Mitsubishi Eclipse – Interior

I own a 2001 Mitsubishi eclipse GT and decided to talk about the interior space. For more information and specs about the car, please follow the link above. My eclipse is the perfect first car. It’s fun to drive, looks really nice and is in pretty great condition, inside and out. I really enjoy the interior of my car. When I sit in the car, I’m comfortable. I love how my body is somewhat reclined and that I sit low compared to SUVs.

My eclipse has a low ceiling. I wish I had a sunroof to help make the top feel higher. I like the dark inside. I don’t like beige interiors. I think the lighter colors show more dirt compared to the black.The dashboard is really cool. It looks futuristic and can modified. Check out the video below to see a modified interior. The dashboard has a leather texture. It has four air vents that can be turned 360 degrees. I love them and their functionality. The radio is located in the middle of the dash, but I took it out and replaced it with a new receiver and an amazing sound system. The clock is in the middle on top of the dash. It’s located so everyone can see it.

My car has 4 seats, which is kinda bad for what I need. I have 3 best friends so it fits us all. I do wish it was bigger though because whoever is in the back has to struggle with the low ceiling and glass. They also have no leg room. It’s always uncomfortable for guests. The seats have a handle on the sides so you can recline the seats all the way flat if needed and a bar in the front to move forwards and backwards. Lately I’ve been thinking… I need a larger car for transporting DJ equipment and furniture. I’m at the age that I’ll be moving into apartments and houses and I need/want a truck. The eclipse has served me well, but it’s time to upgrade for something for functional.

Cantina 1511 Booth

Tonight, I decided to eat at Cantina 1511. There were 3 of us and we wanted to sit at a booth. Our booth was really big and could definitely seat 6 people. As we sat down, i was thinking about the surroundings. We were placed in the corner so nothing was behind us. There was a bar in the room and lots of other booths. They didn’t really have many tables except the high-top next to us. I liked how there were plenty of windows, even though it was raining. It helped make the space feel larger.

Our booth was nice to sit at. I remembered a conversation earlier in the year about when eating, people should not sit across or next to each other. People should sit at a 90 degree angle so you don’t have to watch the other person eat their food. It also helps a conversation. When we sat down, I noticed I was directly across from my friend and next to the other. There was no 90 degree angle. I was trying to figure out why this restaurant wanted more booths than tables because surely they know the best layout and seating designs.

The table was dark wood and connected to the walls. The lower half of the wall was wooden panels. The upper half was full of windows. It was nice, but nothing stood out to me. The booths were pretty comfortable. They were well padded and were leather seats with cloth backing. There was only one light that hung above us. I thought it was a little too dark in the corners of our table. The light only shined on the center part of the table. My friends and I enjoyed our meal with no complaints.

Cantina 1511 opened in 2004. It currently has two locations. One is in at 1511 EAST BLVD CHARLOTTE, NC 28203 and the other is located at 7708 REA RD CHARLOTTE, NC 28277. Go check it out to have some great mexican food.

UniCentral Pool

When I arrived at my apartment complex in Australia, the first sight I stopped at and loved was the pool area. I just stared at the space and the view behind the pool. After the first day, I ended up spending almost every day at the pool. I used the pool for relaxation after I would wake up and work out. It was perfect.

The pool was rectangular, and was about 5ft deep. I liked how the pool gradually got about a foot shallower in two sections. It gave us a few places that were shallower to stand and be comfortable if you didn’t want to be neck or shoulder deep. Surrounding the pool were a bunch of recliners. The third chair on the right was mine! I loved how there was constant sunshine.

The pool was placed in the center of the complex and right next to the club house. It was in a perfect, high-traffic location. On each side of the pool were apartments. There were trees and plants that surrounded the pool, but they didn’t block any of the sunlight. Long the backside of the pool was a fence that didn’t block the view. The pool overlooked a small lake that sat between the apartments and the Uni. Uni was also in the view. It looked so nice.

I think I’ll miss seeing the kangaroos pass the pool the most. It was so fun to watch them as you were tanning in the sun. The trees also invited a lot of birds to the area. I enjoyed hearing nature. There was nothing better than going to the pool. It was better than the beach sometimes! The pool also offered shade under the umbrellas that the apartment built for us. They were on the left side of the pool, but not many people sat under them. The pool was my place to relax and escape the stress of Uni. I didn’t find that space in my apartment. I would go work out really hard for 2 hours, then come back and swim. It was a place for me to think and to really organize my thoughts. I miss it.

BUTTER, NC

The infamous BUTTER! This is one of my favorite night clubs in Charlotte. It’s located at the NC Music Factory. Butter is unique for Charlotte because it is the first club to be high end and modeled after Butter NY, which is a very famous club in New York City.

Butter is a multilevel club with a few different options for guests. When you first enter, guests can turn left and go outside on the deck. They always have DJ outside for the crowd and to entertain the line. Butter placed outside furniture against the railings outside. It creates an open dance floor and a nice seating area. Sometimes they have cocktail tables against the building for people who want to stand and drink.

Another option is walking straight into a small bar area. It is extremely well decorated with seating. It’s a nice place to go if you don’t want to dance. There are really cool light fixtures hanging from above. They really make the place look expensive and luxurious. I like the colors they chose. There are dark reds, purples, golds, and black. The bar is located against the back wall. It maximizes the floor space and gives guests enough bar space to order drinks.

The third option is turning right and heading downstairs to the main floor. The main floor is huge! It has 2 bars, plenty of VIP tables, but unfortunately it has a small dance floor. The staircase curves all the way down. It overlooks the bar and the dance floor. It’s a great view when you’re walking down into a crazy dance floor. The bars should have been bigger, along with the dance food. The bars can only fit about 2 to 3 bartenders at a time. It takes forever to get drinks and It’s always crowded. The dance floor is cut off by some VIP tables that surround the dance floor. This is in front of the DJ booth. The VIP tables sit about one step up from the floor. I with they would have just cut our those VIP tables and allowed the floor to reach the walls. There is a very nice VIP section parallel to the dance floor in it’s own room. The floor is raised and the seats are pushed back from the extremely loud speakers. It’s set up in an “L-shape,” giving guests plenty of room to dance, but also two entrances to the main room. Butter is a great venue. Go check it out!

 

Monroe Crossing Mall

I work for CBS radio and had to work a promotion’s event out at the Monroe Crossing Mall. It was pretty far from Charlotte and I had to sit in a lot of traffic on Independence blvd. Once I arrived, I wasn’t too impressed. The mall is just another local mall with nothing unique. They were doing some renovations on the larger department stores, but nothing inside the mall had been touched. We entered through a back entrance and took all the equipment in. We were setting up for a small concert. I wasn’t sure where we were setting up in the mall so people can hear and see it. When we walked in, we decided to set up next to Belk department store.

The location of the stage was outside the main entrance into the mall from Belk. The walking path in the mall was at it’s widest and have us a lot of room to work with. The first thing we did was set up our tent. I selected a corner that is at the entrance to Belk. I wanted to be able to capture everyone’s attention in the mall and in Belk. The location allowed for 2 sides of our tent to be useable space to interact with people. It was also visible from further down the mall. If we set it up in the middle, then the stage would have blocked the visibility of the tent.

As for the stage, it was in the middle of the walkway. We decided to have the performers face Belk and not the mall itself. The ceiling lowered in the opposite direction and the width of the walkways got smaller. Facing Belk allowed for the music to enter the store through their huge entrance. The music was loud enough for people to hear it from all directions. The stage was about 30ft away from the entrance. It have viewers standing room and other vendors space to set up on the edges of the room. This allowed viewers to walk around either side of the stage and interact with vendors. This space was usually used as a sitting area, but we turned it into a small concert area by just moving some furniture and setting up some equipment.

The mall is located at 2115-290 West Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, NC 28110.

Home Office

I want to write about the office that is back at my home in PA. Just recently, we had new carpeting put in and had a chance to change the layout of the office. I was thinking about how to improve the layout, but we decided to keep it the same for a few reasons. The office isn’t that big to begin with and my dad has really big furniture. If he’s sitting at the desk, which is where he is most of the time, then he’s facing the entry. Facing the entry helps welcome new beginnings and is good for functionality. Unfortunately, when you use the computer desk, it is behind the main dest, which means your back is facing the entry.

I personally think the way the room is set up makes the most sense. If we turned the dest so you can face out of the windows, then it can get distracting. I always look out of the window and start daydreaming. I think my dad would do the same if that is how we set up the room. Another problem would be the glare on the computer screen if the desk was turned. Lastly, I don’t like my back facing a window. I want to look sideways and at least see what is going on if I have to. Sitting at the current set up allows you to see anyone who walks to the front door too. It’s convenient.

I also want to point out the two chairs that are in front of the windows. They are a nice seats to sit at when you want to talk to the person at the desk. It allows for more interaction during a meeting instead of having someone stand. I personally like the placement of the chairs because they are not in front of the desk, but on the side of it. It creates a more personal space and is not cut off by a table. Sitting across from someone at the table can get intimidating and uncomfortable. The lighting in the room is also in a good position. There is no overhead lighting so we put a table lamp at the corner of the main desk and then a floor lamp in the corner of the room. It’s easy on the eyes and allows for plenty of light. This office is the perfect space for me to do work.

For some cool ideas about changing your office space, check out this article from Apartment Therapy.

Fraternity Lodge

The space in my fraternity lodge is great. It is very multifunctional and all of the furniture can be moved and reorganized, giving the space a new look. When you enter into the room, the first thing people see is our letters on the wall. We put those there to make a statement. They hang over a couch and are behind our huge meeting table. Once you step into the room, you can turn in any direction. We have a closet that is hidden behind the kitchen. We did that on purpose so it keeps the room open and doesn’t’ take away from any wall space.

The kitchen/ meeting table is placed near the kitchen on a carpet. We put a carpet under the table to make the space more inviting. It also makes the kitchen part of the room feel like a separate room.  It’s very nice to sit in. You can also see the TV from the table. We use the table for two reasons. The first is to hold meetings. It’s a long table that can fit the majority of the fraternity. The second use is for eating. The table can also elongate to fit more people depending on the need of the space.

There are a few sitting areas that surround the kitchen table. The first is the couch behind the table against the wall. Personally, it is my favorite. It is comfortable to sit on and a great way to open up the kitchen area for seating. We move some of the chairs from the table and place them on the side, creating a big circle. To the right of the entrance is another small seating area. Two red chairs are placed at a 90 degree angle. It’s the perfect spot to have a conversation and plan fraternal activities. I like how the chairs are not facing each other. It allows for a comfortable conversation to occur.

Lastly, we have a large seating area that focuses around the media center. We purchased a sectional couch to help create a separate room from the kitchen. The furniture is placed against the walls so the focus can be on the TV. We use this space to watch TV, hold informal meetings, to relax and to play games. We decided to buy a rug that is in front of the TV. IT pulls the space together and creates it’s own room. The flow of the space works very well and I believe it attracts a lot of energy. The only complaint is that I wish it was always clean!

Our fraternity lodge can be found in Greek Row on the bottom floor of Wireman.