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.

Life In Color

I've been itching to write another blog post for weeks, but the month of July demanded my undivided attention. All my ideas and thoughts are dying to spill out now!

I thought after I finished school summer might lose a little of it's magic, but it is just as sunny and full of possibilities. Days spent with friends and family in the company of art, music, movies, and the gorgeous outdoors. It's a beautiful time. I've missed staying indoors crafting, although I've found time for a few small projects I can't wait to share soon. My August must incude more arts and crafts for the soul, you know?

Living in a place where the actual seasons are so mildly different, you could blink and miss the change, has caused me to appreciate the seasons of self. They aren't defined by a calendar or weather pattern. For the past year, I've been in what I would define as "winter". A little icy, a little fragile, maybe even a little treacherous, yet allowing for perseverance and cleansing. Full of spring's seedlings peaking out. But now is my time to appreciate life's color. Now is my summer. Not just in the temporal, emotional sense, but deep in my heart. The kind of feeling that comes from the inside out, where I am giving rather than receiving. Every season is one of beauty, and with this change I appreciate my new season even more profoundly. What season are you in?

<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?

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.