S&A Magazine Issue 4 – Volume 3

October 2022 Issue / Volume 3

This Issue’s Contents

Poem of The Month
Drawing Prompt
Book Review
Empowering Activity
Sustainable Fashion
Main Article
Recipe

Poem Of The Month

Confidence

Comes and goes

Like waves

Crashing back and forth, inveigled by

the moon

Its shining beauty gleams in a sense of perfection.

Enticed, gravity only pulls these waters

Away

from its calm, comfort, stability

These once peaceful waters

of tranquil lapis blue ripples

Plunge and thrash about violently

Storms only worsen the now ferocious sea.

All for the price

To reach perfection.

the alluring moon’s excellence starts to only feel taunting.

Confidence

means being grounded

Gravity has no effect on the waves

Not even the most magnificent celestial bodies, pearls in the sky

Can coerce the ocean into madness

Instead the waves find solace in their own motions

back and forth back and forth

Drawing Prompt

Experiment With New Mediums

For this drawing prompt, I combined a rough ink sketch with gouache paint which I hadn’t used before. Through making this piece, I came to realize that I liked the versatility and texture of gouache. Share your creations with us at sandazine@gmail.com for your artwork to be featured on our website!

Book Review

Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells

Genre: Fantasy & Romance

Summary: Cursed from a young age, the main character of this story, Lena embarks on a journey into a mysterious forest where she finds herself trapped by the boundaries of magic. Lena must choose to save her friends or let the haunted woods consume her.

Empowering Activity

Reach Out to Someone You Miss

Oftentimes, we lose touch with people. Whether it be because of changing lives or past mistakes. Sometimes, we can end up on a bitter-sweet note with people without even realizing it. Ultimately, if you wish you could talk to someone again, just take that first step. Try not to wait and expect someone to reach out to you if you miss someone because you may regret never taking that first step.

Sustainable Fashion

An Outfit Styled With UpWest

UpWest is a fashion brand that is all about helping the environment. All their products are made of recycled materials like polyester and organic cotton. A part of their proceeds are also donated to people in need.

Open Back Tank – $17

Main Article

How to Live a Happier Life

Introduction

Happiness is what we all want, right? While total contentment is likely unachievable, we’ve provided a few suggestions that might brighten your days.

Get Outside More

Nature can be very beneficial to your well-being. Take a walk outside and wind down from the stress of life or schedule time in your day to go in nature. Observe the different plants and animals and pay attention to things you may not have known before.

Get Enough Sleep

Did you know that 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep? These statistics are even worse for teenagers. There’s a significant amount of research suggesting that enough sleep has a positive impact on people, so maybe try to go to bed a little earlier than you usually do.

Be Kind to Others

It’s always a good thing to be kind! This can be as easy as complimenting someone or lending them a hand, but being kind could also involve volunteering in your community and standing up for what you believe in.

Focus on Positive Things in Life

It can be easy to ignore the good things about life when you are focused on work, school, and managing everything else in your life, but finding little things in your day to be grateful for can make you much happier.

Conclusion

Try following these tips and perhaps you will find yourself living a happier, more fulfilled life. Remember, that there are always things you can find positivity in, even in the hardest times.

Photo Collage

Glow and Grow

This photo collage was actually completely inspired by its first photo. I loved the subtle glowing look because it perfectly complemented the pearl white petals and took the picture to the next level. I used a calming color palette when selecting my photos and used different filters of light to make this whole collage look like a glowing view of nature.

Recipe

Chocolate Mug Cakes

These delicious and simple mug cakes are perfect for a cozy fall dessert or, really, whenever you get a craving for cake. (Plus, they’re vegan!) Adapted from a recipe by AllRecipes.

Ingredients

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 ½ tablespoon of canola oil
1 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, stirring in the wet ingredients gradually.
Once you’ve created a batter, move the mixture into a microwave-safe mug
Microwave the cake for about 1 minute and 45 seconds or until the cake no longer has any parts made of batter.