School.
I do like to learn, don’t get me wrong, but there’s only so long I can focus on chemistry without exercising the the creative hemisphere of my brain. One evening a month or so ago, after a long day of geometry, chemistry, and western civ, I decided to tackle a 6-strand braid.
I realized later that it was only 5 strands, but when I’m holding more than the usual 3, there seems to be a surplus. It’s been super fun to do once I got it down, and everyone is always awed by it. My mom was my first hair model since Abby was at school, and she likes the relaxation of people doing their hair, but this braid didn’t provide much comfort the first time I did it. Just the process of making sure you have all the strands at all times is somewhat stressful, but the results of practice are beautiful.
I don’t believe I’ll be doing this one on myself anytime soon – I have yet to perfect a normal French on my own head – but it’s definitely a winner for when I do other people’s hair.
A little tip for more flair is to tug at the outside loops in a pancaked style. Be sure to spritz with hairspray if you do.
The video tutorial that I copied it from and will give you isn’t in English, but she goes slowly enough so that it’s easy to follow. Practice well, concentrate, and you’ll have yourself a 5-strand French braid to add to your portfolio of hairdos!
When my family went on our major road trip to Arizona, California, and Mount Rushmore last year, we were able to stay with my cousins for a week. I LOVED it! I love my cousins so much and can’t wait to see them again this summer! Since they live in Arizona, it’s usually a year or more between visits, but when they do come, they always stay with us.
When we went to their house for the first time last summer, my cousin Samantha showed me how she did her gorgeously huge buns on the top of her head. She has luxuriously thick black hair and she just whipped it up in a high ponytail, back teased all of it completely, and pinned it around until it shaped into a lovely bouffant bun. When she did it on me it was considerably smaller, since my hair is thinner, but it was still a fun updo to wear.
Same for this similarly bouffant bun. It’s fun to wear, is fairly quick to whip up, and no teasing involved! Except if you want to tease bangs into a little pouf like I did.
Step 1: Heat up a 1-in. curling iron.
Step 2: If you have bangs, tease them and form it into a little pouf, securing with a criss-cross of bobby pins. Pull your hair back into a high ponytail.
Step 3: Curl the whole ponytail into fairly tight ringlets, holding each for 15 seconds or so. Use approximated 1 in. wide strands.
Step 4: Same as my Prom and Braids post previously, this step will have you insert your finger all the way up through a ringlet and scrunch it with two of your fingers so you have a circle of hair with one side pinched between your fingers and the other side fanned out. Pin down the pinched side just outside the ponytail base with criss-crossing bobby pins.
Step 5: Repeat Step 4 until all of the curls are pinned securely, pinning them just outside of the ponytail and even on top of the ponytail, making it as curly and bouffant as you like.
Step 6 (optional): Tie some extra lace around into a headband, and/or add some screw-in gems to the bun.
Step 7: Have fun!
Creatively True 