My kind of boys.

I'm serious. 

I have the best boys...
I am so spoiled when i go home.
I have a daddy who will watch serendipity with me when I'm sick,
and get me out of a packed house when I feel yucky.
I have a brother who drives me around and runs errands with me.
And a baby boy cousin who lit up our world this Christmas with hugs and kisses.

 

What can I say?

I'm just a lucky girl.

[ladies, the cute little brother rockin the raybans is still single...just sayin']

Love You Forever 

and Always,

Taylor Ann

Be present

"Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead" -C.S. Lewis

Off bloggy-hiatus with a little surprise!

Here's how I described my feelings toward hair to my roommate once. 

"I try to send it in the right direction, then let it do whatever it wants"

So sometimes it gets a little crazy.. I've just never been really stressed about it.

My theory is that hair grows back and can be dyed back.

So I went in to get my hair done yesterday. Yep. Sure did.

And you know, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. 

My hairdresser and I decided a perm would end up too 80s-esque if we were being realistic...

but I was stir crazy.

She mentioned I was a little washed out. 

I agreed. 

I mentioned I needed a little something spunky. 

She agreed. 

I told her she could have her creative license on me. 

And off she went.

 

 Last time I went in for a change, I cut off fifteen inches.

This time, I put in some blonde. 

Anybody else feeling spontaneous these days?

I sure am. 

Who knows what's gotten into me.

You know, I hear blondes have more fun.. shall we half-test the theory?

After all, I'm only half blonde.

Let's not get too crazy.

Love You Always, 

& glad to be back

Taylor Ann

a splendid hiatus

Dear blOgoshpere, When I came home to California I realized I left my computer cord for my camera at home. Bummer. Then my computer started breaking and needs to go to shop. Double bummer. Thus, my blOgging has been put on hold in a major way. I kinda like it. I'm loving just being home. I fill my days playing with the most darling little kids ever, watching movies with my family, eating more good food than should humanly be possible, reading CS Lewis, and enjoying the general splendor. In case you were wondering, it has been splendid. Love Always, On broken computer hiatus.... Taylor Ann -sent from my iphone

some little gems I found

so sometimes I take pictures for fun, and sometimes because there's a fun blog-esque story attached to them. these are a little bit of both. and maybe somewhat an accident. but hey, who doesn't love sharing embarrassing and mildly rude pictures on the internet...

well, one time I took this one because my hometeacher showed up and I was studying in stretchy pants.... and a hot bun. which, mind you, is typical but probably not my best look. [oh, yes that is a sportsbra and yes there is always always lipstick] and I thought, "well, that's typical me", so naturally, it should go here. also... one time boys showed up and I was in Christmas boxers and my lace shirt from the day. hallelujah that there was no picture for that one. hey, I'm a huge fan of whatever suits your fancy.

also, 1. I found this picture and thought it was hilarious. I think it was meant to show the ring... 2. somehow it describes my feelings about finals week to a cue and 3. cool ring, right? go mom.

a little thrifting + playing mom

Today I am playing mom while my parents take a  little long weekend? midweek adventure? idk... they're off having fun somewhere. I started off by having a dysfunctional phone type of morning and having none of my 3 alarms go off.... the kids were an hour late... but I made up for it by bringing the littlest sunshine subway for lunch and calling the office for brother. 

The rest of the day consisted of thrift shopping for jars for gifts... which i will just have to show you at a later date, but finding a gem of a dress. I mean, look at that thing. I'm serious, Village Thrift has it going on. I almost never walk out of there empty handed.

Anywhoo, I am finally feeling a little better. Maybe I willed it to be that way because I am not
 willing to be sick on Christmas. No way in the world. So I ran today, went to see the progress on the house, read a book, and made some crafts. Being a mom is so productive.

Now to find an excuse to wear that dress [that is not currently in my possession, but probably was purchased and will be under the tree..] and use that new perfume sample that I'm loooving, and sit by the Christmas tree, and not even attempt to wipe the permasmile off my face from being home.

Love You Always,
Taylor Ann

i'm dying here....

Everyone!
I'm sorry.
Well, only kinda.

You see, I always seem to come down with a cold as soon as I get home.
It makes me think that my body holds off until finals are over because it knows..... NOT YET.
Then, BAM.
It crashes.

This year, you see.
It's pretty bad.
I was hoping to sleep and take vitamins and watch my symptoms float away....
but not so.

This dang thing isn't the kind of cold where you can
take vitamins,
drink hot chocolate,
read a book,
and ride it out.
It's more like the
mouth open to breath,
sneeze a million times during church,
drug yourself up,
coughing fits,
and don't listen to your music too loud because of that headache...
type of thing, you know?

at least I have homeboy to keep me company while I ride this out...

some simple addition.

Ok, yesterday was a little crazy.

Kathryn's birthday + girltalk breakfast with kels + two finals +4 episodes of vampire diaries = I'MNUTS.

[Oh, did I mention there was an elf in there somewhere yesterday?]

But heyyy it's all good.

Why?

Because you guys are all rockin the greasy hairstyles with me.

[or rather hidethegreasy hairstyles]

I'm featured talking about Christmas over here today.

Poly.sci.is.OVER.  best.day.ever.

And in about an hour, my study guide will be done for final #4 :)

one final today

one final tomorrow, then...

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Love Always,
Taylor Ann

Happy Birthday to one of my absolute favorites.

This is embarrassing.

Yep, sure is.

But you see, she loves this kind of thing.

And quite frankly, it's her birthday, 

so I'm in full favor of everything being her style today.

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

KATHRYN! 

there is ONE good part to finals

....yeah, i didn't think it was possible either.
but while looking combing through my notes I keep finding great professor quotes.

like this
"Men, never stop courting your wives.
Women... never stop...hmmm....seducing them?"

and on that note I'm back to the grind
yeah....and just like last year, i'm rockin the hot bun.

I love fake eyelashes...

This is what evenings around here consist of these days. 

Sitting on the couch. 

Too tired to function. 

Normally, it's because we're burnt out. 

Tonight, it's because we partied so hard ;)

Today was spent taking a final,

baking a rainbow cake,

funfetti cookie sanwiches,

& funfetti fudge. 

Dancing in the kitchen,

decorating,

cleaning,

placing a santa hat atop our painting,

kinda....accidentally...bailing on a date,

going on a sister date to pizzeria 712 [lifechanging....],

 maybe leaving the waiter my info,

dawning the fake eyelashes,

dancing the night away.

Successful evening?Yes. 

Successful reading day? Nope.

Love Always, 

And exciting things to come,

Taylor Ann

Man who cannot be moved

Sometimes Chris comes to sing for us.... and we love it.

I mean, look how good he is.

He will hate that I posted this. 

But he may also never know.

Yeah, I can handle that.

-Taylor Ann 

Sometimes I accidentally wait a month to post about the best fall feast of my life....

My sister is a master party thrower. 

She makes me want to be married solely so I can do these sorts of things. 

I mean, sometimes I surprise my roommates and make cinnamon roll pancakes...

But that pales in comparison to this.

 

It was so fun to be with all the people I love,
talking and laughing in the crisp fall air.
Candles burning and lights twinkling overhead.

Enchanted, really.

Love Always
Taylor Ann

more things i love about home.

-daddys who stop at the gas station to buy you mountain dew
-lazy mornings with no makeup
-all the cuddling and sleepover time I could ever want in a little sister
-running into people you know...everywhere
-stealing and subsequently wearing little brother's sweatshirts
-having the worker at the gas station see you outside and page you on loudspeaker to come say hello

-spending time with the best mom and sister ever


yeah, that's really good.

Birthdays are the best thing. ever.

Yesterday was such an exciting day!

You see, we had the chance to celebrate my sister's birthday.

ALL DAY LONG.

But.. I mean.. she is sooo incredibly cute,

and thus celebrating her being on this earth for 23 years is nearly as fabulous as she is!

So, for her 23rd birthday I feel like a list would be appropriate.

23 Things for my Best Friend's 23rd Birthday:

1-We eat cupcakes together. [only Sweet Tooth Fairy though...]

2- She makes me Sunday dinners at her house.

3- She has the ability to make me feel beautiful when nothing else can.

4- She loves to cook, and experiment with said cooking.

5-She has quite the silly side.

6- She has a love for anything vintage.

7-She also has great taste for expensive things, and knows how to work a budget.

8- She has quite the sense of honesty. [is blunt the word?]

9- She somehow pulls off whatever the heck she wants.

10- She wears heels with socks.

11- She is a kindred spirit to Audrey Hepburn.

12- She has the cutest marriage ever with her hubby.

13-She rocks the orange lipstick-- who else does that? [or rather does it well?]

14- We share a love for old movies.

15- We share passion for food. all food.

16-She has great freckles.

17- Her fashion confidence is ever growing.

18- She is quite mischievous.

19- She has my back.... no matter what. [to the point of assassination]

20- She is often compared to Mary Poppins.

21-...cutest kindergarten teacher. ever.

22-She is crafty.

23- She is my bestest bestest friend. yep.

I can't wait until I tell you about her surprise party :)

Love Always,

Taylor Ann