HALF-UP TOP KNOT HAIRSPIRATION

I love that top knots are coming back in style! I remember wearing one a few months back and Eric poking fun at me, but whose laughing now 😉 I thought I’d share a few fun, slightly different versions of the top knot that are my favorite at the moment. The perfect hairstyle for both short and long hair. Do you like the half-up top knot look?

Now onto the tutorials! ⇊

messy middle part half top knot

When to wear: Perfect for Summer concerts, a day at the beach or grabbing lunch with girlfriends.
TO CREATE: Keep hair messy and separate into a middle part. Gather top of hair, leaving a half inch above ears. Loosely create a bun at the crown of head by wrapping hair around finger and tie with small elastic. 

low half top knot

When to wear: Love this look for those relaxed nights in with your significant other, hot Summer nights, even that casual outdoor wedding.
TO CREATE: Separate hair in a deep side part. Gather hair at the back of your head, just above ear height. Loosely create a messy bun and secure with elastic.

high half top knot

When to wear: That perfect look for grabbing dessert with friends or bringing a fun, fresh look to your everyday Summer dress.
TO CREATE: Smooth out hair, grabbing roughly 2 inches of hair above ear and creating a high half top knot just above the crown of head. Play around with the volume of your bun to give different looks!

half pony pull through top knot

When to wear: For that quick, on the go look running errands.
TO CREATE: Smooth out hair on top of head, gathering hair just above ear height. Bring to back and start creating a half ponytail, pulling only half through.

LITTLE LADY – EMILIE ANN

NAME: Emilie Woodhead

AGE: 21

LOCATION: Salt Lake City

CAREER: I am a full time wedding photographer! I am absolutely in love with my job and with capturing people’s love for each other! I get to meet so many new people and have so much fun while doing something I’m very passionate about. I also photograph my travels, adventures, and fine art portraits for my personal work! You can find my website at Emilie Ann Photography for more details!

… A TYPICAL DAY: A typical day for me involves waking up and either going to the gym or trying some new workout I saw on pinterest! Then the rest of the day would include editing photo shoots, answering emails, and either heading to photograph a wedding or an engagement or bridal shoot! In my free time I’m obsessed with the outdoors so I would probably either go on a hike or just take my camera out to the mountains to capture some photos. Other than that I would just chill with my family and sweetheart and watch a movie or just hangout around the house or around town *cough* or the mall *cough*. I have a slight obsession with clothes.

OUTSIDE OF WORK: Outside of work I attend Utah Valley University and am majoring in Art and Visual Communications! I’m graduating Spring 2015! Wahoo! I’m obsessed with branding and helping people follow their own business dreams. One day I hope to be able to hold workshops for photographers and become a motivational speaker. I’m an avid believer in Mexican food, beanies, and thrift shops and am always checking the local spots for cool furniture or treasures. I spend most of my time with my family and my love Tyler! I’m definitely a life-enthusiast and free spirited person who is always up for anything and for just living life to the fullest.

NEXT BIG PLANS: This Summer is a chalk-full of weddings that I’m so excited to photograph! And after finishing up school this year I’m hoping to travel to Europe to see the art I’ve been studying for the past 2 years!

SUMMER STAPLE: The Kimono!! Seriously, I have multiple kimonos and they are just so flowy and pretty! They’re so easy to just throw on top of a t-shirt or tank top to dress it up a bit and they are so comfy!! I can’t get enough of them!

HAPPY READING

Happy Monday!! I don’t know about you, but whenever the weather starts to get nice all I want to do is grab a good book and blanket and get outside and read in the sunlight. Us Seattleites need as much sun as we can get! Here are a list of books I have been reading lately! Any book suggestions? Leave your favorites in the comment section below! 🙂

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER – I’ve heard about this book for years but got it as a Christmas gift this last year and finally dove right in. It took me less than 24 hours to read cover to cover. Such a well written book about those high school years. You find a companion in each character or remember them from your own high school. A definite read!
OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO – The classic high school graduation gift. It might seem childish, but this book can teach you so much about life and all that it has to offer. If you ever need a little bit of encouragement head to the children’s section of the library, sit down on that giant stuffed dog and give this a read.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS – As mentioned on my YouTube channel, I’m a total groupie and read books right before the movie comes out. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this book! Want to read it with me? Shoot me an email and we can be reading buddies 😉
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – A classic favorite since I was forced to read it in the ninth grade. I have told myself since then that I would name my daughter Scout one day!
TWILIGHT – I have no shame to list this as one of my favorite books. Whenever I’m in the mood for a good little romance and no fuss read, this is my book! Team Edward!
SPOTS – I started reading this book a few weeks back and have quickly come to adore it. The writing style from this new author and her autobiography growing up in South Africa during the apartheid is so raw. I love reading this tale through

Little Lady – Adri Cisneros

Introducing Adri Cisneros from Adri Lately!
… a little introduction:
Hi there! My name is Adri (pronounced Ay-dree) and I’m a beach loving gal from LA. Fashion is in my blood and has lead me to create my blog Adri Lately and work as a personal stylist. When I’m not playing with clothes, you can find me exploring LA with a chai in hand.
How would you describe your blog?My blog is a place to stop by for easy practical fashion inspiration. It’s wearable fashion that’s effortless and provides some tips on style plus some insight into my life.
What does a typical day look like for you?Oh gosh! Every day is very different. But it usually involves a Starbucks run (gotta have my chai), yoga, lots of emailing, and an excessive amount of time on Instagram.
What do you do outside of work?Being that I’m on a computer so much, I try to step away from it during my time off by going on as many dates with my favorite guy. Whether it’s hiking or trying a new place to eat, it’s definitely the highlight of my week.
Staple piece for Spring?A great pair of sandals that you can wear well into Summer is my number one for Spring. I usually go for a neutral color, but this year I’m on the hunt for a leopard pair which is a fun neutral.

Hairspiration

I’ve been getting a lot of emails, comments and traffic lately surrounding my Coachella ‘hairspiration’ post which can be found here. Per request I’m doing a more in depth tutorial on the low fishtail up-do. I love that you could rock this hairstyle at Coachella, prom, a wedding, or even for that dressy night out. So below you will find a helpful step by step tutorial to help you achieve this look.
If you recreate this look, make sure to tag me in your Instagrams so I can see! (@tanyajtaylor)What look would you like me to try next? Share in the comment section below!

STEP ONE: Brush through hair and create a center part using your fingers or a comb.STEP TWO: Take one side and loosely make a fishtail braid, securing with small elastic. Using fingers to pull apart bits and pieces to give it that messy look.STEP THREE: Repeat step two to the other side, creating your fishtail braid pigtails.STEP FOUR: Take one pigtail and lay horizontal to the opposite side, bringing to a slight upward angle towards top of ear. Secure with as many pins as necessary. Repeat on other side, bringing the opposite pigtail at a slight upward angle towards the top of the other ear. Secure with as many pins as necessary. Make sure to tuck the end pieces underneath braids, securing with pins, and there you have it! * To give it that bohemian touch and fun, pin in a flower!

HAIRSPIRATION FOR COACHELLA

Per request, this weeks ‘hairspiration’ is inspired by the upcoming Coachella festivities. If you are one of the lucky ones who get to experience this holy grail of music goodness here are a few looks you could rock while rocking out. I know what you are thinking, braids for days (literally), but what’s amazing is that you could rotate through these hairstyles for days without taking a shower. Double bonus!! Oh, and if you happen to be going, might I recommend the following shows: Bastille, Daughter, Ellie Goulding, MGMT, Zedd, Foster the People, James Vincent McMorrow, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde (just to name a few). What look would you like me to try next? Share in the comment section below!

Loose side fishtail braid.   Mini braids.

FISHTAIL low up-do.  

Fishtail Pigtails.Now onto the tutorials! ⇊

Fishtail braid.

TO CREATE: Gather all hair and bring to one side. Loosely fishtail braid and secure with small elastic. Pull a few pieces to give dimension. Add a flower crown to give that extra touch.

Mini Braids. 

TO CREATE: Brush through hair and part down the center. On one side, take a small section an inch behind ear and create a small braid. Secure with small elastic. Repeat on other side.

fishtail low up-do. 

TO CREATE: Part hair down the center and create loose fishtail braid pigtails, securing with small elastics. Take first braid, lay horizontal along nape bringing to opposite side and pin down with bobbi pin an inch behind ear. Repeat on other side and criss cross. Use as many bobbi pins as needed to help further secure your up-do. Tuck end pieces underneath braids near ear. 

Fishtail pigtails.

TO CREATE: Part hair down the center and create loose fishtail braids on each side, securing with small elastics. Pull a few pieces to give dimension. Add a fun headband for that hippie vibe. 

MONDAY GROUP GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

Today I’m so lucky to have two amazing shops offering a giveaway to one lucky HLL reader. So if you are in need of some new accessories this Spring season this is the place to be! Today’s giveaway comes from the ever so awesome Style Lately and Soul Makes.
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Style Lately is an online clothing shop based out of Salt Lake City. Bringing you the latest trends and hottest collection of fashion jewelry and accessories for 30-70% off! Full of feminine and fun pieces, it is the online shopping experience you will be left fully satisfied with.

THE GIVEAWAY
The Evo Chain Bracelet 
Pssst, I have the same one and I’ve gotten lots of compliments already 😉
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Soul Makes is a collaboration between two love birds; MacKenzie and Trevor Mars. She is the designer and maker behind this collaboration of wild and free accessories and he is the photographer and visionary that breathed life into their passionate story. With jewelry designs that appeal to both men and women, our collection is inspired by all things worldly, capturing a little of the wild west, a bit of gypsy magic, and a whole lot of soul…

THE GIVEAWAY
A $50.00 store credit to Soul Makes.
You can get great pieces like this and we can be twins! (I adore this feminine, statement piece)
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LITTLE LADY: BRE’AN NOELLE

It’s Thursday!! I can’t even believe it! I don’t think you all realize how relieved I will be once Sunday rolls around and Eric and I are up in the air on our way to Germany! Sunday can not come soon enough! These past few days / weeks really have been a rough one, and wanderlust has kicked in full swing. Just trying to finalize all last minute details. Picking up our euros at the bank, making sure they know that we will be using our credit cards out of the country, finding adapter’s for all of our electronics, travel maps and books. Basically we are going to be the ultimate tourists. Nose in the maps, loads of cameras, fanny packs and all.
While I get myself under control I wanted to keep you guys occupied with someone special. Today we have the lovely Bre’an from ST8 of MIND. This little photo savvy, New Yorker is too cute for words, and so wise in her outlook on life. Don’t believe me? Read below, and make sure to check out her blog after this interview!

WHY DO YOU BLOG?

As most of you know Google Reader is soon coming to an end. To some this can be devastating. To others, we improvise and find other ways to keep our readers in tact (BlogLovin’, what have you). And then there’s others who took off Google Reader from their sites months / years ago and never really cared. Either way, this whole “numbers” thing really had me thinking. Why do I blog?
When I first started up my blog almost two years ago I was going through a great change in my life of getting married to my best friend and I wanted to document it. I was never very good at keeping consistent journal entries and turned to the Internet, a space where I consume so much of my time, as the next best option. Within weeks of starting I really just found a passion for blogging – the community, the writing, the inspirations I found from other bloggers and within myself.

And as blogging is continuing to be seen as this massive platform for other potential opportunities (writing your own book, becoming a spokesperson for clothing lines, starting your own line, getting your own television show) so many have turned to blogger for their chance. I would be lying if I were to say that numbers didn’t matter to me. Don’t get me wrong, numbers aren’t everything but there is just something so exciting when you sign into blogger and see that you have gone up another reader. That’s another person who enjoys coming to your site, loves reading what you have to say, what you have to show to the world. Who doesn’t want that, to feel that their voice matters? So yes, numbers can matter if you are really wanting to take your blog somewhere “special”.
Where am I going with this? Of course I would love if I could really turn this here blog into a mini business. To make it my big platform into bigger and better things. But more importantly I don’t want to loose that sense of community and being inspired from one another. So going back to Google Reader…
Is it just me or does it seem like ever since Google Reader announced that it will be removing this feature within the coming months that blogging has just changed? It’s almost as if we are all throwing in the towel and giving up on blogging. A lot of people don’t seem to be posting as much, commenting as much (all of which I’m guilty of as well). Instead of building each other up there’s so much contention of comparison and breaking each other apart.

I guess what I’m getting at is, why do we blog? What are our goals?
Don’t loose that first initial passion that I know we all had / have.