Adventure Day

During my fall break I was at school all alone, so naturally I went on a little solo adventure. In St. Louis there is a lovely park about 2 miles away from campus. It was a nice autumn day, not too cold, so I walked to the park. Within the park there are so many things to do, so I decided to go to the Art Museum. I had so much fun getting away from campus and going exploring. Here are some pictures from the day!

What's in My Bag: Adventure Day

Today I decided to go on a little adventure. Its fall break and I’m here in St. Louis by myself so I wanted to have some fun. Here’s what’s in my bag at the end of my adventure day!

First off, this is the bag I took. I borrowed it from my roommate. It’s a brown cross-body bag that can fit a ton of stuff!

So here is the breakdown of what I brought:

1.      My wallet and keys

2.      Vans beanie and Ray Bans

3.      Metro ticket and lunch receipt

4.      Poetry Books

5.      Composition book and pencils

6.      Map of art museum

7.      Polaroid camera and Polaroid pictures

8.      Headphones and case

9.      Tens Unit for back pain

10.   And obviously my iPhone

Well that’s everything I need for a trip to the park and art museum!

How To: Paint a Canvas

Maybe you are in a sorority for the first time, maybe you want to have cute decorations in your dorm room, or maybe you just want to paint for funsies. Crafting is a lot of fun no matter the reason. I am a recent crafter myself, but I thoroughly enjoy it and it’s one of my favorite things to do if I have some free time.

I know it can seem intimidating, but as long as you stay patient I promise you’ll do alright!

1.      Pick out a design/ Get painting supplies – you are going to need supplies like canvases, paint brushes and paints. If you know the design you’re going to do beforehand then you can make sure you get all the colors and supplies you need. You can either create your design yourself or copy a design. I always look to Pinterest for my inspiration!

2.      Get Started – Trace any designs and figures you want onto the canvas. I like to paint these in first before painting in the background.

3.      Paint the Background – Add the background color. As you do this you might color into your designs accidentally, that’s totally okay, just use a small paintbrush to paint over your little mistakes

4.      Add other paint details – for this canvas my last paint detail was the grass. This was something I just went for and didn’t have to worry about making it look perfect.

5.      Add paint pen details – I like to add paint pen details last after my paint has had time to dry. I use paint pen for lettering and more exact details of the canvas, like outlining the elephant and his eye.

There you have it! Canvas painting 101. Good luck on your future art endeavors!

Study Tips

So this weekend I am studying for three exams because it is midterm’s week. So I thought I’d procrastinate and write about good study habits or things to do to help you study.

1.     Make Lists: write down all the things you need to study/ homework assignments you need to do, that way you don’t forget anything

2.      Set a timer: Tomato timer is a great way to keep your productivity levels up. You do school work for 25 minutes and then give yourself a 5 minute break. Then keep repeating.

3.      Get Sleep: More than just the basic health reasons, your brain makes all your memories while you are sleeping, therefore it’s always good to get a good night’s sleep so your brain can remember all the facts you’ve been working hard to learn.

4.      Make Notecards: while this doesn’t apply to every subject, making notecards is great when you have to memorize lots of different facts or terms. Not only do you get to practice them easily, but the making of notecards and writing everything out helps you remember things better.

5.      Reward Yourself: Motivation gets you a long way. Tell yourself that you get to eat cookies or text a friend if you accomplish a certain amount of work.

6.      Turn off your Phone: make sure you are not getting distracted by texts, Facebook, twitter, Instagram or anything else. You learn material better if you stay focused on one task at a time. 

Good Luck on Exams!

Love is Louder

I’ve been struggling with mental illness for three years now. It sucks and there are some days I don’t have hope. Thankfully today is not one of those days.

Today I feel the support of my sisters. Today they give me strength and hope.

It’s a beautiful thing to know you are not alone in the world. While I hate knowing other people suffer as I do, it also brings me comfort. It brings me comfort to know I’m not making it up and this is real. It brings me comfort to know that other people understand. It brings me comfort to know that other people have survived this so I can too.

Today was Depression Screening Awareness Day. Reach out for support if you’re suffering. Even if you don’t seek professional help, confiding in friends or family can bring you comfort, and might even bring you a step closer to recovery.

Love is louder than the struggle that many face every day due to mental illness. I know what it’s like to fight a battle in your head every day. Reach out and talk to someone. And remember you are loved.