I genuinely don’t think there’s a single occasion in my life that I haven’t curated a Pinterest board for.
Holiday decorations, outfits to match each season, meal prep ideas, cocktails, birthday themes, and probably about fifty other things I’ve forgotten about. If I even have the slightest idea, there’s a pretty good chance I’ve made a board for it.
Pinterest is probably the app I spend the most time on. Plain and simple.
Not necessarily because I’m looking for anything specific, but because I like looking. I’ll open it to find an outfit for an upcoming event and somehow end up planning my kitchen in a house I don’t own yet.
It’s habit at this point. I find myself more excited to scroll through pictures of table settings, summer dresses, and little home details than I am to see what everyone else is posting on Instagram.
I think there’s something about Pinterest that makes me want to do more with the little things in life.
It makes me want to take more pictures when I’m out with my friends, decorate for holidays weeks in advance, try new recipes on the daily, or find any reason to get dressed up. I’ll see a picture of an afternoon picnic and suddenly want to plan one. I’ll see a bedroom with flowers placed so specific on the nightstand and think about not only how I need that exact nightstand, but also about how I should go and buy myself flowers. It’s not always about wanting what someone else has though, sometimes it’s just about being reminded of all of the little things that I can do with my own life.
I think that’s something I’ve come to appreciate more as I’ve gotten older. I want to take more pictures. I want to remember every detail of the life I have with my friends; from the decorations in our house, to the outfits I wore during that one night out. I want to remember all the little moments that probably don’t seem that important while they’re happening.
I’m terrified of being so caught up in getting somewhere that I forget to notice where I am.
Of course, Pinterest can also make it very easy to get carried away. There are times when I find myself saving pictures of a lifestyle that feels so far removed from my own, I’ll admit it. The perfectly decorated homes, the endless wardrobes, the beautiful vacations, and the girls who seem to have every detail of themselves matching perfectly.
It’s easy to start thinking about all of the things I want to change or all of the things I haven’t done yet.
Especially at 21, when it feels like everyone is constantly becoming someone—getting their dream job, starting businesses, getting engaged. There’s so much excitement about the future, but also a heightened pressure to have some idea of what that future is supposed to look like.
I have a board dedicated to my future home, of course, but I also forget that I have a home right now. Don’t get me wrong, I had a board curated for this college house, and it doesn’t look anything like the pictures I saved 6 months ago, but it’s where I’m making memories. It’s where I’m spending time with my friends, falling back in love with cooking for myself, and living a part of my life that I know I’ll eventually miss.
It’s easy for me to forget that sometimes when I’m constantly looking forward to the next version of things.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop making Pinterest boards to be totally honest. I like having somewhere to put all of my ideas, even the ones that are entirely unrealistic. I’ll probably continue saving outfits I’ll inevitably forget about, recipes I’ll someday make, and pictures of homes I’ll spend years dreaming about. I’m a little surprised I haven’t started on my wedding board yet.
But, regardless, I hope I keep taking pictures of the life I actually have, too.
Because as much as I love imagining what my future might look like, I don’t want to miss the little things happening in the meantime.