Top 10 Favorite Instagram Accounts
Don't you just love Instagram? I do! Maybe I love it because I'm a highly visual person, and Instagram is all about the visuals? And maybe I love it because it's a more positive, less political, and less controversial place than Facebook? But whatever the reason, I love this place where people share the beauty they see in their everyday with all the rest of us, because the world IS beautiful and how can we NOT share it? And people are fascinating, and it's fun to have a window into another's world.
I wish I could share with you some images from my favorite accounts, but those belong to each person, so you can't copy and paste. But you can copy and paste profile pictures, so I'll have to make do with that. And my best advice is that you read this posting with your Instagram app open in one hand, so you can easily see what I'm referencing. I hope I can point you towards some accounts that will bring a smile to your face, brighten your day, and inspire you with beauty and/or adventure, because each of these accounts does that for me.
#1 - Jo Rodgers (@jo_rodgers) - who describes herself as, "Loves stories. Often in the kitchen. London."
Although this list is not meant to be in order, I will freely admit that Jo Rodgers' account is my hands-down favorite! Every photo is a small story of details waiting to be studied and appreciated. And her writing style is brisk, descriptive, humorous, and engaging. Here's a caption from one of her photos:
"It’s been snowing today, thrillingly. During the first whoosh of it, all of our potted plants were hustled into temporary shelter in the kitchen, where they have formed a great green divide between ourselves and the bread box (so long, toast). The space heaters are whirring hell for leather, and the house smells like paperwhites and blood orange loaf cake."
She has the consistency of a beloved friend who can always be counted on, as her photos are always top notch and her passions are worn on her sleeve, so that you really do feel as though you have been allowed to occupy a small corner of her home...just quietly observing the goings-on. If a complete stranger asked me, "What is Jo Rodgers doing right now?", I feel like I could hazard a guess with reasonable accuracy...cooking?...working a crossword puzzle?...reading a book?...gardening?...eating?...planning a luxury vacation?...sipping hot chocolate? That is one thing I really adore about her...we share a passion for hot chocolate.
-She is a contributing editor to Vogue.
-She and her husband are renovating a Georgian-era home in London.
-They are expecting their first baby!
-She creates the most amazing picnics.
#2 - Amanda C. Brooks (@amandacbrooks) - who describes herself as, "Author of Farm From Home and founder of @cutterbrooksshop"
She is an American socialite who married an English artist and took up residence on his family farm in the Cotswolds. Her life is a captivating blend of jam making and Paris runway shows...farm animals and stunning vacations. Perhaps it's because I've always been drawn to things coexisting in contrasts, like rustic elegance, that I find her Instagram account so intriguing. I also find it admirable when people create a life of beauty in an element not their own, (one reason why "Out of Africa" has always been my favorite movie), and Amanda C. Brooks seems to have done just that. Plus she has an adorable Golden Retriever! AND she has a sheep named Juice (love that name!) who was quite tame for a long time and behaved more like a dog than a sheep, and what's not to love about that?
-She just opened a shop in Stow-on-the-Wold.
-Her photos of "fox hunts" are straight out of another era and positively swoonworthy.
-Her Instagram story that is permanently etched in my memory is of her children (and her?) running along a stack of hay bales that looked to be about three stories high!
#3 - Beverly P (@ducklasagne) - who says of herself, "Primarily a Bostonian, with occasional travels in between."
Ducklasagne is my favorite Boston-based Instagrammer. Always stellar photography...never anything mediocre, and I respect that sort of professionalism in a hobby! She's drawn to architecture and flowers and people and seems to have an expert knack at catching just the right person striding past a classic brownstone. Her captions are short and to-the-point, and touched with a trace of humor that frequently makes me titter.
-Captures the Back Bay area of Boston primarily, but expands elsewhere too.
-Doesn't often post a story, but when she does, they never disappoint.
-Likes bakeries. (My kind of gal!)
#4 - Marte Marie Forsberg (@marte_marie_forsberg) - who says of herself, "Norwegian writer and photographer living in the English countryside. Author of “The Cottage Kitchen” cookbook. Photography and cookery workshops."
Her mesmerizing photography drew me in, and her heartfelt captions speak to my soul. Considering herself a "visual storyteller", Marte Marie Forsberg combines cooking with hauntingly beautiful photography with philosophical captions to create one of the most unique Instagram accounts that I've encountered.
"The gorse are blooming and the sun is out. The kettle is on and the builder is coming to look at the renovation plan for the cottage. Some days are more productive than others, and today I’m determined to get as much off my to-do list as I can, in a calm manner. The cottage kitchen smells divine with a cardamom infused Norwegian waffle mixture resting till tea time, and a jar of Norwegian raw strawberry jam...
is opened. I’m playing Mozart for the baby, and Mr Whiskey is snoozing in his chair by the window. It’s a Tuesday that positively feels like a Sunday..."
Her Rembrandt-esque photos of her cozy English cottage take kneading dough and chopping vegetables to the level of the poetic. Time seems to stand still and every morsel...of food and life itself...is savored. She turns Instagram to fine art.
-She has an oft-photographed dog named, Mr. Whiskey.
-She has an adorable new baby!
-Her mother is beautiful, and I love how she honors her with her words and photos.
#5 - Jackie Greaney (@jackiegreaney) - who says about herself, "Adventures on the Eastern Seaboard...Travel & Lifestyle | Maine...1 of Yankee Mag’s 10 Favorite New England Accounts".
If you could capture New England in a bottle, shake it whenever you pleased for a fresh, new view, and be thoroughly delighted with what you saw each time, you'd have a pretty good idea of Jackie Greaney's Instagram account. Original and pretty and quintessential New England is how I would describe her photographic depictions of the region we both love so well. Hers is a great account to follow if you want to know more about the New England...its hidden gems and classic sights.
-Her dog, Poppy, is her faithful companion.
-She's a California girl originally (just like me).
-I've actually met her, and she's a sweetheart!
#6 - Paul J. Havel (@pjhavel) - who says about himself, "New England". Don't you love it? What more is there to say?
I love the clean, crisp lines of Paul Havel's photography...always classic and always classy. His seamless blending of tradition and innovation give you the feeling he's reinvented old school for a whole new generation. His captivating cinemagraphs never fail to bring a smile to my face! His feed is selective and curated with taste.
-He and Jackie Greaney are one of the cutest couples ever!
-If I were to give his advertising company a slogan, it would be "Advertising That Makes You Smile", because it ALWAYS does!
-He looks more like a New Englander than most New Englanders.
#7 - Daylesford Farm (@daylesfordfarm) - which describes itself as, "We've been farming organically for over 35 years, with a simple passion for real food. Visit us in the Cotswolds and London."
I follow quite a few companies that I love, but Daylesford Farm's account is the freshest one of all. I followed them long before we went to England, and fell in love with the farm through its Instagram account, so that visiting it when we were there became an absolute must on our itinerary. And when we go back to England someday, renting a cottage close enough to Daylesford that we can pop in for breakfast each morning is a priority! Their account is everything they are...a perpetual springtime of fresh produce, adorable farm animals, tasty edibles and recipes, and all the agricultural beauty of the Cotswolds.
#8 - Tessa Foley (@nineandsixteen) - who describes herself as, "blogger | interior design | classic style".
I don't feel like I look at Tessa's Instagram as much as I step into it...like stepping into her home with a warm welcome. It's loveliness in photography is punctuated by kindness in words, so that you know she just must be THE sweetest person. She posts about family and home and design/style
with a heartfelt and peaceful thoughtfulness that makes her Instagram one of the most pleasant places to be in social media.
-Her annual family vacation to Nantucket postings are some of my favs!
-Their family recently gained an adorable bear of a Golden Retriever.
-Her kitchen is the cutest one you'll see anywhere.
#9 - a tie between the husband/wife duo of Oddur & Mimi Thorisson (@oddthor and @mimithor). He describes himself as, "Living with smooth fox terriers, lovely children & her - regular contributor to Condé Nast Traveler & regular consumer of Champagne". And she describes herself as, "Cookbook author of A Kitchen in France, French Country Cooking & "Manger" blog. Cook, TV host & contributing editor to Condé Nast Traveler."
I include them together, because they are always together and frequently post about the same things, but with their own particular perspective. The photography, which I believe is all his on both accounts, shows their daily life In France and Italy, which consists of creating incredible
food while raising seven children and 14 dogs. And while I can hardly imagine doing all of that, the care and attention taken to creating and enjoying the beauty in it all is like a lovely graciousness from a bygone era. His wry sense of humor and ability to capture expressions that convey a complete story often make me titter. "Let’s imagine that you are reading this post. Let’s assume it’s Sunday. And that tomorrow you have something important to do. Or nothing at all. Either way just forget about it and hop on a plane to Milan. Have lunch at Antica Trattoria Della Pesa. Then hop on the fast train to Turin and have dinner at Al Gatto Nero. This is just an idea, offered to you with humility and in good faith. But it’s a good one. Cheers mate!"
And her account is more about food and the preparation and beauty of it. She also has a blog where she writes lengthy posts with passion and perspective, which impresses me to no end.
-Though I've learned to be content with my squishy bone structure (inherited, apparently, from my Belgian ancestors),fair skin, and blonde hair, I will confess that all my life I've wanted to look like she does...dark hair and high cheekbones. I spent far too many hours pining for that as a teen. But she does wear it SO well!
-Her kitchen floor!
-Every day I want to give her a high-five for managing to cook with seven children and 14 dogs (and does she EVER cook!), but I suspect the delightfully doting appreciation of her husband is a huge support to her. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
#10 - Annabel Bird (@bleakhouselondon) - who describes herself as, "A lifestyle brand for women with an adventurous spirit. Novice quilter. Wild(ish) swimmer. Owner of @edward.lear".
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All of the other accounts, #1 through #9, are ones that I have followed for years, but this is my most recent discovery and has rapidly become on of my favorites. While it would seem on the surface to be a company (and it is), this is so much more than that, as Annabel Bird is a passionate voice for living life well and with an adventurous spirit. Her forthright speech (her stories are fabulous!), dry wit, and determined spirit make her shine off the Instagram feed. I want to virtually tromp along with her on her walks and discover all the hidden gems of London and the countryside with her as my tour guide. Don't miss signing up for her monthly Red Book on her website! And if all that wasn't enough, she has just about the most adorable dog ever, Edward Lear, whose own Instagram is utterly charming.
-Her Instagram story on her company's values was one of the most inspiring things I've listened to all year.
-What is not to admire about a woman who swam through a pond, breaking ice as she did so, because she was just determined to do it?
-That dog! Love!
This was a jolly fun post to write, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. It's always inspiring to discover new people, places, and perspectives! Do leave me a comment and let me know which Instagram accounts are your favorites!
(And please excuse the incomprehensible highlighting of some portions of this post. Blogger drives me crazy sometimes.)