Five Friday Favorites

This week has been a little rough for me... Lots on my mind, lots to do, and graduation is getting closer and closer by the minute! It's all exciting, and I'm certainly ending the week on a high note, which is good. :) 

1. I had some fantastic help from my kitty boy when organizing my Premier Jewelry... He fell asleep shortly after this was taken!

2. Spring on FSU's campus is so pretty. I get to walk by several bushes of these pretty flowers everyday as I go to class, and it just reminds me to take a minute to just breathe and revel in nature's beauty. A great, and necessary, reminder this week. 

3. Organizing helps me relax, so I took a minute this week to organize my bracelets on my dresser. Love it!

4. This comfy yet put together look was exactly what I needed this week, featuring a Native American bracelet I inherited from my grandma.

5. Last night was the FSU Ring Ceremony, where I received my class ring. I got one in high school so i figured why not get one for college too! What I didn't realize is how much tradition is part of getting and wearing your FSU class ring, so this was the first of many (I'm sure) days/nights to come that my impending graduation is a reality check. The past 4 years here have been so wonderful, and I was reminded last night how glad I am to have the guts to transfer schools and start over again at FSU, from scratch almost... I'm going to stop here, because if I keep going I might just cry and I don't have time for tears today! Too much homework to do! lol :)

Happy Friday & Happy Weekend!

--Caroline

Interior Design Website Reveal

I've been excited to share this with y'all for awhile now, but I decided what better time to unveil my official design student website than at the beginning of the New Year?!

Last semester, I took a Portfolio Development class and one of the final deliverables was to create a website where a potential employer could go see a glimpse of my design work and who I am as a person. I enjoyed creating this website so much, and I hope you'll hop on over and take a peek at my work, what inspires me, etc.

Check it out here: carolinendesigns.com

Cheers to 2016, beginning my final semester of college, and getting hired after graduation!

--Caroline

Studio 4 Final Project: Rising Dusk Resort

 

This project was the second healthcare-based project we have done in the program, and my favorite of the two. Located in Taos, New Mexico, my proposed design for a new Medical Tourism facility was inspired by the southwestern sunset. Taking hints from the surrounding environment for the overall design aesthetic, the goal is for the facility to be a comforting, calming, and holistically healing resort with state of the art medical facilities. Focusing on plastic surgery, the Rising Dusk Resort caters to a high-end clientele that will be traveling from all around the US and world to experience the healing powers of the southwestern desert. I went out of the context of the project program and designed a Salt Therapy room, as part of the on-site spa center, to accommodate some alternative medicine techniques for the guests. In the end, I was really proud of how it turned out, and it got me thinking a little more about pursuing healthcare design in the future.

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

It's been awhile since I've done a real Five Friday Favorites, so here's a look at the past week or so!

1. This #ootd was a fun look for me! I love all the layers, both in the necklaces and with the shirt layered on top of my go-to tunic tee.

2. With the semester winding down, I had fun adding small Christmas touches to my apartment, the first of which was updating my wreath with some festive ribbon! 

3. It never gets old to look up from my desk, turn around, and see this little guy sleeping the day away. This time, it was on the nice warm sheets I pulled out of the dryer. Precious!

4. Presentations for our final Studio 4 project were last week, but this week was the final due date for the project book. So happy to done, and proud of how it all turned out. Look for details of the project coming next week to TSL.

5. I turned in the final deliverables for my Portfolio Development class this week, including this prototype for my thank you cards! I've worked very hard this semester on developing my marketing package so I can start applying for jobs soon, and I look forward to sharing parts of it with you in the coming weeks! 

Kyle and I are heading back to Colorado soon to spend some time visiting family and friends, as well as do some wedding planning. I'm excited to get away from the warmth of Florida and into a winter coat, and I'm really hoping it snows while I'm out there!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

This week & this month has flown by! November is nearly here, which means the rest of the semester is going to fly by. Not sure how I feel about that...

1. For my current and final project of the semester, I ordered a ton of samples online because it's so much better to see them in person before you choose. I got them in over the weekend, and I enjoyed laying them out and seeing how they pair together. My major is so fun! :)

2. This was my #ootd for running some errands around town. I love the mix of black, grey, and rose gold.

3. Every fall, the Interior Design department does a department-wide charrette, a project that occurs over several days. Groups are vertical, so my team had one senior (me), two juniors, and a sophomore. This way we can learn from each other and help each other grow as designers. I had so much fun with my group, and I have to say it turned out really well. I'm glad my final charrette was a success!

4. This comfy outfit was perfect for a homework day (my class was cancelled but I still had a ton of work to do). When I have to stay focused, I definitely want to be comfortable but I need to be dressed up just enough to feel like I need to be working, if that makes sense. 

5. The other day, I got my official American Society of Interior Designers student membership letter, with my official card. So exciting & so official!

Hope you had a good week, and best wishes for the Halloween weekend to come!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Some of today's Five Friday Favorites go back a little more than a week, since I'm playing catch-up here on TSL. But it's nice to be back into the rhythm of blogging again, now that I have rejuvenated my creative juices!

1. My apartment complex is doing a Halloween porch decorating contest, and I'm trying to win! Since I started decorating though, several other porches have stepped up their game, and since I'm trying to keep mine as low-budget as possible I am going to have to get creative. Next week I'll be sharing my final porch design, so wish me luck as I add the finishing touches! 

2. I started the Save the Date design process with Wedding Paper Divas after receiving my sample package in the mail, and I just got the email yesterday that they are being shipped. Eeepp! I'm so excited! 

3. Last weekend, my parents flew out from Colorado to spend the weekend with my brother and I, creating their own parents weekend. (The university wide one is Halloween weekend, not sure who thought that would be a good idea!) We went to the game, my dad did his thing fixing a couple things in my apartment, and my kitty Berlioz loved having more people here to love on him!

4. I broke out my tripod and took a ton of outfit pictures that you'll see in the coming weeks on TSL. I finally felt all this outfit creativity coming to me, which was so nice! It helped that the light in my bedroom was just perfect for pictures... I find that when I'm using my tripod (inside, because I think my neighbors would think I was quite strange posing for my own pictures outside in my apartment complex) the light coming in from the windows has to be just right, otherwise they come out not so great. 

5. We have, of course, started our second and final project of the semester in Studio 4. Not sure what direction I wanted to go with finishes, and because they look so different in person than they do on the computer, I ordered about 50 free samples through different companies. Some of my carpet samples came in, and they are certainly not sample-sized!! Holy cow! I could create a small rug with these guys! #CarpetSamplesForDays 

Wishing a happy weekend to all my readers!

--Caroline

Office Design Project

As I was working on a school assignment over the weekend, it occurred to me that I never posted about my final Studio 3 project from last semester! It was an office design project, and we were given an up-and-coming technology company to design a new office space for, to be located in Pittsburg, PA. My company ended up being Jawbone, and I had a lot of fun researching the company atmosphere and developing a concept for this project.

It has become standard for us in the FSU Interior Design program now to spend the first part of any project doing extensive client research, and something that resonated with me early on referred to Jawbone focusing on "lifestyles rather than gadgets." This led me to a lot of ideas, and my concept for the office ended up being spring; the idea that out of new growth sprouts change, including lifestyles changes made through Jawbone's wearable technologies, seemed to fit with the company. 

Even though I worked longer & harder on this project than I ever have before, and I spent nearly every waking moment thinking about it, I am very happy with the outcome. I definitely learned that Revit rendering is not my greatest skill, but that was one of the project parameters and I was able to challenge myself. I far prefer a mix of computer/photoshop and hand rendering, because I feel like it provides a human touch. That being said, as always I had fun with the graphical presentation parts of this project. It took me back to my days on the yearbook staff in high school.

Anyway, here's a little glimpse of the final outcome!

--Caroline

Note: Please note that these drawings and designs reflect my ideas, and are therefore my property. Please do not use without my permission. Thanks!

Back To School

Today is the first day of my final year of college... Man it's been a long & fun ride! Between transferring, taking time off, and now being engaged and ready to start my post-grad life with Kyle {and ending this whole long-distance thing} I am excited to be done! But at the same time I don't want it to go by too fast; I still want to enjoy every last bit of college I can. That being said, I've so enjoyed this past summer, between my study abroad, my wedding planning festivities, and spending some quality time with Kyle. I know I've spent a lot of time away from the blog this summer, but I'm excited to get back into the swing of things and get some new posts up.

Some things to look forward to here on TSL this fall:

-- A tour of my new apartment, along with some tips on how I downsized into a much smaller space!

-- Some great fall outfits... I think I've determined that fall is one of my favorite seasons to style, and I've got some great ideas. Now if only this Florida weather would get with the program and fall came a little sooner! 

-- More recipes; now that I'm an Alpha Phi alum I no longer have a meal plan at the sorority house, which means I'm all on my own with cooking and trying out new recipes. I'm excited! As I write this I just finished a yummy dinner of stuffed bell peppers, and a post about that will be up on the blog the first week of September.

Also, a note about my Wedding Wednesday posts: They will continue, but I've decided to leave out a lot of the details that way Kyle and I can enjoy the process ourselves. Next fall, after the wedding, I'll dive into more of the details. Sound good? I hope so! :)

I'm looking forward to this fall & sharing it with y'all! 

Do you have anything you're looking forward to this season?

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Sorry I was absent here on the blog yesterday. I've got so much going on these next couple weeks, between classes finishing for the semester, friends graduating, and me preparing to go on my study abroad. So expect posts to be a little sporadic here for a bit, and thank you for your love and understanding! Without further ado, here is a little review of my week...

1. I wore this cute outfit to get my engagement ring back and to do some spring time shopping. I wasn't sure about the mix of sage green and hot pink but I think it kinda works!

2. While getting ready and laying out my jewelry for the day I snapped this quick picture of my favorite pieces... I loved how the light and reflections made them look. Sometimes we go through life so fast and don't stop to notice the little things that make it so special. 

3. This week was Senior Week for Alpha Phi, and we had a dinner at a nice restaurant in town in celebration of us. Unfortunately I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to wear Little Black Dresses until I was already dressed and not going home for the day, but it was all good. I rocked my green romper like nobody's business! Special shout out to Alexia, because I know how stoked she'll be to be on the blog! lol :)

4. Schoolwork, schoolwork, schoolwork! Everything is coming to a close in these next two weeks, and I feel like I'm constantly doing or thinking about my schoolwork. I'm definitely excited and ready for a break!

5. Last night, we welcomed a new member into our little Alpha Phi family! In the fall I became a GrandBig, and now I'm a GGBig... time flies! I so enjoy these girls, our "Classy Family," and our traditions.

Hopefully you all had a great week. Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, my lovely readers. As I write this, I am officially on Spring Break!!!!!! (insert huge sign of relief) This morning I slept in till 8:00--I am an early riser by nature but if felt great to not set an alarm. Also, I'm trying a new format for Five Friday Favorites, and I hope you like it! So without further ado, here's a little bit about my week...

1. I finalized and turned in my Pre-Design booklet for our current Studio project. This is only the first half of the project, the client research and concept development phase, but it still feels good to have this milestone complete. Even though I put it off because my mind was already in spring break mode, I had fun with Bubble Diagramming and Blocking Diagramming to help figure out my space plan. I love the colors I'm using on this project! 

2. I was perusing Pinterest (the usual) and I came across this breathtaking wedding gown. While that day is quite a ways away (years in fact), I think I might have found my dress! Lol! It has everything I love; the buttons on the back, the lace, modest yet still sexy, and the way it flows is just beautiful. I guess I should start saving now... 

3. One of the perks about sorority life is hot breakfast... Mmmm yummy! I have always been a breakfast food person, and this meal this week made a long day of Studio go by a lot better. Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day.

4 & 5. Obviously I was in a neutrals-and-blues-and-mint type of mood this week, as seen in my OOTD posts on Instagram. I loved both of these outfits, and I think they both exhibit the notion that jewelry and accessories make the outfit.

I hope you all have a great Friday and an amazing weekend! See you next week!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Another week down, another week closer to my trip back home! Eeep! That and the prospect of studying in Florence, Italy this summer are what is getting me through the semester. Although I have to say that this week has been pretty good, despite a little mini-breakdown I had Monday night. You know when you've just got so many different things racing through your head and you just need to explode a bit to let it all out? That's about what happened. And then I moved on and this week has been great!

1. I rocked this pretty pink & tan pastel scarf this week. Twice. Haters gonna hate.

2. I was able to relax a bit this week and have been catching up on this season's Bachelor. WOW. Pretty crazy! Still have some catching up to do, but I'm glad I got a little R&R in.

3. Berlioz was both cute and annoying this week. Cute when he's pictured here exploring my back porch. Not cute when he woke me up two days in a row at 4am by turning on the overhead light and fan. Yeah, he's too smart for his own good (he uses his teeth and can reach the switches from my bookshelf).

4. Back in December, I think I shared with y'all that my professor had asked to enter me into a design competition, sponsored by the local non-profit Graceful Solutions for Aging. (If I didn't, well, now you know!). Well this week, we had the competition banquet of sorts and, while I didn't win, I was a semi-finalist which is awesome! It was an honor to have all the sponsors be represented, to listen to the impact our designs had, and to see all the work of my talented peers being recognized. This is why I love interior design-- as designers, we have a huge impact on people, much more than many realize. And we can do so many good things for humanity, just through design. It gives me goosebumps!

5. And finally, I loved this reminder from Whole Foods. It fits right in with my Skin & Beauty Peace series this week, and it's just a good reminder to pay attention to what foods, products, and even thoughts you feed your body.

Have a great weekend, my beautiful readers! Love you all!

--Caroline

Retail Design & My Most Recent Project

Today, I'm sharing my latest project in my Studio 3 class, a retail design project we did for a high-end jewelry store, on par with something like Tiffany's. My inspiration and concept came from a book I read recently, Cleopatra's Daughter, as well as from the prominent role riches and jewels played in ancient Egyptian culture (and everything they represent). The first part of the project involved a lot of research, and what I found most compelling was the idea that retailers these days, in competing with online retailers, are looking to create an in-store experience that draws customers to the brick-and-mortar stores. 

In the end, I feel my design addressed everything I wanted it to, although with every project there are things you see in hindsight that you would definitely do differently. Overall though it was a fun project, definitely up my ally seeing as it was a jewelry store! :) This project certainly put some thoughts in my head about the possibility of doing retail design after graduation.

A little look at some of the end results...

I am really enjoying seeing the development of my designs in line with my education, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this next project will go! It is an office design project, and we are still in early stages of it, but I'll be interested to see where it takes me. 

--Caroline

Note: Please note that these drawings reflect my ideas, and are therefore my property. Please do not use without my permission. Thanks!

Week Of Pink: Neon & A Day In The Life

Today's post is a little about pink and a lot about my yesterday... So we will start with my outfit! The whole outfit was partially inspired by yesterday's post! My sweater is a couple seasons old from GAP, jeans and jacket are eBay finds, my booties are these Sperry beauties (I want a black pair like these or these), scarf is from the FSU bookstore (totally random), and jewelry is a mix of Premier Designs and otherwise. I snapped a couple pictures on my way out the door in the morning, so I hope y'all don't mind the iPhone pictures!

Then, in my CAD2 class, we played with a new technology called Augmented Reality. In this picture, you can see that I'm hovering over a logo and pulling up a view of the product in a space. Pretty cool stuff, but a little complicated to explain, so check out this video for a better idea of how this works. It's cool to think that this is the future, and to think about all the possible applications for it! (Also, don't mind my photobomber! lol! Face protected for privacy.)

And finally, on my way home from class I just had to take a quick selfie... It was such a beautiful day, and I'm finally feeling at peace with my skin again. More details in a later post, but I'm loving my new skincare routine and was excited to see that the new concealer and foundation I ordered from 100% Pure finally answered my prayers, as did their mascara. Some days you just need to be reminded that the world is beautiful, you are beautiful no matter how you feel about yourself, and it's all thanks to God!

I hope you enjoyed these little snapshots of my day, and happy Thursday!

--Caroline

Week Of Pink: Florals

Little bit of a belated post today for the second part of the Week of Pink series! Those of you who know me personally know that I have been working almost non-stop on a big retail design project that was due today in my Studio 3 class. Of course we had to jump right in on the next project.... R&R? What's that?! It's not like we deserve a break or anything... Oh man. It's going to be a long and tiring semester, y'all! 

There are three things keeping me going right now...

1. That I will get to see Kyle this weekend to celebrate our 6th year anniversary of dating!

2. Spring Break in March, where I am going back home to enjoy some time in the crisp mountain air.

3. Florence, Italy this coming summer for study abroad! 

Thinking about number three prompted me to re-visit my pictures from my trip last summer with my family, and seeing all the pretty pink flowers I took pictures of is really cheering me up!

What calms you down when you're feeling like the everything is happening and you are lost without direction? I welcome any tips to help me get through this crazy semester!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Yet another week has gone by, and now we are at the end of January... The month has flown by! It's been kind of a crazy week (what else is new?) but this time I mean like really crazy! Why? Read on...

1. I have been trying a new skin regimen, adding these two products over last weekend, and I'm definitely seeing a difference! I've also been getting facial peels at the Ulta salon, which have been helping. I just got a couple new moisturizing products in the mail from InstaNatural, so I'm excited to start adding those in. Yay for fresh, clear, toxin-free skin!

(And this is where the craziness starts...)

2. Tuesday I was sick with a cold, and even though I didn't want to be in class, we found out that our big project's due date was extended! A little happiness in the midst of a pile of tissues for sure. I took the afternoon off and rested and went to bed so early, exactly what I needed.

3. So I wake up on Wednesday feeling great, much much better, and I'm excited to face the day... until my car doesn't start. AAA came (bless them!) and my battery took a recharge after I drove it around town (thank goodness!). That whole ordeal, plus taking it to the shop just to have the battery re-checked, caused me to miss two classes, but I made it to my last one and at the end of it all managed to have a good day still. But man, that was not what I wanted to do on my first day over being sick! I don't know what caused my battery to die, but I'm just glad it took a recharge and all is good now.

4. I splurged (well, everything was marked down at a great price so splurged is a relative term!) and bought the bag I mentioned in this post, as well as a few others (shop similar Kenneth Cole here, and actual wallet here). When in Rome, rather, Stein Mart! 

5. In the midst of all this craziness, I've been missing Kyle. I just need a date night with my man to take away some of the stress! I'll see him soon to celebrate our 6-year anniversary (like what?!) but that seems so far away! 

SO that's been my crazy week, I hope you all have had a good one, and cheers to the weekend!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Even though we didn't have class Monday for MLK Day (although being at Cooper Lighting was basically another day of school!) it has been a long week. It feels like I am just eating, sleeping, and breathing design right now, because of how busy this semester is! I actually am out of cotton squares, but have not had time to get any more at the store, so thus my makeup is being removed each night with toilet paper, which falls apart far too easily. Ahh, the life of a design student.... But here is a glimpse into my week!

1. I wore this outfit to stay comfortable while working for long hours doing homework.

2. In my Computer Aided Design class, I built this fun lighting fixture! When things come together like this it's always  so much fun.

3. For a beautiful sunny Florida day, I wore this came-pants look. (It was morning when I took the picture and not yet fully sunny!). 

4. Some of my recent LOFT purchases have made their way to me, and I'm having fun brainstorming for several Valentines-Day inspired looks. I know many people aren't a fan of Valentines Day, but with this year's V-Day marking Kyle's and my 6 year anniversaryI can't help but get a little excited! 

5. On the last day of my studio class this week we had a Peer Critique, to get input from everyone on our projects thus far. I know I hinted to you a couple weeks ago with what my concept was for my space... Inspired by the way the Ancient Egyptians embraced lavish jewels, my concept for our retail design project is the Temple of the Goddess Isis on the island of Philae. The architecture of this beautiful temple is a huge driving factor in my design, and I'm having a lot of fun with this project! First of all it's a jewelry store (need I say more?!) and then I've always been intrigued by the Ancient Egyptian culture. While I'm up to my eyeballs in work, I'm happily up to my eyeballs in work!

Hope you all had a great week! See you back here on Monday! :)

--Caroline

Lighting, Atlanta Style

Over the weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to join my fellow FSU Interior Design students in a once-in-a-lifetime field trip to Atlanta to study and learn about lighting! It was a great experience, I learned a lot, and I will certainly be noticing lighting much more in the spaces I enter.  We started off with a trip to the Georgia Aquarium (I highly suggest you go if you are ever in the area!), which I had been to back when I first started at FSU with my sorority. After we stared at the fish (oh, and the lighting too!) we had the chance to get an tour of the W Hotel in downtown Atlanta, which has some amazing light installations. Not to mention, the whole hotel is spectacular in all aspects of design. We concluded our field trip with a long day at Cooper Lighting, an innovative lighting manufacturer. They pulled out all the stops, with lessons all day, free catalogs & brochures of all their products, and a tour of their facilities. 

It was truly an amazing experience, and I know that it's impact will be seen in my projects to come. Here are just a few snapshots from the trip, primarily from the first day (cell signal was shotty in Cooper because of all their technology, so it was easier to just turn my phone off!). 

Every so often the colored lights in the Georgia Aquarium atrium change, lighting up the whole space!

Loved these colorful fish in the tropical area.

The way they are able to mimic natural ocean lighting conditions makes these anemones look like springtime under water. 

Cool entrance light installation at the W Hotel.

Rooftop infinity pool. 

The lighting was integrated into the bathroom mirror, and reflects the same shapes cut out in the opposite wall. Like what?!

"The Living Room" at the W Hotel.

Happily posing around great design!

Awesome lights in the restaurant we stumbled upon! If you're ever in Atlanta, check out White Oaks's Southern-French cuisine fusion of yumminess. 

That's all for today! I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

--Caroline