A claw-foot tub.

Ok, my parents moved into a new house recently and it's awesome.
I call it Mama's dream.. she literally planned every detail of every room.
One of my current favorites is my bathroom.
claw-foot tub,
gold and silver scroll-y detailing,
black and white checkered floors.
claw-foot tub.

claw-foot tub. oh did I already say that?








A little sugar scrub, hot water, and twenty five minutes of silence never hurt anyone.
Just saying.


And anything, anything Sabon.... I'm in love.
Taylor

I probably love being 21. Ok, I really do.

But really, my birthday was one of the best days EVER, 

as was the rest of the week spent with my family.

Someday I will tell you about all of the celebrating.

But for now? I am going to record 20 important things that happened in my 20th year of life.

1-Walked the Brooklyn Bridge

2- Explored Central Park

3- Went through my first sudo-relationship [booya. it was longer than two weeks.]

4- ...and subsequently my first DTR

5- ...and subsequently my first breakup? if that's what you call it

6-  Lost 5 pounds

7- Ran a race. a hard race.

8- Kissed a boy or two

9- Took several roadtrips. [idaho, vegas, california(x3) anyone?]

10- Chose a major

11- Moved into a new apartment

12- Threw a sweet dance party or two...ok maybe more

13- Spent a million nights up at the house

14- Explored Yosemite with Linner

15- Discovered my love for Thai food on a whole new level

16- Cut off ALL of my hair

17- Became a Vice President for Student Alumni

18- Put some blonde in my hair

19- Found roots in the 1950s and my obsession with lipstick.

20- Lived a whole heck of a lot

I feel like that's a pretty solid list for a year of life.

And I'm continuing to love every minute.

Can't wait to see what this year has in store.

I mean, it started off with a sequin shirt...

it's already going the right direction.

[Kudos to Jess for the picture at my birthday dinner!] 

Love Always, 

Taylor Ann

el bautismo

Baptism days are some of the happiest days.

Over break I went to my little Miss' baptism.
As we all took pictures of her inside
[not that scratchy brown wall with butcher paper doesn't make for a lovely background...]

I had the thought that the occasion called for a bit better lighting and scenery.

Boy, am I glad I had the thought.

Doesn't she just glow?
It was such a great experience to be there,
and see this little family together.
It made me think about all the things I love and the gospel that I am so grateful for.

I believe in Christ.

I am consistently blown away at the effects of Christ and his gospel in people's lives.

And in my own. 

I am a genuinely happy human being.
I am not happy because my life is perfect, though I am fully aware I am blessed.
I am not happy because I'm ignorant or naive, I know the world is hard.
I'm happy because I have the gospel, and I know my standing with my Heavenly Father.
I know that he loves me, despite my shortcomings.

Last week I took one of my very best friends in the whole world to dinner for her birthday.
We talked about high school and life and the way we are. Our similarities, our differences.
She and I were very different in high school, and as we giggled about it, she turned to me.
"You're just.... it's different than just maturity.... I think you're an old soul"

Would you know, that's exactly what little Miss' mother said about her at her baptism?
That, she truly is. Very aware, very sweet. Somehow very much older than 8 years old.

I will gladly be placed in her same category.

I bring this all up for lots of reasons.
1. It all is exactly how I feel a lot of the time, so it belongs here, right?
2. Those pictures make me happy every time I look at them.
3. My roommate just got called to serve a mission and share all of this with the people of Los Angeles for a year and a half. I can't imagine a more wonderful, sincere person to do the job.

I'm so proud of her :)
Everyone deserves this kind of happiness.
I just want to share it with the whole world.

Love Always,
Taylor Ann

Hi, my family is adorable.

Ok, first things first, I'm going to throw a disclaimer out there for my next weeks worth of posts...

They will be 100% about home and my family.

Yep, there's just no getting around it.

1. I have the best family ever. no bias necessary there.

2. At school my life consists of homework, school, and well... yeah.

But, for your enjoyment while I make the drive back to Utah today

[and by "I" make the drive I very much mean while my brother in law makes the drive and I sit in the back seat....]

I will provide you with the proof that I have the most darling little group of cousins.

These guys are the youngest cousins by quite a few years, 

so we love love love to have them around.

[especially this baby-deprived college student right here!] 

I got to spend a few minutes with them before they headed back to the bay area.

And my heart just kept melting!

"Ok, so I need a million kisses from each of you before I leave"

*Just 5 tay-tay [hand open to indicate the number five]*

"Ok, ok. Then just five"

"How about you, Miss Lolo? Can I have a million kisses?"

*Five [using same five-finger indication as big-sister]*

"Ok, Ok. Five kisses it is"

then...from the carseat up front I see a little hand shoot up. 

*Two, taytay! Two!*

"Ok! Two kisses for my favorite boy!"

"Bye babies, I love you. I'll see you at Christmas"

*Wait, tay-tay, seven more kisses!*

*Yeah, tay-tay, seven more kisses!*

"Before I leave, what do you guys want for Christmas??"

*a bracelet and a necklace!*

*I want a bracelet and a necklace too!*

*a pony!*

*a hampster*

*a jewelry box...so then I can put my bracelet and necklace inside*

*a clubhouse*

  ...and that is just to name a few. 

Good luck with those 3 hampsters and a pony, Santa.

Yeah, I know, darling.

 

In case you were wondering, the kisses added up to almost a million (;

Aaaaaaand I know... 

my little brother is a looker.

And that tan all year round.

And single.

And 17.

So, I mean, if you wanna wait around a few years..

love thanksgiving,

love cousins,

love kisses,

 love you all,

Taylor Ann

Magic.

You know those happiness moments?

The ones where the weather is perfect,

the sky is the right shade of blue,

when nothing seems to be the matter,

and you curl up with a blanket and a book,

or take a hot bath.

Those moments when you feel so content,

where everyone around you is smiling,

and you just can't seem to wipe the smile off your face.

When you sing loud in the car,

or catch a glimpse of something breathtaking,

when the snow is falling so magically,

or you feel loved perfectly despite your imperfections.

I love those moments. 

I live for them.

Magic is real,

I just know it is. 

I remember walking home from class my freshman year on my birthday.

It was in the end of February, and weather is never very good then.

But the sun was shining and it felt so good on my face.

I can remember exactly where I was at that moment, and I remember how it felt.

Magic.

I remember seeing my kids waiting for me at the front of the orphanage when our bus pulled in.

I remember dancing with them all night to the sounds of Peruvian voices and guitars.

I remember Jerry holding my hands and walking on my feet and smiling up with that toothless grin.

Magic.

I remember coming home for a weekend in the summer of 2009 and sleeping under the stars with my family.

Magic.

I remember driving down dirt roads this summer with the music up loud...singing at the top of our lungs,  and catching frogs in the muddy banks of the pond.

Magic.

Life is never perfect. 

But I think He gives us moments in which we glimpse for a moment what pure joy feels like.

It's that peaceful, calm, happy moment when nothing else seems to matter. 

Where even if all other things are wrong, you just know it will be ok.

I think that might be what eternity feels like.

I suppose I'll have to wait to find out.

These are some of my favorite "magic" pictures on my pinterest account.

I think the older I get, and the more I make the distinction between what matters and what doesn't,

I have more and more "magic" moments.

It's more of the feeling than the circumstance or action.

That swelling in your heart. 

Magic.

In those moments, and always....

truly, my cup runneth over.

rainy day whining.

Today started with torrential downpour.

The kind where you have your windshield wipers going full blast.

But it's coming down in sheets basically so you can't see anything anyways.

But let us remember, I was anticipating a normal summer. 

And packed only summer clothes.

Are. you. kidding. me.

So naturally, my stockingless legs were freezing and I stole my dad's portable heater.

[I just haven't reached that level of class where you wear nylons even in summer]

And let it be known that I ate soup for lunch

on this the twenty-ninth day of June.

But I have a corner office with waterfalls and trees outside.

With windows all the way to the ceiling on two walls.

I have no room to whine.

I'm a very lucky girl.

There's a blood pressure machine at Albertson's, soooo  I will share that little tidbit with you. 

Because it's interesting.

blood pressure: 99 over somethin. I'm almost dead, yeah?

also, apparently there was a picture mishap.
sorrrrrry.