Easy Updo Ideas

Are you at a lack for time in the morning but want to do something nice with your hair? Or do you just want ideas for a new updo that’s quick and easy? If so, read on…

1. The ponytail. Whhhaaattt??? You may be thinking the ponytail is not creative. But there are a lot of creative and easy ways to wear it.

• Wrap some of your hair around the ponytail holder. Looks elegant and not workout or school-sport-ish at all. If you have bangs, you can leave them out or do "bubble bangs" (teased up on top of your head).

Hair length for this style: medium (shoulder) to long

• Pull your hair halfway through the ponytail holder. Start like you’re going to put your hair in a regular ponytail, but the last time, don’t pull it all the way through. This is cute and easy but not-too-casual; works best for a medium haircut with layers, because the shorter layers come loose and the longer ones stay fastened in the ponytail holder.

Hair length for this style: medium (shoulder)

• Lazy Braid Pony. Put your hair in a low ponytail and braid loosely. You can do this one in pigtail braids too. Don't worry about getting all the hair in the braid. It's supposed to look lazy. This one looks great on ladies with wavy hair.

Hair length for this style: long

I did mine on the sides because my hair is too short with layers to do in the back.

• Bring back the 80’s Side Pony! This one is super easy. Just pull your hair to one side of your head behind your ear in a low ponytail. In the front, it will look like you have one low pigtail. This way, you can have that cute, low pigtail look without worrying about parting in the back when you can’t see when you’re doing it on yourself. If you want to add a little more complexity to this ‘do (and any of the above as well), tease it and/or dress it up with a big colorful hair band.

Hair length for this style: medium to long

*Free Tip!* The great thing about the current hair trends is that you can be messy. If it’s not perfect, people don’t care. They probably think you meant to put your hair like that.

2. Grown-up Half-up. Tired of the boring half-up hairdo you’ve been doing for years? The half-up just grew up!

Hair length for this style: medium to long

Before you pin it back, just tease your hair for extra volume on the top. Here’s how it looked when I tried it out:

3. Low Ballerina Bun. Ballerina buns aren’t just for little girls anymore. You can create a more sophisticated version of it by putting it low, like in the photos below. Just put your hair in a low ponytail, twist it, loop it around and pin it up with a couple jumbo bobby pins, or, if you’re really in a fix for time, you could make a little different version of it and just put another ponytail holder around it to hold it there.

Hair length for this style: long

4. I don’t know what to call this one, but I love it! Here’s a picture:

Hair length for this style: medium

I tried this one out, but couldn’t figure out how to get it to stay. Luckily for me, this was one of those hairstyles from my mom’s day that came back, so she showed me how to do it. It’s really easy. Here’s what you do:
• Put it in a low ponytail.
• Stick your fingers in your hair between your head and the ponytail holder to make a hole.
• Push the ponytail through the hole.
• Pull what’s hanging down tight to keep the hair from falling down.

Here it is on me:


What easy hairstyles have you tried out? We want to know about the easy updos I didn’t include in this post! Do you have pictures of yourself in one of these updos? Comment how you did it, and include a link to the picture and you might see yourself in a future post!

Haylie's Dressing Room Tips

Please welcome new MSL staff writer, Haylie! (To learn more about her, go to the "About The Staff" page, and scroll to the bottom.)

Haylie is a 15-year-old from Florida whose perfect day is hanging out at the beach with her family and friends, reading a book in the front porch swing with a cup of coffee and watching the moon sparkle on the lake. She plans to one day be an author of teen Christian fiction/devos and a teen girl mentor.


Hiya Chickadees!! Ever wondered how to make sure your clothes are modest? Here are some “dressing room tips” to make sure your clothes are modest before leaving the house – or before you even buy them!!

SHIRTS

I want you to raise your arms over your head. Is your stomach showing?

Bend down and touch your toes (If you can! LOL I can’t). Is you lower back showing? Can someone see down your shirt?

Squat down on the floor. Does your back show?

Secret Weapon #1: Tank Tops!!! Long tank tops, lace tank tops, high tank tops! ALL TANK TOPS!! Get lots of them in every color!! Let's bring layering back in!! It used to be SUPER popular, what ever happened to that??

You can buy long ribbed tank tops for the lower back showing problems at Aeropostale for $5. Super cute colors and are way long enough!!

You can buy soft, lace undershirts at JCPenny for $13. That may seem a little pricey, but it is worth it!! Think about it: one white one can modify several things!! Like I said, it's way worth it!!
You can buy ribbed tank tops that come up high (If lace isn't your thing) at Target during the spring and summer for about $10!! It’s worth it!!

Now, some of you maybe thinking that this is not cute at all... well it is!! I do it all the time!! It adds a bit more color to your outfit!! Plus, we could even make it popular again!! You seen the people in Hollywood wear shorts, Converse and colorful tube socks?? That was mine!! I swear it was!! I did it before they did!! By a few months too!! Copy cats! LOL =]

Layering shirts is cute, colorful, fun and MODEST!! Isn’t that what we are going for? LOL

Now take your fingers and pinch the part of your shirt that is in your cleavage line. Is there material loose, or can you hardly grab any?? If you can't grab that part of your shirt then it is too tight. Now let go of the shirt. Does it spring back quickly?? If so, it's too tight.

Other ways of seeing if your shirt is to tight is by asking your dad and/or brother. They will tell you the truth about your clothing. If they don't, tell them why you're asking and see if they open up then. That’s what I have to do! LOL

So, if your shirt is too tight, I suggest you get a bigger size. If you hate the size tag then just cut it off!! LOL! I did that with one shirt because I hated how big I had to get it (I'm sort of small but I have a big chest… sad)

PANTS

When you put them on are they tight around the thighs? Walk around and stretch them out some. If they are still tight after 15 minutes of walking around, you need new ones.

When you bend over does your back and/or hiney show? Then you need a long tank top or undershirt to wear with it, or get higher rise jeans.

When you’re in the store and you're trying jeans on, make sure that you test them in the dressing room. If they gather, or bunch up, in the back under your hiney, then you need a bigger size. Pants are to fit, but not look like they are painted on you! LOL

If you can't walk in your pants or sit down comfortably then you need a bigger size. Now, I know some of y'all are obsessed with the number on your jeans, but hey, if you don't like the number then cut out the tag. You'll forget soon enough! I had one pair of jeans that I LOVED, but they wear too tight, so instead of the size 4 I usually wore, I had to get a size 9. Yeah, the pants hugged my hiney to much. So, I got home and cut the tag.

Your pants should fit you nicely. They shouldn't be baggy or anything, but they shouldn't be tight. Here’s what I do to make sure they fit. In the dressing room (Yes I actually do this) I will squat on the floor, put my leg up as high as I can and if I can move and not show anyone my hiney (Though I usually have a tank top with me so... LOL), then I know they are good pants! And yes, sometimes when I lift my leg up I hit the wall and my friends laugh! LOL I don't mind! Y'all don't have to be THAT extreme, but I like to have fun with modesty!!

=]

ENJOY AND COMMENT!!!

♥Haylie
1 Corinthians 12:23

Don't you know you're beautiful?

I absolutely love this song by Kellie Pickler called "Don't you know you're beautiful". It's probably the ultimate girl song! Every time I hear it, it makes me feel so good on the inside! I think it's because what the lyrics say are so right on to what we girls need to know. We need to know WE ARE BEAUTIFUL! I think as girls we often forget how beautiful we are truly are. We always feel like we have to do certain things to measure up or to be accepted. For example some of the lyrics say "You’re wishing that you had designer jeans like the ones you see in magazines. Now I know you’d give anything just to fit in but your worth ain't on a price tag, it comes from within." I love this line so much because it's so true! Everything we are worth comes from within. It comes from our relationship with Christ, our character, our lifestyle, and even being modest. All those things determine our worth; not what we have or don't have. So when you girls listen to this song make the lyrics fit so that they are directly for you. This may sound corny but sing "Don't I know I'm beautiful just the way I am" and let that really sink in cause every single one of you girls are beautiful! And yes even you, the one whose thinking "no I'm not" in your head...you are BEAUTIFUL!

you are beautiful!(I hope ya'll got my point)

How Do You Shampoo?

Over the years, you’ve blow-dried, mechanically heated with straightening or curling, lathered with products, tightened hair bands around, dyed, bleached, dirtied up, and backcombed your hair, and you notice it’s beginning to loose its natural luster. Hmmm….I wonder why? We women do a lot of crazy things to our hair, and one of the most important ways to keep it healthy is by shampooing and conditioning.

Shampooing every day (every other day if you have dry hair) is important to eliminate odors and remove dirt and oil gathered throughout the day. You probably think you already know how to use shampoo, right, just lather through the hair and rinse? Actually, there is much more to shampooing. Read on.

First, squirt about a dime-sized (may vary depending on length of hair) amount of shampoo in your hand. Rub your hands together and gently run through your hair. Rinse out. Now, squeeze a quarter-sized amount into your hand and rub together. Run your hands through your hair again, but this time, before rinsing, touch both sets of fingers to the sides of your head and move around your whole head in circles. Use the tips of your fingers, not your fingernails. The second time you do this, you’ll get a lot more suds. This is because your hair is cleaner from the first wash. If it doesn’t foam, try it a third time.

Rinse it out. Doesn’t that feel clean? But we’re not done yet. Time for conditioner. But why do I need conditioner, you might ask? Many people don’t use conditioner, or if they do, they don’t use it every day. But conditioners are very important to healthy looking hair.

According to Milady’s Salon Solutions by Louise Cotter, conditioners are meant to restore damage or dry hair to lustrous health. They are formulated to restore moisture, replenish protein, add strength soften the hair, close frayed cuticle, add luster, cause the hair to look thicker and remove tangles. Sounds like a good deal to me, what about you? So let’s get to it!

The amount of conditioner you use will vary by your hair length and type. If you have oily hair, just put some on the ends of your hair to help prevent split ends. My sister, Emily, has long, thick, wavy hair with a lot of tangles by the end of the day, while I have short, straight hair that usually doesn’t tangle. Emily uses about a dollar coin sized amount, and I use about a nickel sized amount. Experiment and see what how much it takes to remove your tangles.

Finger-comb desired amount though your hair. Leave it in for a few minutes and rinse out. This gives it time to work through your hair and your scalp. Now you have gorgeous hair for gorgeous you!

*Free Tip!*
When you clean out your brush after it starts to gather hair, wash it too. But instead of soap, use shampoo. The reason you want to wash it is because it collects dirt from your hair and you put that dirt back in your hair when you brush it if it’s not kept clean.

What is your favorite shampoo and conditioner to use? I like JASON Naturals Apricot Shampoo and Conditioner, because it’s natural and organic, smells good, and makes my hair soft and shiny. Why do you like yours?

oh the Ingenuity

So, lately, I've been big into making my own jewelry. and by making, I mean buying interesting pendants from crafts stores and designing chains for them and such. Here are some examples of my creations:

For me personally, I just prefer having something original. Something I made, especially funky jewelry. That's really all I can say on that. I'm a very individualistic person so I prefer individualistic things. and honestly, I usually stick to jeans and a t-shirt so I have to have something to spice up the outfit. Usually one of these pieces or a funky scarf will do it for me.
Make something! Take a jewelry making class, take up crotcheting or knitting or something funky and creative! it's always fun to tell people that you made what you're wearing :]

cheers,
Eden