Monthly Archives: August 2014

BRAIDED CROWN HAIRSPIRATION

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I was fooling myself when I thought that I would steer clear of braids for a while. I mean, come on! I feel like braids and I are now a packaged deal. That and flower crowns… and eye liner… and of course Eric! 😉

I’ve played around with up-braids before (like these milkbraids) but lately I’ve been drawn to all of the pretty braided crowns that I’ve been seeing on Pinterest. If you follow my hair board, this is nothing new. All I can say is, my hair would be suffering big time if it weren’t for Pinterest and all of its magical wonder.

This look is so fun and absolutely elegant! It is that perfect look for a wedding, a bohemian vibe along the beach, or for those times you just want to feel fancy in your own apartment. Below is a quick tutorial, because I’m telling you it’s so simple!!

To Create

step one: Part hair down the center. Create two equal fishtail braids and secure with small elastic.
step TWO: Take one braid, bringing across hairline and securing just behind opposite ear using as many bobby pins as necessary.

step three: Take second braid, bring across to opposite side just behind previous braid. Secure braid with as many bobby pins as necessary. And you’re done!!

LITTLE LADY – CATHERINE SHORT

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NAME: Catherine Short

AGE: 27

LOCATION: Chicago (Moving to Nashville in September!)

CAREER: Barista, and also assisting my husband with his design and marketing company. 

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A Short Blonde is a journey of celebrating and learning to embrace the highs and lows of life. Living my life well and hopefully encouraging others to do the same are important to me. My blog is filled with things I love whether that be a great recipe, adventures in travel, a good book, or my latest fashion inspiration.

A TYPICAL DAY: My days revolve around coffee: making and drinking it. 😉 On work days, I wake up very early (between 4:00 & 6:00am), but that enables me to be home by lunch time. I utilize my afternoons for either blog work, running errands, exercising, or baking. In the evenings (when we’re home) Jordan and I enjoy watching a television show together. Currently we have been marathoning How I Met Your Mother. 

OUTSIDE OF WORK: I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes, reading memoirs, practicing yoga, and traveling! Jordan and I try to plan at least one big trip a year, but our schedules are flexible enough for day trips throughout each month. I also spend far too much time on Pinterest, but don’t we all?!

SUMMER STAPLE: I’ve really fallen in love with hats: big floppy hats, baseball caps, fedoras, they all work! Hats are perfect for protecting my fair skin and camouflaging a so-so hair day.

VICTORIA, BC

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Victoria, BC has stolen my heart, and quickly become one of my favorite cities – the local restaurants, the history, the water, the colorful money, the different languages, people complimenting you everywhere you go, I mean, how could it not be a favorite?

We decided to head out to Victoria in continuing on with our anniversary celebration. Neither Eric or I have been to this part of Canada before even though its just a short ferry ride away from Seattle. We set our alarms bright and early, making it to the docks at 6:30AM. We sat next to three of the sweetest Mexican women of all time. They LOVED talking to Eric and loved even more that he spoke fluent Spanish.

There’s so much I could say about the rest of our trip to Victoria, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking… along with a city guide.

^ The Fairmont Empress Hotel. Can I stay here forever? This was the first thing I saw as soon as we pulled in to Inner Harbor. The amount of pictures I took of this place is embarrassing, but oh so worth it!

^ The British Columbia Parliament Buildings. My jaw dropped at how absolutely stunning the building and grounds are. I felt like I was back in Europe all over again. So much history! The perfect spot to lay out on the grass and eat a packed lunch (which we totally did). 

^ Fan Tan Alley. I’m always a fan of hitting up Chinatown in any city we visit, but when I came across this gem in my research of Victoria I knew it was a must! Fan Tan Alley is the heart of Canada’s oldest Chinatown. With an alleyway of just 5 feet in width and shops and restaurants inside, Eric and I thought we were in Diagon Alley.

^ Christ Church Cathedral. I didn’t take many pictures inside, I wanted to soak in the artwork, the stained glass windows, the music, the organ(s). You should definitely look this place up online, so beautiful.