One year later...

My, I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post! Well a lot has changed. I ranted about happiness and not knowing my purpose in life a year ago, so I stepped out on faith and switch careers. I became a teacher and that lasted all of 3 months, at least now I know what is NOT my purpose. I absolutely love children and loved my little kindergartners, but teaching is one of the TOUGHEST jobs in the entire world. I have so much respect and admiration for teachers and give them much kudos as I walked more than a mile in their shoes.

I stepped out on faith yet again and quit my teaching job without having anything lined up (note 2 posts prior I mentioned that I would not be stupid enough to do this). This job market sucks... or so I thought. I got a job 3 weeks later! Thank God! Now it's back to advertising/marketing, but with a new outlook on life and the industry. I pray this next year will be a great one, because these past 2 years and simply sucked!

So my advice for you this time around is to have FAITH! Be confident in your worth and God helps those who help themselves...work hard!

The Modern Day Settlers

I am surrounded by 20-somethings day in and day out. And the one thing the majority of us 20-somethings have in common is unhappiness. We always want to change one aspect of our lives - mainly a work situation - and complain non stop. I am all for venting or lending an ear and God knows I complain about certain things, but for once I just want to shout "SHUT UP AND DO SOMETHING!" Many of us haven't even experienced a fourth of what this world has to offer. Take a chance and if you're not happy, get happy! I know that's not an easy order, but do something that makes you happy, surround yourself with people that make you happy.

We are a generation of Millenials, and besides introducing the world to social media, we will also be responsible for popularizing the term "Quarter Life Crisis". We are a bunch of over achieving worry-warts, who by the ripe old age of 25 think we are failing at life because we haven't yet attained the word "manager" in our title, don't have a rock weighing down our fingers or haven't traveled enough.

And to contradict my last statement, we inevitably settle. We get comfortable because we think maybe this is what life is about. We become complacent with our work situation, or friends and partners, and hope that it will get better one day. It is way to early in life to settle. You don't know what lies ahead of you, but at least start walking towards it! Don't camp out on the side of the road, waiting for some hitchhiker to take you there. Get up and start walking. Heck, crawl if you're that scared, but for goodness sake make a move! So my challenge to myself and others is to examine the life you're living now, and if you're happy I'd love to be you. If not, start making those little changes toward what will make you happy.

TFA

This last week was the start of my new life. Why, you ask? Because the Teach for America application was released. I've had chats with God and myself asking "don't you think you're putting your eggs in one basket? And I've answered myself "YES". But I'm trusting God for a miracle, and that he'll work everything out. I am so incredibly happy around children, I can't wait to have my own (but I will wait until approximately 3 years after I'm married, unless I get married in my mid 30's). I want to teach Kindergarten or 1st grade and I want to be my kids' favorite teacher. I know teaching is a hard job that requires so much out of one person, but I'm willing to go that distance for a job I believe I'll love...

Quiero Mas!

For the past several months something has been missing, but I have no idea what it is. Is it that I want more from a job? Is it the fact that I don't really have a career path? Am I not taking enough advantage of NYC? Is it just that I need more friends here? These dilemmas will probably go unsolved for many more months, but the fact will remain that I want more. I feel like those women in a sappy chic flick that is unsatisfied with her boring life and decides to do something that pleases her, i.e "Julie & Julia" or "Eat, Pray, Love". But I'm not blogging about Julie Childs and I'm not going to Italy any time soon.

Speaking of foreign countries, I have been researching teach abroad programs in Paris. Basically, I'd like to use non-English speaking children as an excuse to live in the most beautiful metropolitan city. I figure I'm thinking about teaching anyway, so why not get started where I know nobody and don't speak the language fluently (makes sense to me!). And this is where the 'do something that pleases me' starts coming in.

So, my followers, I ask that you pray for me to find my footing in this world and more importantly God's purpose for my life. Also pray that I don't do anything extreme like go get myself pregnant because I badly want a kid, or travel abroad without any money, or quit my job without another one lined up, or get a tattoo. Pretty much pray for my sanity because I'm on the verge of crazy.

Blessings!

<---- or ----> Changing Directions

Helllooooo!!! This blog will no longer be dedicated to one specific thing... seeing as I'm a design school drop out (totally not proud to say that, but grateful for the experience). I still love interior decorating and still can't wait to decorate my first home. However, I'm at a place in life where decisions need to be made in terms of what direction my life will take. So I will be documenting my thoughts, feelings, questions, worries, and all that good stuff. Stay tuned and take some time to ponder on the below Chinese proverb.

I <3 DG

Designers Guild that is, not Dolce & Gabana... though I can't afford either. I first discovered this line while on a solo tour of the D&D building in NYC. The colors used in these fabrics and designs is what I love the most. DG are the color gods who create colors for other colors, much like Eve was created for Adam. Bright and vibrant, yet warm and inviting. They are best known for their fabrics and wallpaper, but also sell furniture, rugs, candles and more.

Many of their designs can be summed up as "girly", but there are several patterns that men won't be embarrassed to drape in their bachelor pad. I've decided to pull out just a few of my favorite pieces from their collections. I encourage you to browse their site and showroom in NY. You'll fall in love!

domino sofa


fretz bedding


alcina rug


trianon birch wallpaper

Mama Shelter

Today has been quite a day. Long and tiring. I feel the need to blog.

Talking to administrators at NYSID about the the different types of design, has got me thinking if there is anything other than residential I could be interested in. I though about the various contract design options, from hospitals, to restaurants to offices. And right now my heart lies in residential design, however, I am opening up to hospitality, specifically hotels. When I stay in a hotel or walk by the many amazing ones in NYC, design plays an important part into my (or someone else's) stay. Granted, a hotel can never truly feel like home, but then again don't you usually go to a hotel to get away from home? You expect more from a hotel than you do your house in which you are very familiar with and have lived in for some odd years. For this reason, I have become very interested in hotel design and would like to learn more about it. It is not too far from residential, I could still design bedrooms, living room and dining - just on a much larger scale. If I were to design a hotel, I would be designing a new, temporary home for hundreds of people to stay at however long they choose.

Travel + Leisure gave the 2009 Design award for Best Large Hotel to Mama Shelter in Paris, France. #1 I love the name. #2 I love Paris. #3 Philippe Starck designed the hotel, which just speaks for itself. Mama feeds into the modern minimalist's desire for clean lines, functional spaces and hidden quarky treasures. A former parking garage, Mama has 172 rooms all overlooking the beautiful, busy streets of Paris in the 20th arrondissement. I plan on visiting Paris again in the next couple years and will definitely book a room at Mama Shelter - oh and it's affordable too! That just makes me love this hotel even more. Not only are you beautiful but you don't ask for much, well then yes I will marry you.

Enjoy the pics below, visit the website mamashelter.com, research Philipe Starck if you don't know who he is, and visit Paris! That is all =)