Is it me you're looking for?

Hi friends! Today I'm over at Hanna's blog participating in her series called Everlasting Apparel. Click on over and check it out.

Share the love,

Taylor

Friday Favorites

1. I saw one of the prettiest skies of the summer during one of the craziest storms I've ever witnessed. The light and the clouds was simply glorious.

2. I'm rereading this book for a book study this summer. It's one of my favorites. If you want to be inspired to live a life that has lasting significance, this is your book. It's funny and challenging and inspiring all at the same time.

3. I got to discover a new hiking trail with sights like this with one of my best friends. The juxtaposition between the highway we walked under and these stunning views was astounding.

4. I read this quote the other day and loved it. I always thought I had to wait until after college to start really making my dreams happen but this week I went ahead and took the plunge. Get excited for some big news in the future.

image 

5. I'm not a huge pop music fan but I can't help singing along to this song whenever I hear it in the car.

If you'd like to see what's going on with me throughout the week, you can follow me on Instagram. Have a blessed weekend and don't forget to enter the Angelorian Tradition giveaway. Look forward to some great posts next week!

Share the love,

Taylor

Linking up with:

Blog: Branded

I told you that this summer would be an adventure and oh, it has been! You all know that I really value self education. This post is part of me making good on my summer goals. At the end of last semester, I got interested in branding. Being me, I did my research, found branding companies I admire, and used myself as a guinea pig. What I and many other bloggers often forget is that branding can be make or break in the blogging world. You've recently seen me do a complete overhaul of my look and logo. I continued that process by making my own business cards and media kit. No, I'm not a brand strategist or consultant yet but more on that to come! There's a lot of glamour in the design of a blog or store but very little glamour in the strategy of making dreams happen. Luckily, strategy is where I excel. The media kit is a tool you can use to help other bloggers or sponsors get to know your blog. I feel a little vulnerable posting my media stats for the world to see. But ultimately, I think business cards and media kits are important tools for bloggers so I wanted to share my own examples. I take pride in being a small but growing blog and branding facilitates that growth. As bloggers we get to look up to bloggers who have "made it" but I haven't seen many bloggers document the process of growing. I want to be an open book and let you make that journey with me. I hope to post more about branding in the months to come. Feel free to ask me any questions about my branding or about your own. (Like I said, open book!)

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. Did you enter the summer soiree giveaway with Angelorian Traditions?

Musings: It Can Wait

I've officially been blogging for about three months now and I absolutely love it. Blogging is the perfect combination of all the things I love: photography, writing, graphic design, branding... I could go on. I thrive on the feeling that I can always improve my blog in some area. It provides an infinite challenge in the best way possible. With all the possibility and no time constraints, blogging can easily take up too much of my time. I love blogging because it gives me a medium to share my interests and I'm finding that I have to actively set boundaries. Right now, my mantra is: It can wait. (Can something still be your mantra if you fail at it almost daily?) This goes against every fiber of my multitasking, uber efficient being. However, I know it's for my best. It's just another manifestation of my age old struggle with living in the moment, of being exactly where I am. God's put me in this season because He's wants to grow me. I don't want to miss out on that. Maybe blogging isn't your vice that creeps into other parts of your life. Maybe it's a TV show or an app on your phone. I made this iPhone lock screen background as a reminder to myself. Feel free to use it as your own reminder. What is your "it can wait" weakness?

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. Did you enter the summer soiree giveaway with Angelorian Tradition?

Linking up with:

Getting There: Budget

Those of you who have followed the blog since the beginning know that I just recently switched my tagline to, "enjoy getting there."With a new goal of inspiring and informing each of you lovely readers, I thought it would be a good idea to write a series called Getting There. I'll share my tips and tricks for living as a twenty-something and (I hope!) you'll share yours too. I decided to kick off this series with topic of budgeting because I think everyone could probably spend their money more wisely. Well, here goes!

I don't have to pay for my education but I pay for most everything else. I work a job during the school year, have a summer job, and more recently have been bringing in a little extra income with blogging. My budget strategy is fairly simple and revolves around four steps:

1. Tithe: As a Christian, I believe that my money is not my own. The first thing I do when I get a paycheck is give ten percent to my church.

2. Pay: I don't have any bills besides my credit card bill (I'll try to touch on credit cards in another Getting There post.) I pay that off so that I'm never charged any fees or interest.

3. Save: I look at what's left after tithing and paying my bill and try to put  between forty and fifty percent into my savings account. I don't touch my savings account often. I only make withdrawals for big purchases that I've thought about and researched for a while.

4. Spend: The fun part! I use whatever is left to buy clothes, go out to dinner, and to generally treat myself.

This is by no means a one size fits all approach. It's what works for me and I'd love to hear what budget tactics you use to help you enjoy getting there.

Share the love,

Taylor


P.S. Did you enter the summer soiree giveaway with Angelorian Traditions?

On-the-Go Snacks: Mariano's

Remember when I told you that I was a member of Collective Bias®? This is another sponsored post that I feel honored to be a part of! I'm so excited to share it with you. Before you get worried, remember that all the opinions are my own!

Summers are always hard for me in terms of eating healthfully. There are so many tasty seasonal treats that beg me to indulge in them. On top of that, I'm often lazy when it comes to cooking. I'm the queen of the quick and easy pasta. My body doesn't need pasta for every lunch. That's why I thought it would be great to head over to the Lakeshore East Mariano's  in the heart of Downtown Chicago to find some delicious snacks that my body would thank me for. 

I was impressed by the local market feel of Mariano's. We had fun shopping and I hate grocery shopping! Somehow I felt really classy picking up all of my snacks.  My boyfriend and I also stopped to grab a hot lunch and sat on the patio overlooking a darling little park. When it came to searching the store for my snacks, everything was easy to find. I still had to stop to ask for help every once in a while and all the workers were so sweet. We were impressed. So what did we buy? Well, you can view the whole trip here but are the highlights.

Their produce section had so many beautiful colors.

Ok, we bought some fudge. So worth it. The have an adorable station where a worker hand cuts your piece.

Here's the patio where we ate our hot lunch. It's so pretty and was the perfect complement to our delicious lunch.

The tea was a perfect pick-me-up before I jetted off to church.

I've been bringing the peppers to work as a snack during my 15 minute break. They're yummy, crisp, and easy to pack.

My family normally leaves the tomatoes by the refrigerator for quick and easy snacking but they're also really handy if you need a snack to munch on while driving.

I'm really excited because there's a Mariano's opening up in the suburb right next to my boyfriend's house. Maybe for a special occasion we'll head over to that one for another sweet treat. If you live in the Chicago area like I do and you want to check it out for yourself, you can visit them here. And if you do visit them, don't forget to sign up for a rewards card!

I think the anti-grocery shopper in me loved Mariano's because it didn't feel like a grocery store. It was a restaurant and a market and a place I'd like to go back to. For fun (gasp!) I'm proud to call Mariano's #MyMarianos

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. Did you enter the summer soiree giveaway with Angelorian Traditions?

Giveaway: Angelorian Tradition

I always jump at a chance to make your Monday a little happier. Lately, I've been blessed to partner with great businesses. Today I'm excited to help Crystal from Angelorian Tradition celebrate her one year Etsy anniversary! Celebrate with us by entering the giveaway or buy using the Live and Move coupon code: ACTS17. It will get you 15% off any item over $5 until July 8th.

Here's what you can win:

25 greaseproof cupcake liners 

25 mint polk-a-dot paper party straws 

12 hand-made cupcake toppers with glitter 

1 resin rose ring in light peach 

1 hand-made wool felt barrette/pin lime flower 

1 1960'S Lucky Irish Penny Magnet 

It's all so adorable and is perfect for hosting a midsummer soiree. Can't you just picture those straws peeking out of a Mason Jar? Yum. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share the love,

Taylor

High Five for Friday

This week has been a whirlwind to say the least but in the midst of the craziness there were still so many things that made me smile. Here are five of my favorites and I get to announce the Benton Park Prints giveaway winner!

1. This planner by Whitney English called the Day Designer. It's designed especially for creative entrepeneurs, something I aspire to become. And can we talk about how cute it is? And its in Vandy colors? Sold.

2. This video by Emma of A Beautiful Mess about why she DIYs. It's short and will make you want to go out and make something! 

3. These NPR temporary tattoos. I think it's hilarious to juxtapose these hardcore biker tattoos with NPR shows. Love.

4.  The Milk and Crown Etsy shop! Kristyn was one of my first blog friends and in the short two months that I've been blogging, I've got to watch her go after one of her dreams. I'm really picky with jewelry but all of her pieces are so simple and clean. It's warmed my heart to see her grow!

5. This song, Thomas by Josh Mhire. It talks about Jesus letting Thomas feel his wounds. It reminds me of God's love and patience in the midst of my own doubts.

The winner of the Benton Park Prints giveaway is Lindsay Shoemake! Shoot me an email :) And if you're sad you didn't win, don't forget that if you buy before Monday, you get 15% off by using the promo code liveandmove.

I hope that got you excited and inspired for your own weekends! I've got a lot of great things to share with you next week.

Share the love,

Taylor

Linking up with:

Do you need your makeup?

Confession time: I wasn't allowed to wear makeup on a daily basis until my sophomore year of high school. Before then, I was allowed to wear makeup only once a week. I hated that rule. High schoolers are generally not the most confident bunch and I thought I needed makeup to be pretty. I remember one of my friends saying that she wore makeup but she never wanted to get to the point where she needed it to feel beautiful. Unwittingly, my makeup wearing journey became a process of not letting my makeup define me. When I first started wearing makeup, I wore a lot. Oh dear. Finally, during my senior year, I took a week off from wearing makeup to school just to be sure that I could. Once I got to college, makeup seemed really unnecessary. My boyfriend and I are long distance. I didn't have anyone to impress. (Truth be told, he can't tell the difference between my natural face and me with makeup.)   I'm blessed to have great skin and I feel no need to cover it up. If I do wear makeup, it takes about two minutes. Face powder. Blush. Mascara. A swipe of shadow. I do just enough to give myself a little glow. On special occasions, I'll get really dolled up. I enjoy taking 30 minutes to do my makeup before a formal. It's fun because it doesn't make or break my beauty. It's a treat. I'm not trying to knock anyone for wearing makeup daily. What works for me may not work for you. All I want is for you to ask yourself, "Do I need my makeup?"

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. Brighten up your room by entering the Benton Park Prints giveaway!

The Lost Hikes

When I first started taking pictures, I was always drawn to taking pictures of things. Objects just were and it was easy for me to capture their beauty. I think that's why I love taking pictures of nature. Nature is already beautiful. All I need to do is put my self in a position to maximize that beauty. These photos are from a couple of hiking dates I went on with my boyfriend, back before dates consisted of me sitting next to him in a hospital bed. These are some of my favorite summer moments and consequently some of the nature photography that I am most pleased with. The journey to mastering manual focus continues.

Share the love,

Taylor

The Future is Unknown

Any one who knows me would find it extremely strange that I would admit the fact that the future is unknown. I'm the queen of having a plan and being under control. When I used to hear the Corrie Ten Boom quote, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.", I always thought it was talking about situations that don't apply me all the time. Maybe that quote is good when I am looking for summer plans or think about a career, but right now, I've got it. How wrong I was. This past Thursday, I got a text from my boyfriend saying that he was in the emergency room. After staying with him and his family for hours in the ER, they discharged him. All weekend I sat with him and tried to keep his mind off of the undiagnosed pain. Yesterday after work, I got a text that said he'd been diagnosed and that he was going into surgery immediately. Praise God that they diagnosed him. Praise God that he's healing just fine. And ultimately, praise God for teaching me the finite nature of my human mind. I'd like to think that the future is only unknown when I can't plan it out. But the future is always unknown. That's where the adventure begins.

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. The Benton Park Prints giveaway is still going strong. Enter here and tell your friends!

Summer Snapshots: Samsung 200 the Wi-Fi Camera and My New Concert Buddy #SocialCamera

Remember when I told you that I was a member of Collective Bias®? This is my first sponsored post! I'm so excited to share it with you. Before you get worried, remember that all the opinions are my own!

This summer has been so important in growing my photography. I love my dSLR but it's not always convenient for me to lug it  around on my adventures. It was time to add some versatility to my toolbelt. That's why I was so excited to get a compact camera, more specifically a Samsung Smart Camera.

If you want to see our full journey, go ahead and click here.  If you're in a hurry, I'll paraphrase. We headed over to Walmart and picked up the Samsung WB200F. Then we went to our favorite park to test it out. Here are a few of the pictures. I didn't do any post processing so you could see the full effect of the pictures. You can also do some touching up with the editing software on the camera.

My handsome model for the portrait setting.

The sky looked lovely.

Testing the zoom.

Hello, toes! I love the colors in this picture.

These smell wonderful.

Can I tell you my favorite part about this camera? It's the Wi-Fi direct uploading. I've dubbed this camera my best friend for concerts. The camera has it's own Wi-Fi network. I downloaded the Samsung Smart Camera App, connected my camera to the network, picked out which pictures to transfer to my phone, and voila, they were on my phone. I love the idea of taking better quality pictures on my camera, transferring them to my phone, and Instagramming them.  There are a ton of other great features. You can check them out by heading over to their Facebook page.

Overall, I thought the camera was perfect for what I was looking for. I loved all of the different settings. It was really user friendly. I'm excited to have a camera for all those times I want to capture memories and a phone camera just won't cut it! Thanks for reading. Go make some memories of your own!

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. Did you enter my Benton Park Prints contest? Head on over there!

Giveaway: Benton Park Prints

Hello, friends! I can't think of a better way to start off your weekend than with a giveaway. I've partnered with Benton Park Prints to give one lucky reader an 8x10 or 11x14 print of their choice. I love their selection because there is a little something for everyone. Who couldn't use a little slice of sunshine to brighten up a room? Here are five of my favorites!

You can enter now through the 21st and don't forget to tell your friends! If you can't wait to buy your print. Use the coupon code liveandmove and get 15% off until the 24th.

Share the love,

Taylor

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking up with:

Ubuntu

In a month. I'll be in South Africa. Earlier this summer, it felt like a dream that I'd live in an African country for a month. Now all the emotions are starting to hit me. I'm nervous, excited, and helpless in a way that only international travel can create. I so want to control every aspect of my life. (It's a constant struggle that God and I continue to work through.) With international travel, I can't control things. I can research, ask questions, have conversations, but nothing will prepare me for a new culture. That's the excitement of it. I've said all summer that I fully expect God to change my life in South Africa. I have absolutely no idea how but I am beyond excited to find out. I feel like it will all somehow connect with the phrase ubuntu, my favorite South African concept-- a person is a person through other persons. There's a beauty and depth in that phrase that leaves me contemplating it and finding fresh applications every time. I'm sure its meaning will be all the more profound after being contextualized in the culture of its birth. Ubuntu. What does it look like in your life?

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. In case you haven't heard, I'm officially queen of my own domain! The new address is www.liveandmove.co but if you use the blogspot address, it will automatically transfer you.

Pick a Pair: Warby Parker

Remember when I said I ordered glasses from Warby Parker? Well, one of the things that makes them awesome is that they let you choose five pairs to try on at home. I have five days to pick a new pair and I'd love for you guys to help me pick. I've posted my glasses that I already own so y'all know what's in my glasses wardrobe. Comment with your favorite!

There a ton of reasons why I love Warby Parker. They're not even paying me to say this! They're really affordable. Like $95 for a pair of glasses affordable. They have cool programs like the at-home try on. And the best part is that they give a pair of glasses to a person in need with every purchase. How amazing is that? And with that, let the deciding begin!

Share the love (and your opinions!),

Taylor