If
Yes, that’s right, if only I could twitch my nose and get it all done!
For those of us interior designers who remember Samantha Stevens aka Elizabeth Montgomery on the tv series “Bewitched” you have to admit that at times you have wished you had this magical talent…
Phone conversation with Client, Oct. 10th….
Client: “I have guests coming for Thanksgiving and I want a few things before they come”, I need your help, do you have a couple of hours you could spare to help me pull this room together?
Me: “Oh, sure I probably have a couple of hours to spare” (Really?) Me: “Of course, if it is only a few things….
How’s Thursday at 10:00a.m.?”
(voice of reason: do you really think it is a few things, come on now…you’ve been doing this for a while, you know the drill, be realistic…..)
10:00 a.m. on Thursday – Meeting with client….Here is the room I need help with…..
Client: What do you think? Could you help me pull this room together? Could we get some drapery and a couple of chairs by Thanksgiving? Here’s what I had in mind….
Me: Well, this is quite a task but I will see what I can do, I might be able to get the walls painted, some carpet and we will go from there….
Me: I work overtime (of course hard to charge for that) source everything, arrange all the workmen, pick all the fabrics, all the trims, all the furniture…..work, work ,work…
In the meanwhile, my own home life…..
Children: “What’s for dinner?” Me: “Whatever you can find” “good luck!” I haven’t been able to go to the grocery in two weeks.
There might be a hot pocket in the freezer….
My own house….where’s my help? Where’s my cleaning lady, whose going to fix my kitchen and clean up this mess….“I swear this mountain of laundry is having babies”….
One wave of the arm, “Be Gone” (darn, it didn’t work!)
It’s still here!
Oh, the cleaning lady is finally coming, quick I have to clean up so she can clean up, I’ll hide the dirty laundry in here, the stacks of mail can go in the coat closet, I can put it all back after she is gone….
Did it all get done you ask? Almost…it’s in progress…
In the meanwhile, I’m still waiting for Calgon to take me away….
My husband: Have you learned your lesson?
Me: Well not exactly, I have a hard time saying “no”. But I know what I am asking Santa for Christmas so that the next time a holiday rolls around, I am a little better prepared….
Until then I am hiding out, hoping that the phone doesn’t ring with another request for holiday help…..