The View From Here: Spring Cleaning

While moving out is bittersweet this year, I absolutely love going through everything and cleaning out the things I don't need anymore.  For the last few hours I've been going through my closet, drawers, and supplies to de-clutter and cut out items I never use.  I've got the window open, fresh air coming in, some great music from my childhood playing, and stuff everywhere!!! However, I am done and feel 100% better!  The real packing process will begin tomorrow :)

 The basic necessity for any proper Spring cleaning.  Fresh air :)

 All of my design supplies/materials I don't need anymore.  I'll let Jessica shop before throwing them out.  Oh the perks of living with all upperclassmen! :)

The load of trash I was able to get rid of!

What's not seen (because I forgot to take a picture), is the tub of clothes I took downstairs to the donate pile.  I feel much more organized and clutter free now!!   

Study Break aka Procrastination

I should be studying for my final exam that I have to take tomorrow afternoon, but I can't seem to focus.  I presented my Senior Seminar project today and I am SOOOO very excited that I can't get my brain to understand that I still have one more exam to take before college is truly over.

Did I just say over?   Weird.

I felt such a great sense of pride today as I walked out of the presentation room.  That is the last project I'll have to present here at HPU.  Today is the last time I have to walk into Norton Hall to do any type of work.  Today I finished my interior design degree.  Can you say crazy/the most exciting day ever?!?

I honestly didn't think this day would come.  But I made it, and I can officially say I survived design school!   And since I am so eagerly looking for another procrastination method, I'll post some pictures from my senior seminar project for you to enjoy!

This is the building I was asked to design for my Senior Seminar project.  It sits downtown in High Point, NC in the center of the furniture market area.  It is 8 stories high with a basement below.  I was asked to propose a design that would allow this building to become the New School of Art & Design for High Point University.

 This is a view looking into the space that I made into a gallery for the New School of Art & Design (see below).  It had floor to ceiling windows, lots of natural light, but very little display space to begin.

This is a view of one of the floors higher up in the building that was unfinished.

My proposed design for the 2nd floor of this building.  This floor houses security offices, gaming studios, and graphic design studios.  There are also multi-use classrooms as well as a large locker room for students.

 My proposed design for the 3rd floor.  This is where you'll find the student lounge (see below) and photography classrooms.  There is one large darkroom as well as 6 individual darkrooms for students to use independently.

 My proposed design for the 5th floor.  This is where the Interior Design studios will be located, as well as two large critique rooms and two material resource rooms for students.

 Above is a rendering of what I would propose the lobby to look like for the New School of Art & Design.  I designed a custom fountain that sits under a large and beautiful crystal chandelier.  On either side there are large glass doors leading you into the gallery and retail space.

 A rendering of what I would propose the gallery look like.  Those are curved moveable wall systems that will allow for various art displays to be in the space.  They are covered in bold beautiful fabrics by Knoll that I am absolutely in love with!

A rendering of the student lounge.  All of the seating is moveable to allow students to work collaboratively and have a space to come to relax.  There is a large kitchen area in the back equipped with snacks, coffee machines, and a refrigerator for all of the late nights! The furniture is also covered in the same fabrics as seen in my gallery space to add a pop of color.

 Perspective of what the retail store would look like.  I chose to put in a 24-hour access store for students to buy and have access to all of their daily project needs.  No more late night Hobby Lobby runs!

And then lastly, this is an axonometric view (aka looking down into the space) of the first floor.  This allows you to see how the lobby, retail area, and gallery are laid out in the space.

While I am very glad that this project is over, I also really enjoyed getting to work on this type of space.  What you see above is only a small portion of my project, but I think they give the best insight into my design.  I can't believe my last project here at HPU is done.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Stupid Stupid Love

I honestly wish sometimes our brains and hearts weren't hard wired to desire falling in love so badly.  It's one of those things that even at a young age you learn is so important, and you begin dreaming of that special guy, your wedding day, blah blah blah.  Movies, commercials, television shows, music, stories, everything engraves our brains with this picture of the "perfect companion."  The fairy tale dream idea of what love, life, and marriage will look like.  Your prince charming will be tall, dark, handsome, romantic, and perfect in every way. Your marriage will be spotless, and you'll all live happily ever after with two kids in a beautiful home, where everything is just perfect.

Ha. Don't we all wish.

It's really kind of pathetic the way our minds imagine these things.  We all love the sappy romantic stories, the happily ever after endings, and what not, but do those things even exist??  I'm learning the older I get that fairy tales are just that.  Nothing but a made up story of how we wish things could be.

I've watched myself and so many of my friends fall into this lie and fantasy world of what love will be like.  It's one of those things that no matter how hard you try to remind yourself isn't going to happen, the second someone shows you even a glimpse of attention, your heart melts and you begin dreaming again. Why does this happen??  Why do movies and these stories have such a huge impact on the way we think and act.  Why are we teaching our children that perfect people exist, when we all clearly know the only perfect human to ever walk this Earth was Jesus Christ himself.  Why are we taught/teaching that marriages will be this dreamland of paradise, and life will be easy, when we all know that a marriage and life are things you have to work on every. single. day.??

And yet, here I sit still hoping that I'll meet a guy who will sweep me off my feet with his romantic gestures, who will say all the right things and make me feel like I'm the most important woman in the world. I always dream that I'll find that perfect guy, when in reality I know my mental picture of the "perfect" guy probably doesn't exist.  I wish so badly sometimes that I just wouldn't care about falling in love.  But, I can't help it.  I want, more than anything, to find a great guy, fall in love, and live life together.

Then I think back on all of my experiences dating, and I truly begin to question if it'll ever happen.  I'm so sick of being the "girl before."  You know, that girl he dates/talks to before he starts dating THE girl.    The girl that fills time, or leads him to THE girl.  You know what I'm talking about?  That's been me almost every single time, and quite honestly I'm sick of it.  I'm ready to be THE girl, not the one before.

I guess I'll just keep dreaming.  Maybe he does exist, or maybe I'm just stupid enough to believe he does. Either way, as hard as I try, and as frustrated as I get every time a guy disappoints me, my heart still desires and believes that one day it will happen. I think what fuels this belief is that I know of couples that fit into my picture of a perfect couple....so it must be possible. Right?

Stupid love.  Why do you have this power?

Ok I'll stop ranting now.  I just needed to vent.

As Promised...Picture Overload

Earlier this week I showed you the before pictures of the showroom I helped setup this market.  Well, as promised, here are the after pictures.  I can't take credit for the furniture selection, placement, or fabric applications in the showroom, but I did help unwrap, position, accessorize, and light all of the areas.  Take a look:

 First view when you walk into the showroom.

 Around the corner from the main door.

 One of my favorite areas in the showroom. The Gemini sectional with some great new fabrics and bold colors.  Oh, and did I mention how much I LOVE the little round chairs called Le Pouf.  They are so fun and oh so comfortable!

 The first area in the showroom I helped setup.  Funny thing is I was just telling my aunt Missy that I wasn't sure denim was in right now.....clearly I was wrong.  Ha!

Lounge and bar setup in the front of the showroom. I love all of the colors used this market!

The Ava sofa.  My absolute favorite piece this market.  I love the clean lines and shape of this piece.  I've always wanted a beige sofa and I've fallen in love with this one!  There was another sectional in the back that was more plush and comfortable, but I just love the shape of this piece!

Debra did a great job selecting pieces and fabrics for this market.  I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such a great lady and get some hands-on experience with design.  It challenged and inspired me to push my abilities and not just go for the ordinary.  I love getting these opportunities and truly enjoyed this market more than any before.  I'm a little sad that it's the last market I'll work as a student, but I look forward to coming back hopefully as a buyer next year!

Thanks again to Debra Venti for allowing me to have the opportunity to work with her this market!  You are an incredible designer and woman!  Thanks for all you've done for me these last few markets!

Life Update

It is 6:40pm on April 19,2012.  I am currently in Norton, doing nothing other than waiting for our Steakhouse reservation at 7.  I have completed, PDFed (yes I made that up), and submitted the last phase of my Senior Seminar project.  Aka I'm basically DONE!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!  And it's an entire day early (I think that's a first!)

While this day has been nothing short of chaotic, it has turned out to be a pretty great day.  I got some training in for Market, took a final exam, presented my portfolio, and submitted my project.  I'd call that a successful day!  Not only that but I also realized this morning that this is my last day of class.  Ever. 

Try to wrap your head around that for a moment......I know I can't either! It's absolutely insane! I never in a million years thought this day would come.  I still have a few minor things to do for my portfolio class, I have to present my Senior Seminar project, and take my sociology final exam, but basically I'm done with college.  Insane.

On another note, I have spent the last week working very busily in the Lazar Showroom helping set up for market. As you may know from past posts, I've worked in the Lazar showroom for the past three markets assisting the Florida sales rep with his clients.  This time, I contacted Debra Venti who is in charge of all of the fabric selections, applications, and setup for market, and asked to be a part of the premarket.  It has been an incredibly long week, but I have absolutely loved getting to see this side of market!! This is one of the first times I have actually gotten to have hands-on experience with design.  I was a bit hesitant and unsure of my abilities at first, but once we got into it I got really comfortable with things.  I learned floral arranging is not my strong suit, but I love to accessorize. Design is definitely not a glamorous job, but it is so rewarding! I learned a lot and took a lot of inspiration from Debra and how she set things up.  It's true, only 10% of design is taught in the classroom, the rest you learn in the field!

When we started the showroom basically looked like this, except it was completely empty minus a few tables and lamps:

As we worked and unwrapped all of the furniture that slowly came in, the showroom began to look a little more like this:

With a lot of this:

Sadly, that's only the wrappings from about 20 of the 240 pieces of furniture we unwrapped this week.  I told you, it's not glamorous!

For a while there, Debra was worried the showroom would not get done, but we did the entire space in 5 days! Kind of crazy, but so rewarding to see!  You'll have to wait to see the after pictures until later this week :)!

On a completely other random note, I figured I should update about my graduation challenge....or lack there of.  With the last phase of my project being due today, finals right around the corner, and market starting I have had very little time to workout.  Plus when there was time, I was so tired from running around High Point all day that I was just plain to tired and lazy to go workout. Does helping unwrap and move 200 pieces of furniture count at all?? I know, I know, those are just excuses.  I'm letting myself fall back into my lazy ways, but I'll get back on track after market!  I had hit the 10 pound mark, but unfortunately I'm back to more like 8 pounds lost now.  That's still progress, but not nearly where I wanted to be at this point. I just need to make the time to go workout and not let tiredness be an excuse anymore.  This summer Cassie and I will be workout buddies, so I'm hoping that will keep me motivated.  I can do this, I just have to put in the effort!

Speaking of tired, I think I will head to bed now.  Seeing as how I started this blog post at 6:40 and it is now after 11pm.  My first day of real market begins tomorrow!  Time to bring in the money!!

Goodnight!

Prayers for Daniel

Dorothy tagged me in this picture of her newest little boy, Daniel, the other day.

The caption read "It's these situations we deal with way too frequently that break our heart.  This is a no named child abandoned at the hospital, starving to death.  Mama Martha has found him a place at Dorothy's so he can gain some weight and strength.  Pray for him please." 

My heart broke instantly for this child.  I'm not sure how old he is, what his story consists of, or what his future looks like. All I can do is pray and prepare myself to love on this little boy if he makes it until we get there in May. 

 Dorothy updated again the other day saying: "Our pediatrician answered my email asking for info about Daniel: 'Daniel looks very ill.  This is currently called a wasting syndrome boy.  He has poor appetite, and a lot of edema on the legs. Maybe he has some underlying disease. I think it is better for him to be in the hospital.  Actually by luck he is admitted at Saint Damien's Hospital. I hope he will improve quickly."

This little boy so desperately needs all of the prayers we can give him.  Will you please join me in praying for sweet Daniel.  He got his name because they said he has already fought off lions.  Now lets pray he can fight through this!  

I loved these two prayers people posted on Dorothy's page for Daniel:

"God be his helper. Uphold him with your mighty right hand and surround him with your favor as with a shield. Sustain him with long life.  Let him live, not die, and declare the mighty works of the Lord.  In Jesus' name and by his stripes!"

"Lord you are mighty to heal and I know you created this little boy for a purpose. That you love him more than humanly possible, and that you will save him in whatever way through your wisdom you decide is best. Right now though, I ask that you hold him in your loving, strong, and gentle arms and give him peace and joy in You."

Please join us in praying for this sweet little boy!

Simply Terrified

All day I've been trying to think of just the right words to share with you.  So many emotions have gone through my head this weekend, and I'm still not quite sure how to sum them all up into a few paragraphs. I keep thinking just write it straight out, who cares if it's blunt, it'll be honest.  And then I think, you never know who is going to read this so write it carefully, choosing exactly the right words, just in case.  I've gone back and forth between the two all day, and until this second I had decided to just not write.  I couldn't think of "the right words" that would show how I'm feeling while remaining "proper" if you will, so I figured why write them at all? But as I sat here tonight, I started thinking back to why I began this blog.  All of the emotions that went into those first few posts. The goals I had, the honesty I wanted to share, and the possibility of helping someone one day through my words. That's when it hit me.  This blog is not here to make people happy, it's here as my personal outlet.  A place where I can write what I'm feeling, record it, and look back on it one day and learn from my experiences all over again.  It's a place where I want people to be able to turn to for honesty, reality, and hope.  I never promised all of my posts would be filled with joy, laughter, encouraging stories, or sunshine and rainbows to make everyone happy. What I promised myself and my readers through this blog is my story.  The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.  Take it for what you want. Read it and judge me in any way you please.  I'm only human, and I'd be lying to myself and you if I didn't share my whole story on here. So here it is.  How I've been feeling this week and the things I'm struggling with.

I am scared out of my ever loving mind.  There I said it.

As you know from my last few posts, I feel called to do missions in Haiti long-term.  While that is an incredibly exciting thing for me, it scares the crap out of me.  I don't feel adequate for the job. I'm only 22 and moving to another country is simply terrifying.  How do I move away from my family?  What am I going to be doing while I'm there?  Am I really fit for this?  Were these last four years of college for nothing?  Will my design degree even be able to be used over there? What about my friends?  How do I pay my student loans off?  What about my plans? My dreams?  How long will I be there? What happens after? Am I prepared for what I'll see and experience there?  Can I handle it?

I know this all sounds incredibly selfish.  And I know God has a plan.  But right now I'm just constantly wondering, and it's terrifying.  I like to have a plan.  I like to know what's coming next so I can prepare myself.  Growing up I had a plan: I would go to college, fall in love, graduate, become a designer, get married, have kids, and open my own design firm one day. I never in a million years thought I'd be going to Haiti after college.  I remember as a young girl sitting in church listening to the stories from various missionaries and thinking wow, what incredible people they are.  I never, EVER thought God would make me one of them.  While I love Haiti, the people, the culture, the kids, and everyone working there, and I am very excited to work there, I still find myself laying awake at night wondering why God chose me.  I'm no one special.  I'm just like any other girl. He clearly sees something in me that I do not.  I know this is where He wants me.  I know I have to go.  And I know when I'm standing on the other side of things, I'll look back on this post and laugh at myself for ever questioning it.  I know it will all work out, I'm just scared.  I've never done anything like this.  I'm used to going for a week or two and then coming back to the safety and comfort of life here.  I don't know how to give up everything familiar and comfortable.  I don't know how to live in a place where my family is not a short drive away, and I don't speak the languate.  I don't know if I can do it. I just keep praying over and over and over again that God will give me the strength and the courage.  He never promised our calling would be easy, but He did promise to be with us every step of the way.

I've heard asking God these kinds of questions is not bad, that it simply draws us closer to him, but I feel terrible inside for questioning His calling.  I feel like the "right" thing to do is have faith 100% and jump in no questions asked.  I feel guilty for being scared and feeling inadequate.  That's why I almost didn't write this post.  I didn't want to admit to everyone that I'm terrified.  But at the end of the day, I still lay awake in my bed scared out of my mind, so I figured I might as well share my struggles.  Maybe I'm not crazy for feeling this way?  I'm not sure.  All I know is that regardless my fear, I still trust God has a plan, and I can't deny the calling He has put in my heart.  I just wish I understood it all and knew what was coming next.  I'm simply terrified.  However, in the end I guess God doesn't call us to be comfortable, or know all of His plans for our lives, He just asks us to have faith.  And I'm trying.  I really am.  I just need your prayers, now more than ever.

I keep holding onto these verses, and praying for the strength and courage I need now and will need as this journey continues.  I'm scared, but I trust God. I am excited to go to Haiti, and I know this will be amazing as long as I keep trusting Him, even when I am scared.

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6


"David also said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished." -1 Chronicles 28:20


"Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10

Haiti Trip Update

I just realized it has been a while since I gave you an update on our upcoming trip to Haiti.  Our letters are sent out, dates have been set, arrangements have been made, and the money is starting to come in.  We set our final dates to May 21-31, and we will be staying at Dorothy Pearce's house again.  I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to get on that plane and fly to Haiti.  The first thing I want to do is get out of that truck, give Dorothy a big hug, and then go wrap my arms around little Johnny and all of the other kids.  I cannot wait to see their faces light up with excitement, to show Richardson and the girls some surprises we're bringing for them, and to sit down with Dorothy and catch up.  I know God is calling me to Haiti and I am so very excited to see how He is going to use this trip.  Dorothy is going to try to introduce me to some other ministries while we are down there, and I am looking forward to talking to both her and Katie about how they made the move.  My mind is almost always on Haiti and trying to figure out the logistics of moving to another Country.  The support from my family and friends has been amazing.  I was worried my family may be hesitant about the idea, but they have all welcomed it with open arms and are supporting me 100%.  I don't know the specifics of God's plan yet, but it is such a wonderful feeling to experience his guidance.  To know that He is calling me, a fresh from college 22 year old, into ministry is hard to believe at times, but it is also the most incredible thing to experience.  I never thought growing up that I'd be the missionary the church was sending or supporting, yet here I am.  I am beginning what will probably be the most difficult yet rewarding path in my life and I am so excited to see what God is going to do with it.

Right now my goal is to finish raising the money for our upcoming trip and to continue talking with my contacts in Haiti.  I could really use your support and prayers in this journey.  I still need to raise $600 for my trip in May and when the time comes to make the move I will need financial supporters. Most of all I need your prayers right now.  Please pray that God will continue to open up doors for me in this journey. That I would be open and willing to go and do whatever He calls me to do. Please pray that my eyes and ears will remain open to hear and follow his calling. Please pray for me as I try to understand and organize the logistics of this trip.  Pray that God will show me exactly where He wants me and that He will provide the way to get there.  I cannot do this alone.  It is only through Christ's power that this journey will be made possible, and I ask that you will pray with me as it unfolds.

If you would like to support my upcoming trip to Haiti you can mail a check made out to Allyson Hemric at:

833 Montlieu Ave Box 21104   

High Point, NC 27262

I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and support for all of my trips over the last few years.  Your support means the world to me and this journey would not have been possible without you.  From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!

Thursday Thoughts: One Month

In exactly one month from right this minute, I will be an official college graduate.  I will probably be packing up the final things in my room, eating lunch with my family, and heading home.  It doesn't seem possible.  As I worked in Norton last night finishing up the phase 4 part of my Senior Seminar project I just sat in disbelief.  This is the last project I will ever work on in Norton.  The last rendering i'll do at the drafting tables, the last all nighters I'll pull in the CAD lab, the last nights of craziness with the design girls. The last everything.  It's such a bittersweet thing to take in.  As much as I hate working late in Norton and the stress surrounding it, I love all the times I've had in there.  I've loved all of our 2am Diner runs, laughing until we cry, the breakdowns, the dancing, the singing, the joy of turning in projects, and everything else that has taken place in that building.  I've met all of my best friends here at HPU in that building.  I'm living with my roommates now because of design.  It ties us together and unites us all in a way that cannot be understood without experiencing it first hand.  While I will not miss the stress I am going to miss HPU and Norton.

It just does not seem possible that I'm graduating college.  I feel like I'm still the sophomore sitting at the drafting tables thinking there is absolutely no possible way I'm going to graduate in this major.  I remember watching the seniors over the last two years work on their senior seminar and now here I stand.  The senior working on my own final project.  It just doesn't seem real.  Meredith and I keep asking what do we do next?  How do we go about life with no more school?  I've been in school for practically my whole life, what's next?  Are we really ready to be out in the real world and take it on ourselves?  I'm not sure.

I have absolutely no clue what's going to happen next.  All of the plans I came up with in my mind have been rearranged and flipped upside down.  It's no longer up to me where I want to go next, I have to trust God will put me where He wants me.  Right now I believe that's in Haiti.  As I've said before I have no clue how to go about that, but I'm following God's call and going where He leads.  I know it will all come together.  I know He has a plan that will blow my wildest expectations. I know He knows my future and will piece it together perfectly.  I may be scared, but I know He will take care of me.  So for now, while I may not know what happens after May 5th, I know right now my job is to finish this project and graduate strong.  Even though I'm a little terrified.


For now, this is my job:

The last hand renderings I'll do in Norton....crazy.

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Birthday Festivities

I turned 22 this week.  22!!! How is that possible??  Anyways, it has been a great weekend.  Three of my best friends from home came up to spend the weekend and we went out with my friends from school.  Friday night we all went out for dinner and bowling.  Saturday the guys and Jess played some basketball while Cassie and I caught up, and then we all went to the Steakhouse (they were a bit jealous of our wonderful school).  We finished the night with a swim in the hot tub, a half game of phase 10, and a movie. It was a lot of fun! I am so blessed to have such amazing friends!  They showered me with love and filled the weekend with lots of laughs.  I love them all and cannot thank them enough for such a wonderful birthday!

Here are some photo highlights of the weekend.

Love these guys!

 All of my favorite ladies!

 A little goofing off.

 And a little more.

 You can't visit HPU and not explore the Dream Big Chairs.

 Steakhouse.

 Only my cousin.  

 Best friends.