I was in my mid-20s with 2 little boys in tow and I decided to go back to school for interior design. Crazy, right?! People were telling me that I wouldn't be able to finish because it would be too hard or questioned "why interior design??" But I was determined. I wanted to show people that I was going to get my degree in something I loved. I attended the University of Washington back in 1999 - 2001, majoring in Communications because I thought it seemed like a good compromise with what I thought I'd like to do and what my family would be proud of me for. Funny...I wanted to be a doctor as a little girl but when I saw my 1st t.v. operation, I felt sick to my stomach. Then I thought I wanted to be a singer but lost my interest as I got older because it came with a growing sense of stage fright.
I didn't finish school because I found out I was pregnant with my 1st child. I thought, for sure, I threw my life away - I was unmarried, still living at home, and just...LOST. Maybe a bit dramatic but I was young and very naive. I tried to be positive during this difficult time so I decided to stop throwing myself a pitty party and get serious. Eventually I married my baby daddy (we were already engaged) and moved out to an apartment against my parents' will. But, c'mon now, it was located down the street. Literally about 3 blocks down. Out of the blue (and after a few years in), I had an epiphany. I realized how much I loved design - I used to rearrange my bedroom multiple times to see what the best layout was. Plus I loved decorating the apartment we lived in. All were budget items because we were pretty much young and broke but wanted to "adult." Or had to, really. We moved into our first home when our son was about 2-3 years old. I loved decorating our house. We still had a limited budget so I shopped discount, bought furniture on a payment plan (all paid off within a couple years), and did a lot of DIY. One day, i discussed with my husband the possibility of studying Interior Design and decided to go for it. I attended the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) Seattle because it was near home and offered night school. We agreed that, if the first quarter proved to be too difficult, I would pull out. Right before I attended, I ended up having our 2nd child but, in a strange way, I didn't feel stress. It only further fueled my creative juices...how can I decorate the 2nd bedroom so that the baby could share with our toddler?! What colors would we use? What furniture would we buy? I went full-time, most quarters, but I loved it. Homework didn't feel like "homework" and was actually - dare I say it - FUN. Sure, I had some of your typical homework like Math and English but all final projects had to tie in creatively with our major. For example, I had an Art History class where I created art with one of the Hindu gods. This project ended up being used for display the following quarter (all the best projects were put on display in the school hallways for aspiring students to view while touring the school). HELL to the YEAH. Anyway, after years of hard work I graduated in July 2010 (Cum Laude), earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. By this time, I also had my 3rd child - a baby girl (I finally got my girl!) who had just turned 1. It felt good to get my degree and showing my naysayers that I could do it because I had drive. I truly felt unstoppable. Now I know it sounds cliche, but anything really is possible if you love something and keep at it. Any obstacles and trials you face are all a part of the journey and you will grow because of it. ~XOXO, Mari
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Meet MariWelcome to my blog where I share my inner thoughts on life and all things I love - beauty, home decor and design, amazing food, our family travels, and fashion! Archives
March 2021
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