illustrious beginnings

So I haven't posted in a while . . . mostly because school started and things just seemed to get busy right away.
I'm going into part one of my comprehensive project studio. Finally, I'll be able to design something! Last term was spent doing some research and actually coming up with ideas for the project. I finally settled on a daycare. I think I'll enjoy working on it. So many people, when they have the chance to determine what they want to design, pick something very cool and unique. A restaurant, a high-end retail space. Something that you can throw a lot of money at, and, of course make it really amazing. I chose something that, on the coolness scale of things, isn't very high on the list. But really, that's why I think it has so much potential. It might be a bit of a challenge to make a sophisticated design out of something like a child care center, but I'm looking forward to it. I've been doing my research, and I've seen some really well done examples, so it can be done.
Yesterday afternoon I spent some time in studio looking at children's books. Really, it was part of my research! We were all working on precedent studies, and besides just looking at built environments, I was interested in looking at the illustration styles of the books we all remembered and loved from our childhood. Curious George and TikiTikiTembo and Babar and Madeline and Courderoy and Where the Wild Things Are and the Pokey Little Puppy and Richard Scarry and the Velveteen Rabbit and Goodnight Moon. Good memories!
So that's what I've been up to recently. Besides all the site documentation and research interviews, putting all my building drawings into CAD. More of that today . . . but the brainlessness of it is okay when you can blast the music.
David also asked me to lead a girls' group for RUF. Yikes! I was really nervous about it, but it's going alright. My first reaction was more along the lines of: "Me?! What the heck do I know about anything?" but that's not really the point. We're actually using a book by Michael Horton that covers basic tenets of Reformed theology. Good reading.
Anyways, I really do have to get back to work. I was going to work in studio today, but I think I'll just do my drawings at home. It's so much nicer to have free-range access to food and see my roommate.
So, it's back to CAD and tea for me.