Sunday, October 30, 2011

Last Time

Tomorrow at 5pm will mark the last time I will register for classes in college.  Wow!  Where has time gone?  Have I really been in college for 4 years?  It just doesn't seem real.  This is kind of a bittersweet yet exciting moment for me.  Never having to deal with the stress of scheduling classes again is a huge relief, but realizing that in 7 short months I will be entering the real world is kind of scary.  I've been looking for jobs lately, with no luck thus far, but I am trusting God will put me where He wants.  It makes me nervous not having something lined up, that'd be the control freak in me coming out, but I know I'll find the right job when He wants me to.  If you know of any design related jobs hiring or have some contacts, please let me know! And, if you wouldn't mind, would you please keep me, this job search, and my Haiti trip in your prayers? I would really appreciate it!


On random note...why are chick flicks so good?  They drag you in, let you dream for a couple of hours, and then leave you wanting more.  Wishing that was you in the movie or wishing that scenario would come true one day.  They are such a tease, but I love them so much.  I hate the lonely feeling I get after a great romantic movie, but I can't keep myself from watching them.  Maybe I just love getting to dream for those 2 hours.  Who knows, one day maybe that scenario will come true for me? You never know I guess. For now however, I am left dreaming and wishing for a man to come sweep me off my feet. Until then, I think I'll just head to bed, go to class, hang out with friends, and enjoy life (and maybe do a little more dreaming)!

Goodnight everyone! Happy Sunday!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Friday Five (on Saturday again): Holiday Favorites

On this chilly Saturday night while everyone is out celebrating Halloween, I'm curled up on the sofa in my blanket, enjoying a bowl of ice cream, and watching my favorite Halloween movies. I've never really been a big fan of dressing up in costumes.  A lot of people love it because it lets them be someone they're not for a night and dress in extremely revealing outfits.  That's just not really my style.  I'd much rather stay inside where it's warm and enjoy some good movies.  Here are a few of my favorites, in case you're looking for an excuse to stay inside and not dress in a crazy outfit.

5. Wallace & Gromit the Curse of the Were-Rabbit

4. Casper

3. Halloween Town II: Kalabar's Revenge

2. Hocus Pocus

1. Halloween Town




My all time favorite is HalloweenTown.  It takes me back to when I was a young girl at my grandmother's house laying on her bed watching TV on Halloween.  I love reminiscing during the holidays.  Happy (almost) Halloween!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Haiti Update

Cassie and I booked our flights Tuesday night, so there is no turning back now! Next on our to-do list is purchase medical insurance and send in our Hold Harmless agreement for Dorothy.  I will be doing both of those tomorrow and we will be on our way! After that, the only major things left are to get our immunizations (which luckily I'm fully up to date on), and finish raising the money for our trip! Everything is falling together so quickly, and we are getting very excited!  God has truly blessed us already through this process and is continually guiding our way throughout it all!  We are both so excited to see what He has in plan for us during our time in Haiti!  We're going to Haiti!!!!!

Check out the right side of my blog for a countdown to Haiti and a fundraiser thermometer.  Looking at that you'll see I'm well on my way, but still need to raise about $1100.  Would you please prayerfully consider donating to our trip.  You can read more in depth about our trip here, and check out Dorothy's blog here to learn more about who we will be helping. If you would like to make a donation, leave me a comment (here is how to) or send an email to hemria08@highpoint.edu and I can give you information on how to do so.


Thank you so much for all of your support! I'll give more updates as they come!  Here are some pictures at Dorothy's when I went to Haiti in 2009.






 Please excuse my terrible appearance in all of these.  It was extremely hot and I was about 20 pounds heavier then with a terrible haircut for that weather :)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

So Excited!

Guess who's not working tomorrow! Yes folks, that'd be me!  We had so few customers today, since all of Jack's big customers came in early this market, that Jack said he doesn't need me tomorrow.  As sad as I am that I won't get paid for tomorrow, I have to admit I'm a little excited that I don't have to get up super early and sit in the showroom for 8 hours tomorrow. Now I get the chance to actually go through market and enjoy it as a designer should.  Jessica and I are going to explore tomorrow and get into as many showrooms as we can.  I'm excited to see everything new this market and get a little (or a lot) of inspiration for all of my projects this semester.  Market here we come!

And I get paid tomorrow..so that is a little exciting as well :)


Then, I will be heading to good ol' d-town to get some more clothes from home.  I forgot to bring my winter clothes after fall break so I've got to go get those.  There are a few other items I keep meaning to bring back too so they'll be making a trip back with me as well.

On a WHOLE different note:  I think its time to give you the latest update on our Haiti trip. So here's the low down.

Cassie and I will be heading to Haiti on December 27th for 2 weeks.  We'll be staying and working with Dorothy Pearce who runs the Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue.  Dorothy takes in children who are malnourished, nurses them back to health and then returns them to their family.  She also takes in children with AIDs or disabilities that deem them unwanted in their culture.  She gives those children a permanent home or an adoptive family.  She provides all her children with love, care, education, and nourishment both physically and emotionally. I worked with Dorothy last time I went to Haiti and absolutely fell in love with the work she is doing. It is truly inspiring and unbelievable.  There has not been a single day since that trip that I have not longed to return.  When Ethiopia fell through for Cassie and I, and we agreed that God was not calling us there this year, Cassie mentioned trying to go to Haiti.  Things fell together within a week and we can both say 100% this is where God is calling us. We are so excited to see what God will do during our time there.  I have longed for the day to return and cannot put into words how excited I am.  I've talked for years now of feeling called to do missions in Haiti, and God has truly showed his power through this trip.  I cannot wait!

How can you help?  Well we need your prayers.  Please pray for this journey, our safety, our travel,  for the people in Haiti we'll be working with, and for God to prepare their hearts for our trip and ours.  We want to be a light for Him while we are there and we need your prayers.

We also need financial help.  We are both students and it is next to impossible for us to come up with the money on our own.  We need to raise $1700 each and could really use your help.  There is no such thing as too small of a gift.  Every little bit adds up and we truly appreciate it.  So far I've raised about $500, that means I've got $1200 to go.  If you would like to make a donation, just leave me a comment or send me an email (hemria08@highpoint.edu) and I will give you the information on how to do so.  

We're so excited for this journey and thank you in advance for your support.  

Design Inspiration: Painted Floors

Got an ugly old wooden floor that needs a face lift?  Can't afford to put in a new floor? Well I've got your solution.  Painted Floors.  I know, that sounds odd and maybe even a bit of a stretch for you, but trust me it can be quite beautiful.  And while I know you probably prefer hardwood floors, because lets be honest they are wonderful, this is a new technique worth looking at.

-It's a great way to give your room a new look without dishing out all the money.
-It's also a great twist on a rug.  All you have to do is paint a small area in the pattern of your choice and voila!
- It's a great way to spruce up your space, like an ugly basement, boring laundry room, or craft room that could use some new life.
-Try it in your kid's space. It's durable, and there really isn't much they can do to mess it up. If sealed properly they can spill paint, drinks, or food, and a simple wipe up is all that's required.  It can also make the space colorful and add interest to the space to reflect your children's personalities.
-With the right pattern and color it can be a subtle or a vibrant addition to your room.  Your choice!

Take a look, and see what you think!




 Below: Try it as a runner in your foyer or kitchen.

 Below: Great way to spruce up that boring laundry room.

 Below: My personal favorite. You know my love of yellow but I would LOVE to have this in my design/craft room one day. Beautiful!

Want the look?  Check out these websites for the how to instructions.



One more day

It's day 5 for me here at Market.  I'm not feeling very well this morning and I'm really tired.  I've been getting 10+ hours of sleep each night, but it doesn't feel like enough.  The long days of sitting here, and helping customers has taken its toll.  My roommate Meredith is sick and losing her voice, I'm just praying I'm not next.  It seems crazy to me that this time last week, I was at home with my family, enjoying good meals, relaxing, watching TV, and not having a care in the world about school.  Back to the real world I guess.  That week was oh so nice though.

Market has been pretty good so far.  The best days are the ones filled with customers because the time goes by so much quicker.  I only saw two customers yesterday, and even though one was here for an hour and a half, the day seemed to slowly drag by after lunch.  I've been here for almost 3 hours today and haven't seen a customer yet. The showroom is actually very quiet this morning.  Most of the reps haven't seen many people either.  I don't know if everyone decided to come in early this market or what, but I sure hope it picks up today.  I still get a little nervous when talking with clients, but it gets easier each day. The products are beautiful and practically sell themselves.

On another note: I want so badly to curl up on our sofas in the back room (you know the over sized super comfortable ones I showed you yesterday) with a blanket and take a quick nap.  I think that would help me feel better, but unfortunately is not an option.  I just keep praying it will fade off and I'll get my energy back soon.

Well I guess that's all for now.  I've got a few other blog posts planned for today so be looking for those. All this down time at market has led to a lot of new posts for all of you readers.  Keep reading please, and leave some comment love!

One more day of market, I can do this.

Monday, October 24, 2011

As promised..

Here is a quick glimpse into the Lazar Showroom this market.  They are displaying a lot of new fabrics, bold colors, and beautiful forms.  They have classic pieces with neutral fabrics, and then wow pieces mixed in with bold patterns and crazy colors.  I love the appreciation shown for color and the exploration of different fabrics and patterns.  There is something for everyone in here and some of the pieces are simply stunning.  I have a few favorites (i'll mention them below) that I would love to own someday.  Well without further ado, here you go.  Enjoy!

Below: Our front room is featuring a new lounge sectional in very vibrant colors.  Pretty fun if you ask me!

 Below: This is one of my favorite chairs.  I love the pink swirled fabric contrasted with the plain white seat.

 Below: I love these pillows. This is in our main room of the showroom.

Below: One of my favorite EarthDesign sofas.  I love the fabrics, and it's ecofriendly!

 Below: I love this fabric on a set of dining chairs.

 Below: My absolute favorite part of the showroom.  I love the sofa in neutral colors with the gray wall behind.  Last market they had the most fantastic pillows on this setup that I am dying to have.  I'll post a picture of that setup later.

 Below: These next few pictures are in our Luxury Collection.  I call them the "give me a blanket and call it a day sectionals."

 Below: This is one of those bold color fabrics I was talking about.  I don't know that I would put them in my place, but they definitely make a statement on the showroom floor.

 Below:  Another twist on the turquoise and orange color combination I mentioned in a previous post. Beautiful.

 Below: I love this sectional and the purple with the beige main fabric is just stunning.


Well that's a short glimpse into where I'm working. What do you think? [I may post more tomorrow. I'll have plenty of time on my hands :)]

Sunday, October 23, 2011

One Can Dream

There is something about old buildings, exposed brick, and wood beams that I love.  Last year our design club visited the Barbour Spangle studio. I fell in love with their studio space, and decided that some day, when I can run my own business, I want to find something similar to house my business.  The brick and wood beams are my favorite part.  They really give way to adding historical pieces but blend beautifully with contemporary furniture as well.  I would want a large table to spread all my design work out on, drafting table area, and a room to house all the fabric and company books.  I'd like to have my offices easily accessible to one another but still provide privacy for everyone.  I'd want a beautiful place to meet with clients and go over projects.  Oh one can dream...

I couldn't find pictures of the Barbour Spangle studio space but here are some of Nate Berkus's studio.  Pretty similar. Don't you just love the brick and beams?  Gorgeous!



Coming soon (as in the next few hours)... a glimpse at the Lazar showroom I'm working in :)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Saturday Afternoon

How are you enjoying your wonderful (cold) Saturday afternoon? I'm enjoying mine in the Lazar Showroom giving clients tours and enjoying the beautiful pieces on display.  My day started off early, 8am, unlike yours probably, and will continue until 5.  The mornings can be a little slow in the showroom, but after lunch, things start to pick up.  I've helped three clients today so far, and hopefully two of those will be returning later to make an order with Jack.  Right now I'm just sitting at our little cafe tables scouring the world wide web to keep me entertained.

I was a little nervous this morning, feeling like I wasn't prepared enough with the new products. However, after my first tour, things really came back from last year.  I try to be confident, knowledgeable, and slow/clear in my speaking. Usually the clients will end up leading themselves through and I can follow their lead on their interests and go from there.  My favorite clients are the ones who recognize that I'm a student helping Jack, and are very understanding if I don't know the answer to their questions.  I write their questions and interests down for Jack so he can follow up with them later.

Market can be a very overwhelming world for students working it for the first time.  Between the shuttle schedule and locations, to the various buildings with different entrances and connections, to the 1000s of people rushing past at every given moment.  If you don't know what you're doing, or have someone with you who does, it can get a little scary.  Luckily Jessica showed us the ropes last year, and I almost feel like a pro...almost.  It's very empowering to be a part of such a wonderful event and to be surrounded by people who share the same passion as you.  It's all very exciting, but wonderful at the same time.  If you love furniture or design, you should definitely check it out.  I can give you information on how to get in (since it's only open to the trade).

Anyways, happy Saturday! Hope yours is wonderful!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Friday Five: Favorite TV Shows

One of the things during my hectic schedule that I do to relax is enjoy some of my favorite television shows. It's one of my guilty pleasures.  I love having time to sit back, relax, and dive into a great story.  There are probably too many shows I love watching but there are some that I will always make time in my week to enjoy. Those shows are:

5. Person Of Interest.  This is a new show on CBS and I've really started enjoying it.  It's about this guy who created a program for the government to identify terrorist threats.  The problem was, it also ended up identifying everyone with a killer's mentality or those who are in risk of being killed.  He takes those people, and has his guy track them down to prevent them from being harmed or doing harm.  It's a different type of crime show which is very refreshing, and it's actually quite good.

4. Unforgettable. This is another new show on CBS. (Go CBS for creating two great new shows this season!!)  Unforgettable tells the story of a woman who literally cannot forget anything. She can go back in her memory and remember anything she saw.  She uses her skills as a cop to solve crimes, while trying to solve her sister's murder from when she was a child.  It's really cool to watch, and another great twist on the classic crime show.

3. Alphas.   I typically don't enjoy Sci-fi movies or shows, but this one is really good.  It tells the story of a group of people called Alphas. They all have special skills like mind control, super strength, extra sensitive senses, etc.  They use these skills as a task force for the police to track down other Alphas who are harming people.  It's kind of a twist on the typical superhero shows, but different.  Its really good.  I really enjoy the character Gary, his character is witty and hilarious without trying to be.

2. Dancing With The Stars.  I know, I know a lot of you hate this show but it is actually REALLY good! I love to watch all the dances, especially the pro dancers.  Its fun to watch, and dream about doing one day.  I also love to watch the different personalities interact and see what new choreography the pro dancers can come up with.  My favorite dancer was Julieanne Hough but unfortunately she is not on the show anymore. My favorite now is Derek, her brother.  The choreography they come up with is incredible and always fun to watch.

1. Criminal Minds.  This is my all time FAVORITE show.  I love to watch the stories and see how they catch the serial killers.  The characters are always a joy to watch and I love to see their personalities unfold.  I have seen every episode and can tell you what will happen in almost any of them.  I have also gotten everyone I've ever shown this show to addicted.  That would be my entire family, my roommates, and when they show people their friends get hooked too.  The show is simply a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  Just watch one episode, you'll be hooked forever.  If you need a recap of the last 6 seasons just let me know.  Love it! I will never miss this show! And come on, who doesn't love watching Shemar Moore??


Speaking of favorite shows, my true 2nd favorite was taken off the air last year.  I loved the show Lie to Me.  It was about a guy who read facial expressions to tell when people were lying.  I got hooked on this show from Jenn Hambrick last year. It makes you feel like you can tell when anyone is lying to you giving you a new power you've never had before.  It also had great characters and wonderful stories.  I would love for it to come back on the air, but I don't think that will happen.  Until then, I'll keep enjoying these shows. You should give them all a watch. They're really good! But be warned: you WILL get hooked!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thursday Thoughts

Warning: I'm extremely tired and my mind is all over the place tonight so this may involve some rambling and disorganization of thoughts.

- I love the feeling of turning the heat on for the first time.  I don't enjoy the fact that it's freezing outside and that heat is required, but there is something so homey about feeling that heat for the first time after the summer.   When I was little I used to make a little palette by the vent in our bedroom and lay there playing or take a nap.  I've always loved snuggling up to the warmth and feeling like everything is perfect for that little moment in time.  I had to turn our heat on today, because no matter what I turned the air to in the apartment the temperature just kept dropping. When it hit 69 and I was shivering, I gave in and turned the heat on. It's so warm now and I love it!

- My fall market job starts tomorrow. I had hoped to work for Baker during market, but they ended up not needing another paid position.  Since I'm a poor college student, I had to find a job that would pay.  So I'll be working at Lazar Ind again this year.  I worked there last year and enjoyed my time.  I love their products and the people I met were all very nice.  I'm excited to see their new pieces tomorrow and get to see everyone again.  I'll admit, I'm a little nervous though.  I don't know why exactly, I know who I'm meeting, and what I'll be doing (unlike last year) but I still get butterflies in my stomach anytime I have to do new things.  I'm a girl of habit and twists in the routine shake me up a little.  It's ok though, they'll settle down once I get to the IHFC building tomorrow and get in the showroom.

- I started looking for jobs this break and well.....I'm having trouble finding any in the NC area.  I'm hoping design firms just haven't posted their needs online and something will fall into place.  I'm nervous about finding a job.  This is a huge step in life and I need to get one asap.  Please pray that God will put the right job in my path and that I'll be open and brave enough to follow where He calls me.  I know He's got a plan for me, but not knowing it makes me a little nervous.  I trust Him though, I could just use your prayers :)

- Because HPU is still technically on fall break, none of the places to eat on campus are open this week.  That meant I had to go to the grocery store last night and buy stuff to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week.  I have to say however, I'm kind of enjoying cooking.  It's fun when you're not pressured to cook and can make anything you want.  I also really enjoy cooking for people.  This year we do roommate dinners on Wednesday, and since I'm the only one that really cooks in the room, I'm usually in charge of making dinner.  I've really enjoyed it so far.  I made dinner last night (Wednesday) and it was weird not having them here.

-I'm raising money for Haiti right now, and I'm at about $400.  I'm well on my way which is really exciting, but I've got a ways to go!  Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far.  If you'd like to make  a donation to this trip just leave me a comment and I'll tell you how.

- I think I may get a part-time job next semester.  I would like it to be something design related, but I'd take anything.  I need to start saving up some money for when I graduate, because I have no idea where I'm going to end up.  If I end up moving states, or working far enough away from home that I need an apartment, I'm gonna need some money saved up.  I'm hoping I'll have time for one and can find something..fingers crossed.


Ok I think that's all for tonight.  Sorry for the randomness.  I'm heading to bed now, first day of Market is tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Guaranteed good laugh

I should've been asleep oh about 2 hours ago, but Ellen's videos got me a little distracted.  Whenever I'm bored I like to go through the clips from her shows because they're always a guaranteed good laugh.  She has this writer Amy that is terrified of everything, but her clips make me laugh out loud until my sides hurt every time   So because I'm still awake I thought I'd share my favorite clips with you.

Warning:  You will laugh out loud, probably shouldn't watch these in strict work environment!

Ellen's Frightened Writer

Ellen in My Ear: Crafting!

Dining in the Dark


hahaha love them!  Enjoy!

Same blog...Great New Title

So you probably went looking for my old blog (myproverbs31challenge.blogspot.com) and found an error page.  Well no worries, I'm still here and still writing, I just decided to change my blog link.  The more I thought about what I was writing, the advice I was sharing, and what I wanted my blog to become, I realized that my old title was no longer doing it justice.

You see, when I started this blog almost two years ago, I was in a very different place.  I was coming off a bad relationship and really needed to turn my life around.  At the time, "myproverbs31challenge" was what I needed.  It was what drove me to take a good long look at my life and fix it before it was too late. Two years ago, I placed that challenge on myself to become the woman God wanted me to be.  I changed a lot of things about how I think, carry myself, act, and react.  Now here I am...2 years later and I think it's time for a new challenge.  While I am still consistently working on becoming the woman God wants me to be, I'm no longer that lost girl trying to fix old problems.  I can say that God has me right where he wants me right now.  I am in the midst of following his plans for my life, and staying on the track of being who he designed me to be.

Also, when I thought about my blog and really looked at what I was writing and what I wanted to write about, two things stood out:

1.  I write a lot about where God's calling me in life.  Where He's sending me, what He's doing in my life, what I think He wants me to do, etc.  Obviously my relationship with Christ is HUGE in my life.  It takes top priority over everything else and is understandably on my mind a lot.  I like to write out what's going on to help clarify it in my mind, ask for prayers and guidance, and have an accountability system in place.  This blog has helped me more than many of you will probably ever know.  It keeps me accountable, on track, and passionate about my relationship with Christ.

and

2. I write about design a LOT.  Clearly this is my major, my passion, and my inspiration so it only makes sense that I would write about design.  I also know that design is what I want a lot of my future posts to be about.  I've come up with a few good ideas over the last few days, and hopefully they'll make their way to the blogging world soon.

Because of this, I thought it was only appropriate to make my title fit what I was writing.

So without further ado...my new title will now be  Living His Design.   The link is now  www.livinghisdesign.blogspot.com

I think it fits pretty well.  It captures both my love for design and following Christ's plan for my life. Anyways...I hope you'll keep reading and commenting. After all, its the same blog, just a great new name (and link)! 

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

My Last Dorm Room

As promised, here are some pictures of my dorm room this year.  Kind of sad to think this is the last dorm I will live in, but I am SOO excited to get to decorate my own apartment in a few short months!  Until then, this is where I'll be living.  We're still tweaking a few small things, but overall its pretty close to completion!  Enjoy!

My Bedroom.  I really wanted this bedding for my room this year but couldn't justify the price on a student budget.  Instead I went with this one and after a long search for the right curtains, I actually really like it now. Although I still hope to have this bedding one day!

View of my desk/dresser area from the door.  Please notice my beautiful Baker pillow on the chair.  My boss was getting rid of pillows and said I could have any I wanted.  This pillow would probably retail for $200+!  Love it!!

Better view of my desk area.  That picture frame and letter combination has made it into all four of my dorm rooms (painted appropriately each time of course).  I thought it was only appropriate to use them one last time.

View from the other side of my bedroom looking into the hallway.  The letters above the door have also been in all four of my dorm rooms.  It's my favorite piece.

View from the end of our hall looking towards the door.  The big black board on the wall is our fantastic quote wall. It's guaranteed to always give you a good laugh.

Mine and Jessica's bathroom.  Fully equipped with bathroom inspired words in French.  I'm all for funny bathroom art!

Our kitchen.  The microwave should be coming soon so please ignore the hideous bracket above the stove top.  The birthday decor on Jodi's door is not typically there, but we celebrated the day before I took these pictures.

Our living room.  We went with a grey/green/coral color palette.  I love the pillows I ordered from Etsy, she did a great job!

The other side of our living room. Please notice the other Baker pillow I chose sitting in the chair!

On another note: Happy Birthday to my friend Todd!  He just joined the Marines and is at Paris Island for boot camp.  We all miss you and are praying for you! Stay strong and we'll see you when you get back. (Todd is on the far left, although Kevin's face in this makes me laugh every single time.)


Saturday, October 15, 2011

Friday Five (on saturday yet again): Fall Break

Fall break calls for lots of sleeping in, hanging out with family, enjoying home cooked meals, and relaxing, but I have a few other plans as well.  I can't waste away a full week by doing absolutely nothing, but I can enjoy it by doing things I otherwise wouldn't normally have time to do.  So what's on the list of to do's you may wonder?  Well...

5.  Look up furniture and finishes for my Wrenn Project.  When I'm at school, my time is spent finalizing plans.  Soon I'll be focusing on drawing perspectives, rendering, drawing elevations, and finalizing everything for the project.  It's hard to find time to look up furniture and finishes, even though its the best part.  So I plan to enjoy some time wading through my favorite furniture websites and finding the perfect pieces and finishes for my project.

4. Get ahead on my history of architecture assignments.  I am going to TRY to write my final paper for this section of the class and start studying for our test.  I'm hoping he'll post the other assignments soon so I can possibly get ahead on those too.  When finals start rolling around, my projects will go into overdrive and his papers will inevitably be pushed to the back burner.

3.Go shopping.  This fall weather is starting to get pretty chilly and my warm wardrobe is rather sparse.  Since I'm dressing up 3-4 times a week, and market starts after break, I need to restock my warm professional wardrobe.  I also need to get some new jeans.  So Old Navy and Gap Outlet here I come!

2.  Finish Erin's pillows and make a before and after post out of it.  When Erin and Stephen bought their new sofa, it came with some hideous tangerine back pillows.  So because I love her so very much (and she knows how good my sewing skills are) I so willingly sewed her some new pillows (ha!).  Or maybe she begged me to sew them and I hesitantly said ok.  Regardless, I have almost finished her throw pillows and I have to say they look pretty good.  Pictures coming soon!

1.  Finish decorating Erin and Stephen's apartment.  When they moved in, I helped choose paint colors, and set up a few of the rooms.  Now that all the furniture is in place, I need to work on accessorizing the walls.  They are all fairly (or completely) bare at the moment, so I need to get on that.  Hopefully, I can come up with some ideas and get working on it this break.  Oh the things I do for them :)


Those are my goals for this break...we shall see how many I get completed!


On another note:  Happy Birthday to one of my best friends Jodi Chesko!! I love you, hope you're enjoying your time in Florida!

Fall break

Whew! I've officially made it through 1/4 of my senior year.  It didn't hit me that fall break had arrived until I was able to sleep in this morning and do absolutely nothing A.L.L. day!!  Love it!!!   This semester has been pretty stressful already as you know from my previous posts, but it's kind of weird to think that it's now halfway done. Wow.  However, fall break is a much needed pause in life to relax, regroup, and reenergize.  I finished my Phillip's Stair Redesign on Monday (that would be 4 days early, oh yeah!) and turned it in after class on Wednesday. It's always a huge relief to turn an assignment in.  I love it.  Now i'm just waiting to get my grade, fingers crossed i'll get a good grade!

On another note, I've decided I have a true problem when it comes to writing papers.  As you all know, I despise writing papers.  I do not enjoy it at all and do not understand the purpose of them in design.  No employer is EVER going to ask me to write them a paper, they are going to ask me to draw out plans and other projects.  Thus, our design teachers should be giving us assignments that are pertinent to our future job and leave the papers to our english teachers.  But I digress.  The problem I discovered is that because I hate them so much, I have a tendency to turn almost all papers in late.  I put them off to the very last minute (and usually push that minute even further).  Even worse, is that because I get an A on practically every paper I write, I know that I can turn it in late and still get a good grade.  Its a problem.  I need to fix it. I just hate them SO much.  Ugh.

Anyways, I'm going to go enjoy my fall break now, I just thought I'd give you all a little update.

Goodnight :)

Here's my stair project if you'd like to take a look!  This first two pages are drawings of the existing stairs and the second 2 pages are of my proposed redesign.  I changed the balusters and newel post to better fit aesthetically with the existing architecture.  I didn't want to change Dr. Qubein's vision too dramatically, my goal was simply to make it more historically correct with the existing Greco-Roman features.  This was all done on CAD. (Sorry for the terrible quality, they are meant to be printed on a  24"x32" sheet and I can't upload that big of an image)



Saturday, October 8, 2011

Friday Five (on Saturday again): Norton Necessities

In honor of how I'm spending my weekend (aka in Norton Every. Single. Day.) I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into my 2nd home, Norton, and what is required to survive an extended stay in the CAD labs.  So for my Friday five, here are the 5 Norton Necessities for a long work session:

5.  A drink.  It does not have to be alcoholic, although plenty of people have opted for that option multiple times.  I have to have something to sip on when I'm sitting here for 5+ hours so I like to bring sweet tea or water to keep me hydrated.

4. Snacks. When you sit at the CAD table long enough, everyone gets the munchies.  We rarely want to take a break to get actual food because that's an hour of work time we must give up.  So our solution is to bring snacks.  Meghan McCloskey is a snack pro and is always fully stocked in case one of us forgets :).

3. Comfortable clothes. If you're going to sit here this long you might as well get comfy.  Sweat pants are usually my clothing of choice.

2. A blanket. The CAD labs are always freezing so a blanket or sweatshirt is a MUST have.  I've been opting for a blanket lately because it's more comfortable than a heavy sweatshirt.

1.Amazing Friends. It is absolutely impossible to make it through a long work session without your best friends sitting beside you.  My crew right now is Jodi, Jessica, Megan, and Meghan.  Jodi is known for her comic relief and singing/dancing abilities. Jessica has the amazing time management skills we all envy and knows everything about CAD and sketchup.  Megan is my work twin because we tend to have the same work methods and time management skills. Meghan is CAD queen and is patient enough to answer our questions for us while still staying 3 steps ahead.  I couldn't do it without these ladies.  They have gotten me through this program and I love them all dearly.

Here is my supply pile today (minus my clothes and friends)



Now back to work :)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Not Me Monday (on Tuesday)

I did not yet again miss the proper day on making these blog posts.  I would never be so lazy to think its ok to push them back.

I also did not call last minute today to get a steakhouse reservation because I was craving a filet mignon.  I would never be so unprofessional and not make a reservation ahead of time.

And I did not make 2 of my friends wait with me for 4 1/2 hours to get this reservation.  We would never lower ourselves to wait that long for a meal.

And we did not call at 8:20 in one last desperate plea for a seat.  We'd never be that pathetic or impatient.

And there is absolutely no way we'd ever accept a seat for 8:30 and sprint across campus to get there on time. We are way too classy to take our shoes off, run to our car, speed to the UC, run across the parking lot barefoot, cut a few guys off at the elevator, and compose ourselves/catch our breath right outside the steakhouse before walking in. We are proper ladies who always take their time to get ready and walk with class to our destination.  There's no way we got dressed and to the steakhouse in 7 minutes. We would never be that trashy or desperate for a meal.

And I'm always on top of my school work.  There is no way I'd forget about an assignment at midnight the night before its due.  And there is no way I would justify putting it off until tomorrow.  I always turn my work in on time and never procrastinate.

Nope.  Not me.

Friday Five (on Monday): Random Thoughts

Sorry I missed my Friday Five again.  I left for Boone this weekend to visit Cassie and forgot all about it.  So for a new blog post and my missed friday five here are the 5 things on my mind at this given moment.  These will be in no particular order of importance.  Warning:  It's midnight and I'm about to go to bed so sorry if I ramble.

5.  I miss my sweet Coconut.  It's hard being away from home when I'm at school for so long, and he is one of the things that always makes me miss home even more.  He's such a sweet puppy and mys misses him very much.  Mys would like to hold hims and give hims a kiss. (if you don't know my coconut voice this probably made no sense to you).  Here's a picture of my sweet coconut.


4.  Haiti plans are well underway and things are beginning to move.  I spent my 3 hours at work today sitting addressing and stuffing envelopes to send out.  I can't pay for the trip alone, so I will be sending out fundraising letters shortly and they require a lot of hand written work.  Here's a picture of my desk today.


3.  I'm trying to come up with a gift idea to take to Dorothy's staff when we go to Haiti.  We'll be staying with her and we want to give a small gift to the ladies that work there to show our appreciation for them and to let them know we are thinking of them.  Right now I'm looking at jewelry as a possibility, because what woman doesn't appreciate jewelry?  I'm scouring Etsy right now to find some beautiful yet affordable options.  These are some I've found so far.  If you know of anything or have a better idea please let me know, we're open to options and could use some ideas!

     Cross Necklace
     Basic Silver Necklace
     Simple Initial or Cross Necklace
     Silver Leaf with Pearl
     Linked Hearts Silver Bracelet
     White Pearl and Silver Bracelet

2.  In the back of my mind this project keeps creeping up on me.   All day I've been trying to ignore that little voice so I don't stress myself out.  I'll worry about that in class tomorrow....oh school, why do you have to be so stressful??

1.  Relationships have also been on my mind a lot today.  I'm surrounded by people in serious and wonderful relationships with their significant other and I'll be honest, its hard at times.  I know God has the right man chosen for me, and I will meet him when God wants me to....but I still get lonely.  It's hard to watch and listen to all the stories and such while sitting and dreaming it was me.  But regardless, I go to bed each night and try my very best to be patient and hopeful as I wait on God's timing.  Some nights are just harder than others...