Term Four Final Project (& Tips for Creating your own Design Boards)

I did it! I survived my fourth project week.
This one was a big one - Each term more is expected of us as our knowledge base grows. I can't believe I'm officially 1/3 done my degree already. How time flies!
Today I thought I would share my final project and some tips for creating professional looking design boards (for all those fellow design students following my blog! xo)

 1. Be consistent. All of your boards should look exactly the same if you were to take all of your images off of them. I like to prepare my boards with a grey background (complimentary to almost anything & allows your work to shine) and a second pop of colour that goes with the scheme of my design. In this case a fresh, minty green.

2.Don't overcrowd your boards. It will overwhelm the viewer and look messy! Also, everything you put on your board should be mounted on a piece of foam core to create dimension and layers. Shout out to the lovely Steph Sterjovski- I used her picture as the perfect 'mint shopper' inspiration!

3. Your first board should always outline your design concept. Use a small group of images & the concept statement. I also like to highlight the three key words that illustrate the feeling I am trying to create with my design.

4. Use a title block at the bottom of each board with your name & class title, board title, and board number.

 5. Your renderings should be the stars of the show. They will pop more if they are surrounded by a black boarder.

 6. Try not to put all of your boards together in one day or by your eighth board things might start getting a little crooked and sloppy (see above ^).

 7. Always dress to match your boards. Just do it.

Warnings: Doing these boards is costly, time consuming, and will result in major 'designer bags'...and not the good kind of designer bags. I'm talking the ones under your eyes here people. Proof is in the pudding:

I'm very proud of how far I've come in one short year!! I can't imagine where I will be when I graduate. This week I am visiting my parents in Waterloo before term 5 starts on October 7th!
xoxo

Blogpodium Recap Part 2 of 2: Photobooth Fun and What I learned

Ah guys I am swamped this week! It's finals week which means no sleep and a whole pile of work. But, I promised to share part two of Blogpodium today and I am a girl of my word.

First, some hilarity to make you giggle this morning:

Obviously I was pretty enamored with this photobooth, I did it six times. Mostly I couldn't get enough of laughing and goofing off with all of these lovely ladies I had been DYING to meet. Do you spot anyone you know?

Secondly, I wanted to share the key piece of info I got from each seminar that I attended. I learned so much from each speaker, it was hard to narrow it down!

 Wise words from some seriously successful and inpirational people.
And now I am signing off to kick some design school butt!
Wish me luck loves!
xo

Blogpodium Recap Part 1 of 2: Overview of the Day

On Sunday I attended Blogpodium with about 250 other amazing bloggers. 

You guys, I had the BEST time. If you were there, then you are probably as inspired as I am by all the talent, creativity and advice that we were surrounded by all day. The blogging community is just as amazing and supportive in person as it is online - and that is something to smile about. If you weren't there, you best be coming next year - but in the meantime I will catch you up:

I will admit I was a bad blogger while I was there...I took about zero photos. I'm going to chalk it up to being in the moment and being busy socializing! Luckily the always amazing Anna with Love captured the day better than I ever could:

 ^ The decorations provided by minted were absolutely perfect! I loved all the pretty details.

^Sarah Richardson's keynote speech was one of the highlights of the day for me. She spoke about her struggles to get to where she is today, about her family, her style, her business. She was totally open.

^Getting ready to learn from fabulous Steph Sterjovski with some old and some new friends! Elyse, that hair flip is pretty unreal.

^ So proud of my girl Steph!  Her presentation was invaluable. Such a genuine heart!

^ Amazing food all day long keeps this blogger very happy

 ^A seminar on "How to grow your blog using Social Media"...I have to say Meredith Heron is exactly as I imagined her to be...hilarious, honest, and amazing. I got to spend some time with her throughout the evening and learned so much from this inspirational woman!

 ^Cute ribbon wall to display all of our business cards!

^"This is my goodside" - evening photobooth backdrop...You will see it in action tomorrow.

And in case you are wondering what I wore, this is the only picture I have of my outfit. Luckily it's a cute one and features me with my newest bloggy friend, Lynsey of Frou Frou and Frills!

 A red/orange pencil skirt, basic grey tee, some bling bling and a little leopard belt. With some gorgeous studded flats that have left me blistered and defeated.

Come back tomorrow for some of the most useful things that I learned and some photobooth fun (way too much photobooth fun).

How was your weekend?

**All photos except the last one courtesy of Anna with Love Photography.
Too see the rest of the photos from Blogpodium, click here.

Top Five Fall Faves

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Fall is my favourite season. The layers, the crisp air, the smell of fallen leaves - it's a magical time.
Today, I've rounded up my top five fave things about my most beloved season.

1. Pumpkin Everything: pumpkin pie, pumpkin carving, pumpkin cupcakes, and especially pumpkin spiced lattes. Who's with me?
2. Chunky Cableknits:  Is there anything better than curling up in a chunky oversized sweater with a good book? A cableknit looks great with leggings, jeans, even a skirt! A quintessential fall classic.
3. Riding Boots: Your go-everywhere-in-comfort-and-style must have boot. Bonus points if your thick woolen socks stick out the top. I am on the hunt for a new pair.
4. Changing Colours: Just one of nature's many inspirations. I love going for walks and bike rides and taking in the beauty that God blesses us with daily during the fall!
5. Big Warm Scarves: It's basically a portable blanket...Need I say more?

Now tell me loves, what is your favourite season and why?
Can't wait to give a full report about blogpodium next week! Wish me luck.
xox

Business Cards & Guest Post

This Saturday is Blogpodium. I'm so excited, and also a little bit nervous. This will be my first blogging conference and I can't wait to finally meet so many of my local blogging friends here in Toronto (not to mention hear all the great speakers including Sarah Richardson and my girl Steph).

One 'must' for every blogger is a well designed business card. I made the careful decision to custom design my own using photoshop and have them printed. I love how they turned out! The little watercolor zebra I painted is my favourite touch.

I spy me in one of these pictures...can you spot it? Amateur hour over here. Also, you can see that I started to gold leaf the edges for an extra touch, but my beloved gold leaf pen ran out of ink. I will have to get another one. I also used my gold leaf pen to add the leopard sports to the little lucite tray that I'm using to display my business cards, which you can read more about here.

Speaking of girls I'm dying to meet at Blogpodium, Sweet Elyse from Peonies and Brass is going to be there and I just so happen to be blogging over at her site today about my favourite furniture hack.
Do you have an guesses what it is? Head on over to find out!

Will I be seeing any more of you on Saturday? I hope so loves.
xox

My Ceramic Parrot

Remember this post, when I was obsessing over Christine Dovey's ceramic parrot?
Well this summer I got one of my very own from a vendor at the Aberfoyle Antique Market. All my best flea market finds come from this place I swear, I love it.

lips print via the aestate

Nothing I love more than a glamorous vignette!
Hope you are all having a lovely start to your week. xoxo