Keeping it together

It’s almost the end of August and I’m so grateful that I survived with my sanity intact! It’s been a crazy month full of health issues, tight deadlines, school activities for the kids, and exciting new opportunities.  This is going to be a rambly post. Be warned.

I always start the month by going over my project queue.  This is pretty much typical for me, working on several projects simultaneously.  Some clients email me only every several days or so, others every hour.  It balances out.  I love being busy, so I won’t have it any other way. Over time, I’ve also learned not to beat myself up if at the end of the day, some things won’t get done.

Notice the lovely roses?! They’re Kenya roses that I found at my favourite grocery store (Marketplace).  I love the variegation; they look like they’ve been painted on.  I like to treat myself to pretty roses every couple of weeks. It makes my home and my workspace inspiring. It’s a luxury that I indulge in without any apologies!

In case you missed getting into the first workshop schedule, we opened another date, on the 26th of September.  Registration is still open! Dee and I have been busy preparing for the workshop, thinking of what goodies to give our participants, and how else to make it a fantastic experience for everyone.  I’ve already purchased all the kits and I can’t wait to meet everyone!

Have you read Crazy Rich Asians yet? I just finished that book and the next one, China Rich Girlfriend.  They’re hilarious! Crazy Rich Asians is a multi-generational novel about the unimaginably extravagant lives of the ultra-rich here in Singapore.  It’s a crazy family drama, but it’s set in a very upper-crust society.  I couldn’t put it down! And then of course I had to read the follow up novel right after.  It’s like an Asian Downton Abbey, really. Read it with a glass of expensive wine or while lounging poolside.  Fancy girls will totally swoon over Astrid’s style.

I was so thrilled to finally get my copy of Elements of Style by Erin Gates.  She has such amazing taste, and she’s really witty! Plus, the book goes really well with the new look of my living room! ha! Yes, I match coffee table books to my decor. Don’t you? *wink*  There are still a lot more coffee table books on my wishlist – The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus, Glamorous Rooms by Jan Showers and Michael Kors, Windsor Smith’s Homefront, Vanity Fair 100 Years, An English Room by Derry Moore, and so many others.  I try to reward myself with one coffee table book a month.

When all is said and done, this quote above is what keeps me on my toes and working hard till midnight every single week night.  When I try to steer my client from a design direction that will not work, or when I keep editing a design even if the client was perfectly happy with a previous draft, it’s all because I want to make sure that I can be proud to look at it and know that it’s my best work.  I’ve been in this business for years, that’s what I try to do every single time, for every single project.  Yes, the pressure gets to me most of the time, but that’s also where I get my rush.

Every day of the work week I sit in front of my computer and solve problems, code, learn, design, conceptualize, answer emails, understand clients’ needs, and be creative.  I love what I do, I love making clients happy; and I also love my other roles, as mom and wife just as much.  Our weekends are sacred, and devoted only to having fun with the kids, going to church, and doing things together as a family.

I am ever so grateful that it’s possible to be productive at work and to still have time for the things that really matter.

What are your tips for keeping it together? How do you balance work and family?