beautiful you

Getting Organized {Our Style}

2012-02-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

We Taylors do not have Type-A personalities of color-coded charts, scheduled-out activities, urgency. You know, what most grown-ups do. Believe me, it would be nice -- not forgetting something important that you swear you told the other about, then turns out never happened, etc. Yet, it's just not who we are. We're an off-the-cuff, spontaneous bunch, that doesn't plan well at all. So, what do we do to try and remedy the situation, get organized, and still make it US?

Paint a chalkboard wall, of course. It's really quite perfect actually. Organized, but not in a neat enough fashion as to feel we've lost out style - haha. Plus, the bottom half now serves as Ainsley's art wall, and she is LOVING it.

We'll soon be hanging a little shelf for the chalk at her level and I also intend to add --Taylor Family est'd 2004 -- to the highest point of the wall since it's about 12' high and we won't exactly be using that area, well... ever. Ha. So, pics to come on that soon.

Photography {Latest Faves}

2012-02-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

{Pryor Turns ONE}

{Baby Girl Gets a New 'Do}

New Look - Same Feel

2012-02-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile. I've missed my blog dearly. I've tried to start a post multiple times, but alas... life happens. :) I decided I would make more time for it and will, but first things first -- I wanted a new look. I change things up a lot. My house is rarely the same. "Keep it fresh" is an unspoken motto, yet I definitely live it.

I'm still inspired by {the little things in life} and always will be, but I felt it didn't represent me. More, I tried to represent it. And that's not altogether a bad thing. The little things are a great inspiration and will still be a focus in my day to day ramblings. But beauty... that's my true inspiration.

Faith | Love | Nature | Giving | Photography | Design | Life
etc., etc.

Thus, the new title --> Beautiful You: this {crazy, beautiful} life

In October of last year, I got my first tatoo:

Back story: I've always loved them, but wasn't sure what I'd like to have permanently on my body that I would still be proud of and stand by at the ripe age of 90 (yes, I plan to live forever), when my great-grandkids ask about it. I wanted something simple, unique, a conversation starter, but most importantly, I wanted it to be me. THIS is ME.

Unfortunately, I've dealt with this crazy issue of not seeing myself as beautiful {and I don't know many women who don't struggle with this} for a few years now and I've been long overdue for a change. I'm raising a daughter whom I never want to lack self-confidence. THIS is my reminder to love me and teach her how to love her. It's not a heal-all. Tatoo's have no special powers. But I see this everyday and it's my way to stop negative thoughts dead in their tracks.

That being said, it's the perfect new title for my blog and a great way to continue my trek to self-lovedom. {Such a clever gal}

great song and additional inspiration

Scenes from the {Christmas} Weekend

2012-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

I Hear Ya :: December Mixtape

2012-01-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

Giving {&Thanks} PartONE

2011-12-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'm blown away by the giving nature of businesses and organizations that have been popping up all over the world. Flabbergasted, even. And I'd like to extend THANKS to those who inspire me and just want to share the incredible efforts they have set forth in making this world better, one day at a time.

My goal is to be founder of an incredible organization that gives back. I rack my brain constantly trying to think of what I could do to merge my loves {design, giving, creativity, caring | among others} into something spectacular that helps the world -- and all the while gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. I WILL make this a reality.

TOMS
I've been a huge advocate of TOMS shoes - as anyone who follows my blog is aware - and what they represent. For every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is donated to a child in need. One for One! They also launched their eyewear line this year with the same concept: Purchase a pair of glasses and a pair will be donated to a person in need, giving the gift of sight - One for One!

As of Sept 2011, TOMS has donated over 1 million shoes!

In addition, they host events such as "One Day Without Shoes," that takes place every Spring - challenging folks to spread the word about the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life - while not wearing shoes all day.

source

Blake Mycoskie, owner of TOMS, is one of the most interesting people I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know {via the social media world, that is}. His first book, Start Something That Matters, is an inspirational get-out-and-face-your-fears | do-what-you-love | love-what-you-do | and-change-the-world-all-at-the-same-time | kind of kick in the pants that is giving me the motivation to continue researching 'til I find a way to make my dream a reality. A bit long-winded with my description - but, it's really the best way I know how to describe it! I can't possibly do it justice, really -- but Thank You, TOMS!

Our family Christmas gift this year:

It's so important to me and Scott to set an example for our kiddo now - at the tender age of 4 - by giving back in any way we can. So we took the time to explain to her why we chose TOMS as our family gift. By buying three (3) pairs of shoes this year, we've now provided three (3) pairs for kiddos in need. She was definitely very curious to know all about why some kids don't have shoes or why we donate unwanted clothing to local charities for kids who don't have any - all the while she sees a closet full of both in her room; also, why we give old toys/books away and buy new ones for kids at Christmas time - when she has so many that she's running out of space to store them. Her response, "Wow, that's cool mommy."

She gets excited to give certain items away now that she's starting to understand the meaning a bit more. And at the same time, a tad reluctant {what 4y/o isn't?} to donate others. She's certainly learning and we're hoping with our constant example, she'll one day have the urge to give on her own.

(TOMS: Twitter | Facebook}

BETTER WORLD BOOKS

"As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we never, ever throw away a book. Any book we cannot find a proper home for is recycled. We're not just "greenwashing" our message, and we've got the numbers to prove it.

•We have re-used or recycled over 80 million pounds of books - that's over 58 million books!
•We have reclaimed more than 900,000 pounds of metal shelving from libraries across the United States."

And for you college students/grads, they offer Buy Back for textbooks! {They even pay the shipping}

In addition to the 5.8 million books they've donated, BWB has also raised roughly $10.7 million in library & literacy funds, and has reused/recycled roughly 68.5 million books. Thanks, BWB!

Our most recent BWB purchase, for Ainsley:

{BWB: Twitter | Facebook}

FEEDProjects

FEED began in 2006 when acclaimed model and activist Lauren Bush designed a bag to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) School Feeding program. She visited countries around the world in Asia, Latin America, and Africa and took a special interest in the World Food Programme's School Feeding program, which feeds and educates hungry children. From there, she designed a FEED 1 bag, a reversible burlap and organic cotton bag reminiscent of the bags of food distributed by WFP. Feed 1 signifies that each bag feeds one child in school for one year. In 2007, the first bags were sold.

I'm pleased to say I was among those who received a bag that year. :) It was the only request on my Christmas list. FEEDProjects offers many different options, through the purchases you make, to feed the children of the world. From bags to accessories to apparel, and now even a customizable bag option, you can purchase your favorite style and feed anywhere from 1 meal for the purchase of a $5 FEEDbracelet, 3 meals for the purchase of a $50 FEEDAfrica bowl, or even the FEED2Kenya bag which supplies meals to 2 children in Kenya for an entire school year! Thank you, FEEDProjects!

I've had this bag since Christmas 2007 and it's still my favorite!

{FeedProjects: Twitter | Facebook}

FREE RICE
For all you gamers out there - this one's definitely for you!

Just like FEEDProjects, FreeRice is also affiliated with the World Food Programme. Educating yourself while providing food for those in need -- who wouldn't want to be a part of this? In no time yesterday, I answered 100 questions and provided 1,000 grains of rice. You can choose your subject {Humanities, Geography, English, Math, Chemisty, or Language Learning - Spanish, French, German, Italian} and begin answering questions. The questions get harder as you go along. You can choose to sign up and it will keep track of your overall score for you. It's really a fantastic way to learn, re-learn, or just review for fun, while supplying nourishment for others. I love this site! Over 91 billion grains have been donated to date. Thank you, FreeRice!

{FreeRice: Twitter | Facebook}

NURUInternational

Nuru International's mission is to end extreme poverty in remote, rural areas. To accomplish this, they equip people with tools and knowledge to lift themselves out of extreme poverty - forever.

A little over a year ago, we started a monthly commitment of $29 - all thanks to a dear friend, Billy Williams, for bringing this amazing cause to our attention! With this investment, Nuru International can provide lifesaving programs for one family. Our investment provides one family with training in proper farming techniques, financial planning, water purification, proper hygiene, and disease prevention as well as access to savings clubs, product loans, healthcare commodities, literacy programs and leadership development. Thank you, Nuru!

{Nuru: Twitter | Facebook}

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Please stay tuned for addtional, inspriring organizations as I bring you part 2 of Giving {&Thanks}. I hope you too will get inspired and involved with one or MORE! It's truly a blessing.

Spreading Holiday Cheer {Taylor-style}

2011-12-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

This year, like every year, we created a fun family card to send to all our loved ones. In addtion we created a card from Ainsley to send to all her little friends from school & church. I love creating them and seeing the finished product come to life. It's a fun way to express our style and send some love while we're at it. Hope everyone enjoyed receiving them in the mail! XO

Holiday Partays

2011-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last week consisted of multiple holiday parties for work. I love getting all dressed up - especially this time of year! My health hasn't allowed me to enjoy everything quite as much as I'd like, but I'm making the best of it!

My boss had his house party on Wed. A-ma-zing venue. Right on the lake - gorgeous wrap around back porch and 8k sq ft - yes, you read that right. I wouldn't know what to do with all that, but it was great to spend the evening there! Then the company {that-I-used-to-work-for-and-still-actually-work-in-the-building-but-not-for-that-company} party was on Friday night at Hunter Valley Farms for the 2nd year. So beautiful there! Such a great time and great way to kick off our Christmas festivities!

With Aimee, Tori, & Shanie - love these girls!

With Beau, bosses son - 7th grade. Thinkin' we made his night. ha!

Our handsome dates!

I have a great pic of me and Scotty on our Nikon that I must add later! Above were taken on the phone's camera. Some good, some bad, but ALL great memories!

Photography {Connor & Fam}

2011-12-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

I was blessed yet again to take pictures of another favorite family from OneLife, The Travises. Their adorable son, Connor, needed some 18mo pics and the family needed Christmas card options. So we headed to the Botanical Gardens last Sunday. I really cannot express enough the joy I find in taking photos. I'm so very grateful to be asked to do this; to be trusted to capture these precious moments. Thank you, Travises!

Here are a few of my favorites of Mr. Connor and his mommy (Stacey) & daddy (Jordan)!

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

'Tis the Season for many activities!

LOVE this time of year. From visiting Santa {she was great this year - yay!} to birthday parties to decorating the tree, Ainsley is in complete awe right now! She loves coming home to the tree lit up and all the decorations -- especially the ones that play music (turning them on all at once, of course). Hehe. Wouldn't have it any other way though. It's so much fun to see her excitement this year. Each year just gets better and better!

Enjoy the scenes from our weekend -- we sure did!

EdSanta 2011

with her buddy, Reece

Ains and Lily

Birthday Party for Haylei!

Tree Decorating with Nana

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-12-08T13:24:00.001-08:00

Late coming, but too many great ones to go without posting!

We had a blast this past weekend going to two Christmas parades and cheering on our OneLife family! One year ago, last weekend, we saw the OneLife float in the Knoxville parade and were impressed by the band -- having no idea until we saw the backside that they were a church. We were church-shopping at the time for something smaller (our then church was massive - great, but overwhelming) and we wanted to get plugged into a young church and help it grow! So I stalked them online... told Scott we were going (haha) and we went there the following Sunday, along with my mom and my brother, who was in town taking his boards at the time. We LOVED it. Every-single-bit-of-it.

Now, the rest is history! :) And what an amazing year it's been!

So Friday night we headed downtown and watched the Knoxville parade. She adores parades! Except for those pesky loud trucks and sirens.

It was so great to see our church coming down the street; getting to see them from a completely different perspective this year. Amazing. Who knew that we'd be part of that amazing church family one year later? God did, for sure. We owe it all to him. It's funny how things work out. He knew what we were looking for and that's exactly what we got. Doesn't always work out that way, but man... we are ever so grateful that this did!

Ains spent Saturday morning working on Christmas gifts and helping daddy make homemade pizza, while I edited photos -- she found it very entertaining to watch the yeast do it's thing. And then to see high the dough rose while she was taking a nap, gah, that was too precious. She wanted to see it again -- haha. So instead Scott did an experiment with vinegar, water, and baking soda, creating a volcano effect! She thought it was fantastic, but bursted his bubble a bit when she mentioned she'd already seen that at school. hehe. Still wanted to see it again though!

Saturday night, we joined our OneLife crew for the smaller, but oh-so-fun Powell parade. Ainsley walked the entire way! Waving and shouting "Merry Christmas!!" to the folks lined up down the street. She thought she was a pretty big deal. I was so proud of her. Slept like a rock that night. Maybe we should walk a couple miles before bed more often! Ha!

The weather was really on our side for both parades. Pretty perfect considering it's December. It's really only now starting to feel like winter. Deceivingly gorgeous outside... bone-chillingly (word?) cold though.

Sunday we went to church and later that day I took pictures of another OneLife family, the Travises, and their precious son, Connor. :) I'll do a separate post of some favorites!

Looking forward to the rest of December - it's jam-packed full of activities, from two work parties to Ainsley's Christmas program (where she's singing in a quartet with her buddies, Bailey, Samuel, and Carter - LOVE. She's so excited!) to birthday parties galore! Lots of photos are in store!

Photography {Mariclaire}

2011-12-06T11:56:00.001-08:00

So a few weeks ago I had the priviledge of photographing a sweet girl, and my pastor's daughter, Mariclaire. She was absolutely precious and joy to capture!

I've really been embracing the art of photography more than ever lately, and hope that this can be a continuous side-gig, if not more. The opportunity to follow little ones, families, my own kiddo, around for an hour or so and photograph the beauty that is them... LOVE. Even spending hours editing makes me happy.

Here are a few of my favorites of sweet MC {Can't post the Christmas ones; they're saving for family. Ooh... But they're are sooo precious!}:

10,000

2011-12-05T14:15:00.001-08:00

I'm sure most bloggers hit 10,000 page views much quicker that I did, but it's really exciting to see that people are interested and it's been less than a year since I've started. My 24 amazing followers helped me get there.

Thanks so much! It's always the little things that make me smile.

Love you tremendously!

Winter Tunes

2011-12-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas -- everywhere you go. Love it. Classic Christmas carols are fantastic. Oh Holy Night has been a favorite since I sang it at the tender age of 8 - solo for a Christmas pageant - always get teared up. And now that it is officially December, what better to post about than some excellent Winter/Christmas style music for trimming the tree, decking the halls, decorating cookies, or hangin' with friends. Not sure I'll get around to a November mix-tape, though I have some great new sounds to share. Here's hopin'! In the meantime - please enjoy!

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas
We were blessed to receive this as a gift several years ago from Scotty's awesome cousin, Laura. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is, to this day, our favorite.

Grand Hallway - Winter Creatures
Lucky to discover this just the other day. Doesn't scream "Christmas Carols," but very appropriate sounds for the winter season. Great find!

Thanks for sharing both, BandCamp!

Scenes from the {Thanksgiving} Weekend

2011-11-30T14:08:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving was here in TN this year (second year in a row). Though we missed our WV family and friends something awful, we loved the low-stress weekend at my mom's. She too decided to stay in TN this year, so we had a small, but incredibly yummy dinner at her place. All courtesy of my should-be-a-chef husband. He worked his cute little bottom off in the kitchen all day Thursday (and a little Wed evening) to produce a feast for, well, definitely more than the 3 adults present. As you likely know our kiddo won't eat anything but raw items and isn't a fan of meat, so a Thanksgiving meal is not exactly something we can count on her helping us with. So there we were, 3 adults with a 21lb Tom...

What to do, what to do...

Devour it of course! Well, some of it anyway. :) We could've gone with an 11lb'er, but what fun is that?! We'd rather have leftovers galore. And did we ever! Many-a-sandwich, a pot of turkey chili, and turkey enchiladas have been created thus far. We'll also make a batch of turkey salad and possibly another pot of chili to freeze for later. In addition to the incredible turkey (cooked with fresh herb butter under the skin, and stuffed with fresh veggies and additional herbs), he made sweet potato casserole, garlic parmesan mashed potatoes, green beans w/ bacon, homemade cranberry sauce, homemade gravy, and then took it easy and baked off some crescent rolls (no complaints here!). He also made a pumpkin roll and a bourbon chocolate pecan pie for dessert.

He's incredible, ladies and gentlemen!

The big bummer about the weekend was Ains. She had been fighting allergies (cold?) since the Tues before T'giving and felt rotten the whole weekend, taking 3-4hr naps (so unlike her). The good thing though - we all lounged in our pjs and/or comfy clothes all weekend long, playing games, reading, and doing crafts. I ended up feeling about the same Saturday so she and I had to miss OneLife on Sun and then I took Mon off. She's much better now and I'm finally feeling good too!

We were able to get out for a little on Saturday, with mom, so we took a trip to the Botanical Gardens. I'll be posting another set of beautiful photos of our baby girl very shortly. I'll as well post some pictures of a sweet girl named Mariclaire, our pastor's daughter -- I was blessed to be asked to take her 1 year photos. They saw Ainsley's from the Arboretum and asked! So cool! I've also been asked by a few others now that they've seen Mariclaires. Possible side gig? Never know.

Enjoy our weekend in review, picture-style! Hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving, too! XO

our big helper

HALF-WAY THERE!

ALL DONE!

NOM!

My sweet family! Love them!

My beautiful mom and daughter

Intense game of princess dominos after dinner

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-11-21T15:21:00.001-08:00

No Scenes from the Weekend post last week. What's gotten in to me? I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I normally would either... and then, what I did take, I didn't even post. Boo. "Busy season" has begun at work (double boo) leaving no downtime for blogging during lunch because I generally work through said lunchtime these days. Evenings are filling up with to-dos and priorities are shifting, which is ok -- but I miss my blogging outlet. I miss expressing myself, if only by posting a photo or two of our little family adventures.

We Taylors are a busy bunch, but capturing those moments on camera make me realize how blessed we are to have friends and family to be with, fun events to a part of, and each other. :) And I love sharing them with you!

Thanksgiving Banquet at West Emory on Friday

Evening video watching and cuddling

Yummy Dinner

Evening Entertainment: Ainsley's Amazing Balancing Act!

Saturday Morning lounging and Hide-and-Go-Seek

First Theatre Movie: Happy Feet 2

Loved every minute of it. We did too!

Evening cuddles and silliness

And a very long Sunday for all

We all crashed... HARD... after church. Much needed naps for the Taylor fam.

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

'Tis the Season for Holiday Cards

2011-11-16T13:54:00.001-08:00

I've spent the better part of my work day designing samples of corporate holiday cards. No complaints here, but seeing as how I rarely have time to blog about anything these days, especially what I design, I thought I'd take the last 4 minutes of my work day to share what might be the chosen design this year. We'll see what the big man says. :)

Left: 2011 Design | Right: 2010 Design

I prefer to design photo cards (and design our card every year), but I love typography and can have just as much playing with various fonts/layouts. Thanks for letting me share what I love!

Sweet Gift

2011-11-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

So my friend, Cole, is a busy mommy of two, wife, and completing her last year of law school. Somehow... you know in all that free time she has... she made this beautiful gift for me.

A knitted, mustard yellow wrap scarf!

I've already worn it a handful of times (as you've likely noticed in our Pumpkin Patch pics) and receiving rave reviews. It's so warm and cozy and was made with love. The best kind of gift anyone can ask for. Thank you, Cole!!

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

With Ainsley in WV visiting Mimi & Poppy, we've had a few days of us time to be oh-so thankful for! We've missed her something awful though. I've tried to call everyday (sometimes twice) just to hear that sweet voice.

The weekend was once again filled with fun outings and an amazing day at OneLife with both the church and our OneLife Students. We are blessed to have found such an incredible addition to our Knoxville family through new friends at church.

Friday night, we took part in an world-wide event at the church office called, Secret Church. What an eye-opening, life-changing experience. It started at 7pm and lasted 'til 1am. Those who know me know that it's rare for me to be up past 11, and I'm generally ready to crash between 9 and 10. :) But this was totally worth the amout of caffeine I consumed to keep my eyes wide and mind alert. Thank you, Rodney, for the opportunity!

Saturday, after sleeping in a bit (yay!), we hit up the Farmer's Market for our last trip and CSA share of 2011, enjoyed some brunch at Cafe 4, and followed that up with some treats from Coffee & Chocolate. The afternoon consisted of a visit/catch-up with my mom who's been out of town for a few weeks, and the evening was a bittersweet farewell party for my dear friend, Brooke, and her fiance, Chris. Their jobs are taking them to Flagstaff, AZ. Exciting new adventure ahead -- just gonna miss them terribly!

Not a weekend picture, but needed to be posted: Scotty made a delish dinner of lobster stuffed salmon, red, mashed potatoes and green beans - complemented with a delish Pinot Noir.

Secret Church with OneLife

Handsome brunch date at Cafe 4!

Yummy Veggie Omelette - sundried toms, spinach, gorgonzola, red peppers

Red Eye - of course

Didn't actually try these yet, but looks amazing!

Dream building *new* downtown - love!

Gorgeous drive with the Fall leaves. Everything is so vibrant right now.

Gonna miss this girl so much!

Delish Mellow Mushroom pizza. Nom!

OneLife Band rockin' out with Joe nailing "Superstitious" by Stevie Wonder.

I Hear Ya :: October Mixtape

2011-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

source

Fall Photoshoot Preview

2011-11-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

So a couple weekends ago we took Ainsley to the Arboretum for some photos. We have a great camera, Nikon D3100, that Scotty surprised me with for my birthday (really a family gift) this past year. He knows my LOVE for pictures, as you have likely gathered as well, with my Scenes from the Weekend posts. I've dabbled in photography for awhile now and took a couple classes in college, but I'm by no means a pro. However, since I have photoshop knowledge, I figured I'd take a stab at some professional style pictures of our little sweetpea and see how they would turn out -- or if they'd end up looking juvenile.

I must say... I'm pretty pleased with the results!

I've been debating whether I want to post them yet as they'll likely be part of upcoming Christmas gifts, but who am I kidding... I'm too anxious to show 'em off and hopefully get a postive reaction (or two?). Hope you enjoy my little preview. She's an incredible subject to work with!

Taylor Family Picks {Thanksgiving Favorites}

2011-11-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

A family favorite holiday, so why not share our favorite things about it?

images via pinterest and google

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-11-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

If nothing else, I WILL have scenes from our weekend. Ha!

Sheesh, I can't believe I haven't found anytime to blog in the last week. I have so many topics to blog about too. Hoping to do Family Picks, Oct Mixtape, and a few more this week. My sweet girl is out of town with gparents, so I will likely have a little more time, but goooosh I miss her already, and she just left yesterday!

This past weekend, Aunt Carrie joined us at our house! Yay! We were really lazy Saturday, lounging around doing Halloween crafts, watching movies and the WVU game, and doing our nails. Sunday, Carrie experienced OneLife at our new location, then we went to the Pumpkin Patch, followed by FroYoz for a treat. That evening we all had way too much fun dressing up and actin' a fool as Scott was trying to throw together something last minute for his office party.

Lovely weekend! Miss her and our girl bunches!

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-10-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Another great weekend for our little Taylor fam. :) Love it when there isn't much of an agenda.

I had a doc appt on Friday afternoon so I was able get my sweet girl a little early. She was out at the preschool's playground, so I captured a few fun photos of her and buddy Aaron before we headed out.

Friday night was the WVU game. Sigh. We are fans through thick and thin, but geez they make it hard sometimes! So while WVU was busy handing the win to Syracuse, mommy and Ains kept ourselves occupied with dress up and perusing the American Girl catalog. She was in LOVE. "Oh my gosh, this is, like, so cool... and she's, like, so pretty!"

Saturday morning included a breakfast date at my mom's while daddy played golf. Play-doh was the main attraction. So while Ains and Nana were busy making pizza, I slipped out to grab our CSA. It was a pretty chilly morning so the Farmer's Market was not appealing to Ains at all.

I arrived back to see that they have moved well beyond pizza -- a duck, a mouse w/ cheese, a turtle, and a mountain lion, to be exact. :)

We captured a couple fun photos of the "girls" and shortly after, headed home for another big adventure.

*That afternoon, we headed to the Arboretum. There aren't currently any photos of this adventure just yet, as I'm still editing/selecting my favorites, but let's just say 3 outfit changes later and a very cooperative kiddo, and we've got some gorgeous photos (that I took myself!!) coming your way very shortly. Stoked!*

Sunday we headed to our second home, OneLife, for a very long but very amazing day. I was blessed to join the worship band again and, if I do say so myself, it was amazing. You can check it out here, if you're interested!

That evening Ains headed back to Nana's while Scott and I joined our students for Student Ministries - then back home for a few minutes with our kiddo before saying goodnight.

Hope you had a lovely weekend too!

Color Crush :: White

2011-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

White. Seems too simple. Especially from a girl who loves color. But there is something about the simplicity of white. It's so fresh and so clean clean. Crisp white linens on the bed, stark white walls with bold paintings and accessories, or an accent wall featuring a white-framed photo gallery - gasp.

Our next home will feature much more white. I've been attempting to transition things here and there in our current home, but it's slow moving. We were so excited to finally have COLOR on our walls after having lived in an apartment for a few years with no rights to change it up. Now, I'm kind of craving absence of color on the walls so I can have fun with the accessories! I will definitely have accent walls here and there -- but to have white walls trimmed out with crown-molding and big bold paintings would be a dream (to hopefully come true soon)!

So I've come up with a pinterest inspiration board (of course) that you can find here:

Not following me yet? Go here. Need an invite? Let me know!

Some major crushes from my board include:

LOVE

The little things, lately

2011-10-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

The beautiful drives through East Tennessee

Taking care of this sweet girl - sick day last week

She still wanted to look cute, even in her PJs. Love.

Starting a bible study

Much more on this later.

A wellness check-up, that wore her out

She's still perfect - 34lbs, 41.5", sight and hearing - great!

Tons of activities with OneLife

and a Soccer Banquet for the Ladybugs

In the Taylor Kitchen

2011-10-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

We go through spells where we're cooking like crazy one week, and the next not wanting to cook at all. I wish I could say we're always making these fantastic culinary creations daily, because we do actually LOVE to cook, but the reality is that we're far too busy with work, school, church, and life to spend every evening in there. So we try to cook for 4 instead of 2 (since Ains doesn't eat our meals anyway), and see if we can make 2-3 meals out of each dish. It's helpful since time isn't always on our side.

We've had some fun as of late coming up with fun dishes to use up our CSA before the next batch arrives.

First up, and a little step-by-step --

Apricot & Chili glazed pork, couscous, mustard greens & stuffed banana peppers

Saute chopped garlic, red bell pepper, green onion, s&p in olive oil.

Wash and add chopped mustard greens.

Cut banana pepper in 1/2, add cream cheese & chopped bacon - grill.

In pan, heat 1/2 c apricot preserves, tbsp chili sauce, tbsp stoneground mustard.

Broil boneless porkchops in olive oil and s&p for 20 mins at 400, turning once.

Then, add sauce from pan and broil another 10 or until reaches 160.

Serve with side of couscous and ta-da!

Finished product

Ains had to share her dinner too -- eats healthy, but like a bird!

Other fun meals:

Crockpot, homemade beef stew -- with a side of starbucks!

Baked lemon pepper chicken, brown rice & peas -- with a side of highland gaelic

Whole wheat waffles, with whip & chocolate syrup for Saturday brunch (and many sides of coffee)

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-10-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Fall Fest at West Emory

Girls' Night Out!

Boo at the Zoo!

Halloween Craftmaking

Favorite Things {Accessories}

2011-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Accessories are key in completing a look. I must have earrings on, if nothing else. I prefer to have an oversized cocktail ring as well, but no earrings make me feel naked. For some, it's their lipstick.

I'm not a bracelet fan, because I don't like the way it feels on my wrist. I mean, I love bracelets and I buy them... but I put them on and they're back off within the hour. I don't know what it is. And a watch, fuhgedaboudit.

Necklaces are kind of the same: love/hate. But, scarves: love, love, love! Gah, I absolutely adore them. I guess the difference is the soft and cozy vs. the heavy and metal-y. ;)

Fun handbags are also a go-to accessory of mine to instantly add color to an otherwise neutral palette. I love statement pieces - whether it is the bag, an amazingly large ring, or even my shoes; there is always a pop of color somewhere.

However, as quickly as accessories can complete an outfit, too many can clutter and ruin the look. My general rule of thumb: one statement making piece. I'm not a fan of the matchy-matchy earrings-bracelet- ring-necklace combo >> Too much.

I'm clearly no expert, but I do like sharing what I've found works for me. And below are some of my favorite new accessory finds from Etsy. So excited to hopefully do a Want.Love.JustGot post with one of the following featured in my JustGot section, very soon!

UNCOMMON|HANDMADE

Your source for colorful, cleverly designed decor in the style of anthropologie and urban outfitters. Their inspiration is danish and midcentury modern with some eclectic vintage in there, too.

Happy Day Rings - set of 3

Cute, cheery mix 'n match rings! So sweet. And only $18!

NECKLUSH
The Original multi-strand circle scarf necklace for women and men. Infinity, eternity, loop scarves for winter, spring, summer, & autumn. Handmade & hand-printed. Ranges from $26 - $115.

"The ultimate hybrid accessory, one that will end your "scarf or necklace?" debate once and for all." -LA Times Magazine

I don't get along with necklaces but love scarves. And this creation couldn't be a MORE perfect compromise. :) I will own one. Oh yes, I WILL own one. Love.

And they make some pretty rad bracelets too. Not that one would stay on my wrist long, but geez... I want one. :) Ranges from $26 - $36.

FREEDOM VINTAGE

Fun, navajo-inspired vintage pieces. This bag: $45
Every girl should own at least one these bags - they never go out of style and they go with everything!

And last, but not least... an accessory for the home.
Also brought to you by UNCOMMON|HANDMADE...

Rustic Wood Flowers, set of 12
Good grief, these are great! I love flowers, but they die. I don't mind fake flowers - and let's face it, some look pretty darn real. But these take the cake! I have a feeling I'll be the proud owner of these cute and always perky flowers in the near future. Nice price of $42.

If only...

2011-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

My friend, Michelle, sent this to me today.

I needed a good laugh and an Amen. :) Me and my ol' friend HTML haven't been the best of friends lately. I have been building the same site for over a week and it has to be the most stubborn little bugger I've ever dealt with.

It's safe to say it's stubborness is only rivaled by mine. And Ains could possibly come in a close second. She gets it honestly! But I digress. :)

Hope this made you smile too!

Scenes from a Taylor/Bozic Weekend

2011-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

My timeline of events of our T|B weekend really couldn't have been more accurate - pretty crazy. It was a lovely weekend of catching up with great friends, while our kiddos wore themselves out playing from sun up to sun down. Cole has a bit better description of our events on her blog - but per usual, I'll sum mine up with pictures. :)

We've got visitors!

2011-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Bozics are coming to town

and should arrive any minute now! :)

On the agenda:

HH for the girls, Fri

A tattoo for me?

Doing what we do best - veg out

Early morning soccer game, Sat

Golf for the boys

Farmer's Market & Brunch

WVU football

Veg, yet again

OneLife Church

It's gonna be a great weekend that will make for an excellent Scenes from the Weekend Post!

A Townsend Visit We Will Go

2011-10-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday brought a fun adventure to Townsend, TN (about an hour from our house) to meet up with some family from WV. Scotty's cousin, Anne, her husband, Chris, and daughter, Zoe, as well as friends, Katie, Steve, and daughter, Lillian, rented a cabin for the week.

The original plan was to spend a few days there, as I had mentioned in this post -- however, couldn't make it work. Busy, busy are we -- the Taylors Three. So we had to at least squeeze in a few hours after work to visit and let the girlies play.

We had a delicious dinner of chicken and steak burritos prepared for us, so we brought along our freshly made salsa and some Dos Equis. Nom!

Ainsley absolutely adores her cousin, Zoe. The two are inseparable during their few and far between encounters. And they really couldn't be more like each other if they tried. The girls definitely made the best of the quick trip and had a blast running around the very spacious cabin and playing in the tent Zoe brought.

Wishing time was on our side to have enjoyed it a little longer, but so glad we were able to make something work!

Ainsley looks like a Christmas Elf, haha. She spilled paint on her shirt at school. You just never know what day your kid will have to wear the random shirt you provided for her "extra" clothes bin at the beginning of the semester. :)

I've FALLin' in love

2011-10-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a Summer girl at heart. For years I never understood the fuss about Fall. I mean, I'll give credit where credit is due: leaves are gorgeous when they change... and who doesn't love cuddling on the couch, warm drinks, and chili/stew/soup?

But constantly feeling like I can't get warm enough, frost on my windshield, 40 in the a.m., 80 in the afternoon, 40 in the p.m. -- make up your mind already!! -- has always had me questioning the allure.

I used to despise Fall so much that I wanted to strangle the DJ that thought playing "Summertime" (summa, summa, summa-time) at the tail-end of Summer was oh-so clever.

I would actually get quite depressed and begin counting the days 'til Summer and I would meet again (Yes, I realize how completely insane I sound).

However, I must say that all thanks to the hubs and some dear lovers of Fall, I've come around.

And I have fallin' HARD for Fall fashion. Layers upon layers of oversized sweaters, comfy tees, scarves, fun hats, and socks & boots up to your knees -- Yes. Please. Thank you.

Here's a look at some Fall Faves that have inspired me this season:

Summer is still my BFF -- though the last couple summers of 90+ weather every single day is making me rethink it all. Fall: you're a very close second.

Hmm... I have a sudden urge to go boot shopping. Have NO idea why.

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-10-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

A trip to the farmer's market on Saturday, following another fun soccer game w/ the Ladybugs, resulted in a day spent in the kitchen making fresh salsa, chili, and potato soup. While the fam enjoyed another WVU win, we took some time out for a family photo op and cuddling on the couch that evening. Sunday was a big celebration as OneLife opened its doors in a new facility welcoming 26 new first-time families and both services were truly blessed as hands shot up everywhere accepting Christ. Love this life!

Chef Danie :)

Chili + Fat Tire + WVU football on a Saturday, FALL day = perfect!

WELCOME TO ONELIFE!

I Hear Ya :: September Mixtape

2011-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Tree Top Flyers

Last week's little things

2011-10-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Fall Fashion

Shoes: Simply Vera-Vera Wang, Jeans: Paper, Denim & Cloth, White v-neck: Altar'd State, Vest: Marshall's, Clutch: Old Navy

Shoes: Old Navy, Jeans: Divine Rights of Denim, Shirt: F21, Satchel: Nine West

Homemade Milkshakes

National Coffee Day

Celebrating OneLife's New Location

Hangin' with the Fam

Friday Boat Ride

It's getting there!

2011-09-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

As I blogged a couple weeks ago, we are working on fun updates in the master bed/bath. We aren't as far along as we'd like to be (story of my life - ha!), however, slowly but surely things are getting accomplished.

First, a new canvas for the bedroom -- simple, but says so much. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were the inspiration for this canvas. If you haven't heard the song, check it out.

I just whipped it up in illustrator and sent it off. It arrived yesterday from CanvasPeople.com and it's perfect.

Next, I've been dying to create some jewelry displays. So I finally did! No jewelry is currently being displayed on said jewelry displays at the moment, but one thing at a time. And, it was really quite easy to do!

Items needed: 4-12x12 cork squares, shadow box style square frames, fabric of choice, paint, adhesive, staples, sandpaper.

Frames: remove glass, spray-paint a couple coats of white, let dry, sand corners/edges for a distressed look

Fabric Panels: using adhesive - apply two pieces of 12x12 cork together for thicker/sturdier panel, stretch and cover selected fabric over cork and staple to back

Insert fabric panels into frames, apply back of frame to secure in place, add hanging fixture for walls, and voila! Use fun stick pins for hanging jewelry (to be shown in later post). It's so easy and a fun way to add a pop of color to your walls. It's the little things that go a long way!

Did someone say, free coffee?

2011-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm... coffee.

I have no idea who decided today was National Coffee Day, but thank you! Several companies are participated by providing FREE coffee as part of this oh-so-lovely holiday - including Caribou, 7-11, and Krispy Kreme. Hey Starbucks, where ya at?!

Over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil. I can proudly tell you that me, my mom, Cole Bozic, and Charity Ross put forth a great effort by contributing to this number daily -- as it is rare to see any of us without a cup of coffee in our hand.

So to celebrate, why not enjoy some excellent coffee-themed tunage? And while you're at it take a coffee break (or three) to celebrate this historical and important beverage!

Scenes from the Weekend :: The Taylor Girls Two

2011-09-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

It was a girls-only weekend with Scotty away in WV cheering on the Mountaineers against LSU. Morgantown experienced their first ever Game Day visit from ESPN -- and a win would have been a major bonus, but Scott had a blast nonetheless. So the Taylor-girls-two had a jam-packed weekend of events that kept us more than busy and our minds off of missing our guy.

We had: a bridal shower for Paige on Friday, Saturday morning soccer, a farmer's market visit, an Avery reunion!, a low-country boil with the Bakewells, singing at OneLife on Sunday, and brunch with nana. Busy, but oh-so fun!

Odd pic, I know. Kiddo staged this herself. Not really sure what I'm doing, but these were the directions given. LOL.

Taylor Family Picks {Fall Essentials}

2011-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

images found via: pinterest, swanky baby vintage, gap, shopruche, dsw, toms, google images

Don't forget to be...

2011-09-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Just created this and must get printed along with this for Ainsley's room. Love.

(inspiration found on pinterest)

Want.Love.JustGot. {Fall}

2011-09-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

I WANT about 10 of these - perfect fall colors

Miss Fickle Media

I LOVE this fall look - must make this happen soon

I JUST GOT these incredible letters made from recycled magazines

where I used them:

What inspires you?

The many expressions of my Ains

2011-09-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

While daddy was out last night, the Taylor-girls-two had a fun time with the camera.

She's quite a great subject to photograph. Love my sweet Ains.

I could stare at this sweet face forever

World's Best Laugh

Learning to wink - I think she's got it down.

Pretending to sleep - looks pretty real, yes? Great little actress.

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-09-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

A visit from Bart & Caitlin, lots of coffee for me, a WVU win, ice cream, new friends at OneLife (isn't Delia the cutest?), Dr. Ains (rotten allergies), and naptime -- Yet another wonderful weekend for the Taylor fam!

I feel like...

2011-09-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Death warmed over. Ick.

However, I'm not going to dwell on the fact that my allergies have completely attacked my body where I basically look about as good as I feel and am currently rocking a 1-900 voice. Nice, yes? :)

So, what else to focus on than things that make me happy.

In celebration of the last few official (though it has felt like fall for the last week or so) days of summer - I'll hold onto it as long as I can, thank-you-very-much, I snagged this photo from pinterest and just had to share. The colors are gorgeous.

We're joining some family soon in a lovely cabin in Gatlinburg. Check out this view. Who wouldn't instantly forget about everything and just enjoy this?! We are definitely in need of a getaway. Oct 1st cannot possibly get here fast enough!

And honestly, nothing says happy like a large slab of chocolate cake on an icky day. Thanks to an office bday, I get to eat my ickiness away. Nom.

image via pinterest

Ainsley's New Room :: Part One

2011-09-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

So back in July I started the process of Ainsley's new room design posting the inspiration that led us to the change. She's four now and with that comes a big(ger) girl room, right? So we worked together with a couple friends (thanks Jeremy & Kristi!) to give her a floor bed, new shelves, and an art wall, that I'm afraid to say is still in progress, among many other fun things. Kiddo is pretty stoked about her new room and it is the first thing she wants people to see when they drop by. I took some photos today while this sweet girl naps:

...and I thought I'd share before I forget yet again. :)

This week's little things

2011-09-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Art Mondays

A new book

Fall shopping for the kiddo

New fun pieces to mix & match -- zippers, ruffles, polka dots, corduroy shorts, leggings, knee socks, glitter chucks, and a majorette t-shirt... OH. MY. I'm excited to pair these items with current pieces and add a few more soon. She is so incredibly fun to dress and loves it about as much as I do.

One creation so far:

Midweek HH with the boss

Delish Dinners

More cardis and fall colors

And one silly goose

Everytime I see this...

2011-09-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

I smile and smile some more!

Some days you just need a sweet something to smile about... today is one of those days.

Ready for:

5:00pm | My family | A yummy coffee beverage | Cuddling on the couch | A long bath

Hope this made you smile too.

Image Courtesy of Pinterest

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-09-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

From Ainsley's first soccer game (recap to come soon on the family blog), to a visit with family in Pigeon Forge (celebrating my gpa's bday!), to another amazing Sunday spent at OneLife, this weekend was anything but boring!

My kind of hand-me-down

2011-09-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Taylors might soon be acquiring some pretty fantastic pieces of furniture from the Morton family. I love the idea of keeping the memory of Nana alive through incorporating her vintage pieces into our home. She had such amazing style.

While we were home over Labor Day, and as some of you may have already read in my previous post, the grandkids were granted the opportunity to rummage through old 33s and 45s in the Morton basement and reminisce the days of playing records with Nana & Papa while dancing around (and we even reenacted - so fun to be a part of that).

In addition to old albums (of incredible taste) we were blessed enough to mention a few items we might like to have -- as Papa will be leaving the Morton home soon for something smaller and more practical. Their gorgeous home contains some many antiques and vintage pieces throughout and being allowed to request anything from this home is such an honor.

I grabbed a couple photos online to try and demonstrate the items we have requested. And as we are looking to move soon -- bigger home is so needed -- it is exciting to know we'll have a piece (or possibly 3) of Nana & Papa moving with us.

This week's little things

2011-09-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

Dresses With Boots

too hot all summer to wear 'em and boy have I missed 'em!

New Pinterest Boards

not following me yet? check 'em out!

Lunch Dates With This Guy

isn't he a cutie?

Wide-leg Jeans, Cardigans, Comfy Ts, and Brightly-Colored Satchels

can't really appreciate the wideness of the leg, but they are and they're great!

Cool Enough Weather to Enjoy Soup!

mmm...

Updates Around the House

specifically the master bed/bath

And This Sweet Face

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've really missed this...

2011-09-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

In 2005 I began a business with one of my best buds, Suzanne, called ContemporaryINK. What started out as a wedding stationery business soon blossomed into stationery of all kinds, to include baby showers and announcements, holiday cards and invites, grad invites, and even logos and corporate identity packages. Then, from about 2007-2010, I ran the business solo as Zani got a fabulous offer in Charlotte and moved away.

In 2010, however, I had to close up shop. My health was declining (Crohn's Disease -- for those of you aren't familiar) and I just couldn't keep it up any longer. It was really bittersweet. At the time I was kind of over it anyway... doing it by myself while not feeling well really put a bad taste in my mouth, so I didn't really mind ending it.

Now looking back, a small part of me wishes I still had this outlet. I mean, I love designing for my new job, but creating such exciting things for new babies and new beginnings is so rewarding.

Recently a good friend asked me to help with a baby shower invite - and I jumped at the chance! I was actually surprised at how much I've missed this. The best part about it was not having to print/assemble (which was part of the process for C.I.). All I had to do was design it and she took care of the rest. Ah... t'was so nice. :) She showed me this fabric for the nursery and said she wanted a similar theme for the shower.

And I came up with this. It's quite cute, yes?

I think I'll have to jump at the chance a little more often. Makes my heart smile. It is, afterall, the little things.

I Hear Ya :: August Mixtape

2011-09-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

My Morning Jacket :: Circuital

James Blake and Bon Iver :: Fall Creek Boys Choir

Radical Face :: All is Well (Goodbye, Goodbye)

Little Hurricane :: Crocodile Tears

Trampled By Turtles :: Victory

The David Wax Museum :: Born With a Broken Heart

Pepper Rabbit :: Harvest Moon

KaiserCartel :: Oh No

and two great covers:

Ryan Adams :: A-Punk (Vampire Weekend)

Bon Iver :: I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt)

Music courtesy of: HearYa and Captain Obvious

Favorite Things {vintage inspired}

2011-09-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

I love a little vintage thrown into my everyday style.

Open shelves, subway tiles, white -- perfect.

Free People vintage-inspired purse - yes, please.

Love the modern mixed with vintage elements in this bathroom.

Very vintage meets modern.

Want this on a shelf in my bedroom.

Love the pop of color - so fun.

Images courtesy of pinterest - follow me: www.pinterest.com/danietaylor

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-08-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

A weekend filled with family and friend events is nothing less than perfect.

Art by Ains

2011-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Man Waiting for Woman

Ainsley's description: There is a man (to the left, about 1/4 up the page) waiting by some trees in a park, and a woman (the pink line to right) is walking up to meet him. And there are also some balloons floating up in the air.

Precious, yes? I love this.

Mr. Ducky McQuackstien

We had fun cutting out shapes last night during family art time and she decided to create a duck in the sun. We contemplated a name for some time and she finally settled on Ducky McQuackstien, which cracked her up for a good 5 minutes. Fun memories!

Great Deal = Fun Creation

2011-08-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

A couple friends recently posted onto FB a great offer from Paper Coterie, where, for the month of August, you get a $40 credit as part of their Begin Anywhere promotion. All you do is pay shipping costs, if your order is under $40. Woo-to-the-Hoo!!

Of course, I had to check it out -- and I HIGHLY recommend you do the same!

I created this lovely clingable poster for Ainsley's room displaying all her "little things":

So cute, right? I love that it can be removed easily and I don't have to worry about a frame - just slap it up and I'm done! Best part = $14.00 for a 13x20 poster.

In addition, and since I still had a credit of $26.00, I created a really sweet gift. I opted for priority mail so I paid $17.00 for everything. Pretty incredible deal!

Just enter the coupon code: beginanywhere at checkout
And don't forget the offer expires August 31!

Taylor Family Picks :: eight + a guest picks his favs!

2011-08-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

This edition of Taylor Family Picks includes our buddy Wheeler who requested a guest spot. To be honest, I didn't think anyone even paid that much attention to these particular posts (as it's just a ton of fun to sit down with Ains and see her style changing from month to month), so thanks Wheeler!! You're the best.

If anyone else might be interested in 'joining our family' for a Taylor Family Picks guest spot, just let me know. Would love to have ya!

Images courtesy of: pinterest (follow me), risen drums, yore era clothing, google images, new belgium brewing, chacos

And what a celebration it was!

2011-08-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

I think the Taylors have this celebrating thing down. We don't just celebrate the event on the day. No. We celebrate all week long (sometimes longer). And, why not? Who doesn't like to celebrate?!

We aren't extravagant in our celebrating. We don't aim to break the bank when it's all said and done. We just like to "party all the time, party all the time... paaaarrty all the tiiiime," in a low-key-Taylor-kinda way.

So as we were planning the weekend of celebrating our big 7 year Anniversary (thanks Mom!!), we realized we had points on our Starwoods account to redeem - score! Free hotel stay! Since there were no plans to head out of town, we wanted to take advantage so as to feel like we were still 'away' from it all. Our lovely, free hotel was the Four Points by Sheraton in downtown Kville close to everything we wanted to do - perfect.

Scotty headed over there around 3pm to check-in and drop our things off as we had planned to meet out for drinks following work. He had purchased some beautiful roses and the proper, Taylor-necessary provisions of the night to include: peanut m&ms, flamin' hots, and, of course, some bourbon. Do we know how to class it up or what?!

We decided on dinner at Cocoa Moon - an Asian/Spanish Fusion restaurant in Market Square - since we'd never been. Little did we know the idea to sit outside would result in a torrential (temporary) downpour bringing us inside to the 'nightclub' section of the restaurant in almost VIP-type seating. Not too shabby, but the sounds of bumpin' club music were a bit difficult to scream over at times. Eventually two salsa dancers entered the dance floor and they began teaching everyone. Pretty unexpected, yet fun memory.

Saturday morning we lounged for a bit before heading to Pete's Coffee Shop and wandering around in Market Square. The afternoon included Turkey Creek shopping and a trip to Wild Wing's Cafe where we enjoyed a couple drinks, then took the wings home to watch season 2 of True Blood. Excellent show; we're so behind!

My friend, Amanda, came to town from Florida on Saturday and was planning to head out that evening. She and Jamie eventually twisted our arms to join them out for dinner. Seriously, not much twisting involved -- other than we were really comfy lounging at home. Of course, we had a blast! Dined at Cafe 4 and, as much as none of us really want to admit it, ended up at NV - a nightclub of sorts where people-watching was all too fun.

We had to head out eventually though - OneLife was celebrating BIG time yesterday. 100 SERVICES!! Amazing.

The evening was spent Taylor family three-style, watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, snacking, and a mani-pedi for the kiddo. Perfect way to end the weekend!

Love you, Scotty. Looking forward to so many more!

Celebrating!

2011-08-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday is our actual anniversary, but we're celebrating all weekend! Thanks to my mom, we've got the weekend to celebrate the beginning of our family. SEVEN Years. Ah!! So awesome. I'm quite a lucky one, indeed. Ok, and maybe Scotty is a little lucky too, if you don't mind a "toot, toot" from me. We've been through a ton - some definite downs (health) and some fantastic ups (Ainsley!) - but we'll always make it through. Thanks, God. :)

Childlike Faith

2011-08-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Children do not evaluate first and then believe.

They believe without any evaluation.

Such beauty is the faith of a child.

I love Ainsley's whole-hearted trust in God. At the tender age of four she doesn't question his existence, his ways, his words - she simply believes and loves him.

Hearing her sweet voice in the back seat or beside us at home when I'm practicing songs for the worship band absolutely melts my heart. She'll go around the house singing songs she hears on her own. And what's really cool about it, is that she has never been forced to do any of it. Granted she's four and can't say, "I'm staying home," but she has never once complained about going to church... she actually can't wait to get there each Sunday. She adores everyone at OneLife and I think it's safe to say they kind of adore her too. :)

I know as she grows she'll likely start asking questions and doubting things because she'll hear of different beliefs and wonder if hers is right. I only hope she can hold onto the faith she has for as long as she possibly can. We'll do our best to guide her... but it's ultimately up to her.

I think we can all learn something from the kids in our lives. Learn how not to question and just believe. My faith has grown astronomically in the last year, thanks to the amazing people we've had the pleasure of meeting. But most importantly, I've watched Ainsley grow in her faith and want to learn more and more. She has taught me so much. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her life.

Singing "Like a Lion" in the tub the other night

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

Do-Over, Please.

2011-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

We all have those mornings where you just wanna scream, "Gah! Can I please just start over?!?!" THIS is one of those mornings. Fo-sho. I mean, it's not one of those crawl-in-a-hole-and-wanna-die kinda mornings... just an I'm-a-bit-frazzled-maybe-even-completely-scatterbrained kinda mornings where the head would have been long forgotten were it not attached. A restless night kicked off the Taylor fam waking up late, running around like crazy people to get ready and get out the door quickly, and resulted in forgetting my kiddo's lunch among probably other things I've yet to discover. Ha. Seriously, I'm aware it could be much worse. Just want a do-over. I'd feel better if it were possible.

For now, I'm off to grab her lunch, take a deep breath... and maybe a venti iced red-eye for me. Brightside. :) I deserve it, yes?

*I do realize how ridiculous and whiny this post is. Somehow made me feel a tad better writing it though.*

Isle of Palms 2011

2011-08-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

What an adventure! A lovely week of lounging by the pool, eating delish coastal fare, and spending time with family -- Who could ask for anything more? Well, perhaps getting to do it more often. :)

Per my previous blog, you know we started our vacation a day early by staying overnight in Columbia, SC and continuing the drive the next morning, arriving on Saturday with the rest of the fam. And to further recap, I had a lovely evening spent with great friends in downtown Chas, SC that night to kick off a fantastic week.

That Sunday we lazily hung by the pool and enjoyed the day discovering our little fish of a daughter and her absolute new-found love of swimming (see blog post on family blog for more adorable pics), while the guys golfed. That evening we headed off to dinner at The Boathouse. I had a sesame seared rare tuna steak -- nom nom. I love tuna -- and it was fantastic.

Monday was pretty much the same, but the guys went deep sea fishing. Scott caught about 9 fish, including 4 sharks, and Steve caught about 13. That night we made dinner for everyone - Primante style sandwiches (just like last year's Wilson Family Vacay) and went out later for some ice cream. Scott and Michael led the crowd in a lovely rendition of Country Roads - why not?! - while the rest of family and Ainsley headed back to the house.

Tuesday was another lazy day, but this time the Taylors three headed to the beach for some fun in the sand, building little castles, running around, swinging Ainsley, and taking great photos! Steph and Rich made dinner that night -- a delish low-country boil of crab, shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes and later that evening the siblings headed out for a night of karaoke in downtown Chas. Fun times were had as we (me, Scott, and Michael) closed the bar down and hit up an IHOP on the way back. The others left a little early as Steve had to fly out the next morning for work, to Chicago and back, in the same day.

Wednesday, Scott had to head back to TN. Bummer. We're just lucky to have had him as long as we did. It's Edison's busy season and we really didn't think he'd be able to go at all, but he had a great 4 days in the sun before driving back. As mentioned, Steve was gone that day in Chicago, and later that evening Rich had to fly out and head back to PA for work as well. They work hard for the money. So the girls, Tolby, and Papaw did what we do best and enjoyed the pool once again. Steve returned just in time to join us that evening at Poe's Tavern. A yummy, "best burgers on the island" bar. It was crowded but we scored a table outside and enjoyed pretty tolerable evening weather.

{pictures to come}

Thursday was our final day there so we made the best of it by, you guessed it, lazy hours in the pool; soaking up more sun and unfortunately attempting to begin the packing process for Friday's departure. We did, however, enjoy one more dinner out at an Italian Restaurant, Sette. They had half-priced bottles of wine (can't be that!) and very inexpensive but very delicious options to choose from. I had a pinenut-crusted goat cheese salad with grilled chicken. Good grief it was awesome.

{pictures to come}

Friday was time to go our separate ways. Since Scotty drove back on Wed, Ains and I flew home. Stephanie joined us for the first leg and boy am I glad she did! Charlotte (our layover spot) was experiencing severe storms so we had to wait it out in the Charleston airport with a 4 y/o. She was GREAT though. I was a little nervous at first. We were supposed to fly out at 12:40... we didn't up leaving Chas 'til 3pm. Our final flight was to arrive at 3:40 in Chattanooga (much cheaper option than Kville)... so needless to say it was a loooong day, but she handled it like a champ. Scott picked us up and we arrived back in Knoxville sometime before 10pm. Oh well. We made is safe and sound and had a GREAT week.

Definitely looking forward to more adventures with the Taylor fam! :)