All Hallows Eve.

Happy Halloween! To be quite honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween (but I sure do love candy). I don't know what it is, but the whole dressing up thing just doesn't float my boat. I seem to never have any good ideas and I just never spend the time to think of anything creative. Oh, and I don't like to flaunt myself around town in my skivvies... no one needs to see that, and it just isn't in my personality to dress up like, well, a ho-bag. To put it bluntly.

Motivated by the haunting spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd share a costume compilation from the past and present. Beware... I'm a repeat offender. It's so embarrassing how anti-creative I am.

I hope you enjoy!


80's aerobics instructor. 2006.

For the life of me, I can't remember what I was in 2007. Probably an 80's aerobics instructor. Again. Or GASP! I might not have even dressed up at all. How uncool.

80's hair band rocker. 2008.

Witch. Obviously. 2008.

80's hair band rocker. Again. 2009.

In 2010, I was a witch. Again. No photo, sorry. Plus, I looked dreadful anyway... so why even bother sharing?

Vampire. 2011.

By chance, if you want to see my super-fun vampy nails that I did to go along with this costume, check them out here!

Witch. Again. October 31, 2011.



Rock The Band.

When you're running late, and you know that your hair is going to be the least of your concerns, why not opt for something easy? Usually I'm so preoccupied with trying to attempt intricate hairstyles, that once in a while it's nice to go with something simple.

That's where the headband comes in. What headband, you may say? Any headband. Plastic. Rhinestoned. Alligator patterned. Comb-like. Fabric. Elastic... any and all headbands work.

Today I picked my simple, black plastic Scunci headband. Last night I had thrown my hair into a couple of Wrap Snap & Go curlers (not freshly washed since I washed it yesterday morning), and this morning when I took them out I had a simple wave instead of corkscrew curls. I tossed a headband on and was out the door.

Easy as pie... well just kidding. If I were a baker, it would be easy as pie. But I surely am not (I make a fabulous bowl of cereal!) so I guess this hairstyle is more aptly said as easy peasy.

Annelise Au Naturel.

Yep. You heard me. OOF dah. After 16 days of this product and processing-free challenge, I finally broke down and didn't do anything with my hair.

I woke up this morning, showered and washed my hair, did my normal 10-minute get-ready routine, and left the house. I untangled my wet hair in the car. And a short 30 minutes later, I had this:

There you go. Annelise au naturel. The hair pictured above is a bona fide air-dried 'do. That means no teasing, no styling, no hairspray, and definitely no products applied to that hair.

Some may say it looks decent. I can't stand it. It wings out on the sides and just hangs on my head like a two-week old dishrag. Now you see why I'm all about sponge rollers, braids, and Wrap Snap & Go... no matter how cheesy they are.

So that's my au naturel look for you, as my coworker Zoë calls it. I think I'd much rather prefer to have naturally curly, big hair... or Annelise au les cheveux efféminé. AKA... Annelise with poofy hair!

TBD Inspired.

Boy, oh boy. If there is one beauty site that I love out there, it is The Beauty Department. They feature makeup, hair, DIY, tutorials, polls, and all sorts of fun stuff. I check out their site each and every day looking for new ideas and things to try.

One downside of TBD's hair section is that they are huge fans of hairspray, hair products and teasing. Considering that I'm not allowed to tease or touch products for the next 350 days, I have to modify a couple of the hairstyles to suit my needs.

A particularly fun hairstyle that caught my eye recently was their Short Hair Chignon. It is meant for girls with long bobs, but considering my hair is just past shoulder-length, it works just fine. In fact, I'm a firm believer that this hairstyle will work for just about any length of hair if you secure it right.

For today's style, it's important to make sure your hair is curled or has some good texture. Yesterday, my hair had been Wrap Snap & Go curled, so it was just relaxed enough for this style today. I chose to keep my hair parted in the front just to make it easier. I grabbed one of my favorite elastic headbands and placed it on top of my hair and pulled it down a little bit to make it snug. With the hair at the back of my head, I simply separated a couple pieces, twisted them, and tucked them up and into the headband. And that is it. This style is so so so simple. The only bobby pin in my hair is the one holding the front curl in place (I can't stand loose hair around my face). Since my hair had some body from the day before, I didn't have to tease it or anything. I just tugged on a couple pieces to give it the teased look, and went on my merry way.

If my messy rant is too confusing, you could also visit the Short Hair Chignon link, since TBD was awesome and posted a video tutorial for how to do the style.

Basically... I love TBD. Love, love, LOVE. If I could be as cool as they are some day, that would be fabuloso. But until then, I'm the dork in the corner. Peace out, yo!

Aunie Hawk.

As you know, my name is Annelise. It is pronounced Ah-nah-lease-ah. Kind of like Monalisa. But not. It's Norwegian, thus the funky pronunciation. If you've been saying it Anna-lease, you're wrong. Or Ahna-lease. Still wrong. Or even Ann-elise. Nope.

AH-NAH-LEASE-AH. This is the only name I go by. No Anna, no Lisa, no Mona. Well... there are a few exceptions. My family calls me Icy, some of my friends from Redlands and former Boise State cheerleaders call me Lise, and my bestie Ashton and a few other awesome people refer to me as Aunie. But other than that... just Annelise.

I have taken a particular liking to one of the previously mentioned nicknames. Aunie. It's cute. It has a unique ring to it. Done.

So I decided that I needed to create a hairstyle, in honor of this blog, just for me. It has to be a go-to style. Something that can be done with second-day or clean hair.

Thus-- the Aunie Hawk was born.

I was in a particular rush to pick my mom up for the Boise State vs. Airforce game this weekend, and I needed to throw my hair into something-- and fast. My hair had lots of volume and hadn't been washed from the day before (remember the Wrap Snap & Go look?). So I grabbed a couple bobby pins, some hair comb clips and a single Wrap Snap & Go curler. A few short minutes later, I ended up with this:

The Aunie Hawk. It can be done to look very elegant and fancy, or it can be a messy updo for a night out on the town.

Here's the how-to for the Aunie Hawk:

1. Separate your hair into two parts. One will be the upper half, like if you were going to put your hair half-up. The other will be the lower half.
2. Secure the lower half in a bun at the nape of your neck. It can be curled up in a Wrap Snap & Go, like I did (photo below), twirled into a bun and secured with Spin Pins (which is what I did when I repeated the look on Sunday and it was SO MUCH easier), or just tied in a bun with a ponytail holder.
3. Pin the top front pieces of your hair up in a bump on the top of your head. Pull out pieces to your taste to make it more poofy.
4. Take the sides of your hair and secure them back with hair comb clips. The clips should be inserted toward your face, to make sure they stay in place.
5. With the "hawk" hair left over in back, tousle it to achieve the look you desire. Since I couldn't use hairspray to keep the style in place, I inserted bobby pins in a couple of locations to make sure the curls stayed secure.

And that's it for the Aunie Hawk! It's so easy, quick, and really fun. You don't have to secure the bottom half of your hair in a bun under the top layers of hair... but I like the "updo" feel of it when the bottom half is pulled up.

What do you think of the Aunie Hawk? Is it lame or could you rock it?

You know I rocked it with my mom at the Boise State game. Go BRONCOS!!!

Shirley Temple.

You asked for it... you get it! In homage to the legend Shirley Temple, I attempted her spiraled, corkscrew 'do.

While shopping at Sally Beauty the other day, I spotted the As Seen On TV Wrap Snap & Go curlers. With no haste, I snatched those babies up. I'm definitely looking for new hair innovations to try to give me some body and OOMPH, and those promised to give me the curly, voluminous look. How could I resist?
As with all my curling and braiding methods, I washed my hair and began while it was damp. The directions suggest to roll the middle section of your hair, interlocking the curlers as you go, and then begin on the sides. I started curling the middle section and found that it wasn't hard at all.

This would definitely be easier on longer hair. I want to try this method with more of a spiral along the roller next time. This time, I just rolled the hair under itself, like a sponge roller. I wasn't sure (since I couldn't use hairspray to keep it in place, as they suggest) that it would hold if I tried the spiral approach. Overall, it took about 20 minutes to roll my entire head. That's not bad at all! If I could get results from a 20-minute prep, it's definitely worth it.

It doesn't look like it would hold too well, since they are just little cloth/foam rollers. Surprisingly, they were quite tight and held all throughout the night. In fact, they didn't budge a bit and they were almost too tight. I looked like I had a face lift when I had finished rolling. It was pretty amusing.

I awoke this morning to find a few of the rolls still a little damp. Bummer. I took them out right before I got to work and found myself with cute little Shirley Temple curls. They're so bouncy and fun!

As you might expect, I really didn't want to leave them like that all day. I mean, they're cute on Shirley, but not on a grown woman... er... lady... er... they're just not cute on me (hehe, I don't consider myself a "grown woman" quite yet). Actually... they are cute, but cute isn't really the look I'm going for. Not for work at the hospital, anyway.

Since they were still a little damp when I took the curlers out, I waited about an hour before running my fingers through my hair to relax the curls. The final product was astounding! I love getting voluminous, curly hair from a 20-minute, super-easy prep.

The downside of this style is that I began while my hair was still a little too wet. Unfortunately I've made that mistake quite a few times over the last week. But, when I began, I didn't know how fast my hair would dry with this technique, so I charged ahead with my damp hair. I think this style is one that really should be done on hair that is only slightly damp or completely dry. Just to be safe.

The upside of Wrap Snap & Go is that they are so easy to use. They stay in all night and their instruction book includes lots of fun things that you can do with the curlers. Also, the curl is bomb-dot-com. I am really surprised at how well this style worked, considering my hopes weren't too high. You know, it is one of those As Seen On TV products... how was I supposed to know it would actually work? I mean, I tried the As Seen On TV doggie Pedi Paws, and those were just horrible for trimming my little puppy's nails. And don't even think about it... I will not be trying the As Seen On TV Bumpit. No way Josè.

Well, to wrap up this Shirley Temple tribute... Shirley, we love you. Here's to 83 years of your greatness. Keep it up, lady!

Big Hair Bereavement.

In similar fashion to how a person would grieve a lost loved one, I am deeply mourning the loss of my big hair.

At first, I welcomed the thought of trying something new and embracing a new sense of myself. But now, the dreaded Big Hair Bereavement has begun.

Each day my roots seem more pronounced, my hair lays more limp against my head, and new hair inspirations are a dream of the past.

Oh, Big Hair, how I long for thee. How I wish I could be once more graced by your stiffness and teased magnificence. My existence is a mere sham without you.

Alas, only 354 more days until we are united again. How I count the days and tears that fall until I can once again experience your greatness.

The Go-To.

Once in a while, always on the days you need to look the most presentable (of course), do you ever find yourself sleeping in until the last minute? You know that you need to wake up when the alarm goes off. But you don't. Because your bed is warm and cozy, and sleeping just 10 (or 40) more minutes just sounds sooo splendid.

It seems like I have those kind of days just a tad bit too often. Today was no exception. I knew I needed to wake up early and do something nice with my hair because I was presenting about my blog at a work meeting. I mean, come on... you can't expect me to go to a big-wig meeting at work to present about my HAIR blog with shabby looking hair, now can you? Don't be ridiculous.

Unfortunately, the 15 minutes I allotted myself to make my bed, shower, apply makeup and do my hair just wasn't enough. It should be. But it wasn't. Thus, I ended up pulling my hair into a simple low ponytail after I arrived at work. It's basically my easy go-to look, and I think I'll be sporting it quite often over the next year.

Cheers to go-to looks! Now if I could just make it appear a bit more presentable...

Oh well. What can you do? (Ahem... get up earlier?) Oh... well... yeah. About that...

Throw-back.

Do you remember way-back-when, 4th grade for me, when sponge rollers were cool? Oh shoot... you don't?

Well, let me entertain you. Sponge rollers are those little squishy rollers that you use if you are 1) old or 2) a cheerleader. I think it's safe for you to assume I used them because I was a cheerleader... since clearly I'm young, vibrant and wrinkle-free. Clearly.

When I was in my elementary and middle school years, our family lived in Oklahoma. My sister and I were part of Twist & Shout, an amazing competitive cheerleading gym. The night before competitions, we were required to slick our hair into ponytails on the top of our head. We then had to sponge roll the ponytail hair into the tightest, littlest curls. We slept in our curlers overnight and took them out when we got to the competition the next morning. We were all adorable with our matching little bouncy Shirley Temple ponytails and cheer uniforms. Ahh... those were the days.

In fact, I still own my sponge rollers from 4th grade. What's even worse than that is that I was going to use them last night... until I came to my senses and popped into Sally Beauty on the way home. I bought a couple sets of extra large sponge rollers (I did NOT want teeny tiny Shirley Temple curls this time) and went on my merry way home to wash my hair.

While my hair was still pretty damp, I rolled it into the twelve rollers. I did four down the middle of my head and 4 on each side.

After I finished, I wrapped my head in a silk scarf to keep them in place overnight and went to sleep. Surprisingly (I think because I bought the extra large ones), they did not bother me while I slept. In fact, they were kind of kooshy. It was like I had a bunch of mini pillows all over my head. OK- maybe it wasn't that nice, but it wasn't bad at all.

This morning, I woke up and got ready. Each of the curlers held very well. I took them out in the car on the way to work (driving safely, of course!) and ran my fingers through my hair to finish the look.

Um... success!!! Since there was no heat involved, the curls held really well and hardly fell out at all.

Sheesh... I know it's only been 9 days that I have been doing this 365-day project... but if I can sponge roll and braid my hair... I'm goooooood.

Headband Braid.

When I was a little girl, my mom used to always braid the front of my hair from one side to the other to make it look like a French braid headband. I thought it was so cool. And really, it was.

My mom used to show and jump horses when she was little, so she has plenty of experience with braiding. She used to braid the horse's tails and manes so intricately. It figures that she could make braiding magic with my hair.

Now, I'm fairly good at braiding. But when it comes to the headband braid, I struggled. It took me three times to even get it to look presentable. Also, since my hair is entirely lacking in volume, I braided cornrows (as I was informed that they were called, instead of reverse French braids... hehe) down the back of my head before bed as well to help give my hair some good body.

I'm going to warn you ahead of time. DO NOT be fooled by the photo. The picture actually makes this style look pretty sweet.

However, in person... not so much. it was so flat and dull. Also, on the left side, by my ear (no photo for you... sorry), there were lots of little hairs sticking out all over the place. It was just a mess.

I decided to scramble and re-do it at work. It ended up in two reverse French braids with a chignon in back. (I know... I did one yesterday... but I had to do something). And it looked lovely... so I let it stay in all day.

The best part about chignons is that they can be a little messy but still so chic at the same time. Want to know another secret about them? They even stay in during my workouts at the gym. Now that is a fool-proof hairdo!

Chignon Chic.

This past weekend I went out to purchase clear hair bands just so I could try a fun old-school look. I had it all planned out in my head. See, I was on a one-day vacation up in the mountains... and I knew I had plenty of time to experiment, so I couldn't wait to try the milkmaid braid. It's so fun, classy, and totally unexpected. Oh, and it was on The Beauty Department. So it has to be cool, right?

The only problem? My hair is way too short. When I braided it and tried to wrap it around my head, it ended up looking like a Greek god's ivy halo. It just did NOT work. Bummer, right? I guess I will just have to wait a few more months before I can try that one again.

Out of desperation for something simple, I instead concluded I would try the waterfall braid. It was so simple and worked out really well. Until I got stuck walking through the rain. Figures. Sunday just was not my day for hair.

I'm not sure if I've told you this, but I have very limp, body-less, dreary hair. You know how when some people get stuck in the rain their hair frizzes all up and turns into a crazy mess? Mine does exactly the opposite. It basically hangs on my head like grandpa's 10-year old toupee. Gross.

I had to fix myself up quickly because I was preparing to go out to dinner. I kept the waterfall braid in, out of desperation, but still wanted something just a bit more stylish. I started by twisting the pieces of hair beside my ears back and securing them with a clear hair band at the back of my head, like this style. Then, I twisted individual sections of my hair and tucked them over and under my makeshift hair headband. I added a few bobby pins to keep it secure and BAM... I was finished.

This look is apparently called a chignon (sheen-yon), and it's the first time I have ever tried it. Needless to say... it's chic, classy, and super easy. I will probably be doing these quite often... I'm in love!!

P.S... I have officially made it one whole week! Only 51 more to go :)

Boho Braid.

Sometimes, it is just not convenient to wash your hair. Especially if you really just don't feel like it. I'm sorry if this grosses anyone out... but I'm a huge fan of second-day hair. I would also be a fan of third-day hair... but I can never make it that far. My hair is just a tad too greasy for that.

After yesterday's hot mess of a hairdo, I still had a fair amount of volume left over and it wasn't too dirty. I decided to attempt a look I had seen on the website The Beauty Department. It's called the Boho Braid. There is a whole tutorial about how to do this look on that site.

Basically, the hairdo called for wavy hair... and since mine was still pretty kinky and all over the place, I figured I would give it a go. Since my hair is just a bit too short for the long, messy ponytail, I opted for a bun instead.

Now, this was my first attempt at a reverse French braid, and it was just so easy! I think it might even be more manageable than a regular French braid.

The cool thing about this 'do is that it can be very messy/funky or you can create a very elegant look with it. I'm so thankful I stumbled upon The Beauty Department's website. I have already read each and every one of their posts, and they have given me a lot of ideas for the upcoming year. Also-- they seem to love braids just as much as I do... BONUS!

Granola.

Approximately a week before starting BBB, I told my mom my mission and how I planned to execute the challenge over the next year. Promptly after hearing I was giving up my teasing and hairspray, she interjected and questioned:

"You're not going to go all granola on me and let your leg hair grow out, too, are you?"

Oh, mom. You're so cute. In addition, that very same evening, my dad asked me if I was going to turn into a Rastafarian. I was like, "Dad. That doesn't even make sense!!" Oh, dad. So precious.

Just because I'm giving up teasing, hairspray and hair dye doesn't mean I'm going to just let myself go. I'm still going to be doing my makeup. I'm still attempting (key word there: attempting) to pick out cute outfits. I will still be doing my hair. It will just not be as big, poofy or stiff. And by all means, I'm DEFINITELY not going to let my leg hair grow out. Gross.

LOCKTOBER.

I have taken it upon myself to officially declare the month of October to be LOCKTOBER. I know, I'm so super creative.

Here's to celebrating all things hair.

Do something for your hair, and more importantly, treat yourself to something this month. Maybe it's a new cut, or a new funky color you've been wanting to try, or maybe even tie-dyed tips or a feather. Any way you do it... have fun and celebrate your amazing hair!!

Let's make LOCKTOBERFEST last all month long! :)

Bantu Knot-Out.

Ban-a-what? Don't worry, I didn't know what Bantu knots were, either. One of my natural hair buddies on Twitter checked out my blog and suggested I try Bantu knots for a fun and different style. I had to Google search them and even had to watch a YouTube tutorial to see what these were and how to do them.

As soon as I figured them out, I decided I was going to opt for a "Bantu knot-out." That is where you put your hair in Bantu knots, but then take them out for luscious, spiraled curls. Well, that's the intention anyway. I just couldn't resist this style! I went straight to work after I got out of the shower last night. It is recommended to do Bantu's on your hair when it is wet or slightly damp to help the knots stay in, and to also help your hair hold the curl. I added a leave-in conditioner as well to hopefully help preserve the knots.

About an hour and a full box of bobby pins later (since my hair is so fine it did not want to stay in these knots), I ended up with this look:

Yep. Sexxxayyy.

Within 10 minutes of having my knots completed, I was told that I would look good as a bald person and that I also looked like Buckwheat from Little Rascals. Awesome.

O-TAY!!! I guess that's at least more realistic than saying that I look like Bo Derek.

Before I went to bed, I sprayed the knots with water since they were starting to fall out. I then wrapped my hair with a silk scarf so my tossing and turning during the night wouldn't disrupt those little babies. And guess what? I even took a photo. Just for you... because once again, it's just such an attractive look for me.

Duck face.

This morning when I woke up, each knot was still in place. In fact, I don't even think I moved more than once or twice last night because my hair didn't budge a bit. After I finished getting ready, I removed all my bobby pins and unwound the knots.

Some of my hair was still a little damp (bummer) so I left it like this while I drove to work. I turned the air on high in my car in an effort to help dry the few spirals that were still damp.

When I got to work I ran my hands through the spirals and ended up with a kinked, funky look. I think I know what it feels like to have naturally curly hair now!

Ha! The back is simply dreadful. I was really not too happy with this look because it is just all over the place. I decided to grab a couple trusty bobby pins and secure the hair into bumps on each side of my part to help it look just a little bit more styled. I'm actually quite happy with how the front looks now.

The back is definitely still struggling, though. Sorry for all the photos today... I just couldn't resist the montage.

Overall, Bantu knots are so fun. They are a LOT of work, but they create a totally unique look that I would love to try again to see if I can make it look better. Who knows... maybe next time I'll just opt for Bantu knots (not the knot-out)... and go to work with those little balls all over my head! Wouldn't that impress the boys?! Hmmm... In fact... maybe I will try that. :)