8 *tap tap* is this thing still on?

Happy New Year y'all! I know... it's been a while! Since I last posted here, my life has, yet again, transformed! It's so amazing how no matter how much we plan, God can top your goals and dreams. If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that at the end of 2012 I decided to leave Atlanta and move back home to Raleigh, NC to finish my Interior Design degree full-time. Packing up my life and moving back in with my mom was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I would need about half of the emoji keyboard to really illustrate all of the emotions I experienced during that move, but I pushed through them all because deep down I knew I was making the best choice for me. Being back at Meredith was surprisingly refreshing, my love for Raleigh deepened even more, and I scored an awesome internship for the summer. I started classes in the fall of 2013 with the intention of finishing the LAST 4 classes I needed to graduate and moving on to the next thing in 2014.

Well, when I was sitting in the first day of classes reading through my syllabi, I got a call from Chip Wade saying that he wanted to interview me for a full-time position with his show HGTV Elbow Room. I didn't apply for this position. Someone left the show for another opportunity and somehow my name was suggested as her replacement. You can imagine, I'm immediately excited because I absolutely love this show and isn't the whole point of getting an education to be then gainfully employed in your area of expertise?

...But wait...

The job starts in September? So... what about school? I was falling in love with my Raleigh again, and I wasn't ready to leave my family and friends! Once again, I was challenged to make a difficult decision based on faith. Well, I knew that this job was for me and I couldn't pass it up. So I have accepted the fact that I may not be able to finish my degree in 2013 after all, but would take the opportunity regardless, and plan to finish the classes when I can. I presented my situation to my awesome advisor, fully expecting to hear "Good luck with your job but I cannot help you..." and would you know that we work out a plan for me to stay enrolled in 2 of the 4 classes I needed. The other 2 I will be completing this spring and summer here in Atlanta.

I don't know which scenario gave me more joy; getting a dream job offer back in Atlanta or the reassurance that I would still be able to finish this degree. I truly felt an overwhelming sense of favor in both scenarios, as if God was literally hugging me. I am forever grateful to Chip & Cristi for giving me the opportunity to work with them and to my advisor Dr. Burpitt for believing in me.


SO... Now it's 2014 and I am back in Atlanta, working full time for Elbow Room. We're half way through 13 episodes that will make up Season 3. Man has it been a ride thus far, and I'm loving every minute of it. I am taking one class on Saturdays and will be DONE with this degree by August 2014. My timeline was delayed, but it's still unbelievable to me that I will be finishing this program that I started in 2007! Yes, 7 years ago! I'm living proof that no path is a straight shot to achieving your dreams.


With all that going on, I stopped blogging just so that I could ENJOY it. Another decision that I'm so thankful for because it allowed me to really focus on what is important to me, and find a proper balance. I think we (millenials, social media enthusiasts) can become slaves to online connectedness. I had to take a step back and ask "Who am I serving in all of this?" Your answer may be different from mine, but I think it's an important question to ask. Once I defined that for myself, I was able to prioritize my time and be more present.

I'm excited to get back to blogging and sharing some of my life and design inspiration with y'all again! I started this blog when I started design school, so it's only fitting that I bring you along for the last leg of it. I hope that 2014 has started off amazingly for you and even if it doesn't seem like it has, know that it will get better.

3 raleigh: lunching with rachel stewart

As promised, I'm going to be featuring what's going on in the Raleigh area more on the blog! I thought it would be great to start of with a lunch date with my friend Rachel Stewart. We went to lunch a while back at this super cute grille called Rock Harbor Grille. The food was amazing! It's located just southwest of downtown in Apex. A little out of the city limits, but worth the trip.





I loved the tin tiled ceiling...


...Rachel being fabulous as usual!


Rock Harbor specializes in seafood, and this plate did not disappoint!


I was excited to see that they had a good selection of local craft beers too. I forgot which beer I'm drinking in this photo tho, oops!


And I had this amazing salmon burger with fire roasted tomatos, pesto and melty provolone cheese. So good!

By the way Rachel has a new collection up on her site! It is inspired by her favorite sci-fi novelist Octavia Spencer. I love the statement pieces, because they are a great way to dress up a simple outfit in this humid hot weather without adding more clothing.




Check out the rest of Rachel's new collection HERE.

0 why I will never support goodwill again

Sometimes we see something that bothers us enough to make us pause but not enough to make us speak up about it. Such was the case for me about a year ago when I was doing my normal rounds at a Goodwill store in the Atlanta area. As I was perusing one of the racks near the perimeter of the store, I heard what appeared to be a manager speaking very intensely to one of his subordinates. The store design was set up with a tall half-wall which separated the shopping area from the receiving and sorting area. What I heard was coming from this blocked off receiving area. The manager was speaking loud enough that his voice traveled over the wall and smacked me in the ear. I don't remember the exact words he said, but his tone was as if he was speaking to a disobedient dog and the words basically summed up to calling the intended recipient an idiot.

What I overheard was enough to make me stop what I was doing and frown. I did not, however, do anything about it. At the time, I thought, "Maybe that manager is just having a bad day..." and remembered that there is always a bad apple in the bunch. Since then, there have been a few more times when I went to a Goodwill store and behavior or working conditions stuck out to me.

But after seeing this video, posted by one of my Facebook friends, I have decided to no longer support Goodwill stores with donations or my money. I cannot support a company that calls themselves a non-profit and pays disadvantaged/disabled workers pennies per hour while their leadership makes 100s of 1000s (in some case millions) of dollars!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This really hit me deeply as I am such an avid thrift store shopper. (About 60% of my wardrobe is thrifted!) You may remember that I even dedicated a Design Talk webisodeto it. And being that Goodwill is probably THE most popular thrift store I feel like in promoting the fun of thrift store shopping I have inadvertently helped their business. What they are doing is disgusting to me. The gentleman in the video said it best, by paying these individuals next to nothing to come to work everyday, Goodwill is telling them that they are not worth it. Every human deserves to be compensated fairly for their work & especially those who have limited capacity to make more. I will no longer be supporting Goodwill, and I encourage you to do the same.

Here are some of my favorite thrift stores in Raleigh that you can enjoy instead:

Cause for the Paws (benefits SPCA)
1634 S Saunders St
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 755-8906
http://cfpaws.com/

Father & Sons Vintage
107 W Hargett St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 832-3030
Father & Son on Facebook

0 monday motivation

We all have our own personal + professional goals that we work towards each day. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that I have had many many attempts to find at what works for me. I've lived in different places, worked so many different jobs, left school and returned to school. If you're just getting to know me at this stage in life, you have no idea what trial & error process I've been through. The lessons I've learned from my missteps empower me and keep me motivated, so I'm thankful for them! I was reminded this weekend that I have the freedom to keep trying because nobody remembers your trys, they only remember your wins! It's an exhilarating feeling when you realize that when that one big break happens, your flubs are erased from the memories of those who care about you.


PS - Can we talk about how AMAZING Oprah's Next Chapter was last night? So many great take aways from this group of talented actresses. I really want to continue the conversation! Tell me your thoughts on it in the comments below.

0 monday motivation

How is it June 10th already? We're halfway through 2013 and this year has been nothing but surpise after surprise for me. So much so, that I've had to really evaluate what I choose to keep in my life in order to make room for the new. One lesson that I've learned over and over again is to give only major things major time. In the past I have spent too much time & energy on people or things that really don't add value to my life. Sometimes it's hard to recognize that fact, but in the end, focusing my energy on what matters to me the most always yields the best results for me & those around me.

This week let's remember not to give minor things major time!

0 hey there

"Where have you been Niki?" Well last week was my birthday. And I actually took some time off!

On Thursday, I had dinner with some of my best friends and family at the Pit. I have been resisting the over abundance of carbs and fried food in NC since I moved back, but on my birthday, I indulged!

Then over the holiday weekend I visited Chicago for the first time...

Amazing city - I think I fell in love the first time I laid eyes on THIS. Frank Gehry is one of my favorite architects, and I'd never seen one of his works in person. Absolutely stunning!

And across the park from that amphitheater is the iconic "bean". Very cool, but it didn't wow me like the amphitheater!

I ate at some amazing restaurants and checked out Randolph Street Market, too. I wanted to live in that market and never leave. So much amazing vintage!

I'm sorry that I didn't take more photos, I was too busy gasping with excitement.

I did buy some "new" vintage navy cowgirl boots tho! ;)

I flew back to NC early Tuesday morning and went right back to work. I have to say that this may have been my best vacation yet. Can't wait to visit Chicago again.

Hope you had an awesome holiday weekend too!

0 monday motivation

found on Get Togetha

While I was in Atlanta last week, I had dinner with my friends Ally and Dorothy Burke and something we were talking about made me blurt out, "I don't require myself to be perfect!" That may be the first time I have said that to anyone else, but it is the way I have been living my life for quite some time now. I am admittedly a retired perfectionist; at some point I realized that each morning God wakes me up, I am exactly how He wants me to be. No need to fret about what I think is "wrong". Once I let go of that annoying itch to FIX myself all the time, I noticed that the best of me effortlessly came to the surface.

I owe you guys a real recap of everything I've been up to!! I promise to fill you in this week! :)

Also, stay tuned for a new Design Talk webisode with Erika Ward tomorrow! She is truly one of my "sheroes" and I'm so happy to call her a friend.

Have a great Monday!

2 about high point market

When I was growing up here in North Carolina, I never really got how much of a big deal it was that High Point Furniture Market #HPMkt was less than 2 hours away from my hometown. High Point is such a small little city with absolutely nothing going on. My mother is from Mt. Airy, which is not too far from High Point (and even smaller and slower), so I just had this impression of High Point as another town to be passed through on the highway. It wasn't until I became interested in interior design that I really grasped how influential the spring and fall markets at High Point really are. They are the Mercedes Benz Fashion Weeks of furniture. With that understanding came a strong desire to be apart! #HPMkt is exclusive to those within the furniture and design industry, and I have worked hard to position myself so that I can attend market, not just as a visitor but as a participant.

This is my gratuitous "I'm so happy to be here!" bathroom shot at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. :) Being able to attend this market was such milestone for me because I was able to do everything I have dreamed of doing. I visited exclusive showrooms, shook hands with the originators of huge brands. I was also really pleased to be a face of color in the almost completely "vanilla" market. I know it may not matter to some, but I'm always happy to represent those of us brown-skinned girls who love and work in design too.

I was able to choose from hundreds of fabric options and upholstery frames to design custom furnishings for the store. The showrooms themselves were inspiration overload! Imagine real life vignettes from Pinterest boards all jumbled together in one room.

Although I've been before, this time was significant for me because it reminded me that I'm exactly where I want to be in my career right now. I'm doing great in school, and looking forward to actually being DONE in December. I'm working for a great company that allows me to grow as well as practice the design skills I've learned over the last six years. PS - This little vignette reminded me so much of this space I did last year!


I'm so grateful to be at this point! And even though I'll always keep striving for more, it was nice to be able to just sit back and appreciate the moment. Have a great weekend y'all!

1 monday motivation

One of my best friends said this to me a week or so ago and I've added it to my list of mantras. So many times we "throw something away" (whether it be a person, a habit, a thing) and yet at some point later, we take it out of the trash, dust it off and try it again. If you threw it away, then obviously you had a reason to do so. Picking it out of the trash and trying it again is just stupid. Don't do it!

This week I'm determined to leave the trash in the can.

0 design talk webisode 11: thrifting with beverly & rebecca

When I decided to start interviewing my friends for Design Talk, these are exactly the type of stories I wanted them to share. We all have our own preferences and things that we love about our homes and it's so personal. Sometimes it has influence from other family members, and sometimes the things that we choose to include only make since to us!

I absolutely love how Beverly & Rebecca has taken their love for thrifting and filled their home with only significant things. It goes to show you that you don't have to have a LOT to make a house a home.

Enjoy part two of the interview! And be sure to reach out to The Knight Twins on Twitter @bev_knight and @RKnight_light



PS - There's lots of giggling in this one too. :)

0 monday motivation

Last night I got an amazing comment from a woman in Atlanta who says she has been following my blog for sometime. I'm sharing this with y'all not to pat myself on my back, because honestly, these comments just make me so humble. For someone to see all that in me just let's me know that God is working through me. I do my best everyday, but I am far from perfect. I write this blog as authentically as I can, because I feel driven to do so. If there is something you feel driven to do, go after it! Do it! I cannot tell you how many times I've pushed myself to try something, even though I was scared to fail. Every time, I'm surprised by the results I get.

2 missing my studio

When I moved to Atlanta in 2009, my intention was to bum on the sofa of my (then) boyfriend's brother until I saved up enough money from my new job at J.Crew to get my own place. While they were playing video games, I would research apartments everyday and dream about how I would make it into a space of my own. Things didn't work out exactly as planned but when I finally did move into my own place in 2011, it was literally a dream come true. It may have not been the best studio, but it was mine! I will always love this "first place" of mine because I put so much love into it.

Ya'll saw peeks of it in the background of Design Talk webisodes, but I never gave you a proper tour. Mostly because I never really felt like it was "done". But today I am missing my studio and thought it would be fun to share a little bit of what it looked like before I moved out!


As you can see, a lot of the items in bedroom area were made by me or thrifted, which made the space really one of a kind. The paint color was from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot, and I am so sorry that I don't remember the name/color. And since a few people have asked, I am still selling my custom Afro Puff pillows! You can order one (or two!) right here.

I'm already dreaming about what my next place will be like!

0 dc chillin

Happy Friday y'all! This week has been a whirlwind for me. Lots of exciting things going on! I'm just getting around to uploading my photos from my trip to DC last weekend and I thought I'd share a few. Every time I visit DC, I fall for it a little bit more. The weather was perfect for roaming the city, so my friend Kelli & I got out and explored a bit.


If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this FAB necklace that Kelli is wearing. After I posted this photo, she told me she bought it in Nepal!



The beautiful buildings in DC grabbed my attention the entire time I was there. It's amazing to see the revitalization they've done over recent years. Feels like a brand new city!



She was so stylish and simply reading a book on her stoop, I had to snap her photo.


And I wish I'd gotten a better shot of her outfit; her liquid leggings, neon coat and Versace scarf were fierce.


Artwork at Busboys & Poets on 14th street. I loved this mural so much!

That's just a peek into what we did. I'll share some more soon! I had such a good time last weekend, I kinda wish I was on my way back right now. I'll be here in NC though, filming another NEW webisode of Design Talk and starting on a new e-design client project.

Have a great weekend!