If you've been following this blog since it first started last year, you have had the chance to get to know a bit about me and my life growing up. My childhood was chaotic and I experienced a great deal of stress; stress that no child should have to go through. As I've had the chance to grow up, heal, and mature, I've learned how to make a place of my own in a chaotic world. If you're just like me looking for your place, I want to reassure you that there is one.

    I wish I could say that finding your place in a world full of constant upheaval is easy, but the truth is that you should prepare yourself for a lot of resistance - a lot. In life, there are so many distractions that just when you think you're on the right path, at some point you realize you're going the wrong way. Either you're working a job you said you'd never work at, your mental or physical health take a turn, or you completely push aside your goals to meet the needs of others. This has happened to be and I'm sure it has happened to you as well.  

    Even with all of these twist and turns though, you can still turn your life around and make it more personalize; more finely tuned to meet your needs when it feels like the world keeps pushing you around. How you may ask? By dedicating yourself to yourself so you can discover your goals and passions. It's as simple as that, but requires thinking outside of the box. So in todays post, I want to help you sift through all the chaos so that you can have a life that fits your needs and helps you get closer to yourself. 

1) STOP WATCHING THE NEWS

    As a child, I remember seeing my dad watch the news and he'd get all fired up. Because of his reactions, I associated the news with being bad and never cared for it when I became older. To this day I still avoid the news. Since I am a firm believer of The Law of Attraction, I know how important it is to be mindful of where my attention goes and the energy that goes with it. 

    It takes only an hour or two of watching the news to realize how low energy the information on the news is. If you watch it long enough, you'll see how your mood is then effected. The information is often so depressing that it can lead anyone into thinking that the world is a cruel place which will make anyone feel hopeless and uninspired. Do yourself a favor and give up watching the news and see how much more time you have to focus on yourself and you're mental well-being. 

2) DEFINE YOUR DISTRACTIONS

    Watching the news isn't the only distraction worth letting go of. There are other distractions out there and one may just be near you at this very moment; your phone. With technology being so advance now, we now have portable little computers that we can take with us wherever we go which offers convenience at it's finest. At it's worst though, it can suck up your time if you aren't careful. 

    Social media is great because it allows us to connect with others around the world. Unfortunately, majority of us who use social media do not have a healthy relationship with it and become either obsessed with it or allow it to consume our free time. The next time you have time for yourself, turn your phone off so you can focus better on your goals. There are many kinds of distractions that prevent us from working at our best - and you must be honest enough to define them - so adjust according to your own routine. 

3) DEFINE YOUR PASSIONS

    Once the distractions are out the window and you've "mastered" the art of discipline, it's time to find your passions. As I written in my post about following your passions, finding your passions may require work and digging into your own self, but it will be the best reward that you will ever get out of life. You see, you're not just finding your passions or a hobby that allows you to express yourself and makes you happy. No. You're connecting to yourself and building a place for you in this world. 

    The moment you discover what you enjoy doing the most in your free time, nothing else in the world matters - not even the pesky distractions! Why? A satisfied heart stops looking outside of itself when it reunites with it's missing half; your passions. So whether it takes you a few days, months, or even years - finding and sticking to your passions will help you build a world that you can call your own. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome. 

"A satisfied heart stops looking outside of itself when it reunites with it's missing half; your passions." - Sarah Lucas

4) CONSISTENCY IS KEY

    After you discover what fuels your heart, time stops and you realize how much more interesting life has becomes. But, the work doesn't stop there; in fact, it's just beginning. The more time you invest in your passions, the more it will grow obviously, but I've seen it happen many times where people stop along the way because they only see their passions as a hobby. Why not make it a career or a business even?

    Growing our passions is bound to reward us at some point so it's important to keep at it. Along the way you'll discover new ideas and opportunities that may just be life changing for you. By focusing on your craft and then growing it until it rewards you in return, is exactly what life is about. You can't get these kind of rewards by living a life in other's shadow or by watching TV or by obsessing over social media. You just cant. 

5) CONNECT WITH OTHERS

    With a growing passion and a new love for life, I highly recommend connecting with others who enjoy the same passions as you do. Whether it's in your community or hosting local events around your passions, or online even, connecting with people is a great way to remind you of why you love what you do.

    This method is far better than social media as it puts you out into the world and reminds you of what life really has to offer you if you only invest in yourself. Yes, social media is great for marketing and if you can use it solely for that purpose - great - because that's exactly what I do. 

    It's through this intimate connection with people that solidifies your place in this world and your passions is simply the cherry on top.  So for as long as you're committed your passions, you will forever have an inner peace that follows you wherever you go and no global chaos can take that away. 

6) STAY CURIOUS

    Last but not least, one passion alone shouldn't take up all of your focus. Explore what the world has to offer you and definitely explore your talents. A curious person who is willing to try it all just for the sake of trying is one who is interested in learning more about themselves. I myself have many interests and passions. I love art but I also love vlogging and blogging. Someday I hope to even take singing lessons and learn an instrument or two.

    When you follow where your curiosity takes you, you're basically being a kid again who isn't afraid of falling after climbing a tree. You know that saying about how curiosity killed the cat - throw that out the window. Human beings have thrived off of adventure and being curious has lead to many great inventions today. So stay curious, keep learning, and remember...keep those distractions at bay!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

    Since this blog is my personal diary online and a way for me to gain perspective on my journey in life, I wanted to add a more intimate section here where I could share my deepest thoughts and feelings. A diary entry if you will, that will give me a chance to be myself and connect with others. If there is one thing I am afraid of doing, it's letting my guard down and opening up about my deepest feelings. So here goes...

    Lately I have been feeling lost. For someone who has a vision and passion, being able to bring it to fruition in real life seems like a never ending roller coaster ride; somedays are great and I feel like I am so close and then there are days that make me question if any of this is worth it. I know life comes with uncertainties and it's part of the journey, but it can be so draining to me that I feel like giving up. 

    The month started off optimistically because a few brands reached out to me wanting to collaborate with me and it made me feel on top of the world. I have never gotten three collaboration requests at the same time so of course I was excited. I exchanged information with all of them and then after weeks went by, there was no response from any of them. Zip. Nada. Zero.

    I was confused and thought maybe my emails didn't go through, but nope, they did. Even after reaching out to all of them with a follow up email, they didn't respond back and it was a such a disappointment. I mean, they could still very well respond back, but it's so confusing that they wouldn't respond when they were the ones that approached me. As a creator who relies on collaborations - yes, it was a huge disappointment.

    I guess that is where my whole mood for the month went down hill and a huge emotional wave hit me. I stayed in bed a lot crying, I had no motivation to make any art, and I didn't even care to get ready for the day or do my makeup even. I know it may sound silly to some to be upset about a few collaborations falling through, but collaborations are a source of income for me and it is part of my job as a content creator. 

    With my feelings all over the place, I found myself looking at myself in one of my videos and I was so disappointed. For anyone who follows me, you know how hard it has been to maintain my weight and keep it off. To see myself again at a low point made it hard to even look at myself, so I finally came to a drastic decision. I was going to water fast for 30 days and finally claim myself all over again.

    I think when we reach low points in our life, they help us grow and teach us a bit more about our strength and courage. Facing the reality that I had gained weight and needed to do something about it was hard to swallow - but I knew I needed to take action. I know I could simply eat healthy without such an extreme action to lose weight - but I felt like my body needed a reset and fasting was the perfect way to achieve this.

    So I did some research and watched YouTube videos online of others who have completed their 30 day water fasts and I was inspired. I am always up for a good challenge and decided to give it my all and take a leap of faith. While writing this, I am officially on day 6 of my fast and I have lost almost 8 pounds - what!

    Yes it has been so exhausting and doing simple daily tasks feels like the world is leaning on me, but it's getting easier. On the other hand, it drives me so crazy to cook delicious meals for Dimitar just to know that I can't enjoy them with him. *sad face* Either way, I know the pain is temporary and food will always be there. On a positive note though, my body is enjoying a nice boost of love and that is what I am most looking forward to. Caring for myself because my body deserves the best.

    So, sure the month started out great just for it to go down hill, but I know I am a tough cookie who always makes something out of nothing. When the world gives you lemons, you make lemonade and that's exactly what I decided to do. Even if I may not get those lovely collaborations that really left me excited, I ended up doing something even better; claiming myself and embracing my health like never before. 

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah    

    Over the years, I have tried numerous dieting methods. Since I have always struggled with my weight - losing weight and keeping it off - I have always felt like a prisoner of my own body. Have you ever felt like this? There are times where it's extremely discouraging, especially when I think about how many years I've felt like this - basically my whole life. There are plenty of times where I wonder, is this how I am going to be for the rest of my life?

          * This post may contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. See disclosure for more details.

    Before I dive into what this post is about, I want to give you an idea of what I've tried exactly when it comes to my diet. The first time I lost weight, I ate oatmeal for a whole month. I fell into a depression and I couldn't get myself to eat anything because I was so tired of the food at home; constant sweets and junk food. So I ate only oatmeal and lost over 30 lbs. I looked great, but still felt empty inside.

Me at 98 lbs.

Me at 120 lbs.

    After watching that documentary, I decided to go on a 30 day Juice detox. Basically, I would replace all of my meals with raw juice and boy was it hard! The first two weeks, I felt miserable. My cravings were high, my emotions were all over the place, and I constantly felt like giving up. Dimitar was there for me though and he really helped me get through those tough times. 

    After a month of juice detoxing, I felt like I was on a high cloud and I had so much energy - my skin also looked amazing! The best part about feeling so great though was how much weight I had lost; about 25 pounds. While I wish I could say that my life changed after that, I still had the bad eating habits attached to me mentally and I ended up gaining the weight back. 

Me at 125 lbs.

Me at 113 lbs.

    2020 was a very hard year though because that was the year my mom passed away. It took a toll on me and to make matters harder, I was living with my boyfriends family at the time and we weren't getting along - so I did everything I could to isolate myself and with that came bad eating habits. I knew I was sabotaging myself, but I felt the need to protect myself from negative people and it resulted in me spending a lot of time alone and eating horribly. As you guessed it, I gained weight. 

    This leads me to the point I am at now. I've grown tired of my relationship with food and realize that when life gets hard, I often turn to food for comfort.  To break these patterns, I want to start over - completely. 

Me at 137 lbs.

    I first learned about water fasting a few years ago but I was too scared to ever try it. Now that I am at the point where I am so fed up with my bad habits, I'm ready to face my fears and become someone better. I have always put mental health at the top of my priorities list, but I have always neglected my physical health as a result which is so backwards. Both should be balanced and look after for complete well-being. 

    Three days ago, I started my 30 day water fast and it has been physically and mentally challenging; but I've already lost 3 lbs. I refuse to be a prisoner to food and my own false beliefs. I'm ready to become a new person starting now. Some may look down on fasting and think it's starving yourself but there are plenty of articles from who support fasting as a way to restart the body on a cellular level. Many religions also practicing fasting for it's spiritual gains and detoxing benefits too. 

    For me, I am doing it to change my relationship with food, to challenge myself so that I can for once appreciate having food in a first world country, and also do it so I can learn to love myself all over again through such an awakening process. I have always told myself that if you live your life believing you need something outside of yourself, you are just a modern day prisoner. I've realized that my own beliefs have kept me a prisoner and it's time I start over and live my life more authentically. 

    Over the next few weeks, I will be vlogging my fasting journey and I will upload my results onto my once my fast is over. I wont mention my fast on my YouTube channel for now just because I know how negative some viewers can be - so I will just provide small updates on my blog and upload regular vlogs onto my channel. Wish me luck!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

    Over the years, I have gravitated towards crystals and stones. I first discovered them at a Metaphysical store on my search for more Self-Help books and I was immediately impressed by the unique inventory. The store had everything from new age books, stones, jewelry, cards, and even offered sessions like Reiki or Tarot card readings. One area I had the most interest in though were the stones and crystals; I've been doing my best not to go crazy with buying too many, which has been slightly successful. 

    Since I recently went to a metaphysical store called "Sticks & Stones," I thought it would be nice to share my own crystal and stone collection. If you have a collection of your own, I would love to hear which stones are your favorite.

Amazonite

    I used to have Amazonite a long time ago. It was a small stone that was so easy to misplace that I ended up giving it to my mother to have. The first time I was impressed with this stone, I placed it on my chest and could feel my energy lift. It was the weirdest experience ever!

    Amazonite is one of my favorite stones. It's beautiful teal color really resonates with me since I have a love for water. Amazonite is a stone that encourages one to speak their truth. It helps you embrace who you are and helps you live a more authentic life. It's also great for balancing out masculine and feminine energies. Since I personally have always struggled with speaking my truth, I keep this stone with me at all times. 

Carnelian

2. Carnelian

    Another pretty stone - Carnelian is great for anyone in need of a little courage to get through their day. It's bold orange color is often associated with fire signs like Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius. This stone pushes one to be bold and fearless when obtaining their goals and even helps you discover your goals if searching. It's also great for giving you a boost of energy, making you feel more alive and youthful. 

    I like to use Carnelian when I am doing anything creative as I find that it helps my ideas flow a lot better. If I am ever feeling stuck in life or unsure, I keep Carnelian close by to help give me the encouragement I need. 

Citrine

    Often considered The Happy Stone or the Sun Stone, this stone is perfect for uplifting your spirit and keeping your space positive. This stone is great for aligning with your goals, attracting more abundance into your life, and helps you live your life to the fullest. Personally, this is a stone I lean towards a lot since I am a Leo, and the Sun is my ruling planet. 

    It's also said that Citrine has the power to hold onto the Sun's energy really well so I often keep this stone on my window sill in case I need a boost of energy. If I am ever feeling down, this is my to-go-to stone!

Black Obsidian

    Black Obsidian is a great protection stone. I bought this stone when I was going through a rough time and I needed to protect myself from others negative energy. If you find yourself in need of protection or in need of clarity even, this stone is wonderful to have. I like to personally carry it with me if I'm having an "off" day because it reminds me of my own inner strength. 

Pyrite

5. Pyrite

    Also known as "Fools Gold," this stone looks similar to actual gold! It's great for helping you manifest your goals, increases your assertiveness, and even boosts your confidence. This stone is considered one of the top manifesting stones one can have in their collection so it's definitely worth having!

    Whenever I do my affirmations, I always like to keep Pyrite near me for it's extra boost in luck and prosperity. 

Clear Quartz

6. Clear Quartz
    

    Everyone should have Clear Quartz! Known as the Mother Earth crystal, this crystal is said to amplify other stones around it. It's great for grounding your energy and helps you find clarity during times of stress. Clear Quartz gives you the focus you need to obtain your goals and even restores balance where needed in your life. 

    I always keep my other stones around this stone in case I need a stone's benefits amplified. Not only that, but when the sun hits this crystal just right, I really enjoy the rainbow rays that emit from it!

My lucky rock

    Meet my lucky rock. I found it on a walk through Old Town, two years ago. This was before Dimitar and I moved here of course and I like to believe that this stone helped me move to Old Town. While I don't know it's benefits, I really do enjoy it's egg shape and smoothness. I often find myself holding it to appreciate it's rough texture and reminds me of the importance of spending time in nature. 

~

    Do you have a Crystal or Stone collection? Which one are your favorites? Also, I made a vlog of my recent trip to the metaphysical store, which can watch below!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

       I am greatly influenced by water. Yes, I am a Leo, so by default I should enjoy basking in the sun - which I do - but when it comes to water, I really just  want to explore it's depths and the sea life that comes with it. Lately I have been wanting to practice creating more backgrounds in my art and I realized that it would be great practice to work on water elements. I have done a few pieces on water before - which took me so long to complete - but it was the start of me really exploring my skills as an Artist.

My first water illustration

       When I developed a love for Great White Sharks, that's when I started to really appreciate water. I realized how powerful, yet misunderstood sharks were and I wanted to have a piece of that appreciation in my art. So I spent days drawing my first Great White Shark with a girl swimming right beside it. I wanted to capture a peaceful moment of two misunderstood species side by side and the final results really lifted my spirits. It was my first time drawing anything with water elements in it, so it was also great practice for me too.

    I was so inspired by this piece, that I wanted to draw more - this time a mermaid. I drew with no intentions on sharing my art, which really helped me relax and tune out my inner critic. Since I also love rainbows, I decided to add a touch of rainbow to this piece. My skills still weren't that great, but it was still satisfying to finish it and see my imagination improve. If there is one thing I knew I needed to work on, it was building backgrounds, lighting, and exploring my own imagination. 

Mermaid & fish

    Since I want to work on backgrounds, I knew I needed to focus on details. I spent time sketching out a background and at first, I was fairly impatient. It was hard to focus on so many things because I was worried about what it was going to be like to color in everything. With time though, I developed an easier way to have both details and color in my art that worked out beautifully!

Mermaid w/ Jellyfish

    I also realized the importance of playing with layers too. For anyone who has worked on Photoshop or any other drawing program like Procreate - you know the importance of layers. Since I first started digital art in 2018, I didn't take it seriously until just a few years ago. I've learned so many tips along the way that have really helped my skills improve as an Artist and it really shows in my art too. The more I learn, the better I am able to share a piece of my own imagination with the world.

    Since I've also started doing mostly vlogs on YouTube, it can be hard to make time for art. I used to stay up late just to work on my art but I haven't been doing that lately. As I get more into my art though, I find myself staying up super late - until 2am in the morning - just to finish an art piece! I used to become so stressed out seeing different artists finding their style because I wanted that to be me so I would constantly practice just to see my skills improve. I had no idea how to discover my own style though until I realized I just needed to put together some of my favorite things so that I could create amazing art. For starters, they are water, colors, and people. 

    I love everything with water in it and drawing sea life especially is so dreamy to me. I also love adding tons of colors to my art, something I used to be afraid of doing because I had no idea how to even use colors. Finally, I love drawing people. Ever since I could draw, drawing people and faces have always fascinated me and to this day, I still enjoy drawing original characters that my imagination comes up with. It's amazing. 

A sketch of one of my digital illustrations

    As time goes on, I hope my art will tell a story of not only how my art has evolved over the past decade, but also how I have evolved as a person. It really is a liberating experience and I am so grateful to be able to share that with people around the world. I hope that through my art, and my story, that more people will be encouraged to work on their passions and excel at it.

Finished!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

     Ever since I started using liquid eyeliner back in 2014, my life has never been the same. I wasn't really allowed to use makeup or even play with it when I was a little girl, so when I became a teen, I had little interest in it. I'd probably use an eyeliner pencil on my lower eye lid - but that was about it. When I became a young adult, that's when I started to put makeup on and it felt great. I finally felt like a normal girl with a healthy interest in doing girly things; something I had always felt I had missed out on. 

             * This post may contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. See disclosure for more details.

    This post isn't really about makeup in general, but it is about my new eyeliner that I love. I can tell right away when an eyeliner is good or not. Starting from the shape of the bottle and how long the handle is, if the bottle has a bead inside of it which is used to prevent clumping, the formula, and even how flexible the brush tip is. Since I started to use liquid eyeliner, I've learned that one product isn't equal to another, so you really have to look out for the best one. 

    When it comes to my perfect eyeliner, I need a few things to be on point; it needs to be cruelty free, waterproof, free of harmful chemicals, have a fine tip brush, and a great formula that doesn't clump up. It's a lot to ask for, but fortunately makeup companies have realized that their consumers DO want eco-friendly products that will make them look and feel great. One of those companies just so happens to be Elf.

Elf Liquid Eyeliner

    When I got home, I immediately tested out my new goodies which were all cruelty free! First, I love the look and feel of the Elf Liquid eyeliner bottle. It has a tall handle that really lets you get a good grip when you need fierce results. I have small hands - but the tall handle was everything I needed that my to-go-to eyeliner didn't have. I should also mention that I bought the Jet Black color because I personally love a bold look.

Elf Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black

     Before I use any liquid eyeliner, I always give it a good shake; after all, you really have no idea how long the product has been sitting on the shelf for. I gave mine a good shake but I heard no bead inside. I'm not going to lie, it did bother me. That's like buying nail polish with no bead inside of it when EVERYONE knows how clumpy nail polish get with age. I tried not to let it bother me though. The Elf Liquid Eyeliner also states on the packaging that it is long-lasting, not waterproof, so I really needed to see for myself how good this eyeliner was.

    Once opened, I saw how fine the brush applicator was; a major plus for me. I bought an eyeliner before this one (because my to-go-to eyeliner wasn't in stock...) and I mistakenly got a marker tip. I hated it. It was clumpy, the tip wasn't fine enough, and it was so hard on my eyelid that it actually tugged on my skin. That eyeliner didn't last long for me before it ended up in the trash. 

Fine-tip applicator

       I did a full face of makeup before using the Elf Liquid Eyeliner. When it was time to put on the eyeliner, I was pleasantly surprised! The long applicator glided across my eyelid effortlessly and helped me create a flawless winged look. The formula was silky with a great consistency too - but it took some time to dry. I loved that I didn't have to double apply either like some products require. While the packaging didn't mention anything about having a matte or glossy finish, I found the product to have a hint of shine to it, which still looked nice. 

Beautiful winged look

    Am I impressed? You bet I am! I'd buy this product again in a heart beat. Even when paired with the Elf Eye Primer, it stayed on all day and didn't smear - so the long lasting claim is true to it's word. Of course, if any activity with water is involved, you may need a different product because once this product comes in contact with water, it does smear. When it comes to cleaning, all it takes is some water and soap for this eyeliner to wash off before diving into your skin care routine. 

     Also, I've been using this product for over a month now and there is no clumping so far despite not having a bead inside! What a relief!

    

    So, the next time you're in need of an affordable liquid eyeliner that has great coverage and a great formula to go with it - give the Elf Liquid Eyeliner a try. You really won't be disappointed! I'm super excited to try more of their products and if you try their products or use theirs regularly, let me know what your thought's are!

   

Elf Liquid Eyeliner

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah