Rebirth

I'm so excited to announce this blog is going through big changes! I'll be changing the url to taylorrachellemccord.blogspot.com within the next week so be sure to bookmark the new address! Also, if you haven't noticed already, I redesigned the layout and blog banner for a cleaner, more streamlined look. I need more simplicity in my life. Lately, life has been throwing a lot at me from all directions. I think that's what they call becoming an adult. Despite many moments of frustration, I'd say I'm handling it well. Although I've been wishing for a vacation to never never land, I'll settle for some good live music and a glass of wine.

Spring is the time of new beginnings, but I think the transition to winter can bring many of those too. With the cold weather and rain comes more time to blog, DIY, and discover new music and art. Since I spend  my free time immersed in music, I decided I should make that more of a focus here on the blog. I need an outlet to share the playlists constantly running through my head and the amazing concerts I experience here in LA.

This is what I'll be listening to as I travel home for Thanksgiving. A quick one hour flight, but the right music is essential. Can't wait to stuff myself with food and then burn off all the calories in the Black Friday shopping rush. Onward and homeward. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!




Image 1. Image 2.

Etsy Shop Announcement!

Friends, this is a big moment for me! My Etsy shop is officially open!

I've been trying to make this happen for years, but the timing never seemed to be right. Maybe it's also due to the fact that I was a marketing major and it's hard to plunge head first into a business venture without weighing all the consequences and work involved. Well, I finally threw my responsibility aside and took the risk. Putting yourself out there creatively is scary, but this has been a passion of mine since since I was old enough to make my first craft project. In the past, my customers mostly consisted of friends and family and I never made them pay, so I'm proud to make this dream a reality. Push myself to grow and learn.

I hope you enjoy! Bows and old keys are two of my favorite things! :)

Thanks to all my friends and family for their support, encouragement, and technical expertise. I couldn't have opened my store without you!

<3 Taylor

Everything's Peachy

Over the past year and a half, my life has been filled with transitions. School to unemployment to full time work. Relationships forming and breaking down. Happy to dejected to hopeful to lonely to busy to fulfilled. There's no end to the changes and the ways we must adapt. Right now, I'm absorbing the art, music, and friendships. The sunny days, delicious food, and steady paychecks. So much to feel blessed by. It doesn't mean that everything is perfect, as easy as that is to say. It means I have more to share.

Do you ever look around and feel shocked by way we spend our time? On our computers or our phones and filling our minds and hands with luxuries. Let's be more than consumers. Sometimes I forget how privileged I am to be able to put on a bright pink dress and heels and play around in front of a camera. It's so silly, but it's a little joy. Yet, shouldn't we be investing our extra time in more changes, outside of just our selves? Helping others with their transitions? It's easy to forget about community when living in a city. Passing by an endless stream of faceless people. Lately, I've been struck by the beauty in every person. Competition is a common theme in this city, but I hope little by little we can redefine community. Even if everything is peachy for me or you, it's not for every person. As cheesy as it sounds, we all have the power to make a change, though it might start as a tiny ripple.

Dress: Free People

Shoes: Shoedazzle
Earrings: Christi Jay

<3 Taylor

*Photo credit to my beautiful friend, Brittan.

Suburban Sunlight

Sometimes it's nice to leave the city and relax a little in suburbia. That's not a thought I express too often, but there's definitely a sense of relief when I find myself in an area where the whole street is available for parking.

I'll admit, I'm a true city girl at heart. Through thick and thin. I'll defend LA, even when I could string off a list of complaints and criticisms at a moment's notice. But who can't find negatives about anything if they try hard enough? It's much easier to dwell in the positive. Thinking about the opportunities and culture a city offers gives me butterflies. But suburbia provides the perfect refuge to slow down. Rent a movie and stay inside. Or have a photoshoot in the street, because the cars are that scarce!

Amidst the city lights, my frenzied brain needs a reminder: It's ok to relax. It's ok if I don't do everything. It's ok if I stay in on a Friday night. The world is constantly speeding around us, through us, but let's not lose sight of the value in breathing and resting in the moment.

 Blouse: Native (local boutique)

Lace skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Modcloth

<3 Taylor

*Special thanks to my photographer, Brittan.

Color Me Bright

So much to tell and so much to be thankful for, I could burst. Amidst my crazy, hectic schedule, I managed to find some time to be productive and work on a couple very exciting projects. The second I'll announce later, but it's been near to my heart for a while now. The other project is this mini series of outfit posts one of my dear friends, Brittan, photographed around her new little home in Whittier.

Let me just say, being a model is much harder than it looks. I truly understand the concept of taking 50 photos to get that one perfect shot now. How do all the bloggers and models out there do it?? I think I'll go pop a giant bag of popcorn and watch a marathon of America's Next Top Model, so I can learn  insider secrets for next time. Maybe even start a daily facial expression exercise regimen. That might be a little dramatic, but a girl has got to do something to keep up with the best of them, right?

The material on this top is gorgeous, straight from the jungles (ok maybe not, that's just what I like to imagine) of South America. Sometimes you need a litte exotic in your wardrobe and this piece is perfect.

Anyway, have the best Thursday! I love Thursdays, because you can treat them like a Friday, but then you realize you still have the whole weekend ahead. At least that's what I like to do to speed up a long week. Maybe I'm the only one, but either way, go celebrate with an Autumn-y treat! I'm starting to rekindle my romance with pumpkin. It's going to be a good season, I can tell.

Bandeau/Bustier- Rojas Clothing

Leather Skirt- Buffalo Exchange

Red Shoes- Shoedazzle

<3 Taylor

Take A Walk

Go for a walk. Really, I'm not kidding. It has become such an underrated activity, but it opens the world. It is catching snip-its of people's lives. Gathering observations. Soaking in the elements.

Ironic that I live in one of the most spread out cities in America. The car is the most ideal form of transportation, yet I prefer walking, whether in the occasional (let's be honest) rain or in the blazing heat. 

It is my therapy.

My time to process.

Every moment and every decision is so fragile. So volatile. One step. One decision to stay or go. It can all drastically affect our journey. That's what makes life beautiful. The walks. The twists and the turns. The paths we choose to invest our time along.

Stars In My Eyes

I've always been fascinated with the stars. When I was a kid, I would walk around my neighborhood at night with my head thrown back, staring at the stars. They made me feel very small, but in the best way possible. Not much has changed as I've grown up. I'm still drawn to the those far away balls of light. Funny that I now live in a place where they're mostly hidden. But those moments they do peak through are like falling in love. They remind me that all my worries are so insignificant, that we are a part of a universe bigger than we could ever fathom.

I recently discovered the artist, Summer Heart, and his music would be the perfect soundtrack to laying under under the stars, imagining the future and dreaming in the present.

And if I could wear the galaxies, I would only be the happiest! I believe opals are little bits of space in tangible form. It's only natural they are also my birth stone. My connection to the stars began early and continues to entwine itself beautifully throughout my life.

Picture 1&2: Romwe
Picture 3: Etsy