I never truly understood how hard a mothers work was until I became one myself. I know the struggle, I've heard it for years.. I even studied it at Skidmore. The balance between work and family.
Work
Running a business, getting back to clients, making sure everyone gets what they need in a timely manner. Answering emails, scheming in my mind (usually in the shower or when I'm supposed to be sleeping).
Family
Making sure everyone's fed and dressed (in clean clothes). Keeping the house clean- even though Ben makes fun of me and insists no one else cleans like I do. By the time I'm done vacuuming, I have to clean the bathrooms again.. as my sister Dena says, "such is life."
But then there's the grey area.. work for family? I'm still seriously struggling with furnishing our home, pulling it all together before we decide to sell. No, we aren't listing it tomorrow, or even the day after, but last weekend I started to feel the urge to move on. Could it be that we doubled the size of our house only 8 months ago and that it's already too small? So while I start thinking up our next move in my head, I'm trying to tie up the loose ends that have been hanging over me for some time..
Furnishing our bedroom.. I will never again leave the master bedroom for last. This should be a lesson to all- your bedroom is one of, if not THE most important room in your house. Don't forget that. Yes, the living area is essential, but waking up to a room of mis-matched furniture and no rug (I'm ashamed to admit it) guarantees a rough, unruly start to your day. On my list of inspiration..
Yes it's actually a console (and a little over budget), but oh how I'd do anything for bedside tables in this exact design. Even though I refuse to move on without getting a proper quote, I know the chances of having these made at a reasonable price are slim to none.. the brass detail is going to throw them way over budget. So instead, I might "settle" on these.. Which are, by the way, still so lovely..

Lighting is a big issue in our bedroom.. as in we don't have any. That's not entirely true, we have recessed lights which have been great (our four poster bed makes it a little difficult for a proper chandelier). But when it comes to nighttime reading, the single bedside lamp on my side is a little challenging.. especially since I've been exhausted lately and haven't been the one reading. Basically our nightly routine is me checking email until Ben's done so that I don't lie down, get too comfortable and then have to move to turn off the light.. which is exactly what happened last night. Of course I was nearly asleep, had to get up, switch off the light and by the time I was done, Ben was snoring and I was wide awake.. figures. Anyway, the lamps I choose are really dependent on the bedside tables, but I'm thinking of either using our Alabaster lamps from the Living Room or getting something like these in burnished brass..

The perfect alternative to bedside sconces. Not too big and totally functional.
Of course I had my art figured out, but after I hung it, I changed my mind.. (same with my drapes, by the way). So now I'm feeling inspired by Jessika Goranson's apartment in the January/February issue of
Lonny. Loving the smaller, gold frames flanking the fireplace.
The only problem is, I'd love to hang my own, original watercolors this way. Which means not only do I need to frame lots of different pieces, but I actually have to paint them first!!
And for the rug, I want to go simple, simple. White wool, preferably though I'm sure I'll regret it with two dogs sharing our bedroom. These days they no longer sleep in our bed, so I'm a little nervous about banishing them to a creamy colored surface that can't just be thrown into the washing machine.. But as per my usual, I most likely won't sacrifice the look because I'm scared of how we're going to live in it..
Henry has a new habit of "marking" everything, but that's another post. Though I will say, if you have dogs and are having a baby, email me. I'm happy to share all of the lovely things that dogs do to punish their parents.
Time to do some real work.. like the kind that makes me money instead of the kind that makes me spend it..