Fan of Toms? Here’s the bracelet equivalent whose purpose is sweeping the nation.

PURA VIDA – meaning ‘Pure Life’ in Spanish – began with a piece of string and 2 young men who came up with the idea to save the beaches of Costa Rica, and growing into a full blown charitable cause donating to not only our environment, but the relief efforts for our planet & community. Therefore, with every Pura Vida Bracelet sold, 1% is donated back to The Surfrider Foundation through 1% for the Planet. The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to protecting as well as preserving beaches and oceans worldwide. In addition to PV’s growth through cleaning up beaches around the world, it also aims to provide more and more full time jobs to the amazingly talented artisans of Costa Rica.

Each bracelet has a unique and different color combination so coming across someone with your exact bracelet will be a tough find. The hard work that goes into making each bracelet represents the dedication and respect for the beautiful land that we all live in. Selecting your “Pura Vida” bracelet isn’t always a quick task. Local jewelers spend days, even weeks creating specific bracelets to express their lifestyle. From vibrant colors to earth tones, Pura Vida Bracelets has any combination for you.

ALSO, with every purchase, you receive PURA VIDA POINTS, which enable you to make future ‘free’ purchases when you order off the site!

I’ve just purchased my BOSTON STRONG bracelet; 100% of the proceeds when buying this particular bracelet gets directly donated to the ONE FUND. Hurry & get yours before they sell out! (Which will happen, guaranteed.)

Check out the site for ways to get involved by becoming a Campus Rep, with Internships, Wholesale and Charity options, and even with Instagram. You can also follow up on PV’s Blog, as well as buy your very own bracelet & some accessories offered.

Here are some of the bracelet collections they have to offer:

Charm Collection

Gold Collection

Silver Collection

Braided Collection

Platinum Collection

Beaded Collection

Original Collection

Charity Collection

Solid Collection

Style Packs

Anklets

Greek Life Collection

Check out To Be Bright online & make sure to LIKE TBB on Facebook for free giveaway opportunities, style inspirations, and more!

Image Sources: http://tobebrightstyle.com/2013/04/29/pura-vida-bracelets/ | http://puravidabracelets.com

Yes, watching TV is a nice alternative, but keeping your brain active after studying will help you retain information much easier in a short amount of time! Plus, if you’re the artsy type, you’ll be having fun in the meantime.

What I used:

Push Pins

Hemp String

Clamp Clips

Make three (or any number you want) equally spaced rows of hemp by tying the hemp string around the end push pins, pulling the string taught to prevent any slack. If you have a corner desk, like myself, loop the hemp around the push pin placed in the corner.

Then, decorate! Put up cards, drawings, anything that inspires you or makes you happy. Tumblr has awesome photos that you can print out and clip onto your clothesline bulletin board.

For more DIY ideas, style tips, & fashion fun, check out ToBeBrightStyle.com & be sure to LIKE To Be Bright on Facebook for your chance to win some awesome free giveaways!

Image Source: To Be Bright

Are you constantly opening new browser tabs when you should be finishing that paper worth 20% of your grade? Are those smart phone apps just too enticing that you find yourself four hours later with no work done at all?

Don’t worry, I know just how you feel.

Here's some help to break out of the grip of the World Wide Web and start cracking those books open that you bought at the beginning of the year so that at the end of the semester, you can show your parents a shiny A.

Did you know Internet addiction is a real condition accepted by the American Psychiatric Association and will be added into the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Static Manual of Mental Disorders?

It is defined as a disorder where one feels strong withdrawal symptoms when they are unable to use the Internet for an extended period of time and do whatever they can to find a way to get back in touch with it in order to improve their mood.

I don’t think that most college students are quite this bad, but I know procrastination can get us very close. But don’t worry! Here are some tools and tips to help you shut down your browser.

1. Extensions Can Do Wonders

An extension available only (for the moment) on the Google Chrome browser that allows you to pick out certain sites that the extension will block your access to for a designated amount of time. When that time is up, you can set an amount of “break” time where you will be able to go onto those blocked sites. This is great for school works because it not only keeps the distracting sites out, but also allows you to do online research.

Another extension is StayFocused, which is available for both Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.  It works much the same way that Pomodoro does in terms of blocking sites from use, but it is set up to make it a little bit harder for you to disable. Unlike Pomdoro’s easy in and out disabling, StayFocused won’t allow you to remove a site from your block list once your allowed time on the site is up. It also won’t let your change your allotted time for current day once it’s expired. You even have the option of setting up a challenge, like having to perform perfectly on a typing test, before you’re able to adjust any settings at all. 

2. Break the Connection

If you’re doing work that doesn’t require that you use the web for research, turn the wifi off for a while. Unplug your Ethernet cable, flip the wifi button on your computer, or put your phone into airplane mode and get to work. Even simpler than that? Turn your computer and phone completely off. In the time it takes for it to start back up you’ll be back to work, so why not just stay working?

3. Formulate a Plan of Action

Make yourself an itinerary for the whole week that includes all classes, labs, meetings and other things that are mandatory to take up your time. From there, look at all the time you have free. Set a certain amount of time each day designated solely for studying and solely for fun. It’s easier to get work done when you know that soon you’ll get to do something you enjoy instead.  Fix yourself a checklist of all the things you need to get done for the week before you can relax. The more things you check off, the closer you are to being free of schoolwork and back to checking up on Facebook and scrolling through Twitter.

4. Deactivate your Facebook

It’s not the same as deleting; you’re just hibernating your account. You can reactivate at any time, but while it’s down, your timeline disappears from Facebook’s service and people are unable to search for you. All your information is saved - all messages you’ve ever sent, any pages you’ve liked - it’s all there when you come back.  But for the week or so that you need to crack down, it keeps another distraction out of the way.

5. Find Yourself Some Self Control

I’m not into constricting, collared t-shirts, or t-shirts in general unless i’m sleeping, relaxing, or working out.  Target has some of the funniest graphic tees (MEN’S SECTION – girl t shirts are too stuck up to be cool), so naturally I snagged one to cut up and make it more wearable, in my opinion.

WHAT YOU NEED:

- Regular Tee

- Scissors

 - Average ‘follow the line’ skills

Step 1: Follow the collar’s seam and cut the collar off entirely so you can breathe when it’s worn

Step 2: Follow the sleeve seams and cut off the sleeves for that open side look.

- You may experiment and make the sleeve opening longer by following the shirt’s seam and cut a little down the side, just be cautious, as this will stretch out on its own without the seam there to prevent it from doing so.

And voila, you’ve made something cooler out of the basic and the ordinary.

Check out To Be Bright for those everyday trends reflecting personal style.

LIKE 2BB's Facebook page - fun & neat opportunities await you.

Image Sources: http://tobebrightstyle.com/2013/03/02/diy-like-a-rolling-stone/

kick-start (kkstärt)

1. 1. Informal to start or reinvigorate (an activity, system, or process)

kickstarter (kkstärtr)

1. 1. Informal a website that gives people’s dreams the kick-start it needs to come true

Have you ever heard of Kickstarter.com? If you haven’t, you should; especially if you have a great idea to develop, but currently on a financial diet. So, for those of you who have dreams of making the next technological breakthrough or top hit album, let me tell you about Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is described as a funding platform for creative, ambitious, and innovative projects that encompasses everything from films to games, music to art, design to technology. Since the site's launch in April 2009, Kickstarter has raised over $450 million, with donations by more than 3 million people supporting over 35,000 different projects from a variety of innovative areas.

Any project on Kickstarter is created and crafted by the people or groups behind it; They have complete control and responsibility over their individual projects.

When a project gets put up on the site, you create a goal, determine the amount of money needed to bring your product to fruition, and develop a deadline to reach said-goal. If you’re able to raise the money in the slated amount of time, you get to keep and use that money to support the creation of your idea. If you don’t reach the goal,  the money gets returned to the donors.

Why does the money go back though? It’s Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing clause, otherwise known as the less risk advantage. Say you need $5000 to effectively support and create your project but you only receive $1000. You’re still expected to create your product on a fifth of the money you need to do so. The clause is there to protect you.

And it all seems to work. 82% of all of the projects on the site that reached 20% of their goal successfully reached completion, and 44% of projects on the website have reached their funding goals as of today.

During the time Kickstarter has been online, it has helped to fund an incredible bunch of projects; For example, projects like SafeCast. This is a website that was created during the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Three friends researched ways to assess and report radiation data in real time. Through Kickstarter, SafeCast able to send hundreds of Geiger counters to Japan and provide data to the public.

Just the past few days, the 3Doodler, a pen that allow you draw in 3D by melting and cooling plastic thread, met it’s project goal in only a few hours and $600,000 in donations. It’s sure to be a  big hit when it comes on the market.

If you’re a little skeptical about donating to projects on this site, don’t worry! Most all of them have different options of prizes or products for the different amounts that you donate; the more you give the better the gift. Many will guarantee you a copy of the product for donating, and often times, something extra as well. 

Kickstarter is a site for the inventions, albums, books, art, and technological innovation that need a boost to make it mainstream.

Kickstarter collects a 5% fee on all projects - a stipend to keeping the site up and running- but it's worth it for the service they’re providing. This fee is only applicable if you’re able to raise your money goal; you’re not penalized for trying to achieve it. 

So, Carolina Community, I know there’s some of you out there that are thinking, “I could do something for this,”  go forth! Sign up for Kickstarter and get creating. 

Image Source: http://thetechblock.com/kickstarters-new-rules-for-project-creators/

When my dad was in college and he wanted to see a girl, he gave her a phone call and if she accepted, they went on a date.  Twenty years later, I’m sitting in a college classroom thinking about how I haven’t really been on a date since I have been to college.  Personal problem? Maybe - I am hoping to attribute the lack of romantic outings in my life to the huge difference in our generations and a new application called Tinder.

These days, if girls want to know what guys are into them, they don’t wait around for a phone call.  Boys don’t need to worry about a rejection either, because now they have a heads up to whether or not the girl they saw in Five Points the previous weekend is actually interested or if she just wanted a free drink. Thanks to Hatch Jobs Inc., girls and boys alike can avoid putting themselves out there at all.

When I first heard about Tinder, it was in humorous conversations where people were making fun of their friends for having an insta-dating application on their phone.  In the midst of Manti T'eo and Catfish drama, Tinder was a joke.  Soon enough though, everyone was talking about Tinder; what started as a joke became serious.  When I realized every single one of my roommates and friends seemed to have it, curiosity got the cat and I downloaded the application.

What did I discover?  In order to set up your Tinder profile, the application syncs to your Facebook and allows you to choose five or so pictures from that profile to use for your Tinder.  Obviously everyone chooses the most photogenic pictures they have, whether they’re accurate or not. Using pre-sets on your profile, the application finds people within a set mile radius.  You can scroll through a potential match’s photos, mutual Facebook friends and what interests you have in common.  If you like them and they like you, you’re a match and can use the app to converse privately.  If you hit dislike, the person will never know; if a person dislikes you, you’ll never know.  If your boyfriend/girlfriend is conversing with others via Tinder – you’ll never know.

Almost every profile that appears for a like or dislike is someone I already know or could easily go about meeting on my own, if interested enough.   This application provides another way to allow technology to replace guts and courage utilized in my dad’s time.

I have come across several university athletes, fathers posing with their children and friends I see every day while playing the “Tinder game.”  The variety of Tinder users is at large; I just choose not to be one of them.  I deleted the app, not able to take it seriously.  I won’t use it to find a “match” with someone I already know. I’d rather just meet them through fate.  If you’re laughing at me for counting on fate to find love, just remember you’re probably the one counting on Tinder (we can call it even).

Image Source: Madisyn Kellough

I was doing my usual before-bed-twitter browse the other night when I came across an article tweeted, “Why Did Men Stop Wearing Heels?” The title itself caught my attention, as my first thought was, “Why were men wearing heels in the first place…?”  The article was about how in 18^th century France, heels were a symbol of wealth and status for men, until they were banned by Napoleon because he was frustrated with the idea that no matter how high his heels were he was still the shortest at every party.  I made up that part, but I digress. I remembered reading an article in the New York Times last year about men in their 20’s, living in New York City, who envied women and their wide variety of clothing options available to wear.  So, what’s better than having guys wearing 5-inch heels to clubs in the city?!  Exactly what they did.  Are guys in South Carolina about to start strutting around in heels at night, fighting the blisters and whispering to their friends, “You can do it, beauty is painful,” as they walk to Pavs?  I decided to weigh the pros and cons of this situation.

Pros:  As a girl who stands 5’10’’ barefoot, I would very much appreciate not being taller than three-quarters of the guys at a bar, and would therefore praise the idea of guys in heels.  Also, heels would break the monotony of a typical SC’s guy’s outfit of khakis and a Ralph Lauren button down.  Guys, if this description has offended you in any way, and the idea of heels repulses you, then go buy yourself a fedora.

Cons:  If I saw a guy walk into a bar flashing his red sole Louboutins, I would be enraged with jealousy because they should be on MY feet, not his.  Also, heels are supposed to make a woman’s figure look more attractive and elongated, and I don't see heels having the same affect on guys wearing shorts and a frat tee.

Let’s keep men wearing heels in NYC. As for you guys in Columbia, don’t worry about being taller; I suggest mixing up your strictly preppy wardrobe instead. You can do it, I have faith.

Image Source: http://essentricshoe.com/style/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6:real-men-wearhigh-heels

As the month of January comes to an end, the only thing on my mind these days is applying for internships.  Last summer, I had the opportunity to intern in NYC as a graphic design intern.  However, my interests have changed to the mainstream and one of the most popular majors around: Public Relations.

EVERY FIRM has a department concerning public relations.  Great! Plenty of job positions right? Not quite.  The challenge is advertising myself to stand out from all the other public relation majors who also plan to intern this summer, let alone at the places I plan to apply to.  Oh, did I mention all these PR firms are ridiculously competitive?  Terrific. Now what?

Luckily, I came up with an idea that I've thought about for a while, yet never had the motivation to begin. Start my own blog.  

I had the opportunity to speak with an editor for a large media magazine whose advice to me was to make my resume and my work available online and on one site of my own.  Not only did I start planning my blog immediately after hearing this adivce, but I also realized I may have found a potential way to make myself look more appealing for an internship position.

This blog not only showcases my publications and other resume-building work, but also provides prospective companies insight to the type of person I am and the type of person I want to become.  On paper, it is very difficult to stand out from all the rest.  A visual representation highlighting talents, passions, and skills is a more efficient and fun way to showboat.

I began my blog very recently (a week ago to be exact) and I have already received such positive feedback from peers.  It is a style blog, one that I formed around my own needs and wants concerning what I would want to read if I came across it.  I focus on how to put outfits together, where to find the best quality merchandise for a fraction of its original price, and ways to make the ordinary extraordinary.  I try to incorporate the styles of voluntary viewers who want to contribute to the morning dilemmas of getting dressed in the morning that I have struggled with for several years.

In addition to my style tips, I have links and visual publications of some of my DIY work, Toms by Til, as well attachments of my online blogs and publications I have done for G&B.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, demonstrate independence, and showcase your passions, then start a blog.  It becomes a rewarding and exciting way to show off what you know. 

Check out what I've been working on - tobebright.org and 'Like' To Be Bright & Garnet and Black on Facebook.  

Involving yourself within a blog, by creating one of your own or participating in others, demonstrates your networking capabilities that ALL PR DEPARTMENTS are looking at today.  Expand your social media use by expanding yourself.

Image Source: http://tobebright.org