottom. Bottom 1 to middle 4. Bottom 2 to middle 5. And bottom 3 to middle 6. Weave as you go.

Once you are done attatching and weaving the piggies, make your messy buns. Now, I am NOT good at messy buns. If anyone has a sure-fire way to get a good messy bun every time, I would love you for sharing. I just scrunch up the hair into a ball and put a tiny elastic around the base of it, then spread it out until it looks good.

This hair-do should take a long time; about half an hour. I didn't have that much time once I got started because Al just didn't want to sit still for pictures. So, there are lots of flyaways, too. But, hopefully you get the idea. If anyone has suggestions to help with flyaways, I would love you for that one, too! Good luck and let me know how it works out!

5 French Twists to Messy Buns

For lack of a better name, I called this what it is: "5 French Twists to Messy Buns." However, it is 5 french twists on each side. So, are you ready to begin?



Start by parting the hair down the middle. I actually start my part on the side, then cut in to the middle about halfway back. I like side parts better, so kill me! Secure one half of the hair with a temporary elastic. Next, you are going to separate the first side into your five sections, but combine the top two and the bottom two sections just to hold them out of the way. You want to start in the middle to get the placement of your bun right.


French twist the middle section, rolling to the back, and stop where you want your messy bun. Then, separate out the second to bottom piece of hair.

French twist the second section of hair, rolling it up. Join the two twists together.

Continue with the bottom french twist, again rolling it up, and join it with the other two twists.

Next, you are going to do the top two french twists. French twist them both to the back, like you did with the middle one.

When you get the point where you stop adding hair to the french twist, continue twisting the hair until it will join with the rest of the sections. I didn't do this with the very bottom twist and it looks a little goofy, but...whatever!

Once you get the five twists done, you can do your messy buns.

This is what the finished product looks like. We did add some cute bows, but I forgot to take a picture of that...oh well! Let me know what you think!

French Twist Headband

This one is super quick and easy. It's a great one for those little ones with short hair, I think. Just start by separating out a ponytail with the outer edges left down. Secure that hair up and out of the way. I started with a side part and french twisted down to the nape of her neck, securing the first french twist with a rubber band. I followed suit with the other side and combined the two french twists under the ponytail. I curled and backcombed and was done. Quick and easy, right! For another view, go HERE.

Side view


Back view


Front view (forced smile :)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

My little squirts were Goldilocks and the Three Bears for Halloween this year. Yes, I made the costumes. And, yes, I think they turned out fabulously!



Marianne (aka Goldilocks) poses before her school Halloween party. It took us about a half hour to curl all of her hair. She doesn't have a lot, but when you are doing such little pieces, it takes FOREVER!!!


Here's the whole crew. Allison was Mama Bear, Bo was Papa Bear, and Rachel was Baby Bear. I love my little guys' eyes.

(p.s. Notice how FLAT Marianne's hair is after a couple of hours of just walking around and riding in the car. This time I used a pomade and apparently it didn't work. Next time I am going to try to find a thermal heat spray.)

Big BOOF-itul Curls

I have seen the "hair headband" on quite a few blogs, but I can't do the normal one because my girls' hair is still too short. So, when I saw THIS, I was so excited to try it out! I just made a side part and did small sections of hair down the side of her head to the back. I joined both sides of her hair together at the nape of her neck with one elastic. But, I am thinking to distribute the hair more evenly, I would keep the two ending piggies separate in the back. So, after I got the headband done, I curled. Then, I curled. After that, I curled some more. You get the idea. It turned out pretty big and poofy, but some days are good for that right? To see what curling iron I used go HERE.

Side view


Front view


Back view

P.S. If anyone has tips on keeping curls in all day, I would LOVE you for sharing them. I used hairspray, but her hair was about half this size by naptime! HELP!!!