The Reading List of an English Grad -- Fantasy

Hey, everyone! I hope you're all having a fabulous week. Mine looks like it's going to turn into another whirlwind of a week, but I'm definitely not complaining about it! I'm the type of person that thrives when busy. Today, though, I'm going to slow it down a bit for you and talk about what I love to do to unwind more than anything else-- read. Ever since I was a small child, I loved reading. Library class was my favorite. I had a goal in grade school to read all of the books in the library before I graduated. Pretty ambitious for a small child, but I loved to read, so it was a challenge I was more than willing to accept!


As an English student, I read a LOT in college. Some of the books were pretty tedious and others I just couldn't put down. So today I've decided to start a series about all of the books I've had to read for college. I love finding new books to read and would love to help someone else find their newest favorite novel! As an English Lit major, we were allowed to take a few electives. One of the electives I took was a Fantasy class and this was by far, one of my favorite classes. The teacher was so insightful, yet fun at the same time, and because the books were of a genre we were all invested in, the discussion was interesting and definitely got heated at times.  So without further ado...

The Reading List of an English Grad -- Fantasy edition: 

1. The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - If this list hasn't started off on a good note for you, I may have lost you already, hahah. I had always wanted to read the Lord of the Rings series, but for whatever reason, I had never gotten around to it. This book surpassed all of the hype I had heard about it. Tolkien was truly a genius writer and his books are just as magical as the characters he writes about. 10/10 would recommend! 

2. The Tolkien Reader by J.R.R. Tolkien - This book isn't a novel, but if you're obsessed with Tolkien and his novels, this book gives excellent insight into how he wrote and his thought process. 

3. Lirael by Garth Nix - This book is actually the second in a series called 'The Old Kingdom Trilogy'. I honestly had no idea what to expect when I first started reading this book and was a little confused when I found out we were reading the second book of the trilogy. After diving in, though, I had no problem catching on to all of the characters. This book may not have the same fame as some of the others on this list, but it definitely held its own in my book! (pun intended) I can't wait to get my hands on the first book of this series and finish what I started. 

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Does this book really need any explanation? With all of the hype around The Hunger Games these past few years, you would think everyone and their mother has read the series. I was so excited when I saw this on my syllabus. I would take any opportunity to read this book again and talk about it in an academic context-- or any context for that matter!

5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - Wow. What an amazing book. Unlike the other books on this list, this particular novel is a very quick read! Only about 200 pages. Don't be fooled, though. There's a LOT going on it in. This particular novel takes on the magical world and the read world side by side. This class focused, in general, on the unlikely hero in all of the novels-- mainly the children as heroes and the adults as causing the trouble. I lent my copy to my mother earlier this summer and she really liked it! It's one of the first books that comes to mind as a quick, easy and intriguing read.

6. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud - If you've been following along my summer goals (June, July, August), you've noticed a slight obsession I've had with Jonathan Stroud. Here is where it all started. Yes, this novel is for children, but it is SO good! Thematically and literarily interesting enough for a term paper or two! This novel takes a look at London in an alternate future where ghosts are not only prevalent but an epidemic. The only solution to this problem comes at the hands of children. Literally. The government hires children to eradicate the problem. In this novel, children are the powerful portion of society and the adults rely fully on them. A very, very interesting and exciting read. 

7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - Yes, I got to read this amazing novel for class. Yes, it was everything I remembered it to be. 

I can assure you not all of the classes were this exciting. Although I enjoyed all of my classes and the reading material that came along with them, I certainly had my fair share of Renaissance plays and 19th century British Literature. Fun fact, I was in a small group discussion during a British Literature class on a day around Christmas when a girl in my group set one of her papers on fire as a joke. I seriously thought I was going to get kicked out of class. Thankfully, we had seminar in the Cathedral of Learning and my teacher thought the smell of burning paper was due to the fireplaces they light around Christmas in the common area. Never a dull moment.


That's all for today! Be sure to subscribe if you have not already to keep up with everything Rachel Lynn. Also, help me reach my August Goal and follow me on Instagram! I love flowers and coffee and pretty dresses. It's a good time, I promise! Until next time,

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

Floral Print Zaful Dress

Happy Thursday! It's just about the end of the week, and I couldn't be more excited. I know it's only four days in, but I've already been hard at work with my August Goals. I only have four episodes left until the final episode of Gossip Girl and I'm both excited and sad for it to be over. I've been watching this show on and off for five years (yes, it's crazy it's taken me five years to finish this series). In other news, I was so ecstatic to receive this package in the mail and I'm here to tell you all about it. Today I'm bringing to you my latest collaboration with  Zaful. 

*Disclaimer: Zaful gifted me the dress and sunglasses in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 Shop the look: Dress / Sunglasses 

I am low-key obsessed with this company. If I could buy all of the pieces on their site, I would! They're all so chic and modern. This adorable, round collar, a-line dress immediately stood out to me and I knew I had to have it. The back has the perfect amount of cutouts, but the front is still conservative. I also have the worst time finding dresses in the right length for me. Most dresses, even if they're supposed to be short, fall way too long on me. This dress is perfect, though. I can't tell you how excited I was about this find. This dress would be great if you're attending any last minute weddings. And, guys... it's twirl-worthy. That's what I call the perfect dress!

While on their site, I also snagged up these two glasses. I've been dying to get my hands on a pair of statement sunglasses this summer and these are exactly what I was looking for. Their sharp, gold edges give a crisp look to any outfit and I just love how reflective they can be!

Shop the look: Black and Gold / Pink and Gold 

If you like what you saw, be sure to check them out and fall in love just as hard as I have!

Zaful:

Facebook

Pinterest

G+

Blog

Coupon Codes 

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

Afternoon Tea Time .04: August Goals

Hey all! I hope you are all having a lovely Tuesday. It's already been an exciting day over here. If you follow me on Twitter you saw that I just sent in my first paid blog post! I was contacted by Remington a few months ago to write two hair tutorial's for their blog and I just sent in the first one today. This is the first time I've really felt all of the hard work paying off and I can't wait to see where things go from here! It won't be posted to their page for a few weeks, but I will definitely let you know and link it when it does. I'm very proud of it.

Now to the subject of this post-- GOALS. wow. Have I ever mentioned how much I love writing 'goal' posts? These are my favorite to read and write. I get so much inspiration reading others' goals and then feel motivated to complete my own. This past month, however, I was swamped with work. I had a ton of bills due at the end of the month, so I put my personal self to the side and focused. As a result, I wasn't able to complete almost all of my goals. lolololz @ myself.



July Goals:

1. Read two books - I finished half of this goal and am working on another book at the moment. I finished The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud and am currently working on the second book in the trilogy, The Golem's Eye. I'm reading children's books and have zero shame.


2. Get in an exercise routine - I don't think I went out of my way to exercise once this month. Not even going to try to talk my way out of this one.


3. Learn how to cook one new dish - Did I even eat during July....?


4. Catch up on 'The Vampire Diaries' - Finally, a goal I started! I wasn't able to finish the latest season, but I've been obsessing over it. It's sooo good!! 10/10, would recommend.


5. Reach 1500 followers on IG - I'm getting there! I've been chillin around 1330 followers, so I'm pretty proud about this one.


6. Start writing my weekly blog posts the weekend before I want to upload them - lololz


7. Research/ learn more about SEO - lololz


8. Finish two Summer Bucket List items - This month I went to the Pittsburgh Zoo and the PPG Aquarium with my dad and little sister. One Saturday they made a surprise trip down to Pittsburgh and I joined them for a fun, relaxing afternoon. I also went thrifting with two of my friends, devoured some more Dave & Andy's and made my way to Waffles INCaffeinated for another delicious waffle experience!

August Goals:

1. Read two books 

2. Cook dinner more  - One of the things I noticed during July was my lack of cooking, in general. I was so busy with work, I went with the easiest form of food-- mainly soup or sandwiches. I was able to cook dinner with my boyfriend a few nights, but this is definitely something I want to get more into.

3. Learn how to cook one new meal 

4. Finish The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl - Along with obsessing over TVD, I've got my boyfriend hooked on Gossip Girl. He willingly watched 4 episodes yesterday and I felt like it was Christmas in July! I've never completed all of Gossip Girl, but I'm currently on the final season, so I think I can finish both of these shows. Fingers crossed!

5. Reach 1,500 followers on IG - This will be my goal every month until I can complete it.

6. Reach 500 followers on Twitter 

7. Reach 500 likes on Facebook 

8. Write blogposts ahead of time - This is something I really need to make routine. With work, I have less and less time to devote to blogging and the more I can get ahead of the game, the better!

9. Learn more about SEO and SumoMe - I have a list of blogging goals I write each week and cross off as I get them done. These two have been on that list for a while now and I really need to get them figured out, asap.

10. Finish 4 Summer Bucket List items - I only have one month left of summer and really need to get a move on this list! I've gotten a decent amount done, but there is so much left to do. Kayaking is a M.U.S.T.





What goals do you have for the month?

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat - rgolden75 / Bloglovin' 

Step by Step Guide: How I Edit My Instagram Pictures

Hey guys! Lately I've gotten a few questions from people asking how I edit my Instagram pictures. As a complete disclaimer, I'm relatively new to the whole 'theme' idea, but I'm certifiably obsessed with Instagram, so naturally I ran with the idea. When I first started, though, I looked to a thousand different sources to figure out what I was doing. The amount of YouTube videos on the matter is slightly embarrassing. I have compiled all of the knowledge I've learned on the matter and bring to you today the step by step process of how I edit my Instagram pictures.

SETTING
Without a doubt, where you take your pictures and the backgrounds you choose are crucial. I love white space in pictures. I think it gives a clean cut, more professional look to the pictures I take. For me, I gravitate to anything white--rugs, chairs, walls, ice cream, bedspread. Really anything. Once I have that clean base, I build from that. Color pops so much more when put up to a white surface. So whatever your theme and whatever you color scheme, find a setting/background that works with that. 




CAMERA+
Once the perfect picture is taken, then the real magic begins. Camera+ does cost money ($2.99 to be exact), but I've been using this app for the past year and no matter what my theme or style I've been trying to portray, this app has never failed.

           IN THE APP:
          1. 'The Lab'
          2. 'Clarity PRO'
          3. 'Intensity'-- I only bring the intensity up between 10 and 20. This is enough to make the edges pop, but isn't too overbearing.
          4. 'Brightness & Contrast'-- This can be found in 'The Lab', if you scroll to the right.
          5. 'Brightness' -- I bring the brightness up to varying degrees depending on the picture, but I love bright, light pictures, so I usually use a lot of brightness.




FACETUNE
After the picture is accurately intensified and brightened, I make my way over to Facetune. This is another purchased app. It runs at $3.99, but, again, this is such a lifesaver for me. Before the only way I could brighten pictures was through the 'brightness' button. While this worked in some cases, there were times I only wanted to brighten a section of the photo. I use this app to make my whites, whiter. I don't really use it to photoshop my face, although they do have really great features for that, also! For every day pictures the only feature I use is the 'Whiten' feature.





VSCO
This is every blogger/Youtuber's favorite editing app, and for good reason, too!

        IN THE APP:
      1.'HB1' -- My go-to filter, followed closely by 'HB2'. I always edit the strength depending on the picture.
      At this point, depending on the picture I may bring up the 'temperature', to give it a warmer look or bring down the 'saturation' if the picture has too much going on.






UNUM
I used to use VSCO to plan my pictures and how I wanted my page to flow, but after their recent update I had to look elsewhere. I found this beautiful app, that had the answer to all of my prayers! This free app links up the most recent pictures from you Instagram to help you get started. From there, you had add as many picture as you want in whatever order you want. Once added, you can hold down on the picture and rearrange things to see how the flow of your page would change. This app has been such a game changer for me. I always have at least four pictures ready to be posted to my IG and am able to switch the order around whenever I take a new picture. I am also able to see if the picture I just edited fits my theme, or if I need to tweak a few things before going live. This app is my planning savior! 100% recommend. 10/10

There you have it, my Step by Step Guide: How I Edit My Instagram Pictures! If this post has taught you anything, it's that I'm obsessed with IG and will go to great lengths to perfect a picture. Apart from my blog, though, IG is my only other creative outlet, so I love to keep things fun and dedicate time to it. If you have any apps or techniques that have been full proof for you I would love to hear about them in the comments below!  Thanks for reading and happy editing!

xoxo,

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Snapchat: rgolden75 / Bloglovin'

Afternoon Tea Time .03

Happy Fourth of July!! Today is always such an exciting day and I'm even more excited to be spending the 4th in Pittsburgh for the first time. I'm still getting used to the idea of not living with my family anymore and this holiday definitely makes that feel a lot more real. Since this is a new month I wanted to update you on last month's goals and revamp them for July!

1. Read two books - I completed this goal! I thought this would be a breeze, but with all of the interviews I've been prepping for and applications I've been sending out, this one has proved to be a bit of a challenge. This month I read The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
      Me Before You has been a very popular book lately. I have yet to see the movie because I wanted to finish the book before I saw the movie. I'm so glad I decided to do this. The book was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to watch the movie!
      The Hollow Boy, on the other hand, is less known. This is the final book in a children's horror trilogy, Lockwood and Co. It may be a children's series, but I actually had to read the first book in the series for a class I was taking in Undergrad. The book has a lot of interesting themes and is such an easy read. If you're in the mood to be scared, this is a series for you!


2. Exercise more - I honestly can't say I've been exercising more, it more or less has plateaued. The heat is still a huge deterrent for me and I haven't been going as much as I should. However, this past month I did have a huge burst of energy and ran 5 miles during one run, so I can't exactly say I'm slacking either.


3. Learn how to cook one new dish - I'm going to chalk this one up as a win. Although I didn't learn any fancy new recipe, I was able to make buffalo chicken dip for the first time. It was absolutely amazing and was such a win in my book. I'll definitely have to get more creative next month, though.


4. Drink more water - check!


5. Go for one walk a week - This was one of the simplest goals for the month, but it really helped with my mental health. At least once a week I've been able to take some time outside to just hangout. Summer in Pittsburgh is so lovely and these moments outside make it even better!


6. Finish Pretty Little Liars season 6 - Wow. Last season was so insane! I was not expecting any of the things that happened and this season is not letting me down, either! I'm so glad Ezra and Aria are back together. Aria is my spirit animal and Ezra is by far the hottest guy on the show. Power couple.


7. Spend more time with friends - I was so excited with how this goal panned out. June was filled with Bachelorette viewings, Hairspray watching and plenty of wine.


8. Reach 1500 followers on IG - I have unfortunately not been able to reach this goal. When I set out I had a little over 1,000 followers. Around 1030 and now I have over 1250! While I wasn't able to reach my goal of 1500 I think 200 followers in one month is pretty good!










I have no idea where June went or how it's already July! The time has flown by so quickly.

New month, new goals

1. Read two books - I'm keeping this goal the same as last month. I was debating on whether to up this goal to three books, but I have a feeling I'm going to be swamped with work, so I don't want to stretch myself out tooo thin.


2. Get in an exercise routine - Last month I made my exercising goal pretty vague. Creating a routine for my blog has really helped to keep me motivated and on track.  If I set up a routine, I know I'll be more likely to stick to it, instead of being sporadic with my workouts.


3. Learn how to cook one new dish - I kept this goal pretty simple last month, but I'm going to see how creative I can get this month!


4. Catch up on 'The Vampire Diaries' - Last month I caught up on PLL, but I'm equally obsessed with TVD. I know I have a lot of shows to keep track, but even if I just get it started I'll feel like I accomplished this goal. I was so sad Elena had to leave, but they ended her character in the best way possible.


5. Reach 1500 followers on IG - I'm so determined to make this number and I'm halfway to this goal already! One of the things I love about having this goal is the fact that I feel like I have a plan when it comes to my IG. My theme is perfected--I'm actually starting to feel like a real blogger now!


6. Start writing my weekly blog posts the weekend before I want to upload them - I've been reading a lot more about blogging and different tips and tricks to help you along the way. One of the tips that keep cropping up is writing your blogposts in advance. And not only in advance, but writing all of the posts for the following week at once. That way, when you go to upload them, there's not much you have to worry about the day of. I think this will really help me when I get super bogged down with work.


7. Research/ learn more about SEO - I still have no idea how to applies to my blog, but I keep hearing about it everywhere. I really need to get a good understanding of this and apply it to my blog/writing.


8. Finish two Summer Bucket List items - I can't believe the summer is halfway over! I still have so much I want to do with my time. I really want to get a cappuccino at a local coffee shop and go kayaking, but we'll see where July leads me!





I have a feeling July is going to fly by as quickly, if not more quickly than June, but hopefully I'll get all of my goals completed for the month. What are your goals for the month? I'd love to hear about them, so be sure to leave them in the comments below! That's all for now. I hope you all have a lovely Fourth of July! Until next time,

xoxo,