It's been a while since I last posted... So today I'm talking about the novel I recently started reading. After reading FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell, I was excited to read yet another one written by her , so here I am.

Blurb:
"Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try."

Today was an amazing day. We found this really nice place to hike in Lebanon, Aley , "Aley Park".
 The views were really beautiful, pine trees and wild plants were everywhere. This place symbolizes the Lebanese nature.
 Climbing up the mountain was not only a chance to exercise and be active, but also a chance to relax, take in fresh air and enjoy the beautiful  piece of art called nature. Plus a chance to spend time with my amazing friends who always manage to make every moment memorable.

I Came across this beautiful thorn-like wild plant.

 Our final destination was this cute little house.

When we finished we passed by a villa with an amazing garden.

(Ghinwa Jb)

I'm excited to be reading another book by John Green. I hadn't read that much to make a decision whether to like it or not (though I always end up liking his books). But so far I have a feeling that it is similar to Paper Towns book.

Looking for Alaska

By John Green

"Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps."

How nice is this wooden swing?

Btw: This is not real henna, I actually drew this myself using a sharpie.


(Ghinwa)

How can the same thing looks more beautiful the more you look at it?

 This view is one of the inspiration to my photography. Whenever I look from my house at sunset, the sky surprises me with a beautiful masterpiece, an art that will grab your attention whatever you are doing. Tomorrow and after it, I'm sure that this view will continue being beautiful, even much more.

(All photos taken by me)
(By Ghinwa Jaber)

Why does everyone tells us to read more books? What is wrong with people and why are they so obsessed? 
 Well the answer is simple! Those people want the best for us! And yes reading can and will be very good for everyone. Whether you are a reader or not, it's good to know some scientifically proven benefits of reading a real book.
 So in order to show you why, I've collected some facts from here and there through the Internet.

✶Health and Mental Benefits:
1. Mental Stimulation: Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia.Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, either you use it or lose it.
2.Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills: The ability to put critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details provided and sorting them out will make your analytical thinking skills better!
3.Improved Focuss and Concentration: In our Internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day.However,when you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing. Reading for 15-20 minutes will help you stay much more focused during work or study.
4.Memory Improvement: When you read a book, you have to remember many details, every new memory you create forges new synapses (brain pathways)and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods.

✶Psychological Benefits:
1.Stress Reduction:A well-written novel can distract you , keep you less stressed and relaxed by being a distraction .
2. Tranquility and Peace:In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a good book, it’s possible that the subject you read about can bring about immense inner peace and tranquility.
3. Good mood: Reading a good book will manage to make you feel better. It can fill free time and entertain as well.  If you are a reader you will know what it is like to buy new books you've been wanting to read. Books and reading can be something you will look forward to do.

4.Reading can encourage life goals: Reading about someone who overcame obstacles may motivate you to meet your own goals. It can teaches us life lesson by showing us what happens to the characters in the story.

✶Academical Benefits:

1.Knowledge: When you read, you acquire new information with or without noticing. This shall come in handy someday. Moreover you expand your views and perspectives by taking in new facts and information.

2.Vocabulary Expansion: In addition to knowing new things, reading will introduce you to many new words that will be added to your brain.

3.Better Writing Skills: This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing and this leaves you with better writing skills.

credits: lifehack.org /rd.com (edited)

"Fangirl by Rainbow  Rowell"


Blurb:
"Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?"

Kindle Edition, 445 pages

Published September 10th 2013 by St. Martin's Press

We all experience those days when we are feeling down and dull. And all we want to do is be happy again. Well that is very simple in a matter of fact , because it is scientifically possible, easy and fast. We just need to know what to do and how to think.


1.Do any kind of sport you like. When you are active, your body secretes hormones like serotonin and dopamine.. that can make you feel better, so you will be less stressed .


2.Write down 3 things you appreciate or feeling happy about (you can do it mentally as well).As you see digging through your life to find what you love and appreciate can also let you remember all the happy moments you've had. And that shall set you in the right mood.


3.Think and plan something you like to do in the future, like for example arrange a trip with your friends, or plan on doing something new and adventures, something you've never done before. This will get you excited about the future.


4.Look back at old photos of you, your family, your grandparents, take a pic of them and send them to your relatives. People are usually happy to look back at old photographs and realize how mush they changed and developed. So above being happy, you are making others happy too.


5.Watch comedy shows (ex: Mr. Bean, Friends...) OK so this will take more than a few minutes, but definitely worth the time. Because ,I don't know about you but this definitely makes me better. Though I wouldn't recommend drama or sad movies, as that's not what we're going for.


6.Listen to music, sing along, dance. If you prefer privacy, do it in your room, close the door and be free.

7.Take a nap. I think that this is a "Refresh" button. Some even refer to it as a mini-vacation. Taking naps can help boost your energy. And when you wake you feel fresh and ready to do things. But some says that it will make you fell worse. Well that depends on you.

8.Play a game. Not video games, just traditional games with people or you can even arrange a football or any match with your neighbors or friends.

9.Buy something you've been wanting to buy. You don't have to spend a ton of money. This may brighten you up a little.

10. Do something for someone special, you can DIY, buy or just simply do something for them. As this simple nice act will bounce back at you. You will be surprised how you'll feel when you make someone smile.










(By Ghinwa Jaber)

"Jasmine know two things: one, she loves her vulnerable sister unconditionally, and will fight to the death to protect her from anyone who upsets her. Two, she's only ever been good at one thing – her job helping business start-ups.

So when she’s sacked and put on gardening leave, Jasmine realises that she has nothing else to fill her life. Insomnia keeps her staring out of her bedroom window, and she finds herself watching the antics of her neighbour, shock jock Matt, with more than a casual eye. Matt is also taking a forced leave of absence from work, after one of his controversial chat shows went too far…

Jasmine has every reason to dislike Matt, and the feeling appears to be mutual. But not everything is as it seems, and soon Jasmine and Matt are forced to think again…"
Published October 9th 2014 by Harper Collins

Wedding season is here! And the pressure of not knowing what to wear is on. But I think that the key lies in knowing what suits your body and makes you comfortable.
Also people sometimes go crazy in dressing up for weddings, which doesn't turn out to be nice in most cases. Simplicity in dressing shows more sophistication.

If your dress is a little bold then you might want to simplify jewelry and shoes. And if your dress is simple you can make it more dressy by bold and statement accessories.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                           
My dress have my two favorite colors: Black and baby pink. My clutch is black prada and my golden crown is from forever21.
One last advice: Never wear uncomfortable heels because you will regret it when you choose style over comfort (personal experience :p).


(By Ghinwa Jaber)

If you are looking for books to read in the summer or at any time, then you are in the right place. As when it comes to choosing books, it can get tricky and confusing.That's why I figured I would make a list with my friends about our favorite books and tell you why we love them and recommend them.

The Fault In Our Stars(By John Green)

Romance/Young-Adult Fiction

" I love it because it is real, it's full of events from real life, not same cheesy story where the hero gets the heroine in the end. Also since I kept crying while reading it.

PS: Don't watch the movie before you read the book."

➘Click Here to know more about some of John Green books.

The Alchemist(By Paulo Coelho)

Fiction/Psychology

The book talks about a young shepherd that tries to follow the path to get to his treasure, and he finally does. The treasure seems to be so close. On his way, he changes jobs, meets people and most importantly the alchemist.

" I like it because it is full of wisdom, and it makes you believe that each one of us has a purpose to achieve in his life, his personal legend, and the choice whether to accomplish it or not. It is simple yet complicated."

If You Could See Me Now (By Cecelia Ahern)

Romance/Fiction

I'm fond of this book. It is a fantasy story about imaginary friends as we have as kids. But this time, it's a grown up woman who is having this imaginary friend whom she falls in love with. Ivan, the imaginary guy, causes a major transformation in the lady's life.

"I love this book because it's so fun to read. Plus,it teaches you that you are alive only when you embrace life fully.For the key of happiness lies beneath your comfort zone, and you can only find it by plunging into life with passion."

*PS:This is my favorite book as well*

➘ Click Here to know more about this book by Cecelia Ahern and her other novels.

A Brief History of Time (By Stephen Hawking)

Popular Science

"I love science and this book quenches my thirst for knowledge, it talks about many aspects of physics and makes me want to dive deep into every single one of them. The book talks about the universe, our view of it, its birth, and its destiny. It explains theories like relativity and the theories on quantum mechanics in simple terms. It also discusses blackholes and wormholes, a subject that the author, a physicist and cosmologist and who's one of the most important living geniuses, has contributed to a lot."

In 27 Days (By Honorintherain)

Romance/Drama/Young-adult

Hadley Jayson doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate Archer Morales has committed suicide. She didn't knew him that well. But that doesn't stop her from feeling that she could have done something to help him.

 To Hadley's surprise, on the very first night of Archer's funeral, she had a run with Death itself and was offered the chance to go back in time and stop Archer from ending his life. She only has 27 days to do it. But what if she doesn't succeed? Well she doesn't want to think about that.

  "Very interesting and addictive."

Are You afraid of The Dark (By Sidney Sheldon)

Mystery/Thriller

Two women who met by accident have husbands that died mysteriously. They start investigating their deaths to find out that those who killed their husbands are after them as well.

"A nice story."

Johnny Angel (By Danielle Steel)

Tragedy/Fiction

"With a word or a smile, seventeen-year-old Johnny Peterson could light up a room, fill his mother’s heart with pride, and inspire the best in those around him. A star athlete and class valedictorian, tall, lanky Johnny had a future filled with promise--until he stepped into a car on prom night, dazzling in his rented tux, and in an instant, it was all taken away....

An unforgettable story of loving and letting go, of mixed blessings and second chances, Johnny Angel is a celebration of life, hope, and forgiveness. It will make you laugh and cry…and hold your loved ones just a little bit closer."

From the Hardcover edition.

" I love it because it is strange."

(By Ghinwa Jaber and her friends :) )

 

So I recently discovered this awesome way to create loose-everyday curls. I cant believe I didn't try it before! It is so easy, takes 5-10 minutes max. and appropriate to all hair types even the hardest to style. 

   

You Need :Straightener

Steps: - Take big section of hair, twist it around itself.

           - Go over the twisted hair strand with the straightener and hold for a few seconds on each part.

           - Do this to all of your hair.

           - Loosen the curls using your fingers.

Tip: Add hairspray or sea salt spray for more texture and longer lasting curls.

(By Ghinwa Jaber)

Today morning I arrived at work and then suddenly decided to draw something, as it's been awhile since I drew anything. So I thought I will get some inspiration from (girly_m).

I used a pencil and an A4 paper for this sketch.

(By Ghinwa Jaber)

We all experience those days when our rooms are so messy, we can't find any item. It can really get frustrating especially if we don't have time to organize it. But now summer is here and most of us get more time on hand. Organizing is typical and everyone knows how to do it,but i'm going to show you some cool DIYs for storage and decoration that I have been seeing everywhere online.

1.Labeled Storage Bins:

(You need: Bins/labels)

Storage bins are a very nice way to store random stuff, you can also use patterned ones to store perfume, shampoo, body products... As well you may label them for easier access.

2. The heart shaped photo collage:
(You need: 41 same size photos/duck tape)

For the same size as in the picture, you need 41 photos, you can go online and print out whatever inspires you, Then you start from sticking the photos on the wall from the bottom(easier) and continue to form a shape of a heart .

3.The weekly planner:

(You need:7 clothespins/ 7 pieces of paper/ pen /string)

Start by marking each clothespin by a day name and then use it to hang the paper that holds your to do list and important appointments to the sting. Hang it on the wall.

4.The Cables/Chargers separator:

(You need:Toilet rolls/decorative washing tape)

Decorate your toilet rolls with washing tap, then wrap your chargers and cables and place them inside the rolls. This will prevent them from tangling and will organize your drawers and storage places.

5.The Mugs:

(You need:flowers/Mugs)

Mugs can be used for decoration.

Also they can be used as a storage.

6.The Wire Bins Shelves:

(You need:wire bins/ hammer/ nails)

This is a perfect way to recycle. You need to place the bins on the wall and then organize your stuff in it.

7.Colorful Calendar:

(You need:Paint color samples/sharpie/glue/scissors)

Choose 7 different colors and their degrees and then cut them and number them according to a month.

Glue them on a cardboard and you have a calendar.

(By Ghinwa Jaber)