SOYA 2013

Well, I guess I'm not much of a blogger but I sure am an active liver.

 It's a busy and beautiful life.

 Last spring I created a collection for an Avante-Garde photo entry competition called SOYA that Eufora International offers biannually.

 I had never done ANYTHING Avante-Garde before because I was intimidated. This surprises most people who know me. 

BUT 

Think about it:

What would you do if you could do anything? 

Where would you start? 

Where would you go with it? 

How would you get there? 

 The list of questions echoes another. 

My boundless thoughts overwhelmed me. 

I had been so long at the will of the individual I am designing with and at the mercy of the fabric their  hair is. I love it, but there are boundaries, rules, and laws. 

Avante-Garde appears impervious to rules and laws. Avante-Garde can be untamed in expression. Avante-Garde is yet to be known...so with limited funds and resources I began to play. I had to expand beyond what I thought I knew AND let myself have it. I sketched crudely, collected images that inspired or expressed my point of view and formed a plan. I surrounded myself with people who helped materialize my desires.  

Nothing is ever done alone. I had an amazing photographer, Scottie Magro who was instrumental in the vision, an experienced make-up artist, Brieanne Monique, and four fantastic models who graciously gave their time and talent to actualize a vision I had vested so much into. And I cannot forget to acknowledge my husband who tolerated the hair mania our home harvested in the process.

 I did not place in the competition but I WON. I cannot express how grateful I am to feel such a strong win after not reaching what I thought was my goal. The last three images are what I submitted.

 It's funny, when I completed the session I thought I was done but it was just as much of a process to choose three images as a collection. Now that I'm finished with the competitive piece of this photo shoot there is more to come...

Upswept hair in less than 5 minutes

 When I started this blog last March I wanted to add fun quick tutorials like this one, but I thought everything had to be perfect. This is from last summer and it is not perfect but it is fun and easy. Although it is true that it is much much easier to make an appointment with a talented professional I hope you have fun with this.

 What you will need to get started are:

Elastics

Hairpins

Bobbypins

and

hair 3 inches or more past your shoulders

Here is a step by step and listed below is a video tutorial.

Step One: Start with a side pony and

secure it with the elastics.

(you may want to backcomb at the crown for more lift first)

Step Two: Split the pony in two, set one portion aside.

Note that splitting the pony equally will create similar texture, splitting it 1/3 and 2/3 will create uneven texture- neither are wrong you will simply get a different look.

Step Three: Create a three stem braid and secure it with an elastic.

Note that a tighter braid will achieve a knotted look and a looser braid gives you more play and a 'loopy' finish.

Step Four: Braid the second portion of the pony and secure it with an elastic.

You should now have a pony tail with two secured braids.

Step Five: Take a bobby pin and slide it (preferably into 

the elastic) to the end of each braid and place it into the base of the ponytail.

Step Six: Place another bobby pin in the middle of the looped braid and secure it into the pony area. Do the same for the other looped braid.

Step Seven: This is where you personalize the finish. You may like it just as it is or perhaps you need to cover a pin or elastic. To do this spread out the braid and secure it with a pin. I like using 3 inch hair pins by placing them in the hair I am securing and weaving them into the base of the style.

Fun Color - No Commitment!

Ever since I can remember I have wanted fun colored hair and thanks to Eufora's Creative Streaks I can share this desire with like minded peeps. The best part is that it is from a planet friendly company, oh, and it washes right out!!!

I used the blue creative streak at the end of this photo shoot to add a pop of color and it's great sprayed for an instant ombré effect too.

 There are a lot of creative ways to apply it, just make sure you set it with hairspray like Euforas' Elevate if you want it to stay put.

I haven't met an age group that hasn't loved it.

Who doesn't love instant gratification?

and no commitment!

Beauty for Benefit

When the 2004 Tsunami hit India the amazing salon team I work with collaborated in our first Beauty for Benefit fundraiser.  We collected every service dollar from a Sunday we are usually closed and donated it to the Red Cross. The next year hurricane Katrina hit and we gathered our fundraising efforts closer to home. Since 2007 The Studio For Hair has joined Eufora International to raise money for Childhelp (hthttp://www.childhelp.org//) I feel blessed to have a gift I can share for others in need and luckily I am not the only one who shares their talent. The print shown here is by an amazing artist who has donated his work to help us in our efforts. You can bid on it for a chance to win it for ten dollars an entry. The link will guide you through it. Thank you and good luck!

http://www.salonbuilder.com/templates/shop/catalog.asp?func=C&SID=149293

Pomade how to

I love the flexible hold that the Pliable Pomade by Eufora gives.

Men's styling is simple, yet they often confess to me that they don't know how. So here is a quick how to for a ruff messy look.

I fill up the back of my nail with pomade, emulsify it onto the palms of my hands, then lightly pat the product onto the top of the head starting in the back then work my way forward and back again. Once I have even distribution I swirl whats left on my hands all over the hair. Now that the hair is evenly covered but not saturated I push the hair around in the preferred directions. 

 I prefer an organized chaos look, meaning groomed-but not too perfect! In doing so I might detail by pushing the hair forward a bit using right and left hand forward strokes then pushing some hair up in the front for this length hair.

Yes, it is that simple.

Paving Traditions

Scarletts' first fathers day gift was a peony tree for daddy and resting beneath it is her first footprint paver. She was a year old and squishing her feet into the cement was no small task but we made it fun.

She wasn't interested in decorating it that first year but four annual pavers later she has developed an artistic eye that cannot be denied.

 As their feet grow the amount of decorating space has changed, adding to the eclectic style of pavers. One year may have their age and name, another the year and their initials.

 They seem to enjoy walking the path of pavers and seeing how 'big' their feet were when they were a 'baby'. Sentimental fool, I am happy knowing something sweet about the moments we share in the garden can be cemented in time.

 There are kits sold at craft stores that make this an easy project.When we do these I follow the directions provided but when i mix the cement I line the bucket with a doubled plastic grocery bag so I can squeeze it from all sides until it has a brownie mix consistency, this makes clean up easier too.

 Some tips from experience might be to make sure the imprint is deeply set, any decoration piece like marbles or tiles also have to be firmly pressed in or they will fall out later.do not use more water than in the directions and if you do you can set paper towels on top to absorb the excess, then make your design. Be sure to let it set for a week in a place it will not be disturbed and lightly setting a dishtowel over the top seems to help wick away water for a better set.

Enjoy cementing your memories!

A lesson from Sassoon

There has been a lot of recollection in the salon recently over the loss of Vidal Sassoon, an industry legend. It is tricky to summarize such a monumental figure, especially since my first memory of him is from a shampoo commercial from the eighties: he was surrounded by a group of pretty girls with shiny swinging lochs stating "if you don't look good, we don't look good!" Never a more true statement has been claimed about a salon to me. He revolutionized the hair industry. His vision allowed women to simply wear their hair without harsh weekly teasing and he shared his talent with hairdressers across the world. Changing the face and customs of beauty for the better.

Of course, I never met the man, but the first haircutting book I bought in my early twenties was Cutting Hair The Vidal Sassoon Way. It is the only book I didn't give up to our studio library, it's like a bible to me. Though some of the finished styles on the pages may be dated, all the principles still apply. 

  One of my favorite interviews of him was about how he came into his apprenticeship. He implied that if not for his basic use of manners the opportunity may have been lost to him. It taught me early on the importance of kindness and now I impress upon my small children how useful please, thank-you, and holding the door for others is.

 He was charming, talented, and innovative. I would love to have the 'Je ne sais quoi' that guided him to blaze a trail of inspiration that has brightened the world of hairdressing the way he has. Alas, I have merely been blessed by his presence in a way that has allowed me to create what I enjoy.

I was about eight years old when I first saw that commercial that has burned in me the importance of service and skill and these are a few of the captured images that have come to life because of the life someone else shared. 

I feel truly blessed to work with people who are mentors to me and have actually met the legend Vidal Sassoon himself. I can only hope to inspire others and leave this world with more beauty than before I was in it.