BEHIND THE SNAP

Instagram is a key tool that many bloggers use to promote their blog views and other social media followings.  Most of us really enjoy using Instagram, not just to post our own pictures but also to gain inspiration from other bloggers and their seemingly effortless pictures.

Instagram, like any other good thing, has a rougher side to it.  After gazing at all of those seemingly effortless pictures, envy can begin to take root inside of us.  Then we start contrasting our own photos with others', and somehow, we end up wanting to completely scratch every single picture we've ever posted.  It's a vicious cycle, and many of us fall prey to it.

However, it is essential to remember that Instagram is not a realistic representation of anyone's life.  We bloggers are especially guilty of staging unrelated things together just to create an aesthetically pleasing picture;  on the other hand, we hardly ever post pictures of that bad grade we received or the blemishes on our faces.

One of my blogger friends shared this thought-provoking quote with me:  "Do not compare your today with someone else's tomorrow."  The same can be said for this situation:  do not compare your own work with someone else's.  It'd be the equivalent of comparing macarons and hydrangeas (in my eyes, anyway).

I've dug into the deepest recesses of my Instagram snaps to share with you the reality of some of those pictures;  hopefully you'll be laughing by the time you've finished reading!

1. "Happy Halloween--XOXO, Gossip Girl"

What You See:  Look, another blogger jumping on the Gossip Girl bandwagon!

The Reality:  I took this picture about thirty times to get my face and hair just perfect.  Fun fact:  I never even dressed up for Halloween, I've never watched one episode of Gossip Girl, and that headband is from the kid's section in Target.

2. "Obligatory snow day picture."

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's out of school and in the snow!

The Reality:  The snow you see in this picture was only about one inch deep, and that was supposedly the greatest extent which we were going to receive.  About an hour after I posted this, snow started pouring down, and suddenly we had six inches.  If only I'd waited an hour...

3. "My spring break essentials (sandals and bathing suits not included)."

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's going to be stylishly chic even as she stays home, watches Netflix in bed, and eats protein bars for a week!

The Reality:  My spring break consisted of watching old movies on my handy dandy Kindle, doing some extra schoolwork, and eating anything other than protein bars (or anything moderately healthy).

4. "The weather outside makes me shiver, but the flowers beg to differ."

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's starting to take pictures of flowers and other spring-y landscapes!

The Reality:  This was taken at Home Depot, and the weather outside was, in fact, more humid than I had hoped for;  this resulted in my Patagonia jacket heating up like a furnace.

5. "Well, what do we have here?"

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's stepping out in her sophisticated ensemble, only to find yet another package of assorted goodies on her doorstep!

The Reality:  When this package did arrive, I knew I needed to take a picture of it because, contrary to what social media portrays, I don't receive J. Crew packages every other week.  I rushed in my room, threw on a dress and sandals, and proceeded to rush outside and sweep the doorstep clean of leaves and dirt--all in front of the neighbors.

6. "Thank goodness for coordinating pool floats and phone cases."

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's taking photos with her sunnies and aesthetically pleasing pool floats!

The Reality:  I really wanted an excuse to show off my new phone case, and after testing out numerous backdrops, I finally decided that a pink pool float would do the trick.  However, I didn't consider the fact that the wind was blowing, which eventually resulted in my backdrop and props floating away to the middle of the pool.  That was a mess!

7. "If anyone asks, just tell them I'm loafing around in a garden full of hydrangeas."

What You See:  Look, another blogger who's posing with a fresh bouquet of hydrangeas!

The Reality:  Those hydrangeas are nowhere near fresh:  they're not even real!

I suppose, in the end, a blogger has to do what a blogger has to do.

What are some of your funniest "behind the snap" moments?

Love,
Tori