Inspiration Boards + DIY

As I mentioned in yesterday's Weekly Roundup, I've been slightly obsessed with inspiration boards for about a year. I've had this post planned in my head for well over a month, and it's been written into my blog planner as, dun dun dun, Keep Not Settling's first DIY! Get excited! 

Before we get to the do-it-yourself aspect of this post, I wanted to share a few pictures of my favorite inspiration boards with you. 

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I've always loved the spontaneous look of inspiration boards. Knowing that they've been put together over a period of time, and that they probably won't be the same in a few days, weeks, months. As much as I love consistency, I can really appreciate how inconsistent inspiration boards are. Maybe that's why I like them so much! 

After looking at pictures of other people's inspiration boards for so long, I decided to venture out and make my own, smaller, dorm-friendly version. Take a look at how you can do the same (on pretty much any scale)! This DIY is insanely simple.. it took me about 45 minutes! 

What you'll need: 

• Cork board 
• Pillow case
• Frame
• Paint
• Paint brushes 
• Hot glue gun & glue 

I didn't have a hot glue gun before this project, so I had to buy one. But if I didn't, the total cost of this project would've been about $20. 

I started by laying out two pieces of cork board side-by-side and Scotch taped them together. This was only because the frame I chose was rectangular and the cork is square. Then, I traced around the inside of the frame on the conjoined cork boards to get proper sizing. 

The next part is pretty straightforward: I cut the cork board into a rectangle.

I repeated this process to create a second layer of the cork board since the individual layers are pretty thin. This ensures that push pins won't go straight through to the other side. 

After letting the hot glue gun warm up for about five minutes, I hot glued the two layers of cork together. This was the hardest part, making sure that the corners were aligned and everything was in the proper place without letting the hot glue dry (which takes 10-15 seconds). 

I ended up deciding to paint the top of the cork board with one generous layer of white paint. This is only because I picked out a white pillow case to use as the board's cover. Noe that if you're using a dark pillowcase/material, or one that's completely opaque, this step might not be necessary. 

While the white paint was drying, I moved on to painting the frame. I used one of my favorite Martha Stewart paint colors, which ended up complimenting the coral triangles on the pillowcase perfectly! I only did one layer of paint on the frame and I wasn't to worried about a little bit of the wood peeking through the paint. 

This step was definitely the longest part, given the shape of -- and cutouts in -- the frame. 

Once the cork board had dried completely, I placed it into the pillowcase and pushed it to one corner. I took an extra minute to line up the seams properly to make sure that the triangle pattern wouldn't be crooked on the front side. Then, I cut the pillowcase to leave a two-inch border around the board. 

The next step was to pull the border to the back side and hot glue it down.

The final step was to attach the cork board to the frame! I did this from the back side by aligning the cork board, adding some hot glue to the backside edge of the frame, and then hot gluing around all 4 edges of the cork board once it was attached to the frame. The last step was to ensure stability, since the two-layer cork was considerably heavy. Note: A stronger glue could be substituted in at this step, but so far I've found that the hot glue works perfectly fine. 

And TA-DA! One modestly sized inspiration board perfect for my dorm room. I added some printouts of my all-time favorite pins, an inspirational quote, and some of my recent travel tickets. I'ms sure that as I collect inspirational or interesting items, that they'll make it up on this board.

Let me know if you're going to try this DIY!

Keep not settling,

Weekly Roundup.

This week has been interesting, to say the least. It's certainly involved a lot of Netflix, but I've also started mentally preparing for the new semester. Keep Not Settling hit an amazing milestone this week, one I'm incredibly grateful for.

ONE | American Idol 

This week, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my really good friends on television. Maddy Hudson, who I love to death (and really miss now that I'm all the way across the country), absolutely blew the judges of American Idol away with her audition in San Francisco. I just know that this amazing and talented girl is going to take the world by storm. Watch her audition on YouTube: 

TWO | Getting Involved on Campus 

This is wonderfully random, but it really affected my life this week. I had training for an organization on campus called Fremdendienerin, or Frem, which is german for "one who serves strangers." Basically, I get the opportunity to show off my wonderful school to prospectives students. I've also started looking into some other ways to get involved on campus starting next year. 

Fun stuff, I tell you. 

THREE | Inspiration Boards 

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For the last year or so, I've taken to the idea of putting together an inspiration board. I have an entire section on Pinterest dedicated to these wonderful things. The reason why it's on my Weekly Roundup is because I have an awesome post all about it going up tomorrow (plus an awesome, super easy DIY I put together!). Keep on the lookout. 

FOUR | Cadbury Mini Eggs 

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It's that time of year again!!! Need I say more? Cadbury mini eggs give me life at this time of year. Although I usually eat these straight out of the bag (please, like they could ever make it further), I'm hoping to try some baking recipes with them in the next few weeks. 

FIVE | Alex Goot 

Ask anyone around me... I've been listening to Alex Goot's newest original release, Wake Up Call, absolutely nonstop this week. There's just something about this music that is incredibly addicting. I wish I could choose a favorite song, but I just can't. Really, if I absolutely had to, it would probably be "Right Where I belong" or "See Through Me"... then again, I've had "Wake Up Call" stuck in my head for more than two days (impressive in Brie time). It's just SO GOOD. 

Keep not settling,

Planners.

If you've been reading my blog for a while know, you'll know that I'm a huge advocate for planners/agendas. Seriously, my life pretty much revolves around keeping my planners organized. If they're not in order, I'm not in order. 

Planners came into my life when I was a Sophomore in high school. I'd just started online school, and I wanted a way to keep track of my daily tasks without having to jump from class-to-class webpages all the time. That year started my obsession with planners. Not going to lie, I'm obsessed with buying and keeping all sorts of planners. I currently have 3, 2 for school and 1 for Keep Not Settling. As strange as that sounds, it's actually not hard to keep track of them all.

My two Lilly Pulitzer agendas are dedicated to school, whether that be assignments, meetings, or other random functions. The smaller of the two goes with me literally everywhere. The inside isn't as pretty, because it's where I jot important information down quickly during the day. When I'm in between or finished with classes, then I'll transfer it over to the larger agenda that I actually look at when I'm studying or making plans with others. Here's a picture of the two agendas from the same week... Note how much better the big one looks. 

Sounds strange, I know, but it's definitely a system that works for me. I like my main academic agenda to be pretty and colorful, sorted out by class (also in class-time order). I always highlight the tasks I've finished in yellow, but other colors -- such as pink, orange and blue -- are reserved for highlighting events, workout schedules, or my to-do lists.

As for my blogging planner... This one is much more straightforward than my school agendas. I use a separate notebook for actual post ideas, and then transfer them into appropriate weekday spots in this agenda. I include a working post title, a general outline for how I want to write the post, as well as social media check boxes to make sure that I've shared them all to my networks. I don't use colored pens in this agenda because, well, there's no need. For me, blog planning is pretty straightforward. The only color you'll see are sticky notes, where I'll leave myself miscellaneous reminders. 

If, for some reason, I've managed to convince you that planners aren't a completely scary or mind-boggling concept, here's a few of my best tips for starting with a new agenda: 

• Develop a system. This takes time, and it will change. My process for keeping agendas today is not what it was when I was in high school. I have more going on in my life now, and more specific deadlines. For example, I never used anything but pencil and a yellow highlighter in high school. Now, well, you can see how crazy it is. Take the time to experiment week to week to find what kind of system works for you. 

• Be consistent. Planners lose their purpose if you don't keep up with them. 

• Find a planner that makes you want to use it. There are about a million and two different kinds of planners on the market. I've grown to love the Lilly Pulitzer academic agendas because they're colorful both on the outside an the inside. Just looking at the agenda makes me happy. Shop around to find one that fits your needs. 

• It doesn't have to be perfect. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. As a perfectionist, I never want my agenda to change once my pen has marked the page. However, I've learned that white out tape is a wonderful - and often times necessary - thing. Life happens and plans change or assignments get pushed forward or back.  

• Carry it with you. For me, carrying my agenda with me was key to using it often when I first started. Jotting down important dates as they come along will get you used to having a planner/agenda AND prevent you from forgetting. 

• If paper's not your thing, use online alternatives. Google Calendar is wonderful and accessible from pretty much everywhere. iStudiez Pro on the App Store for Mac/iPhone/iPad users is also a great alternative. 

Keep not settling,

10 Thought-Provoking Quotes.

A little while ago, I did a post on some of my favorite quotes I'd found while scrolling through Pinterest. Ever since I can remember, I've been reading quotes and drawing day to day inspiration, strength, and wisdom from them. There have been quite a few that have been stuck on my mind lately... why not share them?

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." -- Vince Lombardi 

"For what it's worth... it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again." -- Eric Roth

"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when thins go wrong."-- Laura Ingalls Wilder 

"Today I choose live. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity pain...To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it." -- Kevyn Aucoin

"If you love something, then really love it. If that trip, person, or afternoon opened up new worlds and minutes, then by all means, write or paint or play about it, or maybe even tell someone, and tell it the way it really is, exactly how it feels. It is beautiful to feel in a body built for feeling, and exist intensely on a planet exuding intensity, because life in itself is both intense and beautiful. There's absolutely no need or reason to pretend otherwise." -- Victoria Erickson 

"Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."  -- Ray Bradbury 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- H. Jackson Brown Jr. 

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." -- C.S. Lewis

"Happiness is dependent in self-discipline. We are the biggest obstacles to our own happiness. It is much easier to battle with society and with others than to fight our own nature." -- Dennis Prager 

Do you have any favorite thought-provoking or inspirational quotes? These are just a few from the top of my list... I could go on, but I think that would probably bore you. 

Hope you enjoyed! See you tomorrow. 

Keep not settling,

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Textbook Tips.

"Buying textbooks sucks." - Every college student, ever.

This week I purchased my second semester of college textbooks. Let me just say "ouch" for a second.  Unfortunately, we live in a world where not only is the cost of college itself absolutely ridiculous, but so is the cost of supplementary materials. Dropping three figures on books I'll be using for four months hurts. 

Even just since buying my first semester books, I've learned a lot about where, when, and how to shop for textbooks. In honor of having my new textbooks in hand, we're talking about them today.

Tips for buying textbooks:

• Compare Prices. I've discovered a wonderful tool for comparing textbook prices from all the leading sellers: Slugbooks.com is a gem of a resource, and I highly recommend you use it. Taking the extra few minutes to compare prices from several online sellers will ensure that you're not getting ripped off. 

• Find out if you absolutely need the newest edition. A lot of times, previous editions of textbooks aren't that different than the newest ones. Talk to your professor (and students who've already taken the class!) before class starts to find out if the newest edition is necessary. 

• Avoid the bookstore. That is, avoid it unless you absolutely cannot. Your school bookstore is going to sell you textbooks for full markup, whereas a website like Amazon might be able to offer you 30%+ off. Unless you're dealing with a case similar to mine this semester -- when you need a book that's out of print and you know your bookstore has it -- just steer clear. 

• Take advantage of renting/buying from other students. If you don't mind used copies of textbooks, it can be a great idea to find students who might be willing to sell or rent their copy to you. They're usually much more gracious about pricing than even an online used bookstore would be. Just make sure that you know how they want you to treat the book (aka, are they ok with dog-earing, highlighting, etc.). 

Some of these seem like no-brainer tips, but in the rush of buying new textbooks, some steps are easy to forget.

Keep not settling,

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Houses.

I've always been fascinated by architecture and home design (it's the only reason why I play the Sims). While interior design has always been -- and will probably always be -- my foremost love, I love just scrolling through home designs on the internet. Given that it's been something I've done a lot of lately, I thought I might as well do a blog post on it. 

I could easily look at pictures of houses for hours. I love to imagine what the inside looks like, how people liven them... Just knowing that such beautiful homes actually exist makes me sad that my town in California is so cookie-cutter. Personally, I think there is a lot to be said about the individuality of the outside of a home. Here's a peek at 5 of my favorite exteriors (currently):

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When I picture my dream house, it often looks a lot like these. Colonial style with columns and a wrap-around porch, ginormous windows and double front doors. It's easy to dream it all up, it really is.

Keep not settling,

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Vienna & Prague: My Experience! (Part 4)

Cooooongraaatullllattttiooonss! You've made it to the final post about Vienna & Prague. Insane, I know. This one is exclusively Prague. My experience was much different from Vienna, mostly because I was insanely sick, but I did my best to not let that get in the way of experiencing everything Prague had to offer. In the end, I only ended up skipping one activity - a visit to the Prague Castle - because I'd barely gotten any sleep that night and I felt like, well, death. Instead, I got 7 hours of sleep.  

Scroll for pictures of what I did experience in the so, so wonderful Czech Republic. 

I was sick the entire time we were in Prague, which was disappointing. Everywhere we visited, we were right on top of the water. Let me just say that: cold weather + wind + water + coughing = not so fun. But I didn't let that subtract from the beauty I witnessed in the city. The first night in Prague, we walked by the Charles Bridge. Here are some pictures of sights around that area: 

Fortunately, Prague is a small city. Walking through the streets in the daylight, I was able to see some of the absolutely gorgeous architecture that we hadn't previously witnessed in the dark. Like Vienna, each building has it's own "personality." I hadn't gone to see the Astronomical Clock the night before with some of the others, so I walked by it in the morning.... talk about intricate. This thing is a piece of art. Seeing it chime on the hour is priceless. 

On our Agenda for the first full day was the St. Agnes Convent and the Jewish Quarters. I wish that I could put into words the kind of experiences these were -- especially the Jewish Quarters -- but all I can say is that it was an emotionally taxing day. 

The Jewish Quarters featured a holocaust memorial, including several rooms filled to the brim with the names of every known victim, an exhibit of artwork from holocaust children, and the value children had to the adults, and -- the most moving, I think -- the cemetery. Just walking along the pathways knowing that there were people -- as many as twelve bodies deep -- below me was excruciating. But I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. If you ever find yourself in Prague... go there. 

Well, my friend, you've reached the end! Thank you SO MUCH for reading if you've made it this far. I'm proud of you. I know there were a ton of pictures, but I didn't want to hold any back. Just think, I technically had about 600 to share.

I hope that these posts were able to at least somewhat convey how amazing my trip to Vienna and Prague was. The last week and a half was an incredible journey. I learned so much, even if I wasn't trying to (and I think that's the best way to learn). Crossing my fingers that this wasn't my last trip to that area... I'd absolutely love to go again. 

Keep not settling,