Hair Again

Hello, folks!
It has been quite the busy week. My latest exploration yielded some fascinating results. I have always been the kind of girl who tries to do something different with her hair almost every day... since it is such a versatile medium and, honestly, it's fun! I was intrigued by the intricate hairstyles of the past, woven in twists and braids, with ribbons and pins attached.  Though hairstyling and braiding is only a hobby for me, it is a livelihood for others. I was able to find several clear, user-friendly tutorials on YouTube for some chic braided styles that seemed quite doable. I also found some that seemed near impossible, or simply ridiculous, and had a good laugh.
For one, I learned how to make a five-strand braid, which is actually easier than it sounds, provided you have five fingers on each hand which are extremely nimble and coordinated. The trick is in repeating, "Over, under," to yourself under your breath as you twist the strands of hair and tighten them every so often.
I also learned how to make an upside-down French braid and attach it to a high ballerina-style bun, a very classic and formal look. That particular style I attempted yesterday with wet hair, and it served me well throughout the day.
The most intricate design I found was a YouTube video in Russian that simply showed a woman braiding a model's hair by tying a series of overhand knots and linking them together into a sort of headband on each side, then braiding the tail and curling it around to form a spiral at the back of the head. It's a bit outrageous and very showy, but I think I'd like to try it, if only to say I could make it look reasonably good on the first attempt.
In my own experimenting, I have gradually become skilled with the placement of just a few pins to hold a hairstyle in place - they really are helpful if you know just the way to twist them in. I am interested in incorporating silk flowers into my hair designs, when I get the chance. I have preliminary sketches for a few hair ornaments, and I'd like to try chopsticks, as well - a coordinated set, that is. But let me not get ahead of myself.
Today I tried a trick with a challenging tool that is supposed to make hairstyles easier - the Bump-it. I borrowed one from a friend and parted my hair at the crown like you're supposed to do, then arranged the hair over the "bump", but found it didn't look all that attractive - so I took strands of hair that framed my face and wrapped them around the base of the bump to disguise it, sweeping my bangs back with a bit of mousse and pulling some twisted strands back over the top, hiding the ends with an artificial rose flower. In the end, I looked like a cross between an Asian elf (because I had long, soft curled strands of hair hanging in front of my ears) and a Polynesian princess (because of the flower). It was fun to create, but I don't think I'll be wearing a Bump-it again anytime soon.
Meanwhile, my brain has been suggesting all sorts of outrageous and fun ideas for home design, furniture and gadgets. I'm fond of patterns and coordination, but I am also intrigued by those little surprises that make life interesting and exciting. After all, life is too short to die, so I have to get back to keeping up with my imagination!