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hair thursday makeover 85

by whoorl

Hannah has a hair dilemma.

I cut off about 10 inches of hair last year (Locks of Love), and I got it cut into the Audrey Tautou bob that you recommended for another woman with wavy hair. I really liked it, but I haven’t cut it at all in a year, and now it’s in that dreadful sort of in-between-styles sort of phase. I’m 19, and I just haven’t really found the right style for my hair yet. I’m really indecisive about my hair, so I’d love to hear any advice you have!

Hannah’s hair:

Dark blonde with natural golden tones
Never been colored
Normal condition, wavy and medium thickness
Wash-n-go on the weekdays, but loves to style on the weekends
Would love to accentuate her waves and give them staying power
Willing to try any length
Uses a little frizz serum in the summer or heat protectant when straightening it
Has tried using mousse and/or light gel to help hold the waves

I love the girls that want to embrace the curls. Let’s get to it.

First off, Hannah, at some point in your lustrous hair’s life, I would love to see this color on you.

Credit: © Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

Adding a little red would be incredible. HOWEVER, summer is coming up and if you didn’t know, RED FADES. I don’t think now is the time to do it, but definitely keep it in mind for the future. For now? Bask in your golden tresses, my dear!

As for the cut, take a look at these options.

I am loving Option #1. Here’s why. Hannah recently had her hair cut in a shorter bob and with summer coming up, I think a longer, sexy beachy wavy vibe is in order. Plus, she’s nineteen! Now, I could be wrong, but I am willing to bet that Hannah and I have very similar hair traits. One of those being that the longer my hair gets, the wavier it becomes. I think Hannah needs to trim the ends and add very light layering throughout to give her waves great bounce and definition.

Also, rocking a center part with her waves would give Hannah a totally different look. I can tell by her photo that she’s been wearing that part for quite awhile, so it might involve some new training, but a center part will really accent Hannah’s waves on both sides of her face and give her that summery, wavy vibe she is craving. Also, she should have her stylist layer around her face so that the long layers sweep over the outer corners of her forehead, like in Hayden’s photo.

Now, Option #2 is a great one as well. Hannah did say she liked her shorter bob from a year ago. However, instead of a center part, Hannah could cut longer sideswept bangs which would sweep across her forehead for a flirty look. My only beef is that her cowlick might not want to cooperate. Hmmm. Decisions.

As for making her waves the best they can be, Hannah definitely needs to try my Beachy Waves Tutorial. As for products, the David Babaii Wave Spray would work well, but I’m also partial to Pureology Real Curl Cream, Redken Soft Spin Curl-Enhancing Gel, Avon Advance Techniques Volumizing Mousse and Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Creme . (Trust me, I’ve tried everything out there. I’m a Authentic Wave Expert!)

Tell Hannah what you think!


Who Needs Baby Gear When You Possess These Treasures?

by whoorl

Well, you guys are just full of great insight these days. (And D would like to thank the 12% of you who had his back on the marriage poll. heh) A huge thanks for all of the great advice last week regarding Wita’s sleeping arrangements for the first couple of months. Not only did you help me to make a purchase, but you actually changed my mind. (Which is next to impossible. Truly.) To be honest, I was all but french kissing the Cariboo Bassinet at the time I wrote that post. I was 98% sold on the product, regardless of cost, but figured I would post about my dilemma just for the hell of it.

BUT YOU CHANGED MY MIND, FOLKS. AND SAVED ME MONEY. (Love you, kiss kiss!)

However, we will return to that subject shortly.

This past weekend was spent cleaning and arranging our garage to make room for both of our cars. In the past, D (aka the “Mid Century Modern Hoarder“) has housed many of his goodies in the garage, thus leaving room for only one vehicle. This has secretly driven me batty, for I can’t stand clutter, stacks, or any shit lying around that is not being actively used.

Within days of moving to our new neighborhood, we found out that our Homeowners Association will not allow vehicles on the street. The only way you can keep a car in the street permanently is if you own three cars, at which point you must actually PHOTOGRAPH two cars in the garage before requesting a permit. Naturally, this news was rather disappointing to D, but for me? IT WAS THE BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE. D was being forced to clean out his “treasures!” HAHAHAHAA HALLELUJAH.

Although D had to do most of the rearranging and cleaning, don’t think for a second that I didn’t sit out there watching him like a hawk the entire time. “Are you trying to hide that box of CDs from 1991?”, “Do you really need 49 wooden frames?” and “Do you envision yourself actively using that 8-foot-long wooden Hungarian spatula in the immediate future?” were common questions coming out of my mouth over the course of the past 48 hours.

However! It got me thinking. Who needs a bunch of new baby gear when I can use some of D’s treasures instead?

Take this lovely basket.

Forget using a Bjorn, wrap or ring sling…just pop your tiny infant into this bad boy and call it a day!

Ooooh, so comfortable. Don’t worry if your newborn starts crying while stuffed in there, those are just tears of joy.

Got an early 20th century dough bowl lying around the house? Hell, WHO DOESN’T?

Helloooo! Perfect baby bed! Concerned about splinters? Just throw some bubble wrap in there and you’re good to go.

Look at the happiness exuding from Louise the Chicken! She loves her new baby bed!

As much as the dough bowl baby bed warmed my heart, I did end up buying the Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper due to some incredibly convincing comments and emails from you all. And once again, this purchase truly confirms what I’ve known all along. A parental tagline of sorts…

BABY GEAR: SOMETIMES THE FUGLY OPTION IS THE BETTER CHOICE.

I’m dealing with it.

hair thursday makeover 84

by whoorl

Meet Melissa.

Melissa needs a CHANGE. From her email:

I turn 40 this year and am having a mini mid-life crisis. I am a stay-at-home mom and have 3 boys – ages 5, 2 and 10 months. I knew things were bad, but once I took the pictures to send to you, I had no idea how bad. Ugh. Talk about a humbling moment.

I am in desperate need of advice. I must have a new style, but have no idea how to go about choosing one. I have had this exact same haircut, if you can call it that, for YEARS! Everyday, I pull it up into a clip and that’s my “style.” I am known around the preschool set as the, “mom who wears the hair clip.”

My lifestyle involves children, children and more children and that’s about it right now! I spend no time on myself, but this year I am going to change that, starting with make-up and fixing my hair several days a week. I have not had bangs since the 80s, but after viewing my forehead in the photos I’m sending you, I think I might need to invest in some! Maybe sideswept? I don’t think I can pull off the blunt ones.

I realize I will probably never get chosen, but I have decided to force myself to try new things this year. Just the act of taking the photos to send to you and stopping to right this email is more than I have done for myself in a long time! Regardless, I wish you and your family best of luck in 2010!

Melissa, thank you for taking the time and effort to send me that great email! Emails like this really give me good insight as to what kind of style would work best for potential HT participants. (Related- for those of you who send me one-word answers to my questionnaire or a tiny blurry photo, your email usually goes straight to my delete folder. What can I say, I’m a TYRANT.)

Okay! Let’s learn a little more about Melissa’s hair.

Naturally light brown. Blonde highlights applied about every 12-13 weeks.
Fine texture and stick straight
Would like to spend 15-20 minutes styling
Prefers chin length or longer
Uses no products, just shampoo and conditioner
Wears a banana clip almost every day (NOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

Melissa, THROW AWAY THE BANANA CLIPS. Seriously, right now. Walk over to your banana clip drawer and dump them in the trash. Okay? Great. Wait…I still see that one stashed away over there. That one goes too.

I completely understand that your daily life includes running after three children. I get it. But if you are going to pull your hair back, please please use a hairband. Or braid it! Or a chic headband! Or even a barrette! JUST NOT A BANANA CLIP.

Now for your options.

Forget the “mom who wears the banana clip” moniker. Melissa will be looking HOT with either one of these hairstyles!

Option #1 is a stylish shoulder-length bob – long enough for Melissa to get off of her face, but short enough to give her fine, straight hair some fullness and show off her shine. Since Melissa doesn’t need to coerce her hair straight, this style could be achieved in minutes. Just a quick blowdry and some serum and Melissa would be ready to go.

Option #2 would keep most of Melissa’s length, but the addition of sideswept bangs would give her tons of movement around her face and help make her overall look more sassy. (I hate that word, but I have pregnancy brain and can’t think of anything else right now.) Plus, if Melissa wants to pull her hair back (NOT IN A BANANA CLIP), those sideswept bangs would give her more of a style than the traditional SAHM slicked-back ponytail. I would recommend Melissa using a light, volumizing mousse to give her hair some bounce, as well as controlling her newly shorn bangs.

As for color, I definitely see some root growth in that photo. If highlights are only going to be done every 12-13 weeks, I would recommend some lowlights throughout to keep the hair looking healthy, modern and not so one-dimensional.

What do you all think? Which option would you choose?


Questions. Many Questions.

by whoorl

We’re still unpacking, rearranging, cleaning, organizing and decorating, but it feels great to settle down a little bit.

In the meantime, I turned 7 months pregnant this weekend.

Whoorlita (is that what we are calling her? Whoorlito and Whoorlita? Wito and Wita?) is kicking like crazy, as well as making my hips feel like I’m an 80-year-old arthritic during the nights. Good thing I donated my maternity body pillow to Goodwill TWO WEEKS AGO. Seriously. How ridiculously stupid could I be? Ridiculously stupid, apparently.

Over the weekend, my extremely agile and handsome husband (forever indebted, D) put California Closets to shame when he turned the kids’ run-of-the-mill closet into a shelving haven. And it only took 13,000 trips back and forth from Ikea! Which means 13,000 ice cream cones!

If you have followed this blog over the years, you know nothing gives me more pleasure than organizing. I had a maniacal grin on my face for the entire duration of unpacking clothing bins and setting up this closet. (I even rearranged the clothing that will remain in the clothing bins for the next couple of years. By size. And season. FOR I AM AN ORGANIZING GODDESS.)

(Or crazy.)

Although the new place has 3 bedrooms, we’ve decided that the children will share a room. To be completely honest, I transitioned from OMG THAT COULD NEVER WORK to BEST! IDEA! EVER! in the span of 10 days. I’m truly super duper excited. Speaking of children sharing rooms, have you read this post by Rebecca? Beautiful.

I’m curious, though. How many of you have children that share rooms? Any words of wisdom? Obviously, Wita will be in our room for several months until she can make it through the night, but I’m excited for the day she and Wito can say goodnight to each other from across the room.

Which brings me to the next question…what should Wita sleep in for the first couple of months? Wito slept in his own crib in his own room at 2 weeks old, so we haven’t dealt with this issue before. We have a Moses basket, but frankly, I would really like something not so close to the floor. Should we assemble the crib in our room? (We have the Stokke Sleepi, so it’s pretty space-efficient.) Buy a bassinet? (I am so in love with the Cariboo Folding Bassinet, but not sure I can justify the cost for the short time being used.) You should know that sleeping in the same bed is not an option for us personally, although I have absolutely no problem with you doing it. Peace be with you!

You see? THE QUESTIONS. They burn. Please help.

Update — Caroline’s Bridal Hair

by whoorl

I am SO THRILLED to receive Caroline’s update from last year’s bridal hair post.

(If you are walking down the aisle soon, this post from last year has tons of hair options!)

Caroline’s before photos:

After considering the options, I decided that this hairstyle would be perfect for her taste and style.

And here is Caroline’s wedding day look.

From Caroline’s email:

Hi Sarah,
Here are a few photos from my wedding.  I followed your advice and people loved my hair.  I am sorry that it has taken me MONTHS to get these to you.  The best excuse I can come up with is I’m now nine months pregnant (12 days from my due date) and things have been a wee bit busy around here.  My next suggestion for a post? The best styles for post-partum.  Or am I kidding myself and need to succumb to the daily pony tail?  Seriously though, I’d love to hear how you handled your hair in the early days with your son and any coping strategies you can offer.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and keep up the great work on Hair Thursday,
Caroline

Thanks, Caroline! I honestly don’t think that you could have looked any more lovely. Congratulations on your pregnancy and I’ll be addressing the whole “postpartum mom hair” issue here on Hair Thursday very soon.

BULLDOZER!

by whoorl

Are you ready to read about some fun times? For beginners, I just spent my 17th consecutive night NOT sleeping in my bed. Besides a quick jaunt to Palm Springs last weekend, I’ve been residing in the guest room of my cousin’s home* with my husband and son. Coincidentally, my son recently adopted the habit of sleep-yelling and snoring like a 400 lb. hog with a raging case of sleep apnea…let’s see here…17 nights ago! How hilarious is that? HAAHAAAAAAAAA.

Let me tell you, being jolted awake from a fitful slumber by a three-year-old screaming “BULLDOZER!” at 3am is HILARIOUS.

(Last night it was “bulldozer.” The night before was “MONSTER TRUUUUUUUCK!” At least we are consistent with the vehicular theme.)

Although, I shouldn’t really call it a “fitful” slumber, given my ridiculous stress level has shot me into teeth-grinding stardom, sometimes actually waking myself up from biting a fleshy hunk out of my inner cheek.

So! We are trying our hardest to find a new home in the shortest amount of time possible, which means an abundance of MLS searches and an abundance of realtors showing me rentals that make me want to puke. I don’t understand…I told you that carpet was a deal-breaker, yet here we are, standing in a fully carpeted home that looks like it was last replaced during the Nixon era AND you’re telling me it’s $3200 a month.

Once again, HILARITY ENSUES!

Oh! Also! My late-blooming belly has finally decided to make an appearance at 25 weeks, thus stretching my stomach skin to the point of resembling a pomegranate-colored soccer ball. It’s a tad itchy, folks.

I was pondering all of these lovely tidbits this morning while making my new 30-minute commute to Wito’s preschool, when I remembered that I needed to return a Lands’ End shirt to my local Sears. (Did you know that you could return Lands’ End merchandise bought online to your local Sears? More importantly, did you know that regular-sized Lands’ End shirts make for great maternity wear for those on the petite-bellied side? The things you learn over here at whoorl.com, I tell ya.)

For instance:

Women’s Short Sleeve Shirred Scoopneck Top, $19.50

See! Blousy! Perfect for little baby bellies! Pair this cutie with distressed boyfriend jeans and flats and you’re set for a day of errands! This top was previously available in many colors, one of which I didn’t prefer, hence the return to my local Sears store. DISCLAIMER: I’m not usually a Sears shopper and I don’t want to make assumptions about any other Sears store around the country, but you guys.

This particular store is a Haus o’ Depression. Upon crossing the street to enter the store, the inner lights were so dim, I thought it had gone out of business completely. However, I pulled on the door and LO, it was open. Sad sad sadness. Sad lighting, sad merchandise, sad employees, sad shoppers. Really sad. Why so melancholy, people? Have you been displaced due to excessive levels of mold too? Does your belly really really itch? Let’s hug it out.

I walked out of that store in one of the best moods I’ve experienced in several weeks because you all, things could be worse. I could be itchy-skinned, sleep-deprived, cheek-chewed, homeless AND working at that Sears. Things are looking up already.

*Can you imagine how my cousin feels? I’m sure he’s beyond THRILLED to have the Whoorl family around every evening when he returns from work. Jenga, anyone?