Hannah With A Camera

Two College Apps Everyone Should Have

November 18, 2016 14 Comments

Hi everyone! I haven’t done in a college post in a while, but I’ve just recently discovered two college apps that every student should have. Let me know if you’ve heard of Pocket Points or MyStudyLife before–I hadn’t!

via

Pocket Points

College is expensive, and even if you’re not paying for your own education, you probably still have to pay for your own food. That’s why the app Pocket Points should be every college student’s new best friend.

Whenever you’re on campus, all you have to do is turn on your phone’s GPS and not use your phone. I use this in class all the time and it definitely reduces the temptation to check your phone for new messages or scroll through social media. For every 25 minutes or so that you’re not using your phone, you get a point. These points then add up to be used as discounts around your town or online.

Personally, I prefer the local discounts because there are so many options for food that actually have really good deals. A free appetizer or half off an entree never hurts! (I think I’ve gotten my last four half subs at Which Wich free because of this…) Look here to see if your school uses the app and you can get 10 free points by using the code vSS8M.

MyStudy Life

The second app that I just discovered is MyStudyLife. I use a planner more as a to-do list than anything, so if you’re the kind of person that needs to stay organized like me but can’t deal with paper, this is the app for you. This is essentially a digital planner made just for classes that makes organization so easy. (Bonus: It’s 100% free!)

You can put it all your assignments, reminders, tests, etc at once and easily add notes to each task. I do wish that there was an option for sub-tasks because I have a lot of projects instead of individual assignments, but to fix that I just put every single small task as a separate one. You can track how far along you are by adjusting the percentage, which I find helpful when looking at my assignments for the week all at once. Seeing that I’m already 60% done and 30% done for two separate assignments makes me feel like it’s not just a massive workload sitting in front of me!

What’s your favorite college app to use?

xo, Hannah

style

Steal Her Style: Silk Scarf

November 14, 2016 2 Comments

After ‘redesigning’ the aesthetic of my Pinterest (I’m not ashamed, go check it out), I’ve become a lot more aware of my personal style. It’s classic, it’s preppy, and a little bit trendy too. When I found this photo (source unknown), I instantly fell in love. I’ve been wanting to try the silk scarf trend for a while now, but I haven’t found the perfect way to wear one. Looks like my inspiration is just below.

Steal Her Style

tee // scarf // miniskirt // tights

If you’re looking for more silk scarves, I’ve gathered up my favorites below:

Givenchy Vintage Linen ($20)

Geometric 1960s Scarf

preppy .jpg

Preppy Square Scarf

1960s Echo Silk Scarf

Nautical Vintage Scarf

What’s your favorite version of the silk scarf trend?

xo, Hannah

style

Back to the 90s

November 11, 2016 7 Comments

I’ll be honest, I was never really a true ’90s kid, given that I was born in 1997 and I’m the oldest sibling. I wasn’t high on fashion, either: I don’t think I owned a lot of Justice or Miss Me jeans. When the choker trend came back around, I kind of rolled my eyes and let it go, thinking it didn’t fit my style. But after going to Kansas City last weekend with friends to see Ben Rector in concert (highly recommend), I was swayed.

I tried the choker on in the store, already having had the gold necklace on, and was surprised at how good it actually looked! It definitely took some getting used to something so tight and close to my neck, but it didn’t feel weird by the end of the night. My friend told me that my look went from preppy to edgy just with this one statement piece…hey, I’ll take it!

You can’t see in this picture, but I’ve definitely hopped on the Adidas Superstar trend..I’ve been wearing the white leather sneakers almost every day since wearing them. They’re so much more comfortable than Converse.

Along with the choker, the second 90s trend I hopped back on was the button-front skirt. This red corduroy version is perfect for gamedays (honestly, if I didn’t religiously wear my jersey every Saturday, this would be my go-to gameday outfit.

photos by Jordan Cronan

What 90s trend have you been loving again?

xo, Hannah

videos

Dear October 2016

November 7, 2016 16 Comments

I can’t believe November is already here! This semester has gone by so quickly, but that means another monthly video to share with everyone. I love making little videos like this and plan on expanding into more video content in the future, so stay tuned!

xo, Hannah

blogging, design

5 Ways to Improve Your Blog Design

October 31, 2016 25 Comments

Your blog content may be spectacular, but if your blog design is lacking, then I’m not going to keep reading. I’ll be honest: ever since I started my graphic design major, I’ve gotten way snobbier about strong vs weak design. (Sorry ’bout it.) But you don’t have to have a degree in design to have a strong website! Here are five ways to improve your blog design for the better.

Make sure your text is readable.

I know writing in lowercase is cute, but it’s hard to read and your audience will click away from your website fast. Similarly, your text should be left-aligned. It makes your blog just look that much more professional. Along with that, your font needs to be pretty plain. That’ll make your design look a lot cleaner.

A cohesive color scheme is key.

It’s tempting to change color schemes based on what’s trendy or the seasons changing. However, it becomes something to keep up with when your blog design is constantly changing and your audience will get confused when they see a new website every time they click. I created a color palette in my branding graphic that I made for myself, and I use those colors all throughout my blog design, without fail.

Limit your categories.

Eight categories should be the maximum amount that you have on your blog. If I see too many categories on the sidebar, it’s incredibly overwhelming and probably not necessary. Categories are only meant to help direct your reader to related posts and help drive traffic to your blog.

Chill with the fonts.

Only select two-three fonts to focus on. You should have a serif font, a sans serif font and a decorative font. A serif font has the little ‘tails’ off the end of each letter and is good for big blocks of text. A sans serif font is good for standing out and for titles (though these can be alternated if done right). A decorative font is optional, but can be used for titles and emphasizing certain words in a graphic. Definitely don’t use a decorative font for text longer than five-ish words though!

Simplicity is stronger.

This is the number one rule of blog design! I can’t stand seeing a blog with a tiled picture in the background, distracting me from the writing immediately. Your content needs to be the main focus, so stick to a white background (or shades of white/cream). Make sure your logo doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of little images or text pieces as well.

These tips are simple but easy changes to make that can make your design look so much better!

xo, Hannah

Bonus- if you missed the first code for 20% off of my stickers with Redbubble, you can use the code draw-hannahcbettis through November 1st for 20% off!

design

Redbubble Discount Code

October 24, 2016 1 Comment

Hi everyone! Some of you may not know that along with running a blog, I have a side business on Redbubble selling stickers that I design. Through November 1st, you can get 20% off with the code draw-hannahcbettis at checkout (and if you order six or more stickers, you can get free shipping as well)!

I just added several new stickers to my college section that are definitely worth checking out. Here are some of my top sellers!

(available for most dog breeds)

(available for most colleges)

I used to have sorority stickers, but they all got removed for copyright. Now I just have the Greek letters in the same script font as the college ones so you can make your own pairings.

Let me know if you order any, I’d love to see my stickers on your stuff!

xo, Hannah

photography

Parabo Press is a Photographer’s Dream

October 17, 2016 8 Comments

I’ve been a photographer since I was about seven. Back then, my camera was a disposable Kodak and CVS was my printer of choice. I have scrapbooks filled with pictures from summer camp, holidays, etc.

I’ve always been the kind of person that likes to print my photos. Now that we live in a digital age, I realize the importance of printing photos and not just keeping them on my phone or my computer!

Parabo Press is my favorite printer I’ve found so far for high-quality prints. They were generous enough to let me test out some of their products. If you read to the bottom, you can find a coupon code for free prints!

Even though these came all the way from Mumbai, the shipping wasn’t expensive and they were packaged really well so that nothing was bent. Plus, the boxes are super cute!

Parabo Press | Hannah With a Camera

I got the classic square prints, their most popular product. I upgraded to the 5.5″ size and absolutely love them–the color definitely matches what’s on my screen and the matte finish is gorgeous. The paper is thick too, so it doesn’t bend or tear easily.

I used the Pon Pins to secure these to my closet door in my room. These pins are genius- they don’t poke a hole through your photos; instead, they have a round circle clip you just slide the photos into.

I also got their magnetic photo rope (another genius idea)! This comes with super-strong magnets and a rope to stick your photos to without ruining the photograph itself. It’s really long (58″) and I have it displayed by my bed for now, but I’m trying to figure out how to hang it on my wall.

You’ve probably noticed a theme of my dogs here…which is why I couldn’t resist trying out a more unique item, their Risograph prints. These are 11″ x 16″ and come in neon pink, blue, teal, or neon orange.

These prints are such a fun way to show off your photos. Hint: make sure your photo has higher contrast than normal when you print them. It makes a huge difference!

I absolutely love Parabo Press and all their printing options! They gave me a coupon code for my readers: HANSQ. If you’re a first-time customer, this gives you a free set of 25 Square Prints (the first ones pictured) and all you have to do is pay shipping. You can do it online or through the app they have!

Let me know if you try them out-I’d love to see what you print!

xo, Hannah

Thank you to Parabo Press for sponsoring this post.

videos

Dear September 2016

October 1, 2016 5 Comments

Hi everyone! Just like I did in July, I made a video for September and a bit of August as well. I love making these little clips and editing them together, so let me know if you’re interested in more video content!

xo, Hannah

p.s… if you’re interested in the alternate song, watch this one instead…I couldn’t resist.

style

Brand Feature: Laurel Denise

September 26, 2016 No Comments

Hi everyone! I’ve been slacking on the blog lately and I really don’t have any excuses, just trying to keeping up with homework and my new major! I plan on doing a Thursday update soon, but you can watch my sorority’s official bid day video to hold you over until then. (Catch me on the left at 1:19.) It was really cool being on the other side of things for recruitment and being able to welcome the new members to our house.

Today I’m featuring a brand I’ve been loving lately. When I went to Waco, TX, in May, I obviously had to visit the Fixer Upper/Magnolia Silos with my family. My parents watch the show more than I do, so there was no convincing needed! The Magnolia shop has a ton of very cute things, and if I had an apartment and way more money than I do right now, it would be my go-to place for decorating. However, I wanted a little souvenir from the silos and found this bracelet.

Laurel Denise makes these gorgeous leather patina bracelets and other jewelry as well. The one I have right now says ‘grateful,’ but I would love to get the one that says ‘choose joy’ as well! Along with selling her beautiful jewelry online, she is also selling these three exclusive bracelets on Magnolia’s website that say ‘radiant,’ ‘create,’ and ‘bloom.’ She engraves each piece in her handwriting to make a gorgeous, unique piece of jewelry.

Here are some of my favorite pieces that she creates (and she does custom pieces too–bonus!).

Be You necklace

Choose Joy bracelet

Laurel Denise

Courageous Heart cuff

What bracelet would you choose?

xo, Hannah

school, sorority, style

10 Colorful Semi-Formal Dress Options

September 13, 2016 1 Comment

Semi-formal season is coming up soon! I love seeing everyone’s dresses for homecoming or semi-formals, but there’s usually a common trend and it’s hard to stand out. With these dresses I chose, I tried to pick different silhouettes and colors that go against the typical fancy dress (think fit-and-flare with sparkles). You can absolutely re-wear all of these dresses for other events and they’re at reasonable prices as well. I wore my sophomore year homecoming dress to my sorority formal this past spring, so I’m all about reusing dresses! Here’s 10 reasonably priced semi-formal options that’ll withstand the trends that pop up each season.

10 Semi-Formal Dress Options

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

What’s your favorite place to shop for semi-formal dresses?

xo, Hannah