Typical Day

I was recently asked to contribute to an article that will be published on the Etsy Storque about what it's like to be a Work At Home Mom. One of the questions was "What is a typical day like for you? List work and home stuff." I thought I'd post my answer to that very question. It'll be like me interviewing me. That sounds really narcissistic doesn't it??? You know me....all narcissistic and such. The funny thing is that each time I just typed the word narcissistic, I misspelled it. Then that must mean I am absolutely NOT narcisitik.

1. What is a typical day like for you? (List work and home stuff.)

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, my kids are in school from 9:00-3:00pm. So this is MWF....

7:00am --Awake and getting the kids up and ready and drive them to school while thinking I desperately need a coffee….and a driver

9:30 am --Back from the morning school commute (it’s LA so it’s long) – I’ll either head to the hardware store/lumber yard or I’ll fire up the table saw and cut for awhile if I’m at the beginning of a project,

11:00am --Grab a handful of something to eat and eat while checking email do the paperwork/email part of the job – invoices, shipping notices, respond to inquiries and wholesale requests, creating marketing materials if needed

12:00pm --Only 2.5 more hours with out the kids so I rush back out to the garage to finish building, staining, or whatever needs done.

1:00pm -- Look at the laundry piled up next to the table saw. NOT put it in the washer cuz that would be too much work.

2:30pm -- Get ready to pick up my son. I normally wear what I’ve been working in all day so I’m covered in sawdust and paint and am a general embarrassment.

3:00pm -- Both kids are home and asking for a myriad of things….snacks, tv, art projects. I tell them I have another hour’s work to do in the garage. Noah watches tv, Grace comes with me and asks me hundreds of questions and wants to play wood shop. I end up getting nothing done…or maybe a hinge put on a toy box.

4:00pm -- Frantically clean up the house that’s a wreck and stare blankly into the empty fridge. Plan to eat out or maybe, if I’m lucky, I can pour some red sauce over pasta, add a bag of salad and some green beans that are microwaved and call it a meal.

5:00pm -- Eat dinner and get Noah started on homework. Hubby helps me clean up the kitchen or he does it himself so I can go back to the garage. He’s a keeper!

7:00pm --Play with the kids a bit, explain for the fifth time that the word “damn” can only be used in reference to a beaver’s dam, get them bathed, etc…

9:00pm --Kids go to bed, I do one of the following: a.) go back to the garage, b.) bring furniture in and watch tv with my hubby while I polyurethane or paint.

10:30pm -- Back to the computer to field more emails, order, etc. Pay bills and do personal financial stuff (that sounds seedy, doesn’t it?)

11:30 or 12:00pm --Off to bed. If I’m lucky (and if my husband is lucky), I’ve actually put on pajamas as opposed to just falling into bed in the same clothes I wore while sanding. J

On TUESDAY and THURSDAY

It’s all out the window. I’m trying to keep a 5-year-old engaged and happy so I normally take her to the lumber yard and run errands. And squeeze in some building time when she’s busy playing or watching tv or writing on furniture with permanent marker.

Read More

Swag And Cradle and Design Deals Daily

It's 11:30pm and believe it or not, I'm taking a break from putting polyurethane on a table and chair set. This week is a wee bit on the exhausting side as I'm trying to get 3 pieces built by Saturday. I normally average about 1 piece per week. Late nights and early mornings, coffee, and lots of playing "wood shop" with Grace are making up my week.

With that said, you know how hard it is (even when you love something) to keep going when you're mentally and physically tired? Well, I was having a tough time juggling Gracie today (off school) and getting myself into the garage. I checked my email earlier today and found two lovely notes. One from Allison at Swag and Cradle and one from Kara at Design Deals Daily. Both Allison and Kara wrote such appreciative, uplifting messages and told me they would be or have written posts about my furniture on their respective websites.

I can't tell you what a difference those messages made today. I built two chairs, finished a table, and painted and sealed all three pieces. Many thanks go to both of these women who happen to have AMAZING taste in furniture. :)

Check out both of their websites by clicking the links above. They're both fantastic!

Read More

Still Thankful for My Jeans

So guess who's wearing her new jeans in the garage today? Yep, you guessed right. The one who pledged to look better and not wear my new jeans while I work. So here I sit covered in sawdust on both my jeans and black shirt. In need of a shower. And you know what I 'm going to do??? Pick up my son and daughter from school....in my jeans....and saw dust covered black shirt. And hide behind my baseball cap.

Maybe I don't care as much about looking good....er, clean...as I thought. What I do really care about is a new piece I created for the Still Thankful Still Giving Celebrity Charity Event on Thursday night. I've even been invited to the event so Little G (grace's hip hop name) and I will get to party with the stars. It should be a blast until Grace starts hiding behind my legs and punching my rear end while I'm trying to have a conversation about wood working with some A-List star.

Check out the piece below....it's a little mix of several things I've designed recently. A little country and a little bit rock n' roll, as the saying goes...

Read More

HOLY CRANE!!!!

While I was away on Thanksgiving holiday, one of the stores here in LA, Cool Baby, that carries my furniture line was damaged severely by a crane that fell onto the store while mounting a billboard.

My heart goes out to the owners, Ayn and her family, and I can't imagine what they must be feeling right now. Certainly, no love for cranes or billboards. They've handled it with such grace and have gone over and above to help us with our upcoming event. Hopefully, the space will be repaired and up and running in the next few months.

We were scheduled to hold the the West Side version of The Little Monster Market at Cool Baby on December 8th but are now looking for a new space, with the help of Ayn. Hopefully one that is close by the Cool Baby location. Stay tuned for a new location....

Read More

HGTV's 24 Hour Design -- We were on it!!!

Happy Thanksgiving! We're vacationing with friends in Arizona but I had to write in about a design show that Scott and I were on called 24 Hour Design. It aired last night on HGTV at 9:30 and ironically enough, we COULDN't WATCH IT. Apparently, our hotel doesn't have HGTV. But we've gotten reports from our family members.

The report read...

Scott was hilarious. Kiersten was sweet. Good show. No mention of your handywork/woodworking skills. Scott had all the funny lines.

So I'm guessing they cut all my sarcastic funnies and most of my personality/woodworker side but that's the way editing works, right? I'm still (jokingly) cussing at my husband since he was "the funny one" and I'm the inept sweet housewife. I think it'll air again in December so if you want to watch us have our bedroom redone and see me devoid of a personality and kids and a dog....watch it! You'll see a Body Snatchers version of the Mod Mom. The one who has no clue how to do anything with her hands.

Here's the link if you're interested...
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_h24hd/episode/0,3120,HGTV_27736_53250,00.html

Do I sound bitter???? Ok, maybe just a tiny bit bitter. BUT we had a blast and were very grateful for our bedroom redo. HGTV rocks!!!! Really, I do mean that.

Read More

Sorry, no REAL posts today

I'm covered up in toy box construction so I won't be posting much today. I'm trying desperately to get a lot done before the Thanksgiving holiday.

I'll try and post again tomorrow!

Back to the garage....

Read More

Mod Mom Furniture in Sparrow

Donning my new jeans (see previous post), I met with the owner of a new green baby boutique called Sparrow this afternoon. Terrie is an amazing mom/hairdresser to the stars/shop owner who is opening her gorgeous store on Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Everything in the store is organic and, for the most part, made by local artisans and designers. I'm THRILLED to be selling my line in her store! I'll be placing several pieces in her store in the coming month -- the platform bed, the Owyn Toy Box, and the Eamonn Table and Chair set.

If you live in LA, stop by on Sunday, November 25th. Her store is located at 3266 Cahuenga Boulevard West, Los Angeles, CA 90068. If you don't live in LA, check them out online at the link above.

Read More