The Poof

Alright ladies, grab your rat-tail comb and your Bump It...it's time to talk about The Poof.

I'm a southern girl, born and raised in the great state of Arkansas, land of Johnny Cash, Bill Clinton, Wal-Mart and the Hogs. All fine things, in my opinion. And like all good southern girls, I love my sweet tea, my southern boys and, most of all, my poof.

To me, hair is best when it's vertical.

So, a little history on The Poof. You may want to grab some popcorn:

Made famous by the lovely Pricilla Presley, (a southern girl after my own heart), The Poof began in the 1960's and has been going strong ever since, (well, at least around this part of the country).

Unfortunately, the trend died out in the 70's and 80's due to a little something called "The Farrah". Feathered bangs, anyone?

However, things started looking up, (no pun intended), about a year ago when designers like Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano started pushing the style on the runway again. And The Poof was re-born.

Want to create a heavenly bump of your own? Aight, aight. Here are some instructions:

Stuff you'll need:

-A teasing comb

(go to your local salon or supermarket and look for a comb with lots of tiny teeth and a really long, skinny handle.)

-Some stout freakin' hairspray

(I love Redken's Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray. It's as deadly as it sounds, ladies.)

-Clear ponytail holders and bobby pins

(If you're doing a poofy pony, my personal fave.)

-Mini hair clippies

(If you're going with a half-up look.)

Instructions:

1. Make sure that your entire head is completely tangle-free. After you start teasing, there's no going back.

2. Grab a 1-2 inch section of hair directly on the crown of your head.

3. Comb the section of hair up at a 90 degree angle and, starting at the top of the section, back-comb your hair until it looks like a big rat's nest.

Note:

If you look like Nikki Sixx ala' the Dr. Feelgood tour, you're on the right track.

4. Now...AND THIS PART IS CRUCIAL...with a regular brush or comb, smooth only the very top layer of the teased section so that there are no snags or tangles.

5. Finally, if you're going with a ponytail, pull your hair up, just as you usually would. Once it's up, pull the hair around the crown out and up slightly.

At this point, you'll have either a) a cute bump or, b) a really big mess. Either way, you're "poofed".

I'm a loyal fan of The Poof, but hey, to each her own. I personally think the bigger the poof, the closer to God.

It's just how I roll.

Tomorrow's Forecast

Something awesome. Of that, you can be sure.

Photo credits: {this is glamorous}, {a glamorous little side project} , Google Images

Trend Watch Wednesday: Sexy Back

Good Morning, beautiful people! Is it just me or is this week flying by? I'm not complaining though, as this just means we're that much closer to the weekend. And frankly, who doesn't love a weekend?

First off, let me express my sincere appreciation for all of your comments on yesterday's post. I SO enjoyed being able to read your "heel" stories : ) I love doing a shamelessly girly post from time to time. I mean, isn't that our divine right as female bloggers, haha?

Alright, let's cut to the chase and talk trends. Because folks, it's Trend Watch Wednesday.

You might want to go ahead and que up some Justin Timberlake or Sir Mix-A-Lot (even though technically that song isn't really about backs.) Today's post is all about necks and backs and why they are so darn sexy. I've noticed that lots of designers are drifting further and further away from the cleavage-baring, leg-showing designs we've seen in seasons past and choosing to focus on more, ahem, demure parts of the body.

To me, there's something so undeniably sexy about a plunging back on an evening gown or a cocktail dress that draws attention to the nape of the neck. It's understated elegance, my friends.

Design houses like Jessica Stam, Miu Miu and Rodarte brought sexy back in a big way on the Spring 2010 runways recently and fashion critics everywhere went crazy. So take note ladies...

What do you think of the back/neck baring trend? Do you love it?

Tomorrow's Forecast

Calling all hair-poofing addicts: We're gonna talk about "the poof". If you're southern, (or from Jersey Shore), you are familiar with "the poof". If you aren't, well, you will be after this post.

Photo credits: {this is glamorous}, {a glamorous little side project}, Coco + Kelley

Well-Heeled

Last night, I was trolling the web in search of the perfect pair of heels; a woman on a mission. Now, I'll be the first to admit, my closet is cram-jammed with oodles of heels that, at the time of their purchase, were the perfect pair. But perfection is non-existant and style is ever-changing. So in search of more shoes I went.

All of this virtual shoe shopping gave me flashbacks to the days of standing in my mom's closet in front of a full length mirror, admiring my own teeny feet perched inside of her lipstick-red pumps. My love affair of fine footwear has been a long and often physically painful one. In junior high, it was all about the kitten heel with big, pleather ankle straps ala' Cher from the movie Clueless. In college, I opted for tall. Really tall. If I had a dollar for every time I nearly killed myself trying to walk through crowded, filthy fraternity houses in a pair of ridiculous 4 inch stillettos...well, let's just say I'd have bought out Christian Louboutin by now.




Then the post-college years came. A hectic advertising internship led me to forgo heels temporarily, as I opted for comfy, durable black Converse to carry my legs from coffee run to coffee run. Gone were the days of T-straps and wedges and peep-toes...it was all about survival.


As the 6 months of internship craziness finally drew to a close and my official "career" in marketing began, my relationship with The Heel was re-established. My new desk job required minimal physical exertion and allowed me to sport really tall shoes again without fear of breaking an ankle running sprints in the Starbucks parking lot. So the foot fetish began again....

Which brings me to the present.

As I type this little essay, I'm wearing a fabulous pair of leopard print, spike-heeled, Antonio Melani's. My plum, pedicured toes are on display for all to see and I'm so okay with that. I'm wearing the perfect pair of heels. And though they will likely be replaced next week with the tweed Kenneth Cole's I met last night on Zappos, they are the perfect pair today. And all is right in the world...

Do you remember the first time you wore heels? Do you remember what they looked like, how they made you feel? Mature? Glamorous? Empowered? I would love to hear all of your shoe stories, so leave a comment if you feel like sharing!

Tomorrow's Forecast

We'll talk sexy "backs" on Trend Watch Wednesday and look at some spine revealing pieces that are sure to please.

Photo credits: {this is glamorous}, Coco + Kelley, vintage Italian Vogue

New Look, Same Great Blog

Did you notice that A Blonde Ambition got a little facelift this weekend?! Well, she did and I'm so excited to unveil the new look today to all of you guys! I think it's clean, totally girly (like moi) and a FABULOUS way to begin 2010!

Danielle over at Dandy Designs - A Graphic Boutique worked double-time on Friday and Saturday to get this completed and I SO appreciate her hard work and creativity. So if any of you bloggers out there are looking for a pro to update your look, be sure and contact Danielle and tell her I sent you ; )

So what do you guys think of the new look? My goal is to make this blog as easy-on-the-eyes as possible, so I would welcome any suggestions/ideas for future enhancements.

Well, I'm off to get some work done. Happy MLK Day, lovely readers!

Photo credits- {this is glamorous}

It's Fridayyyyyy...Get Happy

Hallelujah, we have made it to Friday, ya'll! I hope everyone is as ready for this weekend as I am, because I am READY.

This afternoon I'm heading out of work early and going to the hair salon for some much-needed T.L.C. Getting my hair "did" is seriously one of my favorite things to do and one of the few things for which I will happily fork over the money : )

Today's post is pretty random as I was originally going to participate in Kelly's blog hop today. But then I noticed that the topic was diet and weight loss tips...and well...I got nothin'. So instead, let's talk about what made us happy this week.

Well, I'll talk about what made me happy and then you guys can chime in with your lovely comments. Deal?

I'm happy because....Project Runway started again last night! I'm in LOVE with Seth and his fabulous plaid creation. He came in "runner-up" last night, but I think he might have potential to take the whole competition if he keeps cranking out clothes like this. I mean, Nina Garcia even had nice things to say about him!

Emilio took top honor's in last night's debut episode with a well-constructed, geometric patterned sundress. Loves it!

Now, what I didn't like was this weird dress that Ping designed. The judges LOVED it, Leslie HATED it. Innovative and fashion-forward? I think not. Sorry Ping.

Know what else made me happy? We have a January giveaway winner!

Wait...hold the phone...did I just say we have a giveaway winner?!
We totally do and her name is Lane!

Congrats girlie-poo! I'll be sending you an email today and get the details on colors, fonts and wording for your personalized cards.

Have a fantabulous Friday my dear readers!