Give me Liberty

Equality:shared material standard or measure of individuals within a community, society, or country.
Freedom: the ability of an individual to act independently of the state without fear of restriction or punishment by the state, group of individuals, and individuals. 
Liberty: The freedom of an individual that is consistent of others within a society.

Those were the three definitions my Comparative Politics professor had us write down on the first day of class. He was an interesting man, old fashioned in his ways. A retired Secret Service member and Naval Officer, he had plenty of stories. But he chose the first day of class to explain to us what rights we had as individuals. He told us that the rights activist seeking "equality" with a bumper sticker are wrong. What they're seeking is "Liberty" and that we will never reach full "Equality" because that's near impossible, and people are stupid. I was hooked, I didn't miss a class until late October, which if you know me at all, that's probably a record. 

Anyways, having heard about the Phil Robertson fiasco I immediately went back to that day. Equality, Freedom, and Liberty. 

We're supposed to live in a country that doesn't reject you for your own opinions and beliefs. 
Weird right? It's not like that's why our country exists or anything. 

So what? You ask a Southern Baptist Pastor about his beliefs on homosexuality and you don't get a politically correct answer? Well darn, I thought you might. 
So the best thing to do is to suspend him from the show, that has record breaking ratings, and more merchandise on shelves than the Gators. Let me know how that works out for you A&E. 
Yes, what Phil said was pretty forward, and I actually was a bit thrown off myself. But that doesn't mean you strip a man of his rights. Though yes I don't necessarily agree with the Homosexual life style, I still believe people should have the freedom to live how they choose. Phil, myself, and any other member of this country have the Liberty to speak in which way we choose. If we keep chasing after the dream of "Equality" we have to make some real changes here America. Some we're going to hate to have to put ourselves through. If we keep acting out against people with different beliefs it's never going to happen. We're going to learn to have to toughen our skin. It's what our founding fathers did going up against a country that had ruled them for years. Not everything is going to settle well with everyone, but we have to learn to accept peoples differences and opinions. 
Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty or Give me Death!" speech sums up what America is still striving for today. Though yes, it's a bit out dated, and yes the goals have changed, it's still applicable. 

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace²but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"- {Patrick Henry, St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia, March 23, 1775.}

The thing is, this war against ourselves has only begun. We're going to have to put down the weapons and call a truce before anyone really gets harmed. 

So, America, what's it going to be?

Are we going to put down our guns (or social networks really) and learn to work together to form a more united nation? Or are we going to keep playing this game that has no winner?

I'm in to make a difference. 

Give me Liberty, or give me Death. 

Hey, Let's Go

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

For me, I don't show much emotion. And right now as I'm writing, tears of happiness and over whelming emotion built up from a year of prayer are flowing like a river. The best part is- all I did was submit a Summer Project application.

For two years God has had it on my heart that I would go into ministry at some point in my life with Native Americans. For one year God has put on my heart the Nations Montana: Blackfeet Indian Reservation Summer Project. He’s made it clear that it’s this summer I need to experience something significant on my own. Not with people I live with or have grown up with, but with strangers in a new place experiencing something so rich.  I'm content with the thought of being gone for five weeks on a Bison Ranch, hiking, and loving on the Blackfeet tribe. My heart is full, God has me in such a beautiful overwhelming state right now and it's awesome to feel his love. 

And I don't even know for sure if I'm going yet, I'm just happy; happy that I've taken the initiative against all reservations. Money will be no issue if I get accepted; God has really shown me that I need to trust in him with finances for not just the project, but life in general. That's hard to do when you've grown up knowing that money can be what hinders your goals aspirations.

I've recently read "Love Does" By Bob Goff for a second time and it gets me on an adventure kick every time. He doesn't let finances hinder him from doing what he loves. It's great, I want that mentality. And yes, money is always an issue, but I recently read an article that said something along the lines of this topic. It was "If I wait until I have enough money, I'll never go." It took me a few minutes to understand what the author was saying. Then it hit me: If I continue to spend my time living in fear of not being able to do something because of money then I'm doing exactly opposite of what God wants me to do. He tells us to "Go". And "Go" I will. Money works itself out, I've seen it happen dozens of times over.

My heart is full, and I believe that submitting that application is just the first step in not only partaking in the adventure of a lifetime, but a growing experience like no other. I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store for me this upcoming semester and summer.

If you are a college student looking for something to do this summer, go to gosummerproject.com and take a gander. You might find something that peaks your interest, and if you find yourself feeling called to one of the projects, apply for it. Don't let Satan pull you down because you don't know if you'd be able to raise the money, God will provide in one way or another.

Much love,

Tay

www.gosummerproject.com

Taking Time

First off I would like to say thanks to my readers! I have officially reached well over a thousand views!!

Which to me is pretty impressive!

Also, I want to make this post about what God is doing in my life right now.



Lately, I've recognized something about myself, that I've been continually telling myself is not true.

I struggle with HATE. HATE, is a "strong word, and we are not allowed to use", is what I grew up hearing over and over and over.
Yet to this day, I don't struggle with the use of the word (I just say "I strongly dislike") but the action of HATE.

I have my beef's and grudges, and I have been really effected by them even though I try my best to push them below the surface. It's become a real issue this summer as I've been trying to control my tongue around kids and adults. The Lord has really shown me what I need to work on in order to move on up in life. If I keep holding on to the things that affected me in the past, I will get nowhere. And that is exactly opposite of where I want to be.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7

All my life I have looked at these things as just "ADVICE" or "SUGGESTIONS" on how to live.

In reality, they are RULES. Which if you know me, I don't enjoy following the rules. But because I have seen enough and understand what would happen if I didn't just follow these rules, but act out on them, I would be miserable the rest of my life. I want people to be drawn to me so that they may know my Lord and Savior. I want them to see that my actions are not that of hate, but that of LOVE. I like to have a plan and I like to know what is going to happen next, God say's do not be anxious. Which means I need to work on that, so that I can do what he is calling me to do. 

With that my friends I leave you, wherever you are this summer, I hope y'all are doing well. 

Love from Colorado,

-Tay

What it's Like Being the Oldest Child: Uncensored-ish

After completing my first year of college and returning home to live with my family for the summer, it's been a rude awakening. 

And I mean RUDE. 

I'm the oldest of four, all of us are two years apart. So we're pretty similar in age, but also so very different at the same time.

Anyways, I have two sisters, whom take the SHARING thing, a little too seriously. I work with four year old's eight hours a day, SHARING is important, when it's okay. 

I come home everyday with some form of clothing dirty, when it had been clean and folded when I left at an ungodly hour. 

WHYYYYY. 

"Well it looked cute."

or.. 

"I didn't have anything to wear!" which translates to "I didn't want to wear my clothes because I'd have to dig them up from the floor."

or my favorite..

"It looks better on me!"

I've come to the conclusion that the only solution is this:

I'm going to put my name on EVERYTHING. I mean it. That way, they can't wear it. Let's be real, no one wants to be walking around with someone else's monogram and name. That's just STUPID. 

It's a real shame too, they have cuter clothes than me. But they feel the need to go out of their way and figure out what it takes to turn me red. 

Another gig that comes with being the oldest, a personal favorite, YOU'RE THE FIRST. 

The first to..

Ride a bike, go to school, graduate high school, go to college, first to go out on their own. 

Not to mention, I have red hair and freckles, it's not like I can hide in the background and get lost. I'm the first they notice, and the last they see. 

I did something terrible a few years ago at a conference, it was right before my senior year in high school. I was pretty much done with the self righteous, guitar playing, bible waving people interrogating me about my future. Thinking I could make a game out of it, I began telling people I was going to skip college and go right in to the bush. Or my favorite, I was saving to buy a sail boat, and planning to sail the world.

 It was fun for a while, then I began to run out of fun idea's. For a while I was going to go on an ancestral trek and make my way to Ireland to find my past and my future. I still wouldn't mind any of those anyways. 

But if you know me at all, you know I love my sister's to death. You'd also know that I love being the oldest, and I love being apart of the firsts.  

It's been great being back with the family for the summer and watching my younger sister's and brother grow up so much and so fast. That's my favorite, I get watch them grow. Whether it be height, age, or maturity, it's a great first. 

It's a fun gig, being the big kid. It's really scary when you begin to sound like your own parents, that's when you know. You know you've almost reached it. 

Adulthood. 

-Tay

last Thanksgiving, we're never serious. 

C o l o r a d o h e a r t

This summer I have had the opportunity to go out to Colorado for the summer to work in a Child Care position for Cru. This is a weird and unnatural term to those of you who don't know what that means. But it's okay, it still doesn't make much sense to us either.
When I began the summer I could not wait to get out of Florida. I'm always up for travel and change and can never wait to get out of town. Coming into this summer I had the wrong attitude the entire time. I wasn't happy about coming in the first place, but it was better than sitting in Tallahassee or Orlando. Terrible attitude right?
R i g h t . .

Whenever I do that though, God always has something up his sleeve. He has already showed me this is where I need to be for the summer. Regardless of how much I fight it. There's more in store, it's just a matter of time and prayer. It's going to be a great summer friends.

It's amazing what a few days of mountain air can do for the soul.

(Can we note this was taken while driving, and also how blue the sky is)

Today my mom and I adventured off to a local place called "Verns". It was delicious. 

Even though I got new shoes, I still went and got my toes wet in the Poudre river. 

 I'm super happy about my moms goodwill find. Finally rain boots :) 

It's amazing, Gods craftsmanship and how all these mountains are formed with such a majestic presence. 

Happy summer and safe travels,

- Tay 

To my Friends going on Project

Unfortunately, this is fantastically true. 

I found that picture on Pinterest the other day and sighed because it was very true for myself. All my friends are going on their summer adventures to all over the world, and its starting to hit me. From Africa to India to North Carolina, my friends are scattering themselves for the summer. Though I will be in Colorado playing with kids and hanging out in the mountains, it will still be hard knowing they are all far away from me. 

I find myself feeling like a mom who's about to have an empty nest, and the loneliness sinks in a little early. It's not like this is new, every summer this happens, but I manage. The best part is when they come back and share their stories of how God has changed their lives. Though I'm sad now, this is just the beginning of something wonderful. Changing lives is what we are meant to do, and to see my friends take the leap of faith to go out and do so is so very wonderful. Almost magical. It's great to see people change in such a short period of time. For the Lord they stick out their necks to do great things that he has called them to do. It's such an adventure in the making and I can't wait to see the out come. 

Prayer requests:

Please pray for my roommate Rileigh Puckett as she heads to India for the summer. She's excited for what the Lord has in store for her.

Please Pray for two of my good friends Anna Ellis and Danielle Dolson. Both of them will be on Summer Project with Cru in North Carolina. 

Please Pray for my dear friend Timo Dykes as he heads to South Africa to work as a leader on the MK2MK summer project for high school students. 

Please pray for safe travels and a great time.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."- Matthew 28:19

I hope that my dear friends reading this are going to have the time of their lives. And the Lord truly shows them his love and mercy. I hope that they all come back willing to continue to serve the Lord and shine his light wherever they are. 

Love Always,

-Tay

Emotional Feed

Raise your hand if you are a frequent user of social media.

My hand is high. 

Studies show that women are more frequently using social media, checking it multiple times a day.

Hand is still up.

Why though? We use the social networks to keep in contact with people, that's for sure. But what else do we use it for? 

Easy.

We use them for acceptance, self assurance, and to place our emotional resumes out there for the world to like and comment on. 

( Disclaimer, this is my personal thought, no fingers are being pointed, I have done all of these things too on social networks) 

We have all posted a heartfelt status seeking comments and likes to reassure us we are good at the mushy stuff. 

Social media has created a term that is still not accepted by auto correct and dictionaries, "Selfies". A picture you've taken and posted of yourself, taken by yourself. Selfies have become very common and normal, I've even taken a few. But why do we feel the need to over edit and post multiple versions or multiple shots? And when we pick the one we want as our default what do we do?

We sit, and wait.

For comments, likes, approval and praise. 

My hand is still up, and getting very tired I might add. 

We may not of have noticed it, but we do find ourselves looking at who liked the photo or commented. It's in our nature to want to feel accepted and search for it. My sisters have fallen victim to it, and use it as a focus or pass time. When they should be worrying about their track records or yards in flag football. Not which filter to use or if the caption says what it needs to. 

To quote my Adolescent Development professor: " Teenagers have always looked for acceptance in others through appearance and accessibility to it. It's just in the last eight years social networks have enabled them to do it in a lazier way, but also harder." 

It is harder, you have to gain a following base, and get people to notice you. 

Really hard, and my hand is still up. 

Emotional Resume..

To quote someone on twitter:

"Its attractive when guys are good with kids."

You're so right. It is an attractive quality. It's also something every single woman wants in a man whether or not they want children. It's common knowledge. Along with "I want to be treated like a princess and be brought flowers." or the whole "I want a TUMBLR perfect relationship."

Pardon my french, but, what the H-E_DOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS? Tumblr perfect is a thing? 

I honestly think I have lost brain cells searching Pinterest and Tumblr for information. Coming up empty handed other than seeing young teens embracing eachother in nicely edited photos. 

All those quotes above are prime examples of posting your emotional resume. Wanting a guy to fit the slots. You might as well pass out surveys and take the one that answers the questions most accurately. Honestly, not a bad idea. Just could end badly. 

I see it in all my news feeds. Whether its for friendship or relationships, people are using social networks to fill the void of what they want. Personally, if you want to make friends, or meet a nice guy/girl go out and get'er done. You don't need to publish to the world what you want or need. It's honestly degrading of yourself and the people who are trying to fill that void for you. 

I fell victim to it late middle school, but I soon realized that I don't need to use social networking to fill my void. It's destructive and potentially painful. 

Solution:

Think. Think before you speak, tweet, and post. It's hard I know. I don't always do it myself. I love seeing what my friends are up to, especially the ones I don't ever see. But what I hate is seeing what they want, or wining about how they don't get enough sleep. Internet Etiquette, let's make it a thing. 

Some people it's their only outlet, only way you know what's going on.  And to an extent that's fine. 

But for some people it does nothing but take them down. Yes you may get a ton of likes, but a majority are out of habit. 

Also a limit of five status's a week should be a thing. 

This is just some thought's I had, nothing to take to heart, and no offense intended. I'm not complaining, just observing. Loving and wanting everyone to understand I love them. You should go to people before you go to the internet for therapy. 

What do y'all think? I know I've probably sparked some emotion and debate among my readers. And I'm sure not everyone agrees. But as I've seen it and done it, and recovered from it. I thought, YOLO. 

-Tay

Adventure and the Beast

Adventure is something that I've yearned for my whole life. Though I have no backing or some life changing story that ties into this post and my love for adventure, I have a song.

Ever heard of Disney's Beauty and the Beast?
Yea, me too.
It's pretty cool if you're into that kind of thing (which I totally am). Anyways, there's a great line in one of the songs that she sings, and it goes:

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell. And for once it would be grand, to have someone understand, I want so much more than they've got planned."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SEr8VELvl0
( link to the clip)

Anyways, I've got this thing, it's like an annoying feeling in the pit of my stomach, that is always telling me to go do something wild, not dangerous, but you know, unexpected.
Sorry to those who expect me to fit the norm. I want to go and do the unexpected.
When I was a kid she was my favorite princess, for many reasons. She was a real beaut', she loved beyond looks, and loved to read. It took me years to accept my wild red hair that I still can't seem to beable to manage. It took me years to love literature, but yet here I am. Loving beyond looks, and the whole "Don't judge a book by its cover" thing has always been my motto. I don't care what you look like, you could look like a tea pot, or a beast, and we can still be friends.
Belle not only did that, but she was selfless. she took place of her father in the Beast's prison, and that my friends is something to think about.

I want to be like her, not specifically, I'm nearly twenty years old, I still want to be a princess. But I want to strive for adventure and succeed. I want to become the type of woman people want to read about. Someone who's adventures are one's for the record books.
So if the opportunity arises that I could stay in a castle with talking furniture, I'm taking it.


Thanks for reading a completely pointless post, and making my studying for finals worth procrastinating.

-Tay

Natives and a Redhead

"Go and make disciples if all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and if the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

Go. Go. Go. I've been hearing that word for quite some time.

Culture, is something that has struck heavy on my heart over the years. I can remember my few years living in Oklahoma and asking so many questions about the Native Americans. Just having the knowledge that something or someone stood where I stood, was something as a young child so magical. I was still so young to comprehend the fact that their culture was a dying culture, because it was all around me. A few years pass and I go to cultural fairs in my town in Arkansas that had tribal dancers. Booths containing craftsmanship of hardened hands working hard for little income. Still to this day I picture the old Indian woman's face when I asked her about her work. Small carved wooden dolls, littlest of details etched into the craft. It all sounds cliche, I know. But as young as I was this was my biggest fascination.Years pass and here I am. Attending college in Tallahassee Florida, home of the Seminoles. Everywhere I turn there's something pointing towards the Native American culture.
Why?
Holy cow batman, that's a hard one.
God has made it clear to me within this last year that he wants me teaching, not just teaching, but teaching in Native American schools. Weird, right? I know. People are always like "wow, I've never heard of anyone wanting to do that". That's true. You probably wont again either, but hey, you asked. But God is working in my heart and allowing me to grow through this. I've become aware and researched the culture and the reservations needs for teachers, and it's interesting to see what they need. Often times students on reservations don't complete high school or go on to college, because they are such poor communities. They're spiritually dark too. It's a constant war of alcoholism and drugs. Women raise their children in alcoholic house holds and have no way out.

 Where?

Good question, God is still preparing me and educating me, and I'm just now completing my freshman year of college. But, he has laid it on my heart, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, no matter how hard I shake it. I've found that the WHERE aspect of it all is to be determined later on by the Lord and he will do something great with it.

God has done a lot in me this year, and it hasn't been easy to battle with. Coming to terms with what he wants for me wasn't exactly my dream, but dreams do change, and so do people. It's an adventure in the making (and I'm all about that) that he has already planned out.

Go, I'll be going. I sit in excitement for what he has in store for me. Now all I have to do is wait, and do what I can in the mean time. Things change, plans change, life changes. But everyday I find myself dreaming up and coming up with ideas of things I can do, I have a small note book where I write them down so that I wont forget.

I wanted to share this with y'all because its all I can think about. I waited long enough to know it wasn't a phase, and that I wasn't dreaming up something. I felt the need to share what God had been working in and on my heart in this last year, and last forever. God is truly amazing. I can finally answer the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" truthfully.





-Tay

Not so Cool Story, Bro.

Growing up, I was never typically embarrassed by my family.They've always been really chill and relaxed. My parents weren't/aren't super strict, and always have been encouraging.

So I'd say their pretty cool. How? well....

For starters my mom, Laura, she's pretty awesome. She has a heart for God and I can't imagine the world without her. Rarely do I ever go a day without talking to her, whether it be me calling and complaining, or asking random questions, sometimes as an excuse to call her.
Recently she's made friends with a women who's son plays volleyball with my little brother. She doesn't speak much English, so my mother being the saint that she is has offered to tutor her in her English. Which in my book, makes anyone who offers to do such a thing is awesome. It's a difficult task learning another language. Much less teaching it. me and my BEAUtiful mother.







Next in line, can't forget DaddyO. My Dad, Mike, has always been my partner in lazy Saturday afternoons watching the history channel, or some random action movie on tv. He's always had a knack for tinkering with things and being really creative. I've always looked up to him, because not only does he see prospect in random things hes tinkering with, but people as well. His and my mother's love for each other is the cutest, there's no question about it.

He's pretty cool. 

JACOB: 6'3", Varsity Volleyball.

Position: Front Middle.

Hobbies: Being busy with school, work, and Volleyball

The sweetest boy/man/whatever, you will ever meet. Doesn't complain much, but will eat out out of house and home. Been a real good pall over the years and I really hope he'll join me up at FSU fall of 2014. I love going home to have him meet me at the door with a giant hug that dwarfs me. He's a good lookin' goofy fella that doesn't even need explaining. 

Yeah, he's pretty cool.

Hyperventilating .

Can't shoot with my machete . 

You betcha, Morgan O'Kane. 

Ain't nobody gonna go and try to tell her what to think, do, say. She is her own individual self and I give her a lot of credit for it. She has always had the jealous girls on her back growing up,  and she's always held her own regardless of what they say. shes trouble when she gets going, but trust me when she's done, you'll still be laughing. 

Yep, she's one cool cat.

Last but not least. Ladies and gentlemen. THE ONE. THE ONLY. 

JOSIE O'KANE.

The youngest of us, the most liberal of us, the most opinionated of us, the most popular of us, and good gravy shes a real beaut'. Never at a loss for words, ever, Will watch any movie with you, if you refuse, well good luck. She has a heart of gold, always sticking up for the under dog. Will get her school projects done the day their assigned if she can, shes got the brains, the looks, and the guts. She'll go far, no doubt. 

Especially with a talent like this

so, I'd say shes's pretty cool.

For those of you who actually read this, I'm sorry that you had to experience me brag about my family. Usually that's what parents do, or grandparents. But I'm the big sister, the experimental child. So if I turned out alright, I reserve the right. Right? 

Of course. 

-Tay

How to's and Don't do's

Recently I discovered in my apartment our tea cups, or mugs to the coffee drinkers were stained.

For me this is gross, so what did I do? I text my Kaki of course. Kaki is my Mom's mom, instead of 'grandma' she's Kaki. I don't know where the name came from honestly, it's just what I've known to call her.
Anyway's, yes my Kaki texts, and yes she replied with an answer.

BAKING SODA.

Of course, it makes sense. It's used to clean jewelry if you don't want to buy the actual stuff.

Anyways, the trick is to pour some baking soda in the bottom of the mug and put a little bit of water and mix it together. Make it thick and cover the stained surfaces as well as possible. Let it sit for up to fifteen minutes, or it will eventually begin to take the glaze off.
Works like magic. Within minutes you have removed all the tea stains. Be sure you run it through water to get the excess baking soda off, and to be extra safe a run through the dishwasher could never hurt.

It's the little things my friends, the simple remedies that fix everyday things.

What are the little things that make everyday things more efficient and effective for y'all?
Or do you have a "Don't do" in the kitchen? (aside from setting it on fire of course).



-Tay

Hair Care

Curly hair?

Don't care?

Well, you should. A few years ago some family friends who also had the dilemma of what to do with curly hair introduced me to a magical product. This magical product is called "Ouidad". It's probably the best curly hair product on the market that I am aware of to this day. I don't have super curly hair, but it's curly enough that it's not wavy. Did I mention it's red? I'm not hard to miss. There's no going out with it completely untamed, unless its raining of course.

I learned the first trick to keeping your hair healthy is to ditch the brush. Wide tooth combs are the absolute way to go. It keeps the ends of your hair from breaking off and keeps it from frizzing up as much.
Secondly, DO NOT dry it with a towel, or twist it in a towel. It breaks your hairs, drys it out, and even damages ends. The alternative is to dab it, or gently squeeze it with a soft t-shirt. One that you probably don't fit into anymore, yet still keep out of sentiment. No worries, I'm on the same boat mate.
Third, once you've dabbed it, combed it, and what not use the magic potion.
 Ouidad's Climate Control gel.
Price: $22
Lasts up to six months, assuming you have normal weather.
Worth every penny.

If your one of those people who doesn't like to wash their hair everyday, but it still looks like a birds nest each morning try Ouidad's Botanical Boost Spray. Same price, same worth. It makes mornings so much easier and leaves your hair looking good for another day and doesn't make it all oily. Which is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I'm no expert, but I love playing with my hair, and trying new things, so if anyone has some suggestions on hair care products, please leave a comment or tweet me @taylorokane.





-Tay

Why Women Love Pinterest

When my mother first showed me Pinterest, I was astonished. How had I never seen this before? This was a major break through in my eyes.

Not a day goes by without me, a roommate, or a female classmate referencing something to Pinterest. You know what I mean too. The conversation usually begins with "I saw on Pinterest" or "Did you see my Pin?". Yeah, it's our ESPN for girls, it's true too, men can't deny it.

Why though?
It's quite simple really. Girls can express anything they want to on it. They can pin meme's, recipe's, and heck even plan a wedding. I see multiple people I follow get engaged and use it as a resource in planning it all.

How I see it, Pinterest is a tool to help women see what others have done creatively. I love that part. I love finding new things I want to try or make. It's like a game, if someone else can do it, so can I. Of course there are those web sites that have "Pinterest Fails" like the crayons not melting right or the icing melting because the person forgot to let the cupcake cool.
A personal favorite is all the SomeeCards memes.

What are your thoughts? Why do you love Pinterest? Or if you don't love it, then why?

my "very pinterest party" I had for graduation last year. 

My favorite thing found on Pinterest, recreate an old photo of yourself. I found the photo of me, top right, sifting through photos for graduation. Realized I was sitting in the same chair. Snapped a quick pic of me attempting the same excitement.

- Tay

Counting Your Blessings

"Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it."

Why worry though? Recently I've had a run of good luck (knock on wood). I can't possibly begin to explain it either. I recently just quit my job at a dry cleaners and felt nothing but relief afterwards. It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and it had. I've felt like a whole new person and it's only been a week. Then my roommate and I were handed tickets to see Zac Brown Band at the Civic Center here in Tallahassee. We also found out we were possible contenders to win tickets to a Kenny Chesney concert during spring break. Not to mention I found a penny heads up in the parking lot today. I'm feeling lucky, even if all of that doesn't count.

Did I mention I'm Irish? That's why I consider it luck, my thought process is a little like this "Well, I'm Irish, so it all must be luck."

But in reality it's all one blessing after another. I betcha that penny was God having a little fun. 

I'm not lucky. I'm Blessed. 

It's a hard concept for me though. I've grown up with such a comfortable life, and blinded by my own arrogance, I never saw all the blessings before me. Yes, I did give the proper recognition to some of them. But not all of the one's that are deserving. 

Most ironically one of my favorite songs is "Counting your Blessings" sung by Bing Crosby in the Christmas classic "White Christmas." 

Count your blessings, okay, I can do that. 

And so I have. My journal currently holds three pages of things I'd consider blessings. Yes, indoor plumbing happens to be on it, along with electricity. 

I wanna challenge any one who views this post today/tomorrow/anytime, to make a list of every blessing you can possibly concoct. It has given me a new perspective on everything, and it is my hope that it would do the same for you, the reader. 

My number one blessing was my family, I'm the redhead. This picture is over a year old, but it's my favorite family picture, mostly because it's the only one that we didn't do fifty takes to get. It was spontaneous and the smiles are natural. 

secondly, I'm thankful for siblings I can be silly with. These are my two sisters, Morgan (brunet) and Josie (blonde). My brother is featured at the bottom of the post.

Third, I'm thankful for roommates that keep things interesting at all times. They keep life full of adventure, and I love them dearly.

Count your  blessings, 

-Tay

Introduction to the New Blog

Welcome new, or old readers to my new/old blog!

If you’re able to be yourself, then you have no competition. All you have to do is get closer and closer to that essence.-  Barbara Cook

Me, that's who I want my readers to meet through this blog. No it's not all about me, I'll blog about other things. 

                              Like, interests, funny roommate stories, along with stories from previous jobs and experiences. 

But what do you the reader want? 

I'm an open minded character, at least I like to think. I wanna know recipes y'all want me to try, or other blogs to read. I'm game for anything. 

Brief Bio:

I'm a freshman in Tallahassee Fl. I have four lovely roommates who keep me on my toes and my days interesting. I love country music and concerts. I love to craft, (pinterest is my weakness) though I'm not very good. Food is my other weakness, and cooking is my friend. I run to the mall as fast as possible when I get stressed, have a break down, etc. Though I don't know why, I never buy anything other than a soft pretzel, and walk through every store until my feet can't continue. I recently quit my job as a counter girl at a dry cleaners, and yes it is worse than it sounds. I only worked there for eight months, but I learned Tallahassee because of it. I'm also thankful for the lessons that I learned through it. My favorite movie is "The Lion King". Duck Dynasty leaves me in tears along with Disney's "Phineas and Ferb". I love to explore and make memories with those I love. I find joy in discovering new things like local mom and pop sort of places. I love to do anything hands on, like cooking, crafting, tinkering, creating, and building. 

I love my family. I'm the oldest of four with two loving parents and a dog named Honey. Whom I instagram every time I'm back in Orlando (where my family lives). I'm originally from Texas, hardly a Florida native. 

My roommate Rileigh and I at the Zac Brown Band concert here in 

Tallahassee the other night. 

(We got free tickets too! A cool story for another time)

Me, trying to be as classy and hysterical as one of my favorites, Lucille Ball. I have people tell me all the time I could be her grand daughter, daughter, sister. Honestly I bet it's because I have red hair. #gingerproblems

<3 My little brother, Jacob, 17 years old,

 standing 6"3 keeps things goofy at all times.  Such a fun dude. 

Love always,

- Tay