summer wine

As you can see from these photos, the cottage core aesthetic has gotten to me, so I decided to do a picnic photoshoot a few weeks ago. Cottage core is often synonymous with white flowing dresses and neutral color palettes, some things that aren't exactly my style, so I decided to put my own twist on the trend. I had ordered this green gingham bathing suit from J.Crew, but sadly the top was a bit too small. I still loved the color and print, so I wanted to find a way to make it work. I decided to style it with a white button up shirt, beret and vintage scarf, for a casual French vibe. I thought the mini green gingham would pair nicely with my big gingham picnic blanket. To complete the French vibe I of course added some fruit and a baguette.

I haven't felt like taking pictures or being creative on the internet much over the last couple months, so it was nice to be able to blast some Brigette Bardot in the backyard and get into this shoot. When the pandemic first hit, social media was my escape and I would spend my weekends taking pictures and making videos for Instagram and TikTok. As the summer progressed, Instagram became an extremely toxic place for me for a few reasons, so my motivation has not been there. Also, after being stuck indoors for so long in quarantine, I am taking every opportunity to be outside and off my phone. I'm spending my time walking in the city, riding bikes, going out to eat with friends, trying to take advantage of any sense of normalcy while the infection rates in NYC are low and the weather is warm. 

My lack of appetite for social media has made me crave finding creativity in other avenues. I've been trying to make more time for reading and learning French on Duolingo. I started watching some classic old-Hollywood films that have been on my watchlist forever. I recently fixed my sewing machine and started sewing again. I've also been thinking about getting into journaling. A few years ago, I couldn't go a day without making time to scroll through my Instagram feed. My obsession was actually unhealthy, because I would have to scroll to the very last post I saw from the last time I was online. Now I go days without scrolling through my feed. It feels good not to have FOMO about what's happening on social media and finding enjoyment in other creative endeavors for the first time in a while.