Get The Look: Baby Blue and Blush Pink
We arrived at about 7am and yet it still wasn’t early enough to beat the crowds. Every year, people from around the world gather to experience the peak of cherry blossom season at the Tidal Basin surrounding the iconic monuments. Our first year visiting, we rode our bikes through the sea of people, stopping every so often to snap photos on our phones and grab bites at bright-colored food trucks lining the streets.
As the blog has evolved over the past 5 years, we began arriving earlier and earlier to get a moment of peace while shooting without disturbing the flow of people walking around.
When we were driving into the city from Baltimore this year we were shocked to see bus loads of tourists, and streets packed with traffic even before the sun had fully risen. As a perfectionist and a hard-core planner, my heart began to race and my anxiety rose as I calculated the time we had left before the sun would make its way directly above (ruining my chance for airy and feminine lighting).
“How would we be able to find parking now? Would we still have time to shoot 2 looks or do I need to cut it down to 1? Will the sun be out by the time we finally get to the cherry blossoms from our car? Will there be a hundred people in the background of my photos, shoving us aside and whispering judgmental comments?”
One of the things I am working on this year is managing expectations. The quote, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen“ has stuck with me because I can feel the truth of it deep in my heart. I hold myself, and most people in my life, to a very high standard and, without realizing it, I create unrealistic expectations, constantly allowing myself to be let down.
Over the years, Sam has accepted that this is a pain point for me, and when he senses my anxiety increasing about a situation that is out of our control, or something he knows I’ve created high expectations for in my mind, he has a way of calming me down and bringing me back to reality.
The moment he saw the look on my face as these questions silently raced through my mind, he grabbed my hand and made me take a deep breath with him as he reassured me that everything would be ok.
One of the things I find him asking me when I feel overwhelmed or when my plan isn’t going as expected is, “has it ever not worked out?” I always know the answer: of course not. Meaning: everything in our life has taken place exactly as it should. Looking back, the timing and result of every situation has lead us to this place in our lives, whether we realized it in the moment or not.
9 times out of 10 when I’m feeling anxious, even when things truly don’t go according to plan, or my expectations are not met, I look back and think “well, that turned out amazing” (or at the very least, “not as bad as I thought”).
This day was certainly no exception. It was by far my favorite cherry blossom date we’ve had in DC yet. Sam sweet talked someone into holding a parking spot for us only a street away from the blossoms, we got creative and found little open areas that weren’t swarmed with people, and Sam got to flex his creative muscles when it came to shooting different textures and angles.
Although the sun came up much earlier than expected, we were still able to get both looks done, have a lot of laughs, and take our time wandering through the blossoms. We spent a solid 3 hours at the Tidal Basin holding hands, being in the moment, and not rushing the process. On our way back from lunch at Old Ebbits (Sam’s favorite in DC), I kept saying over and over again how much I loved this day and didn’t want it to end.
Moral of the story: I am still learning to “go with the flow” and trying to not create high expectations for every day/event in my life. Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan or the picture in my head, and it works out even better.
Now for the look: I wore this blue ruffle maxi dress with a classic jean jacket and blush pink espadrille flats. The only accessories this dress needed were my bamboo clutch from Amazon (under $30) and a wide-brimmed blush pink hat. I didn’t want to take away from the fun and flirty design of tiered ruffles, so I kept my hair, makeup, and jewelry very minimal.
At this point, you know that my signature color will forever and always remain blush pink. However, I love mixing in different colors to compliment the pale pink shade and brighten things up as the seasons change.
Aside from pink, my two must-have colors for Spring are baby blue and lavender. So, when I saw this light and flowy maxi dress online for less than $20, I knew it would fit perfectly into my more colorful wardrobe this season.
My dress is sold out now, but I’ve linked similar styles below!
p.s. Are you sick of me talking about denim yet this year? I’ve only mentioned it here, here, and here already. What can I say? I’m having a major moment with the classic staple and I couldn’t think of anything better suited to dress down this feminine ruffle dress for a weekend day date. It helped me feel more on the casual side without compromising my girly style.
How are you styling baby blue and blush pink this season? Tag me in your #ootd or comment on my latest Instagram post and let me know!
Want more style inspiration? Read 3 Must-Have Accessories and How to Style High-Waisted Jeans for Spring.
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xo Anna Elizabeth