Episode #63 - Interview with Madison Best

Join us on this episode of All-In Design, as we speak with Madison Best with Heidi Core Interior Design. This was a fun discussion as we touch on her studying interior design at Samford University, her job and projects worked on at Heidi Core, and her recent engagement. We also dive into the importance of art and lighting within a project and how that can dramatically change a space without breaking the bank. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Recorded live before a studio audience. This is All In Design. Hello and welcome to All In Design IDA Alabama podcast. Thank you for listening. My name's Chad Moore here with my co-host Mark Griffcom.

SPEAKER_05 0:30

Hey everybody.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

And Mark, how was your uh how was your weekend?

SPEAKER_05 0:34

It was great. Was it good? It was really good.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

Was it memorable? Do you think it's a weekend that you'll remember the rest of your life?

SPEAKER_05 0:39

It is. I can't remember where this is going, if it's going anywhere.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

I was just asking. Uh mine was um mine was okay. I don't know if I'll remember it the rest of my life. It has nothing to do with our guest and what she had going on this weekend.

SPEAKER_04 0:53

Uh oh, I've caught up. I've caught up. Yeah. I'm like, I was like, what is this?

SPEAKER_05 0:59

I'm like trying to do the math. I'm like, when is this gonna air? And I'm like, okay, I'm like, well, was something supposed to happen in August? I'm like, uh-huh. No, okay, no, I've caught up.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

But I I I do, I mean, I'm sure we'll talk about it, but um We are we have to now. Yeah, we do. Uh but it would be funny if we don't talk about it at all and we just leave it. We have just opening. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:19

Well, with our last guest, there was a lot of things that got brought up on the case. That we never circled back. That we did we had to circle back because they sounded really weird. Yeah, that's true. That's true. So we'll leave that.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

So why don't you uh you introduce uh today's guest and we'll we'll we'll dig into the weekend activities.

SPEAKER_05 1:33

I think that this guest, I have to do this. And I'm sure she's never heard it, but this guest is gonna be the best. The best. Oh no, terrible. I thought of that joke like three days ago, and I was like, she's gonna have heard this before. Never actually. Never really terrible joke aside, we are happy to introduce Madison Best here with us today. She is a junior interior designer at Heidi Core Interiors here in Birmingham, a Sanford graduate. Um, we'll get into all that, but welcome to the show, Madison. We're glad to have you.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_05 2:11

Yeah. Well, why don't you tell the folks a little bit about yourself? Go all the way back to, you know, let's start in uh where are you from?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

I am originally from Savannah, Georgia. Um came to Birmingham in 2020 for my college degree at Sanford. Great year. Yes, fantastic year to graduate high school. Start college. There's a joke that 2020 grads can't shut up about it because we had no prom, we had no graduation.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

I also started college. So, but yeah, it was fine. Sanford did great with all those COVID, weird COVID rules. Um, so yeah, I went to Sanford four years, graduated in 2024, um, started working for Heidi Quarantine Design, and I've been there since. So coming up on two years.

SPEAKER_03 2:53

Okay, so you're in Savannah. Why did you choose Sanford?

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Um, I had heard about it from a few people in my high school. Actually, my biology teacher's son went to Sanford. Um, not for any art related thing. I think he was like business, but they just loved it. And then I just looked into it because I went to a small private Christian high school. Wanted kind of the same vibe and feel. Um, so yeah, I looked into it, had the had a great interior design program, and then applied, and I only applied one other place, and then I went to Sanford. I didn't get in there, so I had to go to Right. Um, yeah, actually I applied to Georgia Southern, but it was only 45 minutes from home. So I wanted to be a little bit further. SCAD was too close. SCAD was way too close. SCAD was off the table completely. Um but yeah, I applied to Sanford. Um they had a great program. Was supposed to tour it in March of 2020, got canceled because of COVID. So I started Sanford never stepping from the city.

SPEAKER_05 3:54

That answers my next question. Had you been to Birmingham before?

SPEAKER_02 3:59

Um no.

SPEAKER_05 4:00

No, okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Not that I can remember. No. I think we might have, I think we've driven through Alabama, but not Birmingham. Okay. So just came. My parents and I did come up this summer before I started, and we like kind of illegally came on campus because they weren't supposed to have visitors, but we like walked in the back gate.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Cover of night. Yeah. It was like late afternoon, like all black, they're jumping over the fences at the twin discords.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

We walked through the neighborhood behind Sanford's campus and like came in the back gate and like just looked at it, but never did an official. That was you? That's where my wife dad was. We got you on camera.

SPEAKER_03 4:35

Who are these people walking through our neighborhood? Yeah. It's Dolores and uh Gregory. Dolores and Gregory, Groundhogs.

SPEAKER_05 4:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:42

Yeah. And now Madison.

SPEAKER_05 4:44

And now Madison.

SPEAKER_03 4:46

He'd be the star of our next uh next video series. So you um graduated. So did you intern first with Heidi Core?

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Yes, I interned for a year and a half before I graduated with her and then um got hired full-time.

SPEAKER_05 5:01

Oh, so you've been with her three and a half years then, if I'm doing the math correctly.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 5:06

Did you fall in love immediately? Like like what how are you connected to Heidi?

SPEAKER_02 5:11

Um, I don't know if you know this. Is this a segue?

SPEAKER_04 5:15

No, I don't I don't know. I I think I know. Your dad in the past, but you did just look at me like, wait, I think I know.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Don't you know this?

SPEAKER_04 5:22

You know this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

So I was uh junior year of college, I was interested in healthcare design. And so fall semester of junior.

SPEAKER_04 5:30

He was like, do not do that.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Fall semester of junior year, we had we did like a healthcare project and I did a plastic surgery clinic. Um, and for those of you that don't know, Heidi's husband is plastic surgeon. So she designed his office, his office, and like won an ID award on it and everything. So Jim Griffo told me to look at core plastic surgery as a like reference for my project. And then I will never forget this. I was sitting in studio and your dad walked up to me and said, You're the first one that's gonna present, and Heidi Core will be there. I said, Okay. Sounds right. Yeah, so I met her at that um that presentation, and I kind of was like, Hey, I'd love to intern, and then I emailed her and started the next semester. So nice.

SPEAKER_03 6:17

And I apparently did well enough in your internship.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Yeah, I loved it. She's an amazing boss, teaches me everything, is very like very good about explaining stuff and like wants us to learn and strive to do better every single day.

SPEAKER_05 6:29

So is there anything now that you've been out of school for two years, is there anything that's surprising you like or that has surprised you that like you didn't learn in school? Because you can't learn anything in school. Or everyone whoops special, especially at Sanford's Sanford. This episode dropped you by Sanford University, College of Arts. Um whoops. You can't learn everything in school.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_05 6:54

Right. And really you just learn kind of a drop in the bucket, like you get a feel. So like is there anything that's like been surprising in the last couple of years in terms of like I think budget is like I know that's like probably such a common answer, but budget is really big.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

You don't use everything that you want to use. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

In school, it's like you're just using what has a sketch up block and like what fabric looks pretty, even if it's like $150 a yard, you know, like and that's not gonna happen in the real world. Like for some projects, yes. But yeah, budget was probably the biggest thing that I had to say, oh, that's actually not like real. You know, you can't just like find a tile on Pinterest or whatever and like drop it into your model. You actually have to like select a tile from one of your reps and then get samples and work it into the palette that way. But um interning for Heidi for a year and a half was actually really helpful during school because some of my senior year projects were a little bit more like I tried to use manufacturers that I had heard of through my internship. Because I was using like interface carpet and like stuff like that. Yeah. Um and some steel case because we like went to the steel case factory.

SPEAKER_05 7:56

The one here in Alabama. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Yeah, so we used a lot of that. So it's been very helpful, or it was very helpful, I guess, to do the internship and learn more about the real world before I got into the real world.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

So yeah. We did realize uh Mark uh sent me a text earlier today and was like, you know, we probably should have given her the other questionnaire. So we've got two questionnaires. The one that we gave you, which is usually we give to people that have been in the industry for a decent while. Yeah. And then we we did do a series where it was, you know, junior designers, designers that have only been out of school one, two, three years.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Some of the questions are a little difficult, I won't lie.

SPEAKER_05 8:30

I was reading over and I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna say for this. That's my bad. Yeah, yeah. No, yeah, it's as Chad was saying, there was a there's a questionnaire that's like the the questions are just different, they're more like just geared toward like expectations, you know, what you learn in school, what's up being applied, what's not, you know, that sort of thing. So just make up those questions on your own, Madison, and yeah, just whatever the answers are. Has Heidi has Heidi's firm grown since you were there?

SPEAKER_02 8:59

Um, yeah. Well, I guess technically yes, because I'm full-time.

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Did she get hired? Yeah, there's one, yeah, that was a trick question and you got it right.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Yeah, so I'm full-time, and then we have another um part-time designer, Kaylee Byers. She's awesome. She's been there, I want to say since maybe like 2016 or 17. She's probably gonna correct me after this airs, but yeah, she will. Yeah, I can't remember exactly. But um, yeah, she went to Auburn, has been there for a while. Um, so she was there the whole time I was interning. And then we also have an intern now that's uh going into senior year at Stanford, Eleanor.

SPEAKER_05 9:35

So also interior design? Mm-hmm. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

Yep, also interior design.

SPEAKER_05 9:39

I didn't know, I was on Heidi's website today. I didn't know she had architects.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

That's like a separate firm, but we so it's actually her brother-in-law, Scott Phillips. And he has his own LLC as Phillips Architecture, and then Jared Kore, one of Heidi's sons, works for him, but we share a studio space.

SPEAKER_05 9:56

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, that's all nice.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Yeah, so we're all a team, we love to do projects together, but obviously sometimes we have different architects that we're just a designer for. But we're all in the office together, so it's a very good collaborative environment.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

And what what kind of projects do you guys mainly focus on?

SPEAKER_02 10:12

We honestly do a little bit of everything. I think a lot of people think we just do healthcare, which we do a lot of healthcare, but we've done a ton of commercial, um done like very detailed um like medical, like Heidi's uh Heidi's husband's office. They have a whole like ER sterile area, so that's like a whole different area of codes. And then we do some hospitality, um, we do residential sometimes. We like to do more commercial, but sometimes our commercial clients will then want us to do their houses a couple years down the line. We're doing a few lake houses right now. So kind of have a little dabble of everything, which is nice, super fun.

SPEAKER_03 10:53

Are you still focused on healthcare is what you are like doing, or have you now doing some other projects? Are you kind of like, uh, kind of like this now?

SPEAKER_02 11:02

I really like it all, honestly. Like I we do, which I know is like probably.

SPEAKER_04 11:07

So young tears.

SPEAKER_06 11:09

I like it all.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Yeah, I do like it all. Um commercials, a lot of fun. We just finished a project um more in process, and that's like a I don't really know what they do. It's like valves and pumps and just shouldn't you know what they do?

SPEAKER_03 11:25

Mechanical stuff. It's very very different than our world.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

Um, but very important, I guess. So yeah, we did their like corporate headquarters, and in the back is like a big warehouse. And Scott was actually the architect on that, so that was really cool. It's all like in the studio together. Um, and that was a lot of fun because it was very industry specific. They wanted like it to be very inviting and welcoming and like almost feel like hospitality, but it's like a big corporate warehouse. Yeah. So that was a fun challenge to kind of choose furniture and fabrics and bring in things with artwork and stuff to make it feel homey, but it's also just uh it's a big warehouse. Right. So that's a super fun project that we just wrapped up.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

What's um what's been one that I you put one down, I guess, um, but but it was kind of a an inspiring project that you're working on.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Yeah, I think probably the most inspiring inspiring is Hub in the Hills. We're doing that right now. Um it's a campus for nonprofits. It's gonna be in Bustavia Hills where Bustavia Hills Central elementary used to be. So our clients bought that whole property and are turning it into this campus for like all nonprofit tenants. So unless you is gonna be there. Um and they work with um students with like Down syndrome and different disabilities, Alabama game changers, works with learning difficulties in children, dyslexia, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

My daughter went to Alabama game changers. Yeah, yeah, I think you mentioned that before.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Yeah, it's so it's a super cool project. We love it. Um it's the clients are just incredible because it's just so like heartwarming to like talk and like learn about their story and everything, and then get to divide uh div design this space that is gonna be so inviting for all the students and stuff, and it's very colorful, and we get to use some stuff that we probably wouldn't on like a commercial project, you know. It's like very vibrant vivid and colorful and bright and fun textures and it was formerly a school?

SPEAKER_05 13:14

Yes, I can't have Stabia Central. I went there. Did you? I did. Did you really went there? It was it was when I was there, it was the fourth and fifth grade school.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 13:23

Yeah. So when we s we moved to Birmingham, like you have East and West, which are still there. Liberty Park was not a thing, Cobites was a thing, but it was like unincorporated Birmingham, it was not part of Astavia. And so you had the elementary two elementary schools and then central, and then you had the Zitz, which was sixth, seventh, and eighth, and then you had the high school.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 13:42

And so by the time I started like middle school, I had been in like seven schools, but only in like two school systems in Atlanta and then in Birmingham.

SPEAKER_03 13:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 13:51

But yeah, I threw an egg. We had a they used to have a famous egg toss at Central for like the fifth graders where you went up on the third floor and you threw eggs off. But you the goal was to look like you create a thing out of the way. Yeah, you make like a basket or some sort of thing. What with the materials you catch? Do whatever you wanted. Yeah, yeah. So like you would have some kids that would just like do the most obvious thing of like just take an egg and just wrap it in, you know, a basketball size worth or more of like bubble wrap. Right. And you would be like, that's not gonna work. And then like then that kid wins. Right. And meanwhile, people were like trying to build parachutes and like that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

Because we we did that uh when I I was in school in Tennessee in Nashville. And we did that, but we we had to use specific things, like we had to use straws and there was some, I forget some rubber bands, maybe. So we had to use ball straws and rubber bands, and those were the two things we could use. And I think all the eggs broke. Oh this shouldn't have limited your creativity. Yeah, maybe the next year they're like, maybe we'll change this. This doesn't work.

SPEAKER_05 14:49

When are they gonna when is this project gonna be finished?

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Um, it's kind of in phases right now. So we just wrapped up kind of the AGC clinical space. So they're moving in, I think around the end of August. And then unless you will move in next year. Um, and then there's also a new school that's gonna be in like the basement level of the three-floor building. Um, I think they're starting this year as well. So it's been in like different phases. People are gonna come and go. Um, or I guess not, hopefully not go. People are gonna come. Um, so all the two. You're done, you gotta get out. I've ruined the whole project.

SPEAKER_05 15:24

Yeah, you're nonprofits terrible. So we need the space.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

Yeah, so and then there's gonna be like some just like open collaborative space, like the media center cafeteria, executive lobby for board meetings and stuff like that. So that's gonna be later this year, I think. We're starting on furniture now, so yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:42

Is that field still down there? I've not been down to the behind it, yeah. You have to walk all the way down a bunch of stairs, and it's behind.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

I don't know if that's part of what they purchased. I'm assuming it's probably all together, but we haven't done anything.

SPEAKER_03 15:54

Yeah, what do you what are you guys doing with the feel? I don't know. Yeah, I have no idea. There's space.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

Yeah, we're doing like the gym and cafeteria and all of that, but we haven't I haven't really heard anything about the field. I'll have to ask.

SPEAKER_05 16:08

So we should do a we should add that to like Fantastic Forum 2027.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Yeah, right, right.

SPEAKER_05 16:14

You know, go over there.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

We get some more things done.

SPEAKER_05 16:16

I can't I'm grown now. I can't just show up to places and walk around. So I need a reason. Well, they do.

SPEAKER_03 16:22

Like they would just dress in black and show up in the middle of the night, and you can just go check it out.

SPEAKER_05 16:26

Just take a cue from the best family.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

Hop the Sanford Vence, go break into school of the arts.

SPEAKER_05 16:32

You totally thought this was a thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:35

I heard it was fun.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

I promise I'm enrolled for the fall. Like it's okay.

SPEAKER_04 16:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:39

So have you been there long enough to really see like a project start from scratch and go all the way to completion?

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Yeah, we've done, I mean, a mul like multiple dental offices, because those are just kind of quick turnarounds. Sure. Um done a lot of that, and then more in process, like I mentioned earlier. That was we started that like shortly after I started. So that's kind of been we did art install a few weeks ago, so that's been about two years, start to finish. Um we're working on a church, New Life Methodist, that's under construction right now. So I'm not sure exactly the timeline on when they're gonna finish. I think they wanted to finish next summer, but there's been some changes with timeline. So yeah, very busy.

SPEAKER_03 17:20

Yeah, that's good. Yeah, so it you you mentioned a couple times uh artwork. Um seems like that's a big focus of your you guys. Can you talk about that? Artwork and lighting.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Yes, artwork and lighting is very important. And we posted about it on our Instagram a few weeks ago. Have you been stalking us? I do.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

You know, I do a little research. Yeah. Um I do none. I would say I wouldn't say it's stalking. You know, I was gonna have you on the podcast and thought I might know a little bit about what you guys do. It's not stalking. What do you mean? There's another reason why you're here. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 17:56

That might be the final and weirdest thing you said on the show, especially since you made it. Anyway, go on then. Let's talk about art and lighting. Yeah, art and lighting is super important.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Um I think artwork is a way that you can like uh make a space better without doing I'd say any interior design.

SPEAKER_04 18:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

I mean it is design. It is design. You're like designing the space for whatever, but you're not like moving walls, you're not I mean paint is super easy and like relatively cheap and stuff, but artwork is something that you can just add and it brings personality to a space. You can change it around easily, so you can you know get a totally new feel in a conference room with like a different piece of artwork.

SPEAKER_03 18:37

It can have a huge impact without a huge expense.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Exactly, yeah. So we actually have on our team we have like an art and can art consultant, Jenny Johnston, um, and she does all of our art, curates it, works with local artists and photographers, painters, all of that, and then we get most of it framed at gallery services. So we try to include that in our budget from the beginning because it's so important for the end result, because I mean you could have a cool design space, but then just a blank wall with an accent color. And accent colors are fun, but it's a lot more interesting if you have a very dynamic piece of artwork on it. And it can add to the story of the space and like the branding and exactly, yeah. Can make it feel personal to the company or whoever.

SPEAKER_03 19:19

And how how does lighting come in? How do you guys approach lighting?

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Um there's dull different types of lighting, so it's I should know this task, ambient, and I'm forgetting the third, I'm blinking.

SPEAKER_05 19:32

What's great about your face right now is you're like looking like this is a question on a test. Yeah. Yeah. And here's the thing we don't know the answer. Right. Right, but she but she knows Heidi's probably gonna listen and be like, ah, she's gonna be so upset for me.

SPEAKER_04 19:45

Like I'm waiting to learn from you, and you're answering it like we know already. No, I'm like, I should have just not brought it up.

SPEAKER_02 19:52

I should have been like, yeah, lighting is very important.

SPEAKER_04 19:54

Like incandescent and LED chat. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Neon?

unknown 19:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:59

It's all neon nowadays.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Yeah, I'm totally blanking on it. But um, yeah, we're just gonna cut that out.

SPEAKER_04 20:05

We'll cut that out, we're gonna cut it out.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Um yeah, it's super important because that can I mean also make a space feel different. So obviously hospital lighting is gonna be different than like the lighting in the office right here because it has to be in this room brighter. So she didn't want to say that. Yeah, higher Kelvin temperature, brighter, more sterile environment and stuff. And then I mean you don't want the hospital corridor lighting to be the same as like the hospital waiting room because it's you know, lighting makes you feel different. Right. You walk into like a wine bar and it's very moody and dramatic and it makes you feel a certain way. Whereas you walk into I don't know, conference room and it's bright and it's it's not a sterile environment, but it's like lighter because you can see people's faces, you can see the tabletop, stuff like that. So bringing that into projects is very important too, to make sure it feels the right way.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

Yeah. We had one of our manufacturers, and I did want to talk about Neocon because you know we went to Neocon this year. Um but one of our manufacturers ha used to have, I mean, they've got a great showroom, always does a phenomenal job with their showroom, but they had previously had uh, you know, white floor and white walls and lots of light. It was really you know, so it kind of had more of a like almost like an Apple store feel to it. And then two years ago, um they changed the color of the walls to dark, it was all you know, kind of a dark brown, and they I think they removed a hundred light fixtures. Like they they you open a closet and there's just light fixtures full of it. Just because they wanted to create more of this moody space and it was just removing all the light from, you know, it was really cool. Yeah, but but um speaking of Neocon, you went uh this year. Is that your first time?

SPEAKER_05 21:40

I didn't go this year for the first time in many years, and I love going to Neocon.

SPEAKER_02 21:43

Yeah, this is my first time going. Um me and Heidi and Kaylee went, so it was super fun. We uh had a jam packed schedule.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

When did when did you guys get there?

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Uh we got there Sunday afternoon.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:54

Yeah, started with dinner Sunday night with a rep and then nonstop all day Monday Tuesday. Flew out Wednesday morning.

SPEAKER_05 22:01

Okay, so three nights, that's solid. That's a good that's a good that's a good trip. Um this is where Chad and I are gonna ask very specific questions, some of which you will know because you were there and you toured them. Where did you go to dinner on Sunday night? Do you remember it?

SPEAKER_02 22:15

Oh, um it was an Italian restaurant in Fulton Market. Um Olive Garden? Yes, Unlimited Breadsticks. That's exactly what we want.

SPEAKER_05 22:28

It was Sabaro. Deep dish Savaro.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

Um I'm I'm forgetting the name of it. I have the itinerary actually. I could pull it up. Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Who was the who was the rep? Just shout out to the rep.

SPEAKER_02 22:39

Um Jennifer with Darkhead. Okay. Hey Jennifer. Yeah, sure. She's been on the show. Jennifer, where did we go to dinner something I knew?

SPEAKER_05 22:48

Jennifer, if you can hear us.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

You can hear me. If you can hear us from the future.

SPEAKER_03 22:55

I did see Olive Garden was doing the that pass where you pay for the pass and it's like unlimited. Do you remember them doing that?

SPEAKER_05 23:02

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

Um Are they still around? Well, I think they're they're bringing it back. They're coming back. They're coming back with it like you've got a pie online. It's like the lottery system or something like that. Because I remember Anna Ruth at Auburn got it.

SPEAKER_04 23:15

Oh, I do remember that.

SPEAKER_03 23:17

And so she was eating there all the time and posting about it. But do you like how we stalled for time while you looked up? Oh my gosh, I have to move.

SPEAKER_05 23:28

We have done over 60 shows. So, you know.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

It's like y'all are professional.

SPEAKER_05 23:33

Kind of a big deal. All right, so that was Sunday night. We'll get into manufacturers and neocon in Fulton Market, or merchandise mart in Fulton Market in a second. So uh Monday night, where'd you go to dinner? Since you've got it pulled up, we might as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

Um Monday, Gibson's Italia.

SPEAKER_05 23:49

Okay. Oh, did you see Richie Hamer there? So Richie, Richie, Richie is is notoriously famous for that's his spot. And Richie, you may not know Richie, he's one of the owners here. He's one of my coworkers, good buddy of mine. And like that's his spot, and he will book a dinner for Monday night and Tuesday night at Gibson's. And I can tell this story now because enough time has gone by. But one of my other coworkers that you know, uh Meryl Godwin, she was her first NiaCon about four or five years ago. And we had uh architecture firm for dinner on Sunday night at Gibson's. And Gibson's, as you now know, like it's very big portions like big steakhouse, big giant like 19 layer cake, carrot cake kind of things. Like you don't leave hungry.

SPEAKER_03 24:38

Right.

SPEAKER_05 24:39

And then the next night, we had a completely different AD firm there, Ed Gibson's as well. And Merrill and I had to like steal ourselves and unbutton our belts because like we can't come into this second night and this second firm and be like, oh, we were just here yesterday.

SPEAKER_06 24:56

Can't let him.

SPEAKER_05 24:57

Or be like, I'm just gonna have the soup and salad, because then they're gonna be like, You're Gibson's, what's wrong with you? Yeah, right. So we ate two mass massive pieces of cake and two massive steaks two nights in a row. So Richie was probably there, anyway. Gibson's great spot.

SPEAKER_03 25:11

Yeah, and Meryl is not a big person. Meryl's not as big as his microphone.

SPEAKER_05 25:16

Yeah, yeah, she's about as big as his microphone.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

She ate the meal and you could physically see it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:22

Who was that?

SPEAKER_02 25:23

Who another shout out to the rep on the that was Brad Glover, O R I. Way to go, Brad. Good choice.

SPEAKER_05 25:29

Yep. Yep. All right, and then where are we now? We're we're now Monday or Tuesday night. Tuesday night one.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

Tuesday night. We went to I don't think I typed it on here. Oh, it was with Kathy Waters. Oh, Lee Lyra? Lyra? L-Y-R-A in Fult Market. Okay. Yeah. It was like Mediterranean. It was like Tapas style. Right. Yeah, yeah. It's very good.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

Yeah, yeah. And so I think I had you guys and you were leaving to go meet Kathy.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

Yes. Yes. Chad Moore. 1 30 on Tuesday. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

And so you guys, you were running late to my appointment. Yes. And then I think we're running late to every single one. Right. And then and then it was like we got we got to one of my manufacturers. Time for the airing of grievances. But we got to one of my manufacturers, and I think uh it was kind of like, oh, we've got to be in Fulton Market or like in five minutes or something like that. We're at the merchandise market. You were like, good luck. And I was like, good to see you all. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Yeah, I'm um I'm the one that made the itinerary, and nobody told me that you should have a little free time. So I booked, I booked reps back to back to back. Like every hour we had a meeting with somebody. Yeah. And so we just like meetings take longer than an hour usually, you know, because like you had multiple showrooms you wanted to show us. Some people were only one showroom. Yeah. Yeah, we were just like running behind and I was like, guys, nobody told me that this is not the way we do it.

SPEAKER_05 26:48

Did you wear comfortable shoes? Sorry. Yes. No, you're good. Okay. Okay, good.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

We were comfortable walking around, but yeah, we were panicking.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

Yeah. I mean, I I usually, so if I you know booking an appointment, it's got my okay, what time do I have you? How much time do I've got? And then where are you going next?

SPEAKER_06 27:03

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

I asked that question. So that if I'm finishing, because I've got multiple manufacturers and there's different floors. So if your next appointment's going to be on 10, I'm not going to finish with you on three. We're going to start on three and finish on 10, so you're right there. But that that's for the reps listening, that's how you that's how you do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 27:20

But you're a rookie.

SPEAKER_03 27:21

Yeah, it's my first year. I could do nothing with Fulton Market. I was in the Mart. You know, it's like, okay, well, good. Good luck. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 27:27

Yeah. Was that your so was your first Neocon and Fulton Market experience? Was that your first time in Chicago?

SPEAKER_02 27:32

Uh not my first time in Chicago.

SPEAKER_03 27:33

I'd been She'd been with her parents once before on the cover of night. That was going on. We actually broke into the mart.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

No, I had gone um last fall for a wedding.

SPEAKER_05 27:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 27:47

Okay. Great city. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

It's a great city.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

I love a Chicago dog.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

Did you guys get do any were you did you have any time to do sightseeing or were you with reps and Kaylee and I went sightseeing Monday night. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

Late into the night. Okay. So we retired Tuesday morning.

SPEAKER_05 28:01

Just walking around the city.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

We walked around, went to London House Rooftop Bar, hung out there for a little bit, and then we got stuck in the rain and we had to run back to our hotel. Got pouring, like soaking wet. Yeah. But it was fun.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

Seeing all the sites like London House Rooftop Bar. Yeah. Exactly. You can see the Trump Tower from across the river.

SPEAKER_02 28:18

So we did like the little loop around the park. So we saw the bean and all that, and then we ended at London House.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

So super fun. Nice. So what was your what was your thought of merchandise Mart versus uh Fulton Market? That's the first time seeing those.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

I liked both. Um I mean both had increased things. There's no wrong answer. Yeah, both had incredible things. I think the Mart was maybe a little easier just because it's all in one building. Right. So you can just kind of hop around floor to floor. Whereas a Fulton Market, you're going a couple blocks or down the street, and it's if it's raining, you get stuck in the rain, which happened one time to us. So we had to like have like an early lunch because it was raining outside. And then yeah, both were amazing, but Mart is definitely easier to navigate, maybe. Fulton Market, you have to like look up the address, and then sometimes it's on like the third floor of a office building, and you're going up an elevator that you don't know really where you're going. Right. But it's like a block or two off full.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

And that makes scheduling difficult, especially if you've got back-to-back.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah, and I didn't really look up the addresses when I was scheduling. So we were like had to Uber sometimes at some places, then we could walk to some.

SPEAKER_05 29:23

So next year or the next time you go, call me in Chad.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

Yeah. You guys, you guys are pros. You know how to do it.

SPEAKER_05 29:31

We'll we'll we'll make it work. Because yeah, you gotta pad some time. But yeah, Chad, I mean that that's like classic, that's pro-level, also rep coordination.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Right.

SPEAKER_05 29:41

Yeah. In terms of like because there will be other reps, you know. I'm gonna I'll hesitate to to shout them out, but like Jimmy Harrison and Tommy Ford and Megan, and again, I'm gonna lose leave people out unintentionally, but are they good like that with Chad in terms of like they will know. We have been in the halls of Fulton Market before where like reps have like high-fived each other as they're handing off the group. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:04

And it just it just Yeah, because I had I had a group and they I think they were seeing Megan right after me on the third floor. And where they were gonna start was right next to one of my other showrooms. So we finished it the showroom and like, all right, your next one's right next door, it's right here, and there, you know, it looks like you got five minutes, bathrooms are around the corner. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:24

Did y'all do a full day like at the Mart and then like a full day at Fult Market?

SPEAKER_02 30:28

Yeah, Monday we did um, let me look at my list again. Yeah, Monday was Fulton Market.

SPEAKER_03 30:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

And then Tuesday we did the Mart. But then we went back to Fult Market for dinner. Right.

SPEAKER_03 30:37

So yeah. So um what what manufacturers, and you don't have to say any of mine, uh, but what what which ones stood out?

SPEAKER_02 30:44

Um we really liked Davis, yours. That was just like beautiful furniture. Um they have nice stuff. Yeah, what's the other one? ORI was super cool. Um I'm trying to remember the one that Tommy showed us.

SPEAKER_05 31:01

Is it Tommy do how connected? I can't remember. Was it Keelow? Keel Howard.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Yes, Keel Howard we did Tuesday morning, and those were they just had super cool fabrics on all their furniture too. So we took lots of pictures of that.

SPEAKER_03 31:12

Yeah. Yeah, furniture people love when we the designers come and talk about the fabrics on the furniture. Like, do you know what fabric this is?

SPEAKER_05 31:19

And they're like, Don't don't look at that, look at the chair. Look at the chair. When I was a rep, they would do, you know, we would get photos after, right? And we would be able to send out photos, or like they would do like a matterport website and everything like that. And I would get emails um regularly that just started with apology. And then it would be like, Can you find out what that lamp is? And I'm like, uh and when they know, like I mean, I know the guy who designed the showroom, right? He knows.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

Right.

SPEAKER_05 31:48

And I'll be like, hey, Mark Donnell.

SPEAKER_03 31:51

So speaking speaking of Davis, so Davis, again, like they they do a great job with the furniture, but also their their showroom, they really put a lot of thought and attention into it. And they're the one that had taken all the lights out. Um that was beautiful. They've got QR codes for the different areas, and they they'll you scan the QR code, it'll tell you the light fixtures that are in the area.

SPEAKER_05 32:09

Oh, that's clever. Yeah, well, mostly they did that because they got tired of answering the damn question. Yeah, yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

And even I think even the um like the little planters that they had on the table where some some designer, you know, so that was included on the you know, write-ups, like, okay. Very helpful for us. Yeah, which yeah, because and the reps could answer. People ask wall materials, you know, they'll be like, is it?

SPEAKER_05 32:27

What color paint is that? Yeah, 100%. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 32:31

So um, I guess back to questionnaire. Oh, that was fun. Detour to Neocon Fulton Market.

SPEAKER_05 32:38

Um Thanks for letting me live vicariously through your trip.

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Yeah, it was the it was I think actually the best neocon I've ever been to. That's a lie.

SPEAKER_01 32:45

Best one I've ever been to.

SPEAKER_03 32:46

It's a lie. Yeah, she can say that. It wasn't the best one. That's the best one.

SPEAKER_05 32:51

Yeah. Next time you go up, we'll make it to where we so last year, so Aaron um and I went up a couple days early. So we went up Friday. So she's got some pain when you lives up there, and so we just kind of like piddled around Chicago. We went to a few art shows and and had a good time. But we didn't end up, we left on Wednesday. Like, so we were there for a very extended period of time. And so this that's I've I've said this before, like Chad and I and some other friends, that like it's my way of of making myself feel better about not going this year because last year was so good that there was there would have been no way it would have topped it. Again, I'm just talking myself into it. Chad goes every year, like every yeah. It's an awesome time. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:34

Absolutely love it. And I know I know there are, I mean, there are some reps that I talk to, like you're flying up, and you know, there's multiple of us on the same flight, and they're like, ugh, Neocon, you know, it's so tiring. And I'm like Chad's like, Neokon! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I I love it. I absolutely love it. It's so much fun. And it's for reps, it's Christmas. It really is. It's kind of you know, there's all the new products to see it. Christmas for us too, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um, and you're going out and have dinner and drinks, and it's just you know, real social and fun. So I I love it every year. So I mean it was it was sad not having you there, Mark. But thanks, appreciate it. Sure, yeah. Yeah. Um, all right, we'll see. Chad's in charge of the like actual questions, you know. Mark's the color commentator. Yeah, there's the you know, there's the one that there's the one that calls the game, and then there's there's the person to the side, you know. So best in show. Um kind of like that. Oh, we got a Corgi. Um so uh I get how does um I guess talking you so from you're not too long after out of school, um, speak about technology and and using technology with interior design.

SPEAKER_02 34:40

Yeah, so I mean I grew up on technology.

SPEAKER_05 34:42

Um like you're like you came out of the womb. Yeah, with a phone in my hands.

SPEAKER_06 34:47

Yeah, you go.

SPEAKER_02 34:48

Yeah, I remember when the iPhone, what was it, the iPhone 5C came out, all the colors. I was in, I guess like probably sixth or seventh grade in middle school. And that was my first smartphone. I had a little uh flip one with like the keyboard in fifth grade. That was my first phone. Um and this is such a side tangent, but my whole friend group had the iPhone 5C. We all had a different color. So our lunch table was like calorie at this point. I think seventh grade probably in middle school. Okay, yeah, maybe eighth grade, seventh or eighth grade. Yeah. Um yeah, I grew up on technology, so I've always used it, always like known how to like navigate it and stuff. Um obviously we learned it in school, AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Lumion, all that. Um so I've been using it since freshman year, or I guess sophomore year when they teach it to us. Um I mean, I think it's important for sure to have technology. I think it makes it more efficient to do projects.

SPEAKER_03 35:43

Yeah, what what do you all use mostly at uh uh we use AutoCAD.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Okay. And then I put our AutoCAD plans into SketchUp and kind of 3D model it, drop in different components like furniture and lighting, stuff like that, and then all the materials, and then I render it through Lumion. And I can add the actual, I can like turn the lights on and like make it like do ray tracing, which is like you can change the sun, make it more realistic and stuff. Yeah, the sun direction or I think it's called the the heading or something. You can like rotate it around and make it come through the window. I can move the sun with just a click of a button. Um so yeah, it's very important. And then obviously I think AI is beginning begin like becoming a more of an having more of an impact.

SPEAKER_03 36:30

Do you guys use it at all?

SPEAKER_02 36:32

A little bit. We kinda we're trying to use it a little bit more to I guess like get it not get ahead of it, but like I think it's a good thing in ways. Um sometimes clients take like my renderings and put it in AI, and then they're like, what if we just like did this instead? But it like changes stuff that like can't really change. Right. Yeah, that they're completely unaware of. Yes, that's a little bit hard and like hard to navigate, and you have to explain like and then sometimes they'll send us AI renderings that look very photorealistic, and then my renderings can't look that photorealistic because I'm doing all like in the computer. Actually real. It's yeah, it's hard to navigate that, but I think it definitely is like makes things a little more efficient. We use it for you know, helping us draft like descriptions of things, and sometimes I use it just to get an general idea of a room before I even render it because it's way quicker than me going in and rendering it myself. Like if I know paint color the tile, I'll just kind of plug all that in and it can do a quick mock-up of us, mock-up mock-up of like the room. Um so I use it like different ways like that.

SPEAKER_05 37:38

Right. Do you use it like personally? Like in your personal like you use chat GPT or anything like that?

SPEAKER_02 37:43

I do, yeah. Just for random stuff. I use it for some of the question answers, actually. The more difficult ones that I didn't know how to answer. I was like, as like a designer two years out of school, how would like I answer that?

SPEAKER_03 37:55

Well, but what's funny is that most of the questions came from ChatGPT. And so really this was just ChatGPT talking to each other. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

Yeah, I was gonna say it would have been great if chat was like, I know these answers because I wrote the questions.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

Yeah. I love the little um email like Google Gemini where it just gives you like you can click it and it types the whole email. That's nice. And I'll sometimes it's like way too formal. So I'll go in and like take out certain words and like shorten the sentence or whatever, because it'll be like Madison doesn't talk like that.

SPEAKER_04 38:24

Right, exactly. Yeah, right. This doesn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

But yeah, it's it helps like do stuff quicker when you can just like click a button and respond to an email.

SPEAKER_03 38:32

Yeah, the thing I'm using now, and I've just started using it, is that um for our rep group, we we do a forecast every month. And so and that can be a pain in the ass. The last thing sales reps want to do is paperwork. Right. And so it's you know, my brother and my our our rep Thomas that's down on the coast, we each have to fill out a forecast every month so we kind of know what the pipeline looks like and what we're working on, that sort of thing. And it's always pulling teeth. And so now we've got uh AI going in and looking at our emails from the past month and just flagging emails like, okay, this is where you quoted things. It's nice. So look at these, look at these emails as ones so you can fill out your forecast versus having to scroll through it.

SPEAKER_05 39:09

Yeah, it's helpful. Mark's actually like really clever. I don't know if we could I don't know how we would implement that. Yeah. Yeah. Just because y'all are smaller. But yeah, I mean, it's things like that. I've got a buddy of mine who's very like tech savvy, and but I say tech savvy, he's in the tech industry. And for I mean, probably the better part of a year, he's had Claude basically like managing his life. Yeah, like just behind the scenes. I mean, I I think that I think he has things that are it's auto-replying emails, it's balancing budgets for him, it's setting schedules for him. That's great. Yeah. And he goes around and speaks about this stuff. Um, I actually heard a really good comment um by one of my coworkers yesterday, and I won't say what company it is, but uh the the a lot of dealerships and stuff they work for, it's not a manufacturer. Um but it just kind of has come to light in talking to them that they have said, yeah, we're not interested in AI. And this person that I work with was like, that's gonna be the death knell for them because this is like in his comparison was Kodak. And he goes, This is Kodak saying we're not interested in digital.

SPEAKER_03 40:21

Right.

SPEAKER_05 40:21

And now you're out of business. Yeah. So like you kind of have to like, yeah, yeah, it's not going away.

SPEAKER_03 40:26

No, and it's interesting because there is there's a big backlash going, especially with the data centers. Um but even like my daughter, who's 18, going to college, she's very, she's been very kind of anti-AI. Um, and it's like you need to get past that because that's that's the future. Yeah, and you need to learn how to use it without using it as a complete crutch. Um but you've got to integrate it into what you're doing because that's what everyone else is gonna be doing.

SPEAKER_05 40:50

And I think most people can can catch the slop pretty easily.

SPEAKER_03 40:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:55

Right? Like you see an ad that you're like, oh, that's just total garbage. Or like, yeah, or like, oh Madison didn't write this email. Like it's just kind of obvious. You know, I saw something earlier today by a friend of mine who it was AI generated children's books that had just basically been just like cheaply written, cheaply illustrated, cheaply printed. Yeah. But it was they were such garbage that it was like this is garbage. Yeah you know. Um and so I think that people will discern for the most part what's what's good and what's not. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:30

Um you're in charge though, because you're the younger generation. So like try not to ruin it for everybody.

SPEAKER_03 41:36

You know, but did there was a story today that like uh I think it was OpenAI, a couple of their versions escaped the lab. Did you see this? Yeah, they hacked into another AI. Yeah, good too. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:50

Have you ever seen the Terminator movies? No. Okay, yeah, it's Skynet. Yeah. They're great movies, and they actually really hold up both in terms of story and I think special effects. Yeah. But they're movies from the the late 80s, is probably the first one, and then early 90s, and they start Arnold Schwarzenegger. There's actually several of them. Just watch Terminator and Terminator 2. That's all you need to do. Yeah, that's it. But there's a whole the whole premise behind that machines takeover. Will make you think, oh, this might actually happen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

Yeah, it's much more uh applic applicable now than it was then.

SPEAKER_05 42:27

Yeah, I thought you were gonna say apocalyptic. Yes, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:30

Um, I do want to get since we're we're 42 minutes in usually today. Yeah. So um yeah. So how was your weekend?

SPEAKER_01 42:39

My weekend was fantastic. I'm so glad you asked.

SPEAKER_03 42:45

It's way better. It's way better than mine. Yeah. And especially since you didn't know I was asking. Yeah, I'm like, what is that? What are you doing? Did I do this? Yeah, so what so what happened this weekend?

SPEAKER_02 42:55

Um I got engaged. Did you actually got engaged a week ago today, so Wednesday last week, but our little engagement party was Saturday.

SPEAKER_04 43:02

A week ago today. Well, happy anniversary. Happy one week engagement. Yeah. We're glad that you could come spend it with us. Yeah, on the website.

SPEAKER_03 43:10

Because I saw because we had this was scheduled to be recorded on Monday. And I saw the posts over the weekend. I guess that you were you're showing, yeah, kind of, and I'm like, there is no way we're we're recording the podcast with a-day night on the plane back, and I was like, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_04 43:25

Chad totally called it out too.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Uh yeah, because we had we had somebody else that we recorded Monday as well, so we were going to do back-to-back. And so we're talking about it. It's like, oh yeah, let me check it. It's like this isn't happening.

unknown 43:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:38

All my planes got delayed Sunday too, coming back.

SPEAKER_03 43:40

So it was just So the actual engagement happened Wednesday. Wednesday, yeah. Okay. And so were you together? I guess you had to been. But but to be fair, that's something I would ask. I just for some reason in my head I'm iPods, actually. I did um I've got uh a friend of mine's Daughter got married with a surrogate. She was not actually at the wedding because it was because it was uh COVID and he's from another country. Yeah. And so she couldn't actually be, so somebody had to stand in for her. So it's things things can happen like that. Yeah. That's not true. I have follow-up questions. Wait, so we're not recording. Okay. She went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she was married.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

Interesting. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:29

So um so where were you Wednesday?

SPEAKER_02 44:32

Okay, so I went to Charleston. He is getting his master's of architecture in Clemson right now.

SPEAKER_03 44:38

So he's gonna be an architect?

SPEAKER_02 44:39

He's gonna be an architect. Dun dun dun. Um yeah, so he's gonna be an architect. He we went to Stanford together. So he has an undergrad in inter design, and then he wanted to get his master's. So he's at Clemson. He did a like fluid studio in the spring in Charleston and then stayed for an internship this summer. Okay. So went to go visit him last week and he proposed Wednesday, and I did not know it was happening.

SPEAKER_05 45:06

So Chad and I like specifics. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 45:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 45:09

We're very girly about this sort of stuff. Okay. I can give you all the details. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 45:14

Yeah, and I and I do, I also like I've always been fascinated by like engagement stories because they're so singular and individual. Yeah. Um, and they're all so very, very different. Yeah. They're over the top or they're completely understated to the point where you're like, you should have put some thought into it. No, you marry me. Slide a post and it across the big. I had one a friend of mine who put the ring in like some sort of like cleaning solution, like jewelry cleaning solution. Oh, jewelry cleaning. Okay. Yeah. I was thinking like Clorox. Yeah, no, no, sorry. Yeah. No, it was supposed to be, you know, jewelry, but it was in like the bathroom, oddly, and he was like, oh, just I mean, just look in it. Just look in the just look in the thing. Like that was his. That's the worst story ever. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 46:00

Okay. Now your question. Sorry. Did you arrive in Charleston on Wednesday?

SPEAKER_02 46:03

No, I got there Saturday. So I was there for a whole week. So you've been there. Okay. Yeah. There for a whole week. So I was there Saturday. Right.

SPEAKER_03 46:09

So you got there Saturday, and then just normal hanging out, doing stuff.

SPEAKER_02 46:13

Yeah. So I'll give a little bit of backstory. Um, I was I thought it was gonna happen like he's going to Italy in the fall to study abroad. Yeah. So I was like 1,000% thinking it was gonna happen when I visited him in Italy.

SPEAKER_05 46:24

That would have been way cool. Right.

SPEAKER_02 46:27

Well, there's a really sweet part that I'll get to in a second that Charleston makes sense. So I like me, all my friends, we were all like, That's gonna happen in Italy, oh my gosh, you know. And then I did not want to go ring shopping. I was like, I don't care.

SPEAKER_03 46:39

So you guys have discussed marriage.

SPEAKER_02 46:42

We had like discussed it, yeah. So I didn't really want to go ring shopping. I was just like, I trust you, whatever you want to do. He's you know artistic, you know.

SPEAKER_03 46:50

But I like this type of cut, and I like this.

SPEAKER_02 46:53

This is my size, this is the kind um yeah. I mean, I think he had like a general idea. Like we have very similar styles and like design and also just like life, you know. So I just trusted him to do it. So like a couple months ago, he totally threw me off and he was like, I know you don't want to get ring shopping, but I'd love to there's a sale.

SPEAKER_04 47:15

Yeah, we need to get out ahead of this.

SPEAKER_02 47:17

But I'd like love to go and like you just try on a couple, like, so I can have an idea of what you like. Like, why don't we go the week you're in Charleston? And I was like, Okay, perfect. So he was like, I'll have a couple ideas like when I start planning it later down the road. And I was like, awesome, that's great. I was like, if you want to do that, I can do that. So this whole week I was thinking we were going ring shopping. Um, and turns out he'd been planning it since like March. Okay, and I just like didn't know. So he like drew the ring, took it to the jeweler, designed it, picked it up like the week before. Yeah, picked it up the week before. Designed the ring.

SPEAKER_03 47:50

What's his name? Cole Cole Cole Petty.

SPEAKER_02 47:53

Yeah, shout out Cole Petty.

SPEAKER_03 47:54

Shout out to Cole Petty Petty. Yeah, way to go, Cole. Yeah, does he drive NASCAR? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:00

Um, so yeah, just hanging out the rest of the week. And then his sister came into town for work, which was actually legit. She was in town for work. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 48:08

And what what day is this?

SPEAKER_02 48:09

This is she was there Tuesday through Thursday. Okay. And also, another note, his birthday was Monday. My dad's birthday was Friday. Okay. So our parents were planning on coming in town that weekend to do like a Cole and my dad birthday party together, sort of, like just go to dinner Saturday night. This has been planned for like I was the one that planned this. I was like, why don't our parents come? That'd be so funny.

SPEAKER_03 48:30

Man, what a smooth move. She thinks she's in charge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:35

I'm definitely not, I had no idea. So the whole plan was for our parents to be there that weekend. Um, and then his sister texted me and was like, oh my gosh, like it just happens, like, I'll be there the week, you'll be there. There's this little and she works in events. She's like kind of event planner. They do um like furniture for like staging houses and like they rent furniture for weddings and corporate events and stuff like that. So she has a lot of like venue contacts and stuff in Charleston. So she was like, I'm gonna be in town. There's this little like cocktail hour Wednesday night. It's kind of like a girly cocktail hour, like you should come with me. It's at this house right on the water, which is right next to the park, we got engaged. And so we went to that. Cole was supposed to be at dinner with his friend that night, and he called me earlier that day and was like, Hey, my buddy wants to go grab like drinks after work, like I'm gonna do that while you and Noelle, which is his sister's name, um, or like at y'all's thing, and like we'll meet for dinner later Wednesday night. I was like, perfect, that sounds great. Yeah, so we show up to the park and he's standing there in the little like pavilion, which the that's the same spot that his parents got engaged.

SPEAKER_03 49:40

Yeah. I like Cole. I do too. He's a he's a keeper, I think.

SPEAKER_02 49:48

Um yeah, so that's where his parents got engaged because his dad went to the Citadel. So they got engaged at the same park in the same little pavilion back when they were in college.

SPEAKER_03 49:56

Um when you saw him standing there, did you already go, Oh, it's happening?

SPEAKER_02 50:01

I was there's actually there's a picture of me, there's a picture of me standing there looking up at him, holding my purse, and he was like, Madison, come up here. And I was like, What are you doing here?

SPEAKER_04 50:11

Like I literally was like, You're supposed to be having drinks with your friend.

SPEAKER_02 50:14

I literally, in my head, I was like, Oh, he must have like canceled dinner and is going to the event with us, you know? Like, this was not even in my head at all. So I'm standing there, and his sister had a camera in her purse and like started taking pictures. So the picture of me looking up at him, holding my purse, and he was like, Madison, set your purse down. And I was like, Why would I do that?

SPEAKER_04 50:32

You're not in charge, Cole. Don't tell me what to do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:36

So, anyways, he's like, Please come up here. And I was like, Okay, so I set my purse down and then yeah, he proposed, and we had little pictures afterwards, and then we went to dinner.

SPEAKER_03 50:44

Love it. Yep. Did the sister stay for dinner? No, she no, she had made reservations for us. It really is uh we're gonna go back to now it's the girls' night now.

SPEAKER_02 50:57

So cool, you go home. Um no, she had made reservations for us um at this restaurant that's like very good. So we had it was on a balcony, um, it's like the Juliet balcony or something. And it's only a two-person table on the balcony. You have to go through the kitchen to get to the balcony. So we sat out there and it was like a tasting menu um with like wine pairings and stuff. So it's very funny. Pretty good. It is pretty good. That's a nice solid. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:23

So she so it randomly she happened to be in town that week, but then also it could coordinate.

SPEAKER_02 51:28

She had been planning this for months and she was just gonna like fake coming in town for work.

SPEAKER_03 51:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 51:34

Um, but then it happened that she could have come in town either that week or like two weeks later. Okay. She was like, Oh my gosh, I'm just gonna come obviously for that. And so then she had like legit business meetings and stuff during the week, during the day and stuff. So then we would hang out at night.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

So good, perfect cover.

SPEAKER_02 51:49

Yeah, perfect cover. And then his friend uh our parents came in town, his came in town Thursday, mine came in town Friday, and then he invited his like my friends and his friends, and they surprised us Friday night, and then we did an engagement party Saturday, which I also was surprised about. So it was a whole weekend of surprises.

SPEAKER_05 52:07

Wow, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:07

Yeah, so it did you And no, I'm very type A and plan everything, so he very much pulled this over on me, and I had zero clue.

SPEAKER_05 52:14

I'm gonna set I'm gonna sound like my dad, but I think he set the bar too high. He did too well.

SPEAKER_03 52:21

It's all downhill.

SPEAKER_02 52:22

Your dad's gonna love listening to this because he knows all very well.

SPEAKER_03 52:25

Yeah. Did did your but both your parents know coming into town? Or did they say that?

SPEAKER_02 52:30

Yeah, he asked my parents back in March.

SPEAKER_03 52:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 52:32

So I did. All right. So basically everybody knew. Every person knew.

SPEAKER_02 52:38

Yes, friends knew, and I had talked to like my best friends a few weeks prior. He had told all my friends like a month or two before. He was like, Hey, because we're long distance, like we've been long distance our entire relationship. So we only see each other like once a month. So he was like, I'm gonna see you this week in Charleston and then in Italy. So it's gotta be now or like later, because then I would just figure it out, you know. So he wanted to surprise me. So yeah, he told my friends like a couple months ago, and I talked to my friend like a few weeks ago, and was like, It's gonna happen in Italy, you know? And she's just sitting there, like, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Probably is in Italy, I think so. I think so. And then she was at the party on Saturday and I was like, Oh my gosh, like we had this discussion like just a few weeks ago. She's like, I know I had to keep a straight face, like I tried so hard.

SPEAKER_05 53:23

Those are good friends though. Yes, yeah, very good friends, yeah, solid.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

Yeah, nobody, nobody said anything that made me suspicious at all.

SPEAKER_03 53:29

So and you still get to go to Italy, I guess, right? Are you still gonna go to the city?

SPEAKER_02 53:32

Yeah, I mean, I haven't planned my trip yet, but hopefully. Yeah, yeah. He has a week of independent travel, so in the world. Where is he gonna be? Genoa, Italy. Okay. But his independent travel week, he can just go wherever.

SPEAKER_05 53:43

So yeah, you should go. I mean, yeah. I mean, maybe I guess. I guess so. I've already got the ring.

SPEAKER_04 53:50

There's no reason that why would I go? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:52

All right. So uh the circle back, I wanted to make sure we got that in. Um last question for you before we get to rapid fire is just uh for uh young people thinking about becoming interior designers, what skills do you think are important for them to learn?

SPEAKER_05 54:08

Find yourself a cole, get married, and don't worry about it. Oh, wait, is that not your answer?

SPEAKER_02 54:13

I mean that's a good answer though. Um I think I think it's important to like always be curious, like always ask questions. Definitely in school, during an internship, shadow people if you can. Um but then also I think I wrote this on the questionnaire, like just be nice to people, I think is super important.

SPEAKER_05 54:31

Life advice.

SPEAKER_02 54:32

Yeah, just like because there's so many different um there's so many different professions like within the design community. I mean, you've got contractors, subcontractors, reps, designers, architects, engineers, all that, and like you're all working on a job together. You're not gonna have a successful job unless everyone is doing the right thing and doing their job correctly and the right way. And just like be like rude to people for no reason, like is like not fun.

SPEAKER_03 55:01

It's really not that big of an industry when you really get down to it. Exactly. Like everybody knows everybody. Don't burn a bridge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:06

Yeah, word gets around, I think. And so just I think it's important to you never know what people are going through. That's also just like my life motto, too. But I mean, you never know what people are going through, so you I mean, an engineer could call you and like basically cuss you out, you know, and like he could have just had like the worst day. Right. And just is taking it out and like because one little thing went wrong on a project where you know he also might be a dick, but you know, very possible.

SPEAKER_05 55:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:30

Maybe, maybe we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, right. Yeah, uh yeah, if he does it twice, then now there's a pattern. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:39

Yeah. Um, but then I also think it's like you get good like repertoire with like clients and like reps and stuff in the industry if you're just like good people.

unknown 55:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:48

So I mean, yeah, you can get more projects that way, you know. They'd be like, oh, we love working with Heidi Quarantie Design. They're just all so nice because you know we are so nice. Pat ourselves on the back.

SPEAKER_06 55:58

Kind of a big deal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:00

Great. Awesome. Um, all right. So you're ready to go rapid fire?

SPEAKER_05 56:04

I am. I am. I'm always ready. I know you are. I'm I'm so ready. Oh, look at me just. You're very ready.

SPEAKER_04 56:15

I'll start. All right. Chat will start.

SPEAKER_03 56:17

Yes. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Where would your you and your fiance be to start your life together? Charleston. Charleston.

SPEAKER_02 56:25

Which is, I think, where we'll be. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 56:27

We both grew up going there. My parents are two hours away. It's a very special place. I just also love it. So I grew up on the coast, so I want to be back kind of near the water.

SPEAKER_03 56:37

Yeah, and your parents still live in Savannah? Mm-hmm. Okay. Nice. Okay. Did they give you enough time, Mark?

SPEAKER_05 56:43

Yeah, so I kind of just have like questions. Rapid fire questions. Um, have you been to Europe before? Have you been to Italy before? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 56:53

Only been to Mexico. Only time out of the country. Where I guess I went to the Dominican Republic. That was a school trip, so.

SPEAKER_05 56:59

Where in Mexico?

SPEAKER_02 57:00

Cancun. Okay. I was five, I think, so I don't really remember it. I just know we took Christmas pictures there, and it's your parents took you to Cancun when you're It was a work trip for my dad, I believe. And I could be making all of this up because I was like four or five. So my parents are gonna listen and be like, that's not what happened.

unknown 57:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 57:18

We were in seaside, honey.

SPEAKER_02 57:20

I'm pretty sure it was a work trip.

SPEAKER_05 57:22

We were at a Taco Bell in Seaside.

SPEAKER_02 57:25

I think it was a work trip a work trip for my dad, and we kind of turned it in like we stayed a couple extra days, family vacation. And we I remember we took Christmas pictures there because my brother and I were in like tropical outfits with like Santa hats on, and that was like our Christmas card for the year. And I also remember the only other thing I remember about the trip is that there are iguanas everywhere. So when we went to the pool, not seaside. No, there was we went to the pool and there were iguanas just on all the chairs. And I my biggest fear is lizards. Like I'm dang, that was my next question. I am like terrified of lizards. Like, I don't know if something happened traumatic to me when I'm talking about it.

SPEAKER_03 58:02

Do you know Kayla Bailey?

SPEAKER_02 58:04

No.

SPEAKER_05 58:04

Okay. She's an architect and interior designer at Women's Blackstock, and she breeds lizards. So we'll Okay, cool. So I don't know. We'll we'll connect you. Yeah. Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 58:16

Yeah, terrified of lizards. So I just remember being like freaked out. I was like, I can't get in the pool there. This is the worst Christmas ever.

SPEAKER_03 58:23

Right. What's uh not because I've been stalking you, but what's the most interesting thing you've designed?

SPEAKER_02 58:30

Um I think more in process. That project I was speaking about earlier. Yeah, it is. Oh, the most interesting, like product.

SPEAKER_03 58:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 58:39

Yeah, okay, yes. That was super cool. I was thinking project. Um, yeah, we did Heidi and I did like an LED light shelf together. It was like suspended from the ceiling, so like the electrical went through the like iron bars, and then the whole shelf was glowing. And we did it for um uh Pinnacle Bank in their like boardroom, and then we've also used it on like a couple other projects, but just changed dimensions. Like we used it in a game room one time, okay. Like made it three times as long. So yeah, that's very cool.

SPEAKER_05 59:08

I like how when you answered first, the look on Chad's face was like wrong. It's like oh crap. No, that is not what it is. Um what's your most useless but impressive skill?

SPEAKER_02 59:25

Uh does it have to be a skill or can it just be like something I can do?

SPEAKER_05 59:29

Yeah, we'll go with that.

SPEAKER_02 59:30

I can move my ears.

SPEAKER_03 59:33

I can't I can too by moving my head.

unknown 59:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:36

No, like I can like Okay, well that's not that cool then, because you can do it too.

SPEAKER_03 59:43

I don't know if I can do that though. Chad can't.

SPEAKER_02 59:45

It's always it's always been my like fun fact. Like, we did like talent shows when I was little. I would stand up there and look at the back of the phone.

SPEAKER_03 59:50

You can make my eyeballs like quiver back and forth. But you have to be kind of close to seeing it, but I can make them. Yeah, yeah. Stare deeply into my eyes.

SPEAKER_01 59:58

I guess it's not that cool because two out of the three of us can image that. That's not good eye.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:04

There's your skill, I can do it too. I can do that too. Watch this. Neat. Yeah. That's super neat. Or maybe I'll ask another question.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:11

All right. Well, this is related, I guess, uh, but kind of not what are you what is something that you're sneaky good at? Like I guess is a skill, like something that you're good at. Sneaky good at? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:23

That Cole doesn't know about.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:26

Oh gosh. This is my own. Spilling on my finger. Um disregard Mark's.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:34

I don't know if you're sneaky. Okay. Or just really good at like tennis.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:37

I played tennis all growing up.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:39

Okay. That's good.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:40

I can balance things on my head sometimes too.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:43

Like what?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:44

I mean, books. I've done my laptop before, water bottles. Okay. Just like I mean, I can like walk around with it too sometimes.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:50

Is this like do you take like poise classes? No, I just like having fun. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:54

I just like I don't know how I figured it out.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:56

Can you play tennis and do that? Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:58

I've never tried. Maybe. Okay. Maybe. Alright. I can maybe balance the tennis racket.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:04

Where do you all want to go on your honeymoon?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:07

I think Japan. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:09

One of our really good friends just got back.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:11

We've both really that's like one of our dream places we've always wanted to go, like whether together or separate. Like I think. Before we were dating, that was somewhere that we've like always both of us have been interested in.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:21

So I've got a friend of mine who's got an Arab B there. So connect you. Maybe I'll stay there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:27

That'd be great.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:28

Do you know Sammy Born office? Um I don't know her well, but I've met her at the same time. She works at Gresham with my wife, and yeah, she's one of our very dear friends. But she just got back. Yeah. Like like three or four weeks ago. Oh wow. Yeah. She and her boyfriend went to Japan for maybe five or six days, and then they were in Taiwan for five or six days. Yeah. That or Switzerland.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:48

I also really want to go to Switzerland, so but Switzerland is super close to Italy, so maybe we'll just go there.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:55

Yeah, just stay, just stay. When you go, you should go like two or three weeks.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:59

Just stay a whole month, why not?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:01

Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:01

Favorite dessert.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:03

Did I go twice?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:04

Uh carrot cake.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:05

No, I asked I asked anyone. Okay, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:07

What's that? Carrot cake. Carrot cake. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:09

She answered so fast, now I'm stuck. Yeah. You're back. Yeah, now I'm back. Um what's something that I don't know if I've ever asked this question. What's something people assume about you that isn't true?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:20

That my hair is not natural.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:22

It's because it's because it's so curly?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:24

Yeah. They think that you do that, like Yeah, they think it's like a perm or like a like I'm always like, is that natural? Oh my gosh. Like I'm like, yeah, it's all natural. I don't do anything to it. And then they're like, wow, oh my word, how do you handle that?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:37

I feel like that's a dumb question for people to ask you because it looks natural.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:40

It does look natural. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:42

That's the compliment.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:43

So if we see you with straight hair, you've done something to it. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Do you have pets?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:50

I have a cat.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:51

Okay. What's the cat's name?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:52

Ellie.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:54

What's the last thing you Googled?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:57

I probably. Oh, it was one of the venues we're looking at in Charleston, by the way. Earlier today. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:03

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:04

Nice. Cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:05

Was that my last question?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:06

That was well, that I think that yeah, that was your last one. Yeah, we have five each.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:09

And again, he's in charge. I just here. You're saying out.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:15

Well, as you know, if since you've listened to the podcast, even though it wasn't our podcast, um she has listened to a podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:24

I've listened to one singular podcast in my entire life. And it wasn't yours.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:28

We um we finished with a custom song for you to as our outro music. So I need a genre of music.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:35

Um I love jazz.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:36

Jazz.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:38

Are you comfortable with people singing directly to you? Because that's what's about to happen.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:43

Sure.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:44

The look on your face is kind of utterly terrifying.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:47

I don't think it's ever happened other than happy birthday.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:49

So yeah, we finished the podcast where Mark and I sing to you as you leave.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:54

The look on her face is kind of like.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:55

Like, I'm pretty sure that's not true.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:57

Slightly like, oh shit.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:00

Is this actually gonna happen? It's actually it's not gonna happen, don't worry. But also one of my wife's like biggest pet peeve slash fears slash annoyances. Like when she's like, you see, like on a TV, mostly on TV shows or movies, right? And you've got like the person that's like playing guitar or whatever, and they're like looking, it's like just the couple, right? And the guy's singing, she is just like yeah, annoyed. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:26

She would probably be pretty weird.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:27

Yeah, we won't ever. When we were my wife and I, we went to Venice and you get to you know, do the gondola ride through the canals, and you can get a musician to be on the gondola.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:37

Oh, I would do that just to troll Aaron.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:40

And and she and I both were like, hell no. That sounds awful and so awkward. Uh, but what was nice, and you don't really have to, because there's enough people who have hired the music musicians that, and you're in these canals with the walls and the water, so it just reverberates around. So it's kind of you get yeah, you get the ambiance without having without with the eye contact. Yes. Yep. Yeah. All right, so jazz, and then what what should be the um the hook, the chorus line? What should be a good I have no idea.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:13

Like word, like words or yeah, words.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:15

I think it has to do, it has to do with like engagement and marriage in Charleston. Yeah, I don't know. I'm marrying an architect.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:24

That's good.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:25

This is the IDA all in design podcast, and we're gonna make a song.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:30

You go a marrying an architect. I love it. I love it, I love it. Well, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for having me. Oh, I appreciate it. It was good to have you fun.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:39

Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:53

I grew up where Savannah greeted the tide. He came down. From Atlanta with his stride. Two hearts found each other at Sanford one fine day. An interior designer and a dreamer drawing space. They always said those two won't see eye to eye. One builds the walls, one makes the soul come alive. Funny how a rumor fades. The moment love appears. Turns out blueprints and beauty dance. Together through the years, I'm marrying an architect. The finest plan I've ever met. He drew a future line by line, and somehow sketched his heart to mine. They said we'd never quite connect. Well, here's my favorite fact to check. I'm marrying an architect. We wandered through the jewelers hand in hand. I pointed out the little things I loved without a plan. I figured he'd remember. Then we'd wait until the fall. Maybe somewhere over Italy. He'd finally make the call. But summer had another masterpiece in mind. White Point Garden in the Charleston sunshine. The harbor held its breath while the live oak softly swayed. Then he reached inside his pocket with the ring that he had made. Not borrowed from a showroom shelf. He designed it all himself. Every little curve and every shining facet there felt like he had somehow turned my heart into fine. Jewelry the way. I'm marrying an architect. The finest plan I've ever met. He drew a future line by line. And somehow sketched his heart to mine. From Charleston's breeze to Clemson's dreams, he's stronger than he ever seems. I'm marrying an architect. He's learning how to shape the skyline. I'm learning how to shape the moon. If love's about creating places where every soul can truly bloom, then maybe all those stories say designers never quite agree. Forgot the greatest collaboration, was always waiting here for me. I'm married an architect, a love known drawing could perfect from Savannah tides to Atlanta Rose to Charleston where forever flowed. Two years became forever star. He built the ring I gave my heart. Call it structure, call it art. I'm marrying an architect. Yes, I'm marrying an architect.