In her shoes:Traci Zeller

Traci was another friend that I met through twitter and I’m so happy that I did. She is a working mom (she has a twin boys!) with a busy interior design firm. Her design mix just exudes class and elegance.

I hope you enjoy taking a peek into a day in her life!

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Thank you, Camila, for including me on IN HER SHOES; it’s such an honor!  I decided to document Monday – and, boy oh boy, what a true Monday it turned out to be.  

 

6:30 AM – I totally groan when my alarm clock rings.  My plan was to get on the treadmill, but my post-midnight bedtime isn’t helping matters.  I roll over and hit snooze.

 

6:59 AM – So much for that workout!  I wake up for good when Charlie – one of my four year-old twins – sneaks up next to the bed and yells “BOO!”

 

 

8:30 AM – The boys and I are out the door and on our way to science camp.  One of the hardest things about being a work-from-home mom – at least in my world – is the need to patchwork together childcare.  This week, Charlie and his twin are in a really cool camp called “Let’s Get Growing.” They are so excited to learn more about how gardens grow.

 

9:00 AM – I’m off to a client appointment, but I absolutely have to make one stop first.

 

 

I don’t drink coffee, so I start my day with a large Coke from Chick-fil-A.  On my way to my client’s house, I make some phone calls.  God bless Bluetooth!     

 

10:00 AM – I arrive at my client’s house.  This is the first time we’ve met, and I’m eager to see what she has for me!  She and her family moved into this home three short weeks ago, so – for the moment – she wants help arranging her furniture and picking out new paint colors.

 

 

12:20 PM – I wrap things up with my client … just in time!  My sweet husband picked Henry and Charlie up at camp so that I could have a little bit of extra time with my client.  I still need to make it back to my house by 12:50 so that I can get Henry and Charlie to “handwriting camp”  at 1 pm … and my hubby can get back to work.

 

1:05 PM – We make it to “handwriting camp” where Ms. Katie will work with Henry and Charlie on letter recognition and proper formation.  I’m a leftie, so I am really useless in this area!    I remember having my 1^st grade teacher smacking my hand repeatedly because of my poor grip.  Lovely memories, huh?

 

1:30 PM – I pick up lunch at Salsarita’s, a local “fresh Mexican” restaurant and head over to another client’s house.  This client has just bought a new-to-her house and is working hard to get it move-in ready.  

The house has great curb appeal, but the inside has a long way to go.

 

I know she’ll be thrilled to have lunch brought to her – and I want to check on the progress of the painting.

Yes!  It looks great!   It is so rewarding to see changes like this.

3:00 PM – “Handwriting camp” is over, and we’re finally home for the rest of the day.  I fix Henry and Charlie a snack and sit down to catch my breath.  They start to play – some pretend construction of a truck – and I multi-task.  Today, that includes uploading a previously-written blog post, returning phone calls, answering emails, figuring out what we’re going to do for dinner, and starting some laundry.

 

4:30 PM – My fantastic art installer Eric (and an extremely talented artist in his own right) arrives at my house.  I’m moving a few things around, and I bought a new piece to hang over our mantel. 

 

5:30 PM – Eric leaves, just in time for Henry and Charlie to have dinner.  Tonight, it’s pasta and fruit, which, candidly, isn’t that different from every other night.  Did I mention that they are picky eaters????

 

5:40 PM – Jon, a decorative painter, shows up to finish a cabinet I had custom-made.  Yes, it is Grand Central Station around here.  I wish my crazy dog would stop barking so much!  

 

7:00 PM – Henry and Charlie have their teeth brushed and jammies on.  Daddy got home in time to read stories, and now we are snuggling in bed.   I always ask Henry and Charlie what the best part of their day is.  I know that this is the best part of mine.

 

8:15 PM – Jon has left for the evening, and my hubby Mike and I finally eat dinner.   I am exhausted, but I know that I’ve got a lot of work ahead.  Not only do I have design work, but I also need to buckle down on some work for Charlotte Mothers of Multiples (CMOMs), a 600+ member support group for families of multiple birth children.  I will be ending my term as President shortly, and I have a lot to wrap up.  I’ll miss being President, but not miss the many – and very time-consuming – demands of the (volunteer) job.

 

 

9:30 PM – I head upstairs to get my laptop.   As I’m telling Mike a funny story about Henry and Charlie earlier in the day, I accidentally walk into an open door.  Yep, I walked into the door.  I caught it right on the corner and sliced an inch-long vertical cut in my eyebrow.   I start crying – in pain and because I’m upset – as Mike contemplates whether I need stitches.   If it would have been daytime, I would have gone to my primary care doctor or called a plastic surgeon.  At this point, I just can’t fathom waiting in the ER or heading to Urgent Care.  We settle on butterfly sutures and Neosporin.

 

10:15 PM – My head is throbbing, but I’ve calmed down enough to go to bed … because, at this point, my work totally isn’t happening.  Tomorrow’s another day … and thank goodness it’s not Monday!  

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Poor Traci! I myself tend to be a bit clumsy so I totally understand bumping into doors, windows, etc. I hope the rest of the week was accident free!

 

* Martha Stewart blogger event recap this afternoon! It was a blast!!!!