The Set Designer in Me

Hands down one of my favorite shows to watch is “Modern Family”. It’s a hilarious show that depicts the lives of three related family households: The father, his daughter Claire, and her younger brother Mitchell.  Each family is totally different yet they all balance each other out and make the show amazing. Every house has a signature look that matches their personalities perfectly, and this is especially important so that the viewers can immediately figure out whose house is whose. Thumbs up to the set designers for this show.



The Dunphy Family





Phil and Claire Dunphy's house exterior

The Great Room

 Phil and Claire live in a house with design sense that reminds me of pottery barn. It is cozy and comfortable with a spin on the traditional look. They use a lot of color and accents through out the house but the colors work and reflect their personalities.



I really like the plates on the wall and the use of warm colors in the kitchen.

Gives it a rustic country feeling.

          
   

                The residence of Mitchell and Cameron is primarily design with neutral and warm colors. Their house is a mixture of traditional, contemporary, and Asian design.  

It’s an upscale neo-modern gay décor that compliments Mitchell’s personality best.

The Dining Room

 The kitchen is bland and in my opinion doesn't reflect their
personalities and design style. But I do like the cut out in the wall
that connects and opens the living room with the kitchen. 

If it were up to Cam there would be bright colors everywhere, which is exactly why he has no business decorating baby lily’s bedroom.

He got too carried away with their daughter Lily’s pink, flower room which is a disaster. Above her crib is a mural of her two dads painted like Greek gods floating on clouds. All you need is common sense to see that that is just doing the most. It is over the top and needs to be covered up, but on the flip side every time they show her room I crack up laughing because it has Cam written all over it. His dramatic over the top personality definitely shows up in this room.

The exterior of their home matches Jay well because

he is an architect, so the features in this house also show that.

I really like the front door with its abstract geometric mosaic of windows and a handle that is off center and diagonal. Can you see it?!

Heavy leather furniture, but you can see

Glorias touch from the zebra print lamp shade.

Jay, Gloria, and Manny live in a modern home that is colorful and eclectic.

Bold red kitchen

So many choices when it comes to seating in this kitchen, but all the design work together,

 even the what would seem to be random zebra print chairs.

The design taste from this family most likely comes from Gloria. The bold use of colors, decorative accessories, and modern furniture matches her personality and fashion sense.

The design set for this show is amazing and I really like it. I would improve the set decorations for the kitchen of Mitchell and Cam because it's soo boring. That was the only disappointment I had. But tell me what do you think?!

Flower Power

Flower Power

Here is a really neat idea for a flower arrangement. This is a unique approach to a traditional flower arrangement and I wanted to share it with you guys. Instead of purchasing a bouquet of flowers try this.

 

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Either way you can’t loose. These vases are super cute and I absolutely love the yellow zinnia flower. The vases are from CB2. From a design standpoint this type of arrangement evokes balance and harmony. These vases can be applied in any room setting; coffee table, kitchen table, or even in the bedroom. I would like to see this yellow zinnia flower and either of the two vases as a center piece on this coffee table.

The yellow zinnia flower creates a nice contrast with the red in this interior perspective. The vases add a sense of symmetrical balance and rhythm within the space. It has balance because there is a feeling of equilibrium present. Visual rhythm is created when colors, lines or forms are used in a consistent pattern. Visual rhythm applied to these vases in the form and  make the eye move much like rhythm in music that makes our bodies want to move. These vases are simple, but make a strong statement with the form and shape.

If I were a chair



Bicci Purple Damask with Silver Nailheads

    
     The first moment I saw this chair I was super excited and it was love at first sight! Not only is it amazing, but it's also affordable. It's from Home Dec furniture Company. The subtle klismos leg and the nailhead detail adds to the feminine grace that captured my attention. It is a must have.

You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover, Or Can You?

     Design firms receive a lot of portfolios from recent graduates who are looking to land that first job. It's obviously important to have the skills and education, but it's as equally as important to have an amazing portfolio. Your portfolio is a statement of who you are and your design style. The content and layout need to coincide and tell a story about the work that it easy to follow. When I was designing my cover page I wanted something clean, fresh, and modern.

     This is my cover page that I created for my exit portfolio. Immediately from looking at the cover I want to capture their attention. Choice of font, color, and use of positive and negative space is all very important for a portfolio. I didn't want to get too crazy with graphics, because sometimes they are too distracting and take away from the work. This is a good starting point to set up the format and layout for what can be epected next. It makes a statement that represents me as a designer, and I am happy with it. What do you think?

The Evils of Procrastination

How many times have you promised yourself to do something later, when really you should have taken care of it earlier? Regardless of what the task is, checking an e-mail, or doing an assignment-we all experience it, regardless of age, culture or beliefs. It’s human nature. It just sucks because so many of us get attacked by what I like to call this “evil spirit” of procrastination. Well I am tired of it and refuse to be in bondage anymore! So I did some research and self-reflecting and here are a few tips that helped me overcome it so maybe it will help for you. The thing is, you have to actually do it. Baby steps; take it one day at a time. Most of it is a mindset, so challenge yourself and as Nike says, JUST DO IT!

Ways to Overcome Procrastination

1. Recharge Daily
Make sure you are getting the proper amount of rest. Yes I am sure you are busy, but we all are. Your body needs its rest or it will lay you down and make sure you do.

2. Get a Friend Involved
It's harder to procrastinate when another person is involved. Having an accountability partner is always a great way to make sure you get tasks done.

3. Reward Yourself
You're much more likely to continue down this path to recovery if you reward yourself sometimes after you complete that not so fun task. It doesn’t have to be anything super awesome, just enough to keep you encouraged and on the right track.

4. Do Things in Pieces
Once again, baby steps, approach things in little pieces so you won’t feel overwhelmed. Then the steps don’t seem impossible and you will have a bunch of little victories

5. Don't Be Afraid to multitask

Sometimes it’s feasible to do two things at once. For example: Make flash cards while listening to music, or watching TV, or talk on the phone while you tidy your apartment.

6. Prioritize
Perhaps you're procrastinating on a task because it's really not that important, or it’s so important that you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. If it sounds like a good idea but in the end it's really not that important to you, don't let it hang over your head.

7. Get in Touch with the End Result
Before you begin a task or project that has high procrastination potential, get in touch with the outcome. When the task is finished, what will that mean to you? What will be better in life as a result?

8. Just Do It!!
Don't think about it too much, just jump in and get it done!

The Dash: Poem by Linda Ellis

It's not the date you were born, or the date you died, that really matters. It's "the dash" between those years and what you do with it, to make a difference with your life. This poem is very sentimental, but reading it made me think about what I will be doing with my life after I graduate and what kind of impact on the world I want to make. No matter how big or small, it made me think about life differently and really think about what truly matters. While I am still alive, I want to make my time here on earth count. After reading this poem if you want to find out more information about her go to her website.

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend
he referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
the cars, the house, the cash,
what matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life’s actions to rehash
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

Team Dynamics

       

I was recently involved in a group project and now that it’s over I am happy. However, I realize that working in groups is something that I will be doing for a large majority of my career. I don’t mind groups, in fact I actually like them, but what I don’t understand is why it is so hard for people to work together in a team? We have be working in groups and doing team projects since we were little kids, yet very few people really understand how to be a "team player". There are those who are too pushy and then you have that person who could care less and will just do enough to get by. One of my biggest fears is to work for a firm where the people don't work well together and the team dynamics are poor. It's so important to understand how to work in a group environment especially if your job profession will require it.

         I can recall several times how I felt when I was working in groups that were in utter chaos. I was so frustrated and didn't even want to participate. Inconsiderate people annoy me, especially those who think that only their ideas are important and worth discussing. I have been involved in various organizations and have had ample time to see myself in action.

Typically I am the one who initiates things and get the ball rolling, but I make a conscious effort to include everyone and make sure we are all on the same page. I believe everyone’s thoughts are important, no matter how big or small and I like for everyone to feel included. This is important when working with other people.

Even though working in teams can be frustrating, when you have a great team they can be very beneficial. More resources are available and groups are able to complete larger scale projects. Groups work also leads to more diverse solutions. Two heads are better than one! Another plus to working in groups is that it’s easier to detect flaws and catch mistakes. What you may miss, someone else might see. Groups and teams also provide an even greater understanding of what needs to be done. Everyone will have their interpretation of what needs to be done and how to do it, but if you put them all together you can learn more from listening to other peoples perspectives and then apply what works best. It is also a great way to hone communication skills. Discussions and active listening aid to the success of being a better communicator.

All in all, like I said, working in groups doesn’t have to have such a negative connotation if everyone would be mindful that it’s a group and everyone has a voice. Everyone has ideas and they should be taken into consideration.