Wednesday, August 22, 2012

DIY: Instagram wall

About a month ago, I discovered this web site called Printstagram. This company prints your Instagram photos and they offer a variety of products. You can get a t-shirt, a little book, poster, stickers, or even just simple square prints. When I found the web site, I got really excited because the products they had seemed very cool to me. 

To determine the quality of the products they offer, I ordered a set of 24 square prints. I got to choose which photos on my Instagram account I wanted to print. A few weeks later, my prints came in and let me just say, I am in love with them. They turned out better than I expected and I immediately started to brainstorm how I wanted to display them.

I came up with this idea of an Instagram wall. Instead of spending a lot of money and buying a frame for each print (I had 24 prints...that's a lot of frames), I came up with a cool, retro-ish way to display the prints without breaking the bank. 

Here's what you'll need:
  • Jewelry wire (you can find this at any craft store)
  • Scissors
  • Clothespins
  • Thumb tacks
  • And of course, your Instagram prints

So the first step is to determine how the arrangement of your prints. I had 24, so I decided I was going to have four rows of six prints. Once you've determined that, take a tack and put in on the wall where you would want your row of photos to start.  Take your jewelry wire (it comes in lots of colors; I just picked black because I liked it best) and wrap the end of it tightly around the tack a couple times.


Next, determine how long you want your row to be and straighten out the jewelry wire to that length. The wire is not going to be completely straight. There will be bends and uneveness in the wire, but I think that gives it more character. After you've determined the length, cut the end with the scissors. Repeat the first step with the second tack. Now you should have one row of wire. Next take your Instagram print and hang it on the wire using a clothespin.



Keep adding the photos on there until you reach the end of the row.


Repeat the process with as many prints you have or how ever many rows your want, and voila! You're done! Easy way to display your photos in a kinda artsy, cool way.






I love Instagram because it gives me an excuse to pretend to be an "artsy photographer" when in reality I'm not, and this was an awesome way to display my "artsy" Instagram shots. If you have some memorable Instagram shots that you would like to print out to keep, definitely check out Printstagram. 

Also, you don't have to use just Instagram photos to do this! This is a great way to display some of your favorite family photos, etc. without breaking the bank and buying a bunch of frames.

Let me know what you think of this! 

Til next time,
Hera

P.S. Don't forget to follow me and Naz on Instagram (@heraspeaking @nazday)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Breaking fast with my man, Mitch

Last evening (Aug. 16th), I attended an event that usually happens every year at the Indiana State House. Our wonder governor, Mitch Daniels, hosts an iftar for the Muslim community in Indiana at the State House. This was the first time my family and I attended this event. Since this is the governor's last iftar before he is done with his term, I thought there wouldn't be a better opportunity to meet him in person.

When I walked into the State House, I literally felt like I was in a movie. If you haven't ever visited a government building in your city, I'd say it's definitely worth a walk through. While waiting for Governor Daniels to enter, I admired the architecture and art in the building. There's really so much history in these kinds of structures and it's such a cool environment to be in.

Finally, the governor walked in and people were kind of standing around him. My dad and I joined the small crowd of people around him and he attended to each one, giving everyone some time to chit chat. 

I got my turn and had a short conversation with him about school, etc. He was extremely kind and very attentive! I've never had any complaints with Mitch Daniels because he has been so good to Indiana and its people. I always assumed he was one of those politicians that was a good guy in real life. Having even that small conversation with him confirmed my assumption. 

Soon after, it was time for the program to begin. We heard from many people, including Mitch Daniels of course. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay the whole night (sadface), but even for the short time that he was around, it was a nice experience. I really appreciate his efforts to get to know all the different communities in Indiana, and I hope that the next governor continues with this tradition.

Overall, I had quite the pleasant evening and I felt pretty cool with my formal attire and the super historic, movie-like environment. Below are some pictures from the evening. Enjoy! And let me know if you've ever been to a similar event where you met important people and felt important as well.

Thanks for reading, 
Hera

Instagwam: @heraspeaking

More architecture!
+10 points for the pink tie
lalala waiting for my turn


speech time
selfie
I didn't get a full outfit shot, but for those wondering, here's a glimpse of what I was wearing!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Summer Favorites!

Summer means a lot of sun and scorching hot weather. The past few days have been kind of miserable with all the humidity and sun (but I still prefer summer over winter). In the summer, I keep my makeup super light! That way, it doesn't feel like my face is melting when I do go out. Here are some of my personal favorite makeup items for the summer. They do their job by correcting any imperfections while keeping the look natural, so I look awake, fresh and put together. :)

1. Neutrogena oil-free face moisturizer
I love this stuff. I tend to have dry skin and most moisturizers make me break out, but this one has been working wonders for me. Not only is it a great oil-free moisturizer, but it also has SPF 35. Unlike most people, I don't want a summer tan (already got a natural one going on year round) so the sun blocking aspect of this moisturizer helps with that. According to the back of the bottle, it won't clog pores, it's alcohol- and fragrance-free and it's hypoallergenic. It's about $10 at any drugstore.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm
Oh em gee, I am in love with this stuff. It's this moisturizing lip balm that has a VERYYY light tint to it. It comes in the CUTEST colors and the packaging just makes you so happy because it's so cute. It also has SPF 20 for a lil sun protection. I absolutely love the little bit of tint it has. Just the perfect about of color on your lips for the summer without the heaviness of a lipstick or lip gloss. If you're not into color, there is also a clear version! These cost about $3 - $5 at any drugstore.

3. Maybelline "the Falsies" Volume Express Mascara
Eye liners, eye shadows, etc. just are too heavy for me to wear during a hot summer day. But I still need something to make my eyes look awake and mascara does the trick! I'm not a very big fan of mascara but this mascara from Maybelline is the one mascara I don't mind wearing! It's super light and doesn't clump. It's also quite long lasting for me and easy to remove at night. This mascara is usually around $5.

4. Neutrogena SkinClearing oil-free makeup
I don't wear foundation in the summer unless I'm going out in the evening. However, this foundation is a life saver. For days I need more coverage, I usually use this foundation. What I love about it is that it's super blendable so a little goes a long way. Also it doesn't clog pores so your skin can still breathe. I just wear a little over my moisturizer wherever I need it and I'm good to go for the rest of the day. This usually costs about $10 at any drugstore.

And that is basically all I use in the summer! What are some of your favorite summer products? Share them with us below or on Facebook! Also, we'd love it if you'd share our page with your friends. :)

Bye lovelies,
Hera

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Price of Bearing Arms: the Abused Amendment



It was the night many had been waiting for. Finally, the time had come for the midnight premiere of the most awaited film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises. What was supposed to be a fun night with family and friends, quickly turned into a nightmare. James Holmes opened fire in a theater in Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring many more. Those 12 people included a six year old girl, an 18 year old high schooler, a 26 year old veteran, and many more. 


Now let's fast forward to about 16 days later. Let's go to Wisconsin to a Sikh Temple, where people are spending time worshiping together. An unidentified man walks in and starts shooting with a gun at every man wearing a turban. Seven died.


Does anyone else notice the problem? It is too easy to access a weapon to kill. Too easy. And by weapon, we would specifically like to mention the gun. Now before some of you go haywire on how that's an American right, for those who may not know, let's have a little American history review.


The second Amendment of the Constitution states:


"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."


There are pros to this amendment. It allows Americans to obtain a gun for recreational activities, or the most argued, for self-defense. But laws regarding guns are too lenient. The fewer guns there are, the less probability there will be for such shootings to occur. Do you really need a fancy gun to keep around the house to protect your kids in case there's another guy with a fancy gun that wants to steal your television? What if we just took the fancy gun out of the picture?


Now, we completely understand the need for guns back when the Constitution was written. The people who came over to this country were pioneers who faced countless dangers in foreign terrories long after the first Europeans stepped foot onto the Americas. In fact, if this were 1789, we would fully support gun laws. However, times have changed. Simply put, guns cause more trouble than they are worth. As I, Naz, have grown older, I've learned that the US, while a great country, is painfully stuck in its traditional ways. Often times, it seems we put our sheer egos and the rights of what we consider to be American over things that make logical sense. So we are not delusional in our thinking that guns will be abolished in the US anytime soon. However, we do propose several solutions into how to better control them.



Primarily, we need to stop acting like guns are no big deal. There are people who use guns everyday for recreational purposes, but that does not change the fact that their primary function is to do physical harm. Due to their nature, we propose the government set up a physical and psychological test that determines who, if anyone, gets to use guns. Nearly every couple of months, we hear stories of mothers killing their children, often using guns. Where did they get the guns? Either the guns were already in their possession or they bought them. It's horrendous these women, who are obviously mentally deranged, can just obtain a gun like it's nothing. Obviously, if someone truly wants to kill their children, they will find other ways to do it. However, that does not mean we shouldn't take out guns as an option. That's like never cleaning your bathroom because it'll simply get dirty again. Remember what I said about logic over emotions? 


Secondly, we propose that there should be control over what kinds of guns people have access to. A father who is not a gun expert, but wants one in case he ever has to protect his family, should not need to buy a big fancy rifle for simply that purpose. In case of self-defense, a "big" gun really is not necessary. However, if someone lives in a more wooded area where there might be a threat of larger animals, or if someone hunts every hunting season, then they can buy a gun that better suits their needs. Another aspect that should be taken into account is financial status. Now you may think I, Hera, might be shallow to think this but think about this logically. Someone who owns a giant mansion and whose wealth is not a secret will probably have a greater chance of being robbed or attacked. I mean, think about. How many home invasion movies have you seen where the victim was NOT rich? Exactly. Financial status should be taken into account when a gun is being sold. 


Being science students, we would't allow ourselves to merely make all these statements without the fancy proof to back it up. In 1994, President Clinton signed a law into action that prevented the use of certain assault weapons such as the ones James Holmes used in the Batman shooting. In addition, guns that could shoot more than 10 rounds at a time were also banned. To put this into perspective, Holmes shot nearly a 100 rounds--without reloading-- during the Colorado massacre. The Brady Campaign did a study in the 90s when this law was put into action and found a 66% drop in assault weapons used in crimes. Not only that, there were 60,000 fewer weapons sold than there would have been if the law wasn't in place.


In 2004, this law was allowed to expire. Whatever one's views on guns may be, it cannot be denied that if the law Clinton had signed had still been in action, Holmes would not have been able to buy an assault weapon that did as much damage as it did. There is no doubt in our minds Holmes could have still bought a gun if he wanted to; however if the proper laws had been in place, he might have not caused as much agony as he did.     


Whether you read this article because you were curious or wanted to read something you agreed with or simply make fun of us for being idiots, we leave you with a final thought. The reason a lot of gun law supporters seem to still support guns after these two traumatic incidents is because they fall into the thinking of "Oh I would never do that" or "My family member has a gun and they would never do that!" or "The person who did these acts was a lunatic! Not everyone who owns a gun will do that!" Well, perhaps they are right but consider this: the Batman shooter and Sikh temple shooter probably did not go through their lives thinking they were going to brutally murder people. They were someone's child, brother, uncle, etc. Unfortunately, despite what psychology can offer us, people are sometimes  unpredictable. Our changing culture, mixed with our intense desire to stay true to the "American way", creates a huge juxtaposition within all of our psyche. It's ultimately a breeding ground for uncertainty. We cannot sit back any longer and passively wait for the next psychological bomb to explode. Like it or not, both of these shooters, and the ones that will come after them are by-products of our society. In a sense, we created them and now we must put aside our egos and take responsibility for them, or suffer the abhorrent consequences. 


We kindly ask you to discuss your thoughts.

Toodles!


Hera&Naz 



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You seemed to have stumbled upon our blog.

We're Hera and Naz. Both of us are full time biology majors at the lovely University of Southern Indiana. When we're not out doing nerdy school stuff, we enjoy shopping, drinking slushies, and of course, writing on this awesome blog.

'What Makes the World Go Round' was started in August of 2011 to be a catch-all for our thoughts. We try and update as much as we can, depending on how hectic our lives. So bear with us. :) Please feel free to browse (by clicking on the cloud tabs above), comment and/or subscribe. We love hearing what you have to say!

Oh, and also remember to visit often. Happy browsing!
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