DIY: Idea Jar

Today was one of those days I couldn't wait for work to end so I could run home and play with paint and popsicle sticks. That's normal right? It was definitely worth the 9 hour wait, because now I can finally put this little project to use.

Do you ever have that hour, that day, that weekend you need a little help figuring out what to do? I'm constantly taking note of activities I want to try later, but when later comes, suddenly all those ideas fly out of my mind. Anyone else have this problem? Or is it just me? Well, I hope you can relate, so you can be as excited about this DIY as I am!

Idea Jar:

Materials:

• Jar
• Paint (craft paint or spray paint)
• Paint brush
• Popsicle sticks
• Cloth
• Twine
• Pen (not pictured)
• Scissors (not pictured)
• Ideas and creativity**

1. Pick your idea categories and color coordinate. I chose red (costly/24 hour+ activity), purple (arts&culture), green (outdoor activity), yellow (inexpensive/no planning needed), and blue (food&drink).

2. Paint those popsicle sticks! It might help to make a list of your ideas first so you know how many of each color you need... or improvise!

3. Pick a fabric to wrap your jar in and cut it down to fit your jar. I folded the edges, wrapped the fabric around the jar, and tied the twine around it. If you want it to be more solid, you could put a few stitches around the edges and/or at the back. If your jar has a label, you might want to take it off. I just covered it to save time.

4. Write down all your creative ideas on the popsicle sticks and stick them in the jar.

Last is the best part: go find (or make) some free time in your schedule and see what activity you pull out of that jar first!

<3 Taylor

I Promise

With work, planning for my Etsy shop, graduations, birthdays, weddings, and lots of dates and phone conversations with my favorite people, life has been full of distractions. Sometimes your life looks wonderful on paper, but your heart is shattered. Putting those pieces back together is the most beautiful experience though, because you can only start that process when you are completely honest with yourself. It starts with a foundation: promises that I want to define my life and hold true in my heart.

I promise to treat myself with kindness and respect.
I promise to hold myself to realistic expectations and forgive myself if I fail.
I promise to be honest with myself and with others.
I promise to feel my emotions with all their intensity but not to dwell on the negative.
I promise to stay true to my heart and my soul.
I promise to challenge myself even when I don't want to be challenged.
I promise to stop holding back when I need to let go.
I promise to stop trying to control what only God can.
I promise to trust that God has my best interests at heart.
I promise to give the Lord my past, present, and future.
I promise to never stop asking questions.
I promise to never judge.
I promise to always create, imagine, and dream.
I promise to never stop trying new things.
I promise to always have an open heart.
I promise to love others the way Jesus loved and love with my whole heart.
I promise to never cease praying or forget its power.
I promise to never live in a bubble and to never stop exploring.
I promise to never settle for the ordinary.
I promise to stop being scared.
I promise to be content in the present.

What have you promised yourself?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! If there's one thing in the world I know, it is how special mothers are. There's no one else on this earth who knows you from the very moment you were created. I'm very blessed to have a mom who loves me so unconditionally. I have never felt more accepted, supported, and encouraged than by the words and actions of my mom. I've been through some rough times in this past year and I would never have survived without my phone and a mom who is willing to talk to me whenever I need her, however long I need her. Hope your Sunday was filled with beauty and appreciation of the love in your life.

Here's a little project I worked on for my beautiful mother (and she definitely liked it!):

DIY: Bleached Shirt

This weekend was beautifully sunny and I finally had the opportunity to try out a project that's been stuck in my head for a long time. Inspired by a couple different blogs, I knew exactly how I wanted to personalize the idea when I heard the phrase, "I could sail the world", at a Honey Trees concert a couple weeks ago. I have a terrible case of wanderlust, always planning the next city to explore. This is the perfect little tank to wear at the beginning of any adventure. The routine of life can become so oppressive, but that's why we have dreams. Don't ever let them go.

Materials:

• Shirt
• Cup of bleach
• Paintbrush
• Cardboard
• Gloves (optional)
• Chalk (optional)

1. Sketch out your design/words with the chalk or skip to step 2 if you're free-handing it.
2. Dip your paintbrush in the bleach, making sure to wipe any extra drops off on the side of the container.

3. Trace over your chalk outline or paint freehand. Go slow and steady, no need to rush!

4. After the bleach dries, you will probably need to go over the parts you missed or that need to be evened out and made thicker.
5. I flicked a few drops of bleach over the whole thing with my paintbrush to finish it off (the more bleach on your brush, the bigger the spots), but go for the look that suits your design best!

Instagram Loving

Hi friends!

I know I'm really far behind the times, but I finally have an Instagram account! I can finally indulge in this hipster pleasure and it feels wonderful! I guess they sold out to Facebook, but I'm still enjoying this new (to me) form of media sharing. It's fun to have images to look back on documenting where you've been and what you've been doing and see the same things in other people's lives. So please make my day and follow me at taylorachelle.

Love and sweet dreams.

Little Obsessions: Color

Color is such a beautiful part of life. It lights up the world and wraps us in its depths. Although I love a good black and white film or LBD, color adds a vibrancy I could never live without. It's always been hard for me to pick a favorite color because each shade creates a unique impression on the soul. They elicit feelings and emotions just as a song or smell conjures an old memory. I never want to stop playing with color because I think at that moment, I stop imagining.

Inspiration:

I know this is music but it adds color to my life and the cover of the album is gorgeous. Listen here.


Credit: Video. Image 1. Image 2.

Creative Process

Recently, I've been wrapped up in researching and collecting different craft project ideas. The only problem is that somewhere along the creative process I lost inspiration. Does anyone ever feel that way? Like it's not the right timing. Sometimes you have to wait for the idea to grow, to manifest in the physical what is abstract in your mind. Instead of pushing too hard or allowing myself to become overwhelmed, I went back to the basics. I love collaging. Putting pretty and unique pieces together to create something meaningful. It's like a puzzle, but with endless outcomes. I've been working on this collage for the past few days and already it looks different than these pictures. It reminds me that this life is ever in process. That sometimes there is more than one right answer. That you can end with a beautiful picture in multiple ways. Sometimes simple is best and the answer is right before our eyes.

So here's to re-inspiration in the things we love most.