Posts Tagged ‘bangs and a bun’

Bangs, Bun, Camera, Action!

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

A few weeks ago, I teamed up with photographer, Jamie Cowlishaw and hair and makeup artist, Rosie Binns to work on some new press shots for me to use for the various projects I do here, there and everywhere. The only criteria was big hair (obviously) and a nod to my love of old school musicals and Liza Minelli/Bob Fosse type styling. We had great fun on the shoot. Check out the results and a behind the scenes video below.

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Posted in fashion | 22 Comments »

The Bangs 3rd Anniversary

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Three years ago today, Bangs and a Bun was born!

I posted my first post from a little bedroom in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and so began my journey of putting myself out there into the world. It’s been awesome, scary, frustrating, rewarding, fabulous and lots of hard work but it’s grown and evolved of the past three years and I’m having an absolute blast doing it.

The best thing about doing this would be you, the readers. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without you all reading, commenting and engaging with me. I’ve met some wonderful people through blogging, who I’m proud to call friends, who’ve inspired me and supported me and kept me on track. I think of my readers as friends, who I can chat to, make a fool of myself with (Lord knows, I like to do that. Bangs Goes Rap anyone?) and share my secrets.

So thank you, for coming back daily and reading my madness. Your support and encouragement are not lost on me. It keeps me going every day.

As a token of my appreciation, I’m doing a giveaway over on my Facebook page, so head on over there and ‘like’ it if you haven’t already.

Here’s to another three years!

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Posted in life | 24 Comments »

Thank You!

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Yesterday, I had the honour of going to the Cosmo Blog Awards where I was a shortlisted nominee in the Sex and Relationships category. Over 15,000 blogs were nominated by blog fans for the awards, so to have even made the shortlist is pretty mindblowing.

I’m pleased to announce that I was the runner up in my category. It was an incredibly proud moment for me, not just because I work so hard on this blog, but because it was voted for by the readers. So, I cannot thank you enough for your continued support and encouragement and for getting me into that room with some amazing bloggers yesterday. I had an absolute blast.

After the awards I got so many messages on Twitter and Facebook from people congratulating me and saying I should have won. It was really overwhelming. All I can say is, it’s made me want to work even harder to continue to get some recognition for what we bloggers do.

Cosmo Blog Awards 2011 – it’s mine!

Thank you all again so much – I wouldn’t have been there if not for you.

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Posted in fashion, life | 20 Comments »

Church of the Bangs

Friday, January 15th, 2010

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In these troubled times, filled with war, uncertainty and too many people willingly wearing bad footwear, people turn to religion. But which one to choose? There’s so many out there; Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Mormon, Ba’hai, Quaker, Baptist, Muslim – it’s a tough choice. Ahh you lost lambs, you need wander through the valley of the shadow of death no more! May I present to you, The Church of The Bangs.

The Bang-ite Principals

- Tell it like it is

- Spread laughter

- Give praise to the most high holy trinity; shoes, hair and dress

Required reading/watching

Bang-ites are encouraged to read. The works of Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk are particularly encouraged. Reading Harry Potter, anything written by Dan Brown or about vampires, wizardry is strictly forbidden. As is manga and anime. This is because in Chapter 7 Verse 42 of the Bangs Teachings, it clearly states that adults will know when to grow the hell up.

Pretty much nothing in the Bangs Teachings will make sense to you until you familiarize yourself with the works of;

The Nicholas Brothers

West Side Story

Singin’ in the Rain

Law & Order SVU

The Wire

Mad Men

Scarface

Carlito’s Way

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

A Chorus Line

Seinfeld

Beat Street

High Society

A Never Ending Story

and anything French.

Who We Worship

We worship those who show the ideals we admire: style, grace and awesomeness.

These include, but are not limited to:

Audrey Hepburn

Jon Stewart

Stringer Bell

Annie (yes, from the musical)

Italian men

Gene Kelly

Tom Ford

Karl Lagerfeld

Jackie O

The Uniform

The Bang-ite faith comes down pretty hard on people who don’t prioritize style in their lives. As laid out in the Book of Bangs, bad style choices are punishable by bitch slappings, drop kickings or a lifetime of listening to Coldplay.

Jeans, uggs, flip flops, maternity wear on non-pregnant ladies, leggings and anything that resembles ‘house clothes’ being worn in the outdoors, can and will get you excommunicated from the church.

Think elegance and poise. Channel the graceful ladies and gents of the 50s and 60s. Ladies, heels must be worn at all times in the church.

So, there you have it. We don’t even have to meet every Sunday, because you know, I’m usually tied up trying some sort of off-key home conditioning treatment on my hair. So, what do you think? Monthly? Bi-annual? I’ll leave it up to you.

Drink tea and may the Bangs be with you.

Amen.

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Posted in fashion, life | 12 Comments »

Bangs Turns 2!

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

It’s hard to believe that two years ago today, in an attic bedroom in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I pressed ‘publish’ on my very first blog post here.

And through what has been a crazy two years of moving cities and continents, this blog has been my one constant.

What started off as me sharing a few anecdotes (like telling you about that time I met the Mafia), has turned into (through much experimentation), me finding my stride and ‘writing voice’.

Those of you who stop by and read daily make my day more than you know. And when you leave comments? Well I think you know how much that gives me the warm and fuzzies. I’ve met some awesome people and read some truly great writing since getting on the blogging scene. I may be a bit biased, but let’s face it – bloggers are the future!

I have to shout out Jaded and NYC Ponderings and Miss Model Behavior over at Self Absorbed for being among the first few people to read my site and comment.

To people who visit this blog from places like:

McDonough, Georgia, US

Spartanburg, South Carolina (I don’t know where it is, but it sounds AWESOME!)

Hilo, Hawaii (Aloha!)

Amsterdam (thanks for taking a break from the weed long enough to read me. Or if you’re smoking while reading this, let me know how it enhances the experience for you)

Johannesburg, South Africa (or as I pronounce it ‘Sith Ifrica)

Tokyo, Japan

and to all my regular readers in New York, Toronto, Halifax NS, London and Leeds – thank you so so much for checking out my crazy every day.

Feel free to treat me to a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday (the Stevie Wonder version, obviously).

Keep coming around, ’cause things are only gonna get bigger and better from here on in. And don’t be scared to comment. I can actually be quite nice when I try.

Let’s hug it out bitches!

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Posted in life | 17 Comments »

Please Excuse Our Appearance

Monday, February 16th, 2009

We’re giving ourself a bit of a makeover here at Bangs and a Bun, so please excuse our shoddy looking state in the meantime.

For someone who is all about fashion, how we look and maintaining one’s class, style and swagger at all times, this is not an ideal situation, but it must be done.

Think of it like going out without a full face of make-up on, or only half dressed. Clearly that doesn’t cause too much distress for Mariah Carey, but for moi? It ain’t a good look.

We’ll be ironing out the kinks and will emerge with a ridiculously sexy site that you just won’t be able to get enough of.

So stayed tuned. Posting will continue as normal. If there’s anything you’d like to see more of here, posts you particularly enjoy or topics you’d like me to touch on, let me know in the comments.

Here’s to progress, amigos!

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Posted in fashion | 4 Comments »

I'm Not Dead

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008


Babies, I have not forgotten you. I know I said I would still post while I’m away, but it turns out, I’m a big, fat, dirty liar. I’m still at home in England and frankly, having entirely too much fun to even have a second to try to construct a proper sentence. 

 

I hope you all had a splendid Christmas. I will be back with more tales of debauchery and funniness next week. 
Have a safe and happy new year, bitches. 
Till next week…keep it classy. 

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Posted in life | 4 Comments »

One Year Strong

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008


I’m back bitches! And what better day to get back in the saddle than the one year anniversary of Bangs and a Bun? I’ve been here telling my stories, talking shit about people and giving fashion advice for one whole year babies and it feels so good! 

 

I started this here blog as my creative outlet. After working in music journalism then moving around a bit and landing in a city where I have no contacts (in terms of getting a writing job), I gotta get my work out there somehow, right? So here it is. It’s been trial and error. I’ve been using this to figure out what works and what doesn’t, what I can and can’t write about and the learning curve has been a great one. 
And while it hasn’t gotten me where I want to go just yet, if I work hard enough, I have no doubt that it will. What started out as just my parents and a couple of friends reading it, has grown to a network of at least seven people who read this shit daily. But seriously, it is kinda cool when you have people in random places in the world, whom you don’t even know, who stop by and read your stuff every day. So, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge those mysterious strangers. To the people in:
Pasadena, California
Vancouver, BC
Burlington, Vermont
Giza, Egypt
The Netherlands
Baden, Switzerland
Phoenix, Arizona
Breman, Germany
And some places I can’t even pronounce. I see you! And you read me often. So thank you. And hey, don’t be shy. Leave a comment every now and then, let me know you’re here. I know a lot of people in a lot of places, but I ain’t never been to Switzerland, so whoever you are and however you came across me, you rock.
 
And I can’t do this without acknowledging those who’ve been with me from the start: Jaded, One Man, Sid, T,  you guys were some of the first people to comment on here and I appreciate you coming back. 
Bangs and a Bun is definitely the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, creatively and otherwise. I love doing this and if I make at least one person smile every day, then my mission is accomplished. I don’t know what just happened there but I got all Oprah on yo ass. Sorry. 
Anyways, here’s to the first year of many. Oh, and if you’re reading this and you feel the need to offer me a newspaper column, my own TV show, radio show and a book deal, don’t fight the feeling. 
May the Bangs and a Bun be with you.

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Posted in life | 17 Comments »

Strokers

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008


I have been the subject of some inappropriate hair touching recently.

 

I have waist length, dark brown hair, never been dyed, in pretty good condition (if I do say so myself). I don’t know what it is, but when people see my long hair, they seem to have an overwhelming urge to touch it. Completely uninvited. I suppose it’s somewhat like pregnant bellies. People just can’t keep their hands off them.

 

My area leader (who is gay) popped into my work place the other day and as we were chatting about business, he was running his fingers through my hair. All a bit odd. I kind of give gay men a pass – it’s like I’m their Barbie, I know that the stroking of my hair will not lead to the stroking of anything else. Nonetheless, as my manager, hair stroking is probably not the best thing to do during a business meeting.

 

Since I rocked the Bangs and a Bun all summer (wearing your hair down in hot temperatures, when you have this much of it, is not an option – you’ll suffocate yourself) a lot of people haven’t seen me with my locks loose and flowing. I’ve met a few people recently who’ll say ‘I love your hair! It’s so nice!’ and then I see their hand coming out of left field and making a bee-line for my head to touch it. I politely duck out of the way. People also love to say ‘It’s so long!’ Thanks for pointing that out. I spend 25 minutes straightening this bitch every morning – trust me, I know how long it is.

 

When I lived in Japan, my hair was the topic of much conversation. I was out one night with a few of my students, when the subject matter, once again, turned to my mane. One girl kept talking about how soft my hair looks and was complaining about how coarse hers is. What’s my secret, she wanted to know?

 

‘Almond oil,’ I say. ‘I put almond hair in my hair once a week and leave it in overnight. Makes it soft and shiny.’

‘You put what in it?’ She asked.

‘Almond oil,’ I said again.

Blank looks all around.

‘Almond oil. You know, almond oil. Like, the oil from…almonds,’ surprisingly, this explanation didn’t clear it up for them. I asked one of the other girls, whose English was a little better, how to say ‘almond oil’ in Japanese.

 

‘Ahh. Almondu Oilru,’ she said. It sounded pretty much no different to the way I said it originally, but as soon as I busted out this new pronunciation, about six of the Japanese girls I was with all said ‘Ahhhhhhh!!’ and nodded in unison.

 

When everything died down, one of the girls approached me shyly. ‘Can I touch your hair?’ She asked. You have to understand Japanese culture to know how much of a big deal that was for her to ask and how embarrassed she would have been had I said no. ‘Sure!’ I said. She gently grabbed a bunch of my hair and stroked it. ‘So soft!’ She exclaimed. She then insisted that I touch hers. By comparison, it was not as pleasant an experience for me. ‘You should really get some almondu oilru,’ I said.

 

So, if you see me with my hair down and you feel the urge to stroke it, let me clear the mystery up for you beforehand – yes, it’s soft, yes, it’s shiny, yes, it’s long. Your fingers don’t need to become entwined in it to confirm those facts. Unless you’re my mum, my man or my hairdresser, kindly keep your mitts off my mane.

 

*And yes, that is me in the picture. I believe that’s what you call ‘Tyra Mail’, bitches. Check out more of Knolig Works (photographer) stuff here

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Posted in fashion | 10 Comments »

Google Me Baby

Thursday, October 9th, 2008


Firstly, thanks to all those who sent their well wishes after my last post. You gave me a much needed boost and lifted my spirits no end.

 

The mind heals and then the body has a breakdown. Right now, I have two blocked nostrils, the sweats and some pain in my chest, but these fingers still work, so I shall bang out a post so help me God!

 

The other day, I was doing some behind the scenes admin on this here blog and thought I’d check out what Google searches bring people to my page. Some were strange, to say the least and some were just outright disturbing. Check them out below:

 

Squirrel Bun Hairstyles


Well, the squirrels in my area like to perform lewd acts in public places, but so far, they have not stolen my hairdo. We’ll have a real problem if that happens. I’ve been civil up to now, but I’m not scared to throw down with them.

 

Wanna Fuck Ann Curry


What did you think would come up when you googled that? She’s an attractive lady, that’s for sure. If only she’d get rid of those damn flip flops though.

 

How to sleep with Bangs


Lemme tell ya, it ain’t easy. I require multiple dinner dates, a criminal background check, a letter from your employer, medical records, psychological reports, a few pairs of shoes, and an in depth analysis of your CD collection. Then, maybe, just maybe, I’ll think about it.

 

Chav Japanese girl


The day the phenomenon of the Chav spreads to other countries, is the day I will weep for the world.

 

Joshua and Tanyalee


Oh you poor bastards. You Googled these names because you want to find a love like theirs. Sorry I killed the moment for you.

 

Bra Fitting for men


Umm, I have no words, except maybe, may I suggest surgery?

 

Should I get bangs overweight?


Honey, I am the ultimate ambassador for bangs, so my response will always be yes. But maybe send me a picture of yourself, just so I can be sure you’re making the right decision.

 

Don’t want a short man


Amen sister. A-to-the-men. It’s what I’ve been saying all along.

But hey, I don’t care what brings you here, as long as you get here, read, have a giggle and tell your friends to stop by (because I’m trying to get PAID!).

I welcome one and all. Keep coming, because Bangs and a Bun is just good for the soul.

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Posted in life | 2 Comments »