Pantone's Color of the Year Released!

Pantone has released the color of 2013 and it's the bold and beautiful Emerald. I'm slightly a little excited because emerald is the birthstone of May babies. I'm also eager to see how this shade of green will enter our lives next year through all the facets of design: fashion, technology, interiors, and even food.

I will miss the liveliness of Tangerine Tango, Color of 2012, but I'm very excited to see this luxurious gem in the world around us. I think a fabulous side job would be to work for this company on their color design team. It would be very fun to be a part of the people that bring color in to this world which gives us all meaning and function. I always love to see what they've come up each year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That ring is gorgeous! Emerald had already made a striking scene in our world and I can't wait to see more! I'm looking forward to branching out and getting a little bit of emerald in my life. How is the new Color of the Year going to make its debut in yours?

 

 

2013 Is So Close!

Whether you like it or not, Christmas is 7 days away and then the 2013 will be here. That is, if the Mayans are right. ;) Anyway, I want ring in this new year in a fun fashion with a date with the lover boy. I'm sure we'll be attending a party somewhere with all the frat guys but hopefully we can have a little time to ourselves.

So whether you are hanging out with friends, family, or your significant other, there's no reason why you can't have a great night without spending a ton of money. Nobody has any money left over from Christmas anyway!

A couple of budget-friendly ideas to do on New Year's night are:

1. Dinner and a movie - it's cliche but always an all-time favorite. Rent a movie with RedBox and cook up a delicious crock pot meal. You can do better than Hungry Man. Get online and find that perfect meal. Pinterest is great when it comes to recipes! Tune in to your news station and watch the New York ball drop. Remember it's at 11 pm our time! Estimated cost: $10-15

2. Have a fondue party - How fun does this sound? Ring in the new year with fondue and strawberries. There's a ton of other great snacks that go great with chocolate such as marshmallows, pretzels, apples, bananas, or crackers. Allow people to bring their own fondue recipe and have a taste testing contest! Estimated cost: $20

3. Take a trip down memory lane - I always love reminiscing on the past year's embarrassing moments. Play the "Who Did It?" Game. Before your guests arrive, come up with a good list of some great moments that happened this past year. A few starters are: who got a terrible tattoo, who joined the military, who got drunk and fell down the stairs of the frat house, who made out with who totally wasted, you get the idea. Make index cards with the answers on the back and allow everyone to guess "Who Did It?" You could also turn this into a Bingo game. Estimated cost: $5 and under

4. Go bowling - Most bowling alleys are open late on the 31st so grab some peeps and show off your skills! Super cheap and hilarious to watch! Estimated cost: $10

5. Watch fireworks - Whether you're at home or out and about on New Year's Eve, don't forget to stop and see some fireworks. If you're planning on lighting a few yourself that's cool, I for one, don't do fire. I will be watching from far, far away. It's always fun to go out to where your city launches fireworks and watch those. Here in Birmingham, they shoot off of Red Mountain over Vulcan. A great place to sit and watch is on Main Street in Homewood. They close it off, so you can bring a blanket and relax. Some of the restaurants stay open too! Estimated cost: FREE (unless you're purchasing fireworks)

And don't forget about your dress! Forever 21 has a great selection of dresses.

 

 

 

Just For Laughs...

There's always some kind of drama situation happening around Christmas in my family. Who's bringing who, who's not bringing who, and whatever else. That's one's reason why I love the holidays. We've all got the holiday blues, but don't forget what Christmas is all about. Here are a few pictures to keep you in the holiday spirit.

Prayers for Peace for Connecticut

I'm sure you've all heard the horror that struck this nation with the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT this morning. Twenty precious, innocent children were shot and killed along with six teachers and staff as well. "Evil visited this community today," the state's governor said earlier. President Obama said, "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do." According to a teacher, who locked her students up in the classroom bathroom, kids were crying, saying they just wanted to have Christmas. For those parent's, this will always be a painful memory for years to come. Christmas will never be the same.

 

 

It breaks my heart to think that these parents dropped their kids off at school this morning and came home without them. I can't imagine showing up at the crime scene waiting to hear if their child was dead or alive. It must have be the most terrifying thing in the world. I couldn't imagine losing a child. I've seen people go through it and it kills me every time. It terrifies me to even think about having children! You just never know. The world isn't as safe as a place that you thought it was as a kid. I can't imagine what the children that heard the gunshots who lost friends that they'll never see again are feeling right now. Scared, confused, disturbed. They'll have to go to counseling and will probably never forget this day.

And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and he has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

 

Tonight, I pray for peace for the victims' parents. I pray for an everlasting comfort that only our Father in heaven can give. I pray for the community of Newtown, that they will come together in this time of terror and love on their neighbors. I pray for the state of Connecticut, that they will provide these parent's with some sort of closure and reassurance. Nothing can bring back a child but knowing that an entire state is on your side can be some what comforting. I'm at a loss for words. There's nothing you can say or do to make things better. Justice has been served. If you believe in the power of prayer, then pray for these sweet families. If you don't, think happy thoughts. I question that if there were more prayer in schools, less of these attacks would happen. I don't know. What I do know is that it's painfully disgusting. I am saddened for these parent's and I pray that peace comes soon for them.

 

 

My Career is also My Passion

I read this interesting article in Interior Design magazine last night and it gave me hope about this once lost field of interior design. Sometimes it's hard to really sell people on why you should hire a designer. The majority of the public has no clue what we do. Most people think they can do it themselves or just hire a decorator. This is where I have to correct people. I'm not a decorator! Decorators do not have a degree, have not been certified by the National Council of Interior Design, or do not have a working knowledge on the health, safety, and welfare of the public. I am a designer.

The article in ID, was taken from a survey from the year 2012:

• 83% of the designers in the world are female
• 97% of female designers have a college degree
• 48% have the NCIDQ certification (National Council for Interior Design Qualification)
• 37% have the LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Envrionmental Design)
• 50% are members of IIDA (International Interior Design Assoc.)
• 24% work in the Southeast (the largest percentage in the nation)
• 84% say they are happy in their chosen profession
• 11% of salaries jumped in the past year
• 50% of the factors that impacted job satisfaction were the balance of work and life
• 11% of companies are now offering retirement plans
• 75% of companies have hired NEW designers
• 74% of companies offer health insurance
• 46% of employees received a raise
• 78% of those raises were rewarded for job performance

And that's just the half of it. The entire article really pumps me up about graduation and getting out there to find a job. I feel a little more at ease that jobs are becoming more and more available each year and that the designers that are already in the field feel secure and pleased with their job. Hopefully more clients out there are finding that designers do have the touch that makes a project go from ordinary to EXTRAordinary. The skills that we learn in school are skills your average Suzy Homemaker isn't capable of giving you. We have insight information about human behavior, ergonomics, accessibility, functionality, and circulation. We care more about the function of a space and how you'll live in it every day more than just the pillows and the paint on the wall.

Do me a favor and quit watching HGTV. Okay, I still watch it too but take everything they say with a grain of salt. They are trying to make design into entertainment and all that does it show the world how worthless designers are. It doesn't give us the credibility we deserve and have worked hard for.

Now that I'm off my soapbox. The article was awesome and I encourage you, if you're a design student or if you're just interested, to go online and read through it. There's a place in this world for designers. We make the world a better place for YOU to live in and then we make it pretty.

A quote from the article that I love: "Designers are blessed - our career is also our passion. I can't get enough of it, so it doesn't feel like work." - Hannah Harbert, FirstEnergy Corp

ӨX Banquet & Party

This weekend was a very special one due to a very special fraternity being installed as a national chapter at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. This great group of guys have worked so hard for this and I am so proud of their dedication and loyalty to their brothers. My boyfriend, Jimmy, was elected president for the coming year and he is especially excited about this new opportunity to be a leader to his brothers. And with that, I am now known as the the First Lady. I am loving this new title.

Saturday morning the guys had their private ceremony and then later that night was a fancy banquet at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham. If you haven't visited this place, you need to. It was really nice, and everyone was very polite and able to help when asked. Being the president of a fraternity means sitting at a special table on stage so that meant I wasn't able to sit with him. I sat next to a good friend of mine so everything was fine. We had an amazing dinner consisting of a Cesar salad, bread, chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans followed by a delicious apple pie. I enjoyed my dinner but I'm sure that wasn't the focus of Jimmy. He was asked to give a closing speech so he was a little nervous. There was around 200+ people in attendance - brothers and their dates, alumni, parents, and other important folks. Needless to say, all eyes would be on him towards the end of the night.

As we finished dinner, those important folks spoke a few words of encouragement and guidance that was nice. When Jimmy came to speak, he used his height for a quick icebreaker. His speech went great and he really didn't sound nervous at all! I was super proud! We met and greeted a lot of people and took a lot of pictures. We got to keep the beautiful bouquet of carnations (the flower of ӨX) to take with us.

The after party came next that we held at the guys new frat house. A bunch of people showed up and we all had a great time.

Below are some pictures I took of this eventful day.

 

 

 

So proud of you guys! Love you all!

 

 

The Best Christmas Vase Fillers

I have a thing for vases of all sizes. I have collected about twelve since I moved into this apartment. I think I'm more obsessed with vase fillers. There are so many unique ways to fill a vase instead of using those Dollar Store pebbles. Although, those are pretty. This Christmas, I had a blast finding things to use my vases and I've even found a lot more cute ideas on the one and only Pinterest! Thing of your ideas as you scroll through mine and then share them with us!

Cranberries - Real, whole cranberries smell great and look amazing in a vase. I tried to eat one and wasn't too impressed. They've lasted about three weeks now without rotting so this might be my new favorite.

Ornaments and Bells - I actually did find these gold bells at the Dollar Store. The ornaments came from a bigger container of balls that are on our tree. I thought the glimmer looked good when it hits the light a certain way!

Candy Canes - A love the way they look in this small square vase. So simple yet so elegant.

Hershey's Kisses - I stop by a grab a few almost every time I walk to the kitchen. The colors add a special but sweet touch to my Christmas decor!

Throw away the pebbles and stop by a grocery store or a hobby store and find a new filler for your vase! I love to find new things that make my next vase pop!

Check out these other awesome ideas I found online!

 

I love the pine cone treatment with the fake snow. Definitely going to go hunting for small enough pine cones to use for my next vase!

 

And if you have a newborn baby, they also make great vase fillers! :)

Happy Decorating!