Katniss-Inspired French Braid

While at work today, I wanted to pull my hair out of my face without doing my go-to ponytail, so instead I decided to do a Katniss-inspired French braid, which is definitely more interesting!

My version...

I took a small, inch-sized portion of my hair on the left side of my head and regular braided it once, starting the braid back above my ear.

Then I started French braided by gathering somewhat large portions of hair as I went along. I didn't want it to be too tight, so I braided it with just enough pull so that it would stay throughout the day.

When I got to the right side of my head it got a bit more complicated since I'd never done this type of braid before and there was a little bit of hair remaining, so I just gathered it all together and regular braided it a few times, and then used an elastic band to keep it in place.

And, surprisingly, it stayed for the rest of the day. It came a little but undone where it stopped being a French braid and turned into a regular braid, but I think it looks pretty good. I'm definitely doing to do this for class!

Watch this amazing Katniss tutorial by LetsMakeItUp1 that I wish I'd seen before just now:

Oh, and I wore my new peter pan collared shirt from Alloy! The lighting is a bit yellow in my bathroom, so the shirt is more of a rust color. You can see there's tiny dancing people on it.

What do you think of the braid?

(Picture via Hunger Games Trilogy)

Valentine's Day Givaway Winner!

And the winner is...

Erica Marie!

Please email me (sara.strauss8922@yahoo.com)

with your address!

Spring Nails

Despite the fact that this has been a very mild winter here in NY, I'm still craving spring. To help with this, I painted my nails with delicate, spring-like colors (a shimmery light pink and a seafoam green).

Forever 21's Love & Beauty nail polish



Are you ready for spring? Doing anything to get into a spring mood?

Etsy Shop Update

New bracelets in the shop!

Both suede and hemp and colorful for spring!

Take a look HERE!

Family Wedding Outfit

Friday night, I went to my stemother's brother's wedding in the Bronx. My dad told me it was only going to be a small family celebration, so I didn't realize until I got there that it was actually the ceremony as well. If I had, I would have dressed up more, but nobody seemed to mind anyway. My brothers, Ben and Leo, had to come directly from school, so they were even more undressed than me.

 Sorry for the awkward position, I wanted to show the twists in my hair.

I like the contrast between my floral skirt and cableknit stockings.

Photos from Jenny & Jose's wedding...

Jenny and Jose have actually been together for over ten years

and have two great kids, Emily and Johanni.

They wanted to make it official and show how much they love each other.

Congratulations!

Ways to Run Away from Reality

Sometimes you just want to run away from life without actually going somewhere far away. Life gets clogged up with junk, with deadlines and work, with people, with commuting, with annoying bad weather, and whatever else. So it's best to take a breather and put life on hold.

Here are some ways to run away this weekend...

$$$

Go See a Movie

Yes, even by yourself. It can be a refreshing change and you won't

have to make small talk before and after the movie.

Shopping / Thrifting

Shopping is a great way to make yourself feel better,

and when you go thrift shopping you know that you'll be saving lots of money too.

Bring a friend or go alone.

Etsy

I'm not sure what it is about this site, but it takes certainly takes me away

to a magical place. If you want something, someone there makes it.

And you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home!

{Etsy}

Geeky Wishlist

A few geeky things that I've been wanting lately...

Is it bad that I want this cute little guy from Fred Flare?

I would not be ashamed to wear this Hogwarts tee from Delias.

This pin from Hot Topic would look great on my bag.

Who needs a decal to a real school anyway when you could this one

from NothingButVinyl on Etsy?

(Pictures via Fred Flare, Delias, Hot Topic, & Etsy)

Quote

So true!

(Image via Bookoisseur)

Four Spring Trends I Want to Try

I always look forward to spring. It means no more cold weather, icy roads, dry skin, and bundling up in heavy coats. Although the spring season has it's problems too (tons of rain and temperamental temperatures), it also brings flowers and lovely breezes, and this year some fun, new trends.

This year, they seem to be either innocent or sexy.

Mint

 {Click the picture for item info}

Although everyone seems to be talking about tangerine and yellow as the coolest new colors, I much prefer the suble and sweet color of mint. It's a soft pastel that is perfect for spring and reminds me of the cool breezes of the season.

DIY: Rhinestone & Suede Bracelet

Originally I wanted to make THIS, but it didn't turn out as well as I wanted because the rhinestones were too small, so instead I took out the chains and followed the instructs to make Honestly...WTF's Wrap Bracelet (pictured below).

Here's my version...

 

What I used:

Rhinestones, cotton thread for friendship bracelets, pliers,

suede, jump rings, and a button

 DIY bracelet and Pura Vida bracelet

The blue one is the one I made for my mom.  On mine, I changed the button

from the purple cloth one to a gold metal one.

I'm selling a green version in my Etsy shop HERE.

There's only one right now, but once I get more supplies I'll definitely be making more.

(Picture via Honestly...WTF)

French Braided Bangs

Sometimes before I go to work or school, I just want my hair out of my face and for me French braiding my bangs is the easiest way to do it. It's easy once you get the hang of it and only takes a couple of minutes. I'll explain how to do it.

{Sorry for the greasy, second day hair}

My hair is parted slightly off center, so on the side with more hair (my right side), I gather about an inch of hair at the part. Then I braid it normally once, and then begin a French braid, adding small pieces of hair from either side and adding it to the braid as you go. It might sound complicated, but it's actually really easy once you get into it.

For easy to follow instructions on how to French braid, LetsMakeItUp1 has a really great tutorial.

After several times of French braiding (you could keep going if you want), I continue with a regular braid until the end. Then I use an elastic band to keep the braid together while I gather the rest of my hair into a ponytail, then add the braid to the ponytail (make sure to take elastic band at the end of the braid out), and finally secure it all in an elastic band.

Secure any pieces that are sticking up with a bobby pin.

Other options: French braid the other side as well, and/or turn the ponytail into a bun.

For a similar hairstyle, watch this amazing video tutorial by LetsMakeItUp1:

Hope you like this idea!

And don't forget to follow me via Google Friend Connect and comment on the Giveaway post!

Etsy Shop Update

Hey guys!

Just wanted to update you on what's going on in my etsy shop.

I've added four new items that are actually old 'cause they're vintage.

Check them out below and click HERE to see what else I'm selling.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Odds & Ends

Pictures of my life lately...

 New polka dot skirt from Delias that I got on sale.

 I'm absolutely addicted to Mayebelline's Baby Lips

Reading The Island of Doctor Moreau for class

What are you guys doing this weekend?