Live each day as if tomorrow never comes

Last night I was writing my post about how I decided to take a risk and follow my dreams, no matter what challenges may arise.  This morning my feelings about that statement were confirmed and solidified.  I woke up around 6:30am, and heard first thing on my drive to work, about the Dark Knight Rises Massacre in Aurora, Colorado. I am completely mortified, saddened, and utterly heartbroken for all of the victims, survivors and especially those lost their lives, who had to endure that nightmare.  All of those innocent people attended the much awaited premier midnight showing of the Dark Knight Rises.  It was supposed to be a night cherished and never forgotten. That certainly rang true, but not in the way anyone had predicted. Now, at least 12 people are dead and 38 others wounded. Although not all the names of the fallen have been released yet, I want to send my prayers out to the the families and friends of the victims.  I would especially like to honor the life of one of the victims, Jessica Ghawi.  I do not personally know Jessica, but she reminds me a lot of myself.  She was raised right down the road from me in San Antonio, Tx, and she looks to be in her mid twenties in her photos.

Jessica Ghawi - Fallen victim from the Aurora, Colorado Dark Knight Rises Massacre, July 20, 2012.http://globalgrind.com/news/aurora-movie-theater-shooting-jessica-ghawi-12-people-killed-wounded-james-holmes-shooter-photos

Jessica was an aspiring sportscaster who survived a mall shooting, just one month ago in Toronto. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aurora-victim-jessica-ghawi-survived-toronto-mall-shooting-month-article-1.1118365

Last night reiterated to me that life is so precious.  You never know when it will be taken right out from under you, like it was for Jessica. What I have taken, and like I said, confirmed from this tragedy, is that you should live every day as if it was your last, take risks, follow your dreams, and make the choice to be happy.



Americans, in heart, will always stand united for the victims of the Dark Knight Rises massacre.

The Road to the Here and the Now (It's a long post, but please bare with me)

I have been a CPA for 5 years, worked in public accounting and oil and gas. I went to Texas A&M University and got my bachelors and masters degrees, graduated, moved to Houston, and started putting in some hard time at the office.  I never hated (but majorly disliked at times) being an accountant, but I never loved it either.  I figured that is what I picked, and that is what I'd be doing the next 40 years of my life.  Actually, more like the next 50 years, because I am pretty sure my generation and beyond will have to work long into our seventies just to save for retirement.  Anyway, I always kept this in the back of my mind, but never really thought too  much about it in realistic terms.  How about, "Wake up Laura! Life is about to pass you by, and you never took the time to pursue what you love...and for what, a predictable job that gets the bills paid and a lifestyle that might bore you to death??".  NO THANKS. It wasn't until one weekend spent in the beautiful Texas Hill Country with my Mom that made me wake up and smell the roses.

On a Friday afternoon in June 2012, I packed my bags, halled butt out of work, and headed straight west on I10 towards San Antonio. About 40 miles out of the big city, I turned off down the road to New Braunfels, Tx.  Overlapping the plains of south Texas and the Texas hill country, lay one of the cutest towns in the whole state.  My parents moved to the outskirts of this town about 4 years ago, so that is where I have been calling my home away from home for the better part of my after college adult life. On that Sunday, my Mom and I were headed to the H.E.B (ie Henry E. Butts Grocery), that was located in an expanding part of town.  At some point on the way, one of us mentioned checking out some of the new neighborhoods being built and any model homes that might be open that day.  My parents and I had always loved to look at model homes and open houses when I was growing up.  There was just something exciting and hopeful about walking through a perfectly decorated, uniquely designed home.  I think it is human nature, or maybe it is just in our genetics, to create the fantasy in your mind about what your life would be like to live in this magnificent home.  To me, going through the model homes it pure joy, and I realized that day that I was doing the completely wrong thing with my life. I had chosen the wrong career and the wrong industry, and I knew that I had to find a way to follow desire for what I loved.

At first, I thought it was just too late.  I had my time in school, chosen accounting, and I had to live with the path I had chosen.  But as time went on, I couldn't let that feeling go, the feeling of being trapped and the feeling that I would look back in thirty years and hate myself for not following my dreams. 

Everyone probably has feeling like this at some point, or maybe all the time.  I tried to tell myself I needed to be a "big" girl, and that most people don't have a true passions for what they do for a living.  I own a house, have a car payment, have bills to pay, and no savings whatsoever. The economy was in the dumps, so companies were not compensating well, but at the same time inflation was through the roof.  And that my friend is a bad combination!

To wrap this part of the story up, I though long and hard, and actually decided to take a chance and go for my dreams, even if it meant challenges and sacrifices along the way.  At this point, nothing can stand in my way of having the life that I want to have.

Welcome to IDesign Wannabe

Welcome to my blog, IDesign Wannabe. This site is about my journey through the field of Interior Design (ID), starting with day one. I have no formal background in design, but I want to learn and gain experience, so that one day, I can become a professional. My aspiration is to help people obtain the beautiful home they have always dreamed of, or maybe haven’t even thought of yet. I am confident that my experience in the next couple years will help me get accepted into an accredited interior design program, for the formal training and education I need for a successful career.

In this site, I will share my knowledge from self studies, experiences, and from professional interior designers. I am new to this, and you might be too, so if you have any interest in the field, this blog is for you. I am so glad to meet you, and I hope you enjoy this experience as much as I do.

Sincerely,
Laura Kathleen