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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn


Monday, January 25, 2016

Pixie Grow Out- Six Months


As most of you know, last summer I decided to take the plunge and get myself a Pixie Haircut for the first time. It will probably be the last time since I am a gal who loves versatility. But I loved it and since my express purpose in getting it was to grow it out, I decided to chronicle the six months I had it, in pictures, for those of you who might like to try it but who feel that it's too big a step. It's really not, especially if, like me, you have fast-growing locks. For the heat of summer, it was absolutely perfect. And I loved all of the transitions along the way, that allowed for such a wide range of vintage looks.

So here was my hair on the day it was cut. A nice Audrey Hepburn length, that hugged my head nicely. My stylist, Robin Tucker, said my hair was pretty difficult to cut because I have some cowlicks and skull dents (yep, dents) that made it hard to get truly consistent overall. So make sure if you go for the pixie, that you have a renowned stylist. They will not typically be found at your local 'Great Clips' and they will likely cost a pretty penny. But believe me, you don't want so-so technicians giving you a drastic cut.


When I got home, I decided to give myself a little bit of wave with a flat iron. It was pretty hard to use anything but heated tools on my hair at this stage and I do hate that because my hair became much more damaged than I'm accustomed to over the course of the time it was this short.

Eventually I began to play around with styling it away from my face. A few weeks after the initial cut, the bang portion was long enough to sweep back into a single bobby pin and I enjoyed the sort of chic change.

By August, pin curls were more easily accomplished. I focused only on setting the top hair, using a flat iron or small curling iron to slightly curve the back. I showcased this style in a video, which was part one of my Pixie Grow Out series on Youtube.



Next, I featured a roller set, after a few more weeks had passed. The look is entirely different and ended up being a fun favorite as well. By this point, the hair over my ears was becoming something of a 'beginner bob'.


Around this time, I decided to go red again...possibly because the blonde hair at the length it was made me feel a bit like my mom. Not that I don't think she's beautiful; I just began to really miss my red hair. My first style with the red hair was pin curled waves.


I also began to play a little with a center part, as my bangs grew long enough to give this a go. I enjoyed it a lot, especially with a feminine hair flower. Keep in mind that as of this point, the only cutting that I'd allowed to my hair was a little trim to keep the nape hairs from becoming a bit too 'mullet-y'.


I decided to tackle the pin curl finger waves for a video at this point. The hair had grown quite a bit and I really prefer this look to a traditional water wave because straight hair tends to take to it better.


Headbands become a very handy accessory at this grow-out stage, as the bangs become too long to style without setting.


So that brings us to the bob. And I decided I missed my bangs so I went for that too. I really am enjoying the Louise Brooks thing going on here.



Anyway, that's a six month grow-out for you. It was surprisingly easy and a really fun challenge! I look forward to doing more videos for you as it continues to grow and please let me know if you have questions or concerns about taking the plunge yourself!!

xoxo,
Ashley


Thursday, January 7, 2016

Classic Cats

It's amazing how many great photos you can find of Old Hollywood fellas and their cats. I mean, seriously...google 'actors with cats' and you'll be shocked at the number of swoony photos there are of our favorite actors snuggling their favorite feline. Here are ten of the best...Oh, and by the way, notice how many seem to prefer the Siamese variety...must have been a trend at the time.

1. Stan Laurel


2. James Dean (I believe his kitty was named Marcus.)


3.James Mason (There is also another one where he's in bed snuggling an award and two white persian cats. It's highly decadent.)


4. Paul Newman


5. Anthony Perkins (although, cats on the table are forbidden in our house)




7. Marlon Brando


8. Clark Gable


9. Raymond Burr


10. Lawrence Olivier


and Cary Grant...


Oh well, they can't all be cat lovers....


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Temptation Tuesday: The Top 5 Items On My Winter (Vintage) Wishlist

Now that winter has officially set in, here in the Southern US, I find myself faced with the very real fact that I need some warm items. Although adding a pretty cardigan and a snazzy pair of tights to a summer ensemble sometimes works well to accommodate the season, lows in the sometimes-20's do require a little more thought. Below are the five items I've had on my wish list for some time, that I finally feel I need to make a concerted effort to obtain. The interesting thing about these items, is that although they're meant to be worn as an outer layer, they very much feel like an elegant ensemble. It's like you are sporting two outfits: one underneath, and one on top. And hey, let's face it, that's fun stuff.

So without further ado, here are the items at the top of my list:

1. A Princess Coat.

Princess coats are fitted and usually long. The 'skirt' of the coat can be either a-line or quite full. They work beautifully over full skirts and lots of layers, but they still nip in the waist, sort of like a belted trench without the belt. Although new ones can be obtained, I still find the best ones to be had are vintage. You can find them quite often in local vintage or thrift shops, and sometimes the fit might be off but an alteration would be well worth the expense. Many times, especially in warmer climates, they were in someone's attic, largely unused, and still in excellent condition. They're usually extraordinarily warm, made of wool, and lined. The lining can be replaced if it's in bad shape.

The coat below is currently available on Etsy, at a hefty price, but I'd wager you can find a similar one at your local shops or estate sales and the seller might not know what they have. I've seen them as low at 15.00!



2. Beautiful Mary-Poppins-ish Boots.

I detest Uggs. I profane of Frye. And I'm bored to tears with riding boots, possibly because I work at a department store where these are all the rage. That said, I surely wished I'd had a pair of boots yesterday when I had to walk in 30 degree temperatures through the streets of an impossibly windy downtown Memphis. And I remembered these from my list of a few years ago. They're discontinued I believe, but they are still available in some places. And this is the style I love to see with a vintage coat or trench. In my opinion, Miss L Fire still carries the prettiest boots, but similar styles can be found elsewhere. The style below is currently offered at a cut rate here.


3. A Plethora of Patterned Tights.

I collect tights, I guess you could say. I have virtually every solid color, thick black fishnets, nude fishnets, argyle, plaid, floral, and striped options. The ones I get the most compliments on are graphic florals. Usually a two toned, somewhat abstract floral pattern, is the most eye-catching. And they add some girth to thin legs so it's a win-win. Sock Dreams has some amazing offerings, so make sure to check them out. Also, department stores have sweater tights and regular microfiber ones at slashed rates after the 1st of January!


4. Felted Wool Hat.

I noticed that cloche style wool hats were on trend this year, in a big way. Make sure to check your local department store for sale items because these can keep your vintage style alive even on the coldest days. If you prefer more of a brimmed hat, Etsy has lots of great milliners who will be happy to oblige. This one stood out to me as a great style for long or bobbed hair particularly.


5. Pretty Gloves.

I have always been the one who gets those cheap-o one-size-fits-all dealios from Wal Mart, and immediately regrets this when it's wet or super cold since they do next to nothing to keep your hands warm in such situations. I did this because I lose gloves so often and was hesitant to spend more than a couple of bucks for them. I have noticed though that when I invest a bit more in a better quality pair, I tend to hold onto them a little tighter. Who'd-a thunk? So find you a pair of pretty gloves that compliment or match your coat and feature fur lined cuffs, bows, or pretty buttons. You'll feel better about hiding your hands! And hey, these have a text-tab too, so you won't have to remove them to play on your phone.



So what are your winter-wishlist items? Share with me! And I hope your 2016 is off to a great start!

XXOO
Ashley