Ok, I'm back.

Hi friends! 

After a way too long of a break, I've decided to start publishing on my blog again. Mostly because I never stopped writing on the backend of this blog, but couldn't get myself to release the most vulnerable and open parts of myself online. 

Slowly, I think I'll start posting those unpublished drafts. For now, let me give you a few life updates that have happened in the last couple of years since I've been away from here because it feels like everything has changed while nothing has changed at all. Isn't that how it always is though?

Personal:

1. I've grown closer to the people I love. These connections deepened and more memories have been made with friends and family.
2. There was a period in my life (2020) where I lived life to the fullest. I didn't work. I didn't commit to any relationships. I didn't say no to anything fun or new. It was fun, but I'm so thankful it was for a limited amount of time. 
3. I traveled - of course if you know me, this is the least surprising. I visited Texas, Colorado, New York, DC, Vermont, California, Hawaii, Turkey, and other places I needed to see and experience. I did fall in love with New York, everything it had to do, the fashion, and how it really never slept. It was v Aani if I do say so myself. 
4. I also found myself more. I learned to love parts of myself that hadn't been loved by others. I forgave myself for mistakes my younger self might have accidentally made. I prayed with love - not fear and found myself closer to religion and spirituality more than ever before. I enjoyed my own company the most and became the most independent I've been. 

Professional:

1. I finally got qualified in Date & Love Coaching. I loved learning about relationships and when the opportunity presented itself I decided enough was enough and I wanted to help make relationships easier for everyone that wanted to. I took (and still take) on clients and help them find the truest and most fulfilling love of their lives. I teach women how to love themselves and romanticize every part of their lives. Most of all, I teach partners how to compromise, avoid conflict, and rise above their egos.  
2. I started a new full time role doing what I love. I'm still doing Marketing in the Technology industry. This new company is really adorable to me and I'm throughly enjoying it. There are challenges, but I think those help me grow. This is a company I've always looked up to, so I'm happy to be here. I don't have everything figured out but this much I know.
3. I moved further away from Blogging/Influencing and deeper into Content Creation. I really loved taking photos but didn't think they fit with my online Influencer account. I decided I could do that  (what I loved) and still make a great income doing it - so I did. 
4. I had my first 6 figure collaboration, then another one, and then another one. I'm so happy I never stopped negotiating with brands and always demanded to get paid for the work I was putting into content creation, influencing, and having my own brand. 

It's crazy to me that I feel so good! I think the break was needed to find myself and love my live even more than before. 

Sending you lots of love, and I hope you forgive me for leaving you for this long. I'm back now.

- Aani

Let's Talk About Faith

If you know me, you know I'm not one to talk about controversial subjects. Actually, I avoid politics and religion all together. I've been known to smile and nod politely until I can quickly escape the conversation or change the subject. 

9 New Year Resolutions for 2019

Hi loves,

I've been gone for a good minute from my blog, haven't I? What can I say, life got a little crazy this past year. As I reflected on the highs (there were a lot of those!) and some lows (those were very low), I realized I have more goals than ever for this coming year. It's not just the fact that I'll be turning 25 this year, which OMG, is actually the craziest thing ever because that was the age where I thought I would have my entire life together. A big L O L to that. I feel like no matter how put together my life is, there's always parts of it I'm working to improve. Which is why these resolutions at the beginning of the year keep me so in check. So here are mine for this year, and I'd love to hear yours too!

Cozy Sweaters Are Calling My Name - #FallOOTD

Hellooooo beautiful readers! I've missed you! I've been a super busy bee lately! Life has just changed so much this year. It's my first time not having to go to class every single day, and that means I'm officially adult-ing. I'll make a whole separate post about what I've been up to and what I'm working on at the moment, but for now, enjoy this Fall OOTD!

A Stay-cation at the Embassy Suites by Seattle North Lynnwood

Hellooooo beautiful readers!

Last weekend, I planned a super fun stay-cation (like a vacation, but you stay closer to home) with my mom and sister. It was one of the most fun weekends we've had in a really long time! We decided to go explore an area a little ways away from our home so we stayed at the newly-renovated Embassy Suites by Seattle North Lynwood.

Here's what we did that weekend and some of my favorite parts from it!

My Signature Curls ft. Kroger Beauty

Hey you, hey!

I wanted to talk to you today about something I've always gotten questions on - my signature curls! I wear these soft, easy curls a lot so let's hop right into it!

Eid Al-Fitr 2018

Hello beautiful people!

Today, I celebrated one of my favorite holidays of the entire year - Eid! Of course everyone celebrates Eid however they want to, but this post will be about what I did this Eid, what I wore, and a little bit about the holiday too!

Hair Update!

Hellooooo and happy weekend!

Today I'm sharing a huge hair update with you! My hair had gotten pretty long for me, and this weekend, I pulled the trigger on getting a haircut finally! I loveeee long hair, but after my hair reaches a certain point, it stops growing. I also just feel more like myself with medium or short length hair. I'm a short gal, so obviously having short hair is something that has always just matched.

Night at the Pacific Northwest Ballet

Hello!

Recently, I attended Emergence with my sister at Pacific Northwest Ballet. I absolutely LOVED the performance! It was much more moving than I expected it to be! I also loved how on lovely the orchestra was. There's nothing like a classy night out on the town to make your weekend perfect. 

How to Succeed on Social Media

Hi Hi Hi! I hope you're having an amaaaaazing week! I've been getting SO many questions regarding social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and how to gain engagement (followers, likes, saves, etc.) and I wanted to take some time today to come on here and talk about it and give you my honest advice! I feel like a share everything with you guys, so there's really no topic that's too big or small! Social media has always been something I've been very interested in and obsessed with. When I was in college, I worked in 2 different jobs where I managed social media. The first job was for a start up and a second one was a summer internship where I did social media and online engagement for a huge tech company in Seattle. Any who, I loveeee social media and think everyone should get to be as successful as they want to be, so here are my tips for you!

Life Update: 6 Months Out of College

Hellooooooo beautiful readers!

I'm sorry I haven't been as active on here lately! I've had some very busy times in my little life and I'm excited to share with you today what exactly I've been up to. As you all know, I really love my life. I work really hard to make sure that my happiness first and foremost stems from me. That's kind of the way I've always been.

Valentine's Day Maxi Dresses

Helloooooo my loves!

When I think of Valentine's Day I think of super romantic vibes! I'm talking your favorite flowers, the chocolate you crave all the time, and a lot of sweet time with your special someone. I also think about lace, silk, and fabric that just flows. This is why I think Valentine's Day is the perfect chance to rock a maxi dress! My favorite part about maxi dresses is how easy to dress down or dress up they are, but they make you look like you're a million bucks.

My daily makeup routine

I get a lot of questions about my every day makeup routine and the products I use! Here’s a list of what that looks like if I’m heading to work (or other weekday tingssss)! I've listed or linked all the products below! If a product couldn't be found online, I just linked a similar one instead :)

My Favorite Lipsticks Under $10

Hi beauuuuutiful people!

I'm so excited to share with you today one of my most requested posts - what my favorite least expensive lipsticks are! This is a great question because if we're all being honest, makeup products can get SO expensive sometimes. And I'm someone who loves to have a blue toned red and a warm toned red and a red that has both tones... you get what I mean hehe. So below I've rounded up not just any lipsticks under 10 dollars, but my personal faves. These have been tired, tested, and loveeeed by me over the years! So, enjoy! Alsoooo if you end up purchasing one - let me know how you like it!

12 Things I Learned This Year - Month by Month

Hello loves! Today I felt like sharing something personal with you, so I resorted to writing up 12 things I've learned this year (sorted by months). I went through a lot this year! I graduated from the University of Washington, started working a big girl job or two, worked really hard on Life of Aani, you know, all that good good stuff ;)

14 Tips For Someone Starting A New Job

Hello my beautiful readers! Let's talk about careers and working today!

Life update: I'm so excited to share with you some great news! I started a new job! For a while now, (basically since around April of this year) I've been searching for a job that I thought was my dream job. Since I graduated this past Spring, I did have a job lined up for after graduation but within the first few days I knew that the office environment and role itself wasn't really for me. I ended up reducing my hours at that job and taking on a bunch of freelance projects to keep myself busy. However, I was still unhappy and didn't actually ever feel excited about going into work. Thus began the job application process once again!

embracing your uniqueness

Recently, a few blogger friends and I collaborated on a project called #CallToCulture. This really got me thinking about what makes me unique and how beautiful it is that none of us are completely alike. Growing up, I always wanted to fit in. I think that's what everyone wants when they're in elementary school, middle school, high school, and even in college. I had this idea in my head that if I dressed like everyone else, talked like them, and died my hair like them I would have a life similar to theirs. I quickly realized that no matter what I did, I would never be exactly like some of my friends and my life would never be identical to theirs. Throughout college is when I really began to love this fact instead of fighting it.

Why You Need Lash Extensions In Your Life ASAP

So if there's one thing I get asked about on the daily now, it's my LASHES! Anyone that knows me or has followed me for a while, knows that ya girl LOVES big, dramatic, and fluffy as can be eye lashes. Here are the top reasons why I think you should consider getting lash extensions, things to know before you get them, and details about which ones I have! 

It's Time To Start Loving Yourself

So almost every single time I meet up with any one of my single friends (and sometimes not-so-single friends) I always notice the same thing happening. We end up on any topic and it always ends with me having to reassure them how great they are. Whether it’s boys, school, hobbies, or even a quick picture posted on Instagram – we can all be so insecure about ourselves. The thing with me is that I’m pretty obsessed with myself. Believe it or not, I’m probably too confident in myself. At the end of the day, I know that I’m an exceptional person/partner and I’m always on top of everything I need to be doing. So with this attitude comes a life of everything you want. When you love yourself, you’re confident, and when you’re confident you’re happy, and when you’re happy you’re a magnet for everything and anything you desire. Okay, okay, let’s dive right into it then! Here’s 10 tips to becoming more confident in yourself and really begin loving yourself!

The Long Awaited Q&A

This is soooo long delayed but here are a bunch of questions that were rotting in my Instagram DMs that I sorted out and answered for you! I know there's a few new people following so hopefully these help you get to know me a little bit better!