December 31st, I grabbed my camera and ran out the door. I snapped a few photos, said, “2020 is my year, goodbye 2019.”

And honestly thought that shit was true.  I wrong. We all were. 

2020 started off really well in the beginning, until I gave the year like a month or two.

I was seeing a therapist, having fun with friends, I had a job I actually liked and I was talking to somebody.

And then it all came to a screeching halt. March was the start of a world wide lockdown.

A world wide pandemic had taken over mine and everyone else’s lives.

Plans were canceled, trips were postponed until further notice and people were causing chaos. 

My home town was put on lockdown until early October. It was really nice having the whole entire island to ourselves, but businesses shut down, closed and couldn’t stay open due to nobody being able to go out in public.

We were demanded to stay in doors for months on end, but eventually we could leave the house, but in order to do so we had to start wearing masks, gloves and tons of hand sanitizers to keep us safe from COVID.

My family and I only left the house to go get necessities and groceries.

Everyone thought that this whole mess would be over in a month or two, but we were all wrong.

During a wold wide lockdown Gorge Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered by the police. And the Black Lives Matter movement began.

Months and months people marched and caused rioted for the world to hear what had happened.

Meanwhile here I was trying my hardest to stay productive with writing, facetime coffee dates, photography, chores, walking my dogs, Netflix and whatnot, but it started getting repetitive and boring.

Unfortunately on May 8th my whole world came cashing down. My fur baby Bella passed away and that has been a huge weight on my heart ever since. I am still emotional telling you about it.

My business, Capture Maui Photography had to remain closed the whole year. And I couldn’t work with people, but thankfully everyone was understanding. I made a few photograph sales and sold a good amount of prints for peoples homes and offices!

My blog, The Social Media Blonde got a lot of attention the first few months of the year, but I slowly trickled away from it due to not being motivated or having any collaboration/product reviews to share with my followers.  When I did write something I would post it and got wonderful feed back. 

I worked with a good amount of businesses on collaborations and product reviews, so that was a lot of fun getting creative with the items I was gifted and shared them with my followers! 

I think one of my most favorite things about this year is that I pushed myself to start sharing and opening up more about my anxiety and life with living with mental health on Social Media. I  found myself digging deeper then ever before and pulled feelings out that I never thought I could and wrote it all down. I am really proud of myself right there. I can’t believe how many people I have connected with, helped and been able to share my  writing with and telling my truth about anxiety. 

This year I learned a lot about self love and that it is not selfish and it is okay to take time to yourself. Taking time to yourself is important and learning about what you need in life is the best feeling in the world. I am still working on it, but trust me it is an incredibly satisfying feeling.

I found myself on most days running on an extra low battery and sleeping a lot. I take a lot of naps all the time to recharge myself, otherwise I can’t function as a human being. I sleep more often then a normal person. I often try and find ways to push through the days, but sometimes sleep is more important to me then my chores, showering or hanging out with family and friends.

Eventually after months of being stuck indoors I finally got to spend time with friends again. We would go to the beach, have picnics and go for drives together.  Yes, before you ask, we of course we were all 6 feet apart and wore masks for our safety.

My friend Abbie and I became really close and spent a lot of time together going on photography adventures, to the beach, edit dates and going to Target.

My best friend Dani who lives in Ohio and I did a photo shoot through facetime and that was so much fun! We had a blast. We also had many many many facetime dates and she even joined my family and I for the first night of Hanukkah this year! So awesome what technology can do these days!

Speaking of video chatting, my family on the east coast and west coast along with my parents and myself we all Zoomed this year and it was really enjoyable to see each and every one of my family members at the same time over webcam. 

This year was the worst year, Not just for myself,  but for every single human in this world.

In 2021 I hope that things get better, a cure is found and people can go back to living their lives safely. 

I am going to fight for 2021 to be the best year of my life. I am going to continue to focus on myself, my mental health and physical health.

I want to thank all of my friends, family and followers for supporting me in 2020! I can’t wait to see where my life takes me in 2021! Hopefully this new year will bring me new goals, friendships, visions, experiences and much more!

Happy New Years! See you in 2021!

xoxo,
Taylor 
​

Today was a beautiful day to get outdoors instead of staying inside watching the final season of Thirteen Reasons Why on Netflix, so my friend Maddi and I decided to take an afternoon drive up north to explore in nature.

We drove awhile until we eventually found a place that we wanted to pull over.

This spot is absolutely breathtaking and quiet especially when we are the only people enjoying the view. It is one of my most favorite places on west Maui. 

I brought along my camera to snap a few photos to document our adventure. The sun was positioned right above the cliffs where the clouds rested above and you can just see Molokai off in the distance. 

It was the perfect outing for a Friday afternoon. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Quarantine has been the way of life for the last 3 months and everybody's daily routines have been disrupted and modified to staying at home, working from their homes, to home schooling their children, being stuck in doors to their workouts being home based. 

A week ago I asked if my viewers would like to see a post on my daily quarantine routine and everyone voted yes on my poll. 

I try to wake up between 7:30 and 8AM and I will lay in bed for a little while catching up on things that I missed on social media from the night before while I was asleep.

When I decide that it is finally time to get up, I go into the bathroom and wash my face then I go downstairs to the kitchen. Depending on what I have in the kitchen and if I am hungry or not I normally reach for a piece of fruit, yogurt and granola or toast. 

Also I make myself an extra strong cup of iced chai and I pour it into a mason jar with my metal straw.

I started taking advantage of sitting in my backyard a lot more during quarantine since the weather has been so nice lately. I bring my computer, chai and phone and head outside to sit in a lounge chair to start on some work for the day. 

While outside I am normally listening to something like a podcast or music. I like listening to something while working on things. I find that I usually get distracted more easily if I sit in total silence or if I am working at Starbucks I need to be listening to something. I have a Spotify playlist completely dedicated to when I am sitting in Starbucks or working at home.

Once a little time has passed sitting outside I come back inside and I get started on my chores list. I wont lie I absolutely hate doing chores. I am a huge procrastinator most days, but eventually I get all of my chores done.

I don't know about you, but I get exhausted quickly and I always have to lay down and take a rest or a nap to let my body refresh its self.  I sleep a lot more then an average person should, but living with a mental health disorder is tiring. 

Around 5:45 - 6 PM when it starts cooling down more it's time to walk the dog around the neighborhood. I am still recovering from a sprained ankle, so I don't go very far when walking. My parents and I try to go together when we walk to the dog park. Sometimes I don't want to go as far as them, so I cut my route short and head home. If I walk by myself I'll take my camera with my headphones to the park and play around taking photos while waiting for the sunset. 

When dinner rolls around I sometimes help with dinner and other time's I am outside with my cat who I let play in the yard on a harness and leash, so she can get some fresh air. Before my family and I eat it is time to feed the fur babies!!!

Dinner time has always been one of my favorite meals of the day. My mom has been enjoying experimenting with new recipes that she finds on Pinterest. The newest recipe we tried recently was vegan tacos with "tofu meat." ugh. It is so delicious!!! All the different flavors do a dance on your tongue.  

My parents and I have been really into watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime! We're on the last season. It is so good!!! I really recommend it if you haven't seen it yet. We watch an episode or two while we are eating dinner and winding down for the night. 

After dinner and the kitchen is cleaned up it is time to get ready for bed. I really love taking baths before I go to bed. I usually will use a scoop or two of epsom salts to help with my achy body. I'll soak for a little while before getting out. If I wore makeup during the day, I'll wash it off and I'll use my favorite face wash along with my Clarisonic. And sometimes I will do a face mask. A little self love never hurt anyone.

When I get out of the shower I brush my teeth and I change into my pajamas before going into my bedroom. Once I get in my room I'll turn on my fan, make sure my salt lamp is on also and open the windows. I climb into bed and I lay in bed watching Netflix, texting with friends and scrolling through social media until I eventually get tired and fall asleep. 


Thank you for taking the time to read my Day in The Life. I hope you enjoyed it. 

xoxo,
​Tay

🐠 W O R L D • R E E F • D A Y 🐠

Here are a few things you can do to help save our reefs:

• Use reef safe sunscreen.
• Do not touch the reef.
• Stop throwing your trash out the window.
• Ditch the single use plastic.
•You do not need to spray your plants with toxic chemicals that poison everything.

What is reef safe you ask?

Here you go...

Avoid sunscreens containing:

OXYBENZONE •  OCTINOXATE • OCTOCRYLENE • OCTISLATE • HOMOSLATE • AVOBENZONE• PARABENS and More.

Look for these ingredients instead:

NON-NANO ZINC OXIDE AND TITANIUM DIOXIDE IN A NATURAL BASE.

Make sure you know what you put on your skin, the largest organ on your body!

Make sure that you read all the ingredients.

If you need suggestions on reef safe sunscreens I highly recommend Lahaina Organics and Raw Love Sunscreen. They are both locally made on Maui.

Go find yourself a tin of reef safe sunscreen and ditch the toxic aerosol spray sunscreen that damage and kill our reefs.

You’ll thank me later. ☺️♥️

I want my keiki and your keiki to grow up enjoying our reefs and snorkeling.

Check my Instagram stories out for more information on how you can safe and protect our reefs.

Here are a few things I have learned during the first month of quarantine. 
​
1. That it is okay to sleep and stay in your pajamas all day long. Sleep is important especially for someone who has a mental health disorder. Your body really needs it when you’re fighting a war everyday. 

2. FaceTime, Zoom and Skype are going to be your best friends for the for the next few months, so get used to dinner dates, date nights, movie nights, coffee dates and meetings being over the screen. 

3. Did you get a girl or guys number right before lockdown, but didn’t get the chance to go out with him or her before lockdown? Take this time to get to really know that person during quarantine. Talking and getting to know one another will help you prep for that first date in real life when the time finally comes. 

4. Getting crafty with things that you have laying around the house is a fun way to stay productive. I found a ton of art supplies in my closet that I am going to take advantage of this coming week. 

5. You can still adventure into nature even though we are on lockdown. Take those afternoon walks around the neighborhood that you have been meaning to take, but you are way to busy with work. Or if you have a backyard and a fur baby take the time to throw a ball for them to get exercise and you can get fresh air or get creative and have a picnic with all your favorite foods. All of the beaches here in Hawai’i are on lockdown, but we can beeline it to the ocean and take a quick dip in the saltwater before going back indoors. 

6. Gloves and masks are 100% necessary during these times! No matter how silly they make you look they are mandatory when you go out in public to the market or to the drug stores. I have seen so many different styles of homemade masks when I have left the house out to the grocery stores to pick up necessities. Also make sure you have hand sanitizers with you at all times no matter where you go beyond the walls of your own houses, apartments, condos.. etc.

7. Pick up that book you have been dying to read, but have had no time until now to read it. You’ll thank yourself afterwards.

​

​My best friend and I have always dreamed of doing a photoshoot together for  years, but never were able to because she lives 4,496 miles away in Ohio and I’m in Hawai’i, and our dream came true thanks to FaceTime!!

I have no idea why Dani and I had  never thought of doing a photo shoot before via Facetime, but with us all being stuck in quarantine being the “new normal” some creative person came up with the “FaceTime photoshoot challenge” before we could come up with the idea on our own!

My best friend and I took two full days to take advantage of this photo shoot challenge! 

Tip:  When doing the Facetime photoshoot you need to remember that lighting and communication is key! 

When taking photos via Facetime the photos that you are taking through your iPhone they end up in your photos app on your phone. Not in your models photos.

Side note: The only reason my photos ended up being really good quality compared to the ones she took of me is because she used her HD webcam that was hooked up to her Macbook and we had Portrait Orientation Unlocked on both my phone and hers, so that the photos were wider then the actual Facetime presentation being horizontal.    

When Dani took photos of me on Friday afternoon we had my iPhone set up on a tripod on FaceTime with the front facing camera facing the location we were shooting and we also had Facebook video on mute set up on our laptops, so we could communicate and see each other. 

On Saturday when I took photos of Dani, she had her outfits all planned out and props set up for using during the shoot. 

When shooting Dani she started off on her bed doing a few poses with her old fashioned phone that she bought at a thrift store, her polaroid camera and a vinyl record. 

After we did a ton of photos on her bed she moved to a chair that she had in her bedroom. She used a coffee mug and put on a beret hat because it looked like she was in a vintage setting. 

When we got to the floor she got creative with the orchid plant that was sitting on her floor. She framed her face perfectly and I got a ton of amazing photos of that.

Lastly she laid on the floor on top of a fake fur rug and sprawled her hair out behind her. Those were some of my absolute favorite photos!

It was so much fun getting creative with each-other with 5000 miles away from one another. 

I’m seriously so in awe with the photos I got of my best friend Dani! They look like they were taken with a DSLR camera and not with wifi connection.
​
I highly recommend trying the FaceTime photo challenge if you get the chance too!! 

1.  Have virtual lunch or dinner with a friend: Even though you are stuck inside and can’t be social with friends in real life you can still have a meal together over FaceTime or Skype. Grab yourself some food maybe even a glass of wine and call your bestie and have fun with them.

2. Design your environment: If you normally go to a coffee shop to get work done; you can make your own coffee shop! You can make yourself a fancy drink, put on your favorite coffee shop Spotify playlist to study and relax too, maybe go to a room you don’t normally work in at home to change up your environment.  You have your very own coffee shop right at home!

3. Staying active: I know theres a lot of jokes about recommending staying away from the gym and people saying "how will I survive?" Staying active will do wonders for your mental health. You don’t need equipment either you just need your body, maybe some comfortable shoes if the weather is nice enough to go outdoors; you could go on a walk or a run. Its a good way to see other people! I go on late afternoon walks with my dogs and I see my neighbors out and about in their yards or walking their dogs as well. Just remember to stay 6 feet from each other. You can just smile and say hi. Yay for social interaction! You also can take an online workout class for free on Youtube! That’s a great way to get your routine in!!

4. Watching movies: Honestly watching movies to me is so relaxing. People are always saying that TV is a waste of time. I don’t think that movies or TV is a waste of time especially when you have your favorite snack (popcorn with M&M’s is my personal favorite.) I think movies can be entertaining, powerful, emotional, educational and so much more! I think movies can transport you to a different place and if its an old film it can take you back in time. My favorite movies at the moment are A Cinderella Story, The Kissing Booth and Burlesque.

5. Writing letters: another kind of communication we over look when we are busy is writing letters. I know you probably haven’t written a pen-pal letter since… middle school, but someone once described writing pen-pals is  the most social thing you can do by yourself and that's exactly the kind of thing we need right now. It’s also a fun way to get creative and spend a few hours, so grab all your stationary, pens, stickers, stamps and whatever else you want to decorate your letters!

6. Read books: Is it just me or do you have a bookshelf or bedside table that is just collecting books that you thought you were going to read? Now is your time to read those books you bought or borrowed from your friends months ago! Reading has always been one of my most favorite escapes. Books can take you on the most wildest adventures. I love creating the characters in my head and imagining how they would look like. I really enjoy reading poetry. I have a ton of poetry books I could just read over and over again.

7. Call someone: Sometimes it’s nice just to talk to someone by picking up the phone and calling them the old fashioned way with no tv, no games and nothing distracting you. Just good old conversation. You can also put in headphones and go for a walk, clean your room and do the dishes while you talk to someone. Anything to feel a little less alone.

8. Journaling: When we get busy Journaling is one of those habits that gets pushed to the side cause it takes time during our precious morning and evening routines. Now with extra time on your hands I recommend getting a notebook and really getting creative with free writing or by following journaling prompts. Not only do I think this helps with self discovery, but I think its interesting to document your experiences during this time because we are experiences history right now.

9. Learn something: Now is the time to actually sit down in front of the computer and learn something you have always been curious about. For me that would be digging deeper into my astrological sign; Leo. I have always been so curious to what a Leo stands for and what it means to be a Leo. I always thought a Leo was nothing more then courageous, fearful and loyal. Oh no no, I was totally wrong. There is so much more to being a Leo! I highly recommend you learning about your sign and tell me what you learn!

10. New Music:  Take this time to yourself to discover new music. Have your friends recommend to you new artists, scroll through Spotify playlists and make your playlists not so pathetic and short like mine! I have discovered a few new bands I have never heard of and instantly fell in love. There are still so many new artists and songs to discover!

Thank you so much for checking out this post! I hope you stay safe and take this time to get creative, discover new music, write that letter you have been meaning to write and so much more that I didn’t think of.