Lately Lifestyle

March 2021 Behind The Scenes On Instagram

Instagram, you either love it or hate it or perhaps both. I can take it or leave it remember it is not real life if it starts to annoy you, unfollow or put your phone down, maybe delete the app for a while, nobody is making you use it. Most of the time I enjoy using IG, as a creative visual type, it makes sense that this would be my social channel of choice. However, there is so much you don’t see on IG. So, for my March 2021 edit, I’m explaining the stories behind the scenes and how the images came to be . . .

Disclosure: Some affiliate links have been used. * denotes gifted items.

Instagram image of Dorset back alleys march 2021

Remember it is not real life, if it starts to annoy you, unfollow or put your phone down.

Instagram 1. A recent Image Explained . . .

That pretty rural image of a burbling country stream above is not what it appears. Marc and I had eye test appointments booked. We arrived early, so decided to park 10 minutes away and take a stroll through the back alleys of our local town. This ‘rural’ image is hidden from view and is actually at the front of our local M & S car park. Marc explained the little stream runs all the way through town to a village a mile away from us.

The moral of this story, keep your eyes open and always take the back roads!

Instagram 2 Daisy Jewellery* in the Mirror.

wearing Daisy Jewellery the florioghraphy collection.

My boy popped home from University, a lovely suprise for me, as I was missing him terribly. He is part of our covid bubble, so no worries there either. I had recently received three lovely pieces of Daisy Jewellery and was eager to photograph them and post them on my social channels.

My plan was to photograph myself wearing them, reflected in the mirror we had recently hung in the hall. A good idea, but not easy to execute, until the boy arrived. He is a photography student and is presently studying documentary photography, how handy is that? The images above and below were the result of me putting make up on and him standing half way up the stairs, bent over to capture the photo. Not bad I think, even if I do say so myself!

flatlay image of daisy Jewellery floriography

3. Daisy Jewellery Floriography Collection.

The Daisy jewellery we were photographing and I am wearing above, is from the superb collection called Floriography It is about the language and the power of flowers. Of course I chose the single Daisy design in honour of my blog!

I also chose . . .

Single Daisy Signet ring 18k gold plated silver.
Pair of Drop earrings Single Daisy 18k gold plated
Daisy Flower Necklace 18k gold plated

4. March 2021 The Crochet flatlay, An Instagram Classic.

Again this organised flatlay image was not all it appears to be. If you are a regular reader you may know we adopted two kittens last year. By March 2021 their very different personalities had emerged. One is mellow and loves his food, the other is a real character; a comedian, a magpie, a lover and a fighter, into anything and everything. He follows me around the house and wants to know what I am doing at every minute of the day. Photographing a flat lay for Instagram has become impossible unless I shut him out of the room!

On this occasion I threw down the contents you see in the image, pushed everything together on the table and took a few quick snaps. Within minutes he had appeared at my elbow, nose in the yarn! But I had won, I got there first and with a bit of extra cropping, the image you see below was published.

Mountain top cardigan pattern by Two of wands

mountain top cardigan crochet pattern by Two of wands

5. Interiors, a corner of our home and how it came to be . . .

I love to see other peoples homes on instagram. Not the huge perfectly perfect homes of popular influencers, they tend to look so unlived in. I enjoy seeing the normal smaller homes of authentic people with style and originality.

Originality is the key word here, I dont want to see the same room decorated the same way by people who obviously follow the same accounts! No offence intended to anyone, but how may grey velvet bed headboards do you really want to see? I am looking for homes reflecting the spirit and the personality of the owners.

Originality is the key word here, I dont want to see the same room decorated the same way by people who obviously follow the same accounts!

The cat was responsible for this Idea!

We had bought one of those beautiful Victorian ‘dolly’ wash tubs from a boot fair. I had wanted one for ages to stand our large Yukka plant in. It stood in the conservatory for over a year until the kittens moved in! Disaster struck, one of the cats destroyed the plant by climbing up it every night whilst we were asleep. We tried moving it, we covered the pot, all to no avail, the plant eventually died.

Therefore, I asked Marc to polish up the tub, turn it upside down and make a wooden top for it. It now resides in pride of place next to the fireplace. The perfect side table and I’ve only seen a couple on Instagram so far!

Needless to say, everything in this image is either foraged, second hand, handmade, or inherited from our grandparents.