Not Suitable for Instagram

On any given day, my house is not suitable for Instagram. You know what I'm talking about...

Among the multitude of styled, filtered and cropped photos, sometimes my life just isn't picture-ready.

Don't get me wrong, Instagram is my favorite social media platform, and I absolutely love the styled-to-perfection photos. But on those days when comparison is running wild, I have to remind myself that for every "perfect" photo, an imperfect person is on the other side [working meticulously] to capture that fleeting moment.

Well, in the interest of total honesty, I figured that I would show the state of my perfectly-imperfect house. Especially since Saturday was the 1-year anniversary of sealing the deal on this little beauty!!

- March 15, 2013 - 

My yellow front door is most definitely in the "top five" of favorite changes that I've made since this little bungalow became mine!

Okay, after a week of events during Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, followed by a week of preparing for the O'City St. Patrick's Day Parade and battling [what feels like a never ending bout of] food poisoning, here is reality:

1. Many, many piles of clean and folded laundry. Apparently, the extra 8 minutes to put it all away is just too much.

2. A dining room table that isn't used for dining as much as it's a catch-all for all of my stuff after work, after a run, or after just about anything.

3. Again, the jewelry box is a mere 6 feet away. But the dresser is much more convenient for de-robing jewelry at the end of the day. 

Especially since Kelly gave me this lovely little jewelry tray! Life is too important to be taken seriously.

4. My bed - beautiful when made - hasn't been made in quite some time. 

5. Oh, and remember this photo from my Instagram? Well, on most days, this is how it actually looks! 

Ya know... since I don't make my bed.

So, can I make a confession? Even in my [very intentional] decision to be honest in these photos and not allow the "Instagram effect" to creep in, it was harder than anticipated to show real life. As much as I love Instagram, it creates such a culture of comparison and discontentment.

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

Comparison is a necessary evil, but I won't let it steal my overwhelming joy that I get to live this beautifully-messy, not [always] suitable for Instagram, life.

... But I am definitely thankful for the multiple iPhone apps that help make me look tanner and my pictures a little prettier!

xoxo, E

p.s. speaking of Instagram, I did another closet clean-out last night and posted the stuff to my @shopelizcloset page. Same rules as last time: everything is free, but if you want to donate, all money will go to the Children's Miracle Network!