Wedding Wednesday: Jodie & Rob

I have long been a fan of the blog, Love24fps, and it was during a recent marathon of watching wedding films, that I came across Jodie and Rob's. I mentioned last week that what makes a wedding film special isn't the lighting, b-roll, music, or even how beautiful the couple is. What it's really about is the couple's love story. Jodie and Rob's story is certainly one of love, but it's also about family and about heartbreak. Threadless Films had an enormously difficult task, but they managed to capture this family's story with grace and sensitivity. They accomplished their task so beautifully, that even watching it for the hundredth time - I can't help but shed buckets of tear. Before watching the film, you should read what Threadless had to say. Oh, and don't forget the tissues! 

"Rob and Jodie met 13 years ago and have been lovers and best friends ever since. The past 12 years has seen them become parents to Tyson, Jaxon, Logan, and Grace, and happily settled in Ballarat. Rob was a heart kid at RCH Melbourne but survived to become the steadfast and wonderful father he is now. Jodie nursed her mother through her battle with COPD and she was by her side when Kathy passed peacefully 5 years ago.

Unfortunately for this family, 10 year old Jaxon was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, known as a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, in February this year. Initially he just had a bit of double vision but a week and multiple tests and appointments and scans later was given the devastating diagnosis.

He has undergone a brain biopsy and then chemotherapy and most recently, radiation therapy, and, then, shatteringly, an MRI scan- coincidentally scheduled for Jodie's birthday- showed that there had been no improvement and indeed, the tumour has grown. There are few options left and the family have had to come to terms with the awful truth that Jaxon will not have long to live.

Jaxon himself has been an absolute fighter through all of this, going to school, and trying to remain as active as he can, being a keen basketballer amongst other sports. However, he has become increasingly dependent on his wheelchair as he has lost control over the left side of his body.

Jaxon has had only a few wishes. One is to see the New York Knicks play in Madison Square Gardens (thanks to the many kind donations this is happening!), the Starlight Foundation have granted Jaxon the other which is to see the Great Barrier Reef. And his parents are going to grant him the third; to get married while they are there.

On the 29th September 2014, Jaxon walked his mum down the isle and fulfilled this last wish. It was our privilege to be there and capture the day.

Jaxon you are an amazing, spunky, brilliant, clever and funny boy! Enjoy your trip to see the New York Knicks game!"

Jodie & Rob // Highlights Film from Threadless Films on Vimeo.

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Wedding Wednesday: Michael Justin Films

Happy Hump Day, friends! So, I've decided to jump on the "Wedding Wednesday" bandwagon, and for my first installment, I'm going to talk a little bit about Michael Justin Films. I've been working with Michael since 2013 and was recently tasked with finding us a summer intern (if you want deets hmu). With all of the searching, a quickly approaching summer season, and an abundance of free time on my hands, I've been able to do some reflecting, some of which I'll share with you now.

The beginning takes us back to November 2012 when I first stumbled upon "Jackie and Michael's Wedding Film" on Pinterest. Watch it. Seriously. This was back when the video only had about 100,000 views, now it's sitting pretty over on Youtube with over 1.2 million - damn. I like to think this indicates my mild psychic ability to predict trends, more on that later. 

After doing my due diligence (read: stalking), I reached out to Michael asking if I could intern with him the following summer. I might have been getting a little ahead of myself, but that's how compelled I felt by their story. It was only recently that I realized it wasn't the film that was so captivating, but rather Jackie and Michael's love story.  It's the kind of thing that gives all single, potential cat ladies hope for love in the future. By the way, I would be a weird dog lady - I can't stand cats. 

Anyway, a week or so later, Michael replies to my message and was basically like "Chill. It's November. Get back to me around April of next year," except much nicer and more professional. I followed my instructions and in May of 2013 I found myself sitting in the MJF office (aka: Michael and Jackie's living room on the upper west side).

Over the next three months, I worked several weddings with Michael, Donnell, Edison and Kraig. At that point, we were only working on films. It was a three man team and me. Literally. All Michael's emails started with some variation of "Hey guys... and Taylor." Honestly, I love being part of "the guys," but I appreciate the effort. That summer, there was one wedding in particular that I remember. It was a destination wedding and Michael, Donnell and I road tripped to Jamestown, Rhode Island. Since there were only three of us it was an insane amount of running around like crazy. This was the first time I really felt like a really integral part of the team. It was a gorgeous wedding. In fact, all the weddings I've worked or attended have been beautiful. I think what really sets the good apart from the best, are the people. In my experience, the least-stressed brides and grooms end up with the best results, and of course, having the most fun.

At the end of that first season I was sad to have to say goodbye. But mostly I was okay, since I was going back to college to see all my friends and make the most of my liver. I was also okay, because I was confident that my time with MJF wasn't over. I had worked really hard and established great working relationships and friendships. Spoiler alert, I was correct - told you, I'm mildly psychic.

A few months later, knowing Michael and the guys had their first dual, photo and cinema wedding coming up, I mentioned that I would be home if he needed me. I was hired to third shoot for the cinema team and that was my first paid video gig. I did a minimum of twenty different things wrong that day, but Michael proceeded to hire me for the following summer and still, to this day, trusts me to do good work for him.  

Realizing that someone I look up to, sees inherent value in what I do and in who I am, was a critical turning point in my professional career. I have grown tremendously as a creative professional and storyteller since working with Michael Justin Films and I'm happy to have cultivated relationships that will allow me to continue this growth and development.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to surround yourself with good people. People who are good at, and passionate about what they do. People who are kind and generous. I really am lucky to have found a home with Michael Justin Films, I can only hope that more young people find the same kind of happiness and fulfillment in the work they do.

En route to the 2014 Michael Justin Films Holiday Party

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Holy Shameless

My heart still hurts from the latest episode of Shameless. I haven't been this shocked since my Breaking Bad days. It's hard not to take it personally. Oh man... I just can't even. However, I am happy to report that one good thing did come from the episode...and he is Elijah Wolf. I'm still unsure if it's just Elijah or if he is still collaborating with "the moon" - oh the hassle of contradicting sources!

Anyway, during the scene where Fiona is at Gus' apartment, Wolf's song, Map & Compass plays. It so perfectly sets the tone for the scene and really stood out among various other tracks. Upon learning the song's title, I promptly tracked it back to Elijah's site and even found him on Spotify. I highly encourage you to check him out. I'm also a fan of "New York City" and "Build These Walls."

So here I am, simultaneously furious with and just as equally, thankful for Shameless. For now, I suppose, Elijah's sweet voice will just have to drown out the sounds of my heartbreak.  

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Shredding and Pulling

I've started two little self-improvement projects: Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and the fabulously trendy "oil pulling." I've completed JM's 30 Day Shred before and it is a huge kick in the ass. No matter how many times I've done it - the first few days are always an adjustment. Despite all the controversy surrounding The Biggest Loser, a show of which I've never really been a fan, I love JM's workout. It's straight to the point, and at only 20 minutes it doesn't infringe on my day at all.

The other little health gem I stumbled upon is "oil pulling." I read about it on Lauren Conrad's blog. This is also where I originally heard about the benefit about using coconut oil in my hair to keep it healthy and hydrated. I use a tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil and swish it around in my mouth while I shower. I've been doing this for about a week. I'm not sure if I necessarily feel the detoxifying effects yet, but my teeth are noticeably whiter, which alone is worth it. I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes. Below are the links to the LC blog article and the workout. Enjoy!

http://laurenconrad.com/blog/2014/05/healthy-habits-what-is-oil-pulling/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pc-NizMgg8        

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Some Thoughts on Goals and Stuff

So. I guess it's 2015. That's weird to write.

So. Tomorrow I'll be 23. Wow. That's even weirder to write.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish in my twenty-third year. There's really so much I want to do that it's overwhelming. Luckily, while flipping through the latest issues of Women's Health I stumbled upon some much needed perspective about goals. Some wise woman over there at WH said, while it's great to have long term goals, it can be discouraging to not be able to make big strides towards your goals on a daily basis, so it's equally important to remember to focus on smaller, daily achievements.

The perfectionist in me gets so wrapped up in the major life changes I want to make that it's an endless cycle of starting and stopping, feeling motivated and discouraged, and inevitable very little changes. So this year, instead of attempting to pinpoint any of the typical, immense and unreasonable goals, I've made some daily goals to focus on. By next year I will be looking back on the result of 356 small achievements that when combined will add up to great things.

Speaking of life changes, I've also been looking into staying in Spain for another year. I go back and forth on the subject. But right now, I'm making plans to extend my stay. The past few months I have learned a lot about, well, about a lot. I thought I was independant before, but try living without a support system. Mostly it's very lonely, but when you're forced to get to know yourself and rely on yourself unlike ever before you realize how incredibly precious that is. I also want to travel more, I just don't feel like I've done enough. It's expensive and little difficult to get to places from La Coruña, but if I get my visa renewed for another year, that's another year full of traveling possibilities.

There is so much to see and to do, so many people to meet and experiences to share. I don't want to return home until I've done and seen everything, or at least enough to make me sound really cool and super marketable to employers...kidding... but not really. I also realized on my recent trip home for the holidays that my home, will always be there, my parents and my friends and my city will always have my heart. I guess those needlepoint pillows have a good point, "Home is where the heart is."

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Giving thanks

Welp. I survived my first major holiday away from home. I also got to cook my very own version of Thanksgiving dinner for my Spanish family. They seemed to really enjoy it. I made some green beans, mashed potatoes and a chicken (they don't really do turkey in Spain...). It was delicious and I felt proud to have accomplished this tiny miracle, especially since I was totally making things up as I went along.

Thanksgiving is always a time for reflection, and this year, being so far away from the people I love, I find myself especially thoughtful and even more thankful. I am so, so thankful for my family. It took me a while to realize it, but my parents are truly the coolest people. They have supported every decision I've made for my life and taught me so many important lessons. I am thankful for my aunts, uncle, cousins and family friends. I certainly wouldn't be who I am today without their love and support.  I am so thankful to have such good friends. They really help keep me sane, and as we support each other through the beginning of adulthood, I am just that much more thankful to have them stumbling along with me.

There are so many things to be thankful for, so many blessings. I really am looking forward to another year filled with health, happiness and adventure.

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The Broke Girl's Guide to Travel: London & Glasgow

One of the most compelling reasons for moving to Spain was the ability I would have to travel around Europe, so I'm planning my first weeklong trip to the United Kingdom in January. My birthday is January 9th so I figured I would consider this trip a little birthday gift to myself.

My flights and buses have been booked! I even have a couch to crash on in Glasgow. As plans emerge I will continue to update my itinerary.

January 22nd - Depart Coruña at 15:40, arrive in London at 16:40, travel overnight to Glasgow

January 23rd - Arrive in Glasgow 8am

January 24th - Glasgow

January 25th - Glasgow, Depart Glasgow, travel overnight to London

January 26th - Arrive in London 7am

January 27th - London

January 28th - London

January 29th - Depart Heathrow at 17:35, arrive in Coruña at 20:40

This gives me about three full days in Glasgow Scotland, and nearly four full days in London. By traveling overnight I am eliminating the need to find a hostel or couch to surf for two of the seven nights. The cost of the plane and bus tickets totals US$185, round trip. I found the flights through Vueling and the buses through Megabus. My plan is to travel light - just my trusty Vera Bradley overnighter and camera bag (which also functions as a super cute cross-body purse!). I will be staying with a friend near Glasgow. So now all that's left to plan is accomodations for London and to pack my week full of exciting sights and adventures!

Update Jan 8 2015

With the craziness of the holidays and traveling back and forth to New York I haven't had a lot of time to plan my trip to the UK. Luckily I had some time today to sit down and get some more plans sorted out.

I've sent a message confirming my weekend of couch surfing with an old friend near Glasgow and I've booked a bed at a youth hostel in central London. I used Booking.com when I traveled with my friend to Ireland, and everything worked out well on that trip, so I decided to check and see what deals they had for accomodations in London.

My must-haves are cleanliness and a great location. I decided on YHA London Central which had good reviews on TripAdvisor and on Booking. I reserved a bed in female dormitory for the three nights that I will be in town. YHA scored a 8.1/10 overall with a 7.8/10 for cleanliness and a 9/10 for location. It was also really affordable at US$83 for the three nights. I like that they have lockers for secure storage and luggage storage for the days that I arrive and depart.  And of course, the free WiFi is huge plus.

Several of my friends have been to London, so now come the task of gathering advice on places to see and things to skip so that I can make the most of my time. Also, Booking.com favorited my tweet and it made my morning #itsthelittlethings

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Last Place

Yesterday I ran my first race. It was a 7K road race along the Paseo Marítimo in Coruña, it was also the most excited I've ever been to fail miserably.

I was so far beyond unprepared it's not even funny. And despite it all, I was able to finish absolutely last with a ridiculous grin on my face. The support from the spectators was incredible. The encouragement from the elite runners lapping me was overwhelming. Claps, cheers, pats on the back - probably the only reason I was able to finish.

As a relatively intelligent person, I know that failure is a part of life, a very big, very important part of life but it still doesn't feel good. Yesterday I learned just how amazing failure can feel and how good it can be for your mind, body and soul. I should probably mention that it was freezing and pouring rain the entire way. Yes, this last place as an accomplishment. It was a struggle to run the race in the first place but to add insult to injury I was being pelted by freezing rain and totally soaked through. It was all very poetic and special and I have a newfound appreciation for dry socks.

After this race, I have some serious goals. The first being to get my butt into shape to be able to run another race a little more successfully. The next, to be kinder to myself. I advocate kindness towards others in so many ways but it's not often that I give myself a break. If total strangers can cheer for me, I should probably start cheering for myself once in a while.

I'm so proud of my accomplishment yesterday and I look forward to many more miles of success and failure.

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Amen.

On a scale of 1 to the Jonas Brothers, how ridiculous is it that I'm listening to this on repeat? (No offense, Jo Bros)

So many thanks to my friend Rachel for bringing this magical version of Nick Jonas' Jealous into my life. Where has this guy been anyway? Apparently he's been working out... a lot. You can also find a scantily clad Nick Jonas in pretty much every tabloid and entertainment news bulletin.

Can I get an "amen" for a full version of this heavenly tune?

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Descendant Records

Listen to this song from The Lone Bellow before, during, or after reading this post and I promise you won't be sorry - unless you have terrible taste in music... (just kidding...but not really...)

In all seriousness, even if you aren't usually a huge fan of folksy American, indie music you have to admit lead singer Zach Williams has some real talent. I thought it was Gavin Degraw's long lost twin brother when I first heard them. If you want to know more about them, and you should, check you their site, thelonebellow.com. I'm a little sad I won't be in New York in March to see them play.

One of the things I love about The Lone Bellow is the way they talk about making music as telling their stories.

"These are true stories. These aren't things we made up. We tried to write some songs that had nothing to do with our personal stories, but we just didn't respond to them...we know each others' personal stuff and trust each other to figure out what needs to be said and how to say it" says Brian Elmquist, guitar player and vocalist. "We do this thing together, and we carry each other. Hopefully that makes the listener what to be a part of it. It becomes a communal thing, which means that there's never a sad song to sing. It's more a celebration of the light and the dark."  

Contrary to what it seems, the point of this post isn't to tell you about the awesomeness of The Lone Bellow, it's to tell you about the internship that I just applied for with Descendant Records, home to... yep! you guessed it, The Lone Bellow and another awesome band called Colony House (check them out too - über talented!!) 

I came across the postion on a job board and after a fair amount of social media stalking I became so excited about the possibility to work for Descendant Records I almost couldn't focus enough to update my resumé. I had the same feeling I got when I first emailed Michael Justin Films about an internship. 

Music is always been a huge deal in my life. If you put my iTunes songs in date order you can probably pretty accurately guess what was going on. That said, I think allowing someone access to your iTunes is one of the most vulnerable things you can do.  

Speaking of vulernability, have you checked out Standbuy.us yet? Just needed to fit in my daily dose of #standbuy because that's still hugely important to me. Ok, I digress...again. 

Even if nothing comes of my application, I am so happy to have found some new music to listen to and a new path that I could possibly pursue for a career. And I highly suggest keeping an eye on The Lone Bellow and Colony House - I predict they're going to continue making spectacular music. 

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Helping Hounds

The mission of Helping Hounds Dog Rescue is “to take unwanted, neglected, abused or homeless dogs, and provide them with emotional, medical, behavioral and physical support so they can be adopted into loving, permanent homes.” They are located at 6606 Kinne Road, Dewitt, NY. HHDR is a non profit organization that relies on community volunteers, donations, fundraisers and adoption fees. They work tirelessly to find "furever homes" for rescue dogs in the Central New York area. To learn more about HHDR, watch this and to offer your support visit helpinghoundsdogrescue.org/ 

Helping Hounds Dog Rescue

DeWitt, New York 

Spring 2013

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Cancer costs, so she's doing something about it

Watch this video. It will change your life. Then, donate to her incredibly worthy cause #standbuy

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And maybe stories are just data with a soul...

This TED talk by Brené Brown is easily one of the most inspiring I've ever seen.

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Standbuy

Dear friends,

As you might know, I've been given the tremendous privilege of working with the super incredible internet startup, Standbuy.us. I'm really excited and proud to be working for Standbuy because of the amazing ways in which they are helping people. Standbuy allows people to create personal fundraisers to help alleviate some of the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis. Even with insurance, a diagnosis can cost families hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of care can amount quickly and have serious financial implications for a family.

Standbuy has seen great success so far, but in order to improve our platform and better serve our clients, our amazing founder and CEO, Sashka, has created her own fundraiser. In the next month we hope to not only raise funds, but to get the word out about Standbuy. This is where you can come in. If you are able and willing to donate your dollars - thank you, thank you, thank you! But more importantly, I am asking that you please donate some social media space. Like, follow and share Standbuy on your social networks and with your family and friends.

Along with the fundraiser, we have started the #standbuyeachother campaign. To participate, share a photo and story relating to a time you were helped and supported by your friends, family or community. Use the #standbuyeachother hashtag and tag at least three other friends to share their own story. The story does not have to be cancer related, it can be about any time of need during which you were helped. 

I am immensely hopeful for the future of Standbuy and know that with just a little bit of your help we will be able to make incredible strides towards reaching our potential.

Follow the links below to Standbuy goodness!

Website: https://www.standbuy.us/
Fundraiser: https://www.standbuy.us/profiles/sashka-3d67
Sashka's Story: http://blog.standbuy.us/in-her-own-words/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/standbuy.us
Instagram: http://instagram.com/standbuy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/standbuyus

With sincere appreciation and love,

Taylor

www.standbuy.us

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The best laid plans...

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry..." of this I am certainly certain.

Since I last wrote about a month ago, a lot has happened. I've moved to a new city in Spain, A Coruña, and well... that's about it, but it took a lot to find a place to move to and I've been very busy since the move about three weeks ago. My previous living situation in Madrid wasn't working out. I'll spare you the gory details but suffice it to say I was pretty miserable, but I refused to allow myself to waste a year of my life like that.

I'm actually pretty proud of the way I recognized a bad situation and then took steps to fix it. In the past I have chose to let frustration and disappointment consume me until a bad situation became much worse. Again, I will spare you the details but if you're really interested, ask me about that one weird year at college.

Four week ago when I recognized that I needed to get out of Madrid I was able to find a really wonderful family, living just outside of A Coruña, who was in need of an au pair. The schedule leaves me plenty of time for classes and private tutoring. Lola is a flight attendant for Air Europa and Chuny is an engineer and professional sailor. I haven't been able to meet Chuny yet because he is currently competing in the Volvo Ocean Race. He will be home for four days this weekend between the first and second legs of the race, and I'm looking forward to meeting him. They have three children Lola (12), Carlos (10) and Pepa (7). What a world of difference from the family I was living with in Madrid. Literally. This family is a global family, having traveled all over the world, even living in New Zealand for six months.

The children are fun to be around, they are smart and generally pretty respectful and polite. They really have become like younger siblings to me and as an only child, that really does mean a lot. Susana, the family's previous nanny is looking for work outside of Spain, but since she's still here she has been so tremendously helpful. Everyone that I've encountered here has been helpful and lovely.

The first few weeks I immediately connected with Lola and Carlos, but it took Pepa a little longer to warm up to me. I was nervous about it,  but eventually she came around. In fact, one afternoon I was doing Pepa's hair for Lola's 12th birthday party when Pepa asked me if I was coming to the party. I replied "Yep! If that's okay with you." She turned to me and said "Of course! You're part of our family now." That about brought me to tears. The family you're born to is one thing, but the family that you choose and who chooses you is a special kind of family and I don't remember the last time I felt so special. I'm just so much happier and now I'm really looking forward to spending the rest of my year with this wonderful, generous and kind family in Galicia.

Carlos, Lola, Me and Pepa at Plaza de Maria Pita

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Your choices will change the world.

"Your choices will change the world."

Some of the most profound wisdom I've ever received happened to be via a quote on a tea bag. Ironically, I don't like tea very much. 

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