Tag: Wrapunzel

Lady Wrap Star Anna!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars5 Comments

Meet this week’s Lady Wrap Star!  I used to call Anna my mentor, and now I am very proud to call her my friend!  I made sure to ask her some specific questions about Judaism and hair covering, since many of you have asked.  For those of you that don’t know, many Jewish women also cover their hair with wigs (sheitels).  Anna covers with both wigs and scarves, and refers to both in the questions she answered.  And yes, in one of the photos she sent, that is me standing beside her before I started covering my hair.  Anna and her husband, Marc, and twin girls, Nechama and Zissie live in Toronto.  When you are finished reading her interview (and checking out her lovely head coverings), you should take a look at her blog called Double the Fun We Are One 🙂

Anna Marc Tichel

Lady Wrap Star also know as: 
Anna Sherman

Tell us a bit about yourself!  How do you choose to spend your time?
Thank G-d, my life is filled with things that I love!  Most of my time is spent taking care of my 9-month old twins, Nechama and Zissie, working on my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy to become a marriage therapist in Boulder, running our household, preparing Shabbos for our many special guests, working on shidduchim (matchmaking) and writing for my blog.  When I do find some time to myself, I run out to Zumba class, spend time alone with my awesome hubby or meet a friend for coffee.

What is the best thing that has happened to you today?
My daughter, Nechama gave me a hug and a kiss!

How long have you been covering?
Since the day I got married, almost three years.

What is the one thing that you like best about covering your hair?
For me, covering my hair is about more than just the actual halacha (Jewish law) of covering.  My hair was always something I loved about myself and something that made me feel more attractive to the world, especially to other men.  My husband really loved my hair when we were dating and would always compliment me on it.  The act of covering my hair is about saving that special and unique part of my identity just for my husband.  Covering my hair identifies me as a married woman to the rest of the world and I’m proud of that!  I’m extremely proud to be married to my husband, for people to know that I am his wife and I am proud that we have an amazing marriage.  The first week of our marriage when we went out in public, my husband looked at me and said,” I love that you are covering your hair and the whole world sees it.  I love that they know that you are my wife and I am so proud to be your husband!”

Can you tell us a bit about Judaism and why you cover your hair?
The halacha about a married woman covering her hair comes from the story in the Torah about the Aishes Sotah, the adulterous woman.  In the story of the Aishes Sotah, the Torah states that she is forced to stand up in front of the entire community and if she is found guilty, she is put in the most embarrassing situation.  Her cap is removed, and her hair is unbraided and exposed in front of the entire community.  From this story,we learn that a married woman’s hair is covered in public and that it is embarrassing for her to uncover her hair in front of others.  There is much halachic discussion regarding what is the appropriate way for a woman to cover her hair and how much hair needs to be covered.  Some say, she only needs to cover the crown of her head, some say all her hair needs to be covered, others say that a tefach (hand breadth may be showing.)  I personally feel that the amount of hair and the way a married woman chooses to cover her hair is a very personal decision that should be made by the woman herself.  A woman’s hair is part of her identity, as is the way she covers it.  The way she chooses to cover it is an extremely personal decision which happens to be made very public.  Therefore, I think that everyone needs to refrain from judgment and respect a woman for the choices she makes regarding how she covers her hair.

Any funny/vivid hair covering experiences that you would like to share?
One hair covering experience that vividly stands out in my mind is when I made the choice to uncover my hair.  Sounds crazy, right?  You see, before Marc, I was previously married to someone else for one year.  It was a bad situation and I was lucky to get out of it unharmed, with no children.  I always covered my hair during my first marriage and when I got divorced, I was faced with the decision whether I would continue to cover it (as many divorced women do) or chose to uncover it.  Shortly before I received my get (Jewish divorce) I was visiting a rabbi whom I am very close with in Toronto.  Without me asking him, he told me that I should uncover my hair when I got divorced.  He felt it was the right decision for me.  When I asked him why, he explained that for many divorce women, he felt that it was the right decision for them to keep their hair covered, especially if they had children.  However, he explained that in my case, since there had never been a real connection or a decent relationship with my first husband, it was almost as if I had never been married at all.  And since there were no children keeping me connected to him, he felt that there was no reason to hold onto any other reminders and have all these painful memories “hanging over my head.”  So the day I received my get I uncovered my hair.  It was liberating!  I felt free of this burdensome life I had been carrying around, free to be myself and alive again.  A week later, I was in a shoe store in Brooklyn and the Israeli shop owner asked me if I was single.  I said yes, and he answered “Perfect!  I have mamash excellent shidduch for you!  (I have such a good match for you.)  A wonderful Israeli boy, twenty-two years old!”  (I was twenty-seven.)
Of course, now that I am married to the right person, covering my hair has an entirely different meaning, one of pride and connection, instead of burden and hidden secrets.
The only other thing I want to add to this point, is that as I mentioned before, just like the way a woman chooses to cover her hair is a very personal decision,  so is the decision whether to uncover or to continue to cover her hair if she gets divorced.  For me, it was definitely the right decision to uncover my hair when I got divorced, however, I did receive a number of very insensitive comments from people, ranging from “Who told you it was ok to uncover your hair?”  to “You got divorced and you uncovered your hair????  We’re going to have to talk about this.  I gotta hear the whole story.”  After something as painful as a divorce, I was not in any shape to answer these questions, nor did I feel the need for everyone to be privy to my personal decision on this topic.  The best thing to do when you see a woman who just got divorced uncover her hair is to tell her she looks great and ask how she’s doing.  That’s it.  Short and simple.

What are you wearing on your head today?
A warm and cozy grey wool beret with a flower on it.

Do you remember the first time you wore a head covering?  What did it look like?  How did it feel?  What did others say?
The first time I wore a head covering after Marc and I got married was the day after our wedding and we went to meet his extended family for brunch.  I wore my beautiful, long, Shabbos shaitel (wig) and my mother-in-law said that she wouldn’t have recognized me if she walked past me on the street 😉

What is your favourite scarf?  Favourite accessory?  Favourite hat?
I don’t really have a favourite scarf, I have so many beautiful scarves which I picked up in Israel on my many visits there.  My favourite hat is a fuzzy, grey cap-style hat with a decorative ribbon flower in the front which I got in New York.

What are some of your hair covering suggestions?  Any secrets you would like to share with us?
Although I love how some women wear fancy tichels layered one on top of another, or with the volumizer underneath, I am someone who gets a lot of headaches and these fancy tichel arrangements never worked for me.  I have found that when it comes to tichels, I’m better off wearing one or two at a time, and if I want that volumized look at the back, I take a cotton cap and stuff a pair of rolled up socks in the back.  Then I tie the tichel over top of that for a more elegant look.  I also always wear a velvet headband called a wig grip under my tichels to keep them from slipping.
I find that if you choose to cover your hair with tichels or hats, earrings and make-up can make a world of difference to the way you look and feel.  The right earrings and a little make-up can brighten up your face and change your whole appearance.

What are you grateful for right now?
So many things.  Mostly my amazing husband, my beautiful girls and my supportive family and friends.

It’s the simple things…

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation2 Comments

… that seem to get the most notice 🙂

Yesterday for a performance, I wore this square “silk” scarf (it can’t be silk… cost 10nis aka <$3 in the Jerusalem market) with a complimentary headband.  Instead of letting the tails hang down the back, I pulled them to the side.  Of course, everyone that commented on it was surprised to find out that this is something I do every day and wasn’t just for fashion.

Beautiful Brown

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation4 Comments

I love the colour brown.  I secretly (or not so secretly) yearned for brown hair, but never coloured it because I was given such a lovely shade of blonde.  Now that I cover, I can make my head any colour that I please!

This wrap is an easy adaptation of the regal wrap.  Instead of wrapping the second strand flat over my head, I gave it a twist!

This Week’s “Lady Wrap Star” !

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars7 Comments
Meet this week’s Lady Wrap Star and be inspired by her beautiful scarf creations!
Lady Wrap Star also known as:
Mary Burkholder:
Tell us a bit about yourself!  How do you choose to spend your time?
I work in the shipbuilding industry as a 3D AutoCad/Catia designer. When I’m not at work, I am home chasing after my two boys, ages 6 and 17 months. When my babies are asleep I enjoy crocheting and spending time with my husband.
How long have you been covering?
For about 6 months now. Prior to that, I was completely unaware of covering and it’s significance until one evening when I came across Rivka Malka’s channel on YouTube. Her tichel’s are so gorgeous, and I was completely intrigued, so I started watching her how-to video’s to see how it was done. I was instantly hooked, and the desire to cover started growing in my heart until it became something I deeply wanted to do and couldn’t stop thinking about.
What is the one thing that you like best about covering your hair?
I don’t know if this will make sense to anyone else, but there is amazing dignity that comes with covering. I’ve heard it said that it’s like a crown, and that’s probably the most accurate description I can come up with. I feel an overwhelming sense of value and love for my own self when I cover. There have been more than several times when I finish my tichel and stand back to evaluate and all I can say is ‘wow, wow, wow!’. I don’t know about the average woman, but I’d venture to say, “wow” is not an emotion we frequently experience when standing in front of our mirrors. But when you cover, it happens, and it’s surprising and pleasant.:)
The very first time I ever wore a covering here at home was on a Friday night Shabbat. It was a simple brown sparkly triangle with no volumizer or other layers, very simple. My oldest son, Caleb who was 5 at the time, came in the room where I was, took one wide-eyed look at me and said “Mom you look so beautiful, you look like Shabbat!”. With one simple comment about one simple covering, he sealed in my heart that the beauty wasn’t in how great I could get it to look, but in keeping it simple enough for my children to always be able to recognize the spirit of Shabbat in what I wore. 🙂
I notice that you wear glasses – has that affected the kinds of head coverings that you wear?
No, I don’t think it’s affected the type of coverings I wear, however when I go to choose new glasses in the very near future, how they look while I’m wearing a head covering will determine my choice.
What are you wearing on your head today?
Today I’m wearing an apron style tichel from Judith de Paris coupled with a cream colored scarf. 
wrapunzel lady wrap star mary
Do you remember the first time you wore a head covering?  What did it look like?  How did it feel?  What did others say?
Yes I do! 🙂 This wasn’t the very first time wearing a head covering, but it was the very first time wearing one to work and it was a huge, but very significant step for me. I work in an environment that is majority male, but a good amount female in my immediate group. I was self-conscious at first, but the response from my co-workers was so overwhelmingly positive, that I felt at ease very quickly. As you see in the picture, it was two Israeli tichels, one white one purple, and a multi-colored black/purple/silver scarf wrapped around. Still one of my favorite combinations!
wrapunzel lady wrap star mary
Your favourite scarf and/or accessory:
It is so hard to pick just one, but this is my favourite. It’s cream, brown and teal, with gold shimmer lurex woven throughout. I love shimmer. 🙂
Add a brown scarf and a butterfly pin that my mother gave me and now it’s really my favourite!
Could you share a unique experience (or two) that happened to you due to covering your hair?
It’s amazing the conversations that get started. I’ve had women at work thank me because now they feel free to cover, whereas before they were really concerned about what the response would be.
What are some of your hair covering suggestions?  Any tips you would like to share with us?
To don’t be discouraged when you can’t seem to get it just right. I’ve turned my arms into rubber on some looks, and on others gotten it right the very first time. What’s amazing is when you find your favorite style. Mine came after I received my volumizer from Judith de Paris. How I lived without that and my velvet head band, I will never know. But it was after that point when I stopped being afraid of “too much” volume. I don’t know now if there is such a thing for my head shape. One tip for the headband is a tiny bit of mousse. My hair is super fine and sometimes, especially after the headband starts to stretch, I find that everything wants to start sliding again. I fixed this one day by getting everything pulled into the elastic band, and then smoothing a small bit of mousse all over before putting on the headband. It gives you an extra secure feeling that really does last all day.
What is your favourite colour?
Purple is top, but I gravitate a lot towards browns, blues, teals, etc 🙂
What are you grateful for right now?
I’m beyond grateful for those precious boys of mine sleeping peacefully in the next room. I could kiss those noggins right off.
And today especially, I’m grateful for answered prayers. For a G-d who not only sees and hears, but responds. I’m super grateful today 🙂

Ballerina bun!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf CreationLeave a comment

Inspired by my dancer friend, I decided to try a high bun wrap for today:

To do this one, just make sure that you have your hair (or volumizer or whatever) high up on your head, then tie one square scarf in a basic tucked in wrap.  Then I took an israeli scarf, folded it up and wrapped it around the bun part, tucking the ends in 🙂

The Switcheroo

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation4 Comments

So… I started the day off with a beautiful navy and turquoise wrap:

But someone (*cough) didn’t account for the purse/backpack straps that I would be taking on and off all day, so a switch was needed because the hanging tails kept getting tangled. Luckily I brought along a hat!  So now the rest of the day will be spent in this:

I really like this hat!  It matches so much of my wardrobe and is the perfect size.

Hope you’re all having a lovely day!

 

Teal for Today!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf CreationLeave a comment

My favourite colour is turquoise/teal tones, so today I was definitely wrapped in my colour of choice!

This wrap was done in a hurry, and is a haphazard version of the layered volumous regal wrap style, except I only used two long scarves.  Even though the look is sloppy, I got many smiles and compliments throughout the day!

Introducing Maya: This week’s “Lady Wrap Star”!

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Lady Wrap Stars12 Comments

maya wrapunzel lady wrap starThis week’s “Lady Wrap Star” is someone that I really want to meet in person one day and get to hear her life story.  Meet Maya, a woman that I have had the pleasure of finding through the internet and has some VERY interesting things to say about hair covering and modesty.  I will say no more!  Read on…

Lady Wrap Star also known as: Maya Resnikoff

Tell us a bit about yourself!  How do you like to spend your time?
I work as a hospital chaplain.  I’m actually doing my residency right now, which is a one-year program involving nearly full-time work, plus clinical pastoral education, which makes it a fairly intense process.  I have a long commute, and spend most of it reading- I love science fiction and fantasy, and that’s what I stick to, for the most part.  In my free time, I crochet, watch (mostly old) TV with my husband, bake bread, play boggle and blog at http://www.howtocover.blogspot.com about- you guessed it, head covering.

How long have you been covering?
I’ve been covering my head for something like 9 years.  First, I would wear kippot or folded scarves, when I was single.  When I got married, I started to cover the vast majority of my head and hair.  So now my coverings are dual-purpose items, for me, although sometimes it’s easy to forget that.

What is the one thing that you like best about covering your hair?
I love the creativity that I can apply to my covering.  I have always enjoyed playing with fabric, and this is just a lot of fun.  I like the way that it looks and feels, too.  It’s a lot more fun than doing my hair used to be.  I have all these possibilities, and they don’t involve hair spray.

I notice that you wear glasses – do you have any suggestions for fellow glasses wearers that wear head scarves?
I never thought of the combination as being complicated.  Actually, I’ve found that my scarf helps to keep my glasses on.  I have to push them up much less often now than I did before I was married.  I think getting your glasses settled comfortably before tying your scarf is key.

What are you wearing on your head today?
I’m wearing an Israeli square scarf with the ends loose, and a braided purple scarf over it.

maya wrapunzel lady wrap star
Do you remember the first time you wore a head covering?  What did it look like?  How did it feel?  What did others say?
I’m going to give this two answers.  The first time I wore a noticeable head covering on a regular day, back in college, I think that it slipped by as a one-off.  Really, I started by carrying a kippah for meals, but I started forgetting to take it off.  So it was a pretty blurry boundary.  But the first time I saw my parents after that, they definitely noticed.
The first time I covered fully was evening after my wedding.  We had a late morning wedding, so afterward, we went to the hotel, showered and napped, and then realized that we needed dinner.  So we went out, and of course, by that point it was 9pm or so, and everything in New Haven,CT was pretty much closed.  We had frozen yogurt for dinner.  Covering to go out felt pretty strange.  I’d thought about it so much, and now here I was, putting it into action.  I felt very conscious of it, and pretty self-conscious too.  My husband and I talked about it, and how I was feeling as we went out.  Then, of course, we didn’t see anyone we knew that evening, so I had that outing to sort of adjust a little bit.  By the next morning, when we had brunch with my in-laws, it already felt a little less awkward, although it took some time to really adjust to.
Could you share a unique experience (or two) that happened to you due to covering your hair?
I’ve had a lot of people be quite shocked that I am, in fact, a Conservative rabbi, given the hair covering.  But I’m not thinking of much else, right now.
Your favourite scarf and/or accessory:
I have a scarf from my mother, one she had and never wore, that I just adore.  It’s brightly colored, and cotton, and I don’t know why it’s my favorite, it just is.  I really enjoy accessories, and variety, but this one’s just my favorite.
What are some of your hair covering suggestions?  Any secrets you would like to share with us?
I think my best tip is not to get tied down to any one style or approach.  Let some days be “crown” days, and other days be “get it out of my way” days.  Keep on playing, and have fun with what you do with your head.
What are you grateful for right now?
In the big picture, I’m grateful for my husband.  In the small picture, I’m grateful for having just finished making a pair of crocheted socks, and for eating bread and butter.

Thursday’s Volumous Braid

On By Andrea GrinbergIn Daily Scarf Creation1 Comment

Inspired by a friend that I met the day before (thank you!), I decided to try tying my accent scarf around the bun part of the wrap.  Here is the result!

I love braiding with scarves of different widths – it creates such a neat effect!

Hope you all are looking forward to a lovely weekend.  I sure am, and I am also super excited for the “Lady Wrap Star” that I will be posting on Saturday night!