Summer Days

I've had a crazy summer. Now summers almost at it's end. Here are some photos I took over the summer.

1. My brother goes outside to play basketball in the summer a lot. I took this shot during the 'magic hour', right before the sun fades.
2. This is one of my favorites. We have a big backyard, and we had the wedding reception for our pastor's daughter in it. At the end of the reception, when they leaving for their honeymoon, they couple ran through lines of sparklers.
3. This one is also from the wedding reception. It was part of the decorations they put. I love the raw bulbs against the wood with the metal rims.
4. When my family was visiting my cousins in Colorado, we went on a picnic in the woods. This was my seat.
5. We went to a small town called Cottonwood for the Fourth of July. I took about forty photos of fireworks, trying to get one to turn out just right.
6. We have been having some huge monsoons in Arizona. This was the start of the third storm in four days that passed over us.
~Hannah

Bohemian Fishtail Braids

So, this is my last braid in this year's series! :( I really like fishtail braids, since you can make them about as messy as you want, and they still look fine. This style has a sort of Bohemian look to it, rather carefree and playful.

1. Separate your brushed hair into two equal parts.
2. Begin to fishtail braid one side. To fishtail braid, separate your hair into two equal parts. Take a small strand of hair from the outside of one section and put it over that section, then under the second. Do this with the the other section.
3. Once you finish one braid, repeat it with the other side. If some of your hair falls out, or you have bangs, you can make that into a small fishtail and pin it back.

~Hannah

Elsa Inspired Braid

So, I love the movie Frozen {we own the movie and sound track and and I know basically all the songs by heart}. This braid came into being kind of by accident. I started a french braid, but it ended up way over on the right side of my head, but it looked like a spin on Elsa's braid. I tweaked a little bit, and here is my result!

Start with your hair brushed out.
1. Begin to french braid it {if you don't know how, I have steps here}, but do it off towards the right {or left} side of your head. You can make it as close to that side of your head as you want, though I have found it works better the closer it is to the right {or left}.
2. Continue to do this and when you reach the nape of your neck, guide the braid over your neck as you braid it normally so that the braid will naturally fall over your shoulder.
When you reach the nape of your neck, you can also fishtail or dutch braid it instead of the regular braid. A dutch braid is just like a normal braid, except in reverse. The first strand goes under instead of over the middle one. I will have a fishtail braid tutorial coming up soon.

~Hannah

My next braid:

Bohemian Fishtail Braids

May Braids: The Medieval French

Here is the first installment in my May Braids series. My acting group is performing Once Upon A Mattress, and the ladies hairstyles have to incorporate braids. This is the style I came up with.

1. Brush through your hair. Gather the top of your hair and being to french braid it. If you don't know how, start with a normal braid, and every time you cross a section over, pull another strand of hair with it, so that you slowly gather all of it as you braid down the back of your head.
2. Continue this process until you have gathered all your hair until the nape of your neck. Once you reach the nape of your neck, pin the braid so that it stays, but the rest of the strands fall down the back of your neck.
3. Curl the remaining strands of loose hair in small pieces.
You can also continue the braid without gathering anymore hair once you reach the nape of your neck if pins fall out of your hair easily.

~Hannah

My next braid:
Elsa inspired Braid