A Visit To SCAD Atlanta

 

You all probably remember that Briana attended a SCAD workshop/camp in Savannah last summer - which she loved. She is going again for a week this summer.

 SCAD offers open house days at both the Savannah and Atlanta campuses. Doug, Bri and I decided to check out the Atlanta location in January to see if Briana would like that campus as well...

The camp at Savannah SCAD was a well-oiled machine. This campus/open house was no different. The school did a wonderful job showing off the campus to the students.

A dining area at SCAD (Honey at the Hive)...

We first talked with an admissions person and Briana filled out an online application...

Then we started to explore the campus...

It was surreal watching Briana walk through the hallways.

We started in the main SCAD Atlanta building and talked first with a professor in the Illustration department...

He was so knowledgeable and explained how high the job rates are for SCAD grads - very reassuring.

Then we stopped in the Sequential Arts department and spoke with a professor there as well (he was also very knowledgeable)...

Then we moved on to graphic design...

Art foundations (drawing, painting, etc)...

Fashion floor (school of fashion)...

We took a shuttle to the Digital Media Center...

Gaming Design...

 

Animation...

We then headed over to the dorms in golf carts.

This is the dorm Bri would live in freshman year if she chooses to go to SCAD Atlanta...

 

Getting a tour from the resident advisor...

Freshman sample dorm room...

Upper classman dorm room...

Cafe in the dorm...

Cool view...

 DJ in the lobby of the dorm...

Free ice cream/popsicles on a very cold day - very good!

Then we stopped in the bookstore for some souvenirs and then we headed home.

SCAD from the expressway...

So, Doug and I asked Briana her thoughts. Atlanta SCAD is a much smaller - a more tight knit - experience than the Savannah campus. She likes both campuses, but she really gravitated toward the Atlanta campus. I'm on board with that because she'd be much closer to home! 

We will visit a few other schools, but I know SCAD has her heart. This is just where I "see" her. I'm still not ready at all for her to go to college, but I have to accept it. How is my girl going to be a senior next year? I'm still in a bit of denial.

All Sort Of Celebrations

The months of January and February were filled with celebrations and holidays for our family.

First, we celebrated Doug's 50th birthday. Doug and I started dating toward the end of our senior year of high school - he was 18 and I was 17. It's hard to believe we both turn 50 this year. It just doesn't seem possible.

On Doug's actual birthday, Briana and I baked Doug a cake and gave him gifts and then we took him out to a dinner at one of his favorite local restaurants. We decorated the house up for him...

Our dinner was so good ~ lobster bisque, steak, risotto, charcuterie, fritters...

The next night, we had our friends, the C family, join us for dinner to celebrate Doug some more! We went to another one of our local favorite restaurants...

The following Sunday, we celebrated Doug one more time with my parents. It was also my parents' 53rd wedding anniversary and the first day of the Chinese New Year, so it was a joint celebration. We went to another delicious restaurant...

Dessert celebration time (including baked Alaska)...

Since it was the first night of Chinese New Year, Briana wore her new qipao top to our joint celebration...

I decorated the house for CNY...

During CNY, Briana and I met up with friends Amy, Mary and Imerie for a delicious Chinese food meal...

Amy and I coaxed the girls to do a re-creation of a picture they took back in 2011..

We had a lot of laughs trying to get this shot. It is crazy how grown up the girls are now.

Lastly, it was time to celebrate Valentine's Day. I put out a few decorations for the occasion...

Then Doug, Bri and I went out to dinner at one of my favorite local Italian restaurants...

Everything was so very good!

Whew! It was two busy months of celebrating! Then we decided to also throw in a week long trip to Walt Disney World at the end of February for winter break. Dang we are exhausted!