Last Friday, I was bestowed the most exciting honor since I won the… ummm… I'm wracking my brain to come up with one trophy or award that I won at some point in my life and I'm coming up with nothing. There must have been a "Nicest Camper" or a "Best Effort" ribbon in there somewhere, right?
No matter. Physical trophies and frameable certificates are so 1980s sleepaway camp. The important thing in the digital age is making LISTS, and I have somehow found my way onto one doozy of a list.
Forbes' Most Powerful Women? People's 50 Most Beautiful? New York's Best New Restaurants? Yeah, not exactly.
I have made Huffington Post's "23 Women You Should Follow Immediately on Instagram", right alongside Zooey Deschanel, Lena Dunham and Lauren Conrad. (Maybe a relative of mine was interning that day?)
Yes, I realize being on the same list as Lauren Conrad is probably not something most people would be proud of, BUT— I'm super excited none-the-less.
As you might be sick of hearing by now, Instagram is my new obsession. I've always loved photography but I've never been patient enough to learn how to use my camera, so this is the first time I've really been proud of my photos.
You don't need to know anything about shutter speed or aperatures or whatever other fancy camera terms you can come up with because so much can be edited after the fact. Photo editing is my new favorite "I'm-waiting-for-the-subway/I'm-hiding-in-the-bathroom" activity. Basically, its replaced Angry Birds.
Contrary to popular belief (popular belief = my friend Pam), I do not post all my pictures of Mazzy on Mommy Shorts. Probably because most of them are not very funny.
So, today (being the Friday before a holiday weekend and all) I'd like to feature some of my favorite Instagram photos that have never made it off my iPhone. With captions that will not be humorous in the slightest. Sorry.
Ready?
Mazzy scooting around the neighborhood:
Throwing stones in a lake this past weekend:
Getting to the good part of a birthday party:
Looking in the window (after she insisted on putting three bows in her hair):
With Mike on our balcony:
Napping:
Window shopping with Nico, one of the many men in her life:
Eating frozen yogurt (don't tell her it's not ice cream):
Running through the dunes in the Hamptons:
Trying on Mommy's clothes:
Dancing like nobody is watching:
Diving in the big pool with Daddy:
In one of her favorite places— a "pillow house":
And finally, spicing up our boring family photo (this was taken yesterday by my sister and was 100% Mazzy's doing; we were trying to have her sit on our laps when she ran away and hid behind the bench):
If you'd like to follow me on Instagram or see more of my photos, click here. (If you are not on Instagram, I recommend it highly.)
I hope everyone has a lovely Labor Day Weekend. We will be braving the crowds and attempting a day trip to Sesame Place— are we crazy??? Probably.
But can you imagine the smile on Mazzy's face when she encounters a Cookie Monster themed water park? I have a feeling it will be worth it (see frozen yogurt picture).
Hope to see you back here on Tuesday!
—Mommy Shorts
PS: "Evil Baby Glare-Off 2012" is just around the corner. Get your photos ready! If you weren't around for "Evil Baby Glare-Off" last year, it was the biggest event Mommy Shorts has ever seen. Click here for a taste.
The picture of Mazzy trying on your clothes is the best! I’ve been following you on Instagram and wanted to say congrats on making that list because you completely deserve it.
You do some of the best photos on Instagram. So much so I have Instagrenvy.
Love the last picture – it’s so… Mazzy.
Have fun/good luck at Sesame Place! One of the huge pluses of living in the Philadelphia area is that we go during the week. Nicky is particularly fond of the flying fish, the tea cups, and the carousel.
Congrats on the making that list even if it’s with Lauren Conrad. Love the one of Mazzy napping, so sweet!, and the pillow house. Cute new updated family photo. Can see Mazzy’s personality through and through. Instagram is my obsession too!
I swear, sometimes I think you and I share a brain. Because in addition to nodding along with almost everything you write pertaining to Mazzy (since our daughters are the same age), I also 1.) Love photography but have never had the time or inclination to pursue it, 2.) Fancy myself a photographer thanks to Instagram, and 3.) Am planning to create a post around my most favorite Instagram pics as a result because there’s no way to use all of them on my blog.
Except now it’ll look like a copied you. Shit.
Love you on Instagram. And I love the photo above with Mazzy standing at the window overlooking NYC. LOVE!
Love each and every one of these, thanks for sharing!
I already follow you on Instagram, love your pics! What filter did you use on the froyo pic? I love it!
ALso, Minion is gonna take the evil baby glare off by storm!
congrats on making the list. LC should be honored!
i’ve been loving all your instagram photos, and mazzy is such a great muse.
question for you: do you do all your edits in instagram or do you use other apps?
Your photos are beautiful, all of them, priceless. Can’t wait to see Mazzy with her new sister.
I don’t do instagram. Yet.
Mostly because my 13 and 15-year-old do it (they stopped Facebook because that’s what MOMS do) and they said, “MOM! Can’t we PLEASE be into something that you don’t get into?”
Hmmm….
Still. I might have to use “following Ilana” as my excuse to disappoint them once again.
Thanks.
XO
LOVE the last one of Mazzy behind the bench – amazing!
(and since I now = popular opinion, it must be so!)
Thank you! I love that picture.
Instagrenvy. That might be my new favorite word.
We were trying so hard to find a day to go during the week but it didn’t work out. So now, we are probably going on the most crowded weekend of the year. Hope we don’t lose anybody!
Yes, Mazzy’s personality is what makes most of my photos work. She’s no wallflower.
Let me know when you write that post— I love your photos on instagram as well! Even the ones that deal with certain luvey unmentionables…
I used lighting effects in an app called PicFx. Definitely download it.
I started only using instagram but recently I’ve gone further down the photo editing rabbit hole. I use Snapseed and PicFx.
Snapseed is great for cropping, adding contrast, straightening photos, or lightening specific areas of a photo. It also has a nice vignetting function.
PicFx has tons of fun filters plus lighting effects that you can play with.
But I still think the filters from instagram are my favorite.
Your pics are gorgeous. Love mazzy pics
Every once and awhile I hit the “popular” button which takes you to the photos with the most likes. They are all pictures of teenagers taking pictures of themselves. Makes me feel old and sad.
Cuteness overload!
That one of Mazzy napping needs to be framed. It is totally wonderful in every way. Congrats!
The pictures are amazing. I’ll have to breakdown and do instagram.
The napping photo? Sweetest thing ever in the world. EVER. And you guys are a beautiful family! Perfect picture with your little sasafrass smiling behind y’all =)
Thanks! I’ll have to look into these. I have an Android, so I’m hoping these apps will be available.
Your work has always been a great source of inspiration for me. I refer you blog to many of my friends as well.
Nice post, great detail. I would have liked to see the costs that are associated to it so I could add to my business case justifi cations to use the technology. Keep up the good work! Great Job!!! Informative and attention keeping!
Your post is very easy to understand,I will share it with my friends. Hope there will be more good posts here…
I just can’t get into Instagram. The photos all look like badly exposed 70’s shots. Having grown up in the 70’s I’ve seen enough to last me a lifetime. Wish I could join the following on this, but every time I see a photo even remotely like an Instagram one, it rubs me the wrong way.