Why You Should Give Inspiration Boards a Try

Inspiration boards are a great tool for any creative project. In fact, many people find that creating their inspiration board is the most fun part of the process. These boards are often built like a collage. Simply find any images or ideas that inspire you, and add or subtract images to create a coherent project idea. However, digital and virtual inspiration boards, which allow users to gather images, links and other resources, are also extremely popular.

Creating an inspiration board has many benefits. By combining all of the visual elements of a project together, inspiration boards help DIY-ers make decisions and coordinate details. It's better to know ahead of time if any project elements will clash. These boards also help form a concrete plan and budget for a project. When all of the project elements are clearly defined and in one place, it's much easier to calculate costs for materials and labor. Finally, an inspiration board does what its name implies: It provides inspiration. If a project takes a long time or a lot of effort to complete, keeping an inspiration board handy can help you envision the final product and stay motivated.

Because inspiration boards help coordinate multiple elements of a vision, they are best for large projects that have lots of details. Interior designers use inspiration boards regularly, but that doesn't mean that you need special training to make your own inspiration board for a room. Layer paint colors with fabric swatches and pictures of your desired furniture to plan out a room. Event coordinators, also use inspiration boards to organize all details of an event. Brides planning a DIY wedding will find that collecting images of flowers, color inspiration, bridesmaid dresses and venue information together will make it easier to remember everything that needs to be done. Even smaller projects can use an inspiration board. For a closet rehab, create a board of your favorite runway looks to help develop a distinct personal style. Having a series of ideal outfits can make clothes shopping and wardrobe organization much easier.

Many people already keep files of inspiring photographs or ideas. Putting these ideas on a board brings every aspect of a project together and helps prevent forgotten details or unexpected issues. Whether you feel more comfortable with an old-fashioned board made from your favorite magazine or printed images or a digital board that keeps all of your links together, try using an inspiration board for your next project. Take a look at an example board below.

Spring Break Inspiration Board

I’ve been trying to put together a last minute Spring Break getaway. I don’t need to be in the tropics; I would be happy with anywhere that had sunny skies and no snow! My idea of a vacation is relaxation. I’m new to golf, but I find it very relaxing. I’ve been learning at Shenendoah, which is a Central New York Golf Club. They’ve got great instructors, and several courses to practice on. Since relaxation is the main thing I look for in a vacation, golf might as well be the focus of my inspiration (see below course picture). I like being able to enjoy the outdoors, but not a strenuous level :). I love to read on vacation, so I’ll be sure to pick up a good book from Barnes and Noble. Nicholas Sparks is always a good read for me, and I’ll maybe read up on some new healthy recipes to try. As I get older I’m learning better ways to protect myself from harmful UV rays. Problem is, I love the sun: to compromise, I bought a floppy beach hat (similar to the one pictured from Wet Seal) to help shield my face and eyes. But relaxation would not be complete without a delicious, cold, fruity cocktail, as I lounge in my hammock watching the sunset.

Photo credit: (Golf Course | Sunglasses | Floppy Hat | Beach Hammock | Books | Cocktail )

 

*Guest post written on behalf of Sweettartbeauty.com*

The Most Important Resolution

Source: simplisticbeauty-xo.tumblr.com via Emmy on Pinterest

During this time of year many people are struggling to stick to their New
Year’s resolutions. The most popular resolutions involve losing weight or
obtaining your dream job. But often times we forget to make it our goal to stick
to doing the more simple things. With that said, I have decided to work on
appreciating each day I have on this Earth and making it my goal to give more to
others. It is my hope that many of you will choose to do the same also.

Wish~n~Wednesday vol:1

This is a new series I decided to start on my blog to highlight things I really wish I had. This will be a fun post to feature all the things that caught my eye, style, makeup, personalities, goals, you name it and I will be covering it in this new weekly post. So what do you say, lets get started!!!!



IGGY AZAELA

Source: themonroereport.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

For those who are not a fan of rap music you may be unaware of Iggy Azaela’s existence. But for those, like myself, who keep up with whats new in the music industry you may be fully aware of this blond bombshell. Iggy is a new rapper from Australia with rhymes and style that kills. I wish I had her style sense. Her outfits are always out there without being overly skanky like another female rapper we all know. Iggy has inspired me to try the whole red lip craze (shown in a later post). Isn’t she just gorgeous!

Source: curvyisthenewblack.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

I Wish pinning would actually make the clothes appear in your closet. I’ve become addicted to pinning outfits on Pinterest that I would normally shy away from. I so desperately want to be a fearless stylish diva, but I am seriously unhappy with my weight and can’t seem to get past the size of my thighs. Which brings me to my next wish.

I wish I had confidence like Ashley Rose. She’s a plus size fashion blogger with incredibly cool style. Her recent post SHEER made me want to rush out to the nearest mall and pick up a ton of leggings. Maybe someday I will be confident to rock style trends without fear of body stigmas. Just because you have a shape doesn’t mean you need to hide your body, right!

Source: google.com via Caitlin on Pinterest

I REALLY wish I owned this bag from Epiphanie. They sale fashionable camera bags and this baby is just screaming to belong to me. I absolutely refuse to take my Canon DSLR out of the house until I get a proper bag to protect it. The thought of something happening to it after spending over $700 on that baby makes me shudder.

All right folks that is the end of this week’s “I Wish”. Feel free to share your wishes for the week in the comment section below!

Inspiring Beauty Within

I’ve been having one emotional filled week and thought it would be nice to end the week with a few inspirational quotes to give us all a push  to keep going. Usually when I’m feeling down I turn to Pinterest for inspiration both in life and art. Here are a few things I saw this week that gave me a little lift. I hope they will do the same for you!

Source: etsy.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: frenchbydesign.blogspot.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: guerrillamamamedicine.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: countryraisedcityfound.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

I hope a few of these quotes were able to brighten up your day or at least give you the needed push to keep going. Hoping you all enjoy your weekend and I'll be back on Monday with a week full of Beauty goodies and I will be announcing the Mujus giveaway winner!

Time Heals All Pain

Hello, I want to apologize for being really quiet on the blog this week but I am dealing with a lot of emotional pain and I can’t seem to snap out of it. My trip to Georgia was amazing and I had the opportunity to spend time with my grandparents and close friends. I even saw a snake while cruising around the old country roads where my grandfather was raised.



When I arrived back home Monday night I felt weird and needed to lie down. The next morning I discovered my voice had come back clear as ever. This immediately freaked me out and I couldn’t help but wonder if and when it would leave again. Sure enough yesterday afternoon while talking to my sister I went to stand up and got the worse pain in my head and I could hear my heartbeat in my ear. I went to open my mouth to tell my dog to get down and once again my voice was altered. My mom and sister both freaked out and we rushed to the hospital but they had us waiting so long in the waiting room that we just left. Although my speech is clear again I just can’t be happy because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I just cry and stay in bed because I don’t want to hear about how happy I should be. Is that weird?



I have been a ball of emotions for the past few days. I’m confused, hurt, and sad. No doctor knows what happened and I just feel like I’m losing it. Right now my mom is trying to make an appointment with a doctor who specializes in Mitochondrial Diseases. I’m hoping to have a chance to speak with him because I can’t keep going through losing my voice, having zero energy, stomach upset, and headaches. I just can’t deal with it anymore. I’ll hopefully pick up my mood by next week and will return with product reviews and giveaways. Until then just a few reminders:



The Mineral Mate giveaway ends at midnight if you haven’t entered yet please click here to do so!



The Eyebuydirect.com eyeglass giveaway will end tomorrow. To enter that giveaway please click here.



It’s a new month tomorrow and I’m looking for June sponsors. If you would like to sponsor Sweet Tart Beauty please click here to find out more information.

Are We To Connected?

I have been pondering this question for a week now. Is it possible that we are too connected now? Have we crossed all privacy lines and accidentally given people a right to claim ownership of our lives?



Think about it. We now have Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and more apps then I can count that trace our every move. At what point do we say that’s enough? I think of celebrities and feel sorry for them. In our world celebrities no longer own their lives or their private information. People feel compelled to know what they are doing, where they are doing it and with whom.

People even go so far as to become enraged when celebrities refuse to share their personal information. Saying they own them and they deserve to know. Is this the world we are forced to live in? A world where we no longer control what information we wish to share?



Now I’m not against social media. I am the proud owner of Facebook, Twitter, Google+, pinterest, and many other apps that I can hardly remember. But I’m very careful about what information I choose to share. While there are many sweet people online, we have to protect ourselves from the group of individuals that only wish to do harm.



So to help you remain safe online, here are a few tips:

NEVER give out your home address on social media sites, this includes blogs. Unstable people could use this information to track you down. 

Be selective with the information you choose to share. Be mindful of posting where you’re going and how long you will be away. Criminals could use this information to possibly stalk you or use your time away to break into your home. 

It’s OK to be “raw” on your blog, but be mindful of how much information you share. People could use this information to harm you. 

These are only a few online safety tips but the best advice ever is to use common sense. If you wouldn’t readily share that information with a random stranger on the street, don’t share it online. 

How do you stay safe online? Are you a social media fan?

Dream Big

I had another post planned for today but after reading a recent blog post by Alex Beadon Photography I was moved to share her encouraging words with you all. Today she spoke about following your passion. In the video she encourages you to listen to your inner dreamer and to believe in yourself. Please stop at this moment and watch a few minutes of her heart warming video.

Alex Beadon Photography

During this video I noticed something interesting happening. The inner voice that I have tried so hard to silence began to break through the walls and speak. I began to feel a surge of energy and determination to reach my dreams despite the various obstacles I may face. You see for so long I’ve wanted to become a photographer, writer, and make up artist, but my negative inner voice would over shadow my inner dreamer and convince me that those dreams were impossible. “You’ll never make it, you’re disabled WHO would want to work with you” These are the words my negative inner voice would tell me.



Trying desperately to silence that negative voice, my inner dreamer would fight and try so hard to push past and scream out to me “Have faith, you can do it, I believe in you” But these kind words never had enough power to completely silence and shut away the negative voice that had now perched itself at the front of my brain refusing to move. Listening to Alex gave my inner dreamer the power to stand up and make itself known. Yes, at that moment I felt the need to let everyone know that I WILL achieve my dreams!



There will be obstacles and there will be people who will tell me it can never be done. But I have faith that with determination I can accomplish anything. Allowing my inner dreamer to believe will make my life so much happier. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and doubting your abilities without first attempting to succeed is self destructive. So here I am in front of ALL of you proclaiming my dreams of becoming a photographer, writer, and YES a makeup artist. These are achievable dreams and I’m determined to make sure they happen.



Do you listen to your inner dreamer? What is she telling you?

Sexy And I Know

I recently heard the LMFAO song “Sexy and I Know It”and immediately my brain switched the word sexy for fluffy. It was at that moment I realized how hard I can be on myself.  Have I gained weight? yes. But I have to remind myself that my health took a nose dive and completely blew my body out of proportion.



Thankfully now that I'm improving and it seems we are getting closer to a diagnosis. I've decided to incorporate physical activity back into my life. I'm also determined to force myself to think only positive thoughts. No more self hatred. I have to make sure that I'm losing weight for health reasons and for myself and not because of the opinion of someone else.

Source

With my new found confidence and determination,  I sat down and made a list of things to assist my weight loss journey.

Join my local LA Fitness

Adopt a Gluten free diet

Spend 20 min each day outside

Increase my water intake

Sip on Green Tea and Mint

I know my list may seem a little silly but I’m hoping it will help me get rid of 30 pounds before next year!! I start physical therapy next month and I am planning to tour my local LA fitness in a week or two! I will update you all on my journey throughout the year!

If you are on a weight loss kick, or if you’re just interested in staying healthy, let me know your tips below!

Life's unpredictability

I was just sitting today in the still silence thinking of how drastically my life has changed over the past ten years. Its so crazy to look back and think how did I get here. when I was in high school I thought for sure that by the time I was 22 I would be married working as a Veterinarian assistant in California, or perhaps I would make a career out of my love for the dramatic arts. I just knew I would be successful and that my life was all planned out for me. And for certain everything seemed to fall into place. I graduated with honors, started college , and seemed to excel in everything I did.

Then in an instance my life just stopped. I have toyed over revealing my illness to my readers for some time now. It is my fear that my words will no longer hold validation or that people may see me as a freak. But, doing so has only left me sad and broken hearted. Back in 2010 at the age of 20, an unknown illness took my ability to speak and eventually my ability to walk without a cane. Till this day my family and I still have no idea what happened to me and we struggle to make sense of this on a daily basis. My voice went from being clear to a stutter and then without warning I lost my ability to speak all together.

To make matters worse, I began to have problems walking and on a daily basis I am in pain and often times fight feelings of defeat. I mean to be honest if someone had told me at age 19 that I would become disabled I would have sarcastically replied “yeah right”. But the truth of life is that it is unpredictable. We can’t control certain aspects of our lives, but we can control how we respond to these situations. I want so desperately to become a photographer and makeup artist, but I know the odds are against me. But, instead of accepting defeat I choose to fight. Blogging has given me the ability to come out of my shell and explore my world in a different way.

We may not always get what we want or think we deserve out of life, but I’m sure that if each one of us would look deep inside of ourselves we would find the strength to look at our situation and determine how we can work around our obstacles to achieve our dreams. that’s just something that I thought of today and I’m hoping I could encourage maybe one person. I love and appreciate you all for reading my blog and it is my hope that I will be able to continue blogging for years to come!

Thank you