PLiNTH & CHiNTZ: January 2008's Design Newsletter

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What you'll find... HiP & COOL:   Ready For My Close-Up ·  Learn, Baby, Learn   INSiDE SCOOP:    The "Real" Real World  ·  You're Hired!  ·  NCIDQ&A   ·   Design Speak  ·  Say What?  ·  What In The World?   GOiNG PUBLIC:    Rant & Rave  ·  Light Reading Our mission. To bridge the gap between the student / educational community and the professional / manufacturer community of the interior design world, and not to die of boredom while we do it. [Not an advertisement - merely a diversion.] Fresh off the cyberpress: new content on plinthandchintz.com. Nicole Martin If magic happens when you finally find your design niche, then Nicole Martin could have her own show in Vegas. This Interior Designer / Textile Designer / Product Designer is currently conjuring up beautiful, thoughtful designs for Constantine Commercial Carpet . She's come a long way from her days at the University of Cincinnati School of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning [ DAAP] where she earned a BS in Interior Design while also studying Product Design for two years. [Incidentally, Design Intelligence's annual survey of designers, architects and engineers again named UC's Interior Design program #1 in the nation for the eighth-straight year.] Nicole's path to success greatly intrigued us, though the reason behind it is no great mystery: talent and lots of hard work. Let her ambition inspire, putting a positive spell on your career for the New Year… Go here to learn a few tricks. contributed by Angela Voelker [interior architecture student @ University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point / all-purpose planner / control freak] Student Design Competitions – Just Do It! Enrollment in interior design programs is at an all-time high, so how can you set yourself apart when it's time to land that invaluable internship or that ever critical entry-level position? One great way is to enter student design competitions. No different than practicing designers, students rarely take advantage of these incredible opportunities that will add that little something extra to their résumés while jump-starting their personal career marketing plans. Let me share with you the how, what and why of what could potentially be fertilizer for your sprouting interior design career. Go here to fortify your roots. contributed by Jeff Hayden [CAD manager / designer / office goober]  Field Quips EDITOR'S NOTE: One of  PLiNTH & CHiNTZ 's goals is to enlighten aspiring designers about what they might encounter in this crazy, vast industry. Another is to entertain and amuse. In the case of this article, we do both. Though it's definitely sassy and tongue-in-cheek, it's the perfect companion piece to "Field Verification Isn't Always a Field Trip" , which provides the uninitiated with some uncomfortable real life situations. Though we recommend that you don't actually say these types of things out loud to your clients when you're working on their tenant improvements, there's nothing stopping you from shouting them in your head on your next field verification assignment. It just might keep you sane… Go here to get your giggle on. contributed by Meghan Broussard Simecek [LEED AP / college football fanatic / queen of bling]  Everything You Wanted To Know About The LEED AP Exam But Were Too Afraid To Ask So, you're thinking about taking the LEED Professional Accreditation [ LEED AP] Exam to get ahead, eh? Remember the sweating palms and turning stomach of your SAT? Recall tapping your pencil nervously as questions went unanswered? Then there was the waiting with bated breath to get your score. Well, the LEED AP Exam is nothing like that. Scared you, didn't I? Yes, you will probably get nervous (pushing the "quit" button to submit my answers was one of the scariest moments of my life), but you get your scores instantly, and you're not forced to watch other people breeze through the test and wonder what's wrong with you. But let's get on to the nitty-gritty… Go here to cure your testophobia. contributed by The NCIDQ Crew Going Green A new year means new resolutions, and NCIDQ is no exception. We have resolved to "go green" in 2008, and we're fully prepared to make it happen. In fact, we have already taken steps to accomplish this important, organization-wide goal. We're reducing our paper consumption with the hope of setting an example for the industry and inspiring interior designers everywhere…  Go here to va el verde. January 2008 additions to DESIGN SPEAK: arcade, design-build, masonry, mock-up, and PAR / Parabolic Aluminized Reflector Impress your professors / interviewers / co-workers / friends. Visit DESIGN SPEAK. January 2008 additions to SAY WHAT?: faux, gastronomic, and saturnine (We'll even show you how to use each word in a sentence related to the design industry.) Just remember: Expand your vocabulary, and you expand your opportunities. Visit SAY WHAT? Websites we either find helpful, funny or just plain cool. Visit WHAT IN THE WORLD?  Eco Savvy [3R Living, Green Clips, OptOutPrescreen] Other Design Junkies [Design Observer] The Pros [The Home Safety Council, Safe USA – Safe at Home] Productive Sites [Free Rice] Time Killers [Meez] Hot Shopping [Historic Houseparts] We love your comments and suggestions so keep 'em coming. Speak your mind by submitting your RANTS & RAVES to contact@plinthandchintz.com.  I love your site and have written to you previously complimenting you on the concept. I hope you don't mind, but I've featured Plinth & Chintz on our BIDShowcase "Contributors" page. Our readers should have easy access to your site as it's THE best for student designers. - Alicia Valair, CID, CKD, Allied Member ASID - Publisher, BIDShowcase Go here to find why people love P&C. by Laura McDonald Stewart, ASID / IIDA [Interior Designer / Founder PLiNTH & CHiNTZ and CLUB CHiNTZ] Generation Gap For many a college senior, securing a good job upon graduation is at the top of the 2008 resolution list, but apparently the traditional student's – i.e., around 22-years-old – idea of the workplace isn't quite the same as that of the previous generations. In fact, how these age groups – the Millennials, the Gen Xers, the Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation – approach, navigate, and intermingle within today's working environment is the subject of much discussion these days... Go here to work it out. When you enter Amazon or Barnes & Noble through our humble little website, a portion of your purchase - no matter what you buy - helps to keep PLiNTH & CHiNTZ up-n-running. The best part: It doesn't cost you anything extra and it helps us not have to charge you for your access to PLiNTH & CHiNTZ . THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your support! 2007 PLiNTH & CHiNTZ. All Rights Reserved

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