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?

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    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 well known doctors 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 YouTube channel 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  

    Well hello! Spring is almost here on the East Coast and it's a beautiful warm day today - except, that tomorrow it's going back to being cold! Boo... Lately I have been busy uploading videos for YouTube, writing blog posts, and relaxing in my free time; I haven't vlogged much either which led me to completely forgetting about to uploading a Daily Life post here - so I'm doing just that. 

    For starters, I have been dog sitting Bella, who you all have met before. I was worried she wouldn't remember me but she perked up when she saw me! I only watched her for a few days this time and it was nice spending time with her. Normally when I'm watching her, I spend time drawing on my tablet since she sleeps a lot - she's older after all.

    I was also suppose to do cat sitting again but the owner's plans fell through so I'm not sure when we'll be seeing another kitty here again.

Bella

     Dimitar had plans to surprise me with a couples retreat and it was the most romantic trip ever! It was only for a day of course but it was the best surprise trip that he has ever planned for us and it really started the month off beautifully. Even though we've been together for over eight years now, spending good quality time with each other really reminded us of why we loved each other - which is so important in all relationships!

A Romantic Trip

    I also made my first Soufflé pancake! It took two tries of course but it was well worth it. Would I make them over regular pancakes - maybe but maybe not; it's time consuming...I do have to say that making Soufflé pancakes is easy if you have patience but even if they don't come out fluffy, they make some tasty pancakes in general. Since there aren't many oriental cafes where I live, I figured making my own Soufflé pancakes would salsify my cravings and they sure did! 

Soufflé Pancakes

Korean Spa Trip

"Marnie" From When Marnie Was There

Original Character

    I also have been wanting to upload some new content for YouTube by making videos I haven't made before like my video on Influencer Collaborations and one on my favorite K-Drama shows. It was fun making these videos and I really want to make more of them.  At the same time, I'm also learning how to properly edit videos like these ones because I have mostly uploaded vlogs and art videos in the past. It shouldn't take too long though and it's definitely worth learning. 

    Also, I seriously need to get a new camera...I actually had a dream the other night that Ryland - Shane Dawson's fiancé - gave me a new camera. It was so funny but sad at the same time when I woke up to it being just a dream...

Recording Influencer Collaboration 101

    Dimitar and I managed to go to the mall and do some good old fashion window shopping at Tysons Corner mall. It was weird though because there were a few stores that kicked me out for recording which was a bummer. The ones that did let me record though was a new car display store called Lucid - the new electric car on the block! It felt like Deja-vu all over again for Dimitar and I because  we can still remember the first time Tesla came out in the mall and both of us were so amazed by it! 

    There was also a cute store called De Niat Fleur that specialized in dried roses that look fabulous! I have always seen the fake roses shaped like bears or in the round boxes, but it was a first for the well preserved roses. You never have to water them and they age so perfectly! I will definitely keep this store in mind for future gifts because they do custom orders!

Lucid Store at Tysons Corner

De Niat Fleur

    And that completes this little Daily Life post. I hope you all enjoyed it with me and I will be working on a vlog soon to go with this post, so stay tuned! 

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah