8 Blog Posts That Are Special to me

I've written just over 70 blog posts since starting The AnnieChanie Blog and as much as I love each and every post I've published, there are just 8 out of the 73 that really stand out to me. 

1. My Favourite Pastel Coloured Fashion Items
I was really happy with the overall aesthetic of this post. All the colours and images came out just the way I wanted them to. My extreme love for pastels really shone through and there's no other blog post that showcases this more. 

2. Starting University 
This blog post was quite hard for me to publish. There were some things I didn't even realise I was feeling until I'd finished writing this post. I didn't need to put it out into the open but I'm still really proud of myself for doing so and the support and uplifting messages from readers made me value my decision even more. 

3. Room Tour 2018
I've always been an avid watcher of room tour videos on YouTube so being able to share one of my own was really special. My room means a lot to me so I found it really cool that I was able to dedicate an entire blog post to it. 

4. What I Bought on Holiday (Australia)
I've been really happy with my blog photos from the past month but my favourite still stands. The main flat lay from this haul post turned out so different to what I intended it to look. I think that's why I loved it so much. It was so unlike any other flat lay I'd ever taken and there's still no other photo of mine quite like it. 

5. Blog Anniversary Post (1 Year of Blogging)
I couldn't write a list of special blog posts without including my 1 year anniversary post. It was such an amazing thing to be able to say I'd been blogging for 12 months. I was really glad I was able to mark this milestone with a blog post. 

6. (Graceful Avenue) Mishka Mail Review
This review was my first ever collaboration with a brand/company. When I got the email about this post, I danced around my room for a solid 2 minutes. I'll never forget the euphoria I felt on that day. From working with the lovely Naira to actually receiving her personalised package in the mail, everything that went on behind the scenes was what made this blog post so very memorable. 

7. What Type of Blogger Are You - Quiz
This was my first ever monthly quiz and I had no idea how reader's would react to it. I had nothing to worry about though because, as always, the blogging community was very encouraging and positive. I was so grateful to everyone that took part.  

8. My Blog Journey so Far
I got my first ever blog comment on this post. I had no idea a stranger's words could mean so much to me. But Elizabeth's comment did. And what she wrote on my blog that day will stay with me forever. 

Thanks for reading! Do you have a blog post that's special to you? Let me know down below! 

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(Printiki) Why I Love Memory Keeping

In my room is a large box that holds all my treasured mementoes; old diaries from my primary school days, handmade gifts from family and friends and lots of other little things with special backstories or memories attached to them. I know that whatever I keep, my future self will be thankful for. Preserving my memories is a big deal to me which is why that memory box is the most precious thing in my entire room. If I had to evacuate my room in a hurry, you can bet my memory box would be the first thing I grab. 



Photographs play a huge role in my love for memory keeping. As a very visual person, I love having a photo to remember a special moment or occasion by. Photos are like little time machines. You can relive your favourite memories through them. Because of my love for memory keeping, physical copies are a must. I'm constantly paranoid about my phone or laptop crashing and losing all my photos in the process. This would destroy someone like me, who feels so passionately about items that carry sentimental value. I feel like photo printing isn't as common nowadays especially since photos are more easily shared online. Even though photo printing isn't as favoured as it used to be, I still think there's a magic to printed photos that you can't really get through a screen. Being able to physically hold a memory in your hand is a really amazing thing and I think we should all really take advantage of that.  

Netherlands company Printiki also believe in the concept of bringing your photos to life. With their online photo printing tool, I was able to print out some of my favourite moments from the year so far. I was really happy with the way my prints turned out. While I'm hoping to put a majority on display in my room, the rest will no doubt be put into my memory box for safe keeping. 

If you were wanting to print your photos, use the code 4CPSSSZN for free shipping on your order. Also be sure to check out Printiki's Instagram is you're unsure on what to do with your printed photos. Their feed is full of inspiration! 

Thanks for reading! Do you have a memory box? Do you like printing your photos? Let me know down below! 




* These prints were gifted to me. All opinions are 100% my own. *

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Podcasts For Bloggers

A month or two ago, I decided to listen to my first ever podcast. I'd heard the word "podcast" thrown around a couple of times but never got around to investigating them further so when my friend mentioned just how much she enjoyed listening to them, I decided to take action. Now I'm on the podcast app nearly every day. My favourite type of podcasts are the ones about/for online creators. If there's an episode interviewing a blogger, you can bet I've listened to it. Every time I listen to these interviews, it's impossible to not feel inspired or empowered afterwards. I absolutely love hearing about how people found blogging and why they decided to start their blog. I think it's great that no two blog journeys are the same and that every blogger has a different story to tell. In the beginning, I found it particularly tricky to find blog-related podcasts which is why I decided to put together this post. If you're a blogger and are interested in listening to podcasts, here is a list of some shows and episodes that I think you'll enjoy. 


One Girl Band 
(Ep 40) Kristabel Plummer // Carving and Growing Your Blogging Career


Made Online 
(Ep 9) Hannah Gale (Blogger Of The Year 2017, Mum-To-Be & Ex-Digital Magazine Editor)


At Home With...
(Ep 2) KATE JOHNSON - Blogger, Kate La Vie


Ctrl Alt Delete 
(Ep 39) Megan Gilbride (Blogger): The Business of Blogging, Brands & Body Image


The Creative Leap
(Ep 1) MEGAN ELLABY - Style Blogger


What She Said
(Ep 20) with Rosie Chappel // Cider with Rosie

Thanks for checking out this week's post! Do you listen to podcasts? What are your thoughts on them? Let me know down below! 

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Which Disney Princess Are You? - Quiz

I can't believe it's already halfway through the year! Where has the past 5 months gone to? Today's quiz is super exciting! I've been wanting to do a Disney related post for quite some time now and with the Royal Wedding just last month, I thought there wouldn't be a better time than now to do a "Which Princess Are You?" quiz! Hope you enjoy! 

1. I have a fear of...
A) Being stuck in the same place all my life. 
B) The unknown.
C) Disappointing the people that mean most to me. 
D) Needles. 

2. My dream dress is the colour...
A) Yellow.
B) Purple. 
C) Green.
D) Pink. 

3. A random talent of mine is that I can...
A) Get through multiple books in one day. 
B) Braid my hair without a mirror. 
C) Hold my breath underwater for a good couple of minutes. 
D) Sleep anywhere and everywhere. 

4. I feel safest when I'm...
A) Reading. 
B) At home. 
C) By the ocean. 
D) Surrounded by loved ones. 

5. When it comes to my hair, I like to...
A) Tie it up in a low ponytail.
B) Put it in a braid. 
C) Leave it out.
D) Curl it slightly at the ends. 

6. I get _______ very easily.
A) Bored
B) Worried
C) Curious
D) Tired

7. When I was younger, I always imagined living in...
A) A little village.
B) A tall tower.
C) An underwater city. 
D) A magnificent castle.

8. I think a princess should be...
A) Intelligent and open minded.
B) Fun and imaginative.
C) Strong willed and independent. 
D) Kind and gentle.

9. The Disney song that I can't help but sing along to is...
A) "Be Our Guest".
B) "When Will my Life Begin".
C) "Under The Sea".
D) "Once Upon a Dream".

10. As a child, my favourite fairytale was...
A) Beauty and the Beast.
B) Rapunzel.
C) The Little Mermaid.
D) Sleeping Beauty. 

You are.......

(Mostly A's)
Belle
You're smart, caring and fearless. Just like Belle! You love to travel and have adventures and experience new things. As well this, you're an avid reader of fictional novels and will spend a majority of your downtime with your nose in a book. 

(Mostly B's)
Rapunzel
Your friends love your playful and lively personality. You like to make the most of every day. Just like Rapunzel! You're a very creative person and enjoy making things. Baking, painting and sewing are a couple of your favourite hobbies. 

(Mostly C's)
Ariel
You like to appreciate the little things in life. Just like Ariel! You're always hungry for knowledge and have a passion for learning. Something that you really thrive in is meeting new people. You're confident, friendly and not afraid to approach others. 

(Mostly D's)
Aurora
You're a sweet and loyal person. Just like Aurora! You're also very respectful and polite and people really compliment you for that. You feel very passionately about your sleep and you like to take power naps every opportunity that you can. 

Thanks for taking the quiz! 

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Reflecting on my First Semester at Uni

Today I finished my first semester of Uni. I decided to read over my Starting Uni blog post and even though it's been less than three months since I wrote it, I feel like so much has changed. If you read that post, you'd know that my transition from high school to Uni wasn't the smoothest of changeovers. Everything felt so foreign and strange to me and it really made me question the whole idea of Uni and all the decisions I'd made leading up to starting. The way I was feeling was completely normal for someone who tends to get really comfortable doing things a certain way. I'm someone who takes a little longer to adapt to new and different situations however when I do, I forget all about my initial doubts and uncertainties.  

Overall, I really liked my classes this semester. There was one paper that I didn't find as enjoyable as the rest of my classes but I could definitely see the benefits of its teachings. The weeks after writing my blog post, everything started falling into place. I was settling into a weekly routine and this really helped me feel more comfortable in my classes. Throughout the semester, I found the workload pretty manageable. I found that work outside of class was almost just as important as work during class. Self discipline and studying without the teacher's aid was something that I felt pretty okay doing. However, I feel like you're more likely to get in a creative rut when studying alone. Which is where study groups came into play. Arranging study sessions with classmates was a great way to not only bounce ideas off one another but also get to know them better in a more casual and relaxed environment. I think the best friendships I made this semester were created through my study sessions with them. At the start of the year I was definitely worried about getting to know people but all it took was time and a couple of study sessions to rid myself of that fear. 

Something that's really cool about design school is that everyone has a creative passion or hobby that they specialise in, whether that be painting, typography, clothes making or digital art. During the last half of the semester, I really started to feel at home amongst all these creatives. I wasn't used to being surrounded by people who thought so similarly to me. At high school, you're interacting with a range of people with very different interests and thought processes. At design school, everyone is unified by the same goal. And that's to create. This realisation made me appreciate the institute I chose even more. Looking back at my Starting Uni blog post, it's nice to see how I've progressed over the course of 2 and a bit months. Even though the start of the semester got off to a bit of a shaky start, I'm glad things played out the way they did. It's been a real learning experience for both my design and personal life. I can't wait to see what the next semester holds! 

Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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