Real Life vs Insta Life

I have a not so secret love affair with Instagram. I love it. Love it, love it, love it!

I see my Instagram gallery as a mini blog. A way that I can share my life quickly and easily and give my followers and readers a chance to get to know me better. Well at least that's how I feel about the people I follow.

I get excited when they post, I feel inspired. Not everyone I follow lives a perfect "Insta Life". Not everyone is on holiday once a month, eats at perfectly light restaurants everyday, has a house that could double as a film set and has picture perfect make up for the school run.

But lots do. Or at least they seem to. And that is the magic of Instagram. I don't see it as cheating, to share your best bits, your highlights. 

I love that the everyday can be incredibly aspirational, it's all about what you choose to share.

Sometimes a snippet is so much more powerful that the whole. I love sharing corners of our home, rushing out into the conservatory to snap my lunch on a piece of whiteboard (YES - that's true and I am not alone) and creating a pretty floral image.

It makes me happy. It's become firmly part of my daily ritual and it allows me to connect with my readers when life gets so busy, that blog posts become few and far between in a week.

But I thought it might be interesting to share a few real life images. To show how it doesn't matter if the house is covered in washing, if there's a stack of papers and post on the side in the kitchen, that's creeping over the entire work surface, if you actually eat on your laps in front of the tv instead of on a perfect white table (I mean piece of card) or god forbid baby wipe a school jumper out of the washing basket.

Because it's your gallery! And for me it's my completely creative indulgence. People who encourage your individual style, and support each other. You don't have to post, you can just follow. Or use your gallery as your creative sounding board.

Just play and enjoy. Share what you want to share. Don't feel guilty for choosing what you share. Oh and it's absolutely not wrong to edit your phone photos! Brighten them a little, sharpen them, use a lovely filter. 

But here's a peek into my real life vs insta life...

I try and find that little bit of extraordinary in my ordinary, well at least what feels extraordinary to me! My husband is still not convinced on a pile of old snail shells from the garden. He didn't get why I was excited to see it shared on the #nothingisordinary gallery! 

Nothing is ordinary.

UPDATE: Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post. I've decided to start a new monthly series at the end of the month in 2016 showing you some more behind the scenes. So pop back soon :)