Autumn Hues

After oh so much debate, 6+ months of my natural brown and another 2+ months of attempting to get my red hair back to the hue I had, I'm happy to say I finally have! Huzzah! It's been a long road, that's for sure! From white roots to basketball orange hair to a muddy red brown that didn't make any sense with the intended color (Copper, c'mon!), I reverted back to my old hair dye and it was a success! I know it'll continue to get even brighter each and every time I dye it (love that!), but I'm really really thrilled to have my old red mop back!


Red hair is exhausting to keep up with but I feel the most me with red hair. I opted to go back red now because I think I want brown hair for our wedding next year and I knew I couldn't have brown hair a whole 18 months without going crazy. Might as well get it out of my system now! The picture above makes it look really bright red but it's honestly just a medium brightness (for now). Time to take stock in Sally Beauty Supply! haha I think red hair is oh so perfect for Autumn.


These are also my new glasses! I got two pairs from Coastal Contacts (here are the first pair!) and these are also so very Autumn appropriate. They're tortoise shell frames with light pink (!!!) sides! They even have a little heart cut out at the end piece behind your ear! I'm kind of in love with them.


In other news -- Our Chicago trip was SO much fun! I'll be going back through all of that in the next couple of days. I didn't take any pictures (doh!) but there's still plenty to blog about! Including our big Ikea haul, sweet Salvation Army finds, and Renegade of course! The next few days will be crazy with me trying to catch up on emails (I have several hundred from just 6 days alone! Eek!) and finishing up a few design projects. AND expanding Hive + Honey's accessory line! So happy to be in this place. I just want to create, create, create!


But for now we're (read: Mike) going to build my new work desk (!!!) and then head down to pick up our sweet little munchkins (I've missed them so much!). Then we're cooking dinner for Brian and Christina! What a wonderful Tuesday! xo


Do you dye your hair for the different seasons? What color are you rocking for the Autumn months?!


PS; I'll have a couple of blonde-haired outfits left to post soon too!

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Autumn Hues

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The prettiest hair I ever did see...

Well, the green was short lived (although you will be seeing it again soon as I have some outfit posts from before it was bleached out) and I am back to one of my two me colors. I feel really comfortable in purple.



I loooove it so much! There are lots of blue chunks underneath, and on the sides that aren't really visible in these photos but are when my hair is in a pony tail. It's such a pretty plethora of colors in person.
xoxo

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The prettiest hair I ever did see...

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What I wore; a walk in the park

The details;
hat - thrifted / stolen from Kevin
dress - thrifted
belt - forever 21
shoes - forever 21
ring - c/o Maie Dae
pin - thrifted
camera bag - JoTotes
 
I dyed my hair! (obviously!) Let me let you in on a little secret...it was supposed to be brown, but apparently brown and purple make green...? Why brown? I was just ready for something different, after almost 4 years of colorful hair I thought I was ready for a break, something low maintenance and less obnoxious. At first when I saw that it didn't turn out brown I was really upset (think tons of tears!) but I absolutely adore it now. Change is good! It's nice to break away from my normal blues and purples for a little while. But I've realized I'm not ready to go to a "natural color" I love my fun colors too much, I'm so so so thankful it didn't turn out as planned. Brown hair will not be making an appearance on this lady aaaaanytime soon!


And since I can't seem to take outfit photos without taking a few jumping pictures here's one!

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!
xoxo

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What I wore; a walk in the park

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9 Ways to Take Ombre Into Fall

I've been writing for Babble this summer and have been quite enjoying coming up with posts about fashion and more family-oriented products there.  Stuff I don't normally write about here, but seem to fit in well with the parenting set.  I hope you'll enjoy my finds as much as I am finding them.  Todays post is all about ombre, and how to take it into fall.  I'm loving that hair so much right now!  Check out today's post here if you're interested.

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9 Ways to Take Ombre Into Fall

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Pretty in Purple!

Last week I dyed my hair! I'd had blue hair for six months!! That is probably the longest it's ever been a color since I started dying it fun colors three years ago and it was time for a change. Blue will always be my go-to color and my absolute favorite but purple is a very close second!





snazzy sunglasses c/o Fanaberie


I'm in looooove. I missed purple more than I thought! I left some blue along the underneath of the backside so that it peeks out. You can't really see it very well in these photos but, trust me, it's precious!

In case your curious, this is just a mix of three different shades of purple (Virgin Rose, Wildflower, and Pimpin Purple)over top of my faded blue hair. I didn't bleach it at all (not even my roots which is why they're a slightly different color) I love it because it in certain lights it has the prettiest blue tint.
xoxo
ps. here is a link to my hair tips and tricks series if you're looking into dying your hair a fun color! ;)

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Pretty in Purple!

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What I wore 6.6.11

 The details:
tank top - floral: walmart pink: thirfted
jeans - hot topic
jacket - tj maxx
shoes - Java c/o Blowfish Shoes

Can I just preface this by saying that those holes in those jeans happened after I bought them and they weren't on purpose? I'm really self conscious about people thinking I would buy pre-ripped jeans. I actually jumped over a fence in high school and got caught on the fence instead. But they're my all time favorite jeans and I just can't throw them away. Plus how awesome is it that Squid's eyes peek out of that hole in my thigh!?

I'm so in love with these boots from Blowfish Shoes. I was slightly nervous because I relate all boots (no matter what they look like) to the disappointment I felt when I got my first pair of Doc Martens. I don't care what anyone says those are the most uncomfortable things ever, I don't think I should have to "break in" a pair of boots before I can wear them for more than 5 minutes without getting a blister. BUT these java boots are really cozy. I wore them untied, with the laces tucked into the boot and the tops down to show off the floral. Sooo snazzy! Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win your own pair of java boots!

Also, can you tell my hair is a new color? I dyed it a new color because the store was out of my normal shade of blue. I was really nervous because it was really purple looking but after I rinsed my hair I couldn't have been happier. It's so bright! It's the prettiest color I've had a in a long time. I've got my fingers crossed it will fade just as slowly as the other shade.
xoxo!

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What I wore 6.6.11

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Little Blonde Bee

I went blonde on purpose once. Eighth grade. It wasn't pretty. In fact, don't mention it around my mother because I think she may still have some hard feelings toward it (haha, really!). But I did it again.. on purpose... Yep! Little Blonde Bee indeed! Only two people mentioned it at work last night. Perhaps it looks so ill-fitting that they just didn't want to say anything? Who knows. I just wanted some mermaid hair. It's got that fab beachy vibe! Really never thought I'd utter the words "I'm a blonde!"


I'll be back with an outfit post shortly! xo

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Little Blonde Bee

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Hair Tips and Tricks. Part Three: Miscellany.

Find Part One: Bleach here and Part Two: Dye here.

Making it Last.
If you've bleached your hair, and left the hair dye on for more than two hours you're already on the right track. A few more tips;
• Always, always, always rinse with cold water! (This will also help reduce bleeding if you have more than one color) As cold as you can possibly stand, it'll be worth it!
• Quick showers! No soaking in the tub and no standing under that hot shower for long periods of time anymore. You want your hair to be wet for as little a period of time as possible. Personally I like to hop in the shower very quickly wash and condition my hair in the cold water than put my hair up in a towel and finish washing the rest of my body that way I can still take long, hot showers.
• Use shampoo as little as possible and only use sulfate free shampoos.
• Mix a little bit of hair dye into your conditioner so when you condition you're getting a quick touch up.
• No chlorine! It sucks not being able to swim in pools but chlorine murders hair dye.  





Products I use & love.
Hask Placenta. Yes, you read that correctly, placenta. Made from sheep placenta, which is normally discarded anyways, this product doesn't harm momma sheep or baby. While it might be kind of intimidating to put a product that has placenta as a main ingredient in your hair I highly recommend this stuff. It smells really good and makes my hair oh-so-shiny!

Biotin. It helps promote healthy hair. I've been using biotin on and off (off because sometimes I forget) for about a year and a half and definitely feel it helps my hair.

Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo . I've tried quite a few dry shampoos and this is the only one I've liked. Like I mentioned in part one: bleach I have greasy hair and to maintain such a pretty color I can't wash it every day and this is the perfect product to allow me to not wash my hair but still look great.

The Body Shop Banana Conditioner. This is my personal preference for conditioner. I think it smells really great and it leaves my hair reeeeally soft.

Those are all the products I use in order to keep my hair soft and healthy. I don't have a personal preference for shampoo as of right now.


Other.
Regarding hair dye staining everything-
I use Comet to clean up the sink and tub. It works wonders and normally if the dye is cleaned up within a few days of staining it looks like nothing ever happened. (Don't put off cleaning just because you think it will come up just as easy later, it's always best to clean up hair dye messes ASAP)

I personally, have never had problems with dye staining my clothes, pillowcases, etc as long as my hair was rinsed well after dying. The first few times I used Special Effects it stained my finger nails but for some reason it doesn't do it anymore (...?).

Conditioning Caps -
In between colorings, or if you accidentally over bleach your hair you should do a conditioning cap. All you need to do is wet your hair, towel dry it, slather in conditioner of your choice and put on a shower cap. Leave it on for 3-4 hours then rinse. This will fade your hair significantly and should be done when you're going to change colors, or touch up it.
*Tip: don't bleach your hair, do a conditioning cap then try to dye it. Remember you want your hair to be porous when you dye it.




On having bright colored hair.
Something to keep in mind is how people will react to your fun new hair. There isn't one time I can think of in the last few years where I left the house and didn't have someone mention my hair or stare at me. Sometimes it's a compliment, other times it can be not so polite. I've had people pet my hair, had people ask if it was an accident, and had people yell at me. If you're someone who just likes to blend in, maybe a full head of colored hair isn't for you. Try adding just a few peeks of bright colored highlights. Try to remember that if you love your hair, that is all that really matters.

In closing...
I hope this short series of posts helped, or inspired at least a few people. If you want to dye your hair, even just a few pieces of it, GO FOR IT. You're never too old to have a little fun! ;)
xoxo

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Hair Tips and Tricks. Part Two: Dye.

In case you missed it find part one: bleach right here.

So your hair is bleached...now what?
When to dye your hair? 
As soon as your done bleaching it! I like to wait for it to dry before dying it but it isn't necessary. There is no need to wait a week, or a even a few days before using any of the four dyes I'll talk about in the next paragraph...

What kind of Dye?
The question I get asked the most regarding my hair is "What brand dye do you use?" It all depends on what color I'm trying to achieve. I don't think there is one brand that is absolutely perfect in every color.  The four brands I use the most and that I'll recommend are Special Effects, Manic Panic, Beyond the Zone and Punky Colors. There, of course, are other brands but these are the ones that I've used with success and feel comfortable recommending.

You shouldn't write off a whole brand because you didn't like one color.  For example, a lot of folks bash Manic Panic claiming it doesn't stay long. In my experience their shades of blue have never last long in my hair but when I dyed my hair Electric Banana and Electric Lava it lasted for such a long time. The photos below span from the time when, on the left, it was fresh to, on the right, when it was two months old.



Special Effects, on the other hand, has completely impressed me with their blue shades. Their blue lasted me nearly two months with no touch ups and could have lasted longer had my roots not been so darn long!



Dyes like the four brands I mentioned above do NOT hurt your hair. It's absolutely fine and I recommend leaving the dye in for much longer than the bottles direct you to. Leave the dye in for a minimum of one hour but if you have the time and don't mind - leave it in for longer!

When dying my hair I use one part conditioner for every three parts dye. It's a good way to help repair any damage done after bleaching and your initial rinse will almost be clear. After I'm done applying the dye I throw all my hair up in a shower cap and leave for around three hours.  (This is with Special Effects, using Manic Panic I normally leave it in for anywhere from 4-8 hours) Sleeping with the dye in is also fine as long as you have a shower cap on so it won't dry. Then rinse! Despite what the bottle says it doesn't have to rinse clear and it most likely won't! Use your best judgment, just like when shampooing, if it feels like all the product is it out than it is.

Pastel Colors.
To achieve a light, pastel color mixing conditioner and hair dye is also the answer.  (A mixture of half and half or more depending on what color you're trying to achieve) I will admit I really have little experience in dying my hair pastel colors, the majority of the pastels I've ended up with were a result of fading.  (But boy, oh boy, they were pretty!) Below is my absolutely favorite color which was a result of diluted Beyond the Zone's Not So Shy Violet that was applied over (a very faded dye job of) Manic Panic's Atomic Turquoise



Mixing Dyes.
Can't find a color you like? Want a 100% unique color? Mix a few dyes yourself! I personally always do this. Use an old bowl you no longer care about and put a little bit of a few colors of your choice in and stir, simple as that!

Mixing dyes is also fun because when you mix two dyes of different brands one will most likely fade quicker which will leave your hair a bunch of different beautiful shades of that color. But mixing two brands is also something to keep in mind if you're trying to maintain a solid color.

How to do to different colors? 
To get two different colors in my hair like the pictures below I separate the pieces I want to be a the accent color, apply the dye, wrap them in foil and then finishing dying the rest of my hair the other color. Easy peasy!
*Tip: Make sure to consider the fact that when rinsing the darker color will bleed into the lighter so putting darker colors on the bottom makes the most sense!*



Next week I'll post the conclusion of this short series which will include some tips to making color last, products I love and more!
xoxo

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Hair Tips and Tricks. Part One: Bleach.

Let me just start off by saying I am NOT a professional, everything I'm about to tell you I know from experience (which is most cases is the best way to learn) and just because it works well for me doesn't necessarily mean it will work like that for you.

I'm going to break this down into three posts. Part one: Bleach. Part two: Dye. Part three: Tips, Tricks and Miscellany. As an intro I'll give you the basics about my hair so you can kind of get an idea - My hair is naturally a dark blond. It dries pin straight and is fairly thin. I have pretty greasy hair meaning to feel fresh and clean I have to wash it daily (not saying I do...we'll talk about that in about part 3. ;))

Now we'll hop right into it.
Bleach. 
It's scary, of course it is. This is what could hurt your hair and leave it damaged. But it's also a necessary part of achieving a vivid color. You will need to bleach your hair even if it's fair to begin with. Bleaching your hair not only makes it lighter but makes it porous so the dye can be absorbed (which in turn makes it stay longer).

My bleach of choice is and always has been Beyond The Zone Radical Bleach Kit. It works like a charm. It works super fast on my hair but I recommend having a friend help you. What I do; I work on the front of my hair starting with my part and Kevin does the back. By the time we're done I usually only have to wait eight minutes before my hair is nearly white and ready to rinse. I follow the directions on the package all except for the recommended time which in my opinion is extremely excessive. If you were to follow the time guidelines there is a very good chance your hair would be fried.
*Tip:  don't wash your hair the day you plan on bleaching your hair! Let your hair get good and greasy before bleaching.

Dark hair?
If you have dark hair (dark brown or black) then you're most likely not going to safely bleach your hair to a desirable color in one sitting. Don't be discouraged and most importantly never ever ever bleach on top of bleached hair. Meaning don't rinse your hair after bleaching and start all over again. Your hair will need a resting period and a few conditioning treatments before bleaching again. Most likely the easiest option will be to bleach, then dye your hair a color similar to what the bleach left you with and keep doing this over a period of time making sure to condition and baby your hair.

The first time I had my hair dyed pink, it was professionally done and we were bleaching out 5 years of black dye build-up. It took 4 sessions and a few months, which actually ended up being too quickly as during the last session my hair was fried. That was the first and last time my hair was ever significantly damaged.

Take your time lightening your hair! Seriously, all the work you did to get from black to pink (or whatever color) won't be so pretty when your hair is fried, looks like straw and feels gummy when wet.

How light?
Your hair does not have to be one even color after bleaching for it look great after dying. Just like "normal" hair colors, bright colors look best when they have more than one shade/aren't a flat color. 


The photo above shows my hair after bleaching out blue. This is a very acceptable color to reach when bleaching and it makes no difference that my roots are nearly white compared to the rest of my hair which is tinted blue. Generally your hair does not have to be white before dying it.

How light your hair needs to be depends on which color you're trying to achieve. The blue-ish tint that the bleach left my hair in the photo above was perfectly fine for dying my hair pink/purple but probably wouldn't have been acceptable for a shade of orange. Something to remember is that rules of color blending apply with hair dye too. The dark blue streaks the bleach left appeared purple when I applied pink dye to my hair.

After you bleach...
Did you reach desirable color? If so, then it's time to dye! Stay tuned for part 2: dye coming early next week!
Hair still too dark? Why not try dying it a darker color like Manic Panic's After Midnight Blue or  Manic Panic's Purple Haze to give your brown hair a fun tint? Wait at least 2 weeks before bleaching again.

Bleaching to re-dye/touch up roots...
When your roots start to get long it's time to do a touch up. I like to wait until they're so long I can't stand looking at them. When you're just looking to touch up and not change colors you only need to bleach your roots. Refrain from applying bleach to all of your hair, it'll just be unnecessary damage.

When bleaching to change colors (after already having a semi permanent color) it's best to fade the color as much as possible before bleaching. Try taking a long, hot shower, soaking in the tub, or doing a conditioning cap (we'll cover this in part 3) to help.  Remember your hair has already been bleached in the past and probably won't need to be processed quiet as long.


I hope I made bleaching a little less scary and mysterious. If you have any questions feel free to ask! Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 coming next week and the week after that!
xoxo

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Hair (& style) Inspiration Courtesy of Anthropologie

When we arrived home from our Royal Oak dog sitting escapade, the Anthropologie Issue 4, Spring 2011 catalog was waiting on the doorstep begging to be immediately opened. I always get quite excited when a new Anthro catalog arrives and this one, shot in Cartagena, Colombia, did not disappoint. Not only are the photos and styling (especially the swimsuits & sunglasses) lovely, the hair in particular is quite amazing. Staring at the 50s inspired 'dos, I now find myself contemplating the arduous task of growing out my bangs. Which, to be perfectly honest, I have been waffling about for months. Hmmm.









Photos scanned with iPhone using Shake It app.
...Sorry, no picnic photos today. Cole and I waited till too late to take any photos, but we did have a wonderful time sitting outside enjoying the beautifully warm evening.

Yours,

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Hair (& style) Inspiration Courtesy of Anthropologie

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