A-Z

a. age: 24

b. bed: queen, just spun the mattress so it feels brand new 

c. chore that you hate: cleaning out the fridge..all that stuff that went bad.

d. dogs: @ my parents, scout, mira, and the newest lil guy tucker

e. essential start to your day: used to be coffee, but now a workout

f. favorite color: blush pink, but it depends on my mood, i love so many colors

g. gold or silver: it depends...gold right now

h. height: Five feet Two inches.

i. instruments you play: just borrowed my sister's guitar to start learning.

j. job title: Assistant Optional Gymnastics Coach, I coach beam mostly..

k. kids: none yet, hopefully one day, but let's start with a boyfriend.

l. live: Sherman Oaks, CA ...been here a year, the valley and north LA is still very new to me as I grew up in North Orange County and went to school in Boise, ID.

m. mother's name: Kim

n. nicknames: Tay, college people only=TayJay, very few people=taytay

o. overnight hospital stays: none recently... last time I can think of is ankle surgery when I was 13

p. pet peeves: i like the roll of toilet paper coming over not under! i fix it so its over

q. quote from a movie: "Do not look at the world though your head; look at it through your heart." -Eat, Pray, Love so many good quotes from this movie! 

r. right or left handed: righty.

s. siblings: 2 younger sisters Kara and Cami

t. time you wake up: it depends on what time I go to bed, but between 7:40-9am every morning. I feel like I lose valuable time when I sleep in.

u. underwear: i wear them...victorias secret mostly...

v. vegetable you hate: hmmm, i love veggies, but i got through phases of not liking something if i eat to much of it

w. what makes you run late: being lazy...doddling

x. xrays you've had: teeth, ankle (multiple times), elbow, neck

y. yummy food that you make: I LOVE to cook and bake when I have the money to buy all the ingredients.  Recently I cooked apricot crusted pork chops and baked from scratch banana bread.  I make a good chicken salad thanks to my friend Ruthie.

z. zoo animal: giraffe for sure

saw this on "Peanut & Me" and had to post it as well!



Juice Me.

I discovered Pressed Juicery via Tracy Anderson and her metamorphasis program.  I am addicted to these juices.  They are a little pricey for my budget, but sooo delicious and nutritious too. Pure, organic, non pasteurized, pressed juice=yum. The ones with ginger in them are the best and on my second trip there last Thursday they had a new menu! I wish they would open another closet sized store in the valley by me in Sherman Oaks, but Brentwood is not that far and I go once a week to workout along the beach with a friend so it's perfect. The juices are around $6.50 each and they ship nationwide and have a truck in Malibu.

I put myself on a diet... and realized how bad my eating habits are and really thinking about where they started.  I was a full time gymnast till I was 23 and growing up I remember so many people telling me..oh you work out a lot so you can eat that stuff.  I believed them and ate away.  Discovering my love for ice cream in the 6th grade when I could buy it at school and thinking back I was a real addict begging my friends for dimes and nickels so I could get my sugar fix.  It continued into high school where I would get 50 cent cookies and fries and reeses, wow I ate bad, but at least I ate it in moderation.

The college came, alcohol and a dining hall.  I didn't gain a freshman 15..but I did gain some.  My heaviest is hard to admit and I think I just always thought it was okay because I worked out so much.  Then gymnastics ends and these realizations of my bad eating habits truly arise.

When I started Tracy Anderson I saw results without following her diet, but then I incorporated it little by little, and saw even better results.  Then came summer, more alcohol, chips & salsa, mom's cooking, and peanut butter & vanilla ice cream.  End of summer=fat me..not anywhere near my heaviest, but about 5 pounds than in June..

So...healthy me has arrived and it includes kale, beets, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and lots of other veggies, fruits, and whole foods.
No cheese, bread, sugar, or late night binge eating.

Anyways this is a proclamation I have made many a times. But I know I can do it this time, I'm much more informed and have more of a will to try to do it.

Pressed Juicery yummyness will have to occur only every other or every 3 weeks because of my wallet, but they are soooo good!

<3 T

Black Bomber Jacket

I've been wanting a black leather jacket for the last 5 years!
Today I finally got one at Target of all places!
This is a staple I was actually prepared to spend some money on and by chance came across a really comfortable one at Target, yay! I always borrow my sisters when I'm home and now I finally have a jacket for fall/winter.

I love Target, I could by so much stuff I don't need.  I think it's because it is where I went with my mom all the time while growing up and home/house stuff is all so pretty to me.

It's funny to be in this stage of life, while I have some friends that are married and having babies or living with their boyfriends.  I am still just dating and having fun and figuring everything out.  My daily schedule right now revolves around me and it's so crazy for me to think I could handle what my friends and cousin Aly is going through right now.

Anyways, it puts it all into perspective of just how quickly life changes!
<3 T
ps-im about to watch the finale of season 8 friends where Rachel has her baby so yes I had baby on the brain from that :)

10 Years Passed, The World Forever Changed

Ten years ago I woke up on a Tuesday to my mom in the shower and my dad calling on the phone telling me to turn on the tv.  I saw a newscast of a burning building on the tv that sat on my dads dresser.  I was unfazed. Huh I wondered..oh look a plane hit a building on accident. I had no idea what the World Trade Center was. I had no idea of the magnitude of the situation.  My dad made me get my mom out of the shower and she freaked out.  Looking back I understand how it must have been horrifying as a parent to discover your nation under attack.  What does this mean for America.  Her cousin had worked in the world trade center, but there offices had been moved.  She spent all morning calling her relatives on the east coast.

As I vaguely remeber getting ready for school and then distinctly remember sitting down in the living room and watching as the buildings fell.  That's when it really hit me, oh my gosh these buildings fell and there must have been a whole bunch of people inside.  I remember the somber day in school as most of the teachers barely taught anything..they mostly taught us about the world trade center and I remember the moment of silence during science class.

My parents had just gone to visit my Uncle in Philadelphia, exactly one month before and had gone to the city and have pictures in front of the WTC.  It's one of the only places I feel like my dad has been that I haven't.  I had just gone on my 8th grade Washington DC trip in March 2001. Looking back now I see how naive I was about flying and security and all these bad things that could really happen in the world.  9/11/01 made me grow up and I think that is when I really discovered the need to travel, the need to understand the world, and the hope for peace.

New York City is the one city I have never been to and have been wanting to go to for so long.  My little sister gets to go in December and I am so jealous!  I've been watching friends from season 1-the end and I am on the end of season 7.  All of the screen shots of the city makes me want to not only go there but live there.  I love los angeles and I dont think i could leave it, but somehow there is this new need and hunger to become a new yorker or experience the east coast. from the hamptons to suburbs in connecticut to boston to the jersey shore. that and the south are the places i havent discovered yet in america.

I feel so blessed for the life I have been given.  Today I finally hiked Runyan Canyon and it was a great way to remember the fallen on that day.  Looking out over Los Angeles and the beauty of the city made me think more about how a city came together after a tragedy and what the true meaning of tragedy and horror means.

It's been a beautiful Sunday.  Good friends, cleaning, cooking, shopping, hiking, and remembering.

<3 T

50 States

All the states I've been to:
1. California, lived in
2. Idaho, lived in
3. Oregon
4. Nevada
5. Arizona
6. Washington
7. Utah
8. Colorado
9. Florida
10. Hawaii
11. Oklahoma
12. South Dakota
13. Illinois
14. Iowa
15. Virginia & Washington D.C.


I want to visit the rest some day...
Especially New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and the Carolina's. and Texas and Alaska too..

9.10.11

Happy Saturday,
     Tonight I'm going to a karaoke bar to celebrate my boss/good friend's birthday! Last year she went big for her 40th and I partied hard as it was one of my first LA adventures and was at the Roosevelt pool.  This year I'm ready to have some fun again and hopefully sing some karaoke yeah!

Been singing a lot in the shower, in the car, pretty much everywhere...the writing juices are starting to flow.
But currently on my playlist is:

Adele-Someone Like You, ever since her MTV movie award performance I am in LOVE with this song.
Lady Antebellum-Wanted You More, there new album comes out soon, psyched!
Matt Nathanson & Mat Kearney's new albums :)
Gwen Stefani-takin me back to Love Angel Music Baby since TaySwift covered her at her concert
Jason Reeves-The Lovesick
Lady Gaga-You & I-instant classic
Colbie Caillat-Brighter Than The Sun-just makes you feel happy
Nicki Minaj- Super Bass
Foster the People-Helena Beat
Toby Keith-Made in America, good september 11th reminder and classic country, american pride!

Alrighty gotta get ready :)
T

Year 25.

I turned 24 back in June which means that I am currently living in year 25, I AM 24 but this year is my 25th year on earth. understand?

anyways. 2 months down and I've already accomplished some of the goals on my list I created a couple years ago of "things to do before i turn 25".  this year i want to really stick to what i say i'm going to do. not just stick to it, but do it all out, 110%, give it my best shot ya know.

labor day weekend means the end of summer to me...between memorial and labor day weekends all i have done is eat, drink, and be very merry. therefor all of the hard work i did to get in the awesome shape i was in back in may, kinda got blown. so im starting over, REALLY sticking to it and committing to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. not only for my weight (the 4-5 pounds of junk) but for future health benefits.  So I am restarting my 6 day a week Tracy Anderson Method for workout & every day Trader Joe's yummy health food diet.

With my boss's birthday weekend coming up, I'm letting it be a reward if I can work hard the rest of the week. But after that no extra beers or drinks for me for awhile. water or sugar free redbull please.

<3 T

Why I'm super excited for fall...

...football games, go boise state!
...pumpkin spice lates @ starbucks
...sweaters and scarves
...crisp mornings
...rain boots
...the return of allll of my tv shows and new ones! (glee, gossip girl, vampire diaries, revenge, pan am!)

the grass is greener on the other side

ive been doing this thing where i say "yes" to life...i know i know, i might have stolen it from the movie yesman, but hey he's got a point.  i mean im not saying yes to everything...but a lot more than usual.

after new experiences and responsibilities ive been able to really dig deep and realize who i am, was, and are.  I realize how a person can change and grow as i experience this for myself.  i feel like ive been living behind a veil that has been suddenly been blown open by a gust of wind that i wasn't expecting.  I don't think the veil has been completely lifted, but just enough has been viewed to understand the meaning of life, relationships, and the real world in more depth.

i realize now how much ive been thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, always wanting what i cant have.  well be careful what you wish for because you might just get it (quote thanks to the pussycat dolls) and it might not be what i wanted at all.

i was recently looking back through the many facebook pictures ive been tagged in, you know those ones you didn't take, those pictures you didn't even know were taken.  I had such a good college experience.  While there were so many ups and downs to college, I can look upon them now as the moments that lead me to where i am and who i am today. I'm going back to Boise in 4 days and I am so excited to be with all my old friends, I never thought i'd miss it this much.

<3 t

Fabulousness

Another blog led me to Elle.com and Khloe Kardashian Odom's closet.  Wow. It's fabulous, those shoes are beautiful!

I find myself struggling between wanting a normal, average life...falling in love with a blue collar boy, living in the suburbs,making it work, and being happy.  But then I can see myself doing something very non average and become an actress (the secret i never tell anyone), or a writer, or some other cool job, traveling the world, spending time in the deepest corners of the earth, buying some louboutin shoes, meeting a tall dark handsome foreign beauty, and living this fabulous life no one else gets to live.  To dream right? I think I will be trying to do both..whichever path I go down I think, I hope it has aspects from  both.  Maybe one day I will be vacuuming in my louboutins.

got my head up in the clouds

<3 T

Fresh Faced For Spring

I got the most amazing facial off LivingSocial.com at Ruth's Skin Care in West Hollywood last week and my skin feels and looks amazing.  When my skin looks and feels good I have so much more confidence, when it doesn't I want to hide under the covers and hide from the world.  I highly recommend Living Social, I have gotten some really awesome deals off of it!

It's April and so far April has been good to me.  I received a very nice tax return, found out when I get my braces off (9 weeks), and found a roommate for May and June.  Now if only it continues to be a great month I will be a very happy girl, lots of big things coming up and hopefully the sunshine continues.

I've been cooking a lot more.  I'm currently borrowing my mother's food processor and have been creating some wonderful dishes and some T.A.M. food as well.  I want to bake a spring cake for Easter; it will be the first Easter I have been home for in 5 years!

Let the sun shine on you :)
T

Tracy Anderson Method

Got a bit off track with this blog..I tried to start a tumblr where I posted a picture every day of the year, but once I missed a day I was mad that i wasn't going to have every day and then I started skipping more and it kind of fell apart.

So looking back at my last post I can see how unhappy I was with my body and so uncomfortable in my own skin. So I went through the holidays and Hawaii pretty fat and happy.  Really I was kind of happy, I knew I was heavy, but I was content with the knowledge of it and knew I wasn't really trying to diet or workout as much.  I mean I'm sad I wasn't skinny for Hawaii but oh well..it was three months ago and I ate deliciously and had a blast while I was there.  So when I got back from Hawaii I decided that I needed to keep the new years resolution of getting back to the weight I was when I was done with gymnastics.

I started with my usual routine and diet, but only lost a few pounds.  Then I discovered Tracy Anderson's new dvd workout Metamorphasis.  I blame Gywneth Paltrow and her glee appearances for peaking my interest, but hey I'm so glad I found it.  I'm currently on day 16 of my hipcentric TAM and already down to 132, the number I weighted out at the end of gym last summer.  It's a 90+ day workout where your workout changes every 10 days and it is hard! I am going to be bikini ready and I am working for it!

Yesterday, I ran the Santa Monica stairs down and up 5 times! And this morning I cannot walk, ouchies! But it feels good. I'm not following Tracy's diet, just eating healthy, but now that I have time to go tothe grocery store and my moms food processor I am going to try to eat some of the food on the diet.  Anyways, its a beautiful day here and I want to lay out by the pool and read my book in my bikini and get some sun :)

When my roommate left, I was feeling really lonely, insecure, and strange.  This big city felt so unfamiliar and scary, like I didn't belong and I was really homesick for Boise. But then I found out my best friend from highschool moved close by, the sun started coming out, and I might have a new roommate soon and everything is starting to feel right again in LA.

<3