The four photo editing apps you need in your life! x

L O N D O N

We all have our photo editing apps, and I think we always wonder what everyone else uses, so I'm gonna share mine with you. I currently have four photo editing apps downloaded and ready for use, but I only really use two.  SO here are the four apps I use! x

N I C E

1| My absolute favourite is VSCO Cam, I use this all the time and find it so easy to use, plus it's free! I mainly use the filters C1, F2, G3 and M5, obviously depending on my photo and the look I'm going for. You can the change the intensity of the filter and make even more adjustments to things like the exposure and contrast. Or you can edit your pic from scratch and forgo using one of the pre made filters. 

2| The one I use second most is Looksee, this is also a free app, but you can buy filter packages made by various creators for like $1.49 or so. I love Lauryn Evart's (AKA The Skinny Confidential) filter package, it's really subtle and just adds a nice glow or shine to your photos. The free ones are pretty cool too and there is defiantly a good range of the free ones if you don't want to spend any money. 

3| Whitagram is a really handy app. It's great for resizing photos, giving them a border and all those neat little tricks. I don't really use this one often, I mainly go to it when a photo won't fit on insta, but it's useful to have, and it is also free (I like free apps). 

4| I'm sure you've never heard of this app, it's called Afterlight, only the hipsters know about it (lol). This one is usually 99c but apparently it is now free through the Apple Store App, you can then purchase additional packages. I don't really use Afterlight very much anymore. It used to be my go to app, but then I got VSCO Cam, but it's still really good, even if I only really use it as a backup these days. 

B R I G H T O N

Most of my photos are either taken with my little digital canon or my iPhone 5S, but I always edit my photos on my phone as it's easy and creates pretty images. 

What apps do you use? xx

F O R T | W I L L I A M 

How To Not Netflix Your Way Through The Holidays | Blogmas Day Nine

Speaking as someone who is currently finishing their second gap year (don't worry I'm starting uni next year!), I'm used to having a lot of free time. 

Many of you will be starting holidays soon, or already have and are wondering what you'll do to fill your time. 

I urge you to not fill it with netflix. It's addictive and often prevents creativity and stops you from being a motivated person. I know I have wasted many a hour on netflix and I always like myself better when I'm not watching tv all day.

Let's put it this way, after binge watching a tv series I never feel accomplish. I normally feel slightly guilty and weirdly tired. So here are some suggestions on how to avoid sitting and watching TV all day. 

Set an alarm

I know it's tempting to make your bed your best friend, but try not to sleep in to eleven. If your not a morning person I suggest setting your alarm for 8:30 or 9am.

Read

Reading is great for when you're feeling lazy. It is much more engaging than tv and you'll feel much more accomplished when you finish a book than when you finish a series. 

Make Social Plans 

Get out of the house! Make plans with your friends to go for a walk, go shopping or grab a coffee, just anything that is social and requires you to leave the house. I'm sure some of your friends will be looking for an excuse to get out as well! 

Start a creative project

This could be art, blogging, writing, craft or baking. It doesn't have to be a big project, just something to keep you occupied during the day. 

Exercise

I have a gym membership and I do use it, but I also like to go for walks. Be creative with how you exercise, mix it up and have fun. Take a class or go for a hike with some mates. Do something you will be motivated to achieve.

Set specific TV times

I like to try and make it so I can't watch tv until at least five O'clock or after dinner, depending on the day. This means that I only watch tv when I'm genuinely tired and have already had a productive day. I'm not time wasting and it's not stopping me from doing other things. 

Learn a new skill

Is there something you've wanted to learn how to do for a while but have been to busy to do so? Well now's your chance, go and do it! You won't regret it, I promise! 

Travel

You don't even need much money to travel around. If you can afford it, go to another county that has captured your heart. If your on a budget, road trip somewhere, I promise you there is somewhere nearby you haven't been to before. There are so many places in Tasmania only a couple of hours away that look amazing and yet I've never been to them. Explore the world, you don't have to go far to do it!

I suppose, when it comes down to it, there is just so many cooler more memorable things to do with your free time. There is a time and place for it, just try not to make it your whole day and you'll be happier for it.

The key is just to keep busy and enjoy yourself, use this time wisely and make memories.

 Tell me in the comments what you like to do to keep busy during the holidays. xx

Be Her Freedom | A stand against slavery

Last Saturday I attended a very special event and that was Launceston's very first Be Her Freedom Ball. You may be wondering 'what does that even mean to Be Her Freedom?' Well the Ball is a fundraising event run by the Be Her's organisation, which stands for the abolishment of sexual slavery. They work in partnership with the A21 Campaign, which is an organisation that stands for abolishing injustice in the 21st century, focusing on the eradication of the modern day slave trade. The Be Her Freedom Ball is held to raise funds for this organisation and to create awareness about the slave trade industry, because sadly many people are unaware that slavery still exists today.

Here are some facts for you x
➳ 27 million people are in bondage across the globe, to put that into perspective Australia has a population of about 23 million.

➳ Only 1-2% of the victims get rescued. That percentage may seem small, and it is, but we need to remember that these numbers and percentages aren't JUST numbers and percentages. They are a representation of individual lives and any and every rescue is to be celebrated.

➳ This statistic is really sad. The average age of human trafficking victims is 12 years old. Especially considering many of these victims are young girls who have been sold into sexual slavery.

I don't know about you but all of this is not okay with me. People should not be owned and the raping of girls, young or old, should not be a profitable business.

As I mentioned before, the ball I attended raises money for the the A21 campaign. This organisation is incredible. They help gather and provide information for the authorities to catch people involved in the slave trade and free the victims. They have a team of lawyers to persecute the perpetrators which ensures they actually end up in prison. A21 also helps with the restoration of the survivors, both physically and emotionally. They also provide education for the survivors so they are better equipped for independent lives.
One thing I love about these organisations is that they don't look at statistics. They look at each individual life and see every rescue, every restoration as a miracle. I believe this is a beautiful attitude to have when tackling an issue of such a daunting size.

I really encourage you to learn more about this issue. I feel like in the blogging world we don't really talk about things like sexual slavery, it's all about feminism and becoming vegan at the moment. Don't get me wrong I think feminism is an extremely important cause I just think we shouldn't focus on just one issue at a time.

If you want to learn more about the Be Her's Organisation head over here.
And if you want to check out the A21 Campaign you can click here.
The A21 Campaign website has some amazing testimonials on it that are definitely worth hearing.

Thank you so much for reading. Awareness is so important for prevention and I encourage you to talk to your friends about it. 

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 

Lots of Love,

Rach xx 

Monthly Reads | June x

We're halfway through the summer here in the UK and there's nothing better than sitting out in the sun reading a light book and sipping on elderflower presse. This month I only read three books but they were all great easy reads and perfect for summer. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 
3/5 Stars
This was my least favourite book of the month but don't let that deter you from reading it. It's super cute and easy to read. A perfect book for when you want to switch off and feel all warm and fuzzy. I love how the relationships progressed throughout the book and how the characters perspectives of other people were challenged throughout the story. I'm super excited to read the sequel P.S I Still Love You, hopefully I will read it before next months update post! 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart 
4/5 Stars
As a girl who spent her teenage years watching Gossip Girl, reading fictional stories about rich people who attend boarding school is a guilty pleasure of mine. I really enjoyed reading this one as it has the whole 'skull and bones' element to the story and it is told in such an honest way that you can't help but feel both love and disappointment for all the characters. In many ways this story is about why people make the decisions they do and why they act the way they do.

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver 
5/5 Stars 
Vanishing Girls has the compelling nature of Panic (also by Lauren Oliver) combined with the mystery of We Were Liars (by E. Lockhart) and I absolutely loved the combination. The writing was compelling and the story was so carefully constructed that when I finished I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and start again (I didn't). I loved the relationship between the sisters and how it went back and forth between the characters and in time. I really enjoyed the ominous feeling throughout the book and how the plot unfolded at the end. Definitely makes me want to re-read We Were Liars and Panic.

Tell me what you've been reading this month in the comments! xx

Monthly Reads x

Okay. So you know how I was gonna do a monthly update on the books i've been reading. No, you didn't? Well I forgot too apparently. Anyway I though I'd give you a little update on the books I read in May. 

As you can see from the pic above I read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Leviathan and Rachel Cohen and Firecracker by David Iserson.
While I enjoyed reading all these books, I can't say that I really loved any of them. 

Eleanor and Park was probably my favourite of the three, but that being said I found Eleanor's character quite annoying. Just open up girl! And that ending though. If you've read it you know what I'm talking about. 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, mainly because it wasn't really dares they had to do, more like a scavenger hunt. Nevertheless it was a cute story and I really liked Dash and Lily's characters and the way they interacted with each other.

Firecracker was quite interesting to read. I liked how it was different from the other two as it's main focus was on the character development of Astrid Krieger. But I was quite annoyed with how the blurb sold the book as a story about a girl who lives in a rocket ship and has to go to public school for the first time. The whole rocket ship was referred to like a whole three times. But I did really like the progress from where Astrid's story started to where it ended.

Of these three books I was more emotionally invested in the lives of Eleanor and Park than Dash, Lily and Astrid's lives, but they all tell good stories 

If you've read any of these books let me know what you thought.

Brighton ➳

After working seven days straight, two days at the beach was exactly what I needed. So on Tuesday morning my friend Shasara and I grabbed our bags and caught the bus to Brighton. Although the Brighton beach isn't the type that I'm used to (my beaches generally come with sand instead of pebbles), it was still relaxing listening to the waves, smelling the salt and just being surrounded by the beauty of the sea. 

I loved wandering through the Laines, walking along the promenade and going on rides at the Brighton Pier. There was something so exciting about being on the pinnacle of a roller coaster and all you can see is an endless expand of ocean below you. 

Brighton is a place that I already want to visit again. I didn't see very much of it as we kept to the waterfront area, but thats just all the more reason to come back. 

➳     ➳     ➳

Oxford ♡

 As you know I'm living in the Oxfordshire region at the moment and I just wanted to take a moment to share with you some pictures of this beautiful city. There is so much to love about this city because the city loves and cherishes so many things such as learning, history, street music, food and nature. Every time I enter the city it feels peaceful with people riding vintage bikes, strolling along the Thames or drinking tea in cafes. Even when it's busy there is a certain quietness about the city. I love being able to call this place my home, even if it is only for a little while.

➳

Cafe's and Cup-Cakeries

Central & Co
22 Great Marlborough St.

Granola, Fresh Berries, Honey, Greek Yogurt and Peach
&
Freshly Squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice

Hot Chocolate ♥

Watermelon, Pineapple and Pomegranate 

Crumbs & Doilies
1 Kingly Court, Carnaby

Cookies and Cream Cupcake 

Today I just wanted to share with you pictures of some of the amazing food I had while in London the other week. I didn't get to nearly as many cafe's as I would've liked, but there are two places I fell in love with and they are Central & Co and Crumbs & Doilies. Both are located in the Carnaby Street area and I already want to go back!

Monthly Books | Febuary

Ok, so a bit of a delayed reaction with this post. I totally didn't put two and two together when March came around. But anyway here is my update on the books I read this month and I thought that this month instead of just writing my rating of the book I would give you a bit of my opinion. Anyway, here are the books I read last month! x


1 | The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6) by Richelle Mead- 3.7/5 stars 

The Ruby Circle wasn't my favourite book in the Bloodlines, but don't let the cover dissuade you from reading it. I was a little but disappointed with it, not necessarily with the conclusion to the series, but how it got there. I think was a bit rushed. It needed more plot, more banter and just to slow down a little. I also found it difficult telling the difference between Sydney and Adrian and because of this I got a bit confused from time to time. I did however love the roles of all the secondary characters, particularly Rose, Dimitri and and Eddie. There were some pretty badass action scenes, and I really did love the epilogue. I think if it wasn't the last in the series I would've given it a 4.



2 | Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles, #2) by Melina Marchetta- 4.5/5 stars

This book. Oh my. I just can't. It's so good. There are just so many amazing characters and such interesting relationships. I still love Finnikin the most but I think I enjoyed this book more. Which really annoyed me because I didn't want to love it more than Finnikin of the Rock. Damn you Melina Marchetta! The plot was compelling and so heartbreaking at times. I loved the sub plots and Lucian and Phaedra are my favourite Lumaterian (you even a word bro?) couple, even though they aren't main characters I just loved their story so much. The Lunaterian world is very well developed and so brutally honest at times. I also really enjoyed watching how characters naturally developed and matured over the course of the book. It's just so amazing!


3 | Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles, #3) by Melina Marchetta- 5/5 stars

Quintana is bat shit cray and I love it! Melina Marchetta's characters are so believable because they are riddled with flaws and yet even when they are insane and annoying she somehow makes me love, sympathise and relate to them. The last book in the series was filled with twists and turns, heart stopping moments and I was honestly stressed at certain points in the book, like for real. I loved the conclusion to the book and Finn's role in the last scene (seriously, it's so good). So much happened in these books, but it was so well orchestrated that it never felt rushed and yet there was never a dull moment. Sorry for fangirling over these books, they're just so flipping good! 



4 | Half-Blood, Pure and Deity (Covenant Series, #1, 2 & 3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout- 3/5

I know I'm cheating putting these three books together. But there isn't much I want to say about them. They're kind of like a not so good rip off of Vampire Academy with a bit of Percy Jackson mythology. They begin with a similar plot to the Vampire Academy series and eventually it becomes its own story, but honestly its only an average series. It's something thats good for when you don't want to think too much and still be mildly entertained. The characters are interesting enough, but they're pretty cliched, as is the love triangle (oops spoiler, not really though it was pretty obvious). But it's fun to read, kinda like the fantasy book version of reality TV. It's also great if you're experiencing Vampire Academey/Bloodlines withdrawals. 



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Hope you check out some of these books/series if you haven't picked them up yet. Let me know what you recommend I read next in the comments.
Rachael xx