LA Bound

And what better way to end my trip to California than by spending the last few days of it up in Los Angeles? I am so excited to head up there in a little bit.  Today is going to be a marathon-girl-fest with Sara.  We have about 6 months of catching up to do! And tomorrow and Friday my parents and I are going to immerse ourselves in furniture, art + design: LACMA, MOMA, the Geffen, Getty, and some new (to us) furniture stores on La Brea and Beverly Blvd.  I have a feeling it is going to be exhausting squeezing in all of this culture, but I'm excited I get to see as much as I can - definitely inspiration for my future move back to the West Coast.  And I'm going to bring my Hasselblad, so hopefully will snap some cool pics as well!

Image from Steven Monteau's photostream

(Too Much) Reflection and A New Year

This morning I reread my January 2nd entry from last year, and it made me realize what a big year I had in 2011. While part of me thinks it wasn't such a great year (the amount of grief alone I get from my CUA friends for having turned thirty...), I appreciated that I did not just write up a list of resolutions (that I'm sure would have been broken by February anyways), but a list of goals/plans I had for the year. And even though some of them were inevitable, it was still awesome to reread that list and realize what I had undertaken for 2011. 

I still can't believe I had the opportunity to go to Nepal. An amazingly eye-opening experience, one of which I will carry in my heart always (and if anyone ever needs a stacked stone wall for their backyard, I'm your gal).

Our daily view from the top of our site.

I was also able to spend most of the summer in California - which I hadn't done in a few years. It definitely made me appreciate being home. I even lived with my brother for a little bit while trying to select a site for my thesis.  Living two blocks from the beach isn't so bad...

I got conned into participating in an inter-school charette at the Building Museum. I thought it was going to be one day - it turned into a no-sleep crazy weekend of work which I didn't actually have time for, but to my group's total surprise, we won! It was very unexpected, but also felt great, like maybe I'm not so bad at this design stuff...

 

I also carved out some time for a trip up to Fallingwater - I had told myself I couldn't graduate and not have made the drive in the Fall to see this FLW building. My friend Ryan and I picked a great weekend to go - it was an amazingly crisp and colorful Sunday, we got on the road early enough to see the sunrise, and both of us were incredibly inspired by the architecture. Minus the car accident I got in in the parking lot, it was a perfect day.

And last but not least... I presented my thesis. I think that's why it may be hard to see 2011 on a positive note - thesis was an incredibly tough undertaking. But at the very least, I made it to the other side, and am happy to say it's over (minus my paper I still need to resubmit...). I think I learned a lot through the process - for me, it's really about the people and their experience in a building that comes first and foremost. I experimented with new collage techniques (thank you UTK experience) and ways of modeling. Some were successful, some were not (I will never be a paper mache expert), but I was constantly trying new things, which to me was really fun in it of itself. Anyways, I still want to post a thesis summary at some point, so this is enough for now.

This smile must be from after the presentation... 

So now some thoughts for 2012...

1. I am living in DC through the spring, and then THAT'S IT, I'm heading back to California.  I want to take advantage of it while I'm there - explore the places I haven't yet - in DC and nearby, hopefully get some type of part-time/contract job to save some money for my move, use CUA resources to my fullest advantage (i.e. make a ton of the work sample envelopes I designed on the laser cutters and finally make a piece of furniture in the shop).  Basically enjoy being a bum, but still be a productive bum.

2. Waking up January 1 in Los Angeles just felt right.  While I was so excited to get away a few years ago, I am even more excited now to realize I do feel like L.A. is home. It helps that some of my best girl friends are there, too - cannot wait to be living in close proximity again. So yes, this is my goal - find a job back in L.A. and get settled.  No more coast flopping, I'm excited to go home.  

3. Keep creativity high on my priority list. Even in my short time home, it's been weird not having a project. Whether it be big or small, I really enjoy being in the midst of something. I need to make sure I make the time for this - it's something I really enjoy. The coffee table project will be good, but I'm also thinking of making a goal to myself to enter at least one competition this year. Kay and I have been saying we'll do something together since our first year of grad school, so hopefully this will finally be the year we actually do it.

Wow this is way too long.  But I'm excited for this next year ahead. I predict some big changes and am excited to see what unfolds. Happy New Year, wish everyone lots of love and a great year ahead.

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

I don't know where this year went, but with only a few hours left in 2011, I've started thinking about some resolutions for 2012.  Yes, there will be the usual - exercise more, find time to read, write more often, but I came across this list the other day, and I thought it was a great way to kick off the New Year on the right foot, or on a happy note, or the other millions of positive expressions you know I'm never able to remember correctly.  Here's to a New Year!


(original list published here).

1. Express gratitude. – When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value.  Kinda cool right?  So basically, being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness.  And that’s without having to go out and buy anything.  It makes sense.  We’re gonna have a hard time ever being happy if we aren’t thankful for what we already have.
2. Cultivate optimism. – Winners have the ability to manufacture their own optimism.  No matter what the situation, the successful diva is the chick who will always find a way to put an optimistic spin on it.  She knows failure only as an opportunity to grow and learn a new lesson from life.  People who think optimistically see the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.
3. Avoid over-thinking and social comparison. – Comparing yourself to someone else can be poisonous.  If we’re somehow ‘better’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, it gives us an unhealthy sense ofsuperiority.  Our ego inflates – KABOOM – our inner Kanye West comes out!  If we’re ‘worse’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, we usually discredit the hard work that we’ve done and dismiss all the progress that we’ve made.  What I’ve found is that the majority of the time this type of social comparison doesn’t stem from a healthy place.  If you feel called to compare yourself to something, compare yourself to an earlier version of yourself.
4. Practice acts of kindness. – Performing an act of kindness releases serotonin in your brain.  (Serotonin is a substance that has TREMENDOUS health benefits, including making us feel more blissful.)  Selflessly helping someone is a super powerful way to feel good inside.  What’s even cooler about this kindness kick is that not only will you feel better, but so will people watching the act of kindness.  How extraordinary is that?  Bystanders will be blessed with a release of serotonin just by watching what’s going on.  A side note is that the job of most anti-depressants is to release more serotonin.  Move over Pfizer, kindness is kicking ass and taking names.
5. Nurture social relationships. – The happiest people on the planet are the ones who have deep, meaningful relationships.  Did you know studies show that people’s mortality rates are DOUBLED when they’re lonely?  WHOA!  There’s a warm fuzzy feeling that comes from having an active circle of good friends who you can share your experiences with.  We feel connected and a part of something more meaningful than our lonesome existence.
6. Develop strategies for coping. – How you respond to the ‘craptastic’ moments is what shapes your character.  Sometimes crap happens – it’s inevitable.  Forrest Gump knows the deal.  It can be hard to come up with creative solutions in the moment when manure is making its way up toward the fan.  It helps to have healthy strategies for coping pre-rehearsed, on-call, and in your arsenal at your disposal.
7. Learn to forgive. – Harboring feelings of hatred is horrible for your well-being.  You see, your mind doesn’t know the difference between past and present emotion.  When you ‘hate’ someone, and you’re continuously thinking about it, those negative emotions are eating away at your immune system.  You put yourself in a state of suckerism (technical term) and it stays with you throughout your day.
8. Increase flow experiences. – Flow is a state in which it feels like time stands still.  It’s when you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you become one with the task.  Action and awareness are merged.  You’re not hungry, sleepy, or emotional.  You’re just completely engaged in the activity that you’re doing.  Nothing is distracting you or competing for your focus.
9. Savor life’s joys. – Deep happiness cannot exist without slowing down to enjoy the joy.  It’s easy in a world of wild stimuli and omnipresent movement to forget to embrace life’s enjoyable experiences.  When we neglect to appreciate, we rob the moment of its magic.  It’s the simple things in life that can be the most rewarding if we remember to fully experience them.
10. Commit to your goals. – Being wholeheartedly dedicated to doing something comes fully-equipped with an ineffable force.  Magical things start happening when we commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to get somewhere.  When you’re fully committed to doing something, you have no choice but to do that thing.  Counter-intuitively, having no option – where you can’t change your mind – subconsciously makes humans happier because they know part of their purpose.
11. Practice spirituality. – When we practice spirituality or religion, we recognize that life is bigger than us.  We surrender the silly idea that we are the mightiest thing ever.  It enables us to connect to the source of all creation and embrace a connectedness with everything that exists.  Some of the most accomplished people I know feel that they’re here doing work they’re “called to do.”
12. Take care of your body. – Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be.  If you don’t have your physical energy in good shape, then your mental energy (your focus), your emotional energy (your feelings), and your spiritual energy (your purpose) will all be negatively affected.  Did you know that studies conducted on people who were clinically depressed showed that consistent exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft?  Not only that, but here’s the double whammy… Six months later, the people who participated in exercise were less likely to relapse because they had a higher sense of self-accomplishment and self-worth.

'Tis the Season to Indulge in Movies

Since I've been living inside a singular building the last two and a half years, I can probably count on one hand the movies I've seen. Which is crazy considering what a film fanatic I used to be. But what's better than curling up to a movie during the holidays? Somehow my family's pseudo-tradition of seeing a movie  on Christmas turned into watching Independence Day on HBO Christmas Eve (I swear there was a huge lack of Christmas movies on TV this year - we couldn't even find the dreaded 'A Christmas Story'). But my mom and I also indulged in 'Love Actually' the next day (we hadn't seen it in years, but such a great holiday feel-good chic flic). And to keep the movies going, yesterday we joined a good sampling of Casciari's and went out to see 'My Week with Marilyn.' The movie was good. Michelle Williams was amazing. And it made us sad to get this glimpse of such a troubled life. Anyways, worth seeing for sure. Now I wonder what movie's next on my list?

In the Spirit

Alright, I am beginning to come out of the cocoon of thesis.  (and will eventually try to post some images of my project as well).  I was welcomed home yesterday by 68 degree weather in Long Beach, and I am looking forward to the next three weeks of being home, seeing friends, spending time with my family, and trying to figure out what my new plan for life is (we'll see how far I get on that front).  In the meantime, I'm going to be the family elf, running errands, shopping, wrapping...

I came across this image this morning, and thought what a great use of lights! (Also may have given me the traveling itch!).

Photo from Taylor Dundee's Flickr page

Fallingwater (for my mom)

I should be dashing off to school as stop/go for thesis is in 3 days (Agh!@##$%*&^), but yesterday I talked to my mom and she said she keeps looking here to make sure I'm still alive, and I haven't posted anything in a long time.  So, a little overdue, but here are a couple photos from my trip up to Fallingwater with my friend Ryan from a few weeks ago.  We picked the perfect Sunday morning to get up really early (like in the 5am hour), and drive up to Pennsylvania.  It was a gorgeous drive with all of the leaves changing, and it really made me think in another lifetime I'll be some great outdoorsy woodslady, or something like that...  We had one of the first tours of the day, then walked around for a while with my Hasselblad and eventually to some rapids nearby.  Unfortunately I got rear-ended in the parking lot, but even that couldn't ruin a perfect fall day to see some really inspiring architecture.  

Alright, now back to thesis...  I'll return in a few days, hopefully with the knowledge that I'm graduating in a month!

Fall Leaves

From the Entry Bridge

The Classic Shot - bummed mine is a little overexposed

Structual guidance from FLW for my thesis

Ryan's portrait of me - turned out much better than mine of him.

Warming up to Red

Anyone who has spent any time at all with me knows I hate the color red.  And by any time, I mean within the first minutes of meeting me.  I know, a little weird, and I couldn't tell you exactly why, but I've just really never liked the color.  Maybe with the exception of a Christmas-themed ensemble, red has never even entered my wardrobe.  So I'm going to go out on a limb here by saying there are two red things I want for fall: lipstick and shoes.  Okay, not too daring, but hey, after 30 years of despising a color, the fact that I might actually decorate some part of my body with it is a pretty big deal.  My inspirations:

Both images found on Pinterest