Hey guys + gals!  Just wanted to let you know that I will be returning to the blogosphere this Monday, July 6, 2009!  Sorry for not coming back when I said I would, but I needed the break.  While away, I’ve spent time on a few new projects, including designing myself a business card, redoing my portfolio, and of course, I couldn’t resist treating myself to a shopping trip and buying these red stilettos….

My ankles might have a death wish. But it’s a hot death wish.

And look at these red interiors! Fun!

I love this claw foot tub. I’ll take 2 please.

Back to the subject at hand, though.   I will no longer be writing posts daily, Monday through Friday.  Instead, I will be writing three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  I’d like to write on a daily basis, but I’m afraid I can’t commit to the time at this moment.  I have some personal + professional goals I’d like to accomplish in the very near future.  I can better balance these new goals and D:ID on this new schedule. :-)  I’m sure you understand!

See you on Monday!

[Images: Desire to Inspire, ALDO]

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For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you all ready know the good news - I PASSED the LEED-CI exam! Talk about a relief!  I’ve been studying hard for a solid month now and I can honestly say that I am thrilled to be done with it.  My brain almost doesn’t know how to function.  “What do you mean I have free time!?”

I confess, LEED credits are still invading my thoughts as I fall asleep. :yawn: MR 5.1 and 5.2….. 500 mile radius…. :snore:

I knew my stuff, I really did, but the test was hard.  The second I sat down to take it, I felt every single bit of information escape me.  I began to panic as I marked what seemed like over 50 questions and I constantly second-guessed myself.  I welcomed the single-answer questions with open arms, but those were few.  As to be expected, many of the questions said “Choose three.“  I very much disliked those; they were tricky.

I spent 1 hour and 20 minutes taking the test - which is odd for a fast test-taker like me.  In the end, I answered every single question and felt confident that I had done everything I could.  I debated doing one more look at all of the questions just to make sure, but decided against it.  I trusted the answers I had chosen.  If I went back, I would have second guessed myself and that wouldn’t do me any good at all.  So, with one heck of a deep breath, I hit “End” and submitted my answers to be scored.

I closed my eyes and sat there, quietly, for a few minutes.  I was trying to prepare myself mentally, in case I failed.

Then I slowly took a peek and saw the word “Pass” and all this energy just soared through my body.  My eyes seriously welled up with a few tears and it took A LOT to not  point at the computer and shout “BAM! Take that!!!!”  Instead, I quietly gathered my ID and locker key and left the room.  “Signed out” of the testing center and walked to my JEEP.  I was the first person (out of Ashley and Lindsay) to finish the test. So, I called my mom and shared with her the news.  Her reaction, by far, has been the best.  She was working and literally started screaming “All right! Yes! Good, good, good! YES! THANK GOD!

*sigh*  I can add LEED AP to the end of my name now.

And, in case you were wondering, Ashley and Lindsay passed too.

Tags: personal 2 Comments »

Hello everyone!

It sure has been a long time….  You know, I gotta admit, I’ve missed writing here at D:ID.  It’s become a daily ritual of mine since October of 2008 and it’s a hard (good) habit to break.  Fortunately, my countdown for LEED is down to some very tiny, single digits!  I can’t believe I’ll be taking the exam THIS Monday at eight in the morning.  (Trust me, I’ve questioned my decision to wake up at the crack of dawn to take this test about a dozen or so times.  Why have I chosen to torture myself!?)

At any rate,  I can’t wait to be done.  My brain simply cannot absorb another LEED credit without exploding… and I don’t want to spend another minute sitting inside during all this gorgeous weather we’ve had as of late!

Wish me luck!

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Hello friends!  The time has come for me to focus my free time and energy on studying for LEED.  I’m sure I won’t be able to stay away completely but, for now, I won’t officially return until the final week of June (and hopefully with great news)!

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Yay! It’s F R I D A Y, everyone!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to creating a “Link Roundup” for this week.  I’ve been so busy studying for LEED that I completely forgot!  Plus, I’ve been in Atlanta for the past few days visiting old friends and doing this and that.  I’m really looking forward to this weekend and forgetting about LEED for a few hours as I go on a mini-vaycay with my two friends, Ashley and Heather.  I cannot wait to lounge by that pool… *sigh*

I do have one fabulous link to share, though.  This week I was interviewed by Karen of For Your Inspiration.  I really enjoyed participating and her blog is quite lovely, go check it out!

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No, not the gas station, silly!

Though the gasoline-giant does use the design as their logo!

A chevron, sometimes called herringbone, is a pattern consisting of zigzags or “V’s” in a stripe layout.  I personally love chevrons for their bold, geometric qualities.  Once you start looking, I’m sure you’ll see chevrons everywhere - from flooring and wallpaper, to fabric patterns and clothing.  Chevrons are a mainstay in design, though their overall look changes with current trends and aesthetics.

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I’m really loving the portfolio of John Paul Urizar, a Sydney based photographer, and thought I’d share a few of my favorite photographs.

[Read more →]

Tags: inspiration, interior design 4 Comments »

So, I started diving headfirst into reading this past Tuesday evening.  I am currently at page 195 and, yeah, my brain hurts.  For those who have ever read technical jargon such as this… do you know what its like when your eyes suddenly glaze over?  You’re actually going through the motions, but have ceased reading and absorbing this information?  Yeah, this happens to me every other page or so.  If I catch myself doing this, I make myself go back (grrr) and start over.

Wanna know what really annoys me, though?  Coming across dozens of misspelled words.  True, I’m not a spelling bee champ or grammar whiz-kid, but seriously?  Stumbling upon a misspelled word within a paragraph that I’m already struggling to wrap my brain around really throws me off.  It gets old. Fast.  A book that costs so much should have been proofread a few more times at the very least.  Just sayin’.

Case in point: LEED for Commercial Interiors v2.0 page 111, the very last paragraph and the very last sentence. “…and in addition includes priority parking for can-pools/van-pools.”  What on earth is a can-pool? *shakes head* Silly LEED, I think you meant car-pool.

Really, it’s not that horrible.  But it is a major time commitment and it does zap my energy faster than I’d like!  The next few weeks are going to be interesting, my friends, but I hope to return to D:ID after June 22 saying “I PASSED!”  Wouldn’t that be awesome?  I’d certainly have reason to celebrate!

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