DIY hairstyle: knotted milkmaid braid.

my pinterest addiction can be summed up in pins about hair. it makes sense considering that for the past 5 years i've worked for a salon, surrounded by copious amounts of hair, ladies obsessed with hair, photos of hairstyles, hair products... you get the picture.

hence, i wanted to try something different than the stereotypical plait, waterfall braid, etc, etc. [i.e. the same styles everyone else is wearing] 

warning: this is not your traditional milkmaid braid considering there's no actual braiding involved. perhaps the "knotted milkmaid faux braid" would be a more appropriate title! ;)  

steps: choose which side of the head to begin your knots. on that side, select two equal sections of hair just above the ear and tie a knot pulling upward. moving up [and eventually around the crown] carefully add more hair to either section and repeat the knotting process. continue around the head until you've reached the opposite ear. secure with a couple bobby pins and... voila, you're done!

in need of more hair inspiration? check out my other hairstyle tutorials here!

xoxo, blair. 

bare limbs + taupe tops.

it's springtime lovelies! 

hopefully you're not blinded by my glowsticks pasty legs. heh. i brought them out of hibernation just for YOU! 

okay, so this weekend i met some adorable/hilarious/sweet local fashion bloggers [west michigan bloggers, that is]. we hit up a fashion show [and a memorable one at that], along with dinner + drinks! you'll love them too... promise.

tieka of selective potential

andrea of blonde bedhead

kayley of sidewalk ready

patricia of quirky etiquette

also, did i mention i finally got a new job?! deets/lots of business casual outfits to come! gulp... wish me luck. i start this week!

the outfit

love culture taupe panel tank

h&m acid washed shorts

vintage clutch

steve madden gladiator wedges

happy sunday afternoon. back into the sunshine i go...

xoxo, blair.

chictopia article: "tell me i'm lovely"

ahhh! totes forgot to let you guys know about the new article on chictopia! as you may [or may not] know, i periodically write for chictopia's blog, "everybody is ugly". usually i steer towards beauty tips and trends, but as of late i felt the need to address body image in culture today. i'd love to hear your thoughts. click here to read!

happy saturday lovelies!

xoxo, blair.

behind the scenes: pixel and hank.

this is how i spent my sunday afternoon. 

... in the middle of nowhere, in michigan, on a property that's been owned by the same family for over 100 years! it felt like walking back in time seeing the smorgasbord of well, STUFF that's scattered all over the property. it's a horders dream + a textured paradise. 

jessica [above] + i modeled the chic headpieces made by daisy of pixel & hank. i was totally oogling over the floral print turban on jess [below]. turbans for spring!

oh ya know. just getting our frolic on!

i adored this dress. i wanted to steal it from amy, but alas... i resisted. heh. and it's from mod cloth! cuuuteness!

the mastermind behind the camera is amy carroll of amy carroll photography. you must check out her work. she recently returned from a trip to israel and her photos are absolutely breathtaking. 

[above] the creative geniuses behind this shoot... daisy + amy!

 well, happy monday everyone! spring has sprung in michigan and i'm off to bask in the sunshine [with my handy-dandy SPF 50]! 

xoxo, blair.

["behind the scenes" photos by me + daisy]

100th post: ombré on ombré on ombré.

happy 100th post birthday to "love, blair"!!!!

gosh, thanks for journeying with me on my fashion blogging escapades! it's funny how everything has unexpectedly come full-circle. on tuesday i modelled for aura skincare & cosmetics 2012 spring collection... and my 1st post EVER was a "behind the scenes" look at their 2011 photo shoot! take a peek HERE!! my hair was so short!

in celebration of this 100th post, i decided an ombré on ombré on ombré look was only appropriate. what can i say?! i have an ombré addiction! lol.

ombré hair --> ombré cardigan --> ombré tank top

the outfit deets

h&m graphic print high-waisted shorts

aldo shoes

bjewel tank top

oneA cardigan

forever 21 sunglasses + necklace

xoxo, blair.

p.s. pardon my excessive usage of the word "ombré" in this post! :)

box tee.

hello loves! sorry for the absence of outfit posts as of late. i promise there's a good reason!

so i'll let you in on a secret (well, not that big of a secret) -- i've actually been on a mad job hunt these past few months. you know -- researching, applying, interviewing, etc, etc, etc. even today i had a 4.5 hour interview! i think it went well (you know how it goes), but wowzer... my brain is fried! so hence, finding time to take outfit photos has been quite limited! :/

if you're curious with what i do outside of blogging on "love, blair", be sure to check out my "official" work --> here. 

okay, so onto the outfit details! i picked up this "box tee" (as i call it) because it's basic, yet unique. although i'm not a fan of wearing white, i made an exception for this guy! he's versatile and can be worn with jeans, a pencil skirt, dressy leggings, etc! :)

the goods 

white collared "box tee" from love culture

black high-waisted h&m pants

steve madden wedges

leather hot topic wristband 

feather earrings from target

have a beautiful week friends!

xoxo, blair.

the matthew agency.

i'm in a shout-out kind of mood today. sigh. i just feel like spreading the love! 

last saturday my agency (the matthew agency) here in grand rapids shot some sweeeet new photos for our online ad campaigns. if you're following "love, blair" on facebook, you may have already gotten a glimpse of the finished product!

i'm a sucker for black/white photos + minimalist styling. perhaps you've already gathered that from my outfit posts! hehe. hence, i loved this shoot. right up my alley! also be sure to check out the "behind the scenes" video posted above! [like my suspenders?? lol]

not to mention the stellar M.A. crew...

photographer: jerrad matthew [our fearless leader]

styling: daniel parker 

models: stephanie, blair [that's me!], alex, fabio, gloria

happy friday!

xoxo, blair. 

TheModeLife DIY nails: melted gum drops

sooo... i forgot to mention that i've begun writing for TheModeLife! TML is a women's lifestyle site, founded in my hometown [grand rapids, michigan], but features writers from all over the country! 

last month i wrote this little diddy --> "shopping 101" to demystify the science of shopping. because we all know it's a science, right?

today TML featured my latest DIY nails dubbed, "melted gum drops". click here for this spring-y tutorial! is it warm where you're at? it's 60 degrees in michigan!! HEAT WAVE! :)

xoxo, blair.

vlog tutorial: boho waves

friends! thank you a million times over for your lovely comments on my "confessions" post. you guys are too sweet and i truly cherish your support! :)

so there was A LOT of chatter about my hair on thursday's post [good grief, i even found my hair on pinterest - i'm flattered!] ... hence, your voices have been heard. i present to you the hair tutorial vlog to achieve your very own boho waves!

warning: hang tight... this video went longer than expected. but it's also stocked full of my styling secrets! so grab some popcorn and get watching! 

xoxo, blair. 

p.s. i'm not this fidgety in real life. just thought you should know.

... for a glimpse of my boho waves in action click here, here, or here. 

confessions.

appropriately named "confessions" considering the setting and the list of transgressions i'm about to divulge...

#1. it's 32 degrees out, but i'm pretending like it's 50

#2. i haven't washed my hair in 3 days [helloooo dry shampoo]

#3. i'm a pastor's kid [and no, this isn't my dad's church]

#4. i made ross roll around on the ground to take photo no. 2

#5. my friends nicknamed my legs "glow sticks" because of their luminous quality. see? they're not even visible in photos!

the outfit deets

cheap monday black side-slit dress

vintage cowboy boots

handmade ring [i bought it at a jewelry shop in bratislava, slovakia]

peacock feather necklace [birthday gift from my lovely sis-in-law!]

happy march kids!

xoxo, blair.