A Moment of Honesty: Behind the Instagram

Back by popular demand! You guys loved my last "Behind the Instagram" post so much that I decided to bring it back. Oh my, how everything has changed between then and now. My days have been filled with learning and adjusting. Fewer "pretty things" but a higher appreciation for them. Also, fabulous footwear. Spring, you may slay me with your various allergens but the fashion that comes along with you is on-point.

I know, tulips in a mason jar. Groundbreaking. By Insta'ing this one, I think I was adding to the noise more than anything. Saying, "hey world, have you heard that I have a blog? Here are some carefully-curated flowers in timeless yet somehow also trendy glassware." You know what though? I don't care how much of a "blogger stereotype" it is. I love tulips. I love having fresh flowers. During my long, inexplicable bouts of sadness, I love having fresh flowers to look at and to smell. I surround myself. You should try it sometime. 

I specifically remember snapping this photo after a long, exasperated sigh. My dreams are of being a big time news gal at one of the major networks in The Big Apple are so ripe yet seem so unattainable. It's overwhelming at times but I'm enjoying the "journey." I took this photo as a reminder of that. Work, work, work! If you work hard enough, anything can happen.

As my life and my life's mission is beginning to come together in more tangible ways, I'm starting to feel more comfortable with myself. I used to be obsessed with the color pink. Then I was neutral towards it. Then I did not embrace it so much. Now, I'm back to loving it. I even wore it! (I rarely wear anything other than neutrals, but you all know this already.) These pink petals made my day as I was walking down the street with a friend. You should never feel odd about stopping to take an iPhone photo of something that strikes your fancy. The world would be a much better place if we all did. N'es pas?

Due to awful planning and time management, I ended up with an hour and a half to kill before work last week. It really irked me. I kept thinking about all of the work that had to be done, all of the productive things I could be doing... until I realized how overloaded I've let my life become. Endless hustle and bustle. No time to just "be." I relaxed, put in my headphones, and people-watched my way through the afternoon. I even got to witness some people walking in on some other people in the bathroom. What a terrible thing. But also funny. If any of you Old City weirdos are reading this, you should really start locking the door/knocking, respectively. It's not that difficult and it'll save you a lot of humiliation. 

Regardless of your pant size, regardless of what time it is, you should always treat yourself if you've had a particularly awful day. And in my case, the entire week was the pits. I moseyed my way down to Franklin Fountain after work and grabbed a vegan strawberry cone. It was amazing and so worth the calories.

Walking down the city street as a professionally-dressed woman (or any woman, for that matter) is a lot more difficult than it ever should be. One would think that at this point we'd have established as a society just how utterly "not okay" street harassment truly is. It's a part of my life that I've gotten great at ignoring. At first I felt guilty, dirty. Then, I felt angry. Then, I felt nothing. I realized that these "men" are not entitled to a reaction from me. They can laugh about it to their friends when I keep walking, stone-faced, but I know my worth. Sometimes though, it gets scary. This was one of those times. I ducked into my parking garage to avoid confrontation. As I peered out onto 2nd Street, I was taken back by the beauty of the flares of sun and the shadows. I realized that God's created some beautiful things, and I remembered that my belief is that I was created in His image and I should never feel ashamed by what some dirty men say to me. (More on this whole entire street harassment issue later.)

This photo was taken while I was waiting for a friend the other day. Like I said... Spring footwear. Yes, yes, yes. I love winter more than anything and I love wearing boots but there is something empowering about walking in a stiletto heel. This was just one of those moments at which I stopped to appreciate the harmonious blending of colors, textures, and patterns. I said it before, I'll say it again, and again, and again: these moments are important. They may seem insignificant in the long-run, but just stopping to appreciate the aesthetic beauty all around you is an always-inspiring practice.

xo,
e.m.