Perfectly Sensible Nonsense: Surprise...Taylor Lynn Has Gotten a Makeover!

As a kid, I was kind of a tomboy. Even as I grew up and hit my teens, I didn't really care as much about makeup and clothes and all that as, say, my sister does. Eventually, it became sort of a statement for me - I didn't wear makeup because I didn't need makeup, I looked fine without it. I was fine without frills like that. But after awhile, it stopped being so much of a statement and became more of an excuse.

Before I go on, I should probably tell you a little bit about my mom - she's sort of what you could call a tough-love mother. Don't get me wrong, she's awesome and I love her, but when she's got an opinion she doesn't beat around the bush! So I wasn't too surprised when she sat me down Saturday evening and said (rather bluntly) that it seemed like I didn't care about how I look - why was that? And long story short, I told her it was because I didn't feel like I had enough nice clothes. The stuff I had didn't make me feel good about myself - either things didn't fit right, or they were getting worn out, or they just weren't flattering. So on Sunday, we went on a shopping spree.

Normally, I'm not a shopping person. Unless you're taking me to a bookstore, I'm usually bored stiff wandering through aisles of things I don't really care about. And honestly, I never buy myself clothes because I'd rather save my money for books and music! But this time, I actually enjoyed myself. I tried on tons of blouses and shorts and jeans, and Mom and the girls gave their opinions. (Well, Jordan did when she wasn't trying on clothes herself, of course...)

I ended up getting nine blouses in various styles, and four pairs of cute shorts; as well as a pair of the most adorable capri pants you ever saw! Plus, a few odds and ends - new flip flops and socks, and a pair of nice sandals for when I go out. (And after we got home, I threw out almost everything in my bureau - I bet you could literally count on your fingers how many - or rather, how few - things I kept!)

Mom also bought me some new earrings. I lost my old studs ages ago, and I haven't worn earrings in ages - for awhile, my ears were continually infected, and eventually I just stopped wearing earrings in general. I thought my ears must surely have closed up...but they hadn't, so Mom bought me some cute little crystal flower studs, and so far they haven't bothered my incredibly sensitive ears. Which is definitely a good thing - because they look fantastic!

And, my favorite purchase of the day...I got a new bathing suit! Jordan is a string bikini kind of girl, but I've never really been totally comfortable in bikinis. I always feel like they're going to slip down at any time, and I always feel like I have to be extremely conscious about how I sit or it's going to slide down...yeah. It makes for rather uncomfortable days at the beach. But while we were out shopping, we were looking at suits, and Mom pulled a one-piece off of the rack...and I said YES!

Earlier this year, I'd talked about how I wanted a more vintage-style bathing suit for this summer. (The idea came to me, of course, after watching the episode of Glee where the glee club helps Will propose to Emma...they wear the most adorable vintage-style bathing suits!) But searching around online, most of them were crazy-expensive - I'm talking eighty, ninety dollars for a swimsuit. And I didn't feel like saving up that much - too many books to buy, don't you know!

So when I saw that vintage-style bathing suit, I was psyched. And I was even MORE psyched when I tried it on and it fit perfectly! And the best part is, for someone who's a bit more modest like myself, I'm no longer uncomfortable in my bathing suit. So hooray for that!

Of course, new clothes weren't the only part of the deal. Mom also did a little experimenting with my hair; it was starting to get "shaggy", as she said, and to be honest I didn't know (or care much) how to style it. So, she and Jordan (Jordan's the fashionista around here!) messed around with my hair a little and discovered a 'do that looks good on me - the mini "bump" you see in the shots above. Cute, right? Plus, it keeps my hair out of my eyes, which is a definite bonus.

That's not all that's changed, though. As I said in my Spring Fling post, I haven't been feeling well due to the Candida diet I'm on. I've been rather lethargic and tired, and apparently (according to the members of my family) I've been looking rather hangdog. So, Mom said that for at least a short while, I should wear some eye makeup. Besides, I've got rather big eyes, and eye makeup makes them even more prominent. So while the remainder of the red skin on my face clears up (the Candida has almost cleared it up, WHOOP!), makeup will draw attention away from it...therefore, I've been putting on some light mascara every morning for a few days now.

So - Taylor Lynn now has a whole new summer wardrobe. She's wearing earrings and makeup and has a cute hairstyle. Dear readers, it would seem that Taylor Lynn has gotten...a makeover! Honestly, I'm very very happy about all of my new stuff. And it was rather fun, doing a photo shoot with Jordan for this post! (Everybody thank her for the awesome shots!)

As my mom put it, right now it's like I'm starting fresh. Now that I've got an attractive look and clothes and accessories that make me feel good about myself, I'm feeling better overall. The Candida diet has been clearing up my face and the eczema on my hands (my hands look like the hands of normal human beings, I'M SO PSYCHED!), and my psoriasis has been clearing up as well - I had gotten a blood test done, and the results showed that I had an intolerance to quinoa, a grain that has been a dietary staple in my family for years. In the few weeks since I've stopped eating quinoa, the psoriasis all over my torso has been starting to clear up all on its own - something it hasn't really ever done. Usually, I have to spend the summer out in the sun in order to keep it at bay - either the vitamin D or the UV rays or a combination of both helps to clear it up. But I haven't sunbathed much recently, and it's still clearing up. Can I get three cheers, please? HIP HIP HOORAY!

Now, that shot is hardly cheerful enough for a HIP HIP HOORAY! Let's see...

There, much better.

In addition to all of that, I've also made some decisions regarding my writing and the direction I'd like to take it, which I plan to blog about on Friday. (Stay tuned!) So both physically and mentally, I'm doing well and better every day.