Happy Friday!
Is it beautiful where you all are too? It finally looks like Southern Indiana has decided to be Spring after long deliberation, and I for one could not be happier. I hope everyone has a perfectly relaxing weekend!
xo
helen
This Week We Posted...
TND: Officially 30 and Plantain Adventures
Don't miss Steph's post about her trip to Miami and some pretty delicious-looking plantain chips
This Week They Posted...
Anthropologie: Nanette Leopre Kimono Floral Seductress
I'm way too excited for summer now
Joy the Baker: Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwich
need I say more? Sounds like a lazy Sunday must
The Small Things Blog: Low Chignon Tutorial
I've been meaning to do more with my hair... perhaps I will start here!
Offbeat and Inspired: Coconut Lime Soap
DIY soap in one of my favorite scents... Mmm
(Our running path for the week in Miami.)
Plantain Chips
adapted from Gourmet; November 2008
Photo: Ditte Isager
What you need:
- 4 cups vegetale oil
- 2 lbs green plantains
- salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
Peel plantains and cut off the ends. Using a sharp knife cut very thin, vertical slices. In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 1/2 the oil (depending on the size of your skillet) over medium-high heat. You want to get the oil hot enough so that the plantain slices will fizzle as soon as you place them in the pan. Working in batches, place about 12 slices of plantains into the heated oil. Turn frequently and fry until they are golden brown. Place on a sheet of paper towl and quickly sprinkle salt and pepper. Repeat until all plantain chips are cooked.
DIY Gift Wrap
By Megan Kramer
Such an exciting week here at Thursdays; it's Stephania's Birthday! So we are just having an all around birthday week! Everyone loves a party, and if you're like me at all, you love to bring a beautifully wrapped gift with you! I'm always looking for a creative way to wrap presents, so I set out to find something different. I decided I would paint some paper with chalkboard paint and add a coffee filter flower. The best part, you don't even have to buy a card!
What you need:
For the paper: 
- shipping paper (the brown kind that comes in a roll)
- a paintbrush
- chalkboard paint
For the flower:
- about 8 coffee filters
- floral wire
- scissors
What you do:
For the paper simply paint the paper with chalkboard paint. I used 2 coats. Make sure you leave enough time for it to dry.
For the flower take a coffee filter (you can do a couple at a time) and fold it in half. Fold it in half again, and then one more time. Round the top edge with your scissors to make a petal. Do the same with the next 2. When you cut these ones, cut it down a little lower so that it's shorter than the last. Continue until you get to all 8. Now open them all up. Take your floral wire and poke it through the center of the first filter (the biggest one), then add the others so that the smallest is on top. Now poke the wire back down through all of the filters and twist the 2 ends together to secure the flower. Now arrange the layers so it looks how you wish.
Wrap your gift with the paper, tape on the flower and write your message!
Xo,
Megan
Jordan and I met this girl at Feathers. An amazing little vintage shop down on S. Congress.
Obsessed with her little fringed black leather bag!
We loved her look! She is an acress from NY. Check out her Marlow & Sons tote bag!
This may be my favorite piece of jewelry that we saw all during SXSW. The diamond engagement ring was her great grandmother's and they were able to find the wedding band that fit perfectly at an estate sale.
Amber actually works with Dave and we knew we wanted to shoot her street style all week. The girl always looks good. We were finally able to catch her on the last day. She quickly went off the walkie talkie, detangled the numerous cords, and stepped out so that we could photograph her.
In just four days Colleen and I will be in Miami celebrating our 30th birthdays with our original Thursdays crew, Emily and Kate. After a crazy week in Austin shooting street style at SXSW and running the NYC Half Marathon I could not be more excited to have a cocktail with the ladies with the warm sun shining on my face. After some much needed girl time, I'm hopping on a plane to meet Dave in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Now Miami and Culebra aren't exactly the same kind of vacation so in order avoid packing a suitcase that's impossible to carry (and getting that look from Dave), I need to figure out some essential getaway gear that translates from flashy over the top Miami to low-key, romantic Culebra. Here are a few of my favorites that have made it to the top of the list. You can find more on our Pinterest board here.
1. Mara Hoffman 2. Steven Alan 3. Madewell 4. Dolce Vita 5. Elizabeth Cole Jewelry
Perfect Getaway Hair
By Megan Kramer
I can't tell you how many times I've said the phrase, "I need to go on vacation" in the past month. I think it may be nearing the triple digits. I've had just about enough of this cold, snowy nonsense. Well, as it turns out, I'm not going on a warm, sunny vacation anytime soon, but it seems like tons of other people are. So for all you lucky ducks who are going away, I have a little hair inspiration that would be perfect if you're on a little get away. It can be dressy or casual, whatever you need it to be. Plus, it would be amazing with textured, beachy hair. Oh, and it's also great for those of us (sigh) who won't be having any fun in the sun. We might not be tan, but at least our hair can look good!
What you need:
- hair tie
- bobby pins
- comb
- hair spray
What you do:
- Start with dry, day dirty or textured beachy hair.
- Make a small ponytail. It should only be a little section from the bottom, side of your hair.
- Tease the section.
- Make it into a bun and secure with bobby pins. This will be the base for you to pin the rest of your hair to and will make the whole thing secure.
- Now take smallish sections and wrap them around the bun and secure with bobby pins. I loop and weave some of the pieces into the hair already in the bun, just to give it a little more texture.
- Continue until all your hair is secured in the bun.
- Add a little spray to hold everything in place.
Xo,
Megan
Be Inspired to Love Your Hair
By Megan Kramer
I always feel like I’m so lucky to have a job where I get to be creative. Being a hairstylist is like doing little mini art projects all day long! Unfortunately, like every job, occasionally I can feel kind of stuck in a rut… hate when that happens. When I’m feeling like that, I know it’s time to find some inspiration to make every day, every client feel exciting and new.
One of my favorite places to find hair inspiration is maybe weird but nonetheless, it’s the subway. Might sound silly, but next time you take the subway, take a look around- you'll see some really cool hair (and a lot of really bad hair)! I think that's where a few of the braids I've shown you have come from. New Yorkers are known for their sense of style, and the subway is a place where you see styles that real people can do, not just editorial stylists. Don't use the subway? Find a cool coffee shop or bar.
I feel like I have been so unbelievably lucky to train with both Bumble and Bumble and Oribe. Whenever I go to a training with them, I can't wait to get home and start experimenting. It reminds me why I love my job so much! The pictures below are from a fashion show my co-workers and I did. The hair was inspired by a training with Oribe. While you guys can't all train with amazing stylists, you can keep up with what they're doing. They both have amazing websites! Check them out and see what they're up to. Even if you don't do exactly what they do, it still gets the creativity flowing and who knows what styles you might come up with!!
So when you're stuck in a hair rut, just look around, be observant! You never know what you might find. The perfect style could be right around the corner!
Xo,
Megan
Inspiration Week: Tie Up Your Room with a Little Trim
Written by stephaniaTie Up Your Room with a Little Trim
by Sara Lowman
I thought I’d share a detail that I sometimes work with because it might help some of you looking to make curtains work with your room scheme. I had a client who loved a fabric that we wanted to use for curtains, and while it was beautiful, we needed a way to tie it into the rest of the room.
I’m not one for frills or unnecessary decorative details, but I thought that by adding a tape (basically a gros-grain ribbon), it would help to bring the scheme together. By adding the tape to the leading edge or the bottom edge of the curtains (or both), it makes them feel a little bit more special and allows you to be more creative with your fabric choices. I think we were successful, and I hope you do too.
Room Scheme:
To bring more color to the curtains, we added Gros-Grain (aka a tape):
I like to add the tape to the leading edge and bottom of the curtains:
It’s a little detail that really helps to bring a room together. In this case, we used curtains in place of closet doors to add softness and a textile layer to the room: 
Happy Friday!
How was everybody's week? Mine was swamped with so many midterms, papers and appointments--however all my hard work is paying off as I'm currently en route to sunny (hopefully!) Florida for my last college spring break with my best friends! Indiana is covered in a grimey layer of dirty snow and looking greyer than ever all-around, so a change of scenary is just what the doctor ordered!
Check out everything we did this week + fun little things found from the blogosphere and have a fantastic weekend whatever you get into!
xox
helen
This Week We Posted:
Take Your Pony-tail from Average to Amazing!
Steph shared the cutest dress-up pony-tail fit for any day-time occasion!
Ultimate Comfort Food: Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
'Nuff said. This is a classic for any time of year but especially when it's super gross outside and you need a little comfort in the form of gooey cheese
TND: Meeting the Family
Don't miss this Mocha Brownie Pie Steph's making for her sister&boyfriend this week! Looks absolutely amazing
This Week They Posted:
Martha Stewart: DIY Ombre Scarf
This is a great Spring craft idea!!
Circle of Moms: Shrimp & Asparagus Quinoa with Goat Cheese
This is just making my mouth water! I love finding new things to do with quinoa
Anthropologie: Zimmermann Vase Bikini
How fun is this bikini? I'm loving the pattern and shape
House And Hold.Com: Fancified Oreos
Treat yo'self! These white chocolate and peppermint mocha-dunked oreos sound like a perfectly devine (& easy)
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