Progress Update For May, 2010

This evening I recorded my monthly measure-in.  While technically today is the last day of April, I will call this my May Progress Report.  After all, t's already May 1 in England. Right?

I was very pleased with my growth this month.  On the first of the month, my hair measured in at 24 inches.  Today, I measured in at 24 3/4 inches.  I call that a very good month. 

First I'm posting a photo of the comparison between my February update and my current update.  This shows my growth in three months.  I've also had a small trim in between.  

Here are two other photos.

I'm thinking I may be firmly at mid-back by the end of the summer!  Woohoo!!!

'Til tomorrow, my friends.  I wish you all a very happy weekend.

Modern classy celebrity hairstyles from Amber Heard

Modern Hairstyle Trends presents Modern classy celebrity hairstyles from Amber Heard





Amber Heard it is an young American actress who became famous from her role of Greta Matthews on Hidden Palms. Amber Heard has some cute classic hairstyle definitely not old just classy and made in an very modern way which makes her look chic. Amber Heard has swept to one side and combed back alluring on the other. Amber Heard with her gorgeous hair color golden blonde hair and her classic retro hairstyle its looking very good and beautiful:

Modern classy celebrity hairstyles  from  Amber Heard

Modern classy celebrity hairstyles  from  Amber Heard

New Trends Medium Bob and Pixie Hairstyles

New trends hairstyles presents Medium Bob and Pixie Hairstyles for Winter. Here are some nice pictures of Keira Knightley pixie haircuts and some of the medium bob hairstyles of fashion models. Try these hairstyles for winter 2010.

New Trends Medium Bob and Pixie Hairstyles

New Trends Medium Bob and Pixie Hairstyles

New Trends Medium Bob and Pixie Hairstyles

Victoria Beckham Current Hairstyle in 2010

Victoria Beckham Current Hairstyle

Re-creating a current Victoria Beckham hairstyle can be relatively simple. By simply following a few basic steps, you can have a Victoria Beckham current hairstyle of your own. Before you proceed to give the go-ahead to your stylist, you should make sure that shorter hair will adequately suit your face frame. For many individuals, getting a short hair cut will change one’s overall style dramatically.

We live in a decade where asymmetry is in. Individuals who come up with new and unique style ideas are celebrated rather than criticized. For this reason, an increasing number of individuals are choosing to wear unique clothes and have radical haircuts and colors. Many celebrities are choosing to wear short asymmetrical hairstyles. Victoria Beckham is well known for her constantly changing haircuts. Although they are unique and innovative, Beckham’s haircuts are also classy and sophisticated. If you want a unique haircut, but still have to maintain a professional demeanor for work or school, then a Victoria Beckham inspired hair cut may be perfect for you!

Among her most famous styles is Beckham’s asymmetric pixie cut. This particular hair-do is cut short and layered to outline the shape of your head. You may then choose which side you want your bangs to fall. Your stylist will add texture and a little choppiness to your bangs, which will lend a little edge to your new do. Additionally, don’t be afraid to play with color! Adding a subtle lowlight into your hair will give your hair a more textured look without being over the top.
Photo/PR PHOTOS

Me? Really, Madam, You Must Be Joking!

Do I think about my hair 24/7?  No.  Even though I write about hair and hairstyles every day, I really don't give it a lot of thought most of the time.  Except...

When the end of the month hits, I am filled with girlish glee as I anticipate my monthly measure-in and progress photo, which I do on the last day of the month.  Then I post the results on the Internet.  Sometimes I feel silly about it, I admit.

Yet there's something so satisfying about seeing a new number on that measuring tape, and knowing that there will always be a larger number.  There's something almost miraculous in the fact that hair grows in amounts that are measurable every month.

I also enjoy taking my progress photos.  I never compare it to last month's picture.  I look at the photo from three months ago.  Invariably the difference is visible.  This is just another way in which the long hair journey is fun for me.

So even if I feel that I'm making no progress, the tape measure and the photos tell me differently.  While I know I still have some damage that will eventually have to go, I am reminded that even with my quarterly 1/2 inch trims, my hair is still getting longer, and the amount of damage is getting less.  It's all so positive!

If someone had ever told me four years ago that learning how to properly care for and style my hair would become something of a hobby, I would have laughed. I couldn't have imagined that I'd ever be frequently looking for new braids or updos to try.  To be writing about all of this on the Internet?  Really, you must be joking!  However, here I am, enjoying talking hair to my Internet friends, sharing my thoughts on hair care and hairstyles.  I never would have imagined.

I know that to some people, one would have to be some sort of a nut to even think about measuring and photographing one's hair length every month.  

I guess I am some sort of a nut.  Filled occasionally with girlish glee.   I can live with that.

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Miranda Kerr is probably the only fashion model who can rule the fashion world just by her cutest looking celebrity hairstyle. We have tons of latest pictures of Miranda Kerr Celebrity hair styles. Take your pick from our huge gallery that includes straight long and luscious hairdo, natural looking and stunningly sexy straight hair, a sassy wavy long hairstyle, straight long full hairstyle with stunning copper highlights and sexy and sassy curly long haircut style with hair length just below shoulder.

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Celebrity Hairstyle Miranda Kerr 2010

Cool Charming Short Trendy Hairstyles

At cool hairstyles you have many pictures of short hairstyles to chose your perfect hairstyle from that looks cool compared to your same old fashioned straight long hair. You can cut your hair drastically short to show your ears., always choose a short hair style in guidance of a hair stylist. A hairstylist is the expert who knows perfectly which type of short hair style will suit your face.

Cool Charming Short Trendy Hairstyles

Cool Charming Short Trendy Hairstyles

Cool Charming Short Trendy Hairstyles

Short is hot again in 2010, short hairstyles are yet again invading the hairstyles of the season. A short trendy hairstyle is easily manageable, looks sexy and is in. Don’t be afraid to cut short your long tresses.

2010 Short Hairstyles for African American women

Rihanna with her short hair with bangs, NeNe Leakes with side parted straight haircut and Selita Ebanks with short wavy haircut are some great ideas for short hair, hairstyles for African American women in 2010!Selita Banks has a classic Hollywood curly wavy hairstyle, this classy look is very feminine. For hair colors you can look at NeNe Leakes.Rihanna changes her hairstyles very often but lately she wears just short haircuts and for hairstyles ideas here are her haircuts with bangs and her style is a short straight cut with highlight, look at here:

2010 Short Hairstyles for African American women

2010 Short Hairstyles for African American women

2010 Short Hairstyles for African American women

Celebrity Hairstyles Current Trends

Long, loose waves are the hit amongst young Hollywood, it's a flirty look that can go casual or tressed up, it's all up to you.

Delta Goodrem - Curly Hairstyles
Her look features ultra-loose, lengthy, feathery waves. A smooth crown and center part allow for hair to be swept back and away from the face. Work a product throughout hair to build texture and gently wind sections around the barrel of an extra-wide curling iron to shape the twists.

Amber Heard - Wavy Hairstyles
Her glossy tresses are swept up and off the forehead, before falling into loose waves. If you intend to get a similar wavy hairstyle, blow hair out smooth, pulling the roots up and out with a round brush to add volume. Wrap hair around a medium barrel curling iron to create pretty twists, and fling them across the shoulders.

Emmanuelle Chriqui - Ponytail Hairstyles
She hit the red carpet in this medium high pony with lift at the crown. Score volume like hers by teasing the roots, then push the top up and forward after
securing hair in back, a few inches above the nape. Wrape a section of hair around the base to hide the elastic.

Protect Your Hair With Style

It's sunny but very windy here where I live today. The wind put my mind to just one of the reasons that protective hairstyles are important for longer hair.

Many people with long hair wear it down all of the time, because they like it that way.  I like to wear my hair down too, but wearing hair loose exposes longer hair to additional friction against one's clothes, being whipped by wind, and other wear and tear.

If you plan on growing your hair to mid-back or longer, it's a good idea to learn some easy protective hairstyles to wear not only most of the time, but especially when you're out in the elements.

We've all experienced those beautiful car rides in lovely weather, when the wind whips through our hair.  It feels good, but in the end, there are a mess of tangles left in the hair, which can lead to breakage. 

Then there are the more delicate areas of the hair.  First of all, the ends are delicate and more fragile than the rest of the hair, as the ends are the oldest and have been exposed to the environment for longer.  When you think about it, hair that doesn't yet quite graze the shoulder is already two years old at the very ends.  On average, every six inches of growth beyond that represents another year.

So we must protect those ends from too much wear and tear.

Secondly, the top part of the hair that grows around the crown is also more fragile than the rest of the hair.  We call this part of the hair the "canopy".  It's the part of the hair that you use if you make a half-up hairstyle.  It is the hair that is constantly exposed to sun and breezes if you're outdoors, and once again, it's the longest and therefore the oldest portion of your hair.

So we must protect the canopy as much as possible.

There are several ways in which you can contain and protect your hair that are quick and easy.

One way women have been protecting their hair for millennia is by wearing a simple, single braid.  It's easy to do, keeps the hair out of the way, and is protective.  If you don't like the idea of the braid rubbing against your clothes, you can wear a flipped braid as shown in my entry of April 26th, 2010.

Half-up hairstyles are perfect for when you want to still want to show your length but want to protect the fragile canopy hair.  You can wear a half-up bun or braid of just about any style you like, and it will help protect the hair that has most been exposed to friction and the elements.

Updos are among the most protective hairstyles of all, and I recommend wearing them most of the time, if possible.

Even when hair is at shoulder length, it's not too soon to start doing protective styles.  At shoulder length you may not be able to do a bun in your hair, but you will be able to make a French Twist, a Peacock Twist or a Gibson Tuck.  This is also a great time to learn how to French Braid, if you don't already know how to do so.  You can see examples of all of those styles in the Updos Gallery and the Braids Gallery on my website.

Half-ups can be done at any length as well, and are a wonderful way of not only protecting your hair, but of trying out updos that your hair may be too short for.  See my Half-Ups Gallery for ideas.

I will eventually be giving instructions here on how to do most of the hairstyles shown on my website.


Now of course there will be times when you're going out that you really want to wear your hair down and loose, and that's fine.  We all want to enjoy wearing our hair down from time to time. That's one of the reasons many of us want to grow it long.

Nevertheless, if you wear protective hairstyles most of the time, it will pay off with great rewards in the long run, giving you the freedom to wear your healthier-looking hair down for an afternoon or an evening out and even the occasional windy car ride.  And everyone knows; you're never too old for that occasional windy car ride.

Vanessa Hudgens Hairstyles For Trends In 2010

Vanessa Hudgens is known for her popular Disney film "High School Musical". She also has two studion albums released in 2006 and 2008. For 2009, watch out for her next film entitled "Bandslam". Meanwhile, check out her fabulous long hairstyles below.

Vanessa Hudgens Hairstyles

Vanessa Hudgens Hairstyles

Vanessa Hudgens Hairstyles

Off-Topic Tuesday: Forgiveness and Nest Update

For me the process of growing hair symbolizes so many things.  Among them is the passage of time, and hopefully along with that, more wisdom.

In thinking about the wisdom that I have now compared with when I was young, I think of some of the very important things I've learned along the way.  I also realize how far I've yet to go.

Forgiveness has been a huge theme in my life.  I never really understood until my late 30s just how important real heartfelt forgiveness can be for the mind, body and spirit.

Holding on to anger simply makes one bitter and brittle.  Learning to let go is freedom.

So many people are or have been stingy with forgiveness, as we somehow believe that in the act of forgiving, we are condoning wrongs.  

That's simply not the case.  One doesn't have to condone or approve of someone's actions in order to forgive.  Forgiveness simply means letting go of anger and resentment.  How freeing that is!


Oddly, or perhaps not, I can forgive others more easily than I can myself.  Yet self-forgiveness is vital.

I have a long way to go.  I was just saying to a friend today that just when I think I have this forgiveness thing down, something will happen that will set me back, and it's as though I have to relearn how to forgive all over again.  I wonder if one ever gets to a place where it's not such hard work?  I don't know, but I'll never stop trying to find out.

I'm going to share some of my favourite quotes on forgiveness, from people from varying political and religious backgrounds.  They so often all boil down to the same thing.

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."-- Buddha

"If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive"--Mother Teresa

"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools."
- Albert Einstein

"Forgiveness
Is the mightiest sword
Forgiveness of those you fear
Is the highest reward
When they bruise you with words
When they make you feel small
When it's hardest to take 
You must do nothing at all..."--Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre) 

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." --M. Ghandi

"To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it."--Confucius

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."--The Bible, Matthew (ch. VI, v. 14-15)

 “We achieve inner health only through forgiveness--the forgiveness not only of others but also of ourselves”--Joshua Loth Liebman

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
— Oscar Wilde

Okay, the Oscar Wilde quote just makes me laugh, however true it might be.


A quick update on the robin's nest on my porch.  The robins were well into building the nest, and had all of their materials laid out below the porch lamp, but they abandoned it before completion.  Perhaps they had a fright from a predator.  I hope they've found a safer haven for their nest.

Modern hairstyles trends with bangs for medium and long hair

Modern Hairstyle Trends presents Modern hairstyles trends with bangs for medium and long hair





Here are the latest modern hairstyles trends with bangs for medium and long hair. Bangs are some very nice addons to your hairstyle and they came in different shape.Side swept bangs are the best option because they cover any part of face you want and can cover up trouble spots such as a bigger forehead.For short hair the best bob is a chin length bob that will make you look great.Girls can experiment with the style that works best for them, below are some great modern hairstyle with bangs for short medium and long hair:

Modern hairstyles trends with bangs for medium and long hair

Modern hairstyles trends with bangs for medium and long hair

New Trends Celebrity Hairstyles

Ashlee Simpson Hairstyle

By the time Ashlee released her single and had that whole Saturday Night Live lip-syncing ho-down jig, her hair was black. Like her soul.

Ashlee Simpson Hairstyle

Ashlee Simpson Hairstyle

Bitchy celebrity magazines raved and raved about how well her nose job turned out. I personally think she looks pretty boring. So did Ashlee, apparently, because when she started dating Pete .

long layered hairstyle for 2010

long layered hairstyle for 2010

Taraji Henson black short hairstyles for 2010

This is a clean, fresh, modern take on a layered, textured bob.

Taraji Henson black short hairstyles

To style the long bangs, use a round brush (on damp hair) to give the bend in the hair and blow-dry on hot heat, leaving the hair wrapped around the brush until it cools. Then release it in the direction you want the fringe to sit. Blow-dry the rest of the hair and smooth with a flat iron.

Black women Taraji Henson short hairstyles

Hairstyle How-To: Flipped Braid

This is another extremely quick and easy hairstyle.  It's so simple that it almost doesn't need instructions. It's also a great "convertible" style, as you can choose to begin your day with a simple 3 strand braid, and if you want to comfortably get the hair off of your neck, you can do this styles in the blink of an eye, provided that you have a hair clip, hair slide or a large barrette.  Here are the extremely simple instructions:

1. Make a single regular braid at the back of the head.

2. Flip braid up.

3. Tuck the braid's tassel under the braid.

4. Hold in place with the hair accessory of your choice.  I chose to use a Ficcare Ficcarissimo in the Eggplant colour.  The Ficcarissimo will hold that braid in place all day.

So that's it!  If you can make a braid and you have even a simple hair accessory, you can do this style in seconds.  This is a favourite for warm days that become hot days and it has a simple but classic look to it.

If you have some layers and bits stick out of the braid, don't give it a second thought.  This is one of those styles that doesn't need to look perfect.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments yesterday regarding my instructions on how to trim your own bangs or fringe.  They're much appreciated.

How to Trim Your Own Bangs--It's Easy!

If you wear bangs or a fringe, you'll find that you'll need to trim them fairly often.  Many hair salons will trim your bangs for free between regular cuts.  However, if you're growing out your hair, you may not be going to a salon regularly anymore. 

If you already have straight-across bangs, here are some tips for trimming your bangs yourself.

You don't need much in the way of supplies for this.  A mirror, clips or a headband, scissors (preferably barber's shears) and a fine tooth comb are the only tools you need

First of all, make sure your hair is dry when you trim.  Wet hair will shrink as it dries, and your bangs may well end up being too short.

Now, clip all hair back, leaving only your bangs exposed.  Comb them straight down with a fine-toothed comb.

With the fingers of your dominant hand, pinch the bangs together and place them right at the bridge of your nose below the brow line.

Take your non-dominant hand and grasp the bangs horizontally against your forehead between the index and middle finger. This frees your dominant hand to hold the scissors.  Slide your fingers down to the length you want your bangs to be.    Make sure that your fingers are truly horizontal and not tilting to one side or the other.  The fingers will serve as your guideline.  However short you think you want your bangs to be, lower your fingers by about 1/4 of an inch, to prevent accidentally cutting too much off.  You can always trim more later.

Now take your scissors.  Hold the scissors almost vertically and make repeated vertical snips until your bangs are at your finger line (the guideline).

Comb bangs straight down with your fine-toothed comb.  Look for any errant hairs that may have escaped your scissors during the trim and snip them off.

Now, check the length.  If you're happy with the new length, you're done.  If you need a bit more cut off, repeat the process with a slightly higher guideline.

You're done!  You've cut your own bangs.  With the almost-vertical cutting method you'll not have the straight as an edge home-made look, and by having pulled the hair to the center of your forehead, to the bridge of your nose, you'll have a nice natural line.

For those of you more visually oriented, I'll make a video the next time I trim.

I'll give instructions for cutting bangs for the first time in a future entry.

Remember cut less to start with.  You can always cut more.  Good luck!

2010 Mens Short Hairstyles om Welling

2010 Mens Short Hairstyles om Welling

Thomas John Patrick Welling is an American actor, director, and former male fashion model, most famous for playing Clark Kent on the current television series Smallville. Other well-known film roles include Charlie Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and Nick Castle in the 2005 remake of The Fog.

2010 Mens Short Hairstyles om Welling

2010 Mens Short Hairstyles om Welling

2010 Mens Short Hairstyles om Welling