Summer Series: Belle

I spent some time with my Gina when I was home.
Those adventures are always much needed, and always last longer than planned.
Regardless of when we meet up, I keep my entire afternoon open.
This time we just needed a Frosty.
Those of you who are from Coarsegold, you know what I mean.
We just needed to sit on the wooden tables under the misters,
and enjoy a frosty at Robert's.
Where old black and white movies play on repeat,
and the walls are covered in glamour shots of Marilyn, Audrey, and Lucy.
Where a hand carved wooden bear sits atop the shelf,
and the different coffees are named after the regular customers.
Where anybody not from Coarsegold gets their picture posted on the wall.
And even if the waitress doesn't know your name, she knows what family you come from.
Oh, and Robert actually cooks the food. Every day.
So yeah, we needed to go to Robert's Frosty.
How else on earth do you describe that feeling?




Gina and I, being 5 years old like we are, needed matching lockets of our favorite princesses.
I guess I hadn't ever given much thought to which was my favorite before.
But it is Belle, without a doubt.
She is strong, and knows what is right.
Not only does she know what's right, but she does what is right...
even when it doesn't make sense to everyone else.
She can hold her own, and stand alone.
She sees beyond outer appearances, and genuinely loves her friends and family.
She fights for what she believes, and knows what that is.
And on top of it all, she dances in a beautiful gown and tames a beast.
She allows herself to be vulnerable, when she could have stayed safe.
She is Beauty.

Just a thought.
Taylor Ann

On what could have been a long, long night.

Have you ever missed a flight?
It feels horrible.
I had never missed a flight, and always secretly prided myself in the fact that I would never.
I pay more attention to detail than that.
I never kid myself into thinking I can make it through security in a half hour...
I make sure I'm close to the gate long before boarding time...
So I was safe from that panicked feeling of missing a flight.... right?
Not.

I woke up just as the flight attendant was announcing connecting flights.
The one to Kahului, Maui was just a few gates over... 69A.
So I got off the plane and scrolled down the screen until I saw Kahului.
There it was, 69A, and the time was changed to 7pm.
Oh good, I thought, just an extra twenty minutes wait. No big thing.
I proceeded to get something to eat.

At 6:40 I hopped in line, but when I got to the front something was wrong.
It wasn't my flight. My flight was different from the connecting flight they announced.
And 6:39 was my original takeoff time, so my plane had just left me behind.
No no no no no no.
Thats all you can think when something like that happens.
As if somehow that's going to make it less real.
The next flight wasn't until 9:30 the next morning. 
I called my mom. I called my aunt. I called my dad, brother, and little sister.
I called everyone I could think of that lives in the greater LA area.
I even posted on my Facebook in case there was anyone I missed.
Nobody answered, and nobody responded. 
So I sat there for a solid hour or more, nobody knowing where I was,
and me not knowing if I would be spending the night alone in a cold airport.
Then I thought of a friend who was going to graduate school in LA, and I was pretty sure term had started a few weeks ago.
So I called. Brilliant. Best decision ever.
She picked me up from the airport and I tagged along with her for the night.
At the end of the night we got caught up talking about life until wee hours of the morning,
and slept like rocks for 3 hours or so.
3 hours in a bed with blankets beats all night on chairs alone any day.

I thought about it a little as we talked, and as I prayed in gratitude that night.
I am so grateful for that experience.
I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to spend some time with someone
who I wouldn't have otherwise had the chance to.
After all, she was just an employee in the office where I volunteered...
it would have been an easy friendship to pass by.
So next time you think it's not worth it to make friends with people in your classes,
or put your headphones in instead of have a conversation with that receptionist...
think again.
Life happens all too quickly, and sometimes you might need a friend.
Let's be real, too often we are in need of a friend.
If you're like me,
you may need a miracle to keep you from spending a miserable night on the floor.
I'm not saying I'm perfect at these things,
but I'm grateful I did it ok at least once.
It made for a splendid night and an even more splendid friendship.




So if you were overly curious about the details of my last plane flight adventure,
there you have it.

Love you forever,
Taylor Ann

When you get makeout mints, you know it can't be a half bad birthday...

And now, to extend my birthday for like... as long as possible...

Today I will post my birthday dinner pictures. 

Literally, birthday dinner was so wonderful. 

The company, the gifts.... the steak. 

My roommates all drove up to Park City to meet my family and I. 

We ate, we laughed, we sang an obnoxiously loud birthday song.

I opened presents, of course. And naturally, they were all wonderful.

Jess got me a necklace I have since hardly taken off.

Brooke got me a scarf that works perfectly as a headband.

My parents got me earrings that match my birthstone ring.

And Zane got me gloves.....and some makeout mints.

As would be natural to receive from your 17 year old brother.

Seeing that I was sitting next to a boy, I may have accidentally blushed a lot.

So there you have it.

An ode to my family, 

great food, 

horrible lighting for pictures, 

taking a million pictures anyways,

being inappropriately loud in nice restaurants,

and extending birthdays for weeks on end.

Love You Always,

Taylor Ann

insta-life

my life in instagram.

a. Lauren and I dawned matching bejeweled cases. found for $2... I couldn't resist
b. tights are the greatest thing that ever happened
c. baking boys happy.... it's more fun that way
d. using my new cake decorating supplies from grandma to make cupcakes for my spanish class. #win
e. fitting in the skinny jeans these days.... and all kinds of big gulp runs :)
f. sledding at solider hollow for a student alumni retreat. sooo fun :)
g. getting serenaded on the weekends by cute boys is the stuff. try it sometime.
h. and tights.... again. with the boots I haven't taken off since Christmas. socially acceptable slippers people.
i. getting the PERFECT descriptions of ourselves on a date last week.
j. my sister got a puppy named Watson.... I die.
k. he loves his aunt taylor.
l. wearing my mom's sweater from college. real retro is the best.

it is what it is, whatever that means

Have you had those friends that you just love?

There's no reason you should, really. 

They maybe do dumb things sometimes. 

Maybe you never get to see them. 

Perhaps there is no logical reason why you should be friends, 

but somehow you just are?

No other way to say it. 

You just are.

Over Christmas I got a call from France.

I haven't talked to him in... I don't know, maybe a few months?

But he called. And we talked. 

About nothing really important. 

I wanted to know about his life, 

and he wanted to know about mine.

I was so blunt with him that it made the little girls in the back seat giggle.
But that's just the way it is.

At the end of the conversation I asked him what he does with his time. 

He says he reads whatever he can get his hands on, and I ask if I can send him a book.

He promises me a postcard.

I say he must write a lot.

And there must be pictures of his adventures. 

He agrees.

I'm really good at interrogating him. 

Well, I'm really good at interrogating, period. 

But here's how you know we're real friends.

He interrogates me back.

Give and take.

"It's my turn to interrogate you now.....

Do you feel like a business woman? 

How many more years before you become president of the world? 

Do you ever feel overworked?" 

He knows just what to ask,

and I will wait for him to sit still long enough for me to have an address to write him back to.

For now, I have a postcard from France.

There's nothing like a good friend.

Love Always,

Taylor Ann

sonic and late nights.

Sometimes after a wild dance party, 

you just need you some sonic.

And when you have such good company?

You may as well stay awhile, 

appreciate the waitresses in their rollerskates,

and ask for balloons like you did when you were five.

Then if it happens that you run into old friends 

and proceed to have a spur of the moment dance party in the parking lot...

so be it :)

Fall Favorites thus far.

Fall is this beautiful time of year, especially the first few weeks of school.

Every conversation, every class, every person: it's all new.

I walk around in awe . 

Because, after the more static nature of summer, 

my world is suddenly more alive than I remembered it being before.

And of course, the repeat places and friendly faces are more than welcome too.

My current Fall Favorites are these:

(a) the Ferris Wheel in the middle of the square.

[yes, I go to school in a magical place. comparable to Hogwarts]

 (b) fhe movie dates with the sister.

[every window was down and both voices were turned all the way up.]

(c) dates always include cupcakes. 

[we just can't seem to get away from "vaniella". and a new location? score]

(d) girls night out splitting pizza and salad.

[with lots of boy talk, mind you]

(e) windows down while the weather is just right.

(f) riding my bike to and from school-- always.

(g) and mud masks and old movies with the sister.

[this week's choice? North and South. highly recommend it]

What's your favorite thing about fall and the start of a new school year?

The best kind of summer nights.

Yesterday the roommate kept looking at me and saying, "today was such a good day"

yes, yes it was.
It was our last day of summer and it was happy.
I crafted and exercised and rode my bike.
I got asked on a date for next week.
I went to a dessert party with some of my favorite people,
then a birthday party with some others.
Some boys were serenading the birthday crew from the piano,
and I sat by the window and listened.
Suddenly I smelled it.

It was raining. Hard.

When we all got home the lightning and thunder were still rolling.
Roommate 2 and I wanted to go watch and listen,
so we went to the courtyard and sat on the roof of the clubhouse.
We talked and laughed a little and got wet.
An old friend came outside so I went to the puddle that was our sidewalk and talked.
The roommates went inside, only to come out again shortly.
Then the splashing of water commenced.
Then the sliding across the puddle Elvis style.
There were people on the second floor balcony that probably thought we were crazy.
We didn't care. Nope, not even a little bit.
We giggled and squealed so much that we had to be told to simmer down.
We always seem to need that reminder.
We couldn't have been more wet if we had jumped into  our pool with our clothes on.
And we couldn't have been more happy for almost anything.

So, some of us aren't dancers.
And some of us aren't singers.

But whatever you do, smile in the rain.

Summer Adventure: the Lindsay finale.

So then, all of a sudden, it was our last night together.

We went to dinner and saw Captain America with my family [both equally awesome]

And proceeded to wear our 3D glasses with the lenses popped out all night.

We stopped by for a late night grocery run at Walmart

...and if you thought the glasses were immature, you should have seen our behavior...

It was bad. We may have embarrassed my family half to death. 

But when you're laughing to the point you can hardly breath, there just can't be much wrong with that.

When we got home we decided we just couldn't go to bed just yet. 

So, naturally, we made cookies. 

Because, well, we love baking.

And also, that boy at church on Sunday just can't be upset at you if you give him cookies.

So we made my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

and stuffed whatever we felt like in each cookie. 

So they were individual surprises!

also, note the odd manner in which we placed them on the tray. 

[found here]

it literally makes a difference, they will be way thicker!

So that was that.
And faster than we knew it, our time together was over.
For now at least.
I sure do love you Lindsay Rae!

[oh, and coming up next: my trip to the fabulous Manhattan New York!]
[stay tuned. you'll learn all about why I have some major dietary repentance to do. mmmm]

Summer Adventure: Berkeley Goodbyes

Gahhh, it's killing me to break this trip into pieces.
But I think if I didn't it would just be picture/youdon'tcarethatmuch overload.
Yeah?

Welllll..... our last day in Berkeley we had a French brunch at La Note

and awkwardly waited for the waiter so they could take this picture.
But it's ok, because it shows how drop-dead gorgeous my two favorite redheads are.
Sandwiched between them was, well, wonderful of course!
and now the moment is frozen in time.
well worth the awkward wait [and subsequently larger obnoxious flash] at the front of the restaurant.
Moral of the story: I have cute friends. 

Then we had to say goodbye to Aspen, and it was horribly sad.
If I was a cry-er I may have cried.
But I get to see her for a day or two here before I leave, so I'll be able to cope.
Barely.

and would you know it? The Oakland Temple is less than 10 minutes from there. 
and the Oakland Temple is beautiful.
I don't care if you believe in what it stands for or not.
If you're ever in the area, please stop by.
The building is beautiful and the grounds are so peaceful.

And if you're feeling adventurous, stop by the visitor's center.

we did.

and we watched this.

and talked to the sweet sister missionaries for a while.

and looked at beautiful art work.

and looked through the massive glass window out across the city.
What a view.
I do. I love to see the temple.

Summer Adventures: Berkeley edition

Don't hate me too bad for neglecting to update this baby for so long.

If you understood how wonderful my week has been, you would be totally understanding.

So trust me on this one.

Now, I will proceed to give you a teaser of my fabulous week.

aka....just the first few days :)

Remember, Aspen? and how much I love her?

I got to visit her this week!

She goes to UC Berkeley [aka Cal. aka really smart]

and it is quite the cuteclutter-hippie dream town if I say so myself.

Here are some things that you must do while you're there.

1. Go to La Med [hi, I have the Berkeley lingo down]

because the food looks like this.

and a restaurant is nearly always worth trying when it is this cute outside.

2. Go to Ici.

because who can pass up some strawberry-balsamic carmel swirl...?

Shoot, actually I can. I got malted vanilla. 

And it was dang good.

In the words of a local...

"you only go there for the cones anyways"

but really, their flavors are so cool

[don't judge me... it's just that when it comes to sweets, I like'm SWEET]

3. Go to cheeseboard

Preferably, you should get a very drunk lady and her girlfriend to pay for your whole pizza so they can cut you in line. At least, that's what we did....

 

4. But whatever you do, it will be a whole lot better if you take along a friend

and sit on a rooftop if at all possible.

because I love most everything about Coarsegold,

but there's something about city lights that's so enchanting.

And if you can, have late night giggles and chats until midnight.

and remember your childhood. 

and appreciate that friendship even more than you did before.

because it's good to be with people who know you. all the way. through and through. 

from beginning to end :)

Who doesn't love Justin Bieber and frozen yogurt?

 Today I had some visitors at work!

 They were well behaved for the most part, 

but a picture was needed so we took a quick break from good behavior.

 They waited for me to get off work then we went out on the town!

 [Is it normal to love girls night with 12 year olds just as much as your roommates?]

 Well, we went and bought some Claire's accessories, naturally....

and ate frozen yogurt. And bought lipgloss and smelly-good stuff.

 

Then drove home to the beats of JB and 96.3 

[country...did you expect anything else?]

Sang at the top of our lungs with the windows down and music alll the way up..

Went to the housepad and explored in my heels from work. 

I let them crawl out the sunroof to exit the vehicle. 

This is what makes me a cool adult.

 If I was twelve I would hang out with them.

Oh wait, I already do.

No if, ands, or butts.....or were there butts?

So remember how I said I was busy?
I wasn't kidding!
We got home Sunday morning.
And I left for the coast Monday morning with my dearest Gina.
If we're being honest here, it was rather like a couples getaway.

We split clam chowder and a bread bowl
while sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean....

[have you ever had splash cafe's clam chowder? It will change your life.]

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it tastes a lot like butter....

Back to that couples getaway...

we stayed in an Inn with our own [metal] key and covered parking spot

And ate pizza in while we watched the Bachelorette.
[really, sweetheart? You're still into Bentley?]

And had breakfast at Linnea's on the outdoor patio.

a scone and white hot chocolate for me...

and an americano and a muffin for her.

mmmmmm. so good.

And to finish it off we took a stop by bubblegum alley.

so nasty. and smelly.

but worth it all the same.

and on the subject of butts...
our trip started by being mooned out of somebody's car window.
really boys? really?