IN HER SHOES: Design Dump

Blogger Autumn from Design Dump has been on my radar for quite some time now. Not only is she an amazing interior designer, but she's a wonderful mom to 3 kiddos and wife to her contractor husband. How fun! Due to her husband's career they have lived and remodeled many homes and her blog readers are the lucky ones that get to do none of the work, but see all of the jaw dropping before and afters, diy projects and tips of trade.

One of my favorite rooms designed by Autumn:



Autumn gets more accomplished in her day than I ever do! Not sure how she does it. She manages to juggle mom duties, design work and being a super cool wife all perfectly.

Enjoy!
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7:15 My alarm goes off. Usually I hit the snooze button at least twice, but this morning, I have three kids to get in costumes for the annual Halloween Parade at school. I lay in bed for a few minutes, checking my e-mail on my iphone. I'm guest posting today at Finding Fabulous, and so I sneak on the computer, and copy the address from the post, and quickly write a linking post for my blog.




7:25  I shower, throw on a pair of jeans, sneakers, a blue and white striped button down and an orange jacket, in honor of the Hallowen festivities. My husband, Allen wakes the kids up (Olivia-11, Charlotte-9, and Grady-6), while I dry my hair.


7:45 As Allen walks out the door, I kiss him, (he's getting a ride with a friend) and he takes out the trash. I ask you ladies, is anything sexier than a man taking out the trash?  I think not...well, maybe a man vacuuming or installing a light fixture...


8:00 It's breakfast time...grits and scrambles eggs. My southern husband and my 12+ years in the south has rubbed off on me! Plus, I'm trying to offset the sugar I know the kids are going to get at school today.


8:15 The next 20 minutes are a blur. I transform my pajama-clad kids into Medusa, Cleopatra, and one ferociously cute pirate, pack lunches, and make sure that they all have a change of clothes for after the parade. I somehow manage to throw some hot rollers in my hair, put some makeup on my face,  give my pirate a scar and a goatee, and put makeup on Cleopatra and Medusa.

8:35 Leave the house with 4 kiddos (it's my turn for carpool with my neighbor) for the 1.25 mile drive to school. I'm turning around in our cul de sac when I realize the hot rollers are still in my hair! Ahhhh! Run back into the house, take out the rollers and spray some hairspray on my hair. Ah...better!

8:45 At the school, I drop off the 6 dozen cookies and 32 treat bags I made last night, claim a primo spot in the gym for the parade, and chat with other moms until the Halloween Parade starts. After the Parade, I help out for a few minutes at my oldest daughters party, and then kiss her goodbye.

9:30 Head to my husbands office. They have hired me to do some work on their lobby and a private office, and I am just wrapping up a few last minute items. I grab two large frames, and the 2 new photographs that I selected to go in them, and check on a few photos that will be mounted in the office of the VP.

 10:00 I realize I am starving! With all of the craziness this morning, I realize that I didn't eat breakfast, so I stop at a gas station and grab a granola bar and a Diet Pepsi. While driving, I crank up the music and daydream of the day when we buy our next house. Living in a rental house is no fun when you are a designer!

10:30 Back to the house to let the furnace repair crew in the house. It's been snowing off and on all week here, and our furnace is broken. Stinking rental house. Grrr...hopefully tonight, I will come home to a warm house! I also grab my paint deck and bag, and a framed print that I bought for $20 at a thrift store.

10:45 I head to the framers to drop off the 2 frames from the construction office. New mats are selected. I also pick out a nice linen mat for my thrift store treasure.

11:45 I pick up lunch for myself and a client at one of my favorite local restaurants... 2 greek chicken salads to go. Yum!

 12:00 At my clients house, we munch on our salads and discuss the progress of the two rooms we are working on...her 6 year old daughters room and her living room. We decide on pillow sizes and fabrics for the living room, unpack a mirror that just arrived, and check out the stripes that she painted in her daughters room last week.

1:45 It's back to the school for my son's party. I 'm in charge of the Halloween Bingo station, and nearly get hoarse while trying to read the kids a book after bingo. Since there are 5 groups of kids, I play bingo and read the same book 5 times. 

3:25 School is out! The kids and I head home, grab some leftover cookies as a snack, and tiptoe around the furnace crew, who are still there. I convince my very stubborn 6 year old to get dressed for Tae Kwon Do. Tears and begging ensues, but I prevail. We WILL get our $80 worth this month if it kills me.


4:00 Arrive at Tae Kwon Do, only to realize that it's starts at 4:30, not 4:00. Take the kids to a nearby park and let them play while I return a few e-mails on my iphone. 


4:30 Tae Kwon Do. I dress Grady in his battle gear, and then leave to go pick up my husband. His car is in the shop, and so I have been picking him up  from work. More daydreaming. My imaginary house is. SO. awesome.

5:45 Back at the house. The new furnace is in, and the house is warming up! Hallelujah! However...it's still too cold to cook dinner. (cough, ahem...*wink) We catch the most amazing sunset!

6:30 Dinner at our favorite chinese restaurant...Sizzling Rice Soup, General Taos Chicken and Five Taste Shrimp. Our faves. It's dark outside now. We stop to get gas. My hair is flat, my makeup is smeared, but I am full and happy.

8:00 Home to our now toasty house. I love being warm! The kids need baths, and turn the bathwater green and black from all the halloween hairspray and makeup. Since they don't have school tomorrow, I let them watch How To Train Your Dragon for the 15th time.


9:00. Get into my lounge gear, and head to my computer to write this post. Up next: Catching up on Glee, Survivor, Flipping Out and House Hunters International, while using the laptop to check my email, catch up one some design blogs, and work on the post for my one year blog anniversary, which is THIS weekend!

10:00 Tuck the kiddos in.


11:30-12:00 Lights out. No school tomorrow, so I get to sleep in! Yay!


Thanks Camila for letting me take part in this fabulous series. I had a lot of fun bringing you along on my crazy Thursday! And, thank goodness I actually had a semi-interesting day...there are days when I spend way too much time at Costco, and run countless errands before I get home to spend hours sorting socks and folding laundry while watching back episodes of Modern Family. Oh, and usually on these days I skip the shower and wear a hat all day. N---o---t pretty.

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Whew I'm tired just reading that. I keep saying it over and over, but I must say it again... Mom's are super hero's. They really do it all.