Ashley + Michael

The wedding of Ashley and Michael was a beautiful, casual affair between close family and friends. There was so much love in the air the whole morning when I was prepping the bride and her maids! Almost everything was handcrafted, from the flowers down to the little details on the mason jars. The Island House on Johns Island was an amazing backdrop for the blue and coral wedding. Congratulations Ashley and Michael, I hope you have an amazing honeymoon!

Photography courtesy of Liesa Bissett.

Lauren + Rad

Cypress Trees Plantation on Edisto never looked prettier than on September 29th when Lauren and Rad exchanged vows and celebrated with family and friends. The ceremony was held under those incredible trees overlooking the marsh with music performed by Calvin Taylor followed by cocktails, a buffet dinner and dancing. Entertainment continued with the Calvin Taylor Trio. Other spectacular vendors include Coming Up Roses of Edisto who did the flowers. The caterer was Charleston Bay Gourmet, hair styling by moi. All expertly coordinated by Lyn Smal from Palmetto Events Services.

And of course, incredible wedding photography by… Rick Dean Photography capturing Charleston, SC and beyond. Congrats to Lauren and Rad!

30 Days of Thanks

So everyone has seen the facebook status' that are posting about 30 day of giving thanks, with each day being something different.

While I like the concept, I'd rather not annoy people every day for a month.. more than I already do!

So here it goes.. all wrapped up into a nice thanksgiving eggroll.

1. .I'm thankful for "Angry Birds" helping me pass the time in the excessively long liquor store lines. 
2. Thanks goes to SNL for delivering the only political news I care to hear. 
3. I'm thankful for 
   Best Buy allowing price matching with Amazon, year around!
4. Thank you, Ikea, for showing me that 422 SQ feet looks more appealing than my dull, nice sized house. 
5. Athena, my furry friend of 8 years, thanks for providing me love and snuggles on chilly nights.
6. I'm thankful for Pinterest, who knew you could do so many things with yarn, bottle caps, and pipe cleaners? 
7. Thanks are due to the art of the "text message" for no longer making me answer my phone.
8. Facebook, thank you for showing people when you have "seen" a message, making it much harder to ignore people.
9. I'm thankful for my lower extremities, without you, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. 
10.  Dear Abby, thank you for proving me outdated info throughout my childhood. 
11. I'm thankful for the men on Target's store advertising. Ya'll look good, and provide me with the hope that someday I too, can have a well dressed smiling man holding a puppy. 
12. I'm thankful for blacklight posters that you can color in. I can't afford a "wine by design" art class, so whiskey and some crayola markers suit me just fine. 
13.  I'm thankful for my tattoo artist, who knows I hate getting inked and always has snacks and good music to distract me. 
14. Thank you for IMDB, you help me settle arguments about actors. 
15. I'm eternally thankful for my parents, who put up with my antics and mood swings like champs.
16.  I'm thankful for hairspray, it holds everything in place.
17. I'm thankful for Spanx, it holds everything in place too!
18. Thanks are in order for the toilet paper holder. It separates men from boys. 
19. Thank you Google, for always providing me my direction in life. 
20.  I'm thankful for all of my clients. As a hairstylist, you are my wearable art. 
21.  I'm thankful for hair accessories. With them, I make myself much harder to ignore. 
22.  Thank you for colored tights, they make too short dresses more acceptable. 
23. Thank you, spellcheck.
24. I'm thankful for Honey Boo Boo. Seriously. I feel way more educated now compared to you. 
25. Thank you, Instagram, for making everyone feel like a photographer.
26.  Thank you Charleston, SC for being unseasonably warm... year around.
27.  Thank you for scented candles, you make my house smell like I cooked something tasty without any of the clean up! 
28.  I'm thankful for twist off caps on wine, you make it so much easier to get to the good stuff.
29.  Johnny Depp, thanks for being born. 
30.  Lastly, I'm thankful for flip flops. They make it socially acceptable to never wear shoes.

The 7 Most To-Die-For Brunette Hues

Think blondes have more fun? Check out these sultry brunettes and think again. According to colorist Marie Robinson, whose clients include Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway, the best shades of brown and black right now are natural—kicked up a notch. "It's about enhancing, not extremes," she says. "Most of these celebrities are within two shades of their natural color, whether it's a tiny bit lighter or darker."

BEACHY BROWN

"This sandy brown color goes well with Emma Watson's short haircut," says Robinson. "It makes her face appear softer." Watson's hair is dyed two to three shades lighter than her natural color and blended with highlights. "It's so finely done that as it grows out, she's not going to get any major demarcations or root lines," says Robinson. She also notes that someone with a layered, wispy cut should avoid going too light. "Otherwise, their ends will appear thin or see-through."

CARAMEL BROWN

"This is a lot of color," says Robinson. But these golden highlights still flatter—and illuminate—Jennifer Lopez's complexion because her base is brown. The lightest sections are toward the mid-length and the ends. To get Lopez's color, ask for a light brown base, and add highlights around the face out to the ends, gradually getting lighter toward the tips of the layers.

GOLDEN BROWN

"This sunny, golden brown hair color really brings out the color of Natalie Portman's eyes," says Robinson. Subtle honey and caramel highlights also perk up her complexion. "The highlights are blended, not streaky, to make her hair look barely sun-kissed." Robinson recommends this shade for pale to olive skin tones. "It adds color without overdoing it," she says.

CHESTNUT BROWN

"This is the color anyone could wear," says Robinson. This chestnut brown shade warms up Victoria Beckham's complexion and enhances her brown eyes. Ask for a dark brown base and caramel and light auburn highlights to frame the face, mid-length, and ends. Robinson says that red highlights are the key to this look. "The red golds add dimension, making your hair look richer and more chocolaty."

MEDIUM ASH BROWN

Mila Kunis traded in her extreme ombre look for classic highlights. "These highlights are diffused on the ends and are hitting the points of her layers, which is nice because it shows off the shape of the haircut," says Robinson. This would work best on a medium- to long-layered cut. "You would ask the colorist to work with your natural color, and just highlight the mid-length and ends, following the haircut," says Robinson. The ash brown background is universally flattering, but to add warmth to your complexion, swap the sandy highlights for caramel.

DARK ASH BROWN

"This is a pretty medium ash brown," says Robinson. "It makes [Katie Holmes's] eyes sparkle." When going dark, Robinson suggests that it's important to keep length—and height—in mind. "When you have long, dark hair and are tall in proportion to that, it looks elegant. But if you're petite, make sure it's not one length, because it will look overwhelming." Layering will add movement to your hair and stop it from hiding your face and body shape.

SMOKY BROWN

"Because this isn't the darkest brown or black, it could look good on almost anybody," says Robinson of Jennifer Hudson's shade. "It's not going to add color to your skin, but it going to be a nice frame because it's a very natural, soft smoky brown." Robinson suggests this shade for dark, olive, or golden skin tones—it could wash out very pale skin. At the salon, ask for a semipermanent glossing with color a few shades darker than your natural tone and work from there.

The Most Beautiful Hair Color Ideas For Redheads

"Red is having its moment right now," says colorist Christopher Pierce of the Andy Lecompte Salon in Los Angeles. Find out who wears it best, plus get tips on how to find (and maintain) your perfect shade.

STRAWBERRY BLONDE

Skin tone is one of the most important factors to consider when going red, says Pierce. "Nicole [Kidman]'s skin is the fairest of the fair, and this strawberry blonde shade has just enough red to work with the pink undertones in her skin," he says. This barely red hue tends to look prettiest on women with naturally medium to dark blonde hair.

GINGER

Going red isn't always about creating a stark contrast between hair color and skin. "The more olive tones you have in your skin, the deeper into the red spectrum you can go," Pierce says. A hint of brown mixed in with copper warms Marcia Cross's look right up—without the addition of highlights: "The biggest mistake any redhead can make is overhighlighting," he says. "You do all of that work to get gorgeous color, but highlights just subtract what you put in. Even color should be the goal."

BRIGHT COPPER

Speaking of fading, reds tend to lose their luster faster than other colors. And when your red is as bold as Karen Elson's, you want to keep it looking fresh for as long as possible. "Over-shampooing is the number one culprit for fading," Pierce says. His solution? Shampoo hair three times a week at most, but rinse and condition, especially the ends, daily.

APRICOT

Christina Hendricks puts a vibrant, youthful spin on red, perfectly complementing her aqua eyes. "The lighter your eyes are, the brighter you can go," Pierce says. But no matter what shade of red you're going for, you always want it to be dynamic. Ask your stylist to place color on all sections—the roots, midshaft, and ends—for the same period of time to prevent fading. "If they're spending 40 minutes on the roots, they should spend 40 minutes everywhere else," he says. Putting the color in correctly is key to lasting color.

CINNAMON

"Very rarely do you see green eyes with coppery hair shades in nature," Pierce says. For women with green and brown eyes, the darker side of red is more flattering. Julianne Moore's subtle approach is versatile: "She has rosy, fair skin, but those with olive undertones and naturally brown hair can pull this off beautifully, too," he says.

AUBURN

Ellie Kemper's chestnut-y take is a safe introduction to red. "It's darker around the face and more copper towards the ends, so it's gentle against her fair skin," Pierce says. Another secret to making red work: "Whether it's through makeup or tinted brows, eyebrows sync it all together," he says. If you have brown eyes, lightening the brows a shade or two will soften a look, while those with lighter eyes and hair can go a shade darker.

CHERRY BOMB

There's nothing natural about Florence Welch's dramatic red hair, but what's the point of color if you can't have fun with it (especially if you're a rock star)? She nails this supersaturated shade—likely created with permanent color—without venturing into cartoon territory. One caveat: These permanent shades will only take on those with naturally light hair. "People are attracted to bright things," he says. "And this is absolutely a magnet."

ROSEWOOD

Red can be just as hot when it's cool: A drop of violet brings depth and richness to Ashley Greene's woodsy red shade. (It's easiest for natural brunettes with dark eyes to ace.) When you've gone red—no matter which shade—expect to see your colorist every six weeks to maintain the intensity. To stretch your color to eight weeks, drop by your salon for a glossing treatment in between to rejuvenate your hair, Pierce says.

The 7 Sexiest Hair Color Ideas for Blondes

If you want to go baby blonde like Michelle Williams, be prepared to make a similarly major commitment. Celebrity colorist Kim Vo recommends touching up roots every three weeks. Ask your colorist for a bright golden hue with pale highlights—and because bleaching the hair this often is damaging, consider keeping your hair short to prevent breakage.

BLUSH BLONDE

Even women with very fair skin can pull off blonde hair without appearing washed out—just look at Emma Stone. The trick is choosing a hue that will add warmth to the cheeks, like this blush blonde. "She has strawberry blonde undertones with flecks of gold highlights all over," Vo says. To maintain it, ask for a strawberry toner to use between salon visits. This will fill in the gaps where color has faded and keep hair from looking brassy.

ROSE GOLD

Blake Lively's warmed-up marigold shade is perfect for transitioning from summer to fall. Rona O'Connor, Lively's colorist, mixes golden, honey, and apricot hues to create the multidimensional color. She finishes with nearly ivory highlights around the front to brighten her face. Because the lowlights underneath are prone to fading, she recommends frequent conditioning masks.

BUTTERY BLONDE

Blondes with brown or hazel eyes, like Carrie Underwood, need to build dimension from the roots. "Whatever color the lightest flecks of your eyes are, that should be your base," Vo says. Request a quick "base bump" to warm up the roots first, and consider caramel or honey lowlights to bring out your eyes. Otherwise, a color like this could wash you out, Vo says.

SANDY BLONDE

The balance of golden and cool highlights on Rachel McAdams is the perfect way to add depth without losing the bright blonde you crave. "This is the most forgiving color at any age because you can warm up the skin and adjust it," says Vo. Ask for more golden highlights in the winter, when the skin tends to be paler (like McAdams's). Then, in the summer, add cool highlights to contrast with your warmer skin tone. And keep it slightly root-y by only touching up the color every four weeks. "At four weeks and one day, it can go from looking flirty to dirty," Vo says.

GROWN-OUT BLONDE

Surprisingly, Gisele Bündchen's golden shade isn't the result of going brighter at the ends, but instead going darker at the roots. "This is great for women growing out their highlighted hair," says O'Connor. Tell your colorist to add four or five inches of false roots and blend it with your lighter ends. This will help mask the line of demarcation and is gentler on overprocessed and dry hair.

BRONDE

Your mom may have called it "dishwater blonde," but Taylor Swift's dark blonde, almost brown shade is now the most coveted among Vo's clients. "I call it Victoria's Secret color. It's the most natural and the hardest to get," Vo says. Ask your colorist for a dark ash blonde base with subtle highlights through the ends and around the top. Just don't be sad if people start referring to you as a brunette. "This is definitely on the darker blonde side," Vo says.

FYI, 3 Things You Need For A Perfect Ponytail

Ladies! Take a look at the images below and see if you can pinpoint the connection between the three (other than the obvious one—they're all ponytails, duh!):

Figure it out yet? Yes? No? Maybe? I'll go ahead and tell you: Their hairlines are super smooth. Feel free to scroll up for a second look.

See? I recently realized that a sleek perimeter is the key to a perfect ponytail. There's no way around it—you have to tend to your hairline, no matter your texture. Case in point: Even J.Lo looked after hers when she rocked this lions mane ponytail. 

i

To ensure yours is just as groomed, invest in these three things:

1) A soft bristle toothbrush.
It's tiny enough to catch those baby fine and flyaway hairs that live around your edges.

2) A can of strong hold hairspray.
Mist it onto the toothbrush instead of directly onto your hair. That way you won't risk spraying too much on your hairline.

3) A flat iron.
Even though it's just a ponytail, always flat iron your hair first. Even if it’s full of texture, as the pictures above prove, it looks more polished when your hairline is clean and smooth.

Now, that's not to say that only pin-straight or beachy wavy hair looks good in a ponytail. Far from it—kinky curly hair looks just as fantastic pulled up, as long as flyaways are nonexistent.

What do you think? Do you ever flat iron your hair before putting it into a ponytail? Think you'll start, or does it feel like an extra step?