New Blog

If you love this blog, you will probably also love my new blog, "The Lonely Alchemist." It is a little bit of everything I love. Here is the short blog description:

"A blog for Steampunk, Gothic, Victoriana, etc... "The Lonely Alchemist" explores perfumes, fashion, green-living, films, and literature. Combining a love for historical elegance with insightful reviews and consumer commentary, "The Lonely Alchemist" gives you everything you ever wanted to know about the Dark Side."

Be sure to follow so you can get notifications every time I have a giveaway (I will be hosting plenty of giveaways for everything from perfume to books of poetry).

I will still post hairstyles here occasionally, though I just don't seem to have time for them anymore.

Because it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Feeling Charitable?

No woman deserves to get breast cancer, but 1 in 7 do get it. Please help make a difference.

Etsy Shop: Miss Violet Lace

Here is my interview with Krista of the Fabulous Etsy shop "Miss Violet Lace." I just bought some clip-in colored hair extensions from here and I'm so excited to try them out!


Ups & Downs: What got you started making wigs? What was your initial inspiration?

Krista: I have always been a frequent hair dye-er, and after so many chemical processes, my hair was left fragile and fried. I didn't have the thousands of dollars it would cost to have extensions installed, so I started searching for other options.

As both my mom and I got involved in reconstructing, redesigning and hand-altering wigs, we started to think outside the box- what else could we do with different colors and styles?

The main key for us wig-wise is not only presenting a unique product, but to reflect how realistic synthetic wigs can be. They are a lot of fun, and don't have to be just for dress-up any longer!


U&D: What does your workspace look like?

K: Our workspace initially started out as being a studio in my bedroom, but we soon found we were cramped for space, and have since taken over the entire dining room and computer area. (We don't actually dine in the dining room, thank goodness, otherwise we'd most likely find wig hair on our plates)

It can be pretty messy at times, though I do my best to keep things in order. At our busiest, there are dozens of boxes, envelopes, and storage bins filled to the brim with our materials at any given place in the house.

We are pretty excited to have our own room for our new studio which we worked on in the past few months, though we still need to apply trim and lay down carpeting. We plan to move in to our new studio by the fall.

U&D: What is your first thought when you wake up?

K: My first thought every day is disbelief. I have dreamed of having my own business for 7 years, and this for me is a true dream come true. I am so grateful and thankful to all of the supportive people that have been here with us each step of the way in this new adventure.

U&D: What is your favorite item on Etsy?

K: It would be impossible for me to choose only one item from so many amazing sellers on Etsy, but I will say that when I get a craving to purchase something from Etsy, my go-to shops are For Strange Women: www.etsy.com/shop/forstrangewomen and Mungo Crafts: www.etsy.com/shop/mungocrafts


U&D: Is there one wig that you haven't made that you are dying to make (if you had unlimited funds/supplies)?

K: I have always loved those brave enough to dye their hair in rainbow colors, so that would definitely be the top of my list as far as wigs go. I've actually recently been commissioned to do a rainbow colored wig, so I will finally get a chance to concoct some magical hair!


To find out more about Miss Violet Lace:
Shop: missvioletlace.etsy.com
Facebook Fan Page- www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Violet-Lace/155556851164819
Twitter: twitter.com/HerOceanEyes

My New Blog (don't worry followers, I will still post hairstyles here...)

I have a new blog of Etsy promotions and organic/sustainable/"green"/fair trade factoids and do-dads. http://greenmansgrotto.blogspot.com/

I will still post everything related to hair here, when I get a chance, but if you are interested in great handmade stuff and DIY projects, please check out the other blog and support the great Etsy sellers I will feature there.

Braids, oh so underappreciated... until now...

I felt very vindicated [in my love for braids] when I was reading a style article the other day about how braids are very in this season. I had read so many fashion articles on how braids are dowdy, braids are old, braids are plain, braids are unflattering that I had almost given up hope for my favorite go-to hairstyle. And though this article did only praise loose over-the-shoulder braids (combined with long bangs), I am hopeful that braids really are making a comeback. I feel that their old-fashioned look isn't dowdy, it is elegant, and remininscent of vikings and medieval princesses. And who wouldn't want to be a viking warrior woman or a medieval princess? Really. And guys like them to. Guys like no-nonsense styles that flatter a woman's face and figure and, yes, look a little bit romantic! I feel that modern stylists get too caught up in using hairspray and pins and making sure every hair is in place. But messy hair is sexy. What man wants to mess with stiff sprayed hair or pins during a makeout session? And what girl want to have a guy touch her hair and say, "It's so... stiff." Again, really. Hairstylists of the world: make it simple.

Etsy Shop Promotion: Ruby and Jane!

For those of you who like to adorn your hair, here is a unique shop full of timeless hair accessories and other delicious tidbits at amazingly reasonable prices! Check it out and enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyandjane

A Little Bit of Whimsy...

A few years back my mother (in the pink) and I (in the orange) were in the chorus of the opera version of Cinderella. It was to be an outrageous production with bright zany costumes, picture book sets, and the world's weirdest hairdos! Here are some pictures of our crazy hairstyles, which are lightly based on hairstyles from the mid 1800's (this Jane Eyre's era), as are the costumes. If you put me in a traditional dress from that era, my hairstyle would be completely acceptable.