Thursday, January 26, 2012

A January warm enough...

It's January, and it is so very warm.  One lady told me yesterday that it is a sign of the end times, but I think it's because Jesus loves the Biestmans; and He knows the Biestmans hate to be cold.

About a week ago I told you that I had a special shin-dig to attend last weekend, and it was wonderful.  I baked 175 cupcakes for the event, and afterward my husband took me to the beautiful Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast.  The following morning we did a wee photo shoot in and around the inn.  I had a little bed-head, but when one is dealing with someone as great as my husband, it really doesn't matter...


This is from my phone.  A third of the way through putting them in their boxes, I thought, "Crap!  A picture!"


And here is cupcake in the candlelight.

And here I am...


Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast

Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast

Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast

Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast

Rosemary Inn Bed and Breakfast

He is so sweet, and I like him lots.  Check his other work out here.

Have a great day, everyone.

Rachel Bee.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Old Hollywood with a smidge of rock n' roll: hair tutorial...

Tomorrow is the volunteers' banquet at my church, and I would officially like to add about 8 hours to today.  However, since extending hours is not an option, I am up early to bring you another hair tutorial.

Last year I brought you this perspective on curling hair, and I still stand by it for the most part.  I do, however, want to give you a more glamourous option for the evening.  

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

  This is my modern take on an old Hollywood style: a ton of glamour, and a little rock and roll.  

Lets get started!

Start off with freshly blown out hair, prepped with volumizing mousse or spray. Dry with a wide side part.

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Part off your fringe area at an angle, and pull it down toward your face.

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

At 0 degrees (do not lift your hair up!  You don't want volume in the fringe), curl your hair halfway up the hair shaft, and pin in place.

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

You can get a big box of these clips at Sally's for not very much at all.  

Do the section behind in the same fashion.  

Old Hollywood hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Start on the other side, angling toward your face.  

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

And continue around the sides...

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Here, I have wrapped the hair around, and as I feed it through to be curled, I have the piece that I am feeding through on the bottom of the iron.

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

And I am doing the same thing on the other side.  Do not feed it through on the top.  

Continue curling and pinning all the way around, but curl horizontally through the back.  Curl and pin until you look awesome, something like this...

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Keep your hair in the pins until the hair is completely cool to the touch.  Then pull out your pins, starting from the bottom.  You should reveal something like this...

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Now, brush through all of your curls, repeatedly.  You will not ruin them if you began with clean hair.

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

You are trying to form the curls together, giving them one, seamless line of curl.  
At the to of your hair shaft, push your hair up with your palm to form waves.  

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

Even pick up a section of hair at the top (if your hair is layered), and brush it together for more waves at the top.  

The end result should be this...

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

We could leave it here, but a southern girl needs some volume.  

Take your fingers and rake through your perfect coif.  Push it up...

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

... and really get your hands in there.  

Old Hollywood Hair Tutorial

And done!  I hope you enjoy playing with this one! 

Have a great day, and I'll see you on the other side.  

Rachel Bee

Monday, January 16, 2012

Ballerina Bun How to...

A year ago I saw this picture...


... and I have been in love with the style ever since.

Before you attempt the style, you must have moderately long hair, and a hairline that is moderately straight.  This style is very dramatic, but classically feminine.  If you have the length for it, I suggest you try it!  Besides, it is super easy.

Start with hair that has been shampooed in the last 24 hours, and prepped with mousse or styling spray.  I really recommend that you do not do this on very dirty hair, as you will be doing a lot of work to brush it up- distributing the surface oils on your scalp.

Start by brushing your hair in every direction, eventually up into a pony tail at the highest point of your head.  Although it's popular, I do not recommend a knot on the top of your head.  It is a bit too avant garde for Augusta, GA.

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

If you tilt your head up as you are forming a pony tail, it will not sag at the base of your neck.

Top Knot Tutorial
Work as hard as you can to pull your hair smooth across your scalp.  Form your pony tail, and use an elastic to secure.  Very important: ALWAYS work with a hand mirror to check out the back and sides when you are doing your own hair.

Now, using a teasing comb, back-comb your hair to oblivion.

Top Knot Tutorial

That's right.  Hold your ponytail up, and using an up and down motion with your teasing comb, get it up, up, up there!

Now, place your index finger in the middle of that mess, all the way to the center of the elastic.

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

Begin to comb and fold the hair around, in one direction.

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

When you are satisfied with how a section looks, run a slightly open bobby pin across the surface of the  bun (barely skimming the surface of the bottom inch of the bun), and once the open part of the pin hits your scalp, fold it over and push it under the bun.

Top Knot Tutorial

Continue to work your way around until you are satisfied, re-teasing if needed, and do not over-pin. This style may require 5 bobby pins, really.

Now, to finish- use a very, very good hairspray, and spray it in the direction of the bun.  Wait for 5 seconds, and use your hands to smooth in the direction of the bun.  Continue and do the back and sides of your hair.

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

Ballerina Bun Tutorial

Aw, look at me!  Dangly earrings at all!

Ballerina But Tutorial

Ballerina Ballerina Bun Tutorial

This is what the top of it looks like.  Not perfectly symmetrical, but more than satisfactory.

Now, for everyday wear, rub your hands back and forth over the surface of your hair to rough it up a little.

Or to look like an old schoolmarm/hipster, add some glasses and an old scarf...


Have a great day!

Rachel Bee

Friday, January 13, 2012

Toffee Coffee Cake Recipe...

Over a week ago I promised a cake recipe, and I am here to fulfil my promise!


Even if quite a bit late...

Toffee Coffee Cake
(makes one 9" layer cake)

White Butter Cake (slightly adapted from Joy of Baking)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
2 t vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated and room temperature
.5 t cream of tartar
3.5 cups cake flour
4 t baking powder
3/4 t Kosher salt
1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Cream the butter together with 1.5 cups of sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beat until blended after each addition.  Set aside.

In another bowl, perfectly free from grease (use a paper towel coated in vinegar to wipe it down if you are unsure), add the egg whites, and beat on high until foamy.  Sprinkle in the cream of tartar, and then continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the remaining sugar, until a stiff meringue is present.  Set to the side.

Mix the remaining dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.  Add a third of the flour mixture to the original butter/egg mixture, and mix until incorporated.  Scrape down the bowl and add 1/2 of the milk, gradually.  Mix until incorporated.  Continue alternating flour and milk, ending with the flour mixture.

Fold in the meringue to the batter, spread into 2 buttered and floured 9" pans, and bake in a preheated oven for @30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven, and place on a baking sheet to cool for ten minutes.  Remove from the pans, and let cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 block brand name cream cheese
3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1.5 packets of Via (Starbucks brand instant coffee), columbia
1 t vanilla extract
pinch of Kosher salt

In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.  Add the Via, vanilla, and salt, and beat for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

1 recipe Toffee.

How to assemble:

Fill and frost the cake.  Break up the toffee into small pieces and coat the outside of the cake.

Enjoy!

Rachel Bee



Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Choosing a part: your best you!

Apparently some of you were let down that something worse didn't happen as a result of yesterday's story, and I am sorry.  But standing there looking something like this...


is mortifying enough.  May it never be done again, as Drew and I have both learned our lessons.

Amen.

So anyway, I would like to take a moment to talk about formal styles.  For brides, it is common place to choose by the rear and profile appearances, but when you are in a sea of black dresses, I believe one should focus on the front.  And that's why I want to talk about your best "you."

Your part.

I believe that hairstylists aren't bold enough to talk with their clients about their part lines, ie where your hair falls around your face.  There are a few factors to consider when you choose your part.

1.  Cowlicks.  Yes, that's spelled "cow-lick," as if a cow came up to you and licked the front of your head, creating a non-negotiable seam at your forehead.  Some people have stubborn, outrageous cowlicks, and unfortunately mother nature has chosen their part line.  Some have only mild cowlicks which are easily negotiated.

2.  Thickness.  Some people have very thin hair on one side of their heads.  It is common place to make a very deep side part, and pull over all of the hair from the top of the head to compensate for what is missing on that side.  I believe this is perfectly acceptable, and encourage it at times.

3.  Trend.  I love trend.  I was the second stylist in Augusta to jump on the "Featherlock" bandwagon, and I am sporting the ombre hair color as we speak.  I love trend when it comes to parts as well, as long as beauty is a consideration.  A few years ago it was a trend among young people to start a "side part" two inches down one side of a head and pull it all the way down to the other side, leaving nothing but a few lonely strands dripping down her opposite shoulder.  It came out of nowhere, and it was hideous.  A deep side part, or a center part are both very trendy, and beautiful for some people.

Outside of that, the part is a great way to change a look almost completely, without permanent change.  I encourage you to grab a friend, and try a little experiment.

Start with your normal part, and share with a confidante.


Mine is no different than most: to the side, just off center.  I am growing out a massive fringe, so my bang-area can look strange at times, but this is a pretty average hair day.

And now, a deep side part.


This can be a very dramatic look, and is good for someone who wants the look of bangs, but doesn't want full-on fringe commitment.  But notice how the look of my face changes.  In my opinion, my face looks fuller here.  However, the strong side part detracts from the asymmetry in my eyes.

And last, the center part...


I was surprised by this photo, as I believe that this is my best "me." I believe it opens my eyes wider, and puts a focus on my strong jaw line.  The center part draws a virtual line down the middle of one's face.  It causes the beholder to search for symmetry, which (believe it or not) most of us do not have in our features.  The right side of my face is lazy.  My teeth are more crooked, my lips are less full, and I have more scarring and acne on that side (when I break out).

What do you think?  Do you prefer the center part as well, or do you have a differing opinion?  Go ahead.  I can take it.

In the meantime,  have fun looking for your "best you," and then be sure to apply that to your formal "do."  Center parts look best with very loose, romantic and low chignons, while a deep side part looks wonderful with more severe or classic styles.

Have fun, and enjoy the tutorials that are coming soon!

Rachel Bee


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Once upon a time, there was another really horrifying story...

In about a week and a half, the church I attend is honoring the men and women who have volunteered in the last year.  The event is called "The Big Show," aka "the Vollys," and if you don't remember last year's tutorials, please check them out!

The event is formal, so most of the women who are attending have been thinking of what dress to wear, hair, makeup- the usual.  But doing what I do, I do a lot of hair and makeup for formal events- and in the next week you'll read a few suggestions.

The Big Show is a bit earlier this year by a few months, and perhaps the invite caught some people off-guard.  If the recipients are anything like me, they gained a few pounds over the holidays; and the idea of wearing a formal dress right now is not the most thrilling.  Either a well timed crash-diet is in order, or you need to focus all the more on hair and makeup.  And this reminds me of a story.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, lived a poor college student named Rachel.  She worked hard, volunteering at her church, making passing grades at her school, and working 20 hours a week at her local Starbucks (the maximum for international students).

Rachel rarely had extra money, but when she did, she chose to spend it on things like very large slices of cheesecake, CDs, and gummy snakes.  She could not be bothered with buying train tickets, paying her roommates back for prepaid phone cards, or planning for the future at all.  She was after all, 21- and living in a strange land.  If there was ever a time irresponsibility deserved to dwell, it was then and there.

At the end of term, there was a formal banquet she was to attend.  Earlier in the year, Rachel chose a dress from a sale rack.  It was a gold-toned halter dress, made of matte jersey.  It had a drop-waist and came just below the knee.  She tried the dress on, and it fit perfectly, with only one glitch: undergarments.

From all of that cheesecake Rachel had been eating, she developed a very ample bosom.  She had never found strapless bras to be very effective for her size, and it didn't matter at the time, as she had no money.  So Rachel stood in her small living room, and tried every trick of the trade known to womankind.  She tried cutting straps off of bras, band aids, tank-tops, and finally settled on two squares of toilet paper, suspended by nothing else but the subtle pressure of matte jersey.  Then she resolved that she must make her hair as large and obnoxious as possible to detract from the fact that she was wearing toilet paper for a bra.  Something like... a straw set.


The event hosted around 900 guests and she changed in the restroom (she was early- did I mention she was an emcee???) .  She emerged from the stall in toilet-papered glory, and while twirling to be sure everything was in tact, she discovered that her old, faithful leopard print undies were completely bunched up under her dress.  She pulled, tugged, and thought of how another square of tp could remedy the situation.  Hopeless, she yanked the undies off, put them in her bag, and bravely headed to the stage with nothing but a swatch of fabric, toilet paper, and really fabulous hair.

The night went off without a glitch, and despite walking with robot-like discomfort, all she heard all night was how amazing her hair looked.

The End.

It is my hope that no one's situation is that desperate (and if it is, call me), but please stay tuned for great ideas for your hair in the next week.  I can't wait to see all of my friends dolled up and decked out.

Have a great day!

Rachel Bee

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

So Anyways...

We have two monitors to our computer, and I couldn't be more grateful.

Most of the time one screen plays an episode of vintage Donald Duck, Little Einsteins, or Babar and Badou; while the other is reserved for mommy or daddy business, such as reading the news or writing a blog.  Last night Langston watched Tinga Tales while I surfed for video hair tutorials.  But this afternoon, Langston is happy to play with his trains, while I watch Seinfeld's "Little Kicks" and write today's blog- a much better and brighter post than the last.

Over Christmas I made this cake for a friend of ours.  He used to live somewhere in California, where his wife worked at a bakery that sold a Toffee Coffee Cake.


Now, I have never made toffee, and that is for good reason: I do not like it.  I am not sure if it is the flavor or texture or what, but I simply don't like it.  Having worked for Starbucks for years, I do know however that a Toffee Nut Latte was a pretty popular drink.  I figured it was worth a go.


The toffee was very simple to make, although it was ugly.  Something went wrong with spreading the chocolate, but overall it set very well and tasted like toffee (bleck).  He wanted a classic butter cake for the base, and the Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting was intensely delicious.  Like, extra delicious.  Like, make-extra-so-that-you-can-find-a-corner-somewhere-and-have-your-way-with-it delicious.

Really.  Delicious.

So here's to hoping you get a moment for yourself today, and if you get a couple of moments, make this cake for you and yours.

Recipe tomorrow...

Rachel Bee