Wow! Where has time gone? It’s the last day of my internship at Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design. It’s all a little bittersweet. Bitter because this summer has been one fun learning experience, but sweet because it means graduation is just 2 short weeks away. I’ve been on cloud nine around here this week about the fact that I don’t start classes again in August. Rachael doesn’t like my bragging too much as she is just now entering her senior year. All I can say to her is don’t wish away your college years. I’m not even in the “real world” yet, and I’m already not liking it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ready to call myself Auburn University Alum, but not so ready to call myself “grown-up”.

Pouting Rachael

This summer really has been a blast. I have enjoyed working with the lovely ladies of PARISH, and I have learned so much. I’ve also enjoyed meeting a lot of you guys, our awesome sub-contractors, vendors, and sales reps.  It’s awesome to see how everyone jives around here. Not just the girls in the office, but all of those wonderful people mentioned in the CAN YOU FIX THIS? post. I know I have asked Ashley many times this summer “where did you find these people?”  because everyone has been SO nice and hardworking.

I think it’s safe to say I’ve come a long way since weeks 1-3. I finally learned my way around Montgomery! Well, at least to the places we go frequently, and the food places that we visit frequently. As you all have read from prior posts, we love food around here. I have thoroughly enjoyed the restaurants here in Montgomery. So much so, that Rachael and I started our own food diary. The place I’ll miss the most is definitely Tish’s Cupcakes. If anyone ever wants to send me some, I will gladly give you my address.You know, as “I miss you” kind of gift.

Chris’s Hotdogs. A Montgomery fav.

Tish’s Cupcakes. Bet you can’t eat just one….or at least I couldn’t

Sushi Cafe….A studio fav

Since Emi doesn’t work on Fridays, the intern’s last day was a 2 day celebration. We did a mini celebration on Thursday with a refreshing glass of wine. That, my friends, is my idea of an office meeting. Emi baked us some sweets and we enjoyed our last full day in the “hen house”. Today Ashley took us to lunch and we celebrated some more. All I can think is, we must have been some pretty special interns

Cheers to Super Interns!

So here it is guys, my final farewell. I want to thank Ashley and her amazing team at AFGID for a fun summer. It was definitely an experience that I will cherish forever. I learned so much from all of you. Except that mind reading thing that Ashley loves so much. Amanda is pretty much a champ at it, but I guess it isn’t something you can teach. I also want to thank all of the people who were so patient with me all summer. After all, I was just an intern. I’m finally getting the hang of things and it’s time to say goodbye. So… goodbye PARISH readers, and goodbye Montgomery! You will both be missed.

And for Rachael’s final word…

It was a sad, sad day checking off the last item on my list here at AFGID! I have had a fabulous summer working with four of the sweetest girls you’ll ever know. I can’t repay Ashley, Amanda, and Emi for teaching me so much about the profession that no university could begin to match, or Lucy for sharing the whole experience with me and always making me laugh! One of my favorite quotes of all time pretty much sums up my summer… “You can never be overdressed or over-educated.” The ladies at PARISH know this all too well! Thank you clients, subcontractors, and readers for making my internship all the better. I’m truly blessed to have made so many new friends here in Montgomery. As for now, I’m headed back to the great state of Georgia, but I hope to cross the border again in the future! It’s been great!

-Rachael

Week 7 already? Goodness, where has the time gone? I guess the old saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is true. Between custom jobs, manning Parish, yummy sweet treats, and baby shopping; there is never a dull moment around here. Now that we know Amanda is having a boy, the baby shopping and nursery planning has begun. Sometimes I hear her on the phone with a sales rep and think to myself “we don’t need that”, and then it dawns on me. It’s the nursery!!! No one says anything about it, of course, because we are all SO excited for her.

We did have a rather productive week with two installs. Intern Rachael and I are taking turns going to the installs so we can both get a behind the scenes look. I got some pictures from Rachael on her install day of the super cute movers and an even cuter little puppy. I think it’s safe to say that Lucy was a jealous intern.

This cute pup put the cute movers to shame. Look at that sweet face!

But Amanda made this not so happy intern very happy when she brought back a sweet treat to the studio. We all have a sweet tooth around here. If it isn’t candy, it’s baked goods. If it isn’t baked goods, it’s ice cream. Either way, we get our sweet treat fix. I HIGHLY recommend the Riddles bag of Skittles. They’re kind of like mystery flavors, the color doesn’t match the flavor. But, we cracked the code! Just in case you were wondering, here’s what we determined. Like I said, it was a productive week.

smart designers can crack the Skittles Riddle code

I always enjoy going on the installs. It’s fun to see the final product of the projects you’ve been working on for so long. You finally get to see the nice, pretty stuff put in the house. And you get to see it actually being used and lived on. At my install, I witnessed the client enjoying her new furniture and her cute son enjoying the box it came in. He was so funny, and SO excited about it.

Seriously, how fun does that look?!

If you’ve been trying to call the studio lately and it seems like its taking a while to answer, its because we have a phone hog. There are times we hear the phone ringing and we all look at each other trying to determine who will answer. Well, no one does because no one has a phone on their desk…except Amanda. And she has all 4!!! She really loves talking to the clients.

the desk of the phone hog

You guys definitely need to come by and check the store out. I know Rachael mentioned the big re-arrange last week, but we’ve even received more new stuff since then. We love our design books around here, and we just got a new shipment of them. We are obsessed! Come check them out!

WE LOVE BOOKS

Ok, now I have some good news. It’s a GIVEAWAY week!!! As you PARISH readers know, we love all of our K.Hall candles. This week we want to give one of our readers a chance to win one for themselves. I love this Grove scent, and I’m sure you all will too. Just comment on the blog to get your name in the drawing. The winner will be announced next week.

Enter to win

The interns, as well as the other ladies, will be out of the office for the latter part of next week so there won’t be a week 8 Intern Diaries. I know you all are so sad about that, but it’s 4th of July week! That’s exciting enough without The Intern Diaries. You will hear from us again in 2 weeks! I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th!!