Wedding season is fast approaching and it makes for a very exciting time of year. I always anticipate what it will be like, what the trend will be this year and what fabulous locations I will get to visit in our great state. I really just love a wedding, and I have been lucky enough to be part of some pretty awesome ones through the years. I love when you can really see the bride's personality in the entire day.

But there is one place where I see a lack of personality show up on the wedding day: the veil. It may just be one of my little pet peeves, but I wanted to share this with you and encourage you to step outside of the norm with your choice in veil. I know for sure I fell into that trap. When I look back at my wedding photos, I want a veil do over.

I consider myself a pretty frugal person. Here are a few of my favorite bargains:

Our hair sure does take a beating with all that we do to it. Most of you wash it every day (you need to stop doing that), blow-dry, curl, flat-iron and spray hairspray on it. How many of you really give it a day of rest? Let's start this Sunday - every Sunday from now on, try giving your hair a break from all of that.

Hair products, minerals in the water and toxins in our environment build up on our hair. Even though I don't want you to wash your hair every day, I do want you to use a clarifying treatment once a week to cleanse your hair of all the buildup. This buildup will cause you to have bad hair days and will also leave your color looking dull and even brassy. With summer coming, this is definitely something you want to include in your hair care regime right along with your kiddos who swim in the pool. Using a clarifying shampoo will gently cleanse your hair from the inside out. I do warn you to either ask your hairdresser what they recommend or simply use a baking soda rinse at home (baking soda paste mixed with water or your daily shampoo). Don't just get any old clarifying shampoo from the store down the street. Many of those are way too harsh on your hair. The point of clarifying your hair is to properly cleanse it, not 'strip' it and make it dry and brittle. Always ask a professional.

Warmer weather and sunshine gets us all energized and wanting to clean out, spruce up and more. I see more people who want a big change to their look and their hair in the spring more than any other time of the year.

If you haven't already been into see your stylist for a new look, I bet you are thinking about it. Most of you want to go lighter this time of year either with highlights or all over color. Changing your hair color is always a fun and dramatic way to really change your whole look. But going lighter doesn't always happen in one visit to the salon, and here's why.

Note: Originally published April 25, 2012

The recent warm weather has me thinking about my favorite time of year: wedding season. I am one of those rare hair stylists who actually loves weddings and updos, and I have been privileged to be a part of some truly gorgeous and amazing weddings. I work exclusively with Amber Small from Sweetest Thing weddings, and that has brought me to some great locations to do wedding hair. In Maine, that is usually the coast, and it makes for a pretty great day at the office. As I started preparing for the upcoming season, I began thinking about what the upcoming trends would be and what brides would be wanting this year. As I was doing some searching on Pinterest and Google, I thought more about what not to do with your hair on your wedding day. There is so much to consider when it comes to your hair for your wedding.

What a winter it has been. Are you one of the lucky ones who either has gotten away or is planning to? I really think to survive living here, we need to escape. I was recently lucky enough to get away to the Dominican for six nights. It was beautiful. You don't need to pack much for a warm beach getaway except bathing suits, cover ups, sunscreen (lots of that) and a sun hat. That's the obvious stuff, right? Your hair takes a beating from the salt, sand and sun. To prevent irreversible damage, follow these suggestions.

Before you leave for vacation, I suggest a visit to your hairdresser. Make sure it's in optimal condition which is hard with the dry winter air we've had. I suggest a clear shine color to give your hair pure hydration and shine, such a Paul Mitchell's PM.Shines demi-permanent no ammonia hair color. Follow this with an in salon professional deep conditioning treatment. Your hair will look and feel its best as you head on vacation as well as have a protective layer against the sun and salt.

I only shampoo my hair once or twice a week and actually have gotten to the point where I dread the days I do have to shampoo my hair. On those days I have to start over with my hairstyle and spend the most time on my hair. I have been telling all my clients for years to stop washing their hair every day. I spend upwards of 30-45 minutes sometimes giving my clients the ultimate blow-out style only for them to wash it out in the next 12 hours. If we are going to spend hours on our hairstyle and make it look its best, then let's get the most out of it. How do you make your hairstyle last longer you ask? Enter the world of Dry Shampoo.

I was inspired to write this article upon the release of Paul Mitchell's newly released product, Dry shampoo. I have been waiting for years for them to come out with one and finally got it. There are many others on the market that you can check out - you can even grab some baby powder or cocoa powder from the cupboard. All dry shampoo comes in either spray or powder form. I like both options, but I really do love the Paul Mitchell version.

This week we are going to play a little game. I have a few questions for you, and I want you to answer them with one of these responses: sometimes, always or never. Ready? Here we go.

Q: Should you color your hair on your own at home?

We bundle ourselves and our kids up to leave the house this time of year only to be left with bad hat head and even worse static cling! It's that time of year - it's so cold we all really need our hats on to keep warm. But hat hair isn't quite the look we were going for when we left the house was it? Fortunately there are a few tricks of the trade to prevent static in your hair. Here are my top three.

1. Moisture

The Farmer's Almanac wasn't kidding when it said we were going to get a ton of snow this winter. This time of year can be depressing and rough on our bodies thanks to the lack of light, fresh air and moisture. Keep reading; I've got good news.

If our hair looks good, we feel good, don't we? This time of year is hard on our hair, but there are solutions. The lack of moisture in the air requires us to replace it in our hair and on our skin. I suggest a visit to your hairdresser. These things need to be left to a professional. There are many different in salon treatments that will replenish and rehydrate your hair. You want a treatment and a product at home that work from the inside out, actually rebuilding and healing each stand. No matter what the commercial says, the store bought products are not the same. Your hairdresser knows your hair and what it needs. If you want it to look its best, listen to them. A new color or new haircut won't make any difference if the foundation is weak. Healthy hair is beautiful hair.