Who Wants To Learn...

...in a classroom that looks like this?

Most of us are used to this kind of environment. It's a very common layout for today's school systems.

Growing up I was blessed enough to have a separate playroom for all my toys. Something you didn't know about me: I love to play school. My mother bought me all kinds of stuff for my classroom. I had a whiteboard, an overhead projector, real school books with worksheets, borders for my bulletin board, and more. I even had things that had my name on them: Miss. Osborn's class. My friends would come over and we'd all play school, after we'd get home from real school. It was crazy! We loved it! I was destined to become a teacher. I had a change of heart and chose design but it would be really cool if I got into designing school systems. They would be the most colorful and fun rooms! Here are some really awesome schools that I have found all over the world. Notice they all have a few things in common.

 

As you can tell the main theme of design is keeping the structural elements natural if not all white and bringing color through the accents and furniture. And by color, I mean lots of bright colors! Another key element is all the natural daylight. Children are more apt to learn better and stay awake in an environment like the ones above. Locking a child into a room with hardly any windows is not the best learning experience. More daylight = better worker productivity = better grades. That goes for middle and high school kids as well. I would love to go back to school if I could spend my day in one of these schools. Most kids flip out when they have to go to school because it's a new place that's scary and mom isn't there. But if schools were designed with a fun and inviting atmosphere it would make it more easier to transition the child into school when they're young.

Think back when you were at school. What did the classroom environment feel like? Did you enjoy going to school? Was it easy to stay awake and engage in the conversation? If any of the answers were "no" think about the look and feel of the room. Daylight? Fun colors? White walls? There are so many things that go into making a place easy and enjoyable to work in including HVAC. Schools, especially, need to be able to function and be aesthetically pleasing for children to learn in.

That's it for today! I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Meet My New Niece

I have been a little busy getting ready for the birth of my sister's first baby girl. She was born Feb. 23 at 2:02 pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs 8 oz and was 19" long. So you can imagine out teeny tiny she must be! Her name is Evalee Anne and she is so precious. Everything went great and mom, dad, and baby are doing just fine. They are planning on coming home from the hospital Sunday at noon. Here are few pictures of my new niece. I am a blessed aunt!

This is the fourth baby I have been blessed to aunt, the second girl.

So tiny.. you just don't even know.

The bigger the bow, the better!

Pretty blue eyes!! :)

I couldn't resist! She's even cute when she's screaming!

Roll Tide!

My favorite.

The happy family!

She's a sleeper, that's for sure! But when her pretty blue eyes are open, they are so sweet. I can't wait to watch her grow up and see her little personality shine. We think she's going to be a gymnist because she loves to throw her little legs up in the air!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

James 1:17

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

12 Pink Rooms You'll Love

Growing up, I always loved the color pink. A part of me, as I got older, felt as though it was more of a little girl's color and I slowly began to grow out of it. Don't get me wrong, I still like the color but I don't really own anything in the color pink! I was doing some research on the color pink and I found that:

• Pink is essentially a light red and is usually associated with love and romance.
• Pink is thought to have a calming effect. One shade known as "drunk-tank pink" is sometimes used in prisons to calm inmates. Sports teams sometimes paint the opposing teams locker room pink to keep the players passive and less energetic. 
• While pink's calming effect has been demonstrated, researchers of color psychology have found that this effect only occurs during the initial exposure to the color. When used in prisons, inmates often become even more agitated once they become accustomed to the color.

So that led me to look up some successful interiors that used soft pink to give a calming, soothing feel. A few of my favorite pink rooms were:

In some of the spaces the color brings an antique patina that is beyond amazing. The last picture, of the little girl's room, is exactly what I would have killed for as a child. Without knowing anything about this color, it automatically made me feel relaxed, and, in a weird way, sickly. Myabe because I'm currently down with a terrible cold!

Today, as an adult, I can't get away from bright, hot pink interiors. It just looks so fabulous in certain spaces and adds a funky, play feel. In some spaces, hot pink is great as just an accent color up against pure white walls. You could simply add some throw pillows or recover some on chairs just add a little pink in your life! In other spaces, like kicthens, I am a sucker for hot pink cabinets. These are some of my favorite hot pink rooms:

I will visit this Barbie house one day!

How do you feel about the color pink? Does it make you feel more calm and relaxed or does it make you feel playful and loud? Even if you're like my sister and hate the color pink, you have to admit some of the rooms, if not all, are fabulous - in both shades!

Valentine's Blues



I hope everyone had a great day full of love and laughter. I enjoyed my day, some what, spending it with my grandparents and my mother. I woke up feeling extremely ill but I had an exam to take at 10:00 am. I pulled myself out of bed and fought with my sore throat and headache just so I could make it to class. After the exam, I asked to be excused so I could go to the doctor. There, I sat for over an hour waiting to find out what I infection I had. The resident that was examining me decided at the last minute that she wanted to draw some blood. I'd never had this procedure done before, not even for blood drives, so needless to say I was a tad bit nervous. It hurt.. a lot. But it determined that I had walking pneumonia. The doc then proceeded to give me a steroid shot and antibiotic shot in both hips along with take home meds and cough syrup. Can you guess how I spent my day? Sleeping... I'm still a little sore in my arm and hips and my throat hasn't completely healed up yet but I'm hoping to be feeling better by morning. I can't afford to miss anymore school or work so this bug as got to go!

My boyfriend and I opted for spending V-Day this weekend hopefully stuffing our face with Japanese steak and chicken (my favorite!) and exchanging gifts. I can't wait to give him his goodies that have been on my dresser calling my name for about two weeks now!! Valentine's Day is just another day that should really be celebrated every day. You should give your sweetheart gifts and love throughout the whole year, not just on one day! But, it's a great excuse for CHOCOLATE, and I wont pass that up! My daddy surprised my mom and I with both a dozen roses and a big box of candy to "share..." I'm not sure how you're supposed to share chocolate but it was very nice of him!

I'll probably watch a few sappy love stories in and out of sleeping for the rest of the night and eat, eat, eat all my candy and then pass out!

I hope everyone felt loved and apprecaited today because even if you didn't have a date, you are loved so very much by the Greatest love of all - Jesus! He's is truest, most purest form there is! Don't forget that!

 

Shopping Small

I am a HUGE supporter of local/small shops. I love designer clothing and accessories more than anything. I'd rather pay double for a shirt at a boutique than get caught with someone wearing the exact same thing. There's a few clothing store around town that have some of the cutest clothing. And what's great about them, they only trade one of every size, so chances are nobody will have the same thing as you! I love it! A couple of boutiques in the 280/Homewood area are:

Forever Young - Hwy 280 - by Books A Million: From babies to young adults they sell what I like to call shabby chic clothing, which I adore! They also have baby - toddler clothing along with shoes and accessories. Here's a dress that I bought:

This dress is totally my favorite thing in my closet. I wore it to the Rascal Flatts concert this past weekend and I got so many compliments. Two things I can't live without: lace and pearls! I love it!!

The prices run fairly cheap - if a waitress can afford it, it's pretty good! They always have great sales too! I haven't found something that was way over my price range, yet.

a.k.a girl stuff - Homewood - in the Soho area: I love this little shop because they get some of the craziest and adorable things in. From magic boxers to high class clothing. They have lots of collegiate themed stuff such as Alabama/Auburn lounge wear and undies. The handmade jewelry they have is absolutely stunning and they also sell Bride/Groom and Bachelorette things. They also have fun books and decor. I mostly shop there for the fun gifts they have to offer; it's definitely a place for a special present that they'll never forget!

The prices for accessories/decor are cheap, but they clothing is a little high. Very cute stuff, if you can afford it!

Follow Them of Facebook!



If you're in the area and have a little time, stop in at two of my favorite places. You wont regret it...!

Stay Warm!

 

Country Chic

I've been in the country mood lately getting ready for the concert on Friday and I've been seeing so many beautiful spaces done in a rustic country style. I've always been a fan of wood in it's most pure natural state, unstained and left untouched. I even like to see nips and scratches because it adds a child-like character to the piece. Natural floors, kitchen islands, and even pallet coffee tables are a must have in my future home. I've put together some great reasons why everyone loves the rustication of natural wood.

Green, please! A green product is something that betters the environment and doesn't harm it in the making of the product. Natural wood comes straight from the tree to your table. This means there's no off-gasing from staining the wood. That's always nice.

It's something that will always look good in whatever space you put it in. Natural wood is something that will always goes with whatever decorating style you're into at the time. If you're like me, I love to change up my room every so often. So having large pieces, "fixed furniture," in your home that are easy to decorate around is a plus. Leave your personal "style" to the accents like pillows, artwork, and flower arrangements. Take this breakfast table for example, no matter what chairs you put around this table, it will always food fabulous. And if you're a family person, this table is great for family activities and homework time. The shutters in the first photo are stunning. The rocker in the second photo may not serve as actual seating but looks great in the seating arrangement. The coffee table and linen cabinet in the second photo look like two pieces granny passed down. Great for any room of the house and can serve as mulitple uses. It's a great mix of old and new. Using old barnwood is both green and a great source for natural wood. This kitchen island is great. If you have a grandpa, like me, who has an old barn wait for that sucker to fall down and go grab all that wood and save it! Do not use it for camp fires.

It brings the outside in. Studies have proven that everyone like to be outside. Nature brings out the best in people; their psychological and behavioral moods are more healthy and reserve when spending time outdoors. Who doesn't need a little extra Vitamin D? That patio in the first photo is stunning. I'd love to wake up and drink my coffee out there every morning. The log furniture is both masculine and cute. If you have a brick wall like in the second photo, don't you dare touch it! It adds so much character in the space. And in the last photo, those natural hardwood floors.... There's just something about their untouched beauty that makes me fall in love with them every time.

I hope next time you see an awesome piece at the thrift store you won't automatically think "Let's paint that turquiose!" But instead you'll think about stripping it down and leaving it to look country chic.

Thanks for reading!

Tip Money Paid Off

I recently purchased my first pair of cowgirl boots, and cried a little because they were expensive. I wanted them for the Rascal Flatts concert that is next weekend (YAY!). It was one of those purchases I dreaded but when I got them in the mail, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I went crazy opening up the box and after I put them on and walked around a bit, I fell in love. I made my mother take a few pictures of me wearing them. Here's a few.

And to all the people who came into Dreamland and gave me their money, thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have these boots!! You are appreciated and loved! :)