The "Perfect" White Dress for Spring

Cupcakes, pretty storefronts, a lace white dress, and my favorite nude heels? Count me in. I am absolutely loving this For Love & Lemons dress that I got from the sample sale that I talked about earlier this month in my striped blouse look. To be honest, I've wanted one of these feminine, mini dresses for a while now, but I never had an excuse to treat myself to their full-priced collection. So, when I found this piece at the sample sale in Ellicott City for half-price, I obviously couldn't pass it up. I am a bargain shopper at heart, and although I love to invest in a gorgeous, new piece from time to time, I still love the rush of a good find.

This weekend in particular, I was feeling inspired by Easter and the new arrival of Spring, so I decided to pair this white lace dress with a flowy pink cardigan, pink Henri Bendel shoulder bag, pink tassel earrings, and my signature pointed toe pumps. It's almost like I have this thing for pink, no?

While this shoot may have been pretty and seemingly perfect from the outside, I wanted to remind you babes that things aren't always as they seem and not everyday that we shoot turns out exactly as planned. In fact, we have had shoot days that are freezing cold (I cannot tell you how many times Jade, our photographer, has had to edit out my blue hands); days that we get frustrated by the lighting or location aesthetic, we sit in an hour of unexpected traffic, or we're just plain hangry.

The reality is that life doesn't always go as planned. And that is okay. I know that we see our own imperfect days for what they are, but I think that oftentimes when we look at other people's lives, or Instagram feeds, we somehow forget that they have weird days too. Like days when a giant pimple shows up in the middle of their forehead, or when they're going on their 3rd day of dry shampoo and refuse to change out of their fuzzy robe (meet: me), or when they wake up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning and feel a little "off" all day.

A few weekends back, Jade, Sam and I decided to drive to Georgetown, DC in the morning to shoot this pretty, Spring look. We were running a little behind schedule because my eyelashes did NOT want to cooperate (I mistakenly bought the wrong brand), so we skipped our normal açaí bowl breakfasts in a hurry to pick up Jade. By the time we got to DC, Sam's head had already started pounding. We stopped at the market to grab him breakfast and decided that he would just sit in the car and eat next to where we were shooting. Jade and I hopped out of the car in the freezing wind and shot this look in 3 or 4 different locations until my hands turned blue and my legs were visibly shaking.

By the time we got back to the car with cupcakes, Sam had the worst migraine he had experienced in years. We had 1 stop left on our schedule, but decided to call it an early day instead and started driving home. About 5 minutes into the drive, Sam pulled over on the side of the road so we could switch, and he ended up getting pretty violently sick from the migraine. I drove us home at a glacial speed with Sam sleeping in the passenger seat, Jade silently editing in the back, and me shoving 2 cupcakes down my throat as "breakfast".

Sometimes all you see is the pretty picture and that's okay. But, I never want any of you to feel "not enough" or down on your own bad days when you scroll through my blog or Instagram feed. My purpose is always to inspire you, create connection, and help you feel confident and beautiful in your own skin.

Not everyday goes as planned, so my reminder for you today is: when you are scrolling through those little squares and you hear that negative voice start to creep up in your head comparing someone else's "perfect" life or trip to Paris or foamy matcha latte to your reality, take a second to pause. Remember that a lot of real, imperfect life goes on behind the scenes of those pretty styled photos, and I want you to say 3 things out loud that you are grateful for right now in your life.

It may seem silly at first or seem insincere when you're coming from a place of self-doubt or comparison, but I want you to try it anyway. And then keep trying it everyday and every time this happens until it becomes a habit.

I have made it a habit this year to write down or say out loud 3 things I am grateful for each day. I am by no means exempt from comparing myself to others on social media or IRL. But, I can tell you that this simple routine has helped me put so many things into perspective and has really put the focus back into appreciating my everyday life, even when it's not as pretty as the photos.