7.) Button

Yesterday, the 7th of February the challenge was buttons.  As I was not wearing any buttons, I took a trip to my desk drawer to see what buttons I could find.  I found two, one of a mannequin head and another that says "Goats Rock!".  Because of course who doesn't love goats, at least their hair when used in a fine commercial carpet.  I hope you enjoyed this visit into my desk drawer, please come again!

XO

6.) Dinner

Dinner on the 6th was delicious Pesto Chicken Pizza from Village Host Pizza here in Lexington.  The original Village Host is in San Francisco.  The owner of the Lexington location began working at the San Fran locale when he was 16 and loved it so much he wanted to open one up here in Lexington where he ended up living most of his adulthood.  He purchased the recipes from his former employer and recreated what he loved about the West Coast restaurant.  And we love it too, it is right next to my office (so it is convenient), happy hour (of course) and delicious pies!

XO

5.) 10 a.m.

hearts to start a convo.

Last Sunday before the Superbowl at 10 a.m. I was waiting in the car for my husband and snagged this photo of me snacking on some conversation hearts before running our weekend errands.  Notice I only have yellow and white hearts, my favorite flavors.

XO

4.) A Stranger, or a room full of them

It's officially Day 8 of the challenge and I've already failed, I'm hanging my head in shame!  Today I'm posted Day 4.  I was unable to find a stranger that I felt comfortable taking their picture so I have two options for this challenge: 

-The picture above is a stranger to me, I went on a concert tour in Chi-Town one summer and met this monk while walking in the park.  He took a picture with my "ugly doll", that strangely resembles a good friend of mine (it's the hairy chest).

-The picture below is the UK vs Florida game that the husband and I went to last night.  Which our #1 ranked team won by many points! I was technically in a room full of thousands of strangers. See them all?

Now that I've officially loopholed the heck out of this challenge, be prepared for a ton of make-up posts.  I have another busy week again and will be traveling tomorrow all day for a site visit 3.5 hours away from home.  So I'm trying to post when I can as of lately.  Looking forward to a relaxing weekend full of grading projects, which my students will be turning in today.

Happy Hump Day

XO

3.) Hands

Day 3 awaits us! Holding Hands with the hubby.  I just love him!

Today is my beautiful mother-in-law's birthday and we will be celebrating tonight.  Tomorrow is dinner with wonderful friends and Sunday is Super Bowl, again with the family.

Have a fantastic Friday! I am so glad that it is here.
XO

2.) Words

Day Dos Folks! I have held on to this magazine cover for a while now.  I keep it at my desk and pull it out every now and then.  That's exactly what I did today actually.  My first attraction was the font, how beautifully the letters started, ended, and interconnected.  Also, I love grey & yellow color combination.  But the word transformation applies to my life as of recently.  I am trying to figure out basically what I want to be and when.  

What I mean by that is, we hope to start trying for a family this year.  But due to outside constraints and complications (none health related God willing) the timing is not ideal.  And I am hoping very soon for that transformation of becoming a mother to happen sometime very soon.  

Also, I am enjoying teaching at UK so much.  I am slowly transforming into an educator.  I never thought I would become one, in the academic sense of the word.  But, I enjoy teaching my students about the professional side of design and that there's more to it than funky curved walls and theories.  Do I want to this forever? I am not sure yet. 

Thanks for stopping by! I am excited for the upcoming weekend! Lots of happenings with family and friends! 

XO

C

1.) My View Today

I wish this was more picturesque, but that is why this is a challenge right?

So here it is! My View Today! Bahaha! But this is the honest truth.  Most of my day has been at my desk working hard on a hotel design project.  We are beginning the drafting phase, which means a lot of:

-Pandora listening

-Hand cramping (which is why I have Silly Putty, lower right, to work any kinks out)

-List making

-Eye Crossing

Wish me luck!

another designer's view today, jealous!

I will also be seeing my wonderful students today, but thought that would be creepy to take a photo of them all!  Let's see what tomorrow brings friends!

XO

C

I Love A Good Challenge!

Thanks to my good friend Kristen at Adventures of Hummingbird (link here) and Fat Mum Slim (link here), I have decided to join them and participate in the February Photo Challenge!

This is such a great idea! I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this! Check out the blogs and spread the love!

XO

C

School Eve

Tomorrow is my first day of school, as a teacher! I am super excited about this new adventure.  Although I don't think the students are as excited as I am.  I know when I was a student I wish more alumni were around to support us and advise us.  So now this is my chance to give back! I'll let you know how my first day goes.

Our Hudson is almost one year!  I cannot believe it, but we excited to see him grow!

My boy only eats organic natural.

To top it off, it is a full moon so all the crazies are out and my moods are unpredictable.

From our deck.

Hey Big Spendah!

My latest Essie color added to the family, called Big Spender.  Hoping it will brighten up a dark winter wardrobe and pathetic winter season we have had thus far here.

One Year

This picture shows just how happy we were/are!

We did it!  One year ago on this day I married my best friend!  They say the first year is the hardest and most trying and I completely agree.  It's amazing how you can be so in love with someone and no matter how mad you are at them, how much they annoy you and drive you crazy that you still love them unconditionally and no matter what!  Tonight we will be staying in the same hotel we were the night after our wedding.  What a wonderful day it was, it know seems like a dream.  Dinner will be at a local fine restaurant (I'll post about the meal later, hopefully it's divine) along with a recreated wedding cake topper for us to enjoy (since we hardly got to enjoy the cake at our own wedding!) and my parents will be watching our fur child so we can relax!  Happy Anniversary to my partner in crime, best friend, future father of my children, husband! I love you!

That's about all the cake we got to eat! But it was a great party!

Romantic.

Fauxbulous

I have been introduced to a wonderful blog and I want to share the love.  It is called You Are Not A Photographer and is fantastic.  The blog description is:

"Have you noticed how 50 girls you went to school with have set up shop as a "professional" photographer? Having a DSLR does not make you a professional photographer. We're outing these no talents with daily pictures from the worst of the web. We only post pictures that were from a photography "business," and we use that term lightly. Maybe you are one of those photographers. Have a good laugh at yourself. You submit the photos, and we provide the snark."

From a June 20, 2011 post.

Below each photo is a clever line:

"A close up of my kid’s slobber, I’ll treasure it forever.   Yes, this is seriously from a professional photographer.  I think this one will be tough, but how could the fauxtog improved this?"

These folks worthy of making it to this blog are deemed as fauxtographers. If you know a fauxtographer, are in need of a laugh, or you yourself are guilty of committing these acts please visit this site.  They are there to educate and help, not just to mock.  Although its hard not to think about the people that actually pay for some of these photos to be taken.  Enjoy!

M.I.A.

No, not the British rap artist.  I am referring to my lack of posts.  So to all of my adoring fans and readers (ha ha), my recent absence has been long and for that I apologize.  No excuse, just been busy.  House-sitting, dog sitting, puppy raising, working, and a quick road trip to Maryland can really wipe out the month of June fast!  

Our young pup Hudson is now 5 months and comes in a whopping 21 lbs, which is a lot when you think he was only 5 lbs when he arrived! But now with his vaccinations all over, we are now frequenting the dog park.  Hudson is one of the gentlest dogs, he wants to give everyone canine and human kisses.  I hope he stays that way.  But taking your pets to places such as dog parks and dog pools is great for socializing your pet.  Hudson can't get enough of everyone, it also tuckers him out so at home I am not running after him the whole time.  The husband and I are going to take Hudson to a local dog pool to see how he likes it! 

The facilities at Uptown Hounds are so nice, I wish I could swim there too.

 My hope is to get back on the wagon and continue posting.  I need to tell my friends and family that I am even posting or else no one will know what I am writing!  I just need to have confidence in myself, that's all.  Happy Friday and I hope your holiday weekend is a wonderful one!

Bella!

A co-worker of mine is currently on a two-week vacation in Italy.  Jealous yet?  Talking to her about her second trip to Italy brings back so many memories from my week visit with some of my girlfriends in 2006 on our way to our Berlin studio we left the states early to run through Italy before getting to Germany.  It was a fantastic time, we learned so much, saw everything and grew as women.  So I just wanted to share some images from the trip to spark inspiration and hope everyone gets to go on their dream vacation one day! Happy Wednesday!

Early morning Florence.

Stepping off the train in Roma.

Just pluck one off.

Nite Nite.

Yes please.

The Show of the Century, Part Duex

Since I just showed my story and idea behind our Save-The-Dates, I thought it would be appropriate to continue this by talking about my reception extras.  The ticket theme continued at the wedding once the guests arrived for the cocktail hour in the pre-function space. 

Backstage Pass, where all the action happens

I designed both the Save-The-Dates and the Access Passes on Adobe Illustrator.  I had the Save-The-Dates printed through a local supplier, but I decided to print the Access Passes myself using my at-home printer.  Using a hole punch at the top of the passes, my Maid Of Honor and I tied ribbon (0.69 cents a roll from Big Lots!) to each one of them!  One of the great things about these items was that they were black and white, saved a ton of money.  They had the look we wanted and gave guests all the information that they needed.  These clever little suckers told guests their assigned tables and where parking validations were available.  Not to mention a cute little souvenir if they are feeling sentimental.  A ton of the guests, including myself wore them around their necks like Backstage Passes.  The passes for the bridal party read their first name except for Bride, Groom, M.O.H. (for Maid of Honor) and Best Man to give these special people a special touch.

Another detail we added to give our love of music to the mix were the party favors, sunglasses!  Once the guests had received their backstage pass, enjoyed the cocktail hour they still were not allowed into the grand ballroom.  Once the doors opened and the guests matched their passes to their table, tucked into their dinner napkins were a pair of wayfarer sunglasses (not Ray Ban's, we are not made of money).  

Shady Surprise.

All the guest donned their shades with an attitude and helped us dance the night away.  Needless to say, they were a great hit.

My future is so bright, I gotta wear shades.

And as the ballroom grew darker and the drinks were going down smoother we started knocking out the lenses so we could see what we were doing.  Not to mention pulling off some fantastic hipster looks!  

My good friend K, who doubles as a nerd.

 It really ended up being such a personal touch for us and the guests!  We could not have asked for a more perfect celebration!

What's in a name...

First and foremost I am of Christian belief and I don't believe that I am literally controlling or designing my fate.  I was raised believing that if you have a problem/stressed/worried you turn to Him and let him steer the wheel.  I just thought, how appropriate that I am an interior designer and I am blogging about life that this title makes sense for me.  Hopefully I can begin logo designing sometime soon so my title header isn't the sad one it is now.  So as far as my blog title, I hope no one is offended or puzzled. 

Photo: Designing Fate Original, Tokyo March 07

Oo La La

As you will come to find out, I really like to cook.  This talent and love was not found until I moved out of my parent's home.  I was one of those kids that lived with my parents until I was, gasp, gulp, 24! But it was great and no regrets (free food, rent, laundry. hello!).  And now my husband gets to revel in this found love and is always happily my guinea pig.

I love the simplicity of french toast and fruit on Saturday mornings.  See recipe here.

Nom Nom.

Soft Opening

As they say in the hospitality design world, a soft opening is not the grand one.  But a silent transition leading to the grand.  I haven't told a soul that I have decided to start blogging, so I thought a "soft opening" was a fine idea.  As someone new to the blogging world, I am just flying by the seat of my pants at this point.  Fairly intelligent, kind and personable I thought I would give this whole blogging thing a whirl and see how it goes.  I am one of those people who is moderately talented at many things, therefore it is extremely difficult to concentrate and stay focused.  Hopefully I can stay focused on a little 'ol blog.

I love design, fashion, art, history, graphic design and far too many more to mention (I don't want to bore the three people reading this, because then that number might dwindle down to zero!  Haha!).

I would like to enjoy this as an outlet to express ideas, projects, life happenings and such.  I hope all is enjoyable, and I am a people pleaser or so I'm told.

Photo: Designing Fate Original, British Museum May 06