insta-update: winter 2014.

row one: door - spoons - dress | row two: barn - museum | row three: Gus - water view - macarons 

row four: earrings - cookbook | row five: snowy night - ice cream - bedroom

Since we got home from Europe, {cv} and I haven't strayed far from home. Aside from a family wedding in New Hampshire and our "staycation" in Boston, we have been in and around Rhode Island for the past two months. There are few things I love about the snowy New England winters, but if there is one thing I'm learning to appreciate it's this: the winter forces you to slow down. If you take a look at my Instagram, you'll see a lot of cozy shots from the last two months--which is just fine by me.

In the past few months, I have also been falling in love with VSCO CAM. I wasn't a huge fan of their previous design, but the last few updates changed my mind. You can even buy extra packs of "filters", which make it way more fun. If you're a VSCO user, do you have any favorite "filters"? I'm a huge fan of F2. What other photo apps do you use? I also dabble in Afterlight and Snapseed, but VSCO has really become my go-to. xoxo {av}

life lately.

After two crazy months in June and July, {cv} and I were excited to have a few weeks to lay low in Providence. If you don't count the John Mayer or Kenny Chesney concerts, August was a relatively quiet month. We enjoyed fun date nights out and quiet nights in. We made some serious progress on decorating, though we certainly have more to do. I made a few purchases for fall {like these booties on super sale and this cozy nightgown with a tiny monogram}. All in all, it was just the month we needed before life resumes its hectic pace...

One thing I love about Instagram is that you can take virtual vacations through the people you follow. I know it sounds a little crazy, but go with me here. @wishfulnals took a phenomenal European adventure in August and I felt like I got to tag along. One of my Georgetown pals @vatmanhere just moved across the pond to France, so I'm already loving the daily dose of Paris through her iPhone lens. If safaris are more your thing, @sarahwlederman and @couldihavethat shared gorgeous photos from Africa this month. During our slow travel months, instagram makes my life so much more exciting!

Who are you loving on instagram these days?  xoxo {av}
P.S. To those of you who follow along with me on instagram, thank you!

how to {easily} edit an instagram.

It's no secret I love Instagram. I used to post photos more frequently, but I am much more picky with what makes my feed these days. Getting an introduction to a little app known as Afterglow completely changed my insta-habits. I know many people who are fans of VSCO CAM, but Afterglow is the photo-editing app which stole my heart. For the 99-cent investment, it is an inexpensive way to enhance your Instagram feed. 

These are three examples of my editing process. I hate to use a flash when taking photos, so my photos can turn out a bit dark on my iPhone. {It is much easier to compensate for the light with a real camera!} After I take a few photos, I find my favorite and then open it in Afterglow. I apply one of the original filters to my photo. {Captain, Crown + Coral are a few of my favorites!} After that, I might use a few of the other snazzy Afterglow tools. I then save the photo to my camera roll--or you can take it straight into Instagram!

When I open the photo in Instagram, I add my finishing touches--be it a filter or better cropping. {My favorite filters in Instagram are Rise, Amaro, and Nashville. I don't think I've ever used Sutro or Brannan!} At the end of it all, I add a photo to my Instagram feed which has passed my rigorous approval process ;) You may call me crazy, but I only post my best photos. I would otherwise be blowing up your Instagram feeds on a daily basis. {I take at least 30 photos a day!}

Do you use other apps to make your Instagram feed better--or do you use Instagram for the immediate social impact? {If so, do you think I'm completely crazy for this whole process?!} Wherever you fall in the spectrum, I can't wait to hear your own Instagram tips! Have a great Monday! xoxo {av}

STAY IN TOUCH: INSTAGRAM + TWITTER + PINTEREST + FACEBOOK

holiday iphone backgrounds.

Ok, ok--it may be a little early, but I couldn't help myself. If there is one place I might be able to sneak in some holiday cheer before socially acceptable, it's on my iPhone. Though I haven't perfected this background art just yet, I wanted to give you a peek at my first prototypes :) Since I'm an equal opportunity iPhone lover, you can find holiday backgrounds for both the 4 and the 5...

 {iPhone 4 holiday background}

{iPhone 5 holiday background}

Wondering how to apply this background to your iPhone? Here are a few easy tips:

right click on the image + save the image to your computer

email it to an address accessible on your iPhone

open the email on your iPhone

hold your finger on the image + save it to your camera roll

open the image in your camera roll 

click to share the photo but instead choose to apply it as your home screen wallpaper

...and voilà! instant holiday cheer!

If you don't have an iPhone, I promise to attempt other phone models in future posts! 

Please email me a screen shot of your home screen, share the model and I'll try my best :)
Thanks for letting me try something new today...I just hope you like it!

your advice needed.

When I got my iPhone in September 2010, I carefully placed it in one of these Speck Candyshell cases. I loved the pop of color, but I eventually went through two cases in the course of maybe six months. After hearing about the Otterbox, I was lured by the absolute indestructibility of these cases. I ran a half marathon in the rain--and my iPhone kept playing the whole race. I dropped my phone in the sink--and it survived. I'm not easy on my phone because I use it constantly, so I need a phone cover that protects without looking so, how shall we say, boring. Here are a few I rounded up--and I need your opinion...

{first row: left - right | second row: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 | third row: left - right}

So, give it to me straight...if you've had any of the covers above:

did it do a good job of protecting your phone?

did it last longer than three months?

If you've found a cover elsewhere that works like a dream without looking like a phone from the mid-2000s, please bring me to the light ;) I need some color and personality back in my life!

P.S. See you all back here tomorrow for Friday's Fancies! I'm creating a Winter Wonderland look...don't forget that if you create a post, you get an extra entry in my giveaway for $100 to Local Hem!