Author: justanothertaylor

justanothertaylor https://justanothertaylor.wordpress.com Life in Fayetteville, AR My thoughts Fashion Photography Yoga Life stuff

Think positive everyday.

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Sometimes I forget to stop and think about how lucky I am to have the things that I do. When I look around and see so many things that I don’t have yet, so many things that I want, I get jealous and begin to think so negatively about myself. “I’m not good enough.” ; “She’s so much prettier than me.”; “I am not happy”…the list goes on.

Last night I was having a lot of those thoughts and couldn’t sleep. I texted my friend Alyssa and within 5 minutes she was calling me. (Something to be so thankful for.)

After talking to her I realized (and this is not the first time I have realized this) that it’s all about my perspective.  I woke up this morning and told myself that I was going to try my best and have a good productive day, no matter what. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but today it did.

My mom always tells me “Happiness is a choice, not a destination.” None of the things (relationships, clothing, cars, etc.) are going to make a difference in how happy a person is, maybe for a little while, but eventually the feelings keep coming back. I’ve learned that I need to be happy with myself before I can be happy with anything else.

Don’t think negative and you won’t have a negative day.  It’s that simple.

I have a list on my phone of things that make me happy. When I get in moods like I have been this past week, I read over it and then add one thing to the bottom of the list. Reading these brings me back to reality and helps me think positively. It also helps me see how many great things I really do have.

Choose happiness today!

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Blue Flats

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Blue Flats

Topshop jeans
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Brown handbag
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It Aint Me Babe
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DIY: Flower Crowns

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So flower crowns are about the most adorable thing of my life… The other day I got the honor of making a few at work for a fashion show we were in last week. (they looked amazing, btw!)

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They were super easy to make and I ended up doing one for myself out of the leftover materials because I loved them so much.

Real flower crowns are to die for, but since we want to use them over and over in our pictures I decided that we wanted them to be made of fake flowers. Here are some tips on how to make long lasting flower crowns easily and for cheap.

1. Plan out what color scheme you want your flower crown to be. We decided to go with black & red; different shades of purple; and for the last pink & white.

2. Go to Hobby Lobby when STEM flowers are on sale. I got the ones I used for 50% off! I advise you to do the same because those things are pricey. ($5.99 for one rose – HA!!!)

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3. Make sure that you get a variety of sizes and greenery to cover the headband part. For a dramatic flower crown you will want big flowers such as roses or gerber daises. For a more subtle flower crown you should get stems of baby’s breath or other small flowers. Also get green grapevine wire and floral wire. They look like this:

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4. Wrap the grapevine wire to fit around your head, leave a little extra to wrap it around a the end to make a circle, and cut with wire cutters then wrap the ends around each other. (make it a little bigger than your head if you’re going to use a lot of flowers.)

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5. Start cutting pieces of the greenery you picked to wrap around the grapevine wire to cover it up. Twist a piece of the floral wire around each section, then wrap that around the grapevine wire. You are trying to hide it with the greenery to make it a little more dense.

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6. Finish by wiring on your main flowers. Hot glue on any peices that look like they could be loose. (Especially big heavy flowers.)

Finished products:

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Why graphic tee’s are so great

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Graphic tee’s are basically t-shirts that are acceptable to wear out in pubic. They are comfortable and express you as a person. What’s not to love? Well, here is a tip to help you love them even more:

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Wear your graphic tee regular and dress is up with jewlery; or tie it up and make it a crop top!!

Two shirts in one:)

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My first day

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Well, I started my new job at Cocos Boutique as Creative Director of Social Media today. Absolutely loved it. I have a cute little desk set up right next to a window, a studio photography room to work in, and two great bosses who treated me with respect all day long. What else could a girl ask for? Today’s agenda included taking pictures of the new arrival shoes and purses then adding them to the website.image

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IMG_8366 It was fun. I also posted to social media throughout the day, so if you don’t do so already, be sure to go follow Cocos Boutique on Facebook, Instagram & twitter! SO many cute things. There will also be a blog coming soon! I’ll keep you posted for that 🙂 I feel like my future is bright and I can’t wait to use my creativity to help them grow.

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A young person’s view on being a mom

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I am not a mom yet, but someday I want to be and there are lots of reasons why. My mom is single handedly the best person on this earth (next to my dad and Ellen Degeneres) and I want my kids to see me –as a see her– someday. DSC_0656 copyShe is such a good grandma, too. I don’t know how hard being a mother is. Probably extremely hard. You never get any sleep, you have someone, other than yourself, to worry about 24/7 and patience is NOT my strong suit. My sister, whom is very much like me– only a lot better in that she is kind, thoughtful, and extremely caring for others– is also a mom to two perfect little babies who I call my niece and nephew. photo(Adorable, amirite?) Even though Kylie juggles work, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Brogan and Gatlin, she still finds time to be an amazing sister and friend– all qualities I want to possess when I become a mom. —–P.S. She had no clue this was stuck to her foot the other day when I was with her:

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 1. It is a sparkle sticker that probably got stuck there while she was cleaning one of the thousands of messes she has to clean up each day.

2. We have never laughed so hard in our lives because it took her 5 minutes to notice it even after we told her. Kylie: “What?.. what are you talking about? My toenails?” Me: “No.” *laughing hysterically* Kylie: “What?!?! This blister I have” Me: “NO!!! No, look!” *Laughing so hard I’m crying* She eventually noticed… LOLLLLL.

3. This is another reason I know being a mom is stressful. So busy you don’t even realize a pink and purple dragon-fly has been stuck to your foot for the last 12 hours… (And it probably would have stayed there for much longer if we didn’t notice it for her.)

A lesson that I’ve learned from both my mom and sister is that being overwhelmed, being broke, and being worried– is totally worth it. Getting to be a mom is something I see so many girls take for granted, which is something I hope I never do. I am not anywhere near ready to be a mom. Waiting until I can fully support a child mentally, emotionally, and financially is extremely important and remembering that there is no reason to rush the process is something I have to remind myself of, so that I don’t get myself into a situation I can’t handle. My friend Haleigh, who is wise beyond her years, always makes a valid point when the topic of parenting comes up. “No one ever stops to think about how their decisions are going to affect the kid, they just think about themselves.” Having children is such a blessing and I have some of the most amazing teachers to learn from, once I am ready. I know what it feels like to have a mom that loves me deeply, provides for me, and is there for me anytime I need her. This is exactly the type of mom I want to be someday, and the type I think every mother should strive to be. Signaiture

Changing your mind

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This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. The reasoning behind that is probably because I am the most indecisive person on earth. As I have shared before, I recently got a job in Kansas City. I knew from the beginning that I wasn’t wild about the job, but it paid well and it honestly was the best option. So, I packed up and moved here at the beginning of January. Well, turns out this job is not for me. I thought long and hard about it and I know what I am never going to enjoy sitting in a cubicle everyday with no human interaction. So guess what? I’m changing my mind. I started looking for something that I knew I would enjoy doing and now I have accepted a job in Joplin, MO which is two hours and 30 minutes away from where I live in KC. Not only will I be enjoy what I am doing there much more than what I do here, but I’ll also be closer to my family. Does it look bad that I am quitting something after only a month of working here? Probably. But I decided that waking up and being miserable is much worse than what my resume says about me.

A lot of the people I have told my unfortunate situation to act surprised by my decision to change careers so quickly. Yet they know none of the back story, and they probably never will. Don’t be so quick to judge others and their decisions. Changing their mind about something may be the best thing they’ve ever done for themselves.

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Ballin’ on a Budget

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I am so ecstatic about the MOUNDS of money I saved myself clothing shopping last week. Somehow, now that i’m an “adult” and actually have to spend my own money and not the governments–student loan reimbursement I miss you dearly– I have decided that I need to be frugal.

One thing that I have learned is that you should never buy anything full price. Buying something on sale not only saves you money- but it also gives you a shoppers’ high. The key is to look at the end of the season. You may not get to wear it for awhile, but once the weather changes– you’ll have something brand new hanging in your closet that hardly cost you anything.The second lesson I have learned is that brand name really doesn’t matter. Sure, the quality may not be quite as good with non-name brand stuff, but it’s usually pretty dang close and no one cares WHO you are wearing as long as it looks cute on YOU. Anyway, these are the steals I found and they’re too good not to share:

Black Zip-Back Black Sweater

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This sweater cost $131.50.

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I found one that is almost identical for $9.98 at Burlington Coat Factory.

Winter Boots

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$99.95 for something you can wear 5 times a year? Nah.

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Found these at Old Navy for $35. Now I just need some snow!

Grey Skinny Jeans

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Love, love, love, these grey skinny jeans and I have been dying to get some.

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I found a similar pair at Old Navy for $8.99. (btw, that shirt is from Burlington Coat Factory and was only $10 too.)

Hunt for deals and you will find them! Even if I don’t get to wear my boots this winter, which is highly unlikely since I live in Kansas and there could possibly be a blizzard in July, I can wear them next year. Saving the $70 is worth that to me. In my opinion, having style and finding bargains is what makes you fashionable, not the label –or the price tag that comes on the clothing.

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Rushed morning make-up

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Doing make up takes a big chunk of time out of our mornings. I like to feel put together, but I would honestly rather sleep in extra 30 minutes, then wake up ANY earlier to put my mask on. After countless times of running late, or looking like a sleep deprived witch- I have found a balanced, quick routine to still feel pretty AND make it to work on time.

1. Face lotion-

Whether you use a BB cream or an actual lotion– this is the most important step. Your make up will go on much smoother, your face will be less dry (OR OILY!– moisturizing oily skin will end up making your face produce less oil), and it will also help your make-up last longer.

2. Powder-

In high school, I only used liquid foundation. I have big pores, so I never thought that powder would work for me. I was wrong– I started using Tarte Amazonian Clay Powder foundation and it works like magic. Powder takes half the time to put on that liquid does so this is a great solution for me.

4. Eye shadow & Eye liner-

For days you’re in a rush, it is best to stick with a neutral eye shadow and just use that one color. Put your brush in the crease of your eyelid and press harder there to create a more diminutional look.  Definitely don’t pick to do a cat-eye on rushed days. (Which literally take me 10 years to make even)  Put some black liner on your bottom lid, and maybe a thin line on top like I did here, to make you look more awake.

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5. Mascara & Lip gloss-

Use a mascara that gives you length & volume. (I use L’Oreal® Paris Voluminous Original Mascara) This helps you only have to go over your lashes a few times. Which really helps with the time it takes overall. For your lips, just use your favorite chap stick or lip gloss. Lipstick and lip-stain require more time and effort to make look good.

This routine gives me enough coverage that I don’t feel like everyone at my job is wondering who their new co-worker is, but it also doesn’t take long. Figure out a routine that works best for you, because from experience– sometimes just having a little makeup on can give a boost of confidence to rock the day ahead.

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Things I’ve Eaten So Far Today:

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I want to be skinny fit in such a bad way. It’s what I think about approximately 25% of the day. I am not blessed with a body that easily transforms, and when I eat one m&m I gain 5 pounds. (That’s an exaggeration but basically.) So every night when I go to bed I think “I am going to eat ONLY healthy stuff tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what my bod is going to look like come summer”– wrong. Here’s how today went:

8:00 am- An apple (started out strong, was going to stick to my meal prepping plan)

8:15 am- “I think i’ll just have this banana yogurt that is supposed to be my afternoon snack right now”

10:30- “I’M STARVING! Why isn’t it lunch yet?!?!” *Eats cucumber slices that were brought as a second back-up*

12:00- Chicken, zucchini and peas. (At least it’s all been healthy so far???)

12:30- Left for my actual lunch break to run to target and get some things I needed. Stopped at sonic. Got mozzarella sicks. Fail.

2:45- A cookie that some natzi decided to bring to work to torture me with.

Seriously what’s wrong with me?! Lets hope the rest of the night plays out better than my morning has. Some days (or weeks in my case) you just have to let yourself go before you can get back on track.

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