The Good, Bad and Beautiful Bits of 2018 | Goals for 2019 + Looking Back at 2018

Hi everyone!

This is my first post of 2019! It feels absolutely incredible and I’m really excited to write many more to come!

I wanted this post to be a chatty ‘reflections of 2018’ post and also a ‘2019 Goals and Dreams’ post. I absolutely love writing (and reading!) these kinds of posts; in fact I’ve done them for the past two years! You can check out my 2018 and 2017 posts here and here.

I also wanted to use this post as an opportunity to explain why I’ve been gone for so long?

In 2018 I constantly experienced massive blogging slumps and even though I really wanted to, I just couldn’t bring myself to blog. I know it sounds a bit silly, but it was just like I didn’t want to type up a post anymore.

It was just really odd because I’ve always enjoyed blogging. I know that blogging can, and is, a career to many people. But to me, it’s simply my hobby. And if I didn’t feel like blogging, I didn’t want to force myself to do it. I did draft many posts, took pictures, even edited them, I just couldn’t bring myself to post anything, if that makes sense?

Anyway, I think that’s long passed now. I’ve never been more excited or full of energy and excitement as I am now!

Before I started typing up this post, I went through my post last year and I realized that although 2018 was an amazing year, I hadn’t been very productive goals wise.

So, I decided to skip the goal checklist part of the post this year and just move on to the reminiscing and goals for next year!

I’m beyond grateful for all of the wonderful and amazing memories I got to make in 2018. The year started off with school and tons of extra curriculars and I definitely made an effort to get more involved in activities that I wouldn’t usually participate in and it definitely paid off!

I’ve learnt so much during the past year. I wrote down some of my favorite little life lessons to share with all of you in this blog post!

• You can really surprise yourself sometimes. You never really know what you are capable of, until you try.
• Unexpected gifts are sometimes the best ones
• Beauty is ugly without kindness. You can never be truly beautiful if you aren’t kind.
• Whatever happens in life, always happens for a reason
• Life is surprising. Learn to expect the unexpected.
• You need to be patient to cultivate patience. (Oh the irony)

• You never know what a sincere compliment can do.
• when words fail to be heard, silence can speak volumes
• Always stand up for what you believe in, you will make yourself proud.
• If all else fails, eat chocolate. It keeps the dementors away. 😉

As I mentioned in my post last year, my motto for 2018 was to live with no regrets which I think I definitely managed to accomplish!

• My Party! I’d wanted to throw a proper party and invite all of my friends for absolutely ages and I finally did it last year! It was definitely a day full of amazing (and funny!) memories that I’d definitely not forget haha..
• Traveling to Dubai! I had the opportunity to travel there a few weeks ago and I had an amazing time! The sun,sand and shopping definitely didn’t disappoint. 💗
• My First Escape Room! It was an hour full of mystery, fun and brain wracking excitement. I loved it.
• Reading! I read some mind blowing-ly wonderful books last year that definitely made me think and just appreciate the existence of books even more. (Not that I didn’t already haha..)
• Learning as much as I could and trying to make a difference. It’s absolutely unbelievable how much of poverty and injustice that people go through, even today, and it has really inspired me to do everything that I possibly can to do something to help.

I was also blessed enough to spend tons of time with my family and friends, learn an immense amount about the world and ate lots of chocolate. (Because chocolate is amazing, so why not?)
Although I wasn’t able to accomplish many of my blogging goals in 2018, I did manage to do a lot of other things! I tried out food I hadn’t eaten before (shrimp and dumplings!) and tried my best to get out of my comfort zone as much as I possibly could.
I’ve learnt that it’s not about how much you do, it’s about how you do it. Setting goals is simply a way to motivate me to do something different and to make each moment more exciting!

Collaborate with more people! (This was something I really wanted to do last year, but I wasn’t able to. I’m definitely going to try my best to do it this year!)

Start up a new blogging series! (I’ve got so many ideas and I can’t wait to share them with all of you!)

Get to know more of the amazing blogging community.

Do more fashion/style posts.

Blog as much as I possibly can!

• Get straight As for all my subjects (including MATH)
• Bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies (yes, this is very important.)
• Follow one of Bob Ross’s painting tutorials
• Try out new things and experience as much as I possibly can
• Be more eco-friendly when it comes to both the big and little things
• Read MORE
• Become a better writer + perfect my writing schedule
• Get better at learning new languages (I’m never consistent haha..)

I think that no matter what you do or how hard you work,if you don’t have a positive mindset/outlook on everything you won’t ever enjoy it. Life isn’t always about the big, grand moments, it’s also about making the most out of the little things and appreciating all of your opportunities!
That’s why, I’ve decided to make that my motto for this year- Make the Most Out of Every Moment. It’s quite similar to my motto for last year but that’s also why I like it. It’s a reminder to treasure the little things and take advantage of the big opportunities!

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope that you liked this post! Ooh, Now I want to know: What are your goals for this year? What were your favorite moments of 2018?? What do you want me to blog about next? Let me know in the comments!

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DIY PINK Velvet Cake! | My Favourite Recipe + Free Printable!

Hi everyone!

I hope that all of you are having a great day!

Recently the weather has been absolutely gorgeous! It’s been raining heaps and I’ve been really enjoying it. In fact it’s been the absolute perfect weather to bake something.

So, I decided it was time to make some red velvet cupcakes-but with a twist! As you all know, I love pink so I decided to make pink velvet cupcakes and share my super easy recipe with all of you!

I’m not exactly the best baker out there, so I usually prefer to use ‘tried and tested’ recipes and just experiment with that! Anyway, I got this recipe a while ago, and trust me; it’s absolutely impossible to mess it up. (Which is great for me haha..)

I also decided that since I love to bake, it would be really fun to merge all of my favourite recipes into one random blog series!

Oh, and I also compiled this recipe into a cute ‘lil printable so you can easily download it,if you decide to try it out!

You can grab your download here!

Here are a couple of pictures just to show you how I made it!

It tastes awesome and I had an amazing time making it! If you are ever bored and in need of some good ol’ cake (who can say no to PINK cake?!) and want to bake, then try out this recipe! you definitely won’t regret it haha..

I’m really sorry for the short post, I just really wanted to blog about cake and coziness?Ooh and stay tuned for next week’s post! It’s going to be a really exciting one! (well, hopefully anyway!)

Let me know what you thought of the recipe and the series in the comments down below! I’m also really curious to know-Do you like cake, and if so, what’s your favourite type of cake? I think my fave definitely has to be red velvet! (Well,,Pink velvet now haha..) Ooh, don’t forget to try this out and let me know how it goes when you do!

My SECOND Bloggerversary + BLOG PARTY!

Hi everyone!

To be completely honest, I can’t quite believe what I’m typing out because it feels so unreal but..

IT’S MY SECOND BLOGGERVERSARY!

(Sorry for the all caps there, I’m just really excited haha..)

It feels absolutely incredible to have (somewhat?) successfully completed TWO years of blogging!? (I’m still a bit stunned).

I know that this year I wasn’t able to blog even half as much as I wanted to, mainly because I didn’t prioritize my blog as much as I wanted to and during the past couple of weeks I haven’t been able to have any access to the blogosphere as my device started malfunctioning. (oops)

Anyway, all of that aside, I still feel like I have learnt so much this year as well, although it seems to have flown by. I think I’ll chat about that in a different post, otherwise this one would be really long haha..

Whenever I blog-finish planning a post, making the graphics, writing, editing and then finally hitting publish-it always gives me an overwhelming sense of excitement, satisfaction and just pure happiness. That feeling is one that is just irreplaceable! It’s  a definite part of what makes blogging so special.

The thought of having other people reading-even enjoying-something that you have written is just amazing!

Starting my blog on August 1st two years ago, was most definitely one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made! Through my blog I’ve not only been able to express my ideas and thoughts on a completely different platform, but I have also been lucky enough to have gotten to know the most AMAZING people!

Last year, I hosted a blog party to celebrate my bloggerversary, so I thought; Why not have one this year as well?

Blog parties are a fab way to get to know more amazing bloggers in the community and to just celebrate and have fun!

Here’s How it Works:

• You leave a comment introducing yourself and your blog (don’t forget to leave a link!)
• Interact with the other people who have left a comment. Start up a conversation!
• Get to know more bloggers and have fun!

I wanted to add in a couple of extra details (just to make the party more unique!)

• Bring virtual party food! (donuts are the best, but cake and ice cream are always appreciated!)
• Include one of your hobbies/interests in your description so you can find more people who share your passions.
• Feel free to add in a random fact about yourself. I always think that these are really fun to read.

example-I like pineapples! (I really do haha..it’s abit random, but it’s still a fact!)

Always be polite and kind in the comments and please don’t say anything that could potentially offend or upset anyone!

That’s about it! I really hope that you enjoy the party (I’m really looking forward to it) and I hope that you have an amazing time!  *hands donuts*

Thank you all so so much for all of your love,support and amazing comments throughout the past two years, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it!

See you in the comments!

 

 

 

 

DIY (Eco-Friendly) Statement Necklace + How To Personalize Any Outfit!

Hi everyone!

I’m really excited about today’s post because it’s going to be merging three of my favorite things together: Fashion, DIYs and being eco-friendly!

Recently, I happened to spot a couple of gorgeous statement necklaces; they were bright, colorful and unique. And I loved them.

Lately I’ve also been wanting to get more into conserving energy and saving the planet,consuming less etc.. and on that thought, I thought that those necklaces looked easy (and fun!) enough to DIY, so that’s what I did!

I have tons of old beads that I don’t use anymore, and I thought that I’d try to re-use them for this DIY. I had a couple of pretty bracelets that accidentally broke (oops) and I had collected the beads, hoping that they would come in handy, and I was right! They did!

I decided to paint my beads and charms (both taken from old bracelets) and I used a chain that I had bought ages ago, that went well with my plan for this necklace!

-Step 1-

You can connect the invisible thread to the chain using a jump ring, if your chain is a bit more delicate, or you can just tie a double knot through the chain, like I did.

You’ll have to close the chain first (with the clasps already on the chain) and then add in the thread in the middle part of the chain.You might have to remove a couple of the links in your chain or you could just use pliers to prise it open, to get to the middle.

You just need to thread in the invisible thread (that’s a mouthful haha..) through one link of the chain.

-Step 2-

Now it’s time for the fun (and slightly nerve-wracking) part: the beads. I recommend planning out a pattern or having a little idea of how you want your necklace to look before you begin, because that will definitely make it easier.

After you are done threading in your beads, you can tie a double knot at the other end of the chain to connect it all together, and then you are done!

You could also just go wild and add in all sorts of combos as well, too! Just have fun with it, it’s your necklace, it’s a part of you. It’s your statement so make it as big and bold as you want it to be.

You don’t even have to use beads or charms if you don’t want to! You could always trade in the invisible thread for some colourful yarn and make something intricate with a macrame knot style necklace! It’s all up to you,and how you want to make your statement!

I decided to go with an all silver theme with a statement pink bead in the centre and I also wanted to add in some charms after every two beads, to give it some variation and also because that’s what I wanted it to look like; a charm bracelet style necklace mixed with a unique layout!

When it comes to styling statement necklaces, it’s all about incorporating your personal style. You can either use your statement necklace as a statement piece to dress up an otherwise ‘ordinary’ outfit, or you could simply use it as a unique accessory to add in your personality to an already fab outfit!

I usually like to style my statement necklaces with shirts or dresses which have high collars so that I can slide the necklace under the collar, or I just wear it with a dress and a cute jacket.. the options are honestly endless!

Here are two outfits which incorporate my favorite ways to wear the necklace!

For this outfit, I decided to go with a water coloured shirt underneath a teal overall style-dress and of course the necklace! I really like how the necklace contrasts and coordinates with all of the colours!

I wanted this outfit to be a bit more toned down, so I picked out this white Broderie-Anglaise style dress and paired it with my sparkly denim jacket.(Yes, it does have glitter on it. I don’t know how. It’s amazing. Unfortunately you can’t really see it in the picture, unless you look really close.)

Anyway, I think a statement necklace really helps to transform an ordinary outfit to an extra ordinary one. Especially ones that you’ve made yourself!

I think it’s really cool to know that I’m the only one in the world who owns a necklace exactly like this one. There definitely might be similar ones, but nothing will be the exact copy of my one!

What did you think of this post! Are you going to try this DIY out?! I hope so! Oh, and what do you think of my necklace? At first I didn’t really like it, but the more I wore it, the more I liked it. I suppose it’s just one of those things ha ha.. also, if you made a statement necklace, what do think it’ll look like? What is your version of making a statement? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments and for reading my post!

The NEW Blog Design Reveal + Blog Update!

Hi everyone!

It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Well, this post is the reason why..

I’ve been re-doing my blog! Oh and I had exams. But I redesigned my blog! That’s the important thing haha…(as you can probably tell,I’m really excited)

I had a ton of ideas for my blog and I decided to just plan it all out and just go for it! I also really wanted to improve the quality of my blog-the graphics, content, pictures etc and I really hope that you all like it!

Okay. It’s time for the most important part! The Before and After pictures. After all a real re-design isn’t complete without it! 😉

I already loved the overall colour scheme of my old blog design, so I decided to use the similar colour palette, but with less colours so that it wouldn’t look too cluttered. I also wanted to change up the fonts I used and be a bit more consistent with my overall design!

Oh! And I changed my theme as well. I wanted my blog to be a bit more minimalistic and also easier to access so I switched themes from the WordPress theme-Dara to Toujours. One of my favorite features of both themes was the fact that they were both so easy to customize and they both had a ‘featured’ content slider for your home page! I’d definitely recommend both themes if you are looking for a change in your blog design.

There definitely isn’t that much of a drastic change, but I still really like how it looks!

While I was re-designing my blog, I came up with loads of fun new blog post ideas as well as ways to try and make my blog posts better! Since I haven’t done a blog update for absolutely ages, I thought that now would be the perfect time to have one!

As you can probably tell now, my blogging style has changed a tad bit. I’m thinking about using more pictures and graphics in my posts. I love having visuals along with my blog posts so I think that it’ll be a nice little addition!

I’ve also decided to update the style of my special Blogging Days!

Motivational Monday-

Motivational Mondays are a randomly posted (at least once a month) blog post to hopefully inspire you to have a better week, share my favorite quotes for staying motivated, chat about topics that I think are important and maybe even share a couple of DIYs! Whatever it is, I just want Motivational Mondays to help you all (and me!) stay inspired to be the best version of yourself. (And to spread positivity as well,of course!)

Talent Tuesday-

I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper ‘Talent Tuesday’ on my blog before but I’ve always wanted to! Talent Tuesday’s are the days on my blog when I collab with amazingly talented people, host fun interviews and do other lovely things with other fabulous people!

Wacky Wednesday-

Wacky Wednesdays have got a whole new look as well as a lot of fun new features like the scale of Wack-Fab-Ness (Wackiness+Fabulous-Ness?) where you get to decide how wacky/ fab that day’s experiment/experience was! I’ve also got a ton of ideas for new posts, including a challenge on trying not to talk for a day (Terribly hard for someone like me, because I tend to talk quite a bit haha..) and trying to bake my dream cookies! (Cookies+ Sasha=A Very Risky Combo)

Apart from these special days, I’ll still try to post regularly every Sunday and I’ll also be continuing ‘Sasha Chats’- The Occasional Chatty Sunday post where I chat about a lot of fun topics and just ramble (a lot) haha..

I’m also thinking about starting a little addition for ‘Sasha Chats’ called ‘Sasha Speaks Out’. I want to delve a little deeper into more topics like Bullying,Confidence, Staying Positive and other important topics! I actually need all of your help on this one because I’m not sure if I want to add in this to ‘Sasha Chats’ or just continue having it on my ‘Motivational Monday’ posts like I used to do.

I’ll also be continuing ‘Dreamer Diaries’ which is my official blog name for my travel diaries! I haven’t got any planned yet, but it’ll still definitely be a part of my blog!

I think that’s about it for my Update! It’s not as massive as my previous ones, but I’m still quite pleased with how everything has turned out! I really hope that you like my new design and that you are just as excited as I am for my new (and hopefully improved?) blog posts!

What did you think of the new design? Do you like it?? Do you have any design tips, you’d like to share? What do you think of the blog Update? Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear them! Also, how is your day/ night going?I hope that you are having an amazing one!

Thank you so much for reading!

Five Starry Outfits To Brighten Up Your Wardrobe!

Hi everyone!

This week, I decided to put together a couple of outfits featuring one of my favorite things; Stars! I absolutely LOVE stars; I love how they brighten up the night sky, I love how unique each star is and I love the fact that although during the day some of them  can’t be seen, they are always still up there in the sky waiting for their time to shine again. Oh and I also love that they can just instantly add in a touch of glamour (and stardust) into any ordinary outfit and instantly brighten it up!

Anyway, I wanted to combine my love of stars and fashion together and this post is the final result! I really hope that you like ’em!

Outfit 1- A Celestial Dream

This was the outfit that originally served the purpose as my inspiration for this post. If I’m completely honest, it almost might be my favourite haha.. I fell in love with the pattern of the sweater and I just knew that I had to pair it up with a pink skirt and a beret! (I also simply ADORE that mini camera as well,don’t you?)

For some reason whenever I find myself putting together outfits, I also dream up people whose personalities are sort of connected to outfit as well. So, for this outfit, I thought that its personality would be someone who loves to daydream and take photographs of everything that she finds extraordinary in an ordinary city and turn it in to something just a little bit magical.

Outfit 2- The Star Spangled Superstar

For this outfit, I wanted to go really casual but also unique and bold, and what’s more bold and unique than a coconut purse, glittery sneakers and fun patterned leggings??

I toned down the star theme a bit with only a white shirt with a row of silver stars around the neckline and a matching celestial bracelet. I think the effect is bit more subtle but still really fun! (and quite effective!)

(Outfit Persona- A fun and quirky teen who walks with confidence and has an immense love for glitter and fruit loops!) 😂💗

Outfit 3- A Starry Night

This look is a bit more toned down in terms of the colour scheme, but I still think its perfect for anyone who is a bit more glamourous and still wants to incorporate this fun theme into an everyday look!

I stuck to grey, black, white and silver for this one and I’m actually really pleased with how it turned out! I absolutely ADORE the shoes (as always haha..) and I thought that adding in the pink frames were a bit of a unique touch.

The person I had in mind while putting this one together is someone who is classy, coordinated and confident but also a tiny bit rebellious and loves to ice-skate, for some reason? I just think that the jacket kind of brings out that different side? Because people can’t really be fit into specific genres, there’s so much more to them than a label after all!

Outfit 4- Starring : Candy With a Sprinkle of Stars

I just HAD to include in an outfit with a dress and as soon as I saw this one, I loved it! The star print isn’t too loud but it isn’t exactly subtle either and I wanted to emphasize that, but also add in a couple of sweet little touches like the golden starry socks that are going to tucked into the boots! (They just remind me of Harry Potter, for some reason so I just had to include ’em!)

I also adore the colourful umbrella that also just adds to the sweet and pastel theme that this outfit brings out!

For some reason when I think about this outfit, I always imagine the person wearing it to be dancing around a cobblestoned street when it is raining with a big smile, while the others are all shut up inside their houses mourning about the gloom.

After all life isn’t always perfect and embracing that fact is the first step to being truly happy and content!

Outfit 5- A Burst Of Stardust

As always, I love to save my most unique outfit for last, and this time definitely isn’t an exception. I found these gorgeous jeans and I paired them up with a cashmere sweater patterned with stars! I was actually quite surprised at the contrast and how much I liked it!

To tie in the outfit together, I added in some silver wedge sneakers, a red and black wristlet and some silver star earrings! This outfit just screams STARS, so its definitely not subtle but I still think that although it’s a bit more bold, you can definitely dress it up or down.

What did you think of this post and my outfits? Did you have a favourite? Oh, and would you wear any of these outfits, if you got the chance? If so, which one and why? I’m quite curious! Let me know in the comments down below!

Have Chapped Lips? Try THIS! | My FAVORITE DIY Lip Scrub Recipe.

Hi everyone!

Today I’m finally going to be sharing my go-to DIY lip scrub recipe. If you are anything like me and you have chapped lips all.the.time then this recipe is definitely for you! I discovered this recipe quite a while ago and I altered it lil’ bit to make it more amazing and I really hope that you all like it!

Oh, and you know the best part about this recipe? It can be done made in under three minutes and it’s really really easy too!

• Sugar- 1 tablespoon
• Coconut oil-1 teaspoon (you could also substitute this with olive oil or even honey)
• Vanilla Essence or Extract.
• Pink or Red food colouring (optional)
• A Container

• Mix together the oil and sugar.

• Then add in vanilla extract (or any other flavoring of your choice) along with a couple of drops of food coloring. (For a little pop of colour or tint after using the lip scrub!)
• Mix it all together, pop it into a container and then you are done!

If you want to, you can decorate your container as well,I used a bit of washi tape and a couple of letter stickers to make mine a bit more unique and fun!

I absolutely adore this lip scrub and I hope that you do too! It was honestly a life-saver because at some point my lips had gotten so chapped that I could barely even smile without suppressing a grimace of pain. It was awful.

I’d recommend using this with a toothbrush (I know it sounds weird but, hey, it works!) and sort of using it to brush your lips? (With the lip scrub, of course!) It’s actually one of the most effective ways to use it as well haha..you could use your fingers too,of course, but this was just the easiest and the quickest way to do it!

Oh,and you can always feel free to experiment with new flavors and combinations! I made Nutella lip balm a while ago and I can definitely customize this recipe to make a Nutella lip scrub too! You can be as wild and creative as you’d like!

Okay, now I’m dying to know: if you could make a lip scrub or a lip balm in any flavor or combination (go as crazy as you’d like), what would it be?? I think I would probably make something that smells like chocolate but looks like a rainbow. (Rainbow chocolate? Hmmm)

Oh, and do you have chapped lips too? If so,how do you deal with it? I’d love to know!

Comment down below and let me know!

Lee @ Golden Pink Journal

Thank you all so much for reading and for your lovely comments!