Proud Tichel Wearer, Rebecca!

Hi Wrapunzelers!  I’m happy to introduce you to Rebecca, a woman who proudly wears her tichels in the workplace and writes about her experiences!  Here is what she has to say to us Wrapunzel ladies about herself… let’s give her a warm welcome!

Hi everyone!
I’m Rebecca, and I’ve been covering my hair since I got married about for about four and a half months ago. When I was engaged, I put a lot of time and effort into researching how and why I was going to cover my hair. I wanted the mitzvah to be meaningful and something I connected with. I really enjoyed reading the book Hide and Seek: Jewish Women and Hair Covering by Lynne Schreiber. I recommend this book to anyone who is considering covering their hair for Jewish reasons. While I was engaged, I took a trip to a sheitel store and tried on a few wigs, but I just didn’t connect to the wig. So hats, scarves, and tichels it was!

I have a lot of fun covering my hair and matching my coverings to my outfits. And my collection of hair coverings keeps growing! As times goes on, I’m getting better at adding accessories, like hair pins and earrings. I’m still working on getting more of the elaborate tichels and wraps to stay on my head all day without having to re-adjust!

I work as a school psychologist at a public high school with essentially no Jewish community. I had worked at my job for about two years before I got married and covering my hair. So, when I started covering my hair, it was very obvious. I get a lot of questions, comments, and remarks from co-workers and the students I work with. And the remarks are overwhelmingly positive! I get comments saying how classy I look, and I get into meaningful discussions about the Jewish concept of marriage.

Now that I’ve started covering my hair, most of the people I work with know that I’m Jewish. I look at this as an opportunity to be a Kiddush Hashem; to be a positive example for the Jewish people.

Because all of my friends and family enjoyed the stories I told them about the comments I get about covering my hair and being Jewish at work, I started a blog. It’s called Jew In The School: The Adventures of the Tichel-Wearing School Psychologist. You can follow me on Facebook  and read the blog too!

Wedding Wow!

MAZAL TOV MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED YESTERDAY!!  (Well, two days ago if you don’t go by the Jewish definition of day which starts at sundown.)

Yes, his wife is already lined up to be a Lady Wrap Star!

Here are some unofficial photos what I wore!  Aqua is the bride’s favourite colour 🙂

Classic Layered Ponytail Tutorial!

Can anyone come up with a better name for this wrap??  I’m not a fan of the one I came up with above…

Here is the tutorial that you have all been waiting for!  This particular wrap is a match makers dream!  I know it’s sometimes hard to match tichels… but keep trying and don’t be afraid to incorporate something new into your wrap!

Fall Colours ~

Baltimore’s fall colours are UNREAL today!   Seriously, I had to stop while walking because I was in shock – the sky, the clouds, the trees, the leaves… WOW!

So obviously the weather outside subliminally inspired my tichel choice!  This wrap was done using two long scarves of the same length, braiding the ends into a 4-strand plait.

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Have external elements ever influenced your tichel choices in a very obvious way?  Tell us about it!IMG_4930

Two Outfit Ideas for You!

Hello lovely ladies!  Here are two similar outfits that I have worn that I thought you’d like!  It’s wonderful how wearing a scarf with multiple colours allows you to incorporate those colours into your outfit, and instead of clashing, they now match!

What do you think?  How has covering your hair inspired what you wear?
andrea grinberg wrapunzel

What do you think?  How has covering your hair inspired what you wear?

Lady Wrap Star – *Yael* !

I am so excited to introduce Yael to you!  I was lucky to get to see her during my recent whirlwind trip to Israel, and during our time together, so many beautiful thoughts about hair covering spilled from her mouth that I had to whip out my video recorder.  There is so much to say about this woman, so instead of telling you all about her, I will instead let her speak for herself:

I know, eh?  Our first Lady Wrap Star on video!

Can you believe that Yael’s married name is Sunshine?  How perfect is that!  Here are some photos of her with her husband:

Yael is incredibly vibrant, warm, and honest.  I’m sure y’all want to ask questions and hear more from her, so please tell us what you think in the comments section and Yael will do her best to respond!

Our Latest Lady Wrap Star – Tiona!

When Tiona sent in her gorgeous photo with a sweet note for the “Wrapunzel Ladies do the Zig-Zag Criss Cross” post, I was immediately captivated by her smile and wrapping skills.   Turns out that her beautiful wraps only give a hint to the person she is on the inside!  Here she is as a Lady Wrap Star!  Read on…

wrapunzel wrap star tiona andrea grinberg

Hi Tiona! Can you tell us a little about yourself? What are you all about, some likes/dislikes, how do you choose to spend your time?
Yes. Hi my name is Tiona Reed, I am a mother of four blessings and married to my wonderful husband Roderick Reed. I run my own bakery and absolutely love baking and decorating cakes. There is a fulfillment there when I see the smile on someones face because Ive added to their life memories. I spend all of my time raising my children in the most positive way I know how. I have also started the process of volunteering at the local hospitals cancer center to teach women how to cover their heads in a way to still remain confident. Personal experience has taught me that if a woman still remains confident and positive about the way she looks, her recovery is quickened or her last days are brighter. My husband is currently serving in Afghanistan so all of this is a great responsibility at the present time but I have strong and loving mishpucha helping me through.

How long have you been covering your hair? Can you tell us a bit about why you cover your hair and the process leading to this life decision?
I have not been covering my hair for very long, but I find the journey very rewarding. Becoming more modest had been my conviction for quite some time so when I decided to hold myself accountable and learn what it meant to be modest and cover my hair, I felt like I had accomplished something that would bring more clarity to my life focus. There were a lot of distractions regarding how I looked, in particular my hair. I use to be a hair model when I lived in Atlanta and that seemed to be the focus of my life. Funny story, when I met my husband, I actually missed a hair show I was suppose to be in because I was with him!! Anyways, I later felt there was too much focus on my hair and not enough on what was important, which is self and others. I slowly but surely began to wrap my hair and I have seen how it has transformed my life and the life of the people around me!

What is your favourite way to cover? Favourite colour and why?
My favorite way to cover are snoods!! I am a busy mom, so a snood is fast and easy!! Sometimes I dress it up and put layers underneath, but throw on and go fits my lifestyle. I like to save all the other fun wraps and scarves for Shabbos. Then I get to experiment and play with colors and textures. Just another way I set the day apart. My favorite color would have to be blue. All shades of blue just make me happy. It has a calming affect to me. It’s also a great canvas to add different textures and patterns to.

Do people ever ask you about your hair coverings? What do you say to them? A memorable hair wrapping experience you would like to share?
I don’t really get asked much about my hair coverings as much as I get complimented. There is always a look of curiosity, but not much in the way of conversation, other then a thank you response. My most memorable hair wrapping experience would have to be when I was in Israel and some of the ladies asked me to cover their heads when we were expected to be in areas where it was required. It was such an honor that they were standing, waiting their turns to be wrapped and they absolutely loved it! Some to this day have continued to wrap their hair even upon returning home.

Any scarf wrapping tips you would like to share with the Wrapunzel ladies? What are you grateful today?
Oh my, tips from me!! I would love to learn more tips from everyone else. The only thing I can think to contribute is to always walk away from the mirror feeling inspired and confident. This light is important for others who need the encouragement to cover their hair and still feel empowered. I am grateful for my family and the opportunities that have been placed before me. My life has truly been blessed and I only pray that I have been that same blessing to others.

Thank you for this opportunity!!

And thank YOU Tiona!  Thanks for reading everyone – let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Skirt = Headwrap?! Believe it!

So… you all know Rivka Malka Perlman, right?

If you haven’t heard of her, run (don’t walk!) to her website right now.  This woman is one of my greatest inspirations, and I am proud to say, now also a close friend.

ANYWAY – she recently gave me a stunning teal wrap skirt, and I had been itching to wear it, so I decided to save it for a special occasion.  Last Shabbat seemed like the perfect opportunity.

But then the weather was FREEZING!  Much too cold to wear such a fluttery skirt.  I thought the skirt may have to stay in my closet and wait until the spring.

But Shabbat is a time of miracles, so I had an idea and did what any proud head scarf wrapper would do; I turned it into a tichel!

Bada boom!
Bada boom!

And it subsequently became one of the most beautiful tichels I have ever tied!
andrea grinberg wrapunzel skirt tichel

I know.  And all this was done without damaging the skirt – so it can be worn both ways.

Maybe Rivka Malka and I should start marketing skirts as tichels!  Who wants a tutorial??

Do the Criss-cross!

I often get asked, “Do you ever get bored?  Do you ever run out of new ways to tie your scarves?”  The answer is, gratefully, “nope!”  Even if I  owned 10 scarves (believe me, I have quite a few more than that!), there would still be an infinite amount of tying options.

So here is a new style that I came up with yesterday!  It is surprisingly easy.  Who wants a tutorial?

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And here is another variation on the criss-cross that I have tried, with only one scarf:
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Dark Warmth

Sheer, jewel-toned knitted cotton, and patterned, dark green silk.  What a beautiful combination!

andrea grinberg wrapunzel


In terms of what I wore with it, my 13 year old self would be scandalized!  When I was a teenager, I had very strict ideas about what matched (don’t ask me where I got these rules from).  Dark shirt grey with black pants?  Never!  Complimentary colours together in one outfit?  Never!  Needless to say, my grey skirt, dark teal shirt and warm jean jacket would have never been allowed out of the house!

But times have changed!  Here is the dark yet warm yet neutral outfit that I paired with the wrap!  (Excuse my “Zoolander” face – I haven’t figured out the timer on my camera yet!)
andrea grinberg wrapunzel outfit

Hot Day Wear!

It’s hoootttt outside!  Many ladies often ask me, “aren’t you boiling in your long skirts, sleeves, and head wrap?”  The answer is, “Yep, it’s hot, but I am much cooler than someone wearing short shorts and a tank top!”

How can this be?

The answer is simple: look at the Bedouins and those that lived outside in extremely hot weather.  They all wore light colours, long, draped fabrics, and had their heads covered.  Light fabrics reflect the sun away from your body much better than skin does!  Skin fries under the sun; not only does this create health problems, but it also raises one’s body temperature like nothing else.  A long, breezy skirt is much cooler than constricting shorts.  Same with fluttery sleeves!  As for the hair covering, I find that when I wear light fabrics on my head, I sweat much less than when I wore my hair down (sticky!) and got my scalp burned.

So here is my hot day hair wrap and outfit!  The shirt is light, loose cotton.  The skirt is a wrap skirt from Jerusalem, and the scarves are cotton/silk 🙂

wrapunzel andrea grinberg

Breezy Flowers

andrea grinberg wrapunzel tichel

I hadn’t worn my favourite gold scarf for a while, so it was time to break it out!  I did a high wrap around my bun and then looped the ends around, fastening them in a single knot at the side.  I added an antique pin for extra security (doesn’t hurt the eyes, either!)  Later on in the day, I added the turquoise sash to add extra interest.

For the outfit, I wore a dress that is often hard to match, but lo and behold, has orange, gold and a bit of turquoise in it!  I wore a longer, swingy skirt underneath because I was going to be playing cello (aka long skirts are necessary!), an cream shell, gold earrings, and lace flats.  All in all, it was comfortable, modest, beautiful, and feminine!  This will likely be one of my new favourite outfit/tichel combos!

andrea grinberg wrapunzel tichel outfit

Colour Celebration! (and Giveaway!)

[Giveaway is now closed!]

I am so happy to announce that our facebook page has reached well over 1,000 “likes”!

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To celebrate, we are going to do a giveaway!  Two winners will be picked on August 1st!

What will I be giving away?  Get excited…

I will be mailing the  winners a velvet headband (my personal tichel secret!) as well as a handpicked scarf just for her!  How will this Wrapunzel Wrap Kit be selected?  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling us:

1) What is your favourite colour and why?
2) How would you describe your personal style and how does hair covering fit into this?

That’s it!  One winner will be chosen at random on August 1st, as well as another winner whose entry is a personal favourite, and then I will go on a shopping trip for them and send a velvet headband and handpicked tichel through the mail!

Kol tuv (all the best), looking forward to reading your entries, and may we celebrate many more milestones together!
Love, Andrea

[FYI – please be sure to comment/enter only ONCE.  When you submit your entry, it has to go through me for approval and I am usually not at my computer so it may be a while before your comment appears.]

Wedding Wow!

What kind of head wrap should one wear to a wedding?  And epic one!

andrea grinberg wrapunzel wedding

This style is an elegant waterfall twist wrap with the new sash that I featured last week thrown in for extra wow power!  I put my bun/volumizer much higher than usual to give it extra height.  Here it is from the side:

andrea grinberg wrapunzel wedding

And from the other side:

andrea grinberg wrapunzel wedding

And since many of you have been asking me to do full outfit posts as well as headwraps… this next shot is for you!  I am still debating whether or not I want to post my clothing choices because this site is about hair wrapping, not modest fashion (there are many ladies on here that wrap their hair and do not dress like I do) but I know it can sometimes be hard to match wraps with outfits.  Disclaimer: I am not a fashionista in the least and it is hard to take self shots of outfits!  But for what it’s worth, here I am wearing a floor length silk dress ($8 thrift store sale yeah!) and a purple shell underneath:

andrea grinberg wrapunzel wedding