Design Blog

I have just created a new blog! Click the link below to see articles about design, things that inspire me, new products and technology that inhance the design process.

www.mydesignology.blogspot.com

Fun Finds

Thanks to Bobbie Thomas, who everyone should follow on Twitter, I learned some cool things to do with old nail polishes. The article mentioned several things that I had heard before, as well as a genius idea I had not considered.


The article linked to an artist's website, Jennifer Bright Art. Jennifer uses her nail polishes to create some pretty cool art. Check out the one below, as well as her website: http://www.jenniferbrightart.com/

Photo from Jennifer Bright's website.

twitter: thecourt_ney

Rules to being a put-together, confident, girly-girl woman

It has taken time (24 years to be exact) to figure out exactly the qualities I want, and now, the qualities I hopefully possess. This list is composed of things that I think every woman should do in order to have these qualities. And even if you don’t want these exact qualities, they are pretty decent tips. (no particular order; they are equally important)

1. Don’t be impulsive with your hair. Drastic changes to my hair freak me out. In order to keep my confidence up it needs to stay basically the same. Small changes like changing my part, adding fringe, or trimming keep it fresh.
   
2. Power walk in stilettos. I work along side of construction workers and architects that are mostly older men. Since I’m young, in order for them to take me seriously, I dress professionally every day- with heels. Tensing your calves help keep balance in the highest heels and on rocky job site surfaces like cracked concrete and gravel.
   
3. Never leave home without sunglasses. Some mornings I’m too tired for makeup so I don an oversized pair. Then around 9 o’clock I’ll do up my eyes.
   
4. Drink your way to good skin. I swear by water and peppermint tea.
   
5. Be prepared. Always carry safety pins, rubber bands, a band-aid, clear polish, fong yeow cheng (medicated herbal oil for motion sickness, upset stomach, and headaches), a phone charger and a measuring tape. Ok, so maybe not everyone needs a measuring tape but I always seem to need one.
   
6. Switch scents midday. Something clean and fresh for morning to wake me up and something floral for afternoon.
   
7. Carry a small makeup pouch in your handbag. My essentials are bronzer, an all over stick, and lip-gloss.
   
8. Pose like a pro. Relax all muscles, turn at an angle, and smile like it’s the best day of your life.
   
9. Conceal, conceal, conceal.
   
10. Travel with healthy snacks. I almost always have wheat crackers, a piece of fruit, or at least a pack of gum.

As a sorority girl, I learned to live by the ideals of our creed: Love, Honor, and Truth. I learned the importance of being an active member of the sorority and in turn the community. I learned that happiness comes from giving and to always be sympathetic, gentle, and courteous.

From these morals stemmed a simple phrase I live by: If you dream it, just believe it and you will achieve it. (funny enough, Phi Mu later came out with three similar key words that they market to collegians: imagine, dream, achieve.)

Above all, have faith. I’m a strong believer in God and having faith and a relationship with Him is the only way for me to get through each day. As long as everyone believes and has faith in something, I think they will live a full life.

Until later, x’s and o’s!

Courtney

twitter: thecourt_ney

This post was inspired by InStyle's 10 Ways to Live like a Supermodel.

NeoCon 2010

Ahh... That time of year. The time of year every designer loves. The time of year new products are launched. The time designers rush to Chicago in their ballet flats (or heels if you're a new designer and uninformed) and bangle bracelets to see these new products. To many of you common folk, this sounds incredibly boring and like a waste of time. But for those of us who love great design, people, and after-parties, this is our life. It's what we live for.

Well... Except for those of us at my little company. Where was I Monday morning when designers flooded through the doors of the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago? I was pooring myself another cup of coffee and settling down at my computer to go through Monday morning emails. Yes, that's right; another year of missing the greatest spectacle in design. Unfortunately no one at our office has ever found it useful to shuffle through thousands of people and 20 floors of products in three days. It's really a pity because we could avoid a month of follow up with our reps if we had just gone.

Instead, I decided to post some photo's of the event, which I have been following online, as well as some photo's from the years that I have gone (bottom four).

Herman Miller. Haworth showroom. Haworth occasional table. Haworth showroom again. Photo's by Carolyn Pike.

Izzy showroom. "Olivia" chair, Izzy showroom. VWIDON dress and Leland chair, "Valeri", Izzy showroom. Photo's by Carolyn Pike.

Eating in our Herman Miller shirts on our way home from NeoCon 2007, a glass showroom, Herman Miller showroom (???) 2005, Nemschoff showroom 2007.

x's and o's
Courtney
twitter: thecourt_ney, youtube: cwork621

New Place(s), Old Face(s)

This is just going to be a quick ramble blog.

Emily and I are all settled into our new place! We have all of our things moved in (except our kitchen table because it's in her g'parents barn attic) and put away for the most part. Cable is getting hooked up this week. We got a new couch yesterday... here's a teaser :)

While it is nice to be in a new place, it's also nice to have a familiar face around. We have had some issues with maintenance and just other moving hassles and it's nice that Emily is there to experience and have to deal with it too. :) Emily and I have been friends since 6th grade and we have a lot in common; we have similar likes, expectations, and needs from an apartment. During college, I didn't get to see a lot of her just because we both had pretty demanding schedules for our field and were involved in lots of extra curriculars. I'm glad that we are both working in Muncie now and have a chance to live together. She was going to go back to school for her masters in the fall but she has put that off for another year because she wants to move south and go to a different school. Here are some photos of Emily and I over the years. (The earliest in our friendship I could find was a choir concert senior year. Hopefully I will come across some older ones that I can scan soon.)

As soon as we can get fully settled, we are having a sleepover with the girls!

On a slightly different note, Kyle, Emily and I tried out a place downtown called Savages Ale House. They have pretty good food for late night adventurer's. It's not new to town but none of us had been there. We all liked it. Also on a different note, I have gone back to my summer face which means less foundation, more sun, less eye color, and more Soft Lips. :) It's a nice face to have back.

x's and o's!

cwork621...a.k.a. thecourt_ney

Memorial Day Weekend

Click here to watch a funny Memorial Day Weekend Video

Dump Cake Adventures

Click here for a funny video on making dump cake... at a campground.