a Taylored Approach
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9/1/2017 Farewell 32Instead of tucking my thoughts away in a palm print notebook, the approach is having a "Dear Diary" moment. This past year was full of both personal and professional achievements, even funny and cheeky (my new favorite word) realizations. As someone who is extremely hard on herself, thanks to the major Virgo perfectionist bones in my body, I've decided it's time to give TC a pat on the back for life wins, no matter the size. The thoughts were flowing visiting my favorite backyard spectacle, the Palace sparkled! As I reflect on 32, you've been good to me.
I got promoted. I was maid of honor in my sister's beautiful wedding. I threw self doubt out the window (well, at the office). I developed a strong patience, especially when I want something. My obsession with the Palace of Fine Arts reached an all time high. I had a catch you off guard in a great way kinda kiss. Thanks to that sequin jacket in Palm Springs, I learned that although Blanche is my style spirit animal, all along Sally Albright has been my inner love guru who happens to have hairspray handy in her car and orders Bloody Mary mix on airplanes. She's my kinda gal. I realized sometimes in life, you leave things up to timing. You can't always be a planner. My studio office vision became a reality. I started a blog and found my voice. To the beginning of 33, let's do this. Color Factory. Museum of Ice Cream. The countdown begins. Outfit and iconic photo moments, TBD. But for now, I'll leave you with a sequin sleeve. 8/27/2017 Surprises in DixonSometimes you can have the best thought out plan for a fun day and life surprises you. Yesterday was one of those moments. You pick the perfect brunch place, the spot on outfit and gather the right trio of gals. I'll set the scene. It was a typical Marina Saturday. Brunch @ Rose's or Rosie's as my mom likes to call it, where my order is typically routine. You guessed it, green eggs with a side of iced coffee. We were celebrating a belated birthday and my upcoming lucky double 3 so a few pastries were also necessary. The mission: sunflowers. The outfit: I decided on a gingham off the shoulder number with a red leather that is my current obsession as I wait for Fall in the city. #ItsBanana and you need it on your body. The accessory: my shaggy friend below, a raffia bag with embroidered stars my sister surprised me with after planning her San Diego Bachelorette adventure. I was ready for the perfect photo op among a sea of happy florals in the distant farm town of Dixon. Or so I thought. Brunch was filled with moments of laughter, a chocolate croissant and gifts that made me realize I am pretty predictable and my current favorites are very clear to those around me. Three words: Flamingos, cacti & gold. But more to come on those later. Getting out of the city for a spontaneous road trip isn't my typical weekend agenda. The Field of Sunflowers looked magical and the perfect backdrop for the gingham I had carefully selected for flower photo fun. As we approached the trail to what was sunflower mecca, we turned on the desolate road to find the first patch of sunflowers as dry, sad stems. Immediate heartbreak set in the car. We figured hey, maybe it's the first batch, the good ones are at the end of the road and our optimism was still high. As we continued down the path, it became evident that well into August, the sunflowers decide to peace out and 2/3 of the car broke into immediate laughter. We missed the season by 2 weeks. The old Tay as my sister called her at dinner last night would have been so upset and dwelled on the fact that she didn't get to the final outcome her heart was set on. Instead, the moment will always be a memory of a time when I drove to Dixon with two of my favorite gals in search of sunflowers and all I came back with was a Starbucks. The best part of the day was a snowglobe. A flamingo snowglobe. Yes, you read that correctly and it's something I never knew I needed which is why you know you have friends for life when they surprise you and it's you to a T. If you see me walking around with it on Chestnut, I don't need to be checked into an asylum, I probably just couldn't part with it that day. I was completely giddy after meeting my new toy and might as well be turning 5 as I couldn't stop holding it on our drive back. I am obsessed. It pairs well with a calculator I rarely use to crunch numbers but just looks so coordinated atop my desk. The other decorative gift standout is four easy letters, L-O-V-E. The first thing I thought of was the scene in the Sex & The City movie where Carrie has a small gold keychain with that simple but powerful word. It now sits at my window with rotating succulents. When I walk into my apartment, there she is. That's love. And I'm bringing it to me all day long. Hope your Sunday is filled with adventure, maybe a few kinks but most of all laughs. That's the irony of life sometimes, right? You can find beauty in the most unexpected of ways and in disappointment, a chance to do it all over again when the time is right.
No "flowers" were harmed in the writing of this post. Luckily, 11 months of planning to visit these stems in July calls for plenty of outfit options and photoshoot strategies. 7/20/2017 Queen of the WorldI've been feeling a new groove recently and one that's been super empowering. I don't know if it's the long weeks and craziness of the office lately that has changed my determination but something is definitely in the water and I'm feeling it. Call me crazy but I've actually surprised myself by trying a few new things outside of the office and it's helped me step up my mental game. Yes, work still sucks me in but it keeps me reaching for a purpose, letting me believe I can take on any challenge and continue to push boundaries. It's funny how parts of your life feel right place, right time and my career the last 4 years is nothing short of that. And yet somehow, what I've achieved is not enough. There's always been something inherent inside of me reaching to be better than I was the day before and the mini TC in my head is not letting up. Typically on my commute, I bury myself in my phone with headphones and sunnies. I realized I might as well put a Do Not Disturb on my forehead. Of course, I have my moments where I want to unwind with a song on repeat but I've noticed reading instead or looking out the window has led to a post or photo idea and let my brain take a break. Take the barrier away and open yourself to sitting in silence and maybe make a new 30x friend. New Thing #1. I've been out of sorts with my yoga routine lately and opted for long walks in my backyard and visiting my forever fave, the Palace. There's something that felt so satisfying in exploring and walking endlessly without a specific route or destination. I'm shocked that sentence just came off my keyboard because I am a Type A planner to a much fitting capital T. However, my favorite yoga class found a new early morning time slot and trying it Tuesday was invigorating. I felt like Wonder Woman leaving the studio and it gave me clarity to take on the day. Don't worry though, the nervous nelly in me was struggling that I wasn't in the office by 8am. New Thing #2. Climbing stairs would not typically be my workout of choice but when I took in the view at the top of the Lyon Street steps that thought was totally out the window. Although I was huffing and puffing, the snap was well worth it. The best part besides not falling over is right in my eye line, the Palace, she shines. TC's mission... run up and down the Lyon's stairs with my little legs like a boss. Pushing myself to try something that's out of my comfort zone and something I am not naturally good at... New Thing #3. I was in a rut and let the funk make me feel sad when I was looking outside for something or someone to get me out of it. It's funny how your mind soon realizes you need to reset and a switch kicks in. What I've come to find is that it's ok to let yourself have a moment to feel down, regroup and all of a sudden that click reminds you everyday is a new opportunity to pave your way and be better than you were yesterday.
Nobody puts TC in a corner. Well, maybe a corner office someday but for now, I'm reaching for all the space I can grab. |