Have you ever looked out the window after a long day at work, only to discover that while you were tapping away at the keyboard, a mighty storm is blowing pedestrians up and down the street?  I’ve been caught in sudden wind or rain too many times to count, and had to run screaming into the nearest drugstore for supplies.

Years ago, I got in the habit of keeping a ponytail holder in every purse and toiletry bag and backpack that I own – and in a few coat pockets as well – to protect against the eventuality that I would need to walk up the street with the wind at my back, trying to blow my hair into a Cousin It style over my face.  I try never to leave the house without emergency hair accessories! (more…)

Weddings are an excellent time to discover what’s new in the world of accessories.  And I don’t just mean people-watching.  Everyone has realized the day of an event that they left their necklace at home, or they took the wrong shoes, or the bride’s veil has been eaten by her puppy.  Stuff like that.  And when you’re rushing to the mall to fill in a last-minute gap in your wardrobe, you don’t take the time to shop around; you grab what’s on display at the front of the first store you go into and run.

My cousin got married this week, and my mother had a new black (!) dress that needed some blinging up.   (more…)

Can you believe July is almost over already?  That leaves only one month left of summer!  Which, as we all know, is not nearly enough, even for a snow-loving chick like me.  I hope everyone has been keeping cool and eating lots of fresh fruit while the eating’s good.  With the crazy heat this summer, it’s easy to just stay inside and vegetate, but I’m telling you, that would be a spectacular waste of sunshine and freedom.  Even if you can’t take off of work or can’t afford a full-out vacation, you can take a few minutes (ok, or a few hours) to enjoy some of summer’s simplest pleasures.

1. Run through a sprinkler. (more…)

I used to have a summer job in a petting zoo of sorts, and one of my favorite tasks each year was coming up with perfect names for all the animals.  I called the donkeys Alexander and Napoleon.  The baby rabbit that kept escaping the hutch was Houdini.  I named a goat Mrs. Butler after my high school global studies teacher, and another little goat with a triangle on his head was Bandit – it looked like he was wearing a bandana.

And we had these two crested chickens at one point that I named Elvis and George Washington – Elvis’s puff tipped forward over his eyes, and George Washington’s tipped back. (more…)

Let’s face it.  There are times when your hair gets dirty, and you don’t have the time or ability to get it clean. You’re camping, and the nearest shower is on the other side of the mountain.  Your kids are sick and the plumber is coming by to fix the stopped-up bathtub drain.  A bird dropped one on your head on the way to work…

What do you do?

Well, in that last example, you run to the bathroom and scrub with hand soap and a handful of paper towels.  But if that’s not an option, here are some other ways to deal with dirty hair that won’t leave you looking like a hobo.

1. Baby powder works wonders on greasy hair – just sprinkle it on your roots, rub it in, and brush it out.   (more…)

No matter how many hair coverings and accessories you have, you always need more.  A new color, a new style, something on sale, something because you’re hungry and trying to avoid the Ben and Jerry’s in the freezer.  I can come up with any excuse for needing a new accessory, even though my tichel drawer is overflowing and I keep knocking over my hat and headband box and making a mess in my closet.  So I got it in my head recently to count up how many tichels, headbands, etc., I have.  And here are my results!

• 5 pre-tieds (more…)

In honor of Independence Day this weekend, I’m skipping ahead in our History of Headgear series to the late 1700’s, to take a look at the kind of things people like Martha Washington and Abigail Adams wore.  Before you break out your barbecue and sparklers, take a look at some of these styles.

Rich women who had the time and money to bother with elaborate hairstyles went crazy with piled lots of puff on top and curls at the sides – and the fashion was to powder it white for special occasions. (more…)