Quarantine Diaries

This is such a strange time to be living in. I never thought that we would be going through something like this but I am trying to make the most of it. I’ve been self-isolating for over two months. That kind of overlapped with my maternity leave so I’ve just been home since that day. I have a newborn so I’ve been anxious about stepping outside or having someone come over and accidentally passing it on to him.

While I have been at home though I have decided to make some changes to help me with postpartum and mental health and also to set me up for a productive year regardless the outcomes. I’m so fortunate that no one I know personally has been affected too badly by this virus, health wise and my prayers go out to those who have been affected on a deeper level.

I don’t know about you guys but at this time, spending so much time at home really has put things into perspective for me. It really shows you the things you take for granted and challenges your value system. I have been challenging myself not to put things off for another day. I also have been doing more cooking and being more experimental with that and it’s actually pretty fun. I have been listening to more books on Audible. I have also been organizing more and setting myself up for a productive headspace. I want to set up habits and allow myself to create routines so that there’s better time management once the quarantine is over. Lastly, I have been spending quality time with my husband and new baby and enjoying motherhood. I know it’s somewhat early to say that and I’m sure there are battles ahead but I love our little family and I can’t imagine what life was like without them. Family is so important to me and in this time even more. Calling up loved ones and spending time with my family is something that I’m just enjoying so much.

So how are you guys doing? What routines or things are you guys doing to keep you sane during this time? I hope everyone is doing well during this time!

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading

Marianna Hewitt x DL1961

Okay so I don’t know why I never tried the DL1961 collab with Marianna Hewitt. I have so many pairs of denim from DL1961 and they’re one of my favorite brands as far as jeans go and for anyone who doesn’t know, Marianna is a lifestyle blogger/ businesswoman and one of the founders of Summer Friday’s. She did a collab with DL1961 but I’m honestly not going to lie, I thought maybe it wasn’t going to be worth the hype, but trust me when I say I recently tried the Farrow Instasculpt and I’m in love. That’s saying a lot right now in my postpartum state. A lot of my jeans are fitting me differently and these jeans fit so well! Super comfortable dark wash which is always my comfort zone and I ended being able to get them on sale which was an added bonus! She has many other items in the collab, but these pairs of jeans were the first thing I ordered so I had to share with you guys! Let me know what are some of your favorite brands to shop for when you buy jeans.

Lots of Love,

Sahar

https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/3134367/dl-1961-x-marianna-hewitt-instasculpt-farrow-high-waist-ankle-skinny-jeans?color=FRESNO

Continue Reading

Sunday Recap

So during this past week I have been obsessed with a couple of things and I wanted to share it with you guys!

Firstly, I watched the movie The Gentleman! So good! It was full of action and suspense and had a really interesting storyline. I enjoyed it a lot. I also watched a Russian series on Amazon Prime called The Red Queen and it was about a poor woman in a very small town in Russia that had to move to Moscow due to some personal dilemmas and worked hard and became this international famous supermodel, but she was battling her own demons. I really liked it!

I ordered a bunch of items and started getting my shipments in this week which was really nice. Even though I was the one that ordered it, it feels like a little gift every time I get a package. I ordered some items from Hourglass, Sephora, Equipment and also an Artis Elite Palm Brush. I am going to be doing more in detail posts soon on everything I purchased!

I also tried out a new chicken fajita recipe that I saw on Pinterest. I’ve been getting experimental in the kitchen and this recipe is so easy and delicious!

What are some things you guys have been doing this week?

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading

Hourglass eyeliner

So anyone who knows me knows how much I love a cat eye look! I’ve always been drawn to that look because there’s something so feminine and powerful. Also, it accentuates the eye in such a beautiful way. The thing with a cat eye, if you’re not a professional, is that it can be difficult to do and requires a lot of practice. Anyone who does a cat eye look knows of the struggle it takes to get both eyes symmetrical. The key is to find a really good eyeliner which gets most of it done for you and the rest you can just wing it (pun intended lol).

I recently bought the hourglass eyeliner at the Sephora VIB Sale because I wanted to try something new. I had used Stila stay all day before and although that’s good liquid eyeliner, I felt that because I had been using it for a while it was time for a change. So, I bought the Hourglass eyeliner and I used it and I loveeeeee it!!! It’s super black which is something I’m always looking for. The nib is super thin and creates such a beautiful line. It’s convenient and although the price may seem high to some, a good eyeliner is an essential in everybody’s makeup bag and this one is too good not to use. Let me know which eyeliner is your favorite.

Lots of Love,

Sahar

https://www.sephora.com/product/voyeur-waterproof-liquid-liner-P415643

Continue Reading

Equipment Sale

Hey loves,

So my affinity for the brand Equipment started when I first saw this leopard maxi dress on Net-a-Porter. It was so beautiful with the way it hung on the body and just looked so effortless and easy to wear. I love pieces that I can wear in different settings occasions and trust me the cost per wear on this item is definitely something that makes it worth it! The love affair began with the brand when I first wore that dress and since then I’ve acquired a nice little collection. They’re such an essential part of my wardrobe and I love the versatility of the pieces. Classic but with fun prints, you’re never bored. Also, you can wear them over and over again and they still look the same as when you first got it. The quality is amazing and I recommend this brand 100%. I’ve recently seen that there is a sale on their website so I wanted to show you some of the pieces that I have been purchasing and some that are on the wishlist. What is your favorite Equipment piece?

Lots of Love

Sahar

https://www.equipmentfr.com/major-maxi-dress-imapala-lily-multi

https://www.equipmentfr.com/pavotta-silk-shirt-true-black-impala-lily

https://www.equipmentfr.com/jacquot-dress-eclipse

https://www.equipmentfr.com/signature-true-black

https://www.equipmentfr.com/slim-signature-black-star-print

https://www.equipmentfr.com/slim-signature-shirt-pristine-skydiver

https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/equipment-python-print-silk-blouse/product/0400010561114?R=884926874378&P_name=Equipment&Ntt=equipment&N=0

https://www.equipmentfr.com/connell-silk-maxi-dress-timberwolf-multi

https://www.equipmentfr.com/armeria-jumpsuit-safari

https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/equipment-multicolor-star-silk-blouse/product/0400012180314?R=193683365945&P_name=Equipment&Ntt=equipment&N=0

https://www.equipmentfr.com/slim-signature-bright-white-solid

Continue Reading

A lot has Changed

Hey Loves,

The last time I posted, I was talking about my new years resolutions and preparing for a baby. Well, the baby is here and currently 3 months old! If you are one of those people where having a baby doesn’t disrupt your life at all, I commend you because any ideas I had of having some type of schedule and being more productive have gone out the window. I am a first time mom and although the changes in my schedule are so welcome because I have never experienced a love like this, it was literally survival of the fittest in our household in the beginning. As soon as Baby Yaqoub would fall asleep, there was a mad dash to get either sleep or food. I know I’m being a little dramatic but it really did feel like that at times. We were just trying to keep up and then on top of all that I had some complications after pregnancy so I was dealing with that as well. Then when we finally thought we were getting the hang of it, Coronavirus landed in NYC and we went into self isolating. All in all, it’s really strange to be a first time mom in this situation, but now I feel that I am slowly finding my rhythm and we (the baby and I) are slowly understanding each other. Lately, I have been trying to create some type of schedule especially with quarantine happening and not being able to do much, some of the days started to blend together. I have been using some new apps to hold myself accountable and also learning some new things on a couple of online courses Coursera. I am also back on trying to find my rhythm with blogging so be on the lookout for a lot more content coming your way. I feel so grateful to be able to even have an opportunity to be doing these things where I know so many people are really struggling. How have you guys been spending your time during this crazy time?

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading

3 Changes For The New Year

Hey everyone! Isn’t it crazy that we are in 2020!! I don’t know if you guys are into making resolutions in January and sticking with them, but I always try to make resolutions in January and then three weeks into it find myself falling off and going back to the way things were the year before. This year I want to create more productive habits that I can do in my every day life that will help keep me consistent and not whenever I feel inspired. Here are some of the resolutions or healthy habits I incorporated into my daily life in January.

1. Journaling- I started journaling as a way to clear my mind and kind of brain dump. As someone who is about to have a baby for the first time and going through all these physical and mental changes, I needed a healthy outlet of expressing myself without dumping it on everyone else around me! Even though I’m lucky to have such an amazing support system around me, it was really nice to be able to just have that quiet moment with myself.

2. Exercise- I started implementing being more active even in small ways. I am getting heavier and as the due date is approaching, it’s getting harder to move around. By not putting that extra pressure on having a rigid workout schedule, I am able to just enjoy and actually get more steps and activity than before. I know that once the baby is here and I get the clearance from my doctors, I will be more active and get into the gym more, but for now this is what has been working for me.

3. Scheduling- I have been focusing on short term goals that keep me consistent and get me closer to those long term goals. What I mean by that is I used to have these grandiose plans of what I wanted to accomplish and it was a really long list and super motivated, but I didn’t know how to get there so then after a couple of weeks, I would get discouraged and give up and then procrastinate and it would just turn into this negative unproductive cycle. Now what I have been doing is I write down my big goals and then I break it down to smaller attainable goals, that way I am a step closer to that end goal. For example being healthy and in the best shape that I have ever been in is one of my long term goals for this year, so how I broke that down, is being more active, eating healthier, limiting junk food to a minimum or finding alternatives to foods that I like. The little steps that I can take will give me that momentum and get me closer to that long term goal.

These were just some of the little habits that I have been bringing into my daily routine. I know that once I have a baby, things will definitely have to be adjusted but I am happy to have the foundation and then I can adjust and adapt accordingly. What are some of the resolutions that you guys have been sticking to this year?

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading

A Year in Review

I can’t believe its been over a year since I last posted on my blog so a recap is definitely in order. This past year has been amazing and full of monumental moments. For starters, I started last year with family and hosted a big pre-New Years Eve party. It was my first time hosting people in a formal capacity at my home and it was a lot of fun! In February, I celebrated my first wedding anniversary and spent time with my husband. We went upstate and had an amazing dinner and spent the whole weekend with each other. It was so nice to get away and have a moment just us two. March was another big moment for me because I turned 30 years old. I’m not someone who really feels strange getting older so it wasn’t a feeling of dread but it definitely felt different and I was happy to be embarking on this new era in my life. My 20’s were interesting to say the least, full of loss and confusion and figuring out who I was and not really being focused or driven and a little lost. Towards the end of my 20’s is when I started to get more serious and started to become more confident in who I was and what I wanted and I feel that now in my 30’s, I am becoming more and more comfortable with who I am. Of course, I understand new experiences and challenges shape you and there’s always room for growth, but I think for the first time in my life, I am starting to love the person I am becoming as sappy as that sounds. Also in March, I went to visit Turkey for the first time which was definitely on my bucket list. I have always wanted to go and it was such an amazing experience and a place that I can’t wait to visit again! We stayed in Istanbul and Antalya and because of a delay in our planes, we also ended up staying in Germany as well. So, it was kind of like having two trips in one! In June, my husband and I found out that I was pregnant!! It is such a big decision that although we were ecstatic, I think I was still in denial. I was so anxious because we found out pretty early so I didn’t want to get too excited because I was nervous just in case something happened. I know that’s really silly but pregnancy is such a sore subject for so many women and I was really nervous especially because I had a pretty rough pregnancy in the first couple of months. I did start to get more and more excited when we started telling people and found out the gender and with each sonogram, seeing him grow! It’s such a beautiful thing to experience as crazy and round as I look..Lol. In September, I ended up going on an overnight trip to Philly with my sisters. It was just the four of us and it was nice to get away and spend time. We are super close, but we had been so busy in our own lives that it was nice to spend that quality time with each other. The rest of the year, we spent time with family and getting everything ready for the baby. I can do another post on the baby essentials that we received and purchased if you would like. That was my year and although I didn’t have too many wins in the career side of my life, my personal life definitely saw a lot of changes. What are some things you guys experienced in the last year? Feel free to comment below!!

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading

The Joy Of Shopping

So, I don’t know if it’s because it’s the New Year or I have been watching too many episodes of Tidying up with Marie Kondo on Netflix, but I have this urge to just purge everything and with that goes finding joy in actually purchasing items that I can wear more than once and in different ways. I am tired of looking in my closet and having it be filled with clothes, but when I actually need to wear something, always wearing the same  three outfits on rotation or worse not even having those outfits be an option..lol. So, I have recently been shopping my closet and trying to find new ways to wear the items I already own. Not going to lie, I did have a bit of a cheat day and bought a couple of things recently because I mean let’s be honest there’s so many cute things online plus it’s the New Years ( you saw how quickly I justified that..LoL).  So, for those of you that have a bit of a shopping problem as well, I added some images and links of items that I purchased and some that I am contemplating on adding to my wardrobe! Let me know in the comments below which ones are your favorite! Happy Shopping!

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Raquel Diniz Floral Maxidress

Raquel Diniz Velvet Maxidress

Raquel Diniz Silk Maxidress

And Other Stories Metallic Gold Dress

Le Specs Cat Eye Sunglasses

Jimmy Choo Romy 100 Suede Pumps

DVF Silk Green Floral Maxidress

ARoss Girl x Soler Amanda Maxidress

Tome Maxiskirt

By Malene Birger Checked Wool Coat

Theory Striped Top

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Look Back At It

Isn’t it crazy that it’s already 2019? I am still in shock! 2018 was such an important year for me and I have learned so much:

  1. Learning how to throw a wedding! I was the first one from my family to get married and afghan weddings are no joke! There are so many ceremonies and rituals you have to be mindful of and also finding room to fit everyone because like most afghan weddings, you have to invite everyone you’ve ever come across with.
  2. Moving into our own place! Sharing so many memories in our new place from those early morning laughing fits to the late night conversations. I remember when we first moved in, we literally found our place a week before the wedding and the only piece of furniture that we had was our bed and a rug in the kitchen, and I remember my cousin and my sister came over to see our place and we literally just sat in the kitchen and were laughing so hard! Also, having movie nights with my little sisters and laughing and getting closer than ever! There’s no better feeling than just spending time with the people you love and I have had so many amazing memories here already! I can’t wait to have more people over and hang out!
  3. We also got to travel a little bit this past year! We went to Italy in the summer and it was amazing! It was the first time we were both away from our families (went away for two weeks) and the first time we had been out of the country. It was definitely a learning experience because you really get to see how you complement each other while traveling. We really bonded and it was an amazing trip. Also, all the good food that we had plus Italy is beautiful! It’s definitely somewhere you have to visit at least once even though I would love to visit again soon! I can write a detailed blog post on it for those who are interested. Let me know in the comments below.
  4. Also, just getting more and more focused on the things that matter and not letting myself procrastinate. Trust me this one is still a work in progress! I just figured I have so many goals and dreams that I want to accomplish and procrastinating is just getting in the way of that.

These were just some of the things that I experienced and learned in the past year and I can’t wait to see what this year will bring because I have so many ideas and goals that I want to accomplish by the end of this year that I can’t wait to start! Feel free to share any experiences or ideas or quotes that you have learned from or inspired you!

Lots of Love,

Sahar

Continue Reading