Thank You

There are not many people following this blog, which is totally my fault. Still, I wanted to use this space to say thank you to all the people who have recently subscribed to me on my youtube channels. I was in a rut for awhile and it can get disheartening even for the most enthusiastic creator. Things have turned around recently. I feel like I am connecting with more and more of you everyday. It is truly amazing the amount of talented passionate people that reside in these online communities. I'm outrageously close to 400 subscribers on my main channel and the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. Thank you for watching and reading my content. Thank you for being apart of this internet adventure with me. Those friends I have made online will stay with me long after youtube ceases to exist. You have all been my support system when life gets too real. There are no words to describe just how thankful I am for all of you. Let's continue on this adventure together. 

Love,
Natalie

First Beauty video! | July Favorites

Extra Thoughts

• "A whole new world..." Proud of myself for finally getting this channel rolling. 
• If you haven't yet please subscribe to this channel too. Support me in my new adventure.
• Lipstick is NYX in Avia 
• It's crazy to have a brand new channel. It's like holding a tiny baby in your hand and needing to watch it constantly. Fun times!

Separating Art from the Artist

Extra thoughts

• This topic can be touchy for some people but it needs to be discussed.
• Overall, make sure the people you go out of your way to support are worth your time. 
• Child molestors are not worth your time, just to clarify. 

Embarrassing July Wrap-Up and August TBR

Extra Thoughts

• Feel free to make fun of my expression in the thumbnail. I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE AGAIN. 
• I'm kinda bummed that I haven't been doing much reading this summer. I hope I can make up for lost time. 
• How do you feel about studio lighting? Does anyone have some recommendations? 

Book Outlet Haul and Unboxing!!

Extra Thoughts 

• If you have never shopped on Book Outlet before, don't. Your welcome. 
• No lipstick in this video, so much shame. 
• I'm extremely happy with this load of books and the diversity they add to my bookshelves. What books have you added to your shelves recently? 

The Longest Day of the Year | Vlog

Extra Thoughts 

• This was a difficult video to make because of how personal a struggle this is. 
• If anyone you know is suffering from Alzheimer's feel free to comment or email me. I'm not a caregiver, only a grandchild, but I can listen. 
• Editing wise this was the most complicated video I have ever created. I learned some new tricks for this that I hope to incorporate in other videos.  

Goodreads Tag

Extra Thoughts

• This is such an old tag but hopefully that doesn't matter to anyone watching?
• This might be my favorite/ most crap thumbnail I have ever made.
• If there are any other tags you would like for me to do please comment and let me know!  

June Wrap- Up!

Extra Thoughts 

• Have you joined my goodreads group for the Lord of the Rings buddy read? You should do that.
• How much David Levithan have you read? 
• Lipstick is by NXY and it's called Aria 

Youtube Culture | Audience Loyalty

Extra Thoughts 

• Unrelated but how awesome is natural lighting? The sound sucks but my hair shows up so well!
• This is me speaking specifically about young creator/ young audience relationships. Adult creators are a different discussion entirely. 
• I didn't talk about parents in this video but ultimately that's what it comes down to. Parents need to monitor their child online especially if they are content creators.

Let's talk about Booktube for a second...

Extra Thoughts

• Props to Jason for having an intelligent conversation about this topic and asking us all to join in.
• To be clear I love Booktube and still call myself a book tuber. I just wanted to talk about how and why I've struggled creatively with the term. 
• Remember that nobody has permission to box you in, not even yourself. You do you. 

Clockwork Princess Discussion!!!

Extra Thoughts 

• Wow I can't believe this series is over!! What will I do without a daily dose of Jem?!
• Lipstick is by Kat Von D in Sermon (I think) It's a mini tube a the writing is too small for this glasses wearing nerd. 
• Who was your favorite character of the series? I really love Tessa but Charlotte is amazing. I will miss her.  

School Advice | This is for the Graduates

Extra Thoughts

• Basically be yourself and do what makes you happy.
• Do you enjoy going to graduation ceremonies or are they simply tedious to you? I enjoy them!
• Lipstick is by Revlon in Sassy Mauve (it's kind of my favorite)

April & May Wrap Up

Extra Thoughts

• Lipstick: Kat Von D Foiled Love in Sermance
• I usually remember to take down the family pictures before I film. If anyone was wondering those are my paternal grandparents. The other is a baby picture of my mom. 
• I still can't get over my copy of Bleak House missing a chunk of pages! What kind of printing error is that?!
• Any other Oscar Wilde fangirls out there? 

Book Thoughts: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Extra Thoughts

• Lipstick is by Revlon - Sassy Mauve
• My purple hair keeps fading within a week. Does anyone have advice to make it last longer?
• My dog (Romeo) kept interrupting me to bark at birds through the window. So rude Romeo!

Book Thoughts: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

I was in the middle of a few fantasy novels when I picked up this book. It had been sitting in my kindle for a while now and I decided I needed a break from magic. Well, I failed myself there because damned if this book isn't magic. This is my very first taste of David Levithan's writing style and wow was I not disappointed. He had been recommended by more than one trusted reviewer and now I wish I hadn't waited so long to dive in. 

The book follows a few characters and at first it was a tad difficult to keep track. After a couple chapters though everyone had such different stories it became easy to differentiate. In addition, there is the narration by the "greek chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS" which again takes some getting used to. Aside from the initial style shock, this book was filled with wonderful and I flew through it. David Levithan has the ability to make you feel all the feelings with the beautiful language in this book. 

Highly recommended if your looking to add more LGBTQ representation to your shelves. I will say that as a straight woman there were plenty of moments where I felt the I am not the target audience vibes but in many ways that adds to the appeal. I don't seek out only books that are about people exactly like me (goodness know I would never read were that the case) and neither should anyone. 

Let me know if you've read this book or have it on your wish list in the comments!

Book Thoughts: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Extra thoughts

•  I wonder if Cassie has a favorite character from her books? Does anyone know?
• Will I ever be able to keep the glare out of my glasses? Nope. I'm hopeless.
• Shoutout to all the Dr. Seuss books in the background! I am an adult.