Hey All,

I am writing this post to you right after my last final! That’s right, I’m all done with this Fall 2010 semester and couldn’t be happier. Yes, I love my school and the work we do, but man am I excited to have a much needed break!! I think my final exams and presentations went pretty darn good so I couldn’t be happier! I wanted to leave you all with some Holiday Cheer so I wanted to give you a list of steps to help you relax through the busy Holiday season.

1. Step number one seems like an obvious one, yet it is one that most of us neglect. Basically its simple, when someone offers you help, TAKE IT. Don’t do the usual “oh no I’m fine” or “just bring yourself”. IF someone offers to do dishes, take them up on their offer. If someone offers to bring something to your holiday party, pick something off of you list that will save you some time and energy.

2. Take some “you” time. Make yourself a nice relaxing bath. Go with the works, candles, incense, bubble bath. Truly take the time that you deserve to unwind. Besides it just may save some headaches later.

Hey All!

I have been in such the Christmas spirit and have been so busy decorating my house! I love creating fun little vingnetts to look at in every room and I thought that I could give you all some pointers on how to vreate great little snap shots in your own home.

Like a Hollywood set designer, you can create a holiday scene, or vignette, to dress up your home. Create your holiday vignette anywhere: in an entry hall or sitting area; on your front porch; on the lawn, or the sidewalk. Your holiday vignettes don’t have to be larger than life nor bigger than your budget.

Making vignettes is easy if you keep these things in mind:

• Have a backdrop such as a wall, a house, or a landscape from which to build depth. Arrange items to draw the viewer into your scene. Most likely, your vignette will have a tablescape of some sort except when you decorate outside for certain holidays.

• Let the vignette tell a story. For example, a front porch with two rocking chairs on each side of a small table with a large glass pitcher of lemonade and two glasses says, “Relax and take comfort here.” Add an American flag waving in the breeze hung from the column and red, white, and blue bunting draped on the porch rail, and you have a picture of what America is like on the Fourth of July. And isn’t it comforting?

Here’s an instant formula for making holiday vignettes:

• Focal point: Is your eye automatically drawn to something you’ve decided to single out?

• Tablescape: Make sure that you have at least one tablescape in your vignette if you’re arranging interiors. Exterior tablescape vignettes are fine, too, but for some holidays, you may not need one.

• Vertical element: A Christmas tree, hanging wreath, banner, tall item on tablescape, or other item to draw the eye up is always necessary.

• Cluster of holiday items: Instead of scattering a few items to cover a large area, group them close together to engage continuity.

• Continuity to surroundings: Does your vignette flow well from one room to the next? Does it match the room’s feel? Does it make you have a particular “feeling” when you look at it? Stand back and evaluate.

• Camera or photo frame test: Remember to check your work by looking through a camera or eyeing your vignette design through an empty photo frame. Edit your vignette as necessary.

• Lighting: If you need to, use up lights, candles, or lamps to light up interior vignettes to draw attention to them; use spotlights, floodlights, luminarias, or porch lights to accent exterior vignettes. If you decorate with items that provide illumination themselves, you don’t need to go to additional lighting measures.

Here are some awesome pictures of vingnettes!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

‘Till Next Time,

Kris

Hey All!

In honor of finals week I have decided to give you all some helpful tips on being organized. Do you balance more activities, projects, and tasks than there are hours in a day? Do you think sleep is a myth? If you constantly find yourself having to schedule in five-minute appointments with yourself just to down a bagel and keep going, you may have what some people refer to as “a hectic schedule.” I know the meaning of stress, and I know the importance of staying organized. Here are some of my own personal lifesaving tips. As my friends know, I am definitely a type A personality and couldn’t not survive without being organized, having lists, and keeping my day planner on me at all times.
1. Write everything down.
In fact, write everything down multiple times. I feel relaxed just by rifling through my brain and coming up with a list of what needs to get done, and when. Carry a planner, so you don’t have to rack your brain if someone asks what you’re doing Saturday, November 15, at 3:30 p.m. Tape a list of upcoming homework assignments next to your bed, and cross off each completed task when you’re finished. Nothing feels more gratifying than crossing something off of your “to do” list!
2. Use Technology to Your Advantage.
My favorite tool on my laptop? The Stickies application. I have notes open (in all different colors, of course) for my banking and credit card info, upcoming assignments, important e-mail addresses, etc. As long as you have your computer, you’ll never lose them or accidentally throw them out; they’re easier to manage than rifling through a hundred pages to find one reminder; and they can conveniently disappear behind your Microsoft Word or Firefox windows, OR you can set them as a “floating window” so they’re always visible. BlackBerries, iPhones, and other digital instruments can work to your advantage, and send you preset reminders so you never forget.
3. Plan ahead.
Finished everything for today? It might be easy to crash on the couch and watch reruns for hours, just so you don’t have to think. But then you might be stressed again tomorrow. Look at your calendar, and see if there’s anything you can get a jump start on, or anything you can work on now to give yourself time to party like a rock star on Saturday. Forcing yourself to work when you’re beat might seem like cruel and unusual self-discipline, but as a fellow workaholic, I can affirm: We did this to ourselves.

‘Till Next Time,

Kris

Hey All!

Sorry it has taken me so long to write another post. My life has become a whirlwind of work and school! So, this week is the last week of classes for the Fall Semester and boy are we all feeling the pressure of finals creeping in. I wanted to give you a quick rundown on what is happening in each of my classes so you have a taste of what preparations for finals is like.

Construction Documents: We have a 100% final Document Set due on Monday. The 10 sheets due are the  cover sheet, demolition plan, floor plan, 12 interior elevations, 3 enlarged plans, reflected ceiling plan, 12 details, door and finish schedule, and the furniture plan. All have to be dimensioned and labeled accordingly. can you say time consuming???

Contract Design: We are in groups designing different showrooms, my team being the Vespa showroom. We have our final presentation on Tuesday so we are busily preparing our boards which include the concept board, floor plan, reflected ceiling plan, 2 elevations, an overall section, 3 perspectives, and materials and finishes… all rendered.

Lighting: We got a project to do a complete lighting package for an up-scale loft condo. it is due the day of our Final Exam and that projects includes and Reflected ceiling plan for each floor, a switching diagram for each floor, a fixture schedule, and all of the fixture cut sheets.

English Lit: Not much to do in this class to prepare for my final exam other than just reviewing what we went over in class and preparing some essays that I think will be on the exam. It is sad that writing multiple essays just to study has become an easy class…

History or Furniture and Architecture: For our final exam on Friday, we have a paper due that is on a historical building and our exam is on EVERYTHING!! This is the final I am dreading the most…

Other than all of that work…. ive got nothing else to do! haha. Well, between working and school I think that I am going to be pretty busy within the next two weeks. I wish you all luck on your finals and I’ll be writing more posts to help you along the way!!

‘Till Next Time,

Kris