What I Got For Christmas 2018

In today's post, I'm bringing you this year's "What I Got For Christmas". I thoroughly enjoyed writing and photographing for this type of post last year, so I'm thinking of making it a yearly tradition on my blog. It goes without saying but I am extremely grateful to everyone who got me something this year. I didn't include the gifts I received from my friends in this post - just because I've already eaten/used most of the items! - but I absolutely love each and every one of their presents to me. They all know me so well! 

 

This gift was from my brother and his girlfriend and I was not expecting it at all! If you don't know what a Sprocket is, it's basically like a mini printer for your phone. I tried it out with a couple of my favourite photos and was surprised at how quick and easy the process was. I love how the film has a sticky side on the back. I have a "Photo a Month" spread in my bullet journal so this Sprocket will definitely come in handy for that.

From my Grandma, I got this 2019 diary. I love the marble design and gold lettering. I tried using my bullet journal for both personal and school purposes but it got quite messy and confusing so I thought having a separate diary for all my Uni assignments would work much better.

 

 

 

I've been wearing a lot of denim recently so I super excited to receive this dress from my parents. I really like the frayed bottom and the distressed effect it gives off. They also got me another gift which I was quite surprised by. I've had my Pandora bracelet for about a year now and it's had one charm for that length of time too so being able to add a second and third was very exciting. The silver heart and intricate dragonfly/ladybird charm are the perfect combo. They also go really well with my pink heart.

 

This year, I decided to treat myself to a book. I've been wanting to read "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" for such a long time but every time I would go to the library to check it out, it'd either be borrowed or reserved. This only made me more desperate to get my hands on it! My theory is; if a book is that hard to check out, then it must be really worth the read!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and see you in the new year!!

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Test Your Christmas Knowledge! - Quiz

Since it's my last quiz post of 2018 I thought I'd try something a little different. This isn't my typical "Can I guess" quiz. Instead, it's a test of your Christmas knowledge! To be honest, I didn't know half the answers to these questions before researching so if you do manage to get 100%, then a massive high five to you! I can't believe this is my last festive blog post before the 25th. I'm thinking of doing a "What I Got For Christmas 2018" next week so if you'd like to see one of those, definitely let me know in the comment section below. 

1. Where do gingerbread houses originate from?

A) Germany
B) Scotland
C) America
D) The Netherlands

2. In the song "Twelve Days of Christmas", what was given on the eleventh day?
A) Lords a-leaping
B) Drummers drumming
C) Pipers piping
D) Maids a-milking

3. How many reindeer does Santa have?
A) 7
B) 8
C) 9
D) 10

4. What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time?
A) Silent Night
B) White Christmas 
C) We Wish You a Merry Christmas
D) Joy to The World

5. When were Christmas crackers invented?
A) 1820's
B) 1840's 
C) 1860's
D) 1880's

6. Which famous landmark is considered the biggest Christmas gift in the world?
A) Big Ben
B) The Eiffel Tower
C) The Sydney Opera House
D) The Statue of Liberty

7. What's the name of the main character in the movie "Home Alone"?
A) Steven
B) Devon
C) Kevin
D) Bevan

8. Which fast food chain is most popular in Japan around Christmas time?
A) McDonalds
B) KFC
C) Pizza Hut
D) Subway

9. Who wrote the song "Jingle Bells"?
A) James Pierpont
B) Brenda Lee
C) Walter Rollins
D) Johnny Marks

10. How tall is the world's tallest Christmas tree?
A) 221 ft
B) 302 ft
C) 189 ft
D) 278 ft

Answers: A,C,C,B,B,D,C,B,A,D

Thanks for taking the quiz! How did you go? Was it harder or easier than you expected? 

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The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Christmas is for sure a month long celebration. By the time December 1st rolls around, all the festive activities and traditions are pretty much in full swing. From advent calendars and ugly sweaters, to markets and parades, Christmas takes over like no other. I love the fact that even though Christmas is at the end of the month, pretty much all of December is dedicated to this holiday. 

A lot of Christmas revolves around giving and showing gratitude. I love shopping for gifts. Unlike birthdays, Christmas is a chance to spend on all your family and friends. There's no limit to the number of people you can buy presents for. I love sitting down and remembering all the inside jokes and happy times I've had with a person then writing out a list of possible present ideas based on those memories. There are so many people in my life that I'm extremely grateful for and there's no better time than Christmas to show my appreciation. 

During December, interiors are transformed. While I love seeing my house all decorated for Christmas, it's actually the public spaces that fuel my festive spirit. The holiday music in supermarkets, the tinsel in store windows, the massive Christmas trees in shopping malls. Every time I leave the house, I am constantly reminded of Christmas and I am not complaining in the slightest! 

Holiday cheer is definitely real. This month so far has definitely been my happiest and I'm honestly not surprised! Christmas is a time to relax, unwind, spend time with loved ones, sing carols and eat lots of delicious food. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Thanks for reading! And look out for my last Christmassy post of 2018, coming next week!  

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Festive Blog Prop Ideas/Haul

As I was preparing my flat lay for last week's blog post, I came to a sudden realisation. I have barely any festive themed blog props! In fact, I only had one Christmassy item in that photo and that was my pig decoration from last year's Tree Decoration Haul. This gave me an incentive to go to my nearest craft shop and buy a whole bunch of Christmas decor/supplies. I had a lot of fun picking these items out. There's definitely a pink and gold winter wonderland theme going on which I think you'll notice as you scroll through these photos! 

Golden Tree Branch
As soon as I entered the store, I headed straight to the artificial flower section. Artificial flowers are probably my favourite flat lay prop. They're great for placing in empty corners. This gold and glittery branch instantly caught my eye and I knew I couldn't not get it. 

Snowflake Tree Decorations
In terms of tree decorations, I felt very spoilt for choice. There were so many different shapes and designs to look through. In the end I went for these wooden snowflakes. It's not too obvious in the photo but they have a light dusting of gold paint over the them which I thought was really pretty. 

Star Confetti
I've seen a lot of people use confetti in their blog photos so I was really keen to try it out myself. I opted for these small silver stars. Sprinkling it around my set up was really fun and it gives my photos some extra sparkle which I love. 

Patterned/Glittery Paper
The last things I got were these two pieces of paper which serve as great photo backdrops. They both sort of remind me of snow. There's the white glittery one and the light pink one with the frost-like shapes. I'm super happy with them! 

Thanks for reading! What did you think of this haul? What did you like the most out of these items? 

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5 Ways to Prepare For Christmas

As much as I love December, it's definitely my busiest month of the year. If it's the same for you, my advice is to plan ahead. Don't leave things to the last minute. There's nothing worse than running around on Christmas Eve trying to get everything done the night before. In today's post, I'm going to be sharing five ways to get ready for the 25th. Don't underestimate how many days you have left. They'll go by in the blink of an eye!

1. Write Your Christmas Wishlist
You're never too old for a Christmas Wishlist! There's nothing wrong with giving friends and family some kind of indication as to what you'd like getting. Of course they'd like to get you something you'd really love as you hope to do for them. 

2. Decide on a Budget
When it comes to present buying, it's a good idea to limit yourself to a certain spending amount. That way you won't get too carried away while shopping. If you can figure out what you want to get each person early on, you'll have less trouble settling on a realistic budget. 

3. Check You Have Enough Festive Gift Wrap
Make sure you have enough gift wrap to last you the holiday season. One or two rolls may seem like enough but can you never be too sure. It's always better to have more rather than less and you can always use your leftover rolls in the upcoming years. 

4. Clean Your House From Top to Bottom
If you know you're going to be having a lot of guests throughout the month, be sure to give your house a good tidy. Get everything in order before bringing out the Christmas decor. It's important your space is all sorted out before giving it a festive makeover. 

5. Restock Your Pantry
There's a lot of cooking and baking that happens around this time of year. Which means your pantry and fridge must be properly stocked. Replenish main ingredients like sugar, salt, flour and oil and for other, less ordinary supplies, refer to your favourite Christmas recipes. 

Thanks for reading!

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Why do You Love The Holiday Season? - Quiz

Christmas is coming and this year I'm determined to show more festive spirit here on my blog. Last December, I only published three Christmas themed blog posts! This is why I thought I'd get in early and make my November quiz Christmas related. I'm going to see if I can guess what aspect of the holiday season you love the most. Let me know if I was right or wrong in the comment section below! 

1. When I was younger, my favourite way to spend the night before Christmas was...
A) Preparing the cookies and milk for Santa.
B) Carolling around the neighbourhood.
C) Relaxing with family and friends around the fireplace.
D) Driving around and seeing all the different Christmas lights.

2. To get in the festive mood each year, I will...
A) Learn how to make a new Christmas dish.
B) Create a Christmas playlist.
C) Have a Christmas movie marathon.
D) Attempt a couple of Christmas DIYs.

3. I like to deck out _______ for Christmas.
A) The kitchen
B) My bedroom
C) The living room
D) Every room in the house

4. The phone app I use the most during the holiday season is...
A) YouTube.
B) Spotify.
C) Netflix.
D) Pinterest.

5. The Christmas scent I'm obsessed with is...
A) Ginger spice.
B) Cherry.
C) Vanilla bean.
D) Peppermint.

6. I can't get through December without my...
A) Christmas cookbook.
B) Headphones.
C) 'Elf' DVD.
D) Tinsel and fairy lights.

7. My favourite place to go in the days leading up to Christmas is...
A) The supermarket.
B) The shopping mall.
C) The cinema.
D) Santa's grotto.

8. I like to wear my Christmas themed _______ around this time of year.
A) Apron
B) Socks
C) Pyjamas
D) Sweater

9. On my Christmas Wishlist is a...
A) Kitchen mixer.
B) Record player.
C) Laptop.
D) Desk for my room.

10. When I think of Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is...
A) Christmas pudding.
B) Snow.
C) Santa.
D) Christmas trees.

You love the holiday.......

(Mostly A's)
Food
Your favourite part of Christmas Day is sitting around the dining room table, surrounded by loved ones, with your plate stacked high with food. Not only do you enjoy eating Christmas food, you love making it yourself. You're a professional chef when it comes to this time of year.

(Mostly B's)
Music
You love your Christmas tunes. It doesn't matter if it's a classic or modern take, you're happy to sing along to it anyway. Whether you're at home or out and about, you'll make sure to play festive music wherever you are. It's no wonder you know the lyrics to every Christmas song invented.

(Mostly C's)
Movies
You're very dedicated to your Christmas films. You could watch 'Love Actually' a thousand times and never get bored of it. There's no other place you'd rather spend Christmas evening than lounging on the couch in front of the TV with a huge fluffy blanket and cup of hot cocoa. 

(Mostly D's)
Decorations
Christmas is when you really get creative with your interior space. You're not afraid to spend when it comes to holiday decor. It's like a Christmas explosion every time people enter your house. Friends and family are always very complimentary of how much effort you put into giving your home that very festive feel.

Thanks for taking the quiz! 

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My Bullet Journal Essentials

When it comes to bullet journalling, everyone has their must-have supplies. It took some research and a bit of trial and error to get to mine but I'm really happy with the tools and equipment I use today. Here they are! 

(Black Fineliners) Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen XS and Uni Pin Fineliner 0.3
I use these pens for drawing outlines and writing text. The Faber Castell fineliner is my go-to when it comes to noting things down however if I want to decorate my spreads with little doodles or illustrations, I'll use the Uni Pin fineliner as it is slightly thicker and bolder. 

(Calligraphy Pen) Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen Soft Tip

This is the pen I like to use for titles and headers. If you're interested in learning calligraphy then I'd highly recommend the Tombow brand. Their pens are really easy to practice stroke control with. 

(White Gel Pen) Uniball Signo Broad UM - 153

Mistakes and slip ups are inevitable when bullet journalling which is why this gel pen really comes in handy. If it's a small typo, I can easily cover it up. Not only is it a great correction pen, it's also a great pen to write with. White text on black looks really effective. 

(Highlighters)

Highlighters are a recent addition to my bullet journal essentials but I've been finding them super useful. They're great if I want to emphasise on something I've written. They also add a nice pop of colour to my typically monotone pages. 

(Washi Tape)

Last but not least, washi tape. I'm not a huge fan of glueing things down in my bullet journal so a strip of washi tape is a great alternative. That way, if I want to remove it later on, it's no hassle to do so. This is also another way for me to make my spreads a little more colourful. 

Thanks for reading! What are your bullet journal essentials? 

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Knowing When to Take a Blogging Break

Around a month ago, I took my first blogging break of the year. Since January, I'd followed quite a strict blogging routine so having to turn my back on my blog for that two week period was really tough. It was around this time that all my final Uni assignments were due and even though I hadn't done too bad managing these sort of deadlines in the past, I think all the energy and inspiration I'd had at the start of the year was beginning to run low. My initial ideas for these assignments were either too far fetched or not ambitious enough. For some reason, it took me ages to establish a good topic/theme for all of my projects. I just couldn't see it possible for me to put together a blog post with all the stress surrounding my courses. It wasn't an easy decision to make but the moment I shared my Instagram photo announcing my break, I knew I couldn't back out. It was really disheartening to know that I'd ruined my blogging streak, but looking back on it now, I'm really grateful that I took that break when I did. 

Putting Your Wellbeing First
With anything that requires a lot of your time and commitment, it's important to know when to stop and step away. There's always the chance of overdoing it or burning yourself out. I'd thought I'd got the hang of balancing blogging with everything else but since circumstances are always changing, this of course wasn't going to be the case forever. Just because something was easy before, doesn't mean it'll always be this way. If you've already got enough on your plate, you don't need to prove anything to yourself. 

Not Writing Because You Have to
Bloggers along with other social media influencers and content creators know how important it is to be consistent with their posting and uploading schedules. Because of this, I think it's easy to fall into that trap of simply putting out a post for the sake of it. You don't get any enjoyment or satisfaction out of it but at least you can tick it off for the week. I was so focused on my Uni work, it was really hard for me to think of a blog post idea that made me feel excited or happy to sit at my laptop and write it. This was another reason I chose to take my blogging break. Not only did I have very little time to put out a post but I didn't want to have to force myself to write a post that I was only half-interested in. 

Rediscovering Your Passion
At the end of my break, when all my assignments were in, I wanted to get back into blogging straight away. I realised that I had actually missed tending to my blog and even though Uni had been my everything for those two crazy weeks, my blog was always somewhere at the back of my mind. While I had left my blog feeling quite lost, I was able to return to it with fresh eyes which definitely made my little break a lot more worthwhile. 

Thanks for reading! 

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Photo Diary - Sydney, Australia

Hello from Sydney, Australia! I've spent an amazing couple of days here doing a lot of sightseeing, shopping and eating out. I'm definitely sad to be leaving in two days time. We were lucky to have accommodation in the heart of the city so all the malls, eateries and most touristy places were within walking distance. Apart from the Blue Mountains which was around a 1 hour bus trip away, everything else was really close by. Because my camera has been with me everywhere on this trip, I decided to make this post my first ever photo diary. Here it is! 

Museum of Contemporary Art

Sydney Opera House

Blue Mountains

Around the City

Thanks for checking out this week's post! Have you been to Sydney before? Would you want to travel there? Let me know in the comment section below! 

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INTRODUCING... Beka!

Hi everyone! I'm back from my much needed blogging break and to kick things off again, decided I'd write another post for my "INTRODUCING..." series. If you're unfamiliar with this series, it's where I dedicate an entire post to one specific blogger. I'll give a quick summary of their blog as well as create a digital drawing for them on Photoshop. Thanks to those that commented on my last "INTRODUCING..." post! If you'd like to be involved in my next one, please do get in contact, either via Twitter or email; theanniechanieblog@gmail.com.

INTRODUCING... Beka!
On Beka's blog, Beka Daisies, you'll find a range of different posts. From recipes to bullet journal spreads, you're never completely sure of what she's going to write about next. There's something quite exciting and unpredictable about it. I always enjoy her very thorough and detailed reviews that touch on everything you could possibly wish to know about a product or experience. She's really good at describing things and elaborating on her thoughts. Check out Beka's blog by clicking here.

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What Should You be This Halloween? - QUIZ

It's October and what's the one thing almost everyone associates with this month? Halloween. I remember when it came to this holiday, I was more excited about the dressing up than the candy. Even though I don't go trick or treating anymore, I still miss putting together a fun costume. Let me know what you think of this month's quiz in the comment section below! 

1. I _______ watch horror movies.
A) Never
B) Very rarely
C) Sometimes
D) Always 

2. My costume is usually ready...
A) In June.
B) At the very beginning of October.
C) The night before Halloween.
D) The hour before I'm due to go trick or treating.

3. The makeup product that is essential to my costume is...
A) Glittery eyeshadow. 
B) Mascara.
C) Red lipstick.
D) A pale foundation.

4. My favourite Halloween snack/food is...
A) Candy corn. 
B) Pumpkin pie. 
C) Caramel apples. 
D) Salted popcorn. 

5. The superhero that I wouldn't mind trading lives with for a day is...
A) Superman.
B) Scarlet Witch.
C) Batman. 
D) Invisible Girl. 

6. My favourite flavour of ice cream is...
A) Bubblegum.
B) Mint choc chip.
C) Red velvet.
D) French vanilla.

7. The type of insect I'm most fascinated by is...
A) Butterflies. 
B) Spiders. 
C) Beetles 
D) Moths. 

8. I wish _______ existed. 
A) Pixie dust
B) Flying cars
C) Magic carpets
D) Teleportation machines

9. It is _______ to make me scared.
A) Very easy
B) Not too tricky
C) Pretty hard
D) Really difficult

10. If I were to get inspiration for my costume, I'd watch...
A) Peter Pan.
B) Harry Potter. 
C) Twilight. 
D) Paranormal Activity. 

You should be a.......

(Mostly A's)
Fairy
All you need for this costume is a wand, a flower crown, a sparkly dress and a pair of wings.

(Mostly B's)
Witch
All you need for this costume is a pointy hat, a black dress, and an old broom. 

(Mostly C's)
Vampire
All you need for this costume is a pair of fake teeth and a red cape. 

(Mostly D's)
Ghost
All you need for this costume is a white blanket. 


Thanks for taking the quiz! 

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