Golden Birthday

So before I get started...let's just go ahead and talk about the elephant in the room. I know I know, This post is a solid 4 months late and all I have to say is, better late than never ;).

As you probably know, birthdays are my thing and seeing as this was my golden birthday, I had BIG plans. My main goal was to create an experience for me and my friends that we will not ever forget. My perfectionist tendencies came into play HARD and I had to make sure that the Y2K theme was infused in every aspect and every detail of the party from my guests’s outfits to the styrofoam cups & live Airbrush Artist....so let’s dig in shall we?

As most of us do when we’re party planning, Pinterest was my first stop. My intention was to find as much 2000’s inspiration from albums covers, red carpet style, and music videos. That was all a task in its own, but then when it came to execution, I couldn't really find many 2000’s parties that were done in theme,but were also like…… aesthetic. With a few surveys, the help of my family and friends — I present to you my Golden Birthday extravaganza. Hey Alexa, Play International Player’s Anthem”

In this post, I’ll break down the party planning, execution, some of the items I purchased for the event, and some highlights of one of my favorite weekends yet.

Like I mentioned before, I wanted to MAKE SURE that the theme was intertwined throughout every detail. The image below was the Save the Date that I created and sen to all of my guests. If you look closely you’ll see the number 24 appear often..WHY? It’s my golden birthday and I turned 24 on the 24th. ;)

While the save the date was cool, this motion graphic created by Wendu’s Web single handedly got me and everyone I invited extremely hype for the party. It was such a pleasure working with her and she made my vision come to life so effortlessly. This invite set the tone for the weekend. Again, you can see the 2000’s theme popping back up in the ipod & song choice (Obviously I had to pick gold digger bc Golden Birthday).

Side note — the details are everything the 24 of 1996 is the day and year I was born…when I tell ya’ll Wendu SNAPPED

A week before the event, I sent the weekend itinerary out to all invitees so they knew what the movement was for the weekend. I couldn’t dare break the theme so I went off the Windows format that I used in the save the date and created these graphics. I of course had to add Paint in there because nothing says Y2K like a little Paint art.

Venue: Fleetwood Skating Rink

MOTION GRAPHIC: wendu’s Web

Photo BackdroP: CHICAGO Airbrush artist/amazon king bed sheet

DJ: djrenzaybookings@gmail.com

Airbrush Artist: Kustom Art Sutidio - @Werm312

Photographer/Videographer: @YinPhoto__

Personalized Styrofoam Cups

Mercedes Demz Cookies - @TheGloriousCookie

Flamin’ Hot Bad Bitchips - Etsy for Design, DIY Assembly 

Personalized Capri Sun - Made by Me 

Candy Station: Amazon & Sam’s Club

Pizza Boxes: Amazon w/ DIY Vinyl Stickers

Lollipops: Amazon w/ DIY Vinyl Stickers

Ayinde, the incredibly talented founder of Locked&Loaded put together an amazing recap video from the night.

For a more BTS of my birthday weekend, check out Sydnei’s VLOG of my birthday weekend. While you’re there, don’t forget to like and subscribe to her channel! ;)

If you have any questions on how I planned, where I got things from, or anything else, let me know in the comments or DM me on instagram and I’ll be sure to answer them

I hope you enjoyed & hope it was worth the wait. Until the next #DB1996 Event.

xx,

Demi B

pink paradise

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This spring break was one for the books to say the least. I'm so happy i got to spend my final college spring break *cue tears* in one of my favorite cities.  

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I was lucky enough to be invited to a beautiful Miami beach house for the VS Pink Paradise Party and when I tell you everything was picture perfect and highly instagramable...believe me. From the amazing new products VS Pink was showcasing to the infinity pool, this place was a dream.  

Upon arrival I was greeted with a beach towel and VS Pink slides, a seemingly endless candy bar (all of the candies were pink lol), coconuts water, a beautiful view, and the DJ playing 'God's Plan'. At that moment, I knew this was the place for me haha. 

This whole event was based around their new coconut-centric beauty line filled with bath bombs, lip oils, and face masks. So obviously the theme of the entire day was "Treat Yo Self". They had manicurists, hair braiders, and hand masseuses on deck and it was kind of amazing. You better believe I relaxed and enjoyed every second of it. 

Sadly, we're all back in school with the spring break blues wishing we were on the beach and somewhere other than school. Even though we can't go on a vacation, it's important to make time to take care of yourself. With school getting more stressful as the semester  winding down, remember to have that night to yourself where you listen to your favorite tunes with your @VSPink face mask on. 

Thank you @VSPink for having me and thank you @CFashionista for the opportunity! Be sure to check out their new line HERE.

XX, 
DEMI B

The V-Word

Single's Awareness Day, Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, National Everybody's-Got-a-Bae-But-Me day...whichever one february 14th is for you... own it. 

If you're single, live it up (your pocket will thank you later anyway lol). If you've got a bae, make sure you're extra af today in how you show you're appreciation. If you're chillin with your girls tonight, grab some wine + a face mask and treat yo self. And lastly...if you feel like you're the only one not boo'd up -- welp, i'm not either so that makes two of us lol.

 Spoiler alert: Contrary to popular belief,  you don't have to be bitter that you don't have a valentine. I'm gonna be honest with you...as the extra af hopeless romantic that I am, that was a very hard concept to understand lol. I swear, in my free time I come up with the most elaborate valentines day ideas in my head. No joke I would honestly be the best boyfriend to myself.

Sometimes with all the ruckus around Valentine's Day you almost think you're doing something wrong because you "don't have a man" and then you try to make yourself feel better by thinking the following: I mean, I really don't NEED a man...It's okay because I'm "working on myself"...boys are dumb anyway...they're so expensive...I'd rather have no man, than a shared man...I'm a strong independent black woman who doesn't need a man. All very valid (sorry fellas), but who said valentines day is about you getting spoiled by a guy? Why can't YOU do the spoiling? Spoil your little sister, you're best friend, or your roommate. Send them flowers and hand written note to remind them how much you love them. Send someone that's having a rough week a box of chocolate (unless they gave it up for Lent lol). 

No I don't have a secret bae, I didn't get a giant teddy bear, a 3 dozen roses, and no I don't have any elaborate valentines day plans. Ya girl will be chillin (face mask + sweatpants on) studying for her thermodynamics exam tomorrow evening. In fact, I should be studying instead of writing this post lol whoops.

But that's okay. I made sure today was extra special for the people I love and that's all that matters and it's not too late to make sure you do the same.

So for the record...just because you're single doesn't mean you have to hate valentines day. ;) 

XX, 
DEMI B

Feeling 22

Best part of turning 22 YOU ask? hands down Being able to blast Taylor Swift's song and obnoxiously use it for an instagram caption. 

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If you've been following me for a minute, first off ILY. Second,  by now you probably know how much I love to celebrate birthdays.

Haters will say I'm extra...I say it's my birthday dammit.

Birthday...birthweek...birthyear...same thing amiright?!?! This year I kicked off my birthweek by spending 36 hours in one of my favorite places (Atlanta) with a few of my favorite people and it was incredible to say the least. 

Shockingly, I thought I was going to make that trip to ATL the only thing I do for my birthday, but then I quickly snapped out of it and realized that's not at all how I work. So the Monday before my birthday I decided I wanted to have a cute lil birthday shindig (and if you look at my "22" highlight story you can check out some of the moments I captured.) I had 48 hours and minimal money to put together a birthday "party" so I below I've shared how I did it. ;) 

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CUTE + INEXPENSIVE BIRTHDAY PARTY HACKS:

 1. CAKE 

This right here is going to change your life...I don't know if you're ready. If you're every throwing a party (or just are craving cake) and need a BOMB, inexpensive cake that tastes like heaven and looks like it too Sam's Club is your place. Not only did they do this minimal design...but it was only $16 for 25 slices of heaven.

You're welcome ;)

2. DECORATIONS

Dollar Tree + Target. I literally got all of the decorations from these two places and best decision I've ever made

Dollar Tree (All $1 each): 

+ Cups                +  Table Cloths             + Napkins 

+ Cutlery            + Paper Plates             + Popcorn/Chips Bowl

Target : 

+ Candles  ($4)            + Confetti ($3)

+ Glitter Crowns  ($5)          + Number Balloons ($1 each)

3. FOOD

This was easily the most expensive thing that I bought, but it was well worth it. I got a platter of 120 chicken nuggets from ChickFila because who doesn't love CFA (unless you're vegan or gluten free lol.) I also had chips, popcorn, and drinks for everyone to munch on, but nothing too extravagant ~ain't nobody got money for that~. 

4. DIY PHOTO BACKDROP

Most important part of the party can i get an amen?!? I had a photo backdrop that was literally some champagne metallic cloth I picked up from Joann's (ps. check out their coupons on their site...you'll save hella $$$$) and white balloons from Party City. Instead of having a professional photographer, I had a polaroid and a lot of film and took pictures of and with everyone on that film. (Currently my camera's back camera isn't working or else I'd upload a few to this blog post :/ )

5. SNAPCHAT FILTER

Yes I made my snap filter. And no I'm not that extra. I would like to say this right here...was the icing on the cake. I made it on my own using an online program, submitted it for approval and within 20 minutes got it approved from Snapchat. I've heard people get their designs declined, but i didn't have an issue at all. For 6 hours I only paid $5 for this bad boy and I'd like to think she looks bomb. 

Got any questions? Leave a comment or DM me! ;) Have fun being extra af on a budget. 

 

xx, 

Demi B

TwentySeventeen

If I tell you that I've been trying to write this post for a solid two weeks now, you'd think I was crazy. Demi, how could it be this hard to reflect on your year? Well, I'm glad you asked. This is gonna be a long read so get comfy, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and happy reading. It's about to get real. 

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In the words of the infamous Kylie Jenner "this was a year of realizing things"... a freaking rollercoaster of "things" at that.  It's crazy to think about how much can change in a year. How much you can change in a year. Looking back, 2017 was the hardest but most incredible year. From January 1st to December 31, I changed so much and there was so much change happening around me. It's so easy to look at someone's Instagram feed, try to piece together every image, and create a story about what you think their life is like. Don’t get me wrong, I do brunch a lot and love styling outfits, and taking pictures of those random things you see on my feed, but that’s not all I do.

For me, Instagram is my stress relief – it is a way of visually capturing beautiful things in my everyday life that I find beautiful.  It’s my visual journal. However, there are some days I get stressed out, frustrated and overwhelmed because of well… life, people, or even because myself.  I'm only human. 

Over this summer I met some incredible people who changed my life in more ways than they could have ever thought – more ways than I would have ever thought. The one that had the most impact was my summer internship senior director (I remember it like yesterday.)  I scheduled a “meet and greet” on his calendar and we met up at the Starbucks on the first floor of the office building, and the first question he asked me “Who are you?” I thought that was a really strange question, and at that moment my entire life flashed before my eyes. I began to replay the last 21 years of my life and attempted to form a sentence or two describing who I am. Of course he knew my name, my major, and school, but he wanted to know ME my morals, my standards, what makes me happy, what makes me mad – things that make me who I am. He reminded me that once I know who I am, there isn't anything I can't do. 

This year I realized that there’s way more to me than being @itsdemib – the girl who loves to take pictures.  Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the gram, I love taking pictures and putting together outfits, but to me it’s way more than that. It’s about curating content that inspires even just one person to do what they love and express themselves in a way they know and love. So who am I? I'm a 3/4 Nigerian, 1/4 German future industrial engineer that loves to laugh, spend time with friends, and my family. I love blogging, capturing beautiful moments, all things creative, and I am really trying to work on my faith. Most of all I love to make people feel good and smile  (I get it from my incredible mother who loves so genuinely and so hard).

In doing this reflection, I realized that in 2017 I began to let people’s words and actions (both unintentional and intentional) harden my heart out of fear of getting hurt over and over again.  You name it: guys, “friends”, even random people… all did or said things to me that wore me down. It began to change who I was because the world seemed to not appreciate or want all the love I had to give. I felt like people were taking advantage of all the love I had to give and it hurt when they would abuse it or makes me feel dumb for wanting to give it to them.

But then it all clicked…I am not loving people to get anything in return. I do it because that’s who I am, because that's what I believe I am called to do. People come and go, relationships come and go. And that’s okay. Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever…and that’s okay. So in 2018, I’m going back to my roots...back to who I am and not letting those around me change that (and if someone's trying to…well, they don't need to be in my circle ;) )

With that I ask you -- who are you? What are your morals, goals, and aspirations? And when you figure that all out, promise me you’ll hold on to it with your dear life and not let anyone try to change you.

XX,

DEMI B

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IN 2017...

// if you made me laugh // i need more people like you around … we should hang out more

// if you made me cry //  whether they were happy, sad, or angry tears -- thank you for helping me learn that it's okay to cry and it's not okay to bottle everything in and stay sad or angry... so thank you. because of you i learned that tomorrow is a new day and you can't stay sad or upset -- life is way too short

// if you took advantage of the love I gave you // thank you for teaching me to love intentionally and for teaching me that it's more than okay to love myself 

// if you didn't let me love you // to this day I’m still confused why, but i hope you know that i still do care and i want nothing but the best for you 

// if you hurt me without knowing it // you  probably don’t know how bad you hurt me because I kept it bottle inside and refused to tell you… despite how hard it was to know that you didn’t care to ask what was wrong, thank you for teaching me that communication is so important – i can’t be mad at you if i haven’t told you what you did wrong

// if i hurt you without knowing it // i am genuinely sorry and did not mean to hurt you, so if i did i hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. (ps. please let me know what i did so i can make sure it never happens again)

// if you intentionally hurt me //  just know i’m now stronger because of you

// if i took advantage of your love // please know i did not do this intentionally. i appreciate you more than you know…thank you for loving me

// if you made me question what i love //  thank you, because you made me realize how much i really do love it, and because of you, i’m going to work that much harder to get to exactly where i want to be

// if you made me question myself //  i wish you only knew how much i needed that – whether you meant it to help or hurt me i thank you...because of you i am more confident, rooted in my faith, and proud of the woman i am becoming. i’m unapologetically myself and because of your doubts i am more than okay with that

// if you supported me from the beginning // 'thank you' and 'i love you'…five words i probably haven’t said enough. you believed in me when i didn’t believe in myself and for that, i am forever thankful. this hasn’t been an easy journey but i promise to make you proud in the end <3

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What to Consider When Starting a Blog w/ Squarespace

Well hello there you beautiful human I hope your week is going swell. Right behind "how do you edit your instagram pictures" on the most frequently asked questions list is today's topic of discussion --  "What advice would give to someone who is trying to start a blog?"

 More specifically, I'm asked what platform I use for my site...well here it is folks... *DRUMROLL* Squarepace!! I am the biggest advocate for Squarespace and I mean no shade to the other sites, but Squarespace allows me to splash a little of my unique style into the look of my site while keeping it clean and classy. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it's not a pain to maneuver. I'm an engineer yes, but coding is just not my thing and that's one of the things I love about it-- it's so intuitive and user friendly. With all that said, picking the right platform for the aesthetic you're going for is definitely step #1 in creating a blog. Below, I've listed a few more things that I think are super important. (Keep reading until the bottom for a discount code off your Squaresapace site subscription;) ) 

Keep in mind, I'm still a little blogger baby, so I'm still taking my own advice and if you have any tips please feel free to share in the comments.  :)

XX, 
DEMI B

Want to use Squarespace? Use my Code: 'ITSDEMIB' For 10% off of your squarespace subscription. 

This post is Sponsored by Squarespace, but all opinions are 100% my own.

The Hangover Brunch

If you know me or know anything about me, you probably know that this event brought together so many things that I love -- socializing and building relationships (especially with some freaking amazing women), designing spaces (#REVOLVE Purdue or nah?), and last but not least...BRUNCH. 

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What was this for? What was the occasion? Well, I'm glad you asked. Rewinding a little bit, over this past summer I did a lot of reflection and brainstorming and I came into this school year with so many ideas and goals and this bad boy was one of them. While in Atlanta I met so many incredibly inspiring people that challenged me in ways I can't even begin to describe. From people I met at work to instagram friends that I met up with, THEY are why I bring to you the #DBhangover brunch. They reminded me that

1. if you see something that's missing in a community, why don't you just create it instead of moping around wishing it was a thing.

2. Do what you love and don't think twice about it.

3. Surround yourself with inspiring people and grow.

4. Know who you are and be confident in it.

This event wasn't for anything other than building up and brnindthe creative community I KNOW Purdue University has. This brunch was something that checked off all of these things and that's how I new it was a project I needed to go through with. SO I wan't to share with you how to create your own mini Hangover Brunch. :)  It's simple, inexpensive, intimate and a good freaking time. It doesn't get much better than that. Keep scrolling for details and pics.

xx,

DEMI B 

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What you're gonna need:

PEOPLE. 

First off you're going to need some BOMB A$$ GIRL BOSSES (OR GUYS) which I'm sure aren't too hard to find because there are some pretty frickin amazing people around you -- you've just got to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. For this brunch, I invited some really neat girls from Purdue who all were creative and unique in their own way. No two people in attendance were the same..and it was kind of beautiful. For the two hours that we were sitting in a park making smoothie bowls talking about life and our passions, I was so caught up in the moment that I genuinely forgot we were sitting in a closed park in the middle of West Lafayette, Indiana. 

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FOOD. 

For this brunch I decided to let it be the last hoorah of summer -- so the vibes were very tropical with smoothie bowls serviced in Coconut and a tropical mocktail as the drink. The most expensive thing I bought foodwise was probably the coconuts at $4 per coconut and I got 7 of them...so it really wasn't event that bad. For the smoothie bowl base I made strawberry banana smoothie and just threw frozen strawberries, bananas, orange juice and ice into a blender and voila. I drained the coconuts to use them as the bowls the smoothie would be eaten out of. :) Minus the rugs, I think my total cost for this brunch was $70...amazing right?! 

WHAT I BOUGHT...

- Coconuts (disclaimer: goodluck breaking them in half...just for the record, them being "easy break" doesn't mean its easy to break lol)

- Fresh Strawberries

- Blueberries

- Chia Seeds

- Granola

- Raspberries

-Frozen Strawberries + Bananas (for the smoothie) 

-Shredded Coconut

- Mocktail (Ocean Spray Tropical Citrus) 

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DISPLAY. 

Wooden Pallets:  I'm not sure the dimensions but I used 4 (2 sets stacked on eachother) of them as the table. Yes we went Indian style and sat criss-cross-apple-sauce on the floor. I set rugs underneath the pallets and had each guest bring their own decorative pillow as a "chair." 

Flowers: Going off of the whole tropical vibe, I decided to have the table runner be monstera leaves.  Monstera leaves are the trendy tropical leaf you see everywhere but probably don't know what they're called. Not sure what the white flowers are called but I thought they'd look good so I picked them up from the flower shop and voila -- there we have the table runner lol. 

Bowls: It's crazy what money saving deals you find when you're using your own money lol. The "crystal bowls that I put the fruits on came in a pack of 4 for only $1. Guys, Dollar Tree is lowkey bae haha.

Marshall Speakers (Check them out here): I play music 25/8 and it was imperative that the music vibes were OP. I set up my Marshall Speakers and played my vibey Spotify playlist and let me tell you... not only were those vibes were impeccable(shoutout to my boy Daniel Ceasar), but the speakers are a decoration on their own.

If you want to check out the girls who were in attendance here are there IG handles:

@EMMAHONOHAN

@DINKKSS

@MEGANNBEE

@DEBTHECUBAN

@BRI.MREYNOLDS

@_ITSCHAPP

@BRITTANYGEIER

@VALERIE_BABCHUCK

@GYPSEYPRINCESSS__

@EXTRAORDINARY_STYLEE

how to win an instagrammy

MY TOP 5 IPHONE EDITING TIPS.

Well hello there hottie, I’ll keep the small talk short and simple because you and I both know the reason you’re here… BECAUSE YOU JUST FREAKING LOVE MY BLOG AND TAP THE LINK IN MY BIO EVERY.SINGLE. TIME…Or because you just really want to know how I edit my insta pictures lol.

Before I get to the juicy stuff, I’m not going to show you EXACTLY how I edit, because well, then we’ll have a lot of @itsdemib instas and I want your individuality + personal creativity to shine through. With that said, I’ll be sharing with you five ways to enhance your pics and iphone photo quality and get a BOMB feed.

1) NATURAL LIGHTING IS BAE

I cannot stress this enough you guys. If there lighting isn’t natural…you better believe that picture isn’t happening. Yes, there are editing apps that you can crank up the brightness of after the fact, but there’s just something about natural lighting that’s kind of magical. Your face glows, your highlight pops, it’s a beautiful thing really.

2) ENHANCE, DON’T CHANGE

If you’ve followed me for a while you probably know that my IG feed used to be 90% white and desaturated (Tgod for Facetune’s whitening feature) #TBT. But if you see my feed now, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve reintroduced color (BLESS UP).  I’ve found that I like to keep pictures as close to their natural state as possible. I sometimes go in and adjust saturation,temperature, and shadows on Snapseed, but I try not to do anything too drastic (like whitening out walls like I used to a couple years ago). How I edit is unique to the nature of each picture I take. If I want to emphasize the shadows, I play with contrast and shadow settings. Simple stuff. 

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3) ITS ALL ABOUT THE ANGLES

Okay you guys, so this is one thing that I don’t really know how to describe. It’s the beauty and complexity of the human eye. Literally ten people can take a picture of the same thing, but eyes are drawn to different things. So switch up your angles fam. Think outside of the box.  

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4)       PLAN, BUT DON’T OBsESS 

I promise you, this isn’t as hard as you think. It just takes a little time to find your niche (trust me, scroll back on my IG for a real life insta miracle and a laugh because the glow up is real). Whether love taking selfies, pictures of flowers ~guilty~, coffee (or hot chocolate ~guuiltyyy~, plane pics ~guilty~, your OOTD, your insanely photogenic puppy ~shocker, also guilty~, or all of the above Instagram is a creative and beautiful way to share what you love and what you find beautiful with the world. Plan your feed, but don't be anal and not post something because it doesn't "fit the feed" it's not that serious and it's a really bad habit to break (speaking from experience here lol). A beautiful picture is a beautiful picture. If you love it, post it. ;) 

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5)      PICK A FILTER SET + STICK TO IT

The moment you’ve all been waiting for…*drumroll please*

The app that I use to edit my pictures 1000% of the time is VSCO and I have 3 filters that I usually stick to (VSCO is bae). They have the most amazing filters for any and every photography style. Most of these bad boys are free, but you can pay for some if you’re about that life lol. Remember though, you’re not married to these three filters for life so you can switch them up whenever. I have just found that for me, sticking to a few makes it easier to choose from and adds to feed consistency.

Side note: Make sure the filters you pick don’t oversaturate/desaturate your skin and make you look as natural as possible.

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APPS: 

SNAPSEED: selective desaturation, brightness, and sharpening

VSCO: best filters

PLANOLY: helps with planning your feed

INSPIRING INSTAS:

@RickBhatia

@AsiyamiGold

@SincerelyJules

@Caitlynmiyako

@Lulamawolf

Side note: It’s okay to be inspired by someone and appreciate their work, but I challenge you to not copy or mimic someone else’s work.

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Instagram is amazing and such a beautiful tool used by so many people around the world to share what they find beauitful. There are no set Instagram rules so take pictures of what YOU love and find beautiful. Forget the likes and what people think, take pictures for yourself. You don't need a crazy expensive camera, you just need a phone and your God-given eyes and the world is at your fingertips. 

Use my hashtag #DemiBInstagrammy on some of your own favorite past ~or upcoming~ IG posts I'd love to see the world through your eyes.<3

XX, 

DEMI B

Design Week Fort Wayne

WELLLL HELLO THERE BEAUTIFUL HUMANS. ITS ALMOST FRIDAY WHICH MEANS ITS ALMOST THE WEEKEND...WHICH MEANS I'M DONE WITH MY JUNIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE IN 24 HOURS...WHICH MEANS I GET TO GO HOME...WHICH MEANS DESIGN WEEK FORT WAYNE IS UPON US. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. 

Words actually cannot express how much I love the concept of this event. I was extremely bummed last year because my study abroad prohibited me from being able to attend the first annual Design Week Fort Wayne...but HAVE NO FEAR BECAUSE I'LL BE THERE THIS TIME. Don't know what it is? Well, I'll try to do a good job of explaining this incredible event and hopefully I'll convince you of how cool Fort Wayne is becoming and you'll want to come with me. ;) (I'll link their official website + link to sign up below). 

Basically, to make this synopsis short and sweet, it's a week of events celebrates and showcases the different talent in and around Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Simple. Each day is broken down into a topic and there is a keynote speaker for each day. This year one of the ones I'm looking most forward to is the keynote presented by Mr. Hugh Forrest, the programming officer of South X Southwest. Don't know what it is?! It's only the coolest music festival/media conferences/technology showcase..google it you won't be sorry. With that said, there are so many incredible guests that will be speaking (a full bio of each of them is on the DWFW official site).

 So what does #DWFW mean to me? It means a whole bunch of insanely creative people of all ages in one place talking about what they love , learning how to grow their personal brand, and being inspired by others. It's an opportunity to connect with people who have similar interests...or don't at all...and that's the beauty of it. You don't have to have a blog or be an architect to come. All you need is a creative and open mind, and the rest is history. ;) I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think is pretty freaking rad.

Prepare to be inspired and I hope to see you there.  

 

Xx,
DEMI B

INFO: http://www.designweekfw.com/

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/design-week-fort-wayne-2017-tickets-19830458435

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MONDAY 

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\\Graphic Design\\ 

Stefan Sagmeister of Sagmeister & Walsh

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TUESDAY

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\\R+D and InnovatioN\\

 Nicholas Thompson of Wired Magazine

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WEDNESDAY 

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\\City Design\\ 

Hugh Forrest of South by Southwest

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THURSDAY

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\\ Architecture + Interior Design \\ 

Margaret Cavenagh of Studio Gang

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FRIDAY

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\\Fashion\\ 

KATHLEEN ROWOLD Professor and Director of the Sage Collection, Indiana University..

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Twenty Fun.

Here it is folks, the post you've all been waiting for [and if you haven't been waiting, this is super awk and well here it is anyway lol]. Ever since I can remember birthdays have been such a big deal to me. like a really big deal. From my 4th birthday party at Chick-Fil-A to my Sweet 16 with a special appearance from Justin Bieber (okay yes it was a cardboard cutout, but its basically the same thing) 

This year I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the people that I actually consider my friends. *queues "Fake Love" by Drake* (lol jk jk no shade intended, its just hard to find those real ones, and I'm beyond lucky to have them). There was something beautiful about being surrounded by people I love and genuinely care about. Not even kidding, words legit cannot express how happy and blessed I felt. It was the best birthweek ever and most fun I never want to have again... I think I'll stick with birthweekends from now on. 

During my birthweek (lol I can't take myself seriously when I say that) I realized something really important. I always thought that the more people around to celebrate, the more fun the celebration, but I found this year that's not really even true. As ironic as this may sound, that's when you tend to feel the loneliest. Yes, you're surrounded by so many people, but how much do those relationships ACTUALLY mean? Do these people even really know me or really even care about me or are they just space fillers? I guess you really do get wiser as you get older.

So what did I do? I had an intimate brunch with some of my closest gal pals and it was the best decision I've ever made. We ate (after pics were taken of course), talked, and made flower crowns (then took more pics) and I couldn't be more blessed to have celebrated 21 years of life with any other group of people.

XX,

DEMI B

Side Note: In planning this brunch, a lot of meetings and Pinterest boards were made, but I'd say it's very worth it. ;) If you have any questions you can email me or comment below. <3

I want to give a special shoutout to Photanicals (Check out their Insta HERE) for helping me bring my vision to life and to Second Level Studios in Lafayette, IN for letting me use your space to make this magic happen. 

2016.

THIS YEAR HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR NOT ONLY WITH MY BLOG + INSTAGRAM, BUT WITH JUST LIFE. WITH THAT SAID, IT'S ALSO BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST YEARS OF MY LIFE. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO START TELLING YOU HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED THIS YEAR. AT THE END OF THE DAY THOUGH, I'VE GROWN UP AND LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE WORLD,THE PEOPLE in it AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MYSELF. 

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I've done so much this year: I turned 20 (not being able to say I'm a teenager anymore was scarier than I thought), I felt a kind of pain that I never thought was possible, I cried (a lot), I got to explore and live in one of the most beautiful countries (Columbia), I cried more (I'm a crier, people), I traveled to England and Italy with my family, I saw my cousins for the first time in 10 years, I laughed a lot, I experienced a beautiful wedding of the first cousin in my family to get married, I went to NY with Harper's Bazaar, I cried (of happiness this time), I got to experience NY with my incredible mother, I went to Miami to see my best friend I haven't seen in a year, I made new friends and accepted that some friendships wont last as long as I could've sworn they would, worked my butt of in school and it payed off (maybe I'm a better engineer than I thought?), I helped move my sister to AZ, and most importantly I grew...like a lot. 

Here's one harsh truth about instagram. It doesn't show everything. Yes, those pictures are all mine and do show a glimpse of what's going on in my life, but it doesn't show everything. For me instagram is about inspiring people, not bragging or trying to show off what you have, but rather to capture my personal style and the beauty in everyday things God created, share it with the world, and inspire others to do the same. I don't know about you, but looking at the positive sides of things is important to my sanity. So, you probably wouldn't know that my 20th birthday was probably my least favorite to date from that cute little boomerang I posted, or that my sisters yelled at me for taking too long to snap that pic of the in-n-out burgers a couple days ago. I said that to say, there's a lot of sweat, tears, ugly moments, and happy times that go into what people do (no matter what it is) and just because you don't see it doesn't mean their journey was a glamorous one. Don't ever wish for what someone has because you don't know what they went through to get there. If you want something, work your behind off so that you can get it. 

I challenge us -- you and I both -- to write down a goal we have for 2017 (somewhere you want to go or something you want to do...anything) . Write it down somewhere and put it in your pajama drawer. Work your ass off to get there. We'll meet back in a year and let each other know if we accomplished it. ;) If last year someone told me I would be able to accomplish these things in 2016 I would have actually laughed in their face. Like full on vein in the middle of my forehead would protrude, laugh so hard I'm about to cry and pee my pants -- that kind of laughter. A lot can happen in a year, but with a little faith in God, prayer, and drive the world is at your fingertips. 

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone that I came into contact with this year -- people I laughed with, random people that smiled back at me in the mall, the woman that took my parking spot at Lennox the week before Christmas, my incredible family, my friends, those that hurt me and didn't know they did, those that intentionally hurt me, people that watched me ugly cry and still love me, everyone that had faith in me when my faith in myself was running on E, you for your constant support with my blog, the incredible people Estee Lauder + Harper's Bazaar because you sparked a fire to continue to do what I love when I needed it most, my blogger babes Chan + Em because I don't know how I'd do school without you, my Mom for being my biggest fan, my sisters for being brutally honest with me, and most importantly I want to thank God for giving me good health and strength to get through this year all glory goes to Him. 

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WAS  2016 HARD? HECK YES, BUT I DON'T REGRET A DAMN THING. IT'S CRAZY TO THINK HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED THIS YEAR AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT'S TO COME.

2017, I'M COMING FOR YA. 

XX, 

DEMI B

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Rediscovering the Fort

If you know me, then you know that the beginning of my Junior year of high school I moved from Georgia to Indiana. (Yeah, tragic I know) I was never a fan of moving for two reasons; the first was I didn’t want to leave my friends. I felt like junior year was almost way too late to make new friends in a new place. 

Everyone had already formed their cliques, knew their best friends, and who they wanted to ask them to semi and prom. Who did I think I was to come in and disturb the peace? I also didn’t want to move simply because I was moving to Indiana. I totally would’ve been fine with a North Carolina, Maryland (Random but doable), Tennessee, or California, but Indiana? When your average person thinks Indiana, they think cornfields…and while there are hella cornfields, there is actual civilization. It’s not all that bad. Not going to lie, even though I live here now and go to an in state school I don’t like to claim Indiana. I am and forever will be an ATLien/Georgia Peach at heart. I was basically forced by the law to give up my Georgia License and my phone number still has my 404 area code that I REFUSE to give up.

I said all of this to say as much as I have ATL withdrawls, Indiana is kind of growing on me. Not because there’s tons of stuff to do (because there isn’t) but rather because of the people I’ve met here. Because I moved to this corn hole loving Hoosier state, I met my best friend and so many amazing people that I probably would have never known existed if I had never moved.

This summer I decided to give this cute little city and chance. It’s given me so many amazing friendships that the least I could do is try. I encourage you do the same -- rediscover your hometown because now that you’re older you can appreciate the little things like the well-known pizza parlor or just the zoo with some girlfriends. Eat, take pics, and be merry.

A PINTEREST INSPIRED SUMMER

So, I know its been a while since I have blogged...this summer has been insane with trying to juggle my internship, calculus two, and doing things that I love. FINALLY I have gotten around to writing! 

Summer can be a hit or miss, you're either super busy or bored out of your mind --I feel like there's not in between.  That's where Pinterest comes into play. It's literally the best creation since sliced bread. 

My little sister is leaving for France for 7 weeks :( so I decided to go all out. I set up (with help from her best friend, my boyfriend, and my little sister) and decorated a table under the pergola for dinner. It wasn't hard at all and it turned out so nice! Later that night we kept the Christmas lights that we weaved through the pergola out and projected Taken onto a white sheet and laid out blankets and pillows for my sister and her closest friends! (It was so cute!) Luckily my amazing boyfriend had the projector so everything was simple!!

I hope this inspires you to maybe have a girls night or even a romantic date night this summer. ;) 

xx

Demi B

I WAS IN A FASHION SHOW?! WHAT?!

Last Saturday I got the opportunity for walk at my college's annual fashion show for the most amazing designer I know -- Maria Paolillo. She's a senior here and sooooo incredibly talented. The pieces that she created were so well made and fit all of her models perfectly and not to mention that they were insanely adorable and totally wearable (unlike your typical runway fashions)! 

After doing this, I gained great respect for all of the models in the world. Like Cara Delevingne and Kendall Jenner were already my favorites but boy did my respect for them skyrocket! I woke up at around 5:30 a.m. to be at the venue for hair and makeup at 7 a.m. and didn't end up leaving until 6 p.m.. Don't get me wrong, it was so fun and I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything, but I can't fathom how hectic it would be to do that at like the REAL fashion week. I can only imagine the chaos.

MOV 7001.MOV from Demi B on Vimeo.

MY FIRST TIME IN CALI

So this past week I was able to go to California!!! I was in shock the whole time I was there and still can't believe I went. The weather was perfect, the food was photogenic, and it was just so beautiful. Contrary to popular belief, the reason I went wasn't just to take pictures of all of the pretty things (contrary to what my Instagram shows) but rather was to attend NSBE's 41st annual conference in Anaheim. It was such an amazing and inspiring convention and would go again in a heartbeat. Luckily for me, my amazing boyfriend goes to school in California so when all the conferences and meetings were over I was able to explore Cali. 

It wouldn't be a true California experience if I didn't get to meet celebrities would it? So just my luck on the first day while shopping I met Karrueche Tran (Model/Chris Brown's Girlfriend...well ex now) who is just as gorgeous in person and on the day before I even got to see Patrick Dempsey the Greys Anatomy actor with the nice hair?! He was right in front of me in line at the Lemonade in Santa Monica with his kids so I didn't ask for a picture but it was still really cool too see him! 

From Los Angeles to Laguna Beach it is just as beautiful as I thought it would be and I never wanted to leave! But no worries I'll be back someday and those blue skies, beautiful beaches and incredibly photogenic foods will return on my instagram! ;) 

xoxo, 
Demi B 

FAB FIND: CUTOUT SNEAKERS

When I was home  for spring break a few weeks ago, I was dragged into Kohl's against my will. And who would have thought I would have found the love of my life (Kohl's is really stepping up their game). These Rock & Republic Cutout Sneakers were only $90 but look like they should be $900. If you asked me a year ago if I would buy these shoes I would have probably given you a strange look because I didn't think that I could "rock them", but now? I LOVE THEM. I am currently in a minimalistic fashion phase and these shoes are just perfect and I don't care if I think I can rock them or not cute shoes are cute shoes and THESE are cute shoes. 

xoxo, 

Demi B