Link Love ~ Setting Lotions for Pin Curls

This is a great post from Lisa of Snoodlebug on the different types of setting lotions you can use for pin curls.  Check it out ~

Ready, get SET go!:


Yep, another bad pun – I do love a bad pun. 

I’ve had a lot of questions about setting lotion lately – both online and in real life - so I thought a quick post on what it is and what it does might be useful. Back to basics for a lot of you I’m sure but that never hurt anyone. 

So. Let's begin at the beginning...

What is it?

Well, somewhat obviously, setting lotion is product that is applied to hair in order to set styles. i.e. to make them neater and last longer. It comes in many forms – liquids which do or do not need dilution, crèmes such as boots curl crème, foaming products and even gels. Some people even make their own. Some are best applied to wet hair and some to dry – some can be used on both. Finding the right setting lotion for your hair can be a little like finding your Holy Grail foundation, but once you have found it you won’t ever want to change....

xox,

bonita

How to ~ Crochet a 1940’s Snood

For some time now I’ve been eyeing off various gorgeous hairstyles around the place that have involved lovely snoods, but I have hemed and hawed about purchasing one for myself.  Why, the ease alone of popping one on and waltzing out the door for the day is very tempting for a busy vintage mother.  The only problem ~ $16.00 or more seemed like a lot to spend on one snood….

And that was the local ones!  Overseas shipping cost a lot more.   I decided to whip out my Google fingers and see what I could turn up, and et voila!  I present to you the “Perky Snood” pattern.   A vintage 1940’s crochet snood pattern for a medium sized snood. 

~ *  Please click on the photo to download the full pattern  * ~

The pattern is very simple, but calls for a long treble crochet stitch which is rather old fashioned and not used that often these days.  Here are the instructions on how to do it:

Long Treble Crochet (long tr.) -  YO 3 times before inserting the hook into the work, YO and draw through 2 loops on the hook 4 times.

Decreasing Long Treble Crochet (dec. long tr.) - YO 3 times, insert hook in next long tr. and YO. Take off  2 loops 3 times in succession, leaving 2 loops on the hook. YO 3 times, insert hook in work (6 loops on hook), YO, take off 2 loops, 3 times in succession, YO and take off 3 loops at once.

Yarn Over -  YO

Now, I have to warn you that although I found this pattern easy to get the hang of in terms of stitches, it doesn’t seem to be easy to put together the right sized hook and yarn ply to get a large enough snood.  I actually repeated this pattern three times before I finally turned out a snood that was large enough to wear!

So I’ll give you my notes so that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did. 

~ *  Second snood on the left compared with the third snood on the right.  The first one was even smaller, can you believe!  More like a bun net than anything else…  * ~

First I tried using a small 1.50mm hook like I thought the pattern called for, and the yarn to match.  That turned out all wrong ~ it was far too small.  So was the next one, with a larger 4.00mm hook and the yarn to match.  I looked like I was wearing a lunch lady’s hair net rather than a snood!  So then I went back to my original yarn, which was actually 2 ply cotton, with the 4.00mm hook and somehow that worked.

I still think that the pattern ended up a little shorter than what I would have preferred, but in this case that’s ok, because my hair is quite short at the moment and won’t really suit anything longer.  If you want a longer snood, simply add more rows in the middle before you start your decreases and you will be all set!

Last, but not least ~ here’s the finished results in action. 

 

Remember to swatch your work, as the gauge is crucial, and enjoy your snood making ladies!

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~ Pictures are from this outfit post ~  Wet & Windy Spring Days

Link Love ~ An Easy Short Hair Up Do

This is the perfect up-do tutorial for a lovely vintage 1940’s inspired hair style that works well with short hair!  I love this look and cannot wait to try it out myself ~ and as always, amble on over to The Freelancer's Fashionblog for the rest of the darling illustrated instructions.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR AN EASY 'DO

…In general, a good tip for a easily achieved fancier-than-it-actually-is look that works for as well long and short hair, is to concentrate on your hair in the front and just gather the hair in the back and cover it with something nice…

In short, it works the following way:

1) style your hair fabulously in the front - rolled bangs, rolls, pin curls, the choice is yours.
If you suck at styling, try to learn at lest one thing that will work for you. You can do it!
2) make a quick and simple bun or chignon in the back and pin well for it to stay
3) cover the hair with lots and lots of decorations. Something simpler like a scarf or bow or one big flowers will be good for everyday wear, while more glittery and colourful flowers puts your head into party mode!

If your hair is super short, roll up or wave it in front and just pin all the rest together in the back and cover it with as many flower pins and -clips as you can fit! You can curl very short hair in the front nicely too, I have done it to ladies, so it's possible. If you can't manage anything, pin smoothly to the side and put in a flower there too. Ta-da, up do feeling achieved!

But now, back to the actual apple-blossom do...

xox,

bonita

Sweet Doll

Polka-Dot Bow Clip ~  Some random pharmacy  Lacy Scallop Collar  ~   Made by Me, 2011   Lace Ribbon & Bouquet Brooch  ~  Made by Me, 2010   Classic Black Top  ~  Really old ~ don’t know   Rose Fakelit Bracelet  ~  Equip   Blue Bird Sky Skirt  ~  Thrifted   Eyelet Petticoat  ~  Thrifted   Checked Prep Socks  ~  Horseland; yup, they are my riding socks!  Penny Loafer Loafers  ~  FSW

~ * ♥ * ~

I love this new vintage hair style inspiration I found on Bobby Pin Blog the other day ~  I am guessing it’s from around the late 1940s – early 1950s; I don’t really know for sure, but I think that this glam photo of Betty Davis’s fluffy and simple side-do is gorgeous! 

Looking at the photo now, I can see there are a few things I missed the first time ~ like the side swept fringe is pinned further back than I initially thought, and it also has more volume.  Plus it looks like the opposite side {the right side} is pinned back as well. 

That’s ok though; I now have an excuse to try this style again.  Not that I really need one, as I think this hairdo is likely to become one of my staples.  I instantly loved the way that it looks on me, and it suits my hair perfectly!  Win!

xox,

bonita

How To ~ Pretty-fy Bobby Pins

Hello my dears! I have another simple DIY tutorial for you that produces some very cute hair accessories so let’s get right to it shall we? 

Supplies needed:

• Clean bobby pins/hair grips ~ preferably new ones
• Pretty nail polishes in your choice of colour{s}  ~  I used Mode Cosmetics – Cool As {this polish had the best results}, Maybelline Express Finish – Passing By Pink, BYS Nail Enamel – 05 Light Purple, N.Y.C. Color – Lemon {this polish was the worst – way too runny, but I did manage to get it to work out in the end.} 
• Some cardboard or paper
  
  
      Step 1:  Arrange your bobby pins on the cardboard and make sure there is paper underneath them to catch any extra spills.
  
      Step 2:  Carefully paint along the top of the individual bobby pins using your nail polish.  Be careful not to put too much polish on the brush or it will puddle over the side of the bobby pins.
  
      Step 3:  Rinse and repeat as often as you like!
  
  Extra Tip:  It is better to use a thicker nail polish for this then a thin one, as you not only get better coverage, but it’s also easier to paint neatly so that you don’t get puddles of excess polish everywhere!
  
      Step 4: Double coat your bobby pins to cover up any see-through spots.  When you are happy with how they look, very carefully move any bobby pins that are sitting in puddles of polish so that they don’t stick when dried and ruin the paint job.

Allow your bobby pins to dry over night and then enjoy wearing your new pretties in your hair!  ᵔᴗᵔ  ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

How To ~ Pretty-fy a Hair Comb

This is a super simple tutorial on covering a hair comb with yarn to make it pretty.  It’s very quick to do, but has some lovely results, so let’s get started.

Supplies needed:

• Some pretty yarn
• A hair comb or two
• A darning needle
• Glue {optional}

  Step 1:  Secure the yarn between the first two teeth and leave a tail at the back to wrap around.  

  Step 2:  Turn the comb over, and start wrapping the yarn a ‘fan’ shape ~ laying the strands next to each other* See below.  I found that five wraps was enough for the thickness of my yarn, but you may need to experiment to achieve the coverage you would like.

  The fan shape you are aiming for.

  Step 3:  Thread the yarn through the next space between the comb’s teeth and over lap the strands with the next fan shape.   

  Step 4:  Continue in the same fashion across the top of the comb, until you reach the end.

  Step 5:  Cut the yarn leaving a short tail to secure off.

  Step 6:  You can either glue the tail down, or tie it in a knot around the yarn.  You can do this by threading the tail onto a darning needle, passing behind and around the back of the wrapped yarn. Tie your knot, then thread the remainder of the tail behind your yarn to hide the rest of it.

Et voilà!  You are finished!

Now enjoy your pretty new hair combs! 

xox,

bonita

Doing an Authentic Cut ~ 1940s The Middy Plus

The other day I went to my hairdresser to get a trim.  Initially I was planning to get my usual cut done, but at the last minute I found a diagram of the Middy Plus cut and popped it on my phone, just in case. 

I have been thinking about getting that cut for a while, but when I asked my old hairdresser{whom I love, but she went to the coast to set up a new salon}, she pretty much said that she didn’t want to do the cut like that because she thought I wouldn’t like my hair being that short.  All well and good, but I sort of wanted to try it anyway!

So when I went back to the salon to have my first haircut with my new hairdresser I bit the bullet and rather haltingly asked her if she would do this “retro 1940s haircut for me because I sort of like to wearing vintage-y style outfits and I know it’s kind of random, but it’s fun and….”  Yeah.  I was embarrassed ~ particularly after last time! But she was super sweet and loved that I had brought in an actual hairdresser’s diagram to show her.  {I took page number 3}

 

 

I won’t lie; when she made the first cut into my hair, I died a little inside….  I hadn’t realized just how short 41/2 inches at the back is!!  Still, I reasoned with myself that my hair does tend to grow quickly to a certain length{and then it just stops… : P } so if I really hated it, it would grow out.  Anyway this is the finished result:

I didn’t use any pin curls or rollers; just my natural curl with a bit of wax combed through it while it’s wet to control the frizz.  Overall I am happy with the cut, but there are some downsides to getting the authentic cut.   Here’s my list of pros and cons.

~  Deciding on a Vintage Authentic Cut  ~

Pros:    

1. It’s very easy to look vintage with your hair out.
2. It’s super quick to do a pin curl set, or rollers.  And a lot easier!
3. It’s cute and it’s different.
4. It helps to keep era-ambiguous outfits period correct.  What I mean by that is that even though back in the 1940-50’s there would have been fashion cross-over, you can look a bit ‘muddled’ if you don’t try to stick fairly close to one era when you dress vintage now a days.  Fleur de Guerre once commented that vintage styled victory rolls was her best accessory for looking vintage and I agree.  Get your hair right and the rest follows ~ little things like correct make up, shoes, etc, don’t tend to matter as much then. 

Cons:

1. You most likely will need to learn specific techniques for updo styles. I don’t know how to style my hair, besides wearing it out.  I think I need to see if I can find some instructions on 1940’s short hair updos.  The Middy Plus is supposed to be “a convenient length for updos” but I really haven’t found that yet!!
2. It’s short.  As in really short.  I can’t pull it into a ponytail which is a bit frustrating.  I have heard that a way around that is to ask the hairdresser to add length to the cut, so for instance, if the Long Length Femme Fatale cut is still too short, ask them to do the cut but add 4” all around, making 6” at the back 10” long and the 3” at the side 7” and so on. 
3. If you don’t want to look vintage, it’s a bit hard.  An authentic cut will vintage-ize any outfit.
4. Sometimes you think you look like a grandma….  And in an old way, not the good way.

So that’s my experience so far ~ I am writing this two weeks after my trip to the salon and I think I like the cut a bit more now that it’s grown out a touch.  Still, I am not sure if I want to let my hair grow out completely and then try a Long Length cut.  For now, the Middy Plus is working for me most of the time and I do like it….  I guess if I can figure out how to put it up then I will be totally happy with it.  : )  We’ll see.

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ 5 Minute Beach Pinup Hair

I found a lovely new blog called The Pink Retro Powder Room by Miss Amethyst.  There are great vintage inspired hair styling tutorials, some fabulous outfit posts and more fun vintage inspiration and tips.  I particularly love this tutorial for a simple but lovely Beach Pin up Hair style. 

Do not forget to check out the rest of her blog after reading this post!

 

5 Minute Beach Pinup Hair : Floral/ Reverse Victory Roll /Side Updo

Hello There Vintage Lovers!!  Today we will be doing a Beach 5 minute do. ( Side Bun with a Reverse Victory Roll)  Inspired by this photo {above}!!

xox,

bonita

Lingering in the Past ~ Outfit Twenty Seven

Last week I watched Fleur’s video tutorial on 1940s Victory Rolls and knew that I really wanted to give it a go because it looked so easy!

Husband {formerly known as DH, or Dear Husband ~ but I am not sure if anyone got the reference of the initials, so now he is just Husband.  : D } and I were going out yesterday night so I thought I would try a Victory Roll hair style for then as I had all afternoon to get it right.
Turns out I just about needed all afternoon because Victory Rolls are not easy!!    > <   Plus, I do not think it helps to have layered, curly hair.   : S    Anyway, please excuse the amateur hairstyle; I definitely need to practise more.

  

I love this old building ~ the details and style is fantastic.  It is just up the street from the hotel we are staying in.  When Husband and I were walking past it one evening I said I wanted to loiter in the doorway.   He knew exactly what I meant ~ outfit shots!

Perth has amazing architecture tucked away all over the city; I often stop just to look at the wonderful detail that you do not find on the buildings in Canberra.  Our city is too new.  : (  Still, it is nice to travel around and find that sort of thing else where. 

  

Close up of the Victory Rolls.   I only did two ~ one on each side, but I pulled my fringe out before I did the left hand roll and let it curl in front.  I think that it suits me to have loose hair around my face ~ I do not like having it all pulled back, so I will probably keep doing my hair this way when I do Victory Rolls. 

Although I might have to figure out something different if I decide to pin the back half up too.  ….Hmm. 

Also on my list of “To Try” is pin curls ~ I am very interested to see if they will work in my hair with it being so curly already!  I would love to find a way to set the natural curl so it does not frizz after one day, so we will see if pin curls are the answer.

Accessories   ~   Earrings  {Equip}    Necklace  {Thrifted}    Gloves  {Thrifted}  Clutch  {My wallet pretending to be a clutch!}    Belt  ~  Valley Girl

Top  ~  Valley Girl     Skirt  ~  Thrifted      Shoes  ~  Betts {These are my sensible maternity shoes…}

xox,

bonita

Bad Hair Day

Last Saturday DH wakes up and looks at me.   “Your hair is really glowing this morning.”   ………..

I reach up and touch my head, a small whimper escapes me.

“I knnoowwww…..”

Ah.   Dyeing adventures.   My sisters and I all used to do our own hair ~ streaks, full dye, tips, whatever we needed.  After all, it’s not like it’s cheap to go to a salon.   I do not know what the prices are like else where, but in Australia it can cost you over $180.00 just to do twelve streaks of dye in your hair. 

Considering that salon quality hair dye is available for $20.00 {including peroxide} there really doesn’t seem much point to getting it professionally done right?

Well, yes and no.   A home dye done well is good, a home dye done bad is a catastrophe of major proportions.  Sister number three had her earth shattering hair disaster at the tender age of 16 ~ a horrible streaking job that made her hair look like a clown wig gone wild.   It was partly my fault and partly the dye’s.   I did two streaks too wide in very bad places; the middle of her head {!!!} and the side. 

And then the dye didn’t take and the streaks turned out neon orange……     There were tears and a prompt redye that left little evidence thankfully.  

Sister number two had streaks and full dyes that just didn’t work.   I mean they didn’t look that bad, but the colour would be off or the streaks not quite giving the effect that she wanted… 

And speaking of colour being off ~ all hell breaks loose on my head the day I decided I wanted to be a red head.   See I am naturally blonde.   Not a pretty honey/golden/strawberry type of blonde, but a mouse brown blonde.   And I am not particularly fond of that colour.   Let’s just put it that way.   {My hair and I have been in a love/hate relationship for years, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.}

So I thought I’d like to change it up and turn my hair red.  Not a far out copper red or anything ambitious, but a nice interesting auburn brown colour. 

It was a mistake to say the least.  Three full dyes later my hair stopped looking like it had been dunked in a vat of radioactive liquid.   Who knew that mouse brown loved the colour red and would soak it up to the extent where it shone in the dark?

>.< ‘

After that episode I still liked being a red head, but I decided that finding the right colour resembles the luck of the draw.   I rediscovered this theory last week when my most recent dye made my hair GLOW…..   Grrr.  Not again….   Mom to the rescue with a spare chestnut brown that went in the next day before I went out in public.

As a result of the bad hair days, sister three goes to the salon to turn purple, sister two has given up dyeing {but she doesn’t need to anyway with her gorgeous melted chocolate hair colour} and me? 

I just play the jackpot and thank my lucky stars that you can redye straight away when it doesn’t work out.  

xox,

bonita

P.s. ~ This was supposed to be be Saturday’s post, but time constraints have left me to swap Thursday’s outfit post with this one.    I hope you do not mind.    ^__^

The Fringe Parade ~

So today I went to the hairdresser to get a trim {splits everywhere, but you so do not want to know about that} and when she asked if it was the usual, I took the plunge and said “Yes, but please cut me a fringe too.”   She looked startled, but I had been thinking this over for a couple of weeks now and I knew I wanted one.

After all, it is only a small piece of hair to straighten everyday if I am in a curly hair mood, {you have seen the curly hair posts yes?  Well, that’s my natural hair. Imagine a fringe with that and no straightener.  Disaster!!} and as I am most often in a straight hair mood {no waking up with a mouse nest at the back of your head is a very pleasant experience} it is actually less hair to straighten all up.  Not that straightening my hair takes that long any more.  I have had so much practise that I can do it in half an hour.  That may sound like a lot of time, but it is not as my hair is very thick as well as curly!  It used to take me an hour.

But anyway, I say fringe parade because I have noticed that all though the front~facing blunt or slightly curved fringe is nearly non~existent on the street {at least, in Australia anyway.  All the fringes are side swept at the moment or there is no fringe at all.} it is very popular in the blogsphere. 

I did want a fringe before I saw all the style bloggers out there with them; I just didn’t have the guts to try it.  Then day by day, seeing all the fringes firmed my resolve to be brave and try it myself.

My fringe inspiration came from these lovely ladies ~

                

               ~ Maria of Lulu Letty ~                    ~ Tieka of Selective Potential ~

                     

~ Hannah of Hannah & Landon Metz ~ ~ Rebecca of The Clothes Horse ~

But finally, my favourite fringespiration is here ~ 

~ Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky ~

And the reason for Elizabeth being my favourite is easy ~ one, she has red hair like me {although hers is much brighter} and two, this being the most important, is that she has crazy thick curly hair like mine PLUS a fringe and it looks flippin’ fantastic!!

Here it is ~ my new fringe.

 

 

 

I really like it, but it’s a bit scary because now I think that I alternatively look like a}. my Mom, b}. my sisters, particularly my youngest sister or c}. a combination of all four {!!}.  Not that I mind looking like them, just that it’s a bit freaky when you catch sight of yourself in a reflection and see one of your family members looking back at you rather than you!

My one compliant is that my hairdresser did not make the fringe thick enough, so I am going to pull more hair over tomorrow and cut it to the shape she already cut.  I.e., fill out the fringe with more hair!  It should be easy as, and I think it will look better too.

So are you a fringe lover or not?

xox,

b.

P.S. ~ Yes, that is the new camera in photo two.  Isn’t it just so delicious?   X D