“Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, and magical person that you are….”

I was over on Pinterest the other day, looking at bathrooms… which lent itself to fall nail designs… and then somehow I ended up in a sea of inspirational quotes… and stumbled upon the one above. It immediately struck home for me, on various levels, for various reasons… but mainly because it’s something that I hope to instill within Harper + Camille… and not by what I tell them, but by my own actions…

TJ + I have talked a lot about social media lately, and how afraid we are of having girls who will grow up in a generation that is consumed by outward validation (we do realize we have a big role in this though). About a year ago I participated in a shoe brand campaign. I had to submit photos ahead of time. When the edit requests came back, I was appalled. I was asked to “brush out the veins + bones in my feet + hands.” I swear my mouth must have dropped in the middle of the coffee shop, and I immediately texted TJ. My ultimate response was that I wouldn’t edit out the veins + bones. That would be inauthentic and completely against what I support….

With the creation of photo shop + the ability to seamlessly remove what are perceived as imperfections, we’ve become numb to the fact that no one is perfect. Someone recently commented on my under-eye circles, as if they were the most abhorrent thing they’d ever seen. Surprisingly the comment didn’t bother me, but what did was that, again, imperfections, or just a person’s natural appearance, is seen as surprising.

I’m full of imperfections + quirks… but they’re what makes me, me. I have crows feet when I smile, melasma spots from my pregnancy with Harper, very visible veins on the side of my head + one that goes down the middle of my forehead (which is made more noticeable when I smile in the sunlight), a bottom row of teeth that are slightly overcrowded simply because I’m too afraid to get my wisdom teeth removed (I’m pain aversive), a few red bumps on my face (you can actually see it in close up photos… right where my lip turns up in a smile), and a large scar on the bottom of my left butt cheek from a softball slide in elementary school (of course, that’s not all….).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for makeup that naturally enhances your features…. I have a row of extensions in my hair to combat the extreme hair loss I’ve had this pregnancy (shared this process over on instagram the other day)… a pair of jeans that makes you feel like a million bucks… and a great color job to hide grey hairs, or whatever else you want to do to feel your best… inside and out. Obviously. What I want my daughters to know is that they shouldn’t compare themselves, or feel inferior, based on what they see on social media. It can all be edited, removed, and added with a few swipes + clicks. And I’ll forever have an e-mail to prove that to them.

On a much lighter note, I’m loving all of these pieces for a casual fall outfit. This week, we’ll be experiencing two days of fall-ish temps (yesterday was one of them) and this lightweight (and incredibly soft) cardigan is an easy throw on and go, casual, option…. I wore these high waisted jeans for our date night this past weekend + love how they fit like a glove (also featured here). I love a beautiful cami (CAMI NYC is one of my favorite lines) as a simple way to make a casual outfit feel a little more extra… and this leopard print option can easily be dressed up or down.

If you’re looking for some excellent everyday essentials for fall, be sure to check out this well curated fall shop….
_________

(Outfit Details || Jeans (sized up 2 sizes, if you’re not postpartum I’d recommend just one size up) | Cami (low in stock, also love this one + this one) | Cardigan (so soft) | Black Link Bracelet | Link Bracelet | Coin Necklace | White Necklace)