Momtrepreneur Spotlight: Roberta Sobran of Delicious Designs Home

My cousin's sister-in-law is an inspiration to me... and I've never even met her. Roberta Sobran is a wife, mom, interior designer and the successful owner of Delicious Designs Home in Hingham, MA.

I often like to connect with those who inspire me, so after reading a particularly gorgeous newsletter of hers, I sent her the following note:

Hi Roberta,

I just want to tell you I love getting these newsletters - I love your style and your portfolio. You are truly a great role model for me - so thank you for providing inspiration! Any tips on how to juggle it all - designing, business owning +  being a mom, I'm all ears! You make it look easy!

All the Best,

Lindsay Saccullo

Soon after, I received the following response back which I'm here to share with you. It's not only wonderfully written but poetic, inspiring and soothing. It was comforting to hear this from a fellow mama/designer and gave me hope that the best is yet to come:

Advice/Words of wisdom (I think, I hope!)

Well, I wish I could say it was easy.

It’s a boat load of work but the thing is, I LOVE what I do!

I eat it up.

Seriously.

I’d rather be in my studio or store than most any other place. (Except home with my family! That’s definitely my happy place!)

I love and adore every moment with them so that’s why if you don’t find me at 88 North Street, you’ll find me at my home address which is only about a mile from my work. The lack of commute  is priceless!

Thankfully this career allows me to make my own hours and work from home to my hearts content so I feel like I’ve been able to have my “cake and eat it too”.

That is, I’m home for breakfast with the kids, when they walk through the door from school and enjoy dinner with them every night.

(Half the time when they come home from school,  they grab a snack and go up to their room to decompress and maybe do some homework but I feel it’s important to be a presence b/c there are definitely days when they walk through the door and can’t stop talking about their day-which I love!)

That said, I’ve spent more time talking about my family life than my work life but it’s how I flow.

That is, first comes my family and then work. Always.

I find if you have your priorities in this order, everything will work out.

I’ll never regret “too much time at home” but would definitely regret “too much time at work”.

Time flies and as much as it is a cliche, it’s true. They grow up so fast!

(My son is a senior in high school and my daughter is a sophomore and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder, “how is this possible?”)

RE: Work.

I find that the quote you see pinned everywhere is spot on-“ Work hard and be nice to people”.

That’s it in a nutshell.

Give it your all.

In life as in work, you get what you give.

So that’s about it.

Work hard.

Be nice.

And oh yes, hire great people and take good care of them.

And remember, “you get what you give”.

Good luck with holding it all together.

It’s not easy being a working mom.

Some days will be better than others.

(But that would be the case regardless.)

I hope you found this feedback helpful:)

My best,

Roberta

Yes. So helpful. It's something to aspire to.

I often find in our warped world, it's easy for our priorities to quickly misalign. I'm totally printing Roberta's email (once I fix my darn printer once and for all) and pining it on my bulletin board to remind me to come back to center. When I'm feeling particularly swamped with work + life, about to tear my hair out wondering how I'm going to do it all, with energy and success no less, I'll just take a look at the print out and remember to prioritize. 

Although there's no real answer on how to do it all, I take solace in the fact that there are other  momtrepreneurs out there who have built successful businesses and managed to maintain a healthy balance of work + family life.

I also find it therapeutic to simply just talk about and share this with you. Perhaps it will inspire you, mama or not, to keep your priorities in order so that the rest, whatever "the rest may" be, will fall into place. This is easier said than done, I know, but at least it's a reminder. Knowing that this is something I (and the rest of the Type A's out there - there's a lot of us!) struggle with, perhaps we can lean on each other and just know that we're all doing a good job. Figuring it out. Day by day.

Below, a round up of some of Roberta's most Delicious Designs. Bon Appetit!

~L.S.

For more info on Roberta (including her amazing photography) and Delicious Designs, click here.

The Digital Age

It's amazing how much we have at our fingertips these days. You can truly find anything online. Even design. As a thirty-something I am still a huge proponent of the old school face-to-face meetings. I'm less and less of a phone person, and still prefer to use paper and pencil (especially when drafting floor plans!). However all things considered, I think I am pretty "with it" when it comes to digital knowledge. 

The other day I turned to Eric and somewhat hysterically said, "When it comes time for Avery to go to college, all the kids will probably have some sort of microchip INSERTED INTO THEIR BRAIN that shoots laser beams out in front of their eyeballs to give them 3D renderings of the topic they are learning about! OMG. There might even not be teachers. There might just be teacher-bots. Maybe the little microchip in their brain will also have a voiceover as their Digital Professor. Oh, and there will definitely be self-driving cars. Our kids cars are going to DRIVE THEMSELVES!" 

YIKES. While the speed, intensity and natural skill demonstrated by our tiny human while she swipes the IPad to find "Melmo" is truly terrifying, there is no doubt it is the way of the future.

Although this Digital Age can be intimidating, overwhelming, dangerous and scary, there is a silver lining peeking through! In this crazy busy world today, we don't always have time for those personal meet ups. It's so easy to snap a pic with your smartphone, shoot a text, drop an email, like a photo, retweet an article. Even Great-Grandma can update her Facebook status, and an iPad can magically transform a cranky toddler hellbent on torturing a plane full of poor undeserving souls to a blissful, thumb-sucking angel with the tap of a finger.

I truly don't know what this says about our society, but the fact of the matter is, THIS IS HAPPENING (and has already happened) right before our eyes (which are focused down, brows furrowed in concentration on the text of the moment while crossing the street).

With the amount of time we design enthusiasts spend on Pinterest and trolling online furniture gallery flash sales like One Kings Lane, Dot + Bo, and Joss & Main , it's surprising that we don't have carpal tunnel syndrome from furiously typing into our search engines, looking for that perfect 36"W x 10"D x 31"H skinny console table for our teensy city-sized entryway. 

I hate this. And I love this. There is something to be said about stepping AWAY from our computers and social media and getting outside, or at least going out "in the field" for inspiration. For example that means me getting off my keister and trekking up to the D&D Building to see what is new in the market for inspiration, or going to that long put off design business seminar. (By the way, great podcast on stepping away to find inspiration by Tiffany Han here). Or it could just be simply taking a stroll around the block. Today, I had 15 minutes to kill between an appointment and picking Tiny Human up from daycare. Instead of scurrying indoors and typing away in the dark cavern of the petit a.p.t., I planted myself on a park bench and just sat there with my face tilted to the sun. It felt amazing.

I've been so lucky to be able to take advantage of one of the upsides of The Digital Age. I've been honored to be a featured designer at Laurel & Wolf, a new online platform that delivers interior design to your fingertips. It's getting a lot of buzz, especially in the tech world. And because of that buzz, I am able to spend more time buzzing around outdoors with Avery and Bear. Another bonus? I am able to bring interior design to the client who otherwise would have been intimidated by the process, would have shied away because of budget reasons, or who simply wouldn't have had the time. 

For these reasons (and so many more, like Diapers.com and Amazon Prime, hellooo!) I feel lucky to be living in a digital age that makes beautiful things that much more accessible and affordable to all.

I am probably making some interior design legends roll in their graves right now, and I'm sorry for that! Like I said... I am still a proponent of in person, in the space. It's always the very best, the most accurate. However, when that can't happen, why can't we still find design online?

I'm so excited to be rolling out my new DigiDesign Package in which you can purchase an online design consultation directly from my website. For more information, click here and use passcode "LSDigiDesign".

Below are just a few of the digital style boards I have created for clients.

A W Hotel Inspired Living Room

A Modern/Industrial Live/Work Loft Space for an Entrepreneur

A Contemporary and Affordable Living Room

A Soothing Transitional Living Room

A Modern Live/Work Bachelor Pad

A Happy Eclectic Living Room

A Hollywood Glam Master Bedroom, Incorporating Client's Own Wedding Pictures

A Rustic Mediterranean Living Room by the Beach

A Transitional Living Space Incorporating Client's own Artwork.

A Friendly and Modern Family Room

So, how do you find design online? 

~L.S.

Interested in digital design or have additional questions?  Contact me here. 

Momtrepreneur Spotlight: It's a Katie Schorr Thing

Writer? Check. Actor? Check. Blogger? Check. Podcaster? Check. Mom? Heck, yes.

Momtrepreneur Katie Schorr has quite the resume. Together with her writer-actor husband Lance Rubin (who just wrote a book, no big deal), the two make a serious power couple. Add into the mix their adorable 15-month-old son Sly, and you've got quite the trio. 

We met by total chance while on "vacation" in Florida. Seated next to each other at the pool-side snack bar, I noticed Avery making eyes at the most adorable little boy. The two were clearly around the same age, and as parents we all gave each other the knowing "aw, so cute - and we're friggin' exhausted" smile and nod. Our families got to talking and discovered that we lived within walking distance of each other in Brooklyn. Also, Sly and Avery had the exact same due date - what were the chances? (Feb 5th, 2014, in case anyone was wondering). 

How interesting to know another baby who is the same gestational age as Avery, and another mom who is the same age as me. Although Sly was born on Feb 1st, and Avery impatiently decided to arrive about a month early on January 10th, it's amazing how many similarities the two have developmentally. It's so fun to watch them play together and for Katie and I to gush (and commiserate!) about the joys, challenges and anxieties of motherhood. More about that on Katie's hilariously honest blog O Mother Where Art Thou? If you haven't already, I advise that you immediately download Tumblr and follow "schorrthing".  Be prepared to laugh, cry, and cringe along with Katie.  And if you're me, basically feel as if she has transcended into your brain, reading your innermost thoughts. 

Fellow new mamas, semi-new mamas, and mamas to be, I cannot emphasize how important it is to have "mommy friends" in your life! I highly encourage you to get on that thing they call tha intra-net and troll around until you find one that feels like the right fit. Whether it's Park Slope Parents, Babies in Boise, or Malibu Mommies, being physically surrounded by those who are "in the thick of it" with you will be way better than that $600+ shrink who specializes in #mommyproblems and doesn't take insurance. (But if you feel that you need her, it's money well spent! Pay now or pay later, as they say.)

If you are a part-time stay-at-home-mom, as Katie and I sorta consider as one of our many titles, things can get mundane and lonely in no time. Playdates are as much for the mamas as the babes, and we're not afraid to admit it! If you're ever at the playground and you feel creepy because you're wavering about asking another nice mom for her digits, just bite the bullet and do it. Chances are, she's thinking the same thing. Nothin' wrong with picking a mommy up at the park, the neighborhood coffee shop or your Music Together class.

Seriously, if there's one thing I've learned about motherhood and just life in general, it's that I know nothing and there is so much out there to learn. The best way is to learn from your peers. Oh, and podcasts. Podcasts are your second best friends and mentors. And lucky you! You too can now be podcast besties with Katie by listening to her awesome new "momcast" with friend Cody Lindquist on "What do we do Now?"

Avery and Sly had a playdate yesterday. They crawled and toddled around consuming excessive amounts of cheese and cheddar bunnies, performed a proper concert with maracas and castanets and conversed deeply about Elmo. While Avery was relentlessly banging on the refrigerator and Sly was chucking around UK copies of his daddy's book, I managed to sneak into Sly's adorable room and snap these pictures. 

I mean, how Pinter-Etsy can you get? I love this bright and airy nursery. Right down to the clean white walls, the colorful decals and the vintage orange chair accented with a playful robot pillow. But what really wins me over here is the whimsical artwork. Oh, and of course the mini teepee tent!

Wall Decals by Trendy Peas

Play Tent by Haba

Robot Pillow from Land of Nod

Fox Print from Society6

Personalized "Sly" Fox Painting by Artist Lisa Fontana, a friend of Katie's. For info email fontana.lisa@gmail.com

The monsters picture is by the artist Inocente, who starred in the self-titled documentary which won the Acadamy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2013.

Wall Decals by Trendy Peas

This was a D.I.Y. with a card from Paper Source + a West Elm Frame!

Yep, it's official. Sly's nursery is almost as cute as he is. Almost.

~L.S.

You can follow Katie on Twitter @katerschorr and Pinterest here.

Stay tuned for a fun upcoming style board collaboration!