I was feeling artsy the other day and had a drive to draw something...fall related, of course. I haven't drawn in awhile and usually drawing is what I do to clear my head and ground myself when life feels too chaotic. Since I haven't done much of that lately though, todays post is dedicated to being creative. Even if you aren't artsy like I am, see what you can do anyways. If you are a creative bug, take this as a sign to continue being creative.

Now, I just want to give a heads up that from here on out until next year, please expect seasonal posts. I'm a pretty festive person and holidays tend to bring out the best in me; hopefully they do for you too. Since September is the start of the "ember," months, it's only fitting that I will begin to do more seasonal posts like todays; drawing pumpkins on Procreate.

Drawing pumpkins are pretty easy which is why I thought todays post would be great for everyone to try. Even though I am using Procreate, you don't have to use it and can instead draw on paper or the computer even; whichever works for you. The goal I hope to achieve is to inspire you to be creative and if I can do that, then I have succeeded - very nice.

Pumpkin w/ witch hat sketch on Procreate

To get started, I first sketched out my idea in Procreate. It takes a few rough drafts of sketches before I have one that is worthy of inking over. I wasn't sure if my idea would work out but the more I added to my stack of pumpkins, the more I began to like what I saw. I really wanted to add in a broom stick somewhere on the side, but I felt like the vines around the pumpkins were enough, so I didn't.

Inked over plus color template for pumpkins

After everything was sketched over and inked, I gave the background a beige/orange color. I thought it would compliment the pumpkins and it really did in the end! Afterwards, I had the idea to make the three pumpkins in the color of candy corn; white, orange, and yellow. The idea worked perfectly because candy corns are usually shaped like little triangles and the stacked pumpkins created a triangle as well.

All base colors on

With the base colors on, it's now time for my favorite part; adding in the shadows and highlights. This part really makes the entire illustration come to life and while it can take some extra time, it's worth it. When it comes to shadows, I use the darkest color on my illustration and lighten it's opacity. If the color only works for some parts on the illustration, I just take the darkest color of that object and use it instead. This will keep everything looking uniformed and well balanced.

Adding shadows and highlights

For shadows, I use the airbrushing tool on hard which gives me clean shadow lines. For the highlights, I like to use a textured brush which helps the pumpkin look more put together. I find that combining both solid and textured brushes can make even the most basic illustration look advanced and it's worth experimenting if you're an artist looking to improve your artwork.

Finished

This illustration was spontaneous but so fun and relaxing to draw! It's perfect for beginner's to add to their drawing adventures as the seasons change and one I will definitely do more of. The total time for this illustration took about two hours to complete but with recording, it took about three and a half hours. When you're having fun though, time is never a concern, but a luxury.

Watch the complete video below of me drawing these pumpkins to follow along yourself!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

September is here and I can already feel the difference in the weather! Last night, I even slept with the windows open because it felt so amazing outside. To some, Fall doesn't start until October hits, but to me, Fall is all year round; the holiday spirit in my heart simply cannot be contained by dates or time. So, to embrace the changing of the seasons, I wanted to create my own festive wallpaper for my desktop so that everyday I can channel the Fall vibes within me.

I have made my own wallpapers before out of my own artwork, but this will be the first time I actually put together a Fall themed one using Pinterest as inspiration. Pinterest is excellent for an activity like this because of how well organized it is and I found that simply using Google alone just didn't give me the results that I wanted. So word of advice, use Pinterest!

I also used Photoshop for this activity just because it allows me to layer all of the photos and edit each one individually if I need to. Even if you're photoshop skills aren't the best-like mine-I only use a few tools within it to help me make this collage; no crazy cropping required! In addition to Photoshop, I use Canva to help add in some small special effects just to make the final results pop a bit more.

The first thing you'll want to do is create a folder on your desktop; this is where you'll put all of your saved Pinterest photos. Searching for photos is the actual fun part as each photo will lift your spirits the more invested you are. You can have as many photos as you like, but try to aim for anywhere around twenty. There were some photos that I thought I would like that I ended up deleting, so it's better to have more than less.

Starting a new project in Photoshop

Once inside Photoshop, start a new project and set the canvas size to the size of your desktop. If you don't know how to find this information out, using this tool will help you. Once you have your size set, increase the resolution to at least 300 for better quality. From there, I do two things before actually importing the photos.

I wanted a border around my wallpaper so that I could easily see my desktop icons so I first added a marble wallpaper to my canvas. After that, I used the marquee tool to create a small rectangle in the center of the canvas where I then use the paint bucket tool to color that space in with white - this is where our photos will go.

Setting up the layout of the canvas

Creating a white space for photos to be placed

We now have two layers available and from there we will now add all of our photos. I didn't really know how to do this at first so I simply just dragged and dropped each photo into the center of the canvas. I did discover later on though that you could simply select multiple photos at once and add them in that way, but at least now I know.

Once your photos are imported, in the layer section, hide all of them except for the first one; we will work on each photo individually to make sure they look their best. If you have a lot of photos, this process will take the longest, but with good music playing and nice photos to play around with, it should be enjoyable; it was for me at least!

Arranging photos one by one

With each photo, I check for several things; does the photo need any editing, does it need to be cropped, and where does it fit better as far as colors go. Some photos were darker than others so rearranging the photos around helped me achieve the best layout possible. Finding the right balance of colors will make your wallpaper completely personalized to fit your taste which is why this little activity is so fun.

When you're finished, you should have a collage that is glowing with autumn vibes. I had so much fun creating this wallpaper that I even decided to make another one just to show you all how easy it really is to make. Of course, I didn't find myself to enjoy the second one as much as I loved the first one, but I may just edit it some more to spice it up a bit.

1st Wallpaper

2nd Wallpaper

Now, the last thing to do is to make sure if looks great on your desktop. You shouldn't have to make any changes unless the border you made isn't wide enough for your desktop icons; if that's the case, just go back to your photoshop file and make your white space smaller, adjusting the photos along with it.

I hope my fall enthusiasts enjoy this small diy as it's a great daily reminder that our favorite time of the year is literally around the corner. Also, if you want the full experience, you can watch my YouTube video below to get a complete idea of the steps.

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

We all have bad days where we feel off and nothing is going right, but have you ever felt like there was just a cloud hanging over your head all the time and no matter how often you tried to move, it would only follow you? Yeah, I know that feeling too well. The hardest part is knowing that you may even try your hardest to stay optimistic above it all, but nothing seems to give you a break or a breather. It's just blow after blow.

If someone were to ask me right now, "Hey, what's the theme of your life?" I'd most definitely would say - letting go. Most challenges in my life were either too painful to give energy to, or I just felt a space in me surrender automatically to an unknown force because a part of me knew I needed to. I can say whole heartedly that it has felt like my whole life has been in a constant motion of tests and I'm not going to lie...it's so exhausting, but this is the Universe's sneaky way of testing you because you're so close to a break through.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to write todays post but I think it's an important one and one I think many will be able to relate to. Whether you have a few bad days here and there, or your life is like mine and there is just a theme of constant challenges, I have found that changing the way we look at these challenges can really help us grow. Here are some ways the Universe may test you and how you can adjust so that you get the most benefits from them.

1. SUDDEN CHANGES

The first sign that the Universe is testing you is when you're suddenly faced with many changes all at once. Looking back on the past, you may notice that there are patterns of struggles that stick out to you the most that change your original plans. When you think about all of the struggles you have gone through, try to remember how helpless you had felt then. How in that moment, you thought the pain or struggle was going to last forever, but yet here you are today.

When sudden changes appear in your life out of nowhere they can really throw you off. Whether you lose your job, get an unexpected injury, or you find yourself suddenly in debt, are all common ways the Universe tests us. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to see the good of these sudden changes because they will most likely inconvenience us in some way, but they're given to us for a reason.

Humans grow through challenges and the Universe only gives you what it believes you are capable of handling. Let that soak in for a bit. When we're challenged enough, it tests our beliefs, goals, faith in ourselves or those around us, and it pushes us out of our comfort zone. When your plans are suddenly thrown off, it forces you to adjust to change and helps you learn the importance of staying open minded because the Universe has something even better to offer you.

2. FEELING OFF OR LOST

Emotions are connected to our intuition and our nervous system but many of us lose ourselves too easily to our emotions and let them control us. When the Universe wants you to take a step back and rethink a situation or change your desired path, it will often throw heavy emotions onto you so that you reflect more deeply. Do you really want what you want? Will it really make you happy? Are you happy right now? Can you do better? Are these beliefs serving you well or against you?

Feeling off or lost is all part of the Universe trying to get your attention. You see, when you're in the comfort zone of doing the day to day grind and everything is going well, it's easy to overlook the shadows within us that need healing. To get your attention, the Universe will bring to light issues or desires that need to be dealt with so that you can finally align with your highest self. It will be uncomfortable and possibly even lonely, but it is the path of true self discovery.

These deep and often painful feelings tend to be the ones that shake us up the most. They test our strength to be mentally, spiritually, and even physically there for ourselves during even the toughest moments of our life and they will persist the longer we avoid them. If you have been struggling to be there for yourself, the Universe wants you to take a step back so you can hear the voice within you.

3. SLOW PROGRESS

Have you been working on a goal for so long and invested so much time into it but you still haven't seen any return? Do you feel conflicted to either keep moving forward with your goals or to give up altogether on them? Often when you're close to making a big change in your life, the Universe will lead you to question how badly you really want your desires and if they're worth going after. When you look towards well known public figures who experienced hardship like J.K Rowling before she made it big with her Harry Potter books, she was rejected 12 times before finally hitting the jack pot - all because she believed in what she had to offer.

For anyone with ambitious dreams or goals, we would all love for them to manifest before us with a snap of a finger but unfortunately, it takes more time than that. Our goals need our patience, love and respect, which often comes to us as another test from the Universe. If we stand by our goals even when they seem small and unobtainable, or when others around us don't believe in them, it gives us fulfillment that will one day give back to us tenfold.

The Universe aims to show us the importance of being patient with the creator within us. During this time you will either discover that your dreams are either worth the risk or that you need to move onto something better. Either way, great things take time to achieve so learning to enjoy the journey rather than the destination itself - as cliché as it sounds - is vital to your success.

4. CHANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships are the missing piece to us that either fits or needs to be replaced. When the Universe recognizes that your relationships are not serving you well, it will challenge them through either arguments, tension, distance, or even ending them altogether. Some relationships - whether intimate or not - thrive through such challenges, but most do not. When the Universe wants you to realize your true potential to only see that certain relationships in your life are holding you back, it will force you to let them go.

Any relationship ending can be hard to adjust to, but we should trust that it's to helps us find ourselves and to make room for better relationships. They will not only sync better with your developing energy, but you will also be much happier. You may even just find that after some time goes by that those old relationships were in fact not healthy for you at all, but it took clarity to realize this.

As we grow, so do our deepest desires and beliefs and with that comes the growth of new relationships. Many of us hold onto old relationships that no longer empower us but we keep them close out of guilt or excuses we tell ourselves. By accepting that you deserve better relationships in your life and that they are a reflection of you, is telling the Universe and yourself that you deserve better and are willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

5. LETTING GO

Change can often be so difficult and traumatizing that often at times we have no choice but to let go. Let go of your attachments to either people, places, or things, even memories or habits that no longer make you happy. Letting go can release us from old baggage and remind you that you cannot control everything and cannot hold onto everything. Nothing is permanent in this life. When changes are so abrupt and make you feel unstable, trusting that letting go will bring you more peace in the end can be a liberating experience.

When the force of change is so strong that you feel crippled by it, the Universe wants you to trust that you are being looked after and that you have to go with the flow - no matter where it takes you. The Universe is guiding you and all you have to do is trust. By being put into situations that leave you unsure of what's on the other side, you will develop a level of faith that is necessary to become wiser and stronger.

Life may throw you a curve ball and you lose your job but instead of dwelling on it, you let it go and move on to the next best thing. This is called going with the flow; to just be and let be. Moments like these remind us that life cannot be fully planned and encourages us to be more in the moment with ourselves. When the Universe want's to speed up your progress so much to the point that you feel like you're falling behind, trust that you're going in the right direction and all will work out in your favor.

6. JUDGEMENT FROM OTHERS

If people around you have become overly critical or question your reasons or goals, the Universe is trying to help you better understand what your beliefs and desires are, through others. As difficult and even disappointing as it may be to be on the receiving end of criticism or judgement, it's often the road block that must be turned into another road for us to keep moving forward. Judgement of any kind from people around you shows that whatever passion or desire you're aiming for is significant enough. Just like a video game, the closer you get to beating the final boss, it gets harder and harder until you finally win.

Unless your actions truly justify such judgement, use these responses from those around you as a stepping stone; a compass that will show you what you need to work on to better yourself. If life was designed to be easy, life would be dull and fruitless, and our purpose here on earth would be very questionable. If others become overly critical of you or your goals, take this as reassurance to keep looking ahead and focusing on you. Often at times, the Universe will also give you distractions in many forms - even through people that simple pass us by - so it's worth being able to shift your energy so that you stay grounded.

The next time you feel like the Universe is testing you, take a moment or two to reflect on everything you're feeling or manifesting into your life. If you can, even meditate and go for a long walk so that the answers come to you much easier. The tough times will pass as they always have for you, you just have to trust and keep pushing forward. As overwhelming these tests or challenges may be, it's always for our highest good and they're a great sign that you are making progress in your soul's life journey. Strength can be found within all of us but it can only truly shine when it is challenged.

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

August so far has been a busy month for me. As I push to upload more videos throughout the week for my YouTube channel, as well as maintaining my side business, staying organized is so important! It's also so crazy to think that we're almost at the end of August and then we're literally in the fall months! Not really, but we're getting there.

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

* This post is not sponsored.

As usual, every month on my channel I really try my hardest to create a favorites video. I find so many awesome things throughout the month, it only makes sense to! While todays favorites list is smaller than most, it's packed within really cool items that have literally either inspired me or have made me feel so good!

Also, I say this often in my YouTube videos, but I only recommend products that I have tried and love! So if you find affiliate links here on my Blog or my YouTube channel , it's just another way I can share awesome products with you all without costing you anything extra.

SunBum Scalp & Hair Mist

The first favorite of the month is this Scalp & Hair Mist by SunBum. I have mentioned their products before in my June Favorites post and I really enjoyed their Heat Protector spray but unfortunately when I went to the airport, I had to throw it out because it was too big. So, once I was in Miami, I found this spray (my boyfriend actually found it) and used it on my scalp to protect my roots from the intense sun.

I wasn't sure if you could spray it all over your hair so I just kept it on my scalp instead. It smelled really nice and gave me the reassurance that my hair wasn't getting fried. I noticed my hair had more shine on the days I used it versus days I didn't use it. I do still plane on getting the SunBum Heat Protector spray just because I really, really, loved it!

Garnier Fructis Moroccan Sleek Oil

In addition to the scalp mist, I bought an oil by Garner Fructis that would offer my dry hair tons of moisture and protein after spending hours in the sun. After all, Florida is known as being the sunny state, and I really didn't want to damage my hair any more than it already was! I really enjoyed this oil and a little bit goes a very long way! I used a dime size amount on my shoulder length hair and found my whole head smooth and silky during my messy blow outs.

You can also put this oil on while you're conditioning your hair and it's a great way to give your hair a deep conditioning treatment if you need one. If you happen to live in an area where it's extremely hot or very humid, I would highly recommend getting this product!

Bracenet Bracelet

For my birthday, Dimitar gave me very thoughtful gifts and since he knows I love making a difference in the environment, he gift me a bracelet by Bracenet. Bracenet is a company on a mission to save the seas and they use recycled fishing nets and make bracelets out of them. Each bracelet comes from somewhere unique and you also get a certificate with each bracelet with information on it. I absolutely love the idea of these bracelets and it's feels so great to contribute to cleaner, better seas.

Treecelet Bracelet

Another bracelet Dimitar gifted me was a bracelet by Treecelet, a company that plants 3 trees with every purchase of a bracelet - how cool! I'm ashamed to say that I have never planted a tree before, but having this bracelet is an everyday reminder of how I've contributed to a better world. Each bracelet comes from different areas where your tree's will be planted and you even get a certificate as proof!

Dog Movie

I found this movie on the plane while flying to Miami. I personally love animal movies and the movie Dog really hit an emotional spot within me. There were parts that were super funny, but also parts that really made you aware of how heroic people and dogs can truly be, in addition to the trauma they both experience. I teared up watching this movie and highly recommend giving it a watch for it's heartfelt message!

Minari

Another movie I watched on the plane was a movie called Minari. It shares a genuine story of a Korean family trying to settle down in a new state in America, hoping to become successful. It highlights the true challenges of staying dedicated and supportive as a whole family through tough times, and it's a movie that really made me appreciate my own passions as well.

I hope you enjoyed this month's favorites post and you can also watch my August Favorites video down below from my YouTube channel as well!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

Finally, after many weeks, we finally went to Florida. I'm back now obviously, but I really wanted to share some of my experience here on the blog. I love traveling; if I could do it for a living, I would be the happiest gal in the whole world. Seriously.

On August 21, we left early in the morning; about 5am. Our flight took off at 8am, but we wanted to give ourselves extra time since we had plans to take the train to the airport. Well, it was a good thing that we left early because when we got to the metro station, it was closed! They didn't open up until 7am and I just made the assumption that the metro station was open 24/7.

The morning was stressful for so many reasons because it just seemed like nothing was working out; our ubers were getting lost, having to throw away travel essentials at the TSA check point, and long commutes to Miami. Both Dimitar and I were stressed out, hungry, and tired, but fortunately we made it to Miami safely and on time. We were staying at the President Hotel located right in the heart of South Beach Miami which was surrounded by all the local attractions and restaurants.

Our hotel room at The President Hotel

The hotel managed to upgrade our room to a room with a bigger bathroom which was so accommodating; especially for Dimitar! After we settled in, our plans were to first get the essentials we had to throw away at the airport, get something to eat, and then visit the beach. Since Walgreens was practically on every block, we bought our essentials there but had a hard time finding any healthy snacks!

We then ate lunch which really helped us relax a bit; we had been moving nonstop for over 10 hours so it was nice to finally embrace our vacation. Once lunch was over, we walked around and managed to find the access to the beach. Both Dimitar and I were wearing our bathing suites on under our clothes because we had anticipated waiting to check in - which we were happy that we didn't!

Since South Miami beach is a bustling area, there were tons of people out enjoying themselves either at the park, walking around, at the beach, or riding their bikes/scooters. It was refreshing to see people having fun again and happy. I learned very quickly that Florida was diverse and perfect for everyone. The heat however, was insane!

South Miami Beach

On day 2, we woke up early for breakfast because we set out to find the citibikes or scooters so we could move around Miami a bit better. Unfortunately though, we were informed by a scooter associate that South Beach had gotten ride of the e-scooters because they were getting left everywhere. This sucked because as nice as the citibikes were, the bikes were too big for me (or I was too small for them!).

Day 2 was also my birthday and I just wanted to relax at the beach. I managed to get a heat rash on my shoulders and butt - no shocker there - so for the remainder of the day we chilled out. We did manage to get tickets for a Big Bus/boat tour, but it would be for the next day which meant that we would be spending a ton of time out in the sun! So we had to relax while we were able to.

Day 3, we made sure to put on extra sunscreen because if we expected to see everything from the bus, it meant sitting on the top deck where we'd be exposed to the sun. The great thing about the Big Bus Tour is that you can get off anywhere if you want to explore and then hop back on for as long as your tickets were valid. It's a great way to get around the city, but in our case, we were really fried being on the top deck so we got off to get some shade.

Big Bus Tour

We arrived at the Bayfront park, a touristy area that I really wanted to check out for it's tall skyscrapers and beautiful view of the water. The Bayside market was also right next to the park too so once we got off the bus, we walked through to get an idea of what was around. The first focal point that caught our attention was the Ferris wheel!

Since it was super hot outside, we decided to hop onto the Ferris wheel to get away from the heat. The Ferris wheel was very modern inside with great AC and we were even able to see most of the downtown Miami area - it was so mesmerizing!

Bayfront Park

On our final day (I seriously thought we had one more day to spare), we went early for our boat tour and it was a blast! We were able to see an exclusive island off the coast of Miami Beach with mansions owned by famous celebrities like Jackie Chan and Victoria Beckham; a plus being that we weren't even exposed to the sun! Our tour guide was also down to earth and told Dimitar that he looked like Freddy Mercury because of his mustache.

The day was cut short though because my heat rash was really acting up so we stayed inside the hotel for a few hours to cool off. We ordered pizza from a local restaurant and watched the movie Adjustment Bureau; such a good movie! Later on, we walked around South Beach Miami for the last time and even went onto the beach where we were able to catch a beautiful sunset.

Even though our trip was short, Dimitar and I have already talked about moving to Florida. We have these conversations alot really, but this time we really felt connected to Florida. We loved the lifestyle, the diversity of people, there is so much to do for people of all ages, and everyone was just so nice and welcoming to us. We hope to return someday soon!

Last day at South Miami beach

If you'd like to watch the entire experience, I have just uploaded a complete Miami vlog for you all to watch - don't forget to subscribe to my channel as well if you haven't already!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

Tomorrow is the big day where I go to Florida! I feel like I have been running around like a headless chicken because there are so many small things to take care of around the house. Fortunately though, majority of my packing is already finished so I woke up a bit early today to complete everything else.

I have also just posted a new video on my YouTube channel of everything I am packing for this trip, so if you'd like to watch that, you can find it here or watch it at the end of this post. The goal was for both Dimitar and I to share a suitcase together like we usual do for traveling; however, my shoes are too chunky this time around so we're taking two checked bags now. Yay.

I really wanted to pack light for this trip because I really don't like dealing with luggage. As it turns out though, I can now at least bring a few more items that I would have automatically left behind if we only had one bag with so, I suppose it all worked out for the better. Also, I really miss the days where everyone was given one free checked bag - what happened to those?

Packing for a vacation is so exciting to me. It's the start of a new adventure where everything starts to feel a bit more surreal. The idea of getting away from your day-to-day routine is like a breath of fresh air. Some may travel much more often that I do - and I seriously envy that!- but this vacation feels extra special to me since it's been almost two years since my last vacation.

For this trip, I'm bringing a bit of everything; shorts leggings, dresses, skirts. I know Florida is going to be hot and humid so anything tight or dark is a big NO for me. I want to feel comfortable in hot weather; not like I'm an egg frying on paved concrete in the dessert. I'm also bringing a bit of beach accessories as well like a Sand Free Blanket that prevents sand from getting on your towels as well as my beach bag from Myrtle Beach.

Of course, I will also vlog the entire trip because I'm hoping - fingers crossed - that I will be able to see all of the attraction I have my eyes on. I've heard that Florida has a surplus of bike stations all around Miami so it should be easy to get around. We'll only be in Florida for four days so we really want to try to make the most out of each day.

I also don't know if I will be able to upload my video by next Friday since Friday will also be the day I come back; there is also a cat coming to board with me. The vlog may come on Saturday instead which may be better since many people are home on Saturdays anyways. I am highly considering getting a new laptop just to edit my videos while away from home!

Right now, I am finishing up laundry, I'm about to setup the guinea pigs cage so that it holds extra hay, and then I need to make a stop to get some earplugs because we are going to be in Miami after all! Dimitar is actually returning from Bulgaria today in the afternoon so I want to try to get everything done before he arrives.

I think this will complete todays post and again, if you want to watch my packing video on YouTube, you can below. I'll be back in a few days and I can't wait to share all the goody details with you!

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

1. SUDDEN CHANGES

2. FEELING OFF OR LOST

3. SLOW PROGRESS

4. CHANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS

5. LETTING GO

6. JUDGEMENT FROM OTHERS

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1. SUDDEN CHANGES

2. FEELING OFF OR LOST

3. SLOW PROGRESS

4. CHANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS

5. LETTING GO

6. JUDGEMENT FROM OTHERS

ABOUT ME

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW

Search

MY KETO ESSENTIALS

Labels

POPULAR POSTS

Blog Archive

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG

Contact Form (do not delete)

AGREEMENTS

Contact Form

Total Pageviews