Taya Starling

I am the LIST QUEEN.

Seriously.  And I recently discovered it runs in my family- Mama Starling & my beautiful cousin Ashley are also list indulgers.  I don’t know how long they’ve been addicted but I’ve been making lists since I was little. And I mean little… like elementary school little.  I don’t remember where the idea came from but I remember getting home from school one day and being a little unhappy about how my day turned out.  So I decided to make a list of all the things that make me happy hoping the list itself would make me happy.  It turns out it did.  Over the years I’ve filled up several journal pages with these “Happy Lists.”  It’s since evolved and I don’t typically write down my “Happy Lists” anymore, instead I spend my few minutes before falling asleep mentally thinking of all the people, places, & things I’m grateful for in life- oh how I’ve grown! My list has gotten longer than ever and if i had a dollar for every time the thought of ice cream crossed my mind before bed followed with a silly sleepy smile, well I could buy us all ice cream today.

Anyway, back to the lists.  So I list everything.  I have lists of different cities and where to eat when I’m there, lists of places in the world I want to see, lists of things I want to look up, lists of books to buy & read, lists of foods I want to try making, lists of things I want to do before I turn 30, lists of movies to watch, gifts I want to buy people, bands I want to see live, lists on lists on lists.  I am the LIST QUEEN.  Any every professional list maker knows that the best way to really handle a list is to create shorter more manageable lists. Yes, the answer to lists is a list haha.  So here is a little from each list that makes up

MY SUMMER TO DO LIST

1.  bake: summer mango pie

I love that desserts can be adapted to fit the season & pies are one of my favorite go to’s since they’re quick & easy & if you throw in some fruit, they can be healthy too.  Since I’m in Asia where there are so many amazing kinds of fruits, I want to try playing around with the local flavors.  Mango in Thailand is one of my favorite fruits ever and we have over 20 different types.  Time to try baking a mango pie!

2. cook: dim sum & manapua/ bao

There’s a lovely little old couple at the local market Mama Starling & I frequent.  They own a yummy noodle shop, nothing fancy, & everything is homemade.  They’ve practically become family to us in the past few years & Uncle makes amazing dumplings, dim sum, & manapua (salapao).  I’ve been wanting to learn & he’s been willing to teach me so this summer is when it’s all going to happen.

3. read*: Girlboss by Sophia Amurosa

After being such a big fan of Nasty Gal for so long, I’ve been dying to read this autobiographical manifesto for GIRLBOSSES everywhere thanks to Nasty Gal CEO & Creative Director, Sophia Amurosa who packs more than a few punches of inspiration in her candid account of how she got where she is & what she’s planning on doing to keep going.

4. watch**: Maleficent

Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite movies growing up & now they add Maleficent’s back story with Angelina Jolie?! What’s not to love? I’m always a fan of hearing a villain’s back story (a la Wicked).

5. do: fly yoga

I used to do aerial arts & I love love loved it.  Haven’t checked out any studios here in Bangkok yet, but my local yoga studio offers fly yoga which utilizes silks similar to what we use in aerial arts.  I’ve been intrigued with fly yoga for a while but hadn’t ventured in to try it yet, looks like this summer will be the perfect opportunity as I ease my body back into working out post-surgery.

6. make: knit beanies & scarves for monks

I don’t have a lot of downtime on set & sometimes picking up my book is more nerve wrecking than relaxing because I never know how many pages I’ll get to read before getting pulled back into a scene SO recently Mama Starling suggested knitting.  I haven’t knit anything in ages, but with winter coming up we decided to knit a few beanies & scarves to donate to the monks in lesser known temples up north in Thailand where it actually gets cold enough to need them.

7. help: Wat Chomsri School

At least once or twice a year I bring together family & friends to raise money & organize a trip to Singhburi just outside Bangkok where we donate clothing, school supplies, toys, food, everything & anything to the 300 or so students boarding at the Wat Chomsri Temple School.  The children range in age & are originally from the mountains a few hours away.  The monks pick the students up every semester & bring them down to the school to educate them before returning them home to their parents at the end of the term.  This year for my birthday I’m looking to plan an Arts ‘n’ Crafts day with the kids.  More to come on that soon (:

8. go: Bali

I used to go to Bali all the time- one of the perks when Mama Starling was living in Indonesia (; It’s been more than a year or so since I’ve been & i’ve been feeling overdue for a trip back.  I could use some sun, sand, & surf in my life not to mention some Indonesian food (but no Bali Belly please!).  Plus if i’m lucky maybe I can hop skip jump over to Australia after.

9. be: alive

Summer is the season of activities & sunshine- all the things that make you feel alive & I don’t want to miss a moment of it whether I’m working, working out, or finding something to do on a day off.  Summertime is for falling in love with the excitement of LIVING so make sure you’re alive up & moving ready to take it all in.

* for a complete list of what to read this summer keep an eye out for my Summer Reading List (:

** with so many amazing movies coming out this summer, stay tuned to see which 10 movies you can’t miss