My 2010 Design Nerd Highlights.

While the rest of my family passes out into food comas in various locations throughout the house, I seem to be wired with thoughts and excitement. Why though, I'm not sure. Great giving? Great receiving? Great eating? Check. Check. Check. I think it is the excitement of what's to come though. Great things happening? Check.

2011 is fast approaching and with it comes new trends in design, new opportunities in career paths, new places to go and new people to meet (maybe my favorite part). However, as a little gift to the blog world, I thought I would share some of my favorite places I've seen and checked off my list over the past year which excited the design nerd inside of me. Enjoy.

This seemingly abandoned warehouse in the Deep Ellum district of downtown Dallas was painted in vibrant colors and reflected incredible sunlight...except for this one hole we found...and the bird "flying" out of it kinda brought me hope...and warm fuzzies.

Again in Deep Ellum of Dallas...I wished I had painted this myself. Combination of music, color, and art seemed to grab my passions and certainly grabbed my attention.

While at a wedding reception in the small town of Round Rock, I looked up and was enamored by this incredible tin ceiling and beautiful pewter crystal chandeliers all reflecting light about the dance floor.

The Water Gardens of downtown Fort Worth are breathtaking. End of story.

A family trip to Washington DC brought me to the Lincoln Memorial where I was stupefied by this incredible marble ceiling.

Beautiful marketing technique in a boutique in non-other-than Waco, Texas. With a name like Roots and an organic, vintage feel why not use trees to display clothing and other merchandise!

I realize this is a brewery but I had to stop to capture the incredible geometric lines of this massive New Orleans brewery facility.

I was quite the straggler trying to capture all these beautiful entrance ways on the streets of New Orleans. I love this mix of gray iron, clean white wood, and red brick. Mmm.

Looks like not much, eh? Welp. That's a typical kitchen in Las Macias, Nicaragua where I spent 10 days this summer. And I find it inspiring in both material use and functionality efficiency.

Again a site off a main street in Nicaragua, the lines, textures and pure simplicity of life in this picture are quite stunning.

Awesome sports bar decor idea...vintage and new beer cans lining a soffit with uplighting. Nashville, Tennessee.

Once again left behind, while capturing this exterior facade. Combining plaster, leaded glass and sleek black is genius in downtown Nashville.

Design Over Time exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Amazing combination of modern textured and pop art at Pop Burger in New York City.

Vivid Color. Geometric Pattern. Depth and Dimen. Truly Vintage. Truly Beautiful.
Chelsea, New York.

Christmas in New York. That's enough said, right? I had never seen the city at this time of year and a piece of me whimpers every time I see these photos. I fell in love.

This is one of the many wreaths on the exterior of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Flawless.

Can't wait for what this next year has to show me!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Spreading the Christmas Joys.

My tree is complete. Has been for quite some time but other things and jobs (yayyy!) have been keeping me from poppin that LID open!

Many trips to Hobby Lobby, many climbs up and down scaffolding and ladders, and many dropped ornament balls later, the whole Christmas project is complete. 2 8foot wreaths, 6 suspended garland swags, 8 foyer garland swags and one giant 18 foot tree. It is finished. And I am one happy girl. Check it out!

My incredible photographer is Christopher Thompson. He's so talented! Check out his website here!

Tips on big Christmas projects like this to come!

[Sketchy Mondays] Trimming the Tree.

I mentioned before that I was challenged to come up with a concept and design for the Christmas decorations on the 2nd floor of the SUB at Baylor (Student Union Building). Welp. That kept Christmas on the mind when it came to sketching.

The tree topper was what really stumped me. How do you put the top, the finishing touch, the "piece de resistance" on an 18 foot monstrosity that all of the campus as well as their families, friends, and local Wacoans will come to judge? How do you go about that? I had to reinvent the materials I had already introduced throughout the tree in a new and finial sort of way....and that all started...with a sketch.