Introduction: Nora Kassajikian, Teacher

Nora Kassajikian was born in Beirut, Lebanon and moved to the United States at the age of ten. She was trained as a classical violinist from childhood all the way through age eighteen. She studied Fashion Design for two years after graduating high school in 1991. Nora then pursued her career in Accounting for twelve years while continuing her college education to complete her B.A. in Liberal Studies. In 2009 she decided to move to San Diego to attend San Diego State University to work on her teaching credential. Today, Nora is substitute teaching in four districts and tutoring. She is currently seeking a permanent teaching position while working on her second credential.

Place III: Nora Kassajikian

Place Part III: The place that we chose to make our home speaks to who we are. The items we surround ourselves with and the manner in which we choose to arrange our living and work spaces-especially when the two overlap-can reveal insights into our everyday personas as well as the people we aspire to be. Here the place where educator Nora Kassakikian lives, creates, and sometimes even teaches...


Q: What do you love about your home?
A: I love the fact that I'm surrounded by nature. At the end of the day I feel as though I can relax and clear my head. It's the first time in my life where I've lived in an area where I can truly hear the sound of owls, frogs and crickets as well as the occasional howls of Coyotes. I can finally hear myself think instead of the chaos of the city.

Q: What are your thoughts on how traditional public classrooms are run/structured?
A: I believe that schools should have students spend more time learning outdoors. Many students do not take the time to investigate their environment. They don't take the time to question and observe. Learning by observation is a big part of life and a good life skill to acquire.
Many public classrooms are also dark. As a substitute teacher, I have walked into several classrooms where the first thing I've done is to open up all the blinds and windows. The students walk in and express that something is different but it often takes them at least half an hour to figure out that they are no longer learning in the dark.

Q: Describe your ideal classroom

A: I would love to have an outdoor classroom where students have the opportunity to learn from their environment. I believe an outdoor classroom would be ideal for me. I was able to experience teaching outdoors for Art Meets Fashion and I believe that it worked out pretty well. The students were engaged and the group had a lot of fun introducing their topic to the students.

Photographs: 2010 Melissa Au, Dandelion Dreams Photography

Place II: Cathy Breslaw

Place Part II: The place that we chose to make our home speaks to who we are. The items we surround ourselves with and the manner in which we choose to arrange our living and work spaces-especially when the two overlap-can reveal insights into our everyday personas as well as the people we aspire to be. Here the place where artist Cathy Brelaw creates...






Q: What do you love about your home?
Cathy: My home is what I call my 'sacred space'--my safe place--my studio is also adjacent so it's important to me to create a space where I can also work--as well as just be.





Q: Tell me about the sign in your space, "If not now, when?"
Cathy: "If not now, when" means this is it--life in the present moment is all we have--we are not guaranteed anything more than the moment we are in. So, all my goals, dreams, art pieces need to be created now.



Q: Describe your physical working environment:
Cathy: My working environment is a space of about 400-500 sqare feet and well lit with specialized ful spectrum lights.



Photographs: 2010 Melissa Au, Dandelion Dreams Photography

Place: Stacie Taylor

The place that we chose to make our home speaks to who we are. The items we surround ourselves with and the manner in which we choose to arrange our living and work spaces-especially when the two overlap-can reveal insights into our everyday personas as well as the people we aspire to be. Here the place where Stacie Tayor of Stacie May creates...



Q: What do you love about your home?
Stacie: All the things and people I love are right there. The structure itself doesn't matter when you have that.





Q: Describe your physical working environment?
Stacie: Messy. It's always messy. I try to clean up and organize between each project but there are always multiple projects going on at once. I believe that it's important to have a space where I can feel free to throw things on the floor, make piles of fabric scraps, have trims and sketches thrown about without feeling like I can't walk away and shut the door! The space itself is cozy and comfortable and provides the right inspiration.

















Photographs: 2010 Melissa Au, Dandelion Dreams Photography

Interviews: Part One

List a few things about yourself that may be previously unknown to many around you?
Stacie:
1. I once met the legendary Clint Eastwood as his waitress in a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.
2. I always wanted to be a figure skater.
3. I was a ballet dancer for 11 years.
4. I love listening to cheesy 70's soft rock.
5. I've visited 38 out of the 50 states.

Nora: I don't know how to swim (I sooo want to learn but I'm scared)


Day or Night?
Cathy: Day

Stacie: Night

Nora: Day
Melissa: Night

Awake or Asleep?

Cathy: Awake
Stacie: Asleep

Nora: Awake
Melissa: Asleep

Book or Movie?

Cathy: Book
Stacie: Moive

Nora: Book
Melissa: Book

Coffee or Tea?

Cathy: Coffee
Stacie: Coffee

Nora: Coffee
Melissa: Coffee

Chaos or Order?

Cathy: Order
Stacie: Controlled Chaos

Nora: Order
Melissa: Order

Plan or Whim?

Cathy: Whim
Stacie: Whim

Nora: Plan
Melissa:Whim

Busy or Idle?

Cathy: Busy
Stacie: Busy

Nora: Busy
Melissa: Idle

Inside or Out?

Cathy: Inside
Stacie: Both

Nora: Out
Melissa: Out

What interests do you take time for, other than fashion design/teaching/art?
Stacie: Movies, Music, Theater, Art, A little bit of traveling, occasional hiking and camping, paging through glossy fashion mags, spending time with good friends, my dog and my boyfriend.

Nora: Art, Outdoors and Culture.

Cathy: I am very self disciplined--I either run, bike or swim every day depending on what I am training for at the time (running or tri events) I find cardio and working out make my mind more focused and sharp and clear thinking. Some of my best ideas come while running. It's kind of a meditative thing where tons of thoughts float around and something becomes clear to me.

What do you fear?
Cathy: Not being remembered.
Stacie: Heights.
Nora: Making mistakes.
Melissa: Losing my loved ones.

Interview Questions by Melissa Au

Introduction: Melissa Au, Documentor/Photographer ~ Dandelion Dreams Photography

I have been a photographer in the artistic sense for most of my life. I am in business as a family/child photographer under the name Dandelion Dreams Photography. I can sum up my passion for photography in this way: I am a light seeker...I admire the way a shadow wraps gently around a child's face or how sunlight halos a young girl's head. I love catching that 1/60th of a second glimpse into my lens as a baby wonders--just what is that big contraption I am holding. I strive to capture the real essence of my subject as opposed to a contrived shot…to catch a real moment in life, to document.

My biggest inspiration, is my family: inquisition, wonder, attention to the small things, unabashed enthusiasm, creativity, love. I think that a lot can be told in a photograph about the relationship of the family, the emotion of the individual, and I love to tell that story through the snap of the shutter. These are days to remember. My gift to the family is creating a keepsake of their moment together.

Awards:

3rd Place Portrait, 2010 San Diego County Fair

Donated Award for Portrait (awarded by Digital Photo Academy), 2010 San Diego County Fair

Honorable Mention Pet Portrait, 2010 San Diego County Fair

Honorable Mention Portrait, 2010 San Diego County Fair

Honorable Mention Digital Arts Image, 2010 San Diego County Fair

Melissa Au, Dandelion Dreams Photography ~ melissa@dandeliondreamsphoto.com ~ (858) 349.5946

Introduction: Stacie Taylor, Designer ~ Stacie May

Stacie May is a San Diego based clothing company that offers women sustainable, season-less, timeless clothing for those who want to be unique and express themselves as individuals. Stacie May clothing is created in house, in the U.S., from sketches to samples. Pieces are not mass produced making each a limited edition. The inspiration for Stacie May’s graceful, feminine, yet classic looks can be attributed to an appreciation of antique and vintage collectibles, art, music, movies, history, and architecture along with an flair for experimentation with fabrics, colors, textures, and cuts that compliment curves.


Women of all shapes and sizes have always loved Stacie May, she really understands women with and without curves. Stacie stays true to her collections by not going with what the latest trend is but by finding inspiration from different areas of her life. Stacie manages to maintain her artistic flair while balancing a home life and a full-time job as a design consultant for a local San Diego business.




Stacie May's Events and Credits include: Fashion Week San Diego 2008, Scottsdale Fashion Week 2008, Escondido Fashion Week 2009, Thread Runway December 2009, Project Ethos Incubator April 2010, Lovestruck at La Jolla Playhouse 2010, Haute Magazine, Fashion Chicago Magazine June 2010 and October 2010, Viva La Moda Magazine, San Diego Reader, Smashing Darling Featured Designer, USTrendy Top 100 Designers, Industry Showroom, Hunt and Gather Boutique, Local Boutique, 34Fourteen, Burbank.

msstaciemay@staciemay.com ~ www.staciemay.com

Photography by: Gail Bowman, Modern Eye Images ~ www.moderneyeimages.com