In This Post: Sunday Edits are where a glimpse into blogging life, what’s going on in life offline, good things about this week, what I’m struggling with, recent finds, and favorites I spot on sale.
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New on The Gem:
- The Sunday Edit – Volume 40
- Sweater Over Dress Outfit + How To (for my fellow dress lovers who want to keep wearing their favorites into fall!)
- The Best Ankle Boots for Fall 2020 (seriously, the pair I’m featuring is SO comfortable!)
- Beyond Yoga Leggings Review (find out if they’re worth the price tag!)
- Cute Pumpkin Picking Outfits
- Most Read Post: Madewell Perfect Vintage Jean Review
- Most Purchased Gem Find: Madewell Perfect Vintage Jeans
- Most Clicked Gem Find: Sam Edelman Paila Bootie
Great Stuff on Sale:
- I fell in love with my favorite ankle boots all over again this week and wore them so many times already this fall. They’re on sale for an amazing price here!
- Nordstrom Rack currently has a bunch of classic Madewell sweaters on sale! I’m loving this cozy colorblock cardigan, this elegant double v pullover that’s available in tons of different colors, and the Province Cross Back Knit Pullover that offers a unique look.
- Spotted this coat that gives an elegant look on the textured teddy trend and is under $100!
- Beyond Yoga spacedye leggings that $20 off of the standard price! I’ve had my pair for almost a year now (reviewed here) and they’re one of my most reached for pairs of yoga pants.
Life Lately:
Happy Sunday, Gems!
I don’t know about where you are, but here in Pittsburgh, it’s officially feeling like fall. Mornings are so chilly. Sometimes the days warm up during the afternoon and sometimes they don’t. You have to pack 4 different layers with you in the morning because you never know if you’ll need a lightweight cardigan or a warm puffer jacket because they never get the weather right, haha.
On Friday, my niece and I layered up to go to the zoo to get out of the house. It was definitely one of the highlights of my week! I love adventures like that with just me and her.
Another highlight was how well received my Instagram post on Thursday was. It covered specific phrases on what to say when you find yourself in political conversations that you can’t handle at the moment. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to be involved in the conversations around politics. I feel really torn about sharing political thoughts and views. Not because I’m afraid of losing followers, but because I’m not sure if it’s the best way that I can serve all of you. Fun dresses and easy outfits aside, I’ve really built this community from conversations about mental health awareness. I know a huge portion of my audience (myself included) is dealing with anxiety and depression on a regular basis. I’m not sure if it’s in the best interest of my mental health or yours to be bringing political discussions into my content. At this point in time, I feel lost on how to generate content that supports improving mental health while addressing the intense, important political environment at hand. I am, however, committed to offering more support around how to stand up for your mental health during the extra stress that the current political climate is causing. As always, I’m open to your thoughts and suggestions.
And then there was Thursday. Hahahaha. If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram stories, lately I’ve been hard at work figuring out how to successfully take my own photos with a tripod. My last go at this when I was in Ohio went extremely well. So, with two outfits in tow and my trusted tripod, I set off to a gorgeous local spot to create upcoming content… and end up learning some very important lessons…
- Lesson 1 – Leave on time: My first mistake was leaving too late. Harsh light can make it really tricky to take good photos when I’m by myself and on this particular morning, there were no clouds and the sun was radiating. Whatever. I can always find a way to make lighting work. I was SO excited to photograph this gorgeous velvet dress (in transparency, it’s something I rented, not purchased) in preparation for holiday content.
- Lesson 2- Figure out how to tie the dress BEFORE: Problem #2 was that I didn’t figure out how to tie it beforehand. I’ve never met a wrap dress that didn’t have a hole for the string/belt until this one. So, 45 minutes in my car and 4 YouTube videos later, I was still not having any luck. I’m still not sure if I tied it correctly. Which probably contributed to my next challenge.
- Lesson 3 – Don’t wear dresses with large slits when it’s windy: there I was in this gorgeous gown, that to onlookers was out of place and a season early, determined to get these photos (it was too gorgeous not to!), clutching it together with one hand, attempting to set up my tripod with the other, praying to the blogging gods that I wasn’t flashing anyone. Whew. What a moment.
- Lesson 4 – Chillout, everything is FINE: The ironic part is, the photos turned out great as far as the dress, but my face and my shoulders did not with the exception of a few winners. Most of the photos would be awesome if it wasn’t for my scrunched shoulders, tense jaw, and the not-so-subtle hint of terrified on my face. The bottom line is, I need to remind myself that it’s probably not going as bad as I think and I’ll get the photos I need regardless.
Luckily, outfit number 2 (featuring this fantastic stretchy classic denim jacket and this gorgeous maxi dress) was much more of a success. I consoled myself after with homemade ice cream from Churn. In the end, I did get all of the photos I needed, but I did learn some important lessons in preparation and wardrobe choices when photographing myself. Also, I will say that every time I do this, I start to care a little less what other people think when I’m out in public doing my thing with my tripod – that’s always something good to overcome!
This Week in Photogenic Moments:
