Where Have I Been?

Hello... it's me.  Sorry, I couldn't resist the Adele reference.  It has certainly been a long time since I've posted on this little corner of the Internet.  I thought I would give a little explanation as to why I've been gone and what I've been doing since December.

First off, nothing bad has happened.  In fact, I've had a great start to 2016!  I'm officially used to having a retail job.  I really enjoy working with my coworkers and helping customers that come in.  Leaving my previous job in August was completely necessary because of school and I definitely do not regret my decision.  But, I have to admit, I missed having money coming in my wallet instead of just going out.  

At the beginning of January, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish this year.  Some are very specific, such as finishing my research project and reading certain books.  Others are a lot more open-ended.  One that I have been working on a lot the past few weeks is learning to sew.  One thing I'm sure most of you do not know about me is that I cosplay.  I have several cosplays that I have worked on and finished, but none of them I have made entirely myself.  Most of the time I would thrift for things I needed and edit them once I got home.  With the help of my wonderfully patient friend Lauren, I have made the dress that Sybil Reisz wears in the game Transistor.  I'm so happy with the way it turned out and I can't wait to debut this cosplay at a future convention!

Finally, I wasn't sure where I wanted to take this blog.  I found that I was being pulled in several different directions because there were (and still are) so many things I want to do.  I have been exploring SFX techniques and avant-garde makeup.  My day-to-day choices are becoming bold and distinct.  I want to share what I've learned, but felt hesitant since I don't see that very often in the blogging world.  Over this next year, I will try and put that hesitation behind me.  The whole reason I started this blog was to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for the beauty industry.  I will continue to do that through a variety of posts.  There will be conventional makeup tutorials and reviews sprinkled with the weird and the (sometimes) ugly.  

So, thank you, dear readers for being here.  Let's enjoy and learn this next year together.

Until next time,

Rachel

Stress-Free Holiday Shopping

As much as I love the holidays, there are times where it can get incredibly stressful.  I recently got a job in retail and was having a discussion with one of the customers about how she was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people she had to buy for.  We talked about how you want to show the important people in your life how much they mean to you by buying them a gift you know they will appreciate and love.  Sometimes, that's not so easy.  There's the friend who has everything, the father who wants nothing, and the cousin who is disinterested.  I have run into all of these problems before, and they all present their own challenges.  Here are my tips for minimizing stress while shopping for presents!

Giving Thanks

I know most of us are in the full swing of Christmas season, but I want to take it back a bit before I jump on the bandwagon.

This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in the US.  I had all of these grand photo ideas to go with blog posts, instagram, and twitter.  Gordon and I were on pie duty and I wanted to photograph our success and/or struggle with the recipe.  I also wanted to write a nice post for Thanksgiving Day talking about all the people in my life I appreciate.  As you can see, I did none of that. 

I’ve seen a few bloggers talk about “switching off.”  Sometimes we get so caught up in our online life that it’s hard to be present in real life.  I think it’s so important to take some time to be with those you love and do the things you love without feeling the need to document every second.  Now, don’t get me wrong, making a permanent record of certain memories is very valuable.  It’ll be fantastic to look back on those photos or blog posts when you’re older and remember details that may have been otherwise lost.  There are times, however, where our full attention is needed.  We can’t spend 20 minutes setting up a shot or picking the perfect filter.  Take moments as they come, the good and the bad, and fully experience them.

I will cherish the moments I had this weekend with Gordon and my family.  The conversations, the meals, and all of the love that was felt was incredible.  Even the boring moments where I was doing work and Gordon was keeping me company were amazing.

So, I challenge all of you lovely people to look up from your screens and log out of your social media accounts.  There’s a big world out there for the taking.

Until next time!

Rachel

Whistle While You Work

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This weekend was rather dull for me.  I have an exam (tonight, actually!) and spent most of the weekend studying.  With finals season about to hit, it seems that all of my professors are piling on exams and last minute assignments before we completely give ourselves over to studying day and night.  

Coming up with a proper method for studying has taken me a long time to figure out.  At times, it was an extremely frustrating process.  Why was I not retaining information that my classmates effortlessly did?  What was I doing wrong?  My grades would suffer because I did not have a method that worked for me.  So, this post is for anyone out there who is in this situation and needs a little guidance.  I have been in your shoes and I hope my advice helps!

Environment

Where I study or do homework is the biggest factor for me.  Do you like having background noise like music or a television show?  Do you like being comfy on the couch or at a desk?  Are you too distracted at home and need to go out?  Take the time to figure out what works best for you.  Personally, I like a relatively quiet setting.  I'm usually at my dining room table with soft music on in the background.  I love going on Songza and listening to the Classical for Studying Plasylist (how fitting!).  Also, for anyone who has Spotify, Erik Satie is a wonderful pianist with simple and calming melodies.  These are great options for those of us who need some background noise, but don't want anything too distracting.

Method

This was the hardest thing for me to figure out.  Do you need to take an active role in studying (retaking notes) or a passive role (rereading your notes)?  I found that an active role works best for me.  I need to take two sets of notes; one during lectures and the other from the textbook.  I will then compare the two and see if anything from the book was not covered in lecture.  Then, I'll combine my sets and rewrite them.  That may seem tedious, but rewriting my notes really solidifies everything for me.  If you're not too keen on that, writing important terms on flashcards is another great method.  Study groups are also a great way to review information.  Asking each other for clarification on a tough topic or "quizzing" each other is a great way to get a deeper understanding of the material.

Take a Break!

If you find that you're falling asleep on top of your notes or have read the same line 5438345 times, it's time to relax.  Take a few minutes to catch up on blogs, text your friends so they know you're alive, or get a snack to help you recharge.  You need to be diligent about your breaks, however.  If you only need 15 minutes, do not get distracted and turn that into an hour.  That has happened to me more times than I care to admit.  If I take a break for too long, it's so hard for me to get back in the swing of things.  No matter how long your break is, do not feel guilty about it.  Not everyone can study for three hours with no break.  We're not machines, after all!

I hope these tips make studying a little more bearable!  Work hard, take a deep breath, and go in with a positive attitude.  You will rock. :]

What are your study tips?  Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Rachel

Mini Vacation

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Philadelphia to see the amazing BANKS perform.  Not only was it an amazing concert, but the entire weekend was absolutely lovely.  It was a much needed mini vacation after a long week of work and academic responsibilities.

There is something special about walking around an unfamiliar place.  Philly reminded me of a smaller New York City.  It's lively, with lots of unique shops, bars, and great hang out spots, but it's not as intense as NYC.  Everyone moves at a more relaxed pace, which was just what I needed.  We spent a fair amount of time walking around Rittenhouse Square and exploring the alleys that branched off of it.  Everyone we spoke to was so friendly that we were almost taken aback by it.  I guess that's why they call it the City of Brotherly Love, eh?

I would absolutely love to go back and explore it even more (and take more pictures!) since we only had 1.5 days there.

Have you ever been to Philadelphia?  Are there any places you've been wanting to travel to?

We'll chat soon!
-Rachel

PS- How adorable is that coffee shop name in the first picture?!