It seems surreal almost.  It was five years ago my book, Holiday Decorating For Dummies, was published.  

A lot has changed since then, but one thing remains.  I love the holidays.  Every good and bad thing about them.

In the coming weeks, I invite you to enjoy some excerpts from the book to help you with some of your holiday decorating.  While decorating comes last on our life list of things to do, it’s important to surround yourself with items that stir your soul.

I wish you a happy holiday season.  And may you always remember to Make Every Day A Holiday.

Be the change you want to see in the word. Listen to this song and be inspired.

Lyrics: If You’re Out There
by John Legend

If you hear this message, wherever you stand
I’m calling every woman, calling every man
We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday and we’re already late

We’ve been looking for a song to sing
Searched for a melody
Searched for someone to lead
We’ve been looking for the world to change
If you feel the same
Then go on and say

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now
Now, now

No more broken promises
No more call to war
Unless it’s love and peace that we’re really fighting for
We can destroy hunger
We can conquer hate
Put down the arms and raise your voice
We’re joining hands today

Oh I was looking for a song to sing
I searched for a leader
But the leader was me
We were looking for the world to change
We can be heroes
Just go on and say

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now
Now, now

Oh now, now

If you’re ready we can shake the world
Believe again
It starts within
We don’t have to wait for destiny
We should be the change that we want to see

If you’re out there
Ooooh
If you’re out there
And you’re ready now
Say it loud
Scream it out

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now

If you’re out there
If you’re out there
If you’re out there

If you hear this message, wherever you stand
I’m calling every woman, calling every man
We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday and we’re already late

As we’ve witnessed these past few weeks, life can be messy. Writer Natalie Goldberg said it best in Wild Mind when she wrote “Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so, right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.”

Life derails us. Stocks go down, businesses go belly up, credit freezes, hockey moms run for office. So what? Dig into your one juicy life and make the most of it. Find one thing that you haven’t yet done and work towards it even though it may feel a little painful or hard to do for now.

Life, for every time it’s let you down, is there to show you that with every minute you breathe there is something you haven’t yet tasted. Some of it may be bitter, but rest assured, you’ll hit that sweet spot eventually if you haven’t already experienced it once or twice before.

So our new tag line for Make Every Day A Holiday, along with our new little icon – the green apple – is: Take a Bite Out Of Life. Because for those of us who try to make the most of everyday living, we understand that it’s organic. It’s imperfect. It’s ever-changing. It’s sometimes sticky, sometimes bitter or sour, and yes it’s sometimes sweet. But we never forget that this one life of ours is delicious in every way. The bad often makes us appreciate more of the good. Life is to be ingested, digested, processed and nourished. Life is to be lived.

I hope you always make the most of your today. May you always find a way to make every day a holiday. And if you need some ideas, you might want to check out the new holidaily feed on Twitter. I’ll give you 365 days and ways to make every day a holiday…or at least food for thought.

All my love,

Kelley

I have had an amazing birthday celebration. Love, laughter, new experiences – it all came wrapped up in a big gift called memories I’ll treasure forever. I’m very thankful and blessed that today of all days, I had an anniversary of my birth. One more year, one more chance to make a difference, improve, fail better, try harder.

Thank you for your gift of visiting me, sending me your well wishes, blessings, and hilarious remarks. I have belly laughed, I have teared up with sentimental thoughts as well. You are simply the best!

In the coming month, several parts of the site will be developed and updated. Please continue to send me your kind notes and suggestions - keep telling me what you think and how I can get better. I really do value your thoughts. That goes any day of the year!

I cherish each and every one of you.  Thanks again for making this one of my best birthday’s EVER!  You make every day a holiday for me.

All my love,

Kelley Taylor

I read non-fiction.  Period.  The last fiction book I picked up was “The Notebook” which I consumed in an afternoon along with two boxes of tissues.  I swore I’d never do that again to myself.

I know there’s something to that…like a flaw of some sort that makes me unable to get into fiction. I just don’t know what it is. (If you are reading this and can enlighten me, please do.) 

But every once in a while, a piece of fiction will pique my curiosity.  When it does, I pay attention. 

I attended a lecture last April at my library on perfectionism (just when you thought this post couldn’t get any more boring!  HA!).  A professor from Yale was touching on points of perfectionism that was written into a book called “The Soloist,” a very cool fiction (yes, I said fiction) book by Mark Salzman about a gifted cellist who felt he lost his gift at only eighteen.

There’s this one part that is stunning….had to share.  Let me see if I can summarize a bit…

The main character recalls one particular cello lesson when he was a young boy living in Germany.  His instructor, Herr Professor von Kempen, interrupted the lesson abruptly to show the boy a new hybrid rose he was cultivating in his garden.  When the boy seemed to lack interest the professor made him stick his eye “right up to the flower so that [his] whole field of vision was consumed by the brilliant orange-red petals.”

The rest goes like this (p. 46):

“…look at all that color! And the pollen dust, which attracts a certain kind of bee that carries it to the other flowers and fertilizes them.  Imagine the complexity of it, the perfection of the design!  Isn’t it amazing that God produces such things? …right now you are looking at something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.  When it fades, it will never exist again – it is absolutely unique in the world.  Doesn’t it now seem more precious than when you first noticed it?”
          “Yes, Herr Professor.”
          ”Yes,” von Kempen said, “and that is the way to approach music.  Every piece, every time you play it, is unique and irreplaceable.  You should open your ears and heart to every phrase, every note, and squeeze every drop of beauty you can from it.  Take nothing for granted!”

Cool, huh? 

Just think, you are “…something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.”  We’re all works in progress.  Hybrids of some sort whether it’s from mother/father, nature/nurture or education of some kind.  Beautiful, fading, and awesome as we live and breathe.  We’ve just gotta squeeze every bit of beauty out of life we can, right?

I hope I can live my life opening my ears and heart to every phrase, every note, every moment.  I think that is truly one way of marveling and appreciating everything for whatever its worth.

Live every moment. 
Be the rose.
Dance to life.
Take nothing for granted.

Everyone has a home, be it the place they grew up, a new home just built or bought, or a love they have known.

Today I wish for you to remember that place. Return to it. Whether physically visiting your old stomping grounds or closing your eyes and remembering every corner or crevice of a tree, or the lines of his or her face….return to it.

I wish you many warm and wonderful memories of what you know to be home. Keep it sacred in your heart. Never forget. Remember the laughter, the tears, the pain, the good times, the silent moments. And always remember it will remain forever.

Today I wish for you to return to the home of your heart…and may you breathe in all that made you….you.

All my love,

Kelley Taylor

Tim Russert was no head of state. He was never elected into office, he wasn’t a president of a large corporation, founder of an organization, leader of a nation, movie or rock star.
Yet with his passing, he has been mourned by media, politicians, business leaders, and common folk like you and me….for days now.

Shows have been dedicated to him, anchors have teared up over him as I’ve sat with my own box of tissue and bawled over a man I felt so connected to yet never known. The selfish side of me mourns that my son will not grow up learning politics through Meet The Press and more importantly how to ask the tough questions, know how to push when needed, and let it go when appropriate.

You see, I watched Meet The Press every Sunday like many watch a fight: on the edge of my chair, yelling at the TV (for him to ask the question), and when he did make his move (or called someone out using their own quote – because Tim always did his research and was prepared) I would shout and pump my fist because he just knocked. them. out.

Left now to wonder, who will EVER be able to take his place or simply take over the show, I am amazed at the tributes still continuing even today for Tim Russert.

Never before have I seen such an outpouring of love and affection, respect and admiration for someone that was so uncommonly common yet nothing like anyone I’ve known personally. He was powerful yet humble, brilliant yet down to earth, loved yet feared, unrelenting yet giving…this man, this great man, has astounded me with how authentic he really was true in his paradoxical contradictions. And it’s proven with every interview of people who knew him and loved him.

David Gregory, Sunday, on The Today Show said this:
“It is said that someone is wise not if he knows the answer but if he knows how to ask the question. As unfair as it is, this Sunday morning, Tim is silent. So we are left to do the probing, to examine why he was so loved, so loving, so sharp, so uniquely capable of walking with the kings and yet retaining the common touch.

A friend of mine has written that through death we realize that our mortality is always in the background giving vividness and urgency to our days.

Tim would tell us all to ‘go get’em’ and we will do that now with even more purpose because the big guy lead the way as the moderator of all moderators, as a mentor, and as a man.”

For all that we the people say about him, it will never be enough. And so in my weak attempt to be wise, I ask: Do we live our lives the same way Tim Russert did? In the same way?

Do we remain loving, open-hearted, authentic, true, loyal, always learning, always giving, standing for something, professional, unrelenting in the pursuit of fairness and justice and truth for ourselves and for others? Do we do our homework and do it well? Do we look for both sides of the story? Do we remain humble no matter what success comes our way? Do we help others along the way?

If for no other reason, we can look at the life of this man and use it as an example of someone who really got it. He knew how to live. He extracted every bit of life in his short 58 years which will never be enough for all of us, but were mighty packed for him.

Yes, I think Tim Russert would tell us to “go get’em” as in GO GET LIFE. Live for your today’s, tomorrow’s, and honor your past. Live with an open heart, always look for what you CAN do, and love freely, honestly, and magnificently.

In the end, if we’re lucky, we might have half as many people honoring us as he did – or yet, the people who matter most to us.

Go Get’em!

Always in Honor of Tim Russert, 1950 – 2008

(Live the dash! Make Every Day A Holiday.)

I wish for you the knowledge and security of knowing where you are going, and the stamina to make it there.

I wish for you everything you need to make your ride comfortable – whether it’s cool air conditioning or warm heat at your feet, a fresh bottle of water, and goodies for a long drive or a quick pick me up.

I wish for you great background music to keep you company. I hope you can find a great radio station or better yet, that you packed your iPod or your favorite CD’s.

I wish for you a freshly charged battery in your cell phone in case of emergency or just when you need to reach out to a friend because you thought of them.

I wish for you safety. I want you to get safely where it is you need to go.

And should anything happen, I wish for you calmness and surety that you will meet any obstacle that comes your way. You’ll get through it. Just breathe.

I wish for you good drive time. May your heart and soul hum as the rubber meets the road. Take in all the sights and sounds. This is your one and wonderful life. Navigate it. Drive it. It’s all open road from here.

All my love,

I will no longer worry about yesterday.
It is in the past and the past will never change.
Only I can change by choosing to do so.

Beginning Today

I will no longer worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow will always be there,
waiting for me to make the most of it.
But I cannot make the most of tomorrow
without first making the most of today.

Beginning Today

I will look in the mirror and I will see a person
worthy of my respect and admiration.
This capable person looking back at me is someone
I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like
to get to know better.

Beginning Today

I will cherish each moment of my life.
I value the gift bestowed upon me in this world
and I will unselfishly share this gift with others.

Beginning Today

I will take a moment to step off the beaten path
and to revel in the mysteries I encounter.
I will face challenges with courage and determination.
I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder
my quest for growth and self-improvement.
Beginning Today

I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time.
Discouragement will not be allowed to taint
my positive self-image, my desire to succeed
or my capacity to love.

Beginning Today

I walk with renewed faith in human kindness.
Regardless of what has gone before.
I believe there is hope for a brighter
and better future.

Beginning Today

I will open my mind and my heart.
I will welcome new experiences.
I will meet new people.
I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else:
perfection does not exist in an imperfect world.
But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.

Beginning Today

I am responsible for my own happiness
and I will do things that make me happy…
admire the beautiful wonders of nature,
listen to my favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy,
soak in a bubble bath…
Pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.

Beginning Today

I will learn something new;
I will try something different;
I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer.
I will change what I can and the rest I will let go.
I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.

Beginning Today

And Every Day

Yes! Today and Every Day.

— Author Unknown

Dig into the earth soon. Let it comfort you knowing you are connected to something far more expansive than you can see, imagine, or know. Dig up a part of your world that draws a continuous line to other countries, cultures, and lives. Whether covered by water, forest, foliage or pavement, we all are grounded on top of something that continuously shifts, changes, allows us to grow and ultimately become a part of someday.

Feel some earth. From this humble gesture, you can feel mighty.