stop and smell the cherry blossoms: talking about taking note of the little things

I started taking Instagram "seriously" three years ago, in the beginning of 2015. It was then I consciously started posting photos of more interesting and meaningful things, rather than just photos of my friends and I out at bars. I remember one day that spring I was walking home, and snapped a photo of the animal print flats I was wearing in a pile of pink petals from a cherry blossom tree on my street, then uploaded it to the gram. The following spring, I posted a photo of a cherry blossom tree on my street, this time with a pretty building that has mint green accents on it in the background. And last spring I posted a photo of a cherry blossom tree in front of a historical row home while I was in Philadelphia for the weekend. 

It may sound stupid, but I feel like before Instagram, I didn't even notice cherry blossom trees. Social media often gets a bad rap since so many people nowadays feel the need to document every little aspect of their lives, rather than truly live in the moment. And while I agree it is a very fine line between posting what you're passionate about and oversharing, I do think that one benefit of social media is that it has made me more observant of my everyday surroundings. For example, I'm constantly looking out for new locations to shoot or interesting things to photograph. Since my blog and Instagram are vintage inspired, it's helped me notice little remnants of the past, such as an old school door or sign, small details I might not have otherwise noticed. 

I shot these photos last week, and by now the trees have all lost their pink petals. It feels like spring is already on its way out and summer is fast approaching, but I wanted to document some cherry blossom trees once again this year. In this post I am wearing a vintage dress I recently bought at the Brooklyn Flea, and paired them with these new shoes I recently received from Charlie Stone Shoes. 

If you're interested in shopping my shoes, you can find them here:
https://www.charliestoneshoes.com/collections/all/products/toscana-mustard

I paired these shoes with frilly ankle socks, both for a girly spring look, as well as to help break them in. Wearing cute socks with a new pair of shoes is one of my favorite hacks for breaking in a new pair of shoes. These flats run true to size and are beautifully made. However, like with most leather shoes, they need some time to stretch out a bit. 

Shoes: c/o Charlie Stone Shoes 
https://www.charliestoneshoes.com/
Dress: Vintage
Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters; Ring: Kate Spade