4 Perfectly Quick Hairstyles for Christmas

[Now, just bear with me here. This is my first "hair tutorial" kinda thing, so it's far from perfect, I'm not completely happy with how it turned out, aaaand I didn't even take as much time as I should have on it. ;) But it was rather fun cooking it up, and I hope you have fun reading it. :)]

Here follows four of my absolute favorite hairstyles, which are just right for Christmas. They're all easy, quick, and keep your hair under control for when you're helping with Christmas dinner, tearing open gifts, playing with your little cousins, etc. ;)

I hope you love them, and let me know in the comments if you're thinking of doing one for Christmas! :)

This one is a no-brainer. Not only does it looks absolutely adorable, but, BONUS: you can do it the night before, sleep on it, and then take it out whenever you're ready to release your fabulous, no-heat curls!

You will need: One hair elastic, and one sock with the toe cut off, rolled up into a donut shape.

Directions: Put your hair into a high ponytail. Using your sock bun thingy, put all your hair through the hole in the center. Then, starting at the bottom, roll your hair up around the sock, tucking any loose ends into the center as you go to make sure everything stays tidy. This may take a few tries to get perfect, so don't worry if it doesn't look too great at first. Just try again!

I absolutely fail at clever names, but this hairstyle is really just what the title would indicate. ;)

BONUS: This looks amazing with those awesome sock bun curls you created in your sleep!

You will need: 2 bobby pins.

Directions: Section off most of your top hair, and smooth it into one wide piece. Then secure it all at the back of your head with the two bobby pins.

Don't be intimidated by this one if you've never fishtailed your hair before -- it's quite straightforward and easy to get the hang of.

BONUS: This one looks so much more complicated than it actually is, so it'll look like you took forever on your hair, when in actuality, you took less than 5 minutes!

You will need: One normal hair elastic + one small elastic.

Directions: Put your hair into a low side ponytail -- either side works. Take a piece from the back of the pony and bring it around to the left front. Hold that piece there while you take another piece from the back, and bring it across the first piece over to the right side. Hold that there, grab another piece from the back and bring it across the previous piece to the opposite side. Continue this process as far as you want, then tie it off with your small hair elastic.

This one is perfect for those of us with side bangs, as it will keep them away and out of your face.

BONUS: Also the perfect hairstyle to use some of those pretty bobby pins we all have stuffed in our "hair drawer" that we never get to use!

You will need: Two bobby pins.

Directions: Grab a small amount of hair on one side of your part, at the front of your hairline, right down to the front of the ear. Adjust the hair as necessary, then twist it once: away from your face and back. Flatten the twist, then secure upwards with a bobby pin from just behind the top of your ear. Repeat on the other side, and you're done!

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10 Things I'm Grateful For (Blog Tag)

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the very sweet Evie from Me, Myself and I tagged me for the Grateful Blogger Tag! Thanks so much, deary! I absolutely love getting tagged for this kind of things. :D

Now, I'm gonna cheat a little bit from the actual rules for this because I'm a bit pressed for time right now, just sneaking in a bit of internet-time between the Thanksgiving festivities. ;) But you can find the "official" rules in Evie's post.

But regardless, here's 10 things that I am grateful (thankful!) for this Thanksgiving Day. :)

First, the serious.

1. Jesus, who is the reason I have so much to be thankful for.
2. My dad, mom, and three sisters, who tolerate of all my crazy shenanigans. ;)
3. My friends, who are always there for me when I need a laugh, a hug, or a listening ear.
4. Every single person who reads this little blog of mine. You give me so much joy. :)
5. The year 2014, and the fact I'm still alive to enjoy it... xD

And now, the not-so-serious... ;)

6. The internet. Specifically Pinterest, Blogger, and Facebook... xD
7. Thrift stores -- because I've got a lot of things from second-hand shops that I adore. ;D
8. Fall fashion... I just really love boots. And coats. And scarves. And sweaters. And...
9. My sewing machine and the fact that it still works. I couldn't cosplay without you! XD
10. Unicorn smiles:

Ehehehehhehe... @Karis. XD

The End. ;)

So, like I said, I'm going to cheat and not make a list of tagged bloggers -- I'll instead say whoever is reading this post is tagged! Yes, I, Beth, An Elven Princess, tag YOU for the Grateful Blogger Tag. I'm serious! Go, go write! *shoos you away*

In closing, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving -- and if you don't live in a place where November 27th is Thanksgiving Day, then... I hope you have a wonderful Thursday! ;D

Au revoir 2013...Bonjour 2014

This is the first post in 2014 on my blog.

O_O

WHERE DID YOU GO 2013????

Well, no matter where it went, it's gone and another year is ahead of us. So strap on your seatbelt, and get ready for the ride! I'm pretty sure it'll be crazy for all of us. ;)

But before I say goodbye to 2013, I want to make a list of the best things that happened in this past year...

1. I started this blog! On June 12th, I decided to make this blog for the purpose of logging my journey of making my Tauriel cosplay. And I'm so glad I did!! I have had so much fun doing just that, and even though that adventure is over, there are many to come that I'm extremely excited to share with you all. :)

2. Going along with the last point, I completed my second cosplay! It was literally so much fun -- AND I learned a ton while doing it, and expanded my sewing experience and expertise alot! So it was a win-win. ;)

3. I successfully finished my second dual-enrolled college course, Biblical Worldview. It was a great class, and I learned so much from it.

4. I lived through my 15th year of life. Less than two months until that year is over, and another year of my life begins! And what a great year it's been...

5. And one last thing: I've grown closer to God. My relationship with Him isn't perfect, but that's how every relationship starts. I see it like this: I'm a USB plug, but I'm a little bit deformed. God is the USB port. I, as the USB, am in the port, but sometimes I'm not perfectly connected. My desire is to have that perfect connection - but in the meantime, I will keep striving to follow Jesus and live a God-centered life.

And one last thing. Last night, after midnight, we sang this song...

It's now my "anthem" for the new year. :)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Nails and Butter Pecan Cookies

Hullo, my lovely friends and followers!

So, yesterday was the first day of winter, and now Christmas is only 3 days away! :D

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love giving and receiving gifts, getting together with family and friends, and, most importantly, celebrating Jesus' birth. ^_^

Yesterday, to get into the spirit of things, I decided to do some "Christmas baking" -- even though there wasn't technically anything Christmas-y about the recipe... ;) I also did my nails Christmas style... nothing fancy, but I think they're cute. ;)

I made butter pecan cookies (recipe at end of post) -- which I hadn't made in years! I made them with almond flour and honey, instead of wheat flour and sugar, because, as some of you may know, I'm on a special diet, the "specific carbohydrate diet" (SCD), that doesn't allow me to have wheat, sugar, most starches (think rice, potatoes, corn), and a few other random things, because I have celiac disease. It's not life-threatening, but it is chronic and has been a trial for me.

ANYWAY, back to le cookies... :D

And the finished cookies! (They tasted amazing, by the way. :D)

And in case anyone wanted it, here's the recipe!

SCD Butter-Pecan Cookies
Ingredients:

- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the almond flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and pecans in a bowl.
3. Combine the vanilla, egg, butter, and honey in another bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
5. Drop heaping 2-tablespoon-sized portions of the batter about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.

Makes 18-20 cookies.