Pulling Back the Curtain on Instagram

Can we all just take a minute and appreciate how incredibly bloggy the above photo is?

The stripes, the rings, the laptop, the white blanket, did I nail it or did I NAIL IT? I know said photo probably caused some of you to eye roll and wonder “why is this happening?” and I understand that, but at the same time when I manage to pull off a pretty stupid photo that is “trendyish” and all over Instagram, I can’t help but stand back and be a little proud. Like look at me, maybe people will think I’m a real blogger today.

I like to think this photo says, look how cute and cozy I’m being right now. Life is cute and cozy, isn’t it? Fun fun fun. Blankets and coffee and stripes and midi rings ALL day.

What really happened: I spilled that damn coffee all over the stupid white blanket. And then I actually blurted, “This is your punishment for trying to take a ridiculous pic, even God hates selfies. Stop this now.” I immediately threw the blanket in the wash and put my yoga pants back on. I don’t have time for striped sweaters on Tuesday. And fancy rings? Only when I’m going out.

Look, another leg photo. What are the chances?

I like to think this photo says, just another relaxing night at home sipping a cocktail and reading a funny book! Life is relaxing and grand! Cheers!

What really happened: I sat on the floor. On a small white rug. For a photo. Because I hate myself. We are grown ass women, let’s stop sitting on tiny white rugs.

Giggles!

I like to think this photo says, another fun day in Chicago wearing jewelry! I’m a girly girl. Necklaces. Rings. Lipstick! Being a girl is FUN.


What really happened: I used a selfie stick 🙁 and even though this photo sucks it took me like 235 shots just to get it.

What I like to think this photo says, off to brunch in my brunch shirt and having the BEST time. I can barely stop to take this photo I am laughing SO MUCH. BRUNCH!


What really happened: 
“Chris, can you get a photo really quick?”
“Ugh, yes fine. Where?”
“I don’t care, by this brick wall.”
“Ok.”
“Do I look weird? Is my hair okay?”
“It’s fine. I got it.” 
(takes photo. I look at photo.)
“Chris, I look homeless! This is the worst photo ever. Why is it so hard for you to take a good photo? It’s blurry. And I said close up. Let’s just go. It’s fine. Whatever.”


What I like to think this photo says, this is the trip of our lives! LOVING LIFE.

What really happened: after getting lost and walking two extra miles, we were barely speaking. It was also freezing, raining slightly, and I was mad at Chris for making me go to London in March when it’s basically still winter. *I suggested the trip, not him. But when you’ re cold and angry, everything is your significant other’s fault.

Screw it, this photo is awesome. Zero regrets here. I may live in the city of pizza, but I’ll take good old Dominos any day.

Alright Instagram world, let’s go take on the day. Show me your best “look at these flowers in front of my face while I stand in front of a bright yellow door” pics! Seriously, what’s not to love?

And if you write your own “pull back the curtain” post make sure to tell me so I can hop over and see it. K thanks bye!!!!!!

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38 Comments

  1. August 19, 2015 / 11:09 am

    I appreciate you being honest about the dominoes 😉 I'm with you. I love a good deep dish but dominoes is walking distance. But how do you own so many white things? Is Harlow that much better behaved than Hawkeye? We can own no white in this house. Nothing. Not even cream or beige. I had nice cream sheets and then she ate a saucy meatball on them.

  2. August 19, 2015 / 11:10 am

    Ha! We ordered Dominos all the time when I lived in Chicago! Convenience!

  3. August 19, 2015 / 11:14 am

    I'm posting a picture later today for my blog post…it's a close up of me biting into a giant turkey leg at a football game. It happened 8 years ago, but I sure wish I could go back in time and throw on a blanket scarf, some midi rings, and stare wistfully into the distance while I hold the turkey leg casually to the side.

  4. August 19, 2015 / 11:33 am

    Haha I love this. I need to go find myself a little white rug, because let's be honest… so bloggy.

  5. August 19, 2015 / 11:55 am

    we all lie on the 'grams. I spill on myself 99.8% of the time.

  6. August 19, 2015 / 12:10 pm

    The world needs more pizza leg selfies and less grown ass women sitting on white tiny rugs.

    WHAT IS THIS A RUG FOR ANTS?

  7. August 19, 2015 / 12:23 pm

    I'm dying laughing!!!! This is hilarious and so true! Love it!

  8. August 19, 2015 / 12:48 pm

    I love Dominos so quick and easy! The top two photos scream ''look I am a blogger'' but I totally would of ended up spilling said coffee over the sheets aswell. The things we do to get that perfect shot.

  9. August 19, 2015 / 1:21 pm

    Haha! Girl you crack me up! You just literally had me laughing out loud! I love reading your posts! Happy hump day:)

  10. August 19, 2015 / 1:25 pm

    I totally love this post. I suspect ALL instagrammers could write similar posts. Except me. I only instagram things that suck.

  11. August 19, 2015 / 1:31 pm

    I love you! Thank you thank you thank you for this 🙂 I love this 'pull back the curtain' post SO MUCH

  12. August 19, 2015 / 1:38 pm

    Love it. I think most of us are very VERY guilty.

  13. August 19, 2015 / 2:57 pm

    Hahaha my boyfriend is the exact same as the "brunch" photo. I ask him to take a picture and he doesn't understand – either my feet, or part of my head is cut off. "you look great" actually means "you look like shit but I don't want to take another picture". Oh, love.

  14. August 19, 2015 / 2:58 pm

    I love when you do this because I honestly have to laugh when I see these perfectly 'staged' pics. I'm guilty, too – I once bought these cute socks with macarons on them and instead of taking a normal foot pic I was on the carpet with a cute coffee mug in hand. Confession: the coffee mug was empty and I angled it so you couldn't tell. I MEAN, COME ON.

  15. August 19, 2015 / 3:50 pm

    Because Instagram pictures are awkward and hard to take. I might have to do this post too. Make it a link up?

  16. August 19, 2015 / 4:22 pm

    This is such a fantastic idea! I am totally making this a post of my own. And I agree with Nina W., a link up could be amazing.

  17. August 19, 2015 / 6:16 pm

    This post is absolutely perfect and so relatable!!

  18. August 19, 2015 / 7:17 pm

    This post right here is why you're one of my favorite bloggers! Hilarious. And more people should post the 'real' insta pix. Or, even better, just start posting the bloggy picture with the real shit caption. Way more entertaining!

  19. August 19, 2015 / 8:49 pm

    Yell yeah when we are tired our feet hurt and it's cold we of course blame the other half for every little thing, here in Aus Domino's pizza skims on the cheese and the sauce has a chilli taste to it and is to hot for me they really have stuffed it up

  20. August 20, 2015 / 5:54 am

    HA I love this so much. I'm seriously impressed by your amount of white, too. I may have to do something like this but it is just that good.

  21. August 20, 2015 / 9:29 am

    Lol, yes!!! This reminds me of this post I wrote in April fool''s 2013, about my "blogging pet peeves." I would have written it way differently today (mainly less annoyed-sounding) and I would have injected my own funny attempts at living the blogger life, because by now I have a lot of those moments. Here ito is: http://earnestyle.blogspot.com/2013/04/lets-be-real.html

    Absolutely loved this frank, hilarious post. I'm especially glad to see my bf isn't the only one who gets annoyed when I ask for photos. I always think, "But look at Julia Hengel''s husband! And Kendi's! Why can't you be more like them?" Lol

  22. August 20, 2015 / 9:29 am

    Lol, yes!!! This reminds me of this post I wrote in April fool''s 2013, about my "blogging pet peeves." I would have written it way differently today (mainly less annoyed-sounding) and I would have injected my own funny attempts at living the blogger life, because by now I have a lot of those moments. Here ito is: http://earnestyle.blogspot.com/2013/04/lets-be-real.html

    Absolutely loved this frank, hilarious post. I'm especially glad to see my bf isn't the only one who gets annoyed when I ask for photos. I always think, "But look at Julia Hengel''s husband! And Kendi's! Why can't you be more like them?" Lol

  23. August 20, 2015 / 9:37 am

    Really cool post!!! I never thought about how some people "stage" their instagram photos, maybe because I never did it myself… But this post was really fun to read! =)

    xoRosie
    Rosie's Life

  24. August 20, 2015 / 9:57 am

    This is awesome and hilarious! And also impressive! No matter how much I try, I feel like I just can't manage to get that "super blogger" instagram photo to happen! So yes, it may be silly but it's also a skill!! Own it, girlfriend!

    …Also, I'm gonna go follow you on insta now. Maybe it will amp up my game…

    • August 20, 2015 / 10:05 am

      Although I am pretty proud of this one: https://instagram.com/p/4rhZvppZ-i/

      Yes, my bike helmet matches my dress. Yes, that was on purpose. Yes, I made my fiance take these pictures while I pretended to just be leisurely biking on the road…

  25. August 21, 2015 / 1:41 am

    You're my new best friend. I was literally just telling my husband tonight that getting trendy IG pics is an art. I can't even take a frickin artsy pic of me holding an ice cream cone with cute nails. I literally suck at IG but I have so much fun I just cant stop trucking right along. Oh and look at this picture, I actually called myself out because I'm too legit to quit. https://instagram.com/p/5QVt5dI4H5/?taken-by=brittaneykate P.s. I'm also not funny, at all. I make that painfully obvious, all the time. So happy I stumbled on your blog. Can't wait to order my "hang with my dog" shirt. Xoxo

  26. August 21, 2015 / 2:19 pm

    Okay I told the truth about my latest insta pic, and linked this post 😉 It's not even the worst I've ever done though. I drove past a funny road sign once and thought "I should take a picture of that" so I turned around (which took like a good ten minutes) pulled into a Bell Tire parking lot, got out of my car, put my hood up, stood on the side of the road, took a few pics, and quickly walked back to my car and drove away. Hahaha. Maybe we should all just tell the truth right from the start, it'd be way funnier.

    x. Morgan / MorningApple

  27. August 21, 2015 / 3:02 pm

    Ha! I love the "real stories" behind these pictures. They make me giggle! 🙂

  28. August 21, 2015 / 4:38 pm

    K so Morgan Apfel mentioned you/ this post on her blog so obviously I had to come see for myself. Love this post. love how freaking real it is and love how I can relate to it all haha especially the last one. story.of.my.life "…J… can you take a picture of me real quick…" and then he gets a little bit huffy as he snaps a quick pic. Husbands are the best and help keep us not so instagram perfect haha but yeah. glad she mentioned your blog bc now I am hooked.
    xo, Candace | Lovely Little Rants

  29. August 22, 2015 / 12:43 am

    The "real stories" behind the photos… though I don't follow other bloggers that are basically extensions of their Instagram accounts, I can't help but wonder how seriously filtered their photos are.

    My photos go through no filtering… if I take a photo with a purpose for social media, it ends up there regardless of its quality. (My Israel albums are full of Fail Photos, most frequently on the road when I had bad timing to get road signs. Ha!)

  30. August 23, 2015 / 3:22 pm

    I love this so much hahaha So I did one of my own! Love your blog thanks for sharing

  31. August 23, 2015 / 5:33 pm

    I always feel like everyone's Instagram/blog photos look so much prettier than mine, whether they're obviously staged or not. Sometimes I wish mine looked as good, but sometimes I make myself feel better by imagining that it probably took them several tries to get a picture that was worth posting.

    Thanks for confirming that I'm not the only one who will take a million (or does it just feel that way?) pictures of the same damn thing in the hopes that maybe one of those pictures will be decent enough to post! I don't do that all the time, of course, but there have definitely been times when I've spent an obscene amount of time trying to get the "perfect" picture.

    And, for the record, none of my pictures ever turn out "perfect," so I'm always disappointed. Such is life.

  32. October 28, 2015 / 8:30 pm
  33. December 24, 2015 / 5:29 am

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