life lately, and thoughts on authenticity in social media

Okay, let me get real for a moment: ever have one of those rage dreams where you are yelling at someone, telling them everything you wish you could in real life? They are therapeutic in a way, but also a hard-to-ignore message that you are holding in some truth. I had one of those dreams last night, and part of the conversation was this person saying to me "and we see all your pictures on the internet, you're off living this picture-perfect life..." to which crazy-dream-me replied with plenty of screams and yells about how they had no idea about my life, etc etc. Putting together collages from my instagram always makes me think of this. They always look fun and easy and colorful, which makes me feel like I have to add a disclaimer to the post insisting that there are tough things going on as well. It's a strange tension between wanting to show the little beautiful moments of life as well as desiring to display the hard parts in authenticity. We've all read countless articles and manifestos on the subject, but I'm not sure I'm any closer to figuring out my balance in this regard; or for that matter, any closer to not making assumptions about others based on what they choose to share via social media. So, as I continue to figure this out, here's another disclaimer for this collage of moments: life is hard, but life is good. 

life lately

snapshots of life lately. from San Diego to LA, my cozy living room to the mountains, beach to bed, and everywhere in between. follow along @charityvictoria, xo!

ps: east magnolia vintage is now on insta, too! @shopeastmagnolia

happy snaps

lazy Sunday | photographing spring cocktails | God's glory

that puppy face | Seattle boy in the Cali ocean | finally found the perfect calendar

the official shoe of summer | spring in downtown SD | my boy on a beach hike

life is messy and broken and bizarre sometimes, but that is when we must try our hardest to seek joy, seek color, seek life and light. explore, be creative, be grateful, treasure even the smallest things. rejoice in your own capabilities. go find those things that make you revel in the earth, that make you truly believe that the world is a beautiful place. as my favorite weirdo Kurt Vonnegut said, "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'if this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'" 

insta @charityvictoria

snaps

Lately. From quiet moments at home to exploring all that San Diego & Los Angeles have to offer--there have been some wonderful, life-filled moments this month. Looking back at instagrams is a beautiful way to remember how blessed I am and how good life can be. They don't show the hard stuff, but I think that's okay. On a cloudy evening as I sit cozied up inside, I'd rather remember this stuff. Follow along @charityvictoria <3

peeking

just a few little peeks at details I've been making & putting together for our apartment this week. As you can probably tell, I'm currently obsessed with florals, gold, & white lights....so sue me.

follow me on instagram for for peeks! xo.

birthday grams

Every year, I have a big birthday + Christmas party with a huge group of family and friends. It's just that thing that really marks the season and brings so many people I love together. This year, being in a new city and far away from all those people, I knew it would be different--and at first, that really freaked me out. I missed my friends and family, missed the tradition and, if I'm being honest, the hooplah of it all. 

But if this move is teaching me anything, it's that different doesn't mean bad. In fact, in most cases, change brings something much better, once you get past the strangeness of it all. And so, I had a very different, very fun, very California birthday that included a very fancy dinner, paddle boarding for the first time, ice skating after a pitcher of mimosas (read: dangerous), time with my handsome boyfriend, Superman, desserts on desserts, sushi, shopping, laying on the beach....keep in mind this was all over a few days, if you're keeping count on the meals. My sisters and boyfriend made me feel very special and, though I missed my friends, calls and texts from home made me so happy. So there, self: don't be a baby. Change is good. And so are birthdays. 

lately

hiiiiiiiii.

it's been a while.

my computer, which I bought right before starting my freshman year of college, is officially on it's way to donezo & mostly unusable. which makes blogging a tad difficult (not to mention that any time it does work, I sneak in an episode of Scandal on Netflix, which is my new obsession). but! a little instagram update for you of life lately, including: beach time with my babe, new favorite coffee shop, a day in San Clemente with my sisters + mama, farmers market & downtown SD exploring, little tidbits of our apartment, Christmas vintage, & just your average sunset. 

though living in a new city always has its challenges & hard times, i still look around me in awe and think "i can't believe i live here" almost every day. so cheers to living a life in awe!