Tag Archives: books

May18

Summer Fun Checklist

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Summer Fun Checklist

It may not always seem like it, but the time of year that it is can make a huge difference in a person’s life. Winter and autumn can be difficult sometimes because of things like seasonal effective disorder. How early the sun rises and sets is enough to have an effect on people’s moods (I know it does for me!). As another example, people look at the New Year as something of a new start, and it is a time when they try to grasp that opportunity.

Summer is no different. If you are in college, especially, the break from the academic year represents an opportunity to improve yourself (or simply to bask in laziness for a few weeks). That may mean that you go traveling and experience the wonders of another culture or you may decide, instead, to stay closer to home and participate in some volunteering or work experience to better prepare you for your post-graduation job search. For people who work, it is a chance to go on holiday. However, you may just want to stay at home and relax. For some people, the perfect summer day is taking a book to a local park and sitting under a tree until it gets too dark to read.

If you are thinking of making the most of the summer this year, you will need to start preparing now since it is so nearly upon us. Here are five things that you need to make sure of before you set off on whatever plans that you’ve made:

  1. If you are hoping to leave the country, you should book your flights exactly eighteen weeks before you intend to travel. Research has shown that airline websites offer the cheapest prices at those times. Otherwise, you need to check that your passport is still valid. And do not forget your visa! There is nothing worse than getting somewhere only to be sent back again right away.
  2. Depending on where you’re going, you will need to make sure that your wardrobe matches. If you are heading to some tropical paradise, you’ll need a bikini or swimming trunks. Do not forget your sunglasses and the most important thing of all: sun tan lotion. Nothing ruins a vacation quite like a nasty sunburn.
  3. Personal grooming is crucial, too. If you are looking for the best razor for the bikini area, you need to make sure that you get one with which you are comfortable. Otherwise, you should remember that in different climates you will need to have products for your hair and skin. If you are not used to hot weather all year round, you may quickly find that your lips crack or your skin becomes a little dry. Thinking ahead and packing precautionary lotions or ointments is the smartest thing to do when you’re jetsetting to a new place.
  4. You should always take a book with you just in case for surprise waits before appointments or lunch dates, but it is never more important than when you are on holiday. They are not called ‘beach reads’ for nothing!
  5. No one forgets a camera anymore since they do not forget their phone but to get the best pictures, you should think about a camera with film. It costs more but the photos are better. Also, why not take a notebook along so that you can better remember the holiday when you get back?

Nothing makes pre-vacation planning easier than a good old fashioned checklist. Make yours, check it twice, and you’re off!

Featured Image By: Pexels

May3

New Tattoo Excitement!!

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New Tattoo Excitement!!

Heyyy everyone and happy Hump Day! So I am wicked excited for Saturday the 20th at 1 o’clock in the afternoon because I have a tattoo appointment!! I was planning to get a new tattoo for my birthday in June, but I saw that the artist who I am going to is running a percentage off special in May so I figured that I might as well get it now and save some money on it. It has been literal years since my last tattoo. Jeez Louise, I think it might have been back in 2014. Yikes!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t want more tattoos because I want a bunch. But, when I started college in 2014, I didn’t exactly have money to just throw around on extra things like body mods, clothes, and accessories because they were just extra and text books are no joke. But, now that I’ve been graduated since the end of 2016 and am actually making money instead of constantly spending it on college related fees, I feel pretty okay about getting a TREAT YOSELF/early birthday tattoo!

So what am I gonna get, you might ask? Take a looksee:

prince3prince2

If you aren’t familiar with the book The Little Prince, then you are missing out because that’s where these drawings are from! I plan on getting the first image of him flying with the birds on my side but I want him dressed in the clothing from the second image. The birds are going to go up onto my back and probably end close to my bra line. Then at some point, I’ll work in a quote en francais as well as the horizon line at the end of the book. AHHHH!!

For those of you who don’t already know, The Little Prince is one of my all time favorite books. It just is. I could read it every day until I die and never tire of it. I think that it is so beautiful and every time I read it (which is quite frequently), I fall even more in love with the words and imagery scattered like petals throughout the pages. I am super excited to get my undying adoration for this book commemorated in tattoo form and it has been a long time coming because I’ve wanted this done for five-ever.

May 20th can’t come soon enough and I have a feeling that I will be in the tattoo chair quite a lot this year! How’s that for some New Tattoo Excitement?! Who plans on getting a new piercing or tattoo soon? What is your favorite tattoo or piercing that you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr27

Is There a ‘Best Way’ to Read?

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Is There a ‘Best Way’ to Read?

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. This is probably something that you already know; that’s why you’re on this blog! But, is it true that there are right and wrong ways to do it? This probably isn’t so true when it comes to fiction, especially as fiction reading culminates in a very subjective experience. But when it comes to reading nonfiction, there’s certainly a strong argument to be made that there are good ways to read it and bad ways to read it.

How is this possible? Well, it’s worth remembering that nonfiction – aside from the likes of self-help books and autobiographies – exist in order to educate the reader. And there are ways of reading that will help you absorb and retain more information. Most people seem to forget the majority of what they read – which isn’t great if you’re reading non-fiction for a class, right?

We’re going to take a quick look at the best ways to read a nonfiction book!

O.M.G!

Skimming: Some of you may be wondering why the heck “skimming” would be suggested! Isn’t that precisely what you’re supposed to avoid? Well, if you’re skimming the entire book instead of reading it properly, then yes. But if you skim a chapter of a book first, and then read it properly, then you’re giving your brain a head start with the information. Your brain will retain a lot of the basic information and themes from a quicker glance than you might expect.

Never Read Without a Pencil: Don’t be so particular about your books that you’re afraid to take notes in them! You should take the time to write notes about the material in the margin, as well as underline (or draw a line in the margins next to) sections that you feel are especially important. This can also help you take note of parts of the book that you want to investigate further, in case you initially find it a little confusing or even doubt the veracity of the claim.

A million dollars to whoever knows what book that is! 😉

Make an Effort to Memorize: In general, reading is fantastic for exercising your memory. That’s just one of the top 10 reasons why reading is important. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t actually put work into committing something that you read to memory. The simple fact that you’re reading isn’t going to mean that you’ll automatically remember it in the future! The best way to do this is to take what makes memory tick and apply that to reading. Psychologists believe that memory is built from three components: impression, association, and repetition. Apply these to your reading and see how it helps.

#knowledgeispower

Recite or Read Out Loud: Finally, one of the best ways to recall what you’ve read is to speak that information. You could try introducing someone else to that information by telling them about what you’ve read in conversation. Just make sure that you’re with someone with an interest in the given subject! Something else that you can try is simply reading passages out loud. This may seem time-consuming, but it’s effective. You may even want to record yourself reading out loud and listen to the sound file repeatedly instead of listening to music during your reading break.

Not only can reading aloud improve your memory retention of the content you read, but it can be a whole lot of fun to try using different voices for characters. Manga like return of the shattered constellation is a great place to start and you could even invite your friends to read along too. Whatever you choose to read, it will take book club meetings to a whole new level. You can perfect meaningful passages with your friends to perform and then open the floor to discussions and other renditions.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Apr23

The Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting College

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The Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting College

If you are going to be starting college in the fall, then you need to be prepared. There are so many fun things to look forward to, as well as busy times when the exams are on and you’re cramming super late into the night. One thing that anyone will tell you is that the time flies by so quickly. Four years and then you’re out into the ‘real’ world and onto the career path of your choice. So it is important to embrace that time and make the most of it. Here are some of the top things to take into consideration before starting college:

You’ll Never (EVER) Regret Staying In To Study: It can be tempting to just want to go out all of the time. There might be parties everywhere, movie nights, or sports games. But you can’t constantly go out, especially if you’re aiming for top grades (which you should be!). But the thing is, the parties are just parties. There will always be parties or events going on. But you do only get one shot at the test or exam. So if you feel like you should be studying, then you won’t regret it. Work hard, and then you can play even harder after you ace that test.

College Isn’t High School: In high school, people can be quite catty and mean. But you know what, when you hit the ripe old age of college age, it seems that people tend to care less about material stuff or appearances. It doesn’t matter how cool your new bag is or if you’ve got the latest laptop. No one will really care. You’re all there for the same purpose, and that is to get your college education. So you can make an effort with things like that or not. Don’t stress over it!

Work To Pay Off Your Loan: If you are going to college and are needing a loan to do so, then one of the biggest pieces of advice is to get a part-time job when you study. If you are able to take out the smallest loan possible and able to work as you study, it will help tremendously. No one wants to graduate with a load of debt hanging around their neck, right? Otherwise, you’ll need to look for things like debt consolidation for student loans when you finish. They can help as you start out on your career path. But they’re definitely not ideal.

Take Care of Your Health: Getting sick without your parents there to take care of you is the worst (for real). So take care of your health as much as you can. Taking a vitamin supplement is a good idea, as well as keeping hydrated with water. The latter also helps with hangovers, so there is another reason to drink plenty of water! Get rest, eat well, and do some exercise. Your body (and mind) will thank you for it. Especially when mom isn’t there to cook you chicken noodle soup!

College is an exciting time but it can also be an overwhelming wake up call. Be prepared for the twists and turns that your time at uni can take, and all will be well when you’re on your way to graduation! 🙂

Featured Image By: Flickr

Mar31

Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

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Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Choosing to further your education can be a daunting task. If you have already started in the world of work and have had somewhat of a gap between the last time you sat in a classroom and where you find yourself today, don’t fear – not much has changed in what you need to do to get you to where you need to be; you still need to knuckle down and put in the effort required, as well as the following steps:

Prepare Yourself: Preparing yourself to go back into a world of learning is something that will take a bit of time. For starters, you will need to visit colleges to make sure you’re choosing the right one. What does your ideal college experience look like? Do you want to live on campus? Commute or learn online? Perhaps you even want to study abroad! Prior to visiting colleges, it’s important to have a clear vision of how you want these next several years to go. That way, you won’t settle for anything less.

You’ll need to get yourself focused with a clear conscience and the right attitude to tackle any workload. The reason that quite a lot of people don’t think about furthering their education when they’re making their way through adulthood is the whole host of responsibilities that you’ll inevitably have running alongside. This means all of the washing, cooking, cleaning, and bills that you have to uphold whilst still doing school work, plus all of the other jobs that you have to uphold to keep a house running – especially if you’ve got children. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. There are loads of examples of people who have made their way through college or another form of education while still running a successful household.

Should trips to campus for classes be too much with your schedule – that’s okay! There are countless different options for furthering your education online. Remote learning can earn you your diploma or a certificate and can be completed on the go or from home. You can also consider online courses for a specific career path. For example, if you are interested in cyber security you could explore the course options available through https://www.cybrary.it . Career specific courses can often be completed quicker than a traditional degree and will still open lots of doors in the working world.

Get The Materials: There is so much more than a pen and paper that you’ll now need to get yourself through the years that you have committed yourself to. There are must haves such as books, online resources (so you’ll need access to a computer), and other higher-learning materials that you will need to be able to grab a hold of at a moment’s notice to help with essays and other learning projects. Getting the staples such as pens, pencils, and paper will also help, as neolithic as it sounds nowadays! Talk about old school!

It’s important to note that you will need a great computer if you are choosing an online education like this STEM School Certification or virtual associate degree programs. You will also need to have fast, dependable internet so you can always access your learning materials.

Find a Mentor: You can reinvigorate your education and career path at any point in your life, but one constant is that you should find a mentor to emulate and an example to follow. This can be a teacher, a professional, or an expert in your chosen field. For example, people like Caitlin Brodie of Greenwich have succeeded professionally and have offered to train others in leadership skills and other abilities that are useful in the business world.

If you can get a private tutor in addition to your basic education and your classes in your course, you will find that you progress much more quickly and completely. Of course, it’s beneficial to be selective in who you choose to follow, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t learn from the example of multiple mentors as well. Find what works for you.

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Pretty!

Learn The Code: There is a code of conduct set in place in every educational faculty, and it is up to you to upkeep the core values and morals that it is displaying. There can be disastrous consequences to your learning path if you violate the code – you can find more at Duffy Law about the steps that you need to take should that happen. It’s definitely a good thing to learn ahead of time what is required of you in terms of on campus conduct.

Make Friends: Just because you are studying doesn’t mean that this isn’t a chance to make new friends. People are usually on the same course as you because they have at least one common interest: the subject at hand. It’s good to have study buddies with you regardless of what age you are or how independent you feel; discussing and exchanging ideas about what you are educating yourself on is a great method of making your learning deep-rooted rather than superficial and easily forgettable. When you begin to explain to someone what you know and how to do something, you are further teaching yourself and cementing any rough ideas that you had.

Congratulations on beginning your higher education journey. Now get out there and learn, learn, learn!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb17

How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime

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How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime

Hi everyone and welcome to the next addition of my Think Spring guest bloggers series brought to you by Christie from Christie Adams Writer. When we are thinking spring, one not so fun thing that inevitably comes to mind is cleaning! Spring cleaning to many is a must, though, so this post from Christie will teach you how to incorporate your book (or CD and movie) shelves into your cleaning to do list. Take a look:

How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime (your excuse to buy more books)

Spring is on its way. Well OK, I admit winter is still hanging around, it seems to get later every year doesn’t it? Anyway, a bit of forward planning never hurt anyone. Spring cleaning your home, cleaning the car, yep, ticked that box? How about reinvigorating your bookcases? I’m not talking a quick whizz over with a feather duster, I’m talking a proper spring clean. If your book collection is a library you may need to break this up a bit, but it’s do-able, honest.

  1. Take a good long look at what you have, then take the books off the shelves:

A good way to ‘see’ things clearly, is to take a photograph or two and put them on one side. You’ll need them later. Taking out the books will probably surprise you. You will find ones you never knew you had. Those beloved sneaky books that have hidden amongst much read favorites. To make it easier and less stressful later on, sort them into two piles:

  1. Keep
  2. Maybe I could let these go

 Don’t know where to start? I try to live by William Morris’

‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’.

The focus will be to cut at least 10%, if not more. You may at this stage also find the odd one you really don’t like. It may have been a gift or a bargain bucket buy. If so, create a third pile somewhere out of sight. You can bring them back into the room when you get to stage 3.

WARNING – DO NOT start flicking through the pages, if you do, you are doomed and will never finish the task in hand!

  1. Clean the shelves and fix any loose or broken bits:

Think serious Health & Safety here. Books are HEAVY. If your bookshelves are not safe and securely fastened it could really hurt someone, or worse. Yes, sadly, people have been crushed beneath falling furniture.

http://www.wikihow.com/Secure-a-Bookcase-to-a-Wall

Once they’re safe, fixed, and empty, you need to assess if they are what you want. This is the time to get reinspired. Remember those photographs I told you to put on one side? Now get them out and take a good close look. Be critical, be detached. If you saw those shelves in someone else’s house, would you love them? Aspire to own them? Want to embrace them in a big hug? OK, a bit difficult to imagine but you should understand the sentiment.

This is the time to repaint, rebuild, extend, downsize. You could go truly minimalist/tiny house and choose to let go of it all and move to a fully electronic reading habit. If so, jump ahead to stage 3 in this post.

Happy? All done? Fantastic, now on to the hard work.

(You could swap stages 2 and 3 if it suits you to focus on your collection, rather than your space or furniture.)

  1. Create a collection of loved literature and beloved battered books:

Now this can be a difficult bit, because it’s time to sort out what you want to keep and what you can let go. Go back to your books in those tidy piles (you did leave them tidy didn’t you?) and begin the process according to these guidelines:

Keep – you can look lovingly at this one, smile, then move on to the second pile.

Maybe I could let these go – you need to sort through these and divide them again into three piles:.

  1. Sell – if you have rare books, first editions, signed copies, then do your research. Contact an expert. If you’re lucky you could pay for a new book, a holiday, or your house! Otherwise, garage sales or online auction sites are your friend.
  2. Donate to charity or friends – do you love a book but know you’ll never re-read it? Why not write a hand written ‘no spoiler’ review note and place it in the book before you donate it?
  3. Reuse – note, there is not a ‘bin’ pile. If you do have any books that are truly falling to pieces why not create some book art (get on Pinterest people, it’s amazing what you can do with the pages of an old book). Your local school or art college may take them off your hands. Final option? Recycling center.

If you find it difficult, recruit a book buddy or cleaning companion, offer them a brew and get cracking.

If you have an electronic ebook/audio book copy, do you need the paperback? Do you have books about garden design but now live in a small apartment? Will you ever learn to play the guitar? No? Then sideline the ‘how to’ book.

Fashions change. Technology moves on. Maps and text books get out of date. Learn to let go people! This cleansing can take as long as you need but once you start you’ll be surprised by how easy it is. Make sure it doesn’t drag on, be decisive, and reach or pass that 10% target.

  1. Decide on how you will arrange your ‘new’ beautiful bookcase and beloved book collection:

Now, you’ve done the hard bit. You should have a (slightly?) smaller collection. It’s time to decide how you’ll show them off and care for them. Will you go ‘library style’ and sort by genre then alphabetical? How about color, blue next to purple, red next to pink etc? It can look awesome if you embrace the idea fully.

Do you have truly gorgeous bound books, how about those being at eye level so you truly enjoy the sight of them every day? Kids books? They need to be accessible to little hands. On the alternate side, you need to put ‘valuable’ (I know they all are, but stay with me here) books away from direct sunlight and away from little hands.

Libraries put books on end for a reason, it preserves them and protects them. Make room for them all stood up, not lying flat. You can be as innovative or traditionalist as you like. You can scribble down ideas, draw out detailed plans, or just move books into yet more piles so you can keep track. I’ve got a small section of ‘will read then let go’ books, too.

  1. Fill The Gaps! Now is the time to celebrate the space you’ve created, by filling the spaces with new books:

Yes, you’ve done it! Your new clean and empty shelves are calling out to be filled. Dust off your books and put them back in their newly well planned home. I start with the big books, which may only fit on one of many shelves. Also, that’s often the safest. You recall I told you to fasten the shelves securely, this is important. If the shelves are not secured (WHY NOT!!) always start at the bottom when refilling. DO NOT make them top heavy by starting at the top.

Just remember your home should be somewhere that you love. Somewhere you’re proud of. Somewhere you feel at home in. I’d love to see how you got on, and how you display your books. When you’ve finished take a picture and share it with me on social media.

You May Also Like:

http://www.christieadamswriter.com/how-to-organise-your-bookshelf/

Get in touch with me from your next coffee shop or library:

^^^ Thank you so much again to Christie for such a helpful and well thought out post! Again, please be sure to check out her blog and give her page some love! What is on your spring cleaning check list? How many books do you have in your collection? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a gorgeous OOTD from K.M. at Ankhor You!

Dec15

Everything You Need For The Ultimate Cozy Corner

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Everything You Need For The Ultimate Cozy Corner

The winter season is definitely here now. While the cold weather feels awesome and exciting leading up to Christmas, as soon as the holiday season finishes things can be a little depressing. I think we all need a cozy little corner to hibernate in through the grim months of January and February – and I think I have found the right ingredients for the perfect set up. Read on to find out everything you need for the perfect cozy corner – and snuggle up until the spring!

The Right Location: Technically, you can have a cozy den in any corner of your home or room – but not everywhere is 100% suitable. If you are lucky, the bedroom is the perfect spot. It’s private, quiet, and away from the ruckus and noise of the main living spaces. However, maybe there is a quiet room you could use instead? Or somewhere with a beautiful wood burner or open fire to give you the perfect atmosphere? A cracking fire can give you amazing light, a relaxing, chilled environment and they smell – and sound – great.

A Giant Bean Bag: There are some awesome giant bean bags out there right now – see this from Comfy Sacks for the perfect example. These comfy cool chairs are so fun and are literally high school me’s dream come true. They are the ultimate in Sunday lounging and perfect for settling in with a good book, movie, or to curl up and listen to music.

Lots and Lots of Blankets: It’s impossible to be cozy without blankets, right? So grab as many as you can and top it all off with a soft cotton or wool throw. It will keep the chills out, the heat in, and make you feel like you never want to get up again. If it’s extra cold, throw in a heating pad for good measure!

Books and Magazines: When you are hunkering down for a cozy session, you will need plenty of material to keep you going. Grab a pile of books – when the weather is harsh and cold, there is nothing better than getting lost in a different (maybe even sunny) world. Magazines are great, too – you can browse through them at your leisure, and if you are feeling sleepy, you can doze off whenever you like.

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DOG!!!!

A Tablet: While we’re on the subject of entertainment, we can discuss the tablet – which feels like it was totally invented for the cozy corner. You can snuggle in, throw on a pair of headphones, and be transported to any era, any place, and with any of your favorite actors whenever you like. I love to go for something a little spooky, thanks to the Kindle that my boyfriend got me for our anniversary!

Candles: Candles are essential for all things cozy, so don’t miss out on grabbing a bunch of your favorites. For extra comfort, find some scented candles and let the aroma take you away to somewhere from tropical to a cute little coffee shop depending on the scent!

Snacks and Drinks: OBVIOUSLY!! Once you are in the zone, you won’t want to leave. However, let’s be realistic – you don’t want to be hungry, either. So, before you start your cozy corner session, stock up on a few snacks – healthy or otherwise – and plenty of drinks to keep thirst at bay.

What are your cozy corner must haves? What is your favorite drink to sip on when the weather is cold? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

May23

Monday Update: Worst Book Ever Edition

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Monday Update: Worst Book Ever Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Welcome to another week here on lifewithlilred. If you’re a faithful reader of my blog, you might have gathered a few things about me throughout the years. Two of them being that I love to read and that I refuse to not finish something that I start. This second Lil Red Fun Fact rings especially true considering that I’m reading the literal Worst Book Ever. Let’s discuss:

My mom brought me home Maestra by L.S. Hilton from the library. I read through the synopsis on the jacket and inspected all of the rave reviews from authors and the like on the back of the book. Many were comparing it to Gone Girl and saying how the lead female character, Judith, was similar to Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth is one of my all time favorite fictional characters and TGWTDT will always remain one of my favorite book series, as well.

I knew that this Judith lady would never live up to the love that I have for Lisbeth but I was willing to give the book a shot. Unfortunately, after the first two pages of Maestra, I knew that I was in for the worst reading experience of my life. Even more unfortunately, those two pages read damned me into having to finish the entire three hundred page book. Fuck me, right?

The premise of the book – an art gallery employee gone rogue was nothing that impressed me. It seemed desperately unoriginal and you could tell that Hilton was trying really hard to channel her inner Gillian Flynn and Stieg Larsson to no avail. I could get past this bland story line if the writing was actually good but the novel didn’t even have that going for it. And there was also one major issue…

This book is legitimately like reading pornography. Judith is very in touch with her sexual side and spends her free time going to parties designed for people to have a romp with complete strangers. The writing goes into specific/explicit detail about sex, sex, sex and then falls into the dull lull of a high schooler’s attempt at writing something edgy.

So we learn that Judith is a straight up sex junkie. This is all very well – if she were smart. This is where I start getting angry. Lisbeth Salander was able to overcome every obstacle in her way because she was intelligent as hell. Judith just uses the fact that she’s willing to have sex with anyone to get out of the troubles that she thrusts herself into.

See the difference? One is smart. One is a slut, for a lack of a better word (I know that I’m going to get some backlash for that!). So for people to compare this Judith character to Stieg Larsson’s genius Lisbeth just seems like a slap in the face to an amazing book series/character. Maestra has easily been the worst book that I’ve been essentially forcing myself to read in my life. You know that Hilton is a poor writer when her erotica is better than the actual story. -_-

If you’re in to reading a really shitty book with some porn thrown in for good measure – read this book. But if you’re in to reading about intelligent, cool, innovative, and truly edgy female heroins then do yourselves a favor and stay far away from Maestra. Crack open a copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, instead. You’ll thank me later.

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Worst Book Ever Edition! What is the worst book that you have ever read? What’s your favorite book? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Hello, Spring Semester

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Hello, Spring Semester

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! Today I start my first day of classes back at Tri-C for the spring semester and I’m moderately excited. (My Abnormal Psychology class which started a few weeks ago is going great, by the way!) I know I posted a couple of articles ago that I would be taking French II this semester but unfortunately, that class got cancelled. Apparently not enough students signed up and yada, yada, yada which I think is a shame. I was so looking forward to that class and improving my French skills even more and now that isn’t going to happen. So if anyone knows of any good learning French programs, please leave me a comment!

Due to French II being cancelled, I had to find a new class to sign up for. Naturally, they only alerted me that I would need a new class a week and a half until the semester starts. Panicked, I had to skim through the classes that were still available and was left with slim pickings of weekend and evening classes and other courses that didn’t fit with my schedule for transporting my siblings. I was so frustrated and ended up signing up for a Film Appreciation course. The class should be fun and easy but it isn’t something that I really wanted or needed to take. I have that class tomorrow evening, so we’ll see how it goes!

Everything for the spring semester just seems to be going wrong. For my Intro to Criminology course, I had to purchase a very expensive text book that came with the access code for all of the online assignments. It was just my luck that when I received the book in the mail, the access code was nowhere to be found. I’m taking the class online and it started yesterday. I looked through the various posts, links, and assignments that my professor provided and the option to purchase the e-book and access code popped up. That sure would have been nice to know when I had emailed my professor about the text book prior to the class starting. Especially because to purchase the e-book and access code from the links he provided was way cheaper. Now I have to brave the crowded and busy campus book store tomorrow to get my access code-less book returned. Yayyyy.

It’s not like I’m complaining…but I’m totally complaining. It’s so annoying/irritating/frustrating when all you want is for something to go smoothly but it just ends up being slightly disastrous. But hey, at least I am going to get everything taken care of and then I should be a-okay. I just needed to vent because these school related problems have been driving me crazy! I’ve also never really had to deal with any slip ups or mishaps during my time at Tri-C so for it to happen now is such a buzzkill! -_-

I’ve said Hello to my Spring Semester but I really just wish I could rewind the past couple of days and have a redo! Where are all of my college kids at? What classes are you taking this semester? What was one of the worst mishaps that have happened to you in college? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition

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Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition

Hellooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend! On Friday I got nominated by my friend, Kezzie, at: kezziescorner for the Beauty Blogger Award. I was so flattered to be nominated for the second time by such a fantastic blogger so make sure you check out her page! With all of the fun blogging awards comes rules, of course, so take a look and then see how I answered the questions that Kezzie asked her nominees:

The Rules:

  • Tag and thank who nominated you.
  • Respond to the questions that your nominator gave you.
  • Nominate 10 new beauty/fashion bloggers.
  • Create 10 new questions for these bloggers to answer.
  • Tell the blogger that you nominated them.

Got it? Good! Now let’s take a look at Kezzie’s questions:

Q & A:

Are you studying? If so what?

Yes, I am! I’m currently working towards getting my Associate of Arts degree at Tri-C in Cleveland, Ohio.

What are you reading right now?

I just started The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I’m about one hundred pages in and I really like it so far!

What is your favorite lipstick shade?

That’s easy! I love NYX’s Pure Red matte lipstick. It’s seriously the best matte lipstick I’ve ever used and the shade is perfect for Lil Red!

What is your go to outfit for winter?

During the winter, I like to wear my black skinnies (obviously), with a chunky sweater, my Michael Kors booties, one of my many peacoats, and the super warm gloves my boyfriend got me for Christmas.

What is your favorite all time TV character?

This is also an easy one. Elaine from Seinfeld will always be one of my all time favorite TV characters. I want to be her when I grow up.

Do you have a favorite Youtuber?

Not really, I don’t go on YouTube very often.

What inspires you the most in life?

People who are working their asses off to improve their lives and themselves.

What do you do when you are having a bad day?

Hmmm…Before, when I had a bad day I used to use really unhealthy coping mechanisms. Now that I’m clean from that, I like to take bubble baths, write, and binge watch Netflix in bed when I’m having a bad day…So basically what I do every day. 😉

What is your favorite nail polish shade?

Black. Black. Black. I don’t paint my nails often but when I do I always paint them black. Lol, I sound like the Dos Equis guy! When I used to have my talon like fake nails, they were always black with red for an accent nail and a cross on both of my middle fingers. I miss my fake nails so much but they were a lot of upkeep and not having them is a total money saver. Now every time I do something that definitely would have broken a nail, I breathe a little sigh of relief in knowing that I won’t have to rush to the salon to get it fixed!

What is your favorite makeup store?

I love The Body Shop and a lot of my makeup does come from there but honestly, I’m just as happy getting the last odds and ends of what I need at Target. They have a shockingly wonderful makeup selection and I like to use Covergirl and Rimmel. For a treat, I like to use their Pixie brand!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is your favorite beauty item that you treat yourself with?
  2. What was one of your worst fashion or beauty moments?
  3. If you could raid one celebrity’s wardrobe, who would it be?
  4. Would you rather wear the same outfit every day for a week or not wear makeup for a month?
  5. Bubble baths or long showers?
  6. Did someone teach you how to wear makeup or did you learn how to do it on your own?
  7. What is your favorite makeup or clothing store to score a bargain?
  8. What was your favorite fashion or beauty moment?
  9. How would you describe your style?
  10. Everyone has a color that just looks perfectly awful on them. What color is that for you? What about the color that looks best on you?

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: My Second Beauty Blogger Award Edition! Thank you so much again to my friend, Kezzie, at: kezziescorner for the nomination! How was everyone’s weekend? How would you answer some of the questions that I asked my nominees? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah