Mermaid Tail Braid

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We haven't done a hair tutorial in ages! So, my friend (and hair genius) Caroline, photographer Jamie Beck and I decided to come together to whip up this gorgeous mermaid tail. It's perfect for those lazy summer day (or date nights) when you want to surprise and awe people with your hair. I absolutely love it--in fact, it might be my favorite hair tutorial yet. How gorgeous is that braid, above?!

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
1. Divide your hair into two equal sections.

2-4. Braid each section, and tie the end with an elastic band. You'll want to do what's called a "Dutch braid." For a normal braid, you take the outside section and cross it IN FRONT of the middle section. A Dutch braid is the opposite: the outside section goes BEHIND the middle section. It's important to do the braids this way so that they'll look seamless when when you connect the two sections later.

5-6. Fatten out the two braids by pulling apart the outer edges. I like to "smush" the braid back and forth in my fingers, too—whatever makes them fuller and fatter and not so sleek.

7. Line up the two separate braids so they begin to look like one big fat braid. It's important to make sure the middle section of the mermaid tail lines up--don't worry if the ends of your braids (the hair that is sticking out underneath the elastic) are uneven, it won't matter. It's more important to line up the braid correctly, so the center of the tail matches.

8. Pin the center of the two braided sections together. I tend to use mini bobby pins since they are easier to hide, and I like to pin them in and up (you start with the pin facing horizontally, then as you push it into the hair, you direct it vertically). Use as many bobby pins as it takes, until you feel the braid is secure. I used about five little pins, and pinned about 1 1/2 inches apart, wherever I could best hide them.

(Optional step: You can remove the two separate rubber bands at the end, and just use one to combine the two tails together. I didn't do this because I used smaller rubber bands to begin with.)
"That's it!" says Caroline, "Such an easy fun way to wear something other than a plain ol' braid!" Would be great to wear this braid all summer, don't you think? :) (And here are our eight previous hair tutorials, if you'd like more summer hair ideas.) Thank you again, Caroline and Jamie!

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the outdoor photos, Caroline is wearing this chambray top. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lipstick is So Chaud by MAC. In the how-to photos, she is wearing a vintage striped tee--similar one here--and vintage jeans--similar ones here.)

Tuesday giveaway!

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Today's giveaway is from Loeffler Randall, the achingly cool shoe line run by a husband-and-wife team in Brooklyn. Their neon sandals, espadrille platforms and lace-up booties bring together refined sophistication and downtown style. Today, one lucky winner will win two pairs of Heart LR clogs (any style you'd like): one pair is for you, and one pair is for you to give your mom, sister or best friend.

For a chance to win, please visit Loeffler Randall and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo Update: Jordan B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Plus a (big) bonus for all readers: Get 20% of all full-priced items with the code ACUPOFJO until this Friday night. See their full collection here.

The Best Macaroni & Cheese You'll Ever Have

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Macaroni & cheese is one of those comfort foods that makes you feel better no matter what kind of day you've had. Three different cheeses, salty pancetta, warm pasta...I'm craving a big bowl right now. (And it makes great leftovers!) Luckily, Naomi from Rockstar Diaries agreed to reveal their favorite family recipe, which they (and their toddler daughter) can't get enough of...
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Thursday giveaway!

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Today's giveaway is from Lo & Sons, a brand of fabulous travel bags made by a mother and her sons. They also double as great camera and weekend bags, and the bright colors would be pretty to take on a honeymoon. They also fit right onto rolling luggage, so they're easy to travel with. One lucky winner gets to choose her favorite. Which would you choose? (I'd go for the overnight bag in red.)

For a chance to win, please visit Lo & Sons and leave a comment below telling us your favorite bag. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Mel L. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Bonus for all readers: Get 25% off your order by entering the code ACUPOFJO. Good until June 1st.

Have a cool weekend.

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What are you up to this weekend? Alex and I are taking a trapeze class! We decided to sign up weeks ago (after a bottle of wine, obv) and now we're terrified. Wish us luck! We'll report back next week. Hope you have a wonderful weekend (and a great Mother's Day), and here are a few great posts from around the web...

A song to kick off your weekend.

Four veggie breakfasts.

Beautiful girls in New York.

Baby kitten.

Avocado grilled cheese. Yes, please.

Do or Don't: This swimsuit.

Swapping heads in photos!

This made me laugh out loud. And this. And this.

Which fruits and vegetables to choose organic.

Yellow stripes for the sun.

How to say goodbye to a kid.

Sweet ruffles.

15 secrets to a happy marriage.

Alex wrote this article about old dudes getting back into skateboarding. (Hey, I'm married to one!)

LOVE this New Yorker cover. Bravo, Obama.

And, finally, I'm so glad you liked our mermaid tail braid!!! Here are four pretty readers wearing it this week:
* Elyse
* Ashley
* Kendall
* Britty

Have a good one, everybody. xoxo

(Photo of Janet and Michael Jackson)

Write Press Releases that Grab Peoples' Attention

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By Frederick Vickers

There are so many different aspects of both online and offline business that have the potential for overwhelming anyone. All the old vets of internet marketing who pioneered press release went through that and know the deal.

The primary reason for using freelance help is to allow for more time on activities that directly impact revenue.

We are not quite done with our discussion, and if you are like us the gears would be turning with fresh ideas.

While companies selling physical products like luxaflex blinds may find this marketing strategy is very useful and diverse, it just depends on your particular situation. There is a lot to consider when you are contemplating all new promotional activities. Very many online businesses are extremely serious, and therefore they will always be interested in adding new revenue streams. Perhaps that easiest path to growth is through scaling existing campaigns, and then seek to add what you can that is all new. In the end, a long time from now, just be sure you do not look back and wish you would have considered more options. Your press release's first paragraph is really important and that is why you need to be choosy about which information is included in it. Make sure you include the basics as people are going to have questions right in the start; answer their questions related to where, how, why and when right in the first paragraph, so that they don't really have any doubts and are comfortable moving forward.

You can take any one of these methods and really go all out in your business because they will open up new venues for you, to be sure. You will be positioning your self for the greatest gains with this simple approach. One thing you can easily do is test these tips and look at examples and case studies such as the company that sells luxaflex blinds using this marketing strategy, on a small scale, and that is another approach we tell people to try - just do a small test and decide. Not necessarily at all with what we are talking about today, but there are other methods and ideas that are sold and not really the best choices for people to use.

If you are really new, then you have to know the importance of performing background research on any method that you are not familiar with. If you are not careful about what you do, then you can easily start method-hopping and getting nowhere. That experience is very common with web marketers who are relatively new and with little experience. We really pretty much do not care who it is, if something is new to you then you have to preform some research to get another side of the story. Maybe you have already had experiences in which smart homework saved you some money. In order to find success with your press release, you need to focus on some of the vital elements such as the headline. If you don't have a good headline then nobody is going to read your press release. The level of exposure that you get with your press release is completely dependent upon how well you can reach out to your target audience and impact them. Look around to see how other press releases out there have crafted their headlines so that you can emulate them while you work on conveying your own message to your readers. Do not be scared to experiment with your headlines and make changes.




About the Author:

Just about everybody who starts an online business goes through similar experiences; for example, there is a lot to be found about baby sleeping bags with sleeves strategy and their press release but you need to be careful. There can be many reasons, discussed at stop smoking London website and see their press release tips, with that as well as successful press release, so it can tough to pinpoint the exact cause. No need to bang your head against the wall, anymore, concerning this issue. We all make mistakes and have be down the same road; so do not feel like something is wrong with you.

Giving your PR agency something to work with

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By Butler Warrington

t seems like the ultimate goal in TV advertising is to produce an advert that people are flocking to watch over and over again on the internet. An advertisement that has song that immediately hits the charts, even if it's just a cover of an old classic is a definite winner. It is amazing that in this age of desensitization, and being over exposed to everything in the media, there are ads that can still strike a chord and turn the tears on.

What PR companies love is when the article not only gets popular overnight, but when people are going on about it so much that critics start to appear and make crazy out of left field accusations about the advert, accusing it of animal cruelty or child labour, or promoting racism. Criticisms that are so clearly off the wall that they give the PR agency a field day in free advertising.

Some may think these sorts of criticisms are a bad thing, but PR agencies love them because it just means more opportunities to do PR! The more people freaking out about an advertisement, the more natural free advertising for the company! It is also a great opportunity for recording artists to get a break through. If their cover version of an old classic makes a big name advert, they have just successfully launched their career!

Christmas is often a time for these sorts of adverts to make their way onto the screen. However anytime of the year can be prime time for pulling on the heart strings. The interesting thing about these popular ads, is that they are unrealistic, but contain just enough reality for people to identify with them and not dismiss them entirely. They are not overly idealistic, simply just enough, and of course part of the message of the ad is that what they are selling is attainable.

A good TV advert is a PR company's dream come true. With the help of the internet, the advert gets repeated more than just in the bought slots on the network, it gets posted on youtube and shared on blogs and social networking sites.




About the Author:

Find excellent options for Technology PR by visiting www.berkeleypr.co.uk