DIY Floral Letter

Today I created my very first DIY video and I'm so excited to show you all! With a lot of help from my roommate, my phone, creative engineering and editing software, I was able to whip up a little video as a fun way to show you the process. Here, you'll be able to see step by step how to make your own. I bought all of my supplies from Dollar Tree costing me a total of $4. If you are already someone who does a ton of crafts, you will most likely have most of the tools needed. This craft is a perfect decoration for either yourself or someone you are willing to give it too. Check it out!

If you didn't fully catch it in the video, the materials you will need are:

• Scrap cardboard
• Glue gun
• Paint & paintbrush
• Scissors
• Cardboard cutter
• Pencil
• Foam blocks
• Fake flowers

I hope you enjoyed my small homemade video and get a chance to try it out for yourself. It was so much fun to make and even better to look at. Thanks for watching! :)

How to Survive Finals Week

With the end of the semester just around the corner, the dreaded "finals week" is quickly approaching. Like most college students know, finals week is basically a week from hell filled with crammed study sessions, end of semester projects and packing. With everything coming to an end in this one single week, it is basically impossible to not be stressed. This being said, I have a few tips I have learned over the past year or so that could help you relieve some of that stress.

1) Coffee, Coffee, Coffee
This one is obvious. For all of those late nights studying or the dreaded all-nighters, coffee will be your best friend. Caffeine is a must and will keep you going when you're tempted to slow down. Whether it's iced or hot, shot of espresso or a specialty drink, anything will get the job done. Obviously, you don't want to get jittery which could be distracting, so make sure to keep track of how much coffee you've actually consumed. Either way, coffee will always be there to keep you going when you need to cram.

***Although coffee is a great energy booster, don't forget to eat healthy and drink water as these are both natural energy boosters as well.

2) Beauty Sleep
From first hand experience, I can tell you how important it is to stay decently rested during finals. Granted, you will need to stay up and spend a lot of time studying (hence the coffee) but don't forget to get your beauty sleep. Make sure to plan ahead and allow yourself time to get in a few hours here and there or even better, a full night of sleep. Being sleep deprived can really mess with your thought process and negatively impact your performance on the test. It will be tempting to just stay up and keep studying but I'm warning you now, sleep is just as important.

3) Break Time
Make sure to give yourself breaks from time to time. Now I don't mean take a whole day off to just procrastinate from studying. Instead, give yourself a half hour to just go take a walk and get some fresh air or maybe a few minutes to go grab a snack and reenergize. Either way, give your brain a break from the work once and a while to stop you from going insane.

4) Organization
Keeping organized is one of the best ways to ace your test. Make categorized study guides for each test using different colored pens or type them up. Or maybe you learn better from flash cards or creating a Quizlet online. Whichever method you choose, keeping everything organized will only make it easier.

5) Motivation
Last but definitely not least is to stay motivated. Believe me, I know how hard it is to concentrate when it's sunny and 75 out and summer is only a few days away. But I'm telling you, just work as hard as you can now and you will be rewarded. Once you're done, you're done for 3 months, so let that be your motivation. Work hard now and you won't regret it!

Color Up Your Life

With the end of semester assignments and final week approaching, stress is inevitable. A new trend that has picked up within the past year or two for adults are coloring books. This simple activity is no longer looked at as just a way to keep kids busy, but a way adults can effortlessly relax as well. Many stores including Barnes & Noble and Walmart now sell adult coloring books with more intricate designs. They range in sizes allowing you to carry one in your purse or to have one waiting for you when you come home.

I received my first adult coloring book in a small care package my mom sent me a few months ago. It was just what I needed to relieve some stress or just to relax at night. I absolutely love it and its fun designs!

If you're a little tight on cash, there are many websites that provide free, printable coloring sheets! That's right, free! Everybody's favorite word. One website that I found is Everything Etsy which provides 15 free designs. If you aren't interested in any of these, there are plenty of other sites that provide them as well. Just simply google "free printable adult coloring pages".

The next time you are feeling a little stressed out or just want to create a small masterpiece, try out these adult coloring pages. They are so much fun and cost nothing! Happy coloring!

Have A Good Hair Day

Ever wanted to change up your hair style and try something new? Or maybe you're hair just isn't cooperating so you need an idea ASAP? I have come across three hairstyles that are so easy and take no time at all. As someone with super thick and curly hair, finding easy hairstyles that will tame my hair and look cute is a gift. Today, I tried out a few hairstyles I've been dying to try on my roommate and plan to try them out myself as well!

1) Half Up, Half Down

 If you have thin, straight hair like my roommate, make sure to brush through it all to get all of the knots out. (You can also brush in some hairspray to give it a better hold).

If you're like me and have super thick and curly hair, do NOT brush it. As all curly haired people know, brushing your hair when it is dry is a sin. That being said, just run some leave in conditioner and/or anti-frizz gel through your hair.

Next, just section the top half of your hair either with a clip, bobby pins or elastic clear band.

 Lastly, grab a small section from each side of your head, bring it over the clip and bobby pin. Yup, it's that easy! If you're one with thicker hair, you may want to put in a few more bobby pins on each side to make sure the hair is held securely. I added a cute bobby pin to dress it up a little more!

2) Dutch Braid (Inside-Out Braid)

I really love this style because it is so simple, easy and keeps your hair out of your face. It is just like regular french braids but instead of going over, you go under. In other words, for a normal braid you intertwine three strands by putting them over each other. Yet with the dutch braid, you do the exact opposite by putting the strands under each other. 

For a more detailed tutorial, watch How To: Double Dutch Braid

3) Braid & Bun Up-do

Flip your hair over and braid up towards the top of your head. You can either do a regular braid, french braid or dutch braid; whichever you prefer.

Once you have reached the top of your head, gather the rest of your hair and create a bun. This could be a messy bun, a braided bun, sock bun or just twisted like I did. This hairstyle can really range depending on what look you are going for. 

Make sure to bobby pin any loose strands and hairspray to make it hold. You can also choose to spruce it up by adding a cute headband or bobby pins. 

The next time you have no clue what to do with your hair, make sure to remember these three hairstyles. They are so easy to do and take about 5 minutes! 

Happy Styling!