In the next two-and-a-half weeks I have to move into a new apartment, get all of my work done and lined up for the two weeks I’ll be out of town after that, and then as a reward, I fly to Europe.  I’m totally in a panic.  Nothing is ready.  My health has hit a bump in the road.  Our house is only half (okay that’s a stretch, I’ll give myself one-third) in boxes.  The goal is to have movers show up at our doorstep next Monday, but I am nowhere near ready for that.  The movers may be at our doorstep, my hair in a messy ponytail, pillows scattered across the floor, boxes still needing heavy duty tape, no one to watch the dog, and forgive me, but likely the ugliest pair of sweatpants I own (i.e., the ones I vow to never pack, to wear only on moving day, to throw out immediately upon move-in at new place, only to throw them in a bin for their reemergence at our next move in day), a.k.a., my worst nightmare.  And boy do we have plenty of moving to do.  Not that I’m complaining; I dove in headfirst to the married life of an MD/PhD’s spouse (and he really is the best); from what I hear, we still have years of hospital hopping (and city hopping to go with that).  And I planned the big apartment move just before our European Adventure – which was sort of unavoidable with hubs starting rotations two days after we get back from said vacation.  I’m a masochist.  What can I say?

But you know what — my organized-meets-disorganized chaos … it kind of works for me.  Actually, it really works for me.  I organize and plan and make lists, and then as the weeks and days to the events near, I run around like a crazy person, forgetting to put on mascara or match my pants to my top.  But in the end, it all sort of falls into place.  Obviously not without some hiccups, but life’s hiccups are what make us better, stronger, and a whole lot funnier.  And I am sometimes a mess.  And sometimes I don’t brush my hair.  So far, so good.

How do you keep it all together?  Especially when your “to do” list is miles long and all of your “planning” is not very helpful at all?

This past Monday morning I arrived back in Miami on the heels of my first ever whirlwind Alt Summit experience. My mind is racing, my to-do lists are long, and I’m fired up and ready to re-brand Glitter, Inc. with a whole lot of intention.  I know not all of you are bloggers or business-owners, but I think some of the big concepts and ideas I learned at Alt can help us all to kick metaphorical butt.  And in case you were wondering, Alt is this massive conference-meets-gathering of writers, bloggers, photographers, artists, designers, crafters and filmmakers.  We’re inundated with inspirational speakers, teachers, collaborative sessions and seminars and hands-on roundtables.  (This post gets a little long: if lofty goals and dream-catching are in your future, read on, and if you just want to talk shoes or cookies or power naps – I’m still that jet-lagged, comment and say so!)

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Dear pretty nail crystals, be mine.  These seem like a definite must for Alt Summit next week.  (Because any time I feel intimidated in a room full of brilliant people, I find that more sparkle calms me down.)

Dear American Idol, thank goodness you’re back.  Try as I might to watch the other network singing competitions, short of Adam Levine’s general hotness, nothing compares … to you.  (And yes, I was totally channeling Sinéad O’Connor there.  American Idol, sign me up.)

Dear small business owners and big dreamers alike, Emily’s budgeting tips and free download are crazy helpful and should give my poor husband a sigh of relief after months of trying to make excel spreadsheets for my budget that I may actually use (rather than the seven working Microsoft documents, desktop post-it notes, and phone reminders that I have simultaneously open at all times in place of his crazy anal spreadsheets … stupid spreadsheets).

Dear resolutions, I’ll be using these 101 Ways to Make Things Happen to stay right on track.

Dear slouchy skinny boyfriend jeans, I had my doubts about you – half baggy, half skinny (a denim identity crisis?) – but I do declare I love you.  Rag & Bone is nothing short of brilliant.

Dear sewers, anyone have any idea how to craft this gorgeous tutu? It was handmade and sadly, I’m not finding anything quite as perfect on Etsy.  I have a sewing machine (and I can sew straight lines … sort of) and I need that tutu!

Dear Style Me Pretty At Home, tempt me with a vacation in Greece why don’t you?

Nail Image via Le Fashion // Sephora by O.P.I. Nail Embellishment Stickers // Nails In.c Bling It On Kit

I’ve been reading Gaby’s blog, The Vault Files, for as long as I can remember. Her layouts are gorgeous, her posts are on point, and I want to buy everything she talks about ( … which is probably not a good thing!) She’s also amazingly sweet, which makes me like her blog all the more.  As a blogger, shop-owner, wife and mama, I knew I had to find out how she gets it all done!

1.     Take us through a busy day in the life of a successful blogger/wife/mama.

Well, I’m not sure that my roles as a blogger, wife, and mama are exactly a success (I do what I can!), but I can tell you that I’m constantly adjusting my daily routine according to the weather. Because two of my most important activities are Matthew’s (my son) playground time, and my running time, I’m constantly looking for the most convenient time for both (not too cold, not too dark, etc.). So, I feel that my routine is ever changing; not the activities in it, but the time at which each is done.

Right now, I try to wake up before Matthew does for some quiet time for myself (he stopped napping, so I have to take advantage of every window!). I get dressed, I check my e-mails and I make a first round of blog visits on my reader. After we have breakfast I work for an hour or two, and that involves blogging, getting some work related to my freelancing done, and managing my etsy shop. Then, if I’m running in the afternoon, I take Matthew to the playground at this time. If I’m not running that day then we go out to run some errands and come back home for lunch. After lunch I work for an hour or two, and then we hit the playground (or go for a run). Then we come home, and my husband arrives from work so he helps me with Matthew and his bath and dinner time. After we have dinner I stay up late working (this is my most productive time of the day), and just before closing my eyes I like to watch an episode of one of my favourite shows on my iPad while in bed (right now I’m watching Once Upon a Time, Revenge, 666 Park Avenue, and of course Jimmy and Conan). I’m usually asleep around 11.30.

2.     What’s your go-to day-to-day planner of choice?  Are you a pen-to-paper kind of girl or is it all technology for you?

I’m definitely a pen-to-paper kind of girl. I have tried Evernote, Go Tasks and many other tech apps for staying organized, but nothing works best for me than writing things down. I love making to-do lists and I feel like I can’t function without them, they give me structure. I enjoy writing down what I have to do and cross it once is done (isn’t that the best feeling?!)

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