Sitting at a crowded restaurant and taking trips are things I’m really starting to miss. Yet, we’re all still posting on social media and showing off pretty things, however trivial they might seem. I for one am doing so in an attempt to spread some joy, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the stories behind my favorite Instagram shots. It’s fun to see how my editing and photography styles have changed over the years as well as revisit the memories behind all of them!

I narrowed it down to 10 pictures (I really love everything I post, so it was HARD). I hope you take away some inspiration!

The cutest valentine

Fun fact, this is the first photo you’ll find on my Instagram from all the way back in 2017. My family’s dog Toto started out as “my dog”, since we met him while I was playing Dorothy in a production of Wizard of Oz and actually fostered and later adopted him during the rehearsal process. He is basically the love of my life and is the cutest dog ever, but he hates cameras, so getting good photos of him can be a chore. A friend was over one day and I decided to see if she could get some photos if I held him a few feet away. The moment was perfect because right when I decided to give him a kiss, his little tongue popped out!

north loop adventures

I found this North Loop spot on a random coffee trip and thought it had the best backdrop potential. I mean, those outdoor string lights hanging in the distance! Luckily I had my camera along, so my friend was able to snap some photos. These photos are special since (as you can tell from my moody caption), I’d been feeling pretty off at the time. I would say I was still getting over fear around taking photos in public at the time. While there aren’t people in the photo, they would pass by or come out of doorways and it was kind of awkward to be one of those people just posing outside.

FEELIN SUNNY

During what we frequently call the “best summer ever”, my friend Mariah and I drove to Isanti, hopeful to check out a location I’d only discovered through a couple of vague Instagram posts and well-hidden comments on a yahoo thread. It turned out to be a genuine sunflower field (open to the public at the time) and we had tons of fun being the flower children we are on the inside. Some of the flowers had been bent off of the stems and upon finding a bloom bigger than my face, I had to take a photo.

LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS

When Mariah and I road-tripped to Colorado, we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park. We ended up turning around because clouds were rolling in. On our way back down the mountain, we found the perfect moody backdrop and it was nothing short of magical. I love this shot because I’d been growing out my hair for a long time, so the effect is a little bit wild, plus I have chaotic memories of being in the car going down super winding roads in the dark, heavy rain.

PARIS, HEART EYES.

The architecture in Paris is deeply satisfying, so I found myself taking tons of photos of buildings, everywhere we went. This shot I snagged while our group was hurrying across the street to another another activity and I was lucky to dodge the traffic, as this is one of my very favorite photos. I really appreciate the green roof and ornate balconies that you just don’t see in the states.

Parisian Balcony

This shot was taken by my lovely friend Jessica upon arrival to our hotel in Paris. I fell in love with the neighborhood right away and couldn’t resist getting a photo incorporating the architecture and the busy street below. We felt so lucky to be there and to be able to look down on the everyday things happening in a new city.

a Grand Opening

One of the reasons I love this photo is because I loved this outfit, and I still love it now. This was the grand opening of Spyhouse's St Paul location and so while it was freezing outdoors, inside it was bursting with people and the windows got all foggy from condensation. The Spyhouse team had bedecked the shop for the holidays and there was so much greenery! I still love (and miss) the coziness of this beige-on-beige knit outfit.

coffee with friends

This photo is one that’s just really visually satisfying. I love a good flatlay photo, and when they occur naturally at a restaurant or coffee shop it’s the best. The grouping of our lattes is sort of representative of how we were grouped around the table—my friends and I had great conversation and the photo speaks to having a good time out (when we could actually do that)!

field of dreams

I love this shoot because I did it with my sisters, and the photos turned out unexpectedly well! We pulled over next to a random field and just snapped away in the flowers. It was perfect golden hour lighting and a great time bonding with my favorite people.

beloved

This is one of my very favorites! I work at a camp every summer for kids going into 7th grade. We spend the week teaching them life lessons about how to celebrate who they are. It’s usually my favorite week of the entire year. At one point in the week all the staff have a cardboard sign that we put a negative label on with the word “beloved” on the other side. My friend Micah let me use his sign for this and I love how kind of serious it is.

I hope it was fun to hear some of the behind-the-scenes of my Instagram page. Thanks for walking down memory lane with me!