I am not a good photographer, but don't tell anyone that since I'm a blogger and social media professional.

In recent years, I've definitely gotten better at taking photos and I can edit a photo pretty well at this point.

I always found that I was ok when it came to work photos but when it came time to take photos for my personal Instagram or the blog, I struggled. I also struggled with editing photos to be just right and finding an aesthetic for my Instagram account.

Somewhere along the way I gave up on an aesthetic and just tried to edit my photos the best I could, in a very tasteful, pretty way.

Well, I think my photo editing skills have been taken up a notch in the past few months with thanks to my favorite photo editing app ever: A Color Story.

I've had this app on my phone many times before but never utilized it. Finally, one day I made it my mission to just suck it up and try my hand at this photo editing app.

Now, I've tried a lot of other apps before but they were always a bit too complicated for me. I've also stuck with just editing right in the Instagram app and playing with the brightness and contrast. I found that I wanted something more, something extra and that's where A Color Story comes in.

Once you edit a few photos, you really get the hang of it. You can stick to just adjusting the brightness, contrast, and other elements or you can utilize the app for what it is: filters.

These aren't Instagram filters, they're real photo filters that are created by photographers and other digital professionals in the industry.

You can purchase different packs that are offered in the app, and each pack comes with a select number of filters that have a cohesive theme.

For example, I have the pack "Airy" that have filters that add a certain amount of airy light to the photo.

There are packs for virtually every mood and vibe and I'm obsessed with purchasing them to add something different to my collection.

Watch how I edit my photos in this video

before

After

Have you ever wondered how bloggers get those interesting light reflects in the corners of their photos? There are filters/packs for that too!

Those are different from the regular filters and they're called 'effects'. I have a few that add confetti and light leaks to photos and I am obsessed with adding these to my photos!

I always tone it down so it's not too obvious and doesn't overtake the photo.

Like I said, I've tried using every other photo app on the market but A Color Story is my favorite ever. It's super easy to use and does all the work for you.

I highly recommend you download it right now and use the already installed filters to try your hand at it.

How do you edit your photos?
xoxo
B

I tackled how I decorated my room with coffee table books already, and explained how that was on my decorating to do list.

Something else that has been on my decor to-do list even longer, and even more important than coffee table books?

A gallery wall.

It's such a cliche and a typical blogger/twenty-something girl to have but I couldn't help it. A gallery wall was calling my name and the moment I found out I was going to be moving, I started looking for prints.

Etsy is the place to go for prints, in my opinion. I decided to just buy the prints for cheaper, and frame  them myself. I thought it was silly to pay $80 for a print, when I could buy it for $15 and buy my own frame.

I waited until I was moved in and a bit settled to order the prints and frames; I wanted to figure out the best place to put the gallery wall and how many photos I needed.

My mom bought me two regular, but fun photos to hang on my wall, which you can see below:



Because of this, I knew I didn't want too many photos for the gallery wall, so I only purchased four photos from Etsy, from a variety of shops.

There are so many incredible artists on Etsy, and so many prints that fit my aesthetic, but I knew the types of photos I wanted:

Something related to Carrie Bradshaw
A macaroon print
A lipstick/perfume/or nail polish print
A makeup quote
Something fashion related, like shoes or a handbag

Carrie's Walk in Closet Carrie Bradshaw Quote YSL Lipstick Print Macaroon Print

I chose the four I wanted, ordered them, and waited patiently. Etsy, depending on where the seller is, does take a little long so it was a waiting game. Once they did arrive, they were well worth the wait because they were so nicely packaged and well protected.

I went to Target and picked up these frames in a few different sizes (2 black frames and 2 white frames). My mom and I hung the frames within 30 minutes and I had my perfect gallery wall.

I am completely obsessed with the wall; it came together perfectly and really reflects the feeling I wanted. I'm also not mad at the fact that I found a print of Carrie Bradshaw's closet. I mean, she is my idol so it's only appropriate.

Here's what the wall looks like: