I first want to say thank you to everyone for their constant words of encouragement. Your belief in me, your kinds words and comments on my blog and facebook page have really meant a lot. In times when I wondered if I could handle the tasks at hand I found that having a support system of friends some I have known for what seems like infinity...and some I have actually never met in person became a constant source of encouragement for me. My entire family and of course my incredible husband offered so many moments of sanity, grace and love that I feel so blessed. I know I am sounding mushy but I really don't think I could have made it through this first semester without having a foundation of friends and family that really cared about my journey.
On December 9th at 4:00 p.m. I walked with a group of my new friends from the Arts and Sciences building. I had my art tote on one shoulder, lap top on the other and I was pulling my rolling case. I stopped and looked up at the incredibly beautiful and brightly colored clouded sky to quietly offer thanks. The group I was with also stopped to look at each other and we all smiled. Some of us had hugged earlier and made a plan to go out next week to celebrate. One of our instructors saw the group of us and walked up to offer us his home made ginger cookies and to tell us how proud he was of us. He said he felt this semester was one of the heaviest work loads given to students that he can remember and he congratulated us in surviving and not just surviving but doing great work!!! We all spoke for a few more minutes and then each went our separate ways. Most of us were working on only a few hours sleep and getting some rest was first and foremost on our mind. When I got home I felt relief, calm, and a sense of accomplishment. I actually don't remember feeling like that in a very long time.
It had been a very intense time since Thanksgiving. Luckily for Thanksgiving I did have time to decorate my Thanksgiving Table and went with a bold color scheme of Purple, gold and red. It was a big hit. It seems like Thanksgiving was ages ago rather than just a few weeks ago.
Right after Thanksgiving on November 27 to be exact I began working on my final projects. I don't think I went to bed any sooner than 2 a.m. and there were times it was as late as 3:30 a.m. but I was always back up and at it at 8 a.m. I have been known to be a bit intense when working on something and well truth be told......I was more than a bit intense. Seriously thank god for my husband because I am one of those types of people that if I am in the middle of something I get so absorbed I am not aware of what is happening around me. I wish I could be different and I wish that I didn't get "possessed" because it isn't always very becoming. There were several moments when I am sure my husband thought Linda Blair had taken over my body. In fact one morning on the way to school I had to text my husband and remind him to not lose hope that his wife would soon be back.
After Thanksgiving I moved my work station that had been in the living room into the kitchen eating area. As I now look around I realize I not only took over the kitchen area, dining room and parts of the living room...but a small round table I had moved into the entry way for Thanksgiving was still covered in rolls of completed drafting projects. There were bits of paper scraps on the floor under my work space, rubber cement covered my work table and lets just say I think I should autograph my work space stable because it looks like a very interesting piece of abstract art. (I wish) It is a good thing I can cover it with a table cloth because I definitely left my mark on this table in the form of paint, glue, cuts from my exacto blades mixed with a few bits of late night chocolate, coffee, and probably some wine and tequila too!!
As I worked I tried to remain focused on one project at a time but found that I needed to take a break from one project and work on another one just to keep sane. Oh...and about those projects I probably should explain them to you. I had to complete three projects.
1. Drafting: I had to finish correcting all the red lines of a residential home that I had previously turned in and still had to complete a finish schedule and elevations, a title page which included a logo and then have it copied and bound.
2. Color Theory: I was building a model of a commercial interior and an abstract materials board which represented the space in abstract. The model needed to represent your concept and color theory and you had to SELL it in your oral presentation.
3. Graphic Techniques: I had to do a furniture plan and use shading, texture, and value techniques in gray scale markers and pencils. I also had to render a room in two point perspective. All of the furnishings had to be actual furnishings and I had to supply tear sheets to verify size and scale. I also had to do a conceptual sketch to further represent my concept. This was to be mounted on mat boards and then I needed to do an oral presentation and SELL it to my imaginary clients.
At the moment I don't have pictures as they have all be submitted for grading....but I am proud of the work. I will share some pics when I get them back. But it was seriously an incredible amount of work that needed to be completed in a very short amount of time. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to finish them. But I kept telling myself that I hadn't come all this way to whimper to the finish line. That isn't who I am and what the heck I could sleep all I wanted once this was all over. So I trudged on...and on....and on. And I finished....and once I finished and made my way home I slept and slept and slept.
And then I woke, drank lots of coffee, ate lots of food, had a cocktail or two.....and reflected.
I reflected on all the lessons I have learned over the past 100 days and thought I should share with you rules I now live by:
- Follow your dream. It is never to late. I am doing it...you can too!!
- Don't Procrastinate. Just don't.
- Listen....Listen...Listen.
- Ask lots of questions.
- Instructions are for reading.
- Measure twice, three times and maybe four. Cut once or as many times as it takes.
- Always be prepared. Those days of being a girl scout are still coming in handy.
- When in doubt glue, glue and then glue again.
- Become an expert in all types of glue.
- Love all of your fingers and quickly learn how to use an exacto knife.
- Rubber cement eats acrylic nails.
- Learn to love Rubber Cement.
- Figure out who is the smartest, and most talented person in the class.
- Become best friends with that person.
- Sit in the same seat all semester long.
- Wear bright colors. I found that my favorite color of Pistachio green was very helpful.
- Become a detective and figure out what the teachers like.
- Meet with your teacher often.
- Learn how to read an Architectural scale.
- Sketch, Sketch and Sketch.
- Draft until that is all you can dream about.
- Know the difference between analogous, monochromatic, tetrad, triad, and complementary.
- Forget about wine until the drafting is done.
- Forget about coffee until the drafting is done.
- Understand how big an inch on a 1/4 inch scale is.
- Make friends at San Jose Blue Print.
- Make friends at Michaels.
- Make friends at University Art.
- Buy twice as much of everything you think you need.
- If creativity has hit a brick wall get up, take a deep breath and check your facebook page.
- Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
- Laugh until you cry.
33. DON'T SWEAT THE LITTLE THINGS.
I have finals starting tomorrow and in comparison to the final projects they are very insignificant. I am officially done with school at noon on Wednesday December 15.....and I am already thinking and getting excited about next semester.
But what really has me excited is CHRISTMAS. I am crazy mad about Christmas and I finished decorating the tree and the living room yesterday. Tonight I am working on the family room and then onto the bedrooms. Sometimes less is more.......but NEVER EVER EVER does that apply to Christmas decorations.....and certainly not in my world.
For inspiration here are some links to some of my favorite blogs and their love for Christmas:
http://tartanscot.blogspot.com/2010/12/oh-christmas-trees-oh-christmas-trees.html
http://brightboldbeautiful.blogspot.com/2010/12/magic-of-christmas-and-holiday.html
http://tobifairley.com/blog/2010/christmas-at-the-fairleys/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TobiFairley+%28Tobi+Fairley+Interior+Design%29
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| Christmas at the Fairley's check out her blog at the link below. |
Merry Christmas.....I will be back soon!!
