Life Lately…

Bralette | Pants |(similar) Cardigan | Art | Pillows (L&R)

Hey guys, its been a minute. I almost didn’t write that because honestly I hate it when bloggers start a post by apologizing for being away so long, as if anyone even really noticed – haha. That being said, I feel I do owe it to those who have noticed, to let you know why its been a little quiet around here.

I started 2019 with the intention to take a step back from blogging – something I go into a little more detail on The Demureist podcast, called Of Woman Nature -which you can find anywhere you get your favorite podcasts. To sum it up, I was a bit burnt out, frustrated, and unsure of my future in this social media world because its such a new and ever-changing industry. I didn’t want to just keep doing it because I’ve been doing it for so long, especially if it was stressing me out. I started feeling this way a while back, at the beginning of 2018, and thats when I decided to branch out and take some comedy and photography classes, read more books, and just dabble in anything that interested me.

I’ve always had a competitive streak, and throughout my life I’ve usually been successful at anything I put my mind to – but for some reason my audience wasn’t growing as fast as I wanted and – to be quite honest I did feel like a failure. At one point I was editing a thrift haul Youtube video, and I noticed all I was doing in the video was complaining and making excuses for myself, which really put me off. That person isn’t me, I thought – and I knew I had to figure my shit out quickly or I was about to continue to be miserable. So, i took time off and spent the first quarter of the year really just taking it easy, focusing on family and having fun. We also took a couple of trips, and spending time in nature was just really, really good for me. I actually started missing all of the creative stuff I did with the blog, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

While on my break, I thought why not try another side hustle? So I started applying for some part-time jobs where I could work remote – but nothing panned out, which was a good thing because I wasn’t excited about any of them. Investing in cryptocurrency is something that is growing in popularity, especially since you can find good advice from websites like coincierge.de, but it didn’t really seem like my type of thing either. One of my friends had recommended that I look into gambling as a side hustle. She said that gives people the opportunity to make quite a bit of money. Apparently, people don’t even have to go to their local casino anymore. There are now online casinos, such as the ones recommended on best-casino.net, that can be used instead. Of course, I’m not a huge gambling fan, but I was willing to give it a go. Then something really amazing happened. A few weeks ago, I interviewed for an opportunity that is a *dream* career move – I can’t share what it is yet because I still don’t know if I got it or not (sorry!). The project-based job would require me to travel for a few weeks – and I would have to come up with a childcare solution and do all kinds of finagling to make it actually work. Finding the right childcare services is always tricky, even when using a service that does the vetting for me. A lot of recruitment services for nannying do drug tests (perhaps sourced from a website similar to https://www.health-street.net/location/yakima-wa-drug-testing/) to check their candidates are right for the job. Although that bit is done, I still struggle to find anyone who is suitable! And I was/am willing to do all of that, just for the chance to have this dream career move. I even thought about working with someone like this resumes writing services IL to get some help and make sure that my resume stood out for all the right reasons.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks – all this time, the seven years since starting Love Zahra, I realized I’ve been waiting for someone else to discover me and give me an opportunity to shine, before I would come out of my own comfort zone. I was willing to go way above and beyond for something I perceived as a great opportunity, but for myself I’ve been putting in the bare minimum. I’m not saying I didn’t put in a lot of effort in creating this space, but I know in my heart I could do so much more. I was focusing on things I couldn’t control, like how many followers I had, when I should have been focused on creating and doing the things that bring me joy. Realizing how much I actually do enjoy what I do here, and knowing that I’ve only just scratched the surface in what is possible – makes me so excited I could scream. So now if I get that dream job or not, I’m just fine because I’m going to be having a grand old time doing what I love already.

So here’s to believing in yourself, finding your joy, and makin’ moves!

xx

Zahra

Follow Me! @zahra_sandberg

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Last week we took a quick trip to escape the snow for some sunshine in Key Largo, Florida☀️ We spent every moment possible outside, Tom and Adam got their Scuba Diver PADI certification (yay!) while Sophia and I spent our days either swimming or drawing marine life and landscapes. This was my first trip after my sister passed last November, and even though I look so happy here, there were so many moments I felt the grief and sadness, as if it happened just yesterday. I am still figuring out how I want to show up in this space, as I have changed so much as a person since the loss. I just don’t feel called to post some of the things I shared before. Maybe that will change someday, or maybe it will just naturally evolve into something new. I think I will take this year to just process it all. (Even the idea of taking an entire year to think through something is a huge shift for my usually hyperactive type A personality) My focus at the moment is just living in the moment with my family and friends, spending time doing things that make me happy and healthy. I hope to share some of that journey here with you ~ thanks for following along ❤️
I had planned to shoot this outfit in collaboration with @lenacoutureofficial right before my dear sister passed away. Saba, the designer, was more than understanding if I didn’t want to anymore - but after thinking on it for a while I decided I wanted to - in my sister’s honor 💗 She was always my biggest hype woman. When i would feel like I’m not good enough or that I should quit (which was often) she would tell me I was unique and great and to keep it up. When I think of my sister, beauty and love is all that she embodied in her being. She expressed that on the outside also - as she loved to wear everything glam, bright & colorful, and full of bling. Hair done, nails done, everything did - that was Nusrat. For this shoot I took the time to get glam after a long hiatus - and makeup and hair took so long because I think I forgot how to do it, but afterwards I was surprised how I felt transformed. When I wore this gorgeous outfit that I know was designed with such love and incredible attention to detail by @lenacoutureofficial, I felt all of that beauty - like a walking piece of art, and very much at peace. Thank you so much to @divmophoto for capturing the feeling so well 💕
Ski weekend with my favorites ❄️❄️ So proud of Sophia for skiing on her own for the first time!
There are some trees with seeds that only grow after a fire. Their seeds are completely sealed with a resin that have to be physically melted off by a great fire in order to propagate. So to do we as humans, gain wisdom only after great pain and suffering.*
A month ago (and one day) I lost my sister and best friend to cancer. I am still completely gutted and broken. But, I’m also so so grateful to have had felt the love that now brings me so much heartbreak. ❤️ I am so inspired by her - and I will forever live my life to honor her memory. Miss you sis ❤️
Classic outfit combo: oversized blazer + denim 🖤fendi mules @shoeslutz
Just a mom who loves mums 🌸 🪴
Cozy for a coffee date ☕️
French. Toast. Egg. Bake. Save this recipe for a weekend or holiday brunch - it’s SO good and fool-proof! I’m not even a sweet person and I love it. The pecans are a non-negotiable IMO - I get honey bourbon vanilla pecans for this and it is just heavenly. Enjoy!