The Perfect Blend

Thanks everybody, for inquiring about my new job. Your thoughtfulness and encouragement mean so much to me!

So, here are the details: I’ll be working part-time, two or three days a week, at a busy shop in Westboro—one of the most wonderful, trendy areas of Ottawa. The shop is a Farrow & Ball store, selling the finest paints and wallpapers to discerning customers. The shop owner is also a sought-after interior designer, famous in and around Ottawa for her colour sensibilities and exquisite residential designs. When the store is quiet, I will be assisting Janise on these design contracts: sourcing materials, following up with customers and suppliers, and providing my input on selections.

I can’t begin to tell you how perfect this job is for me. Since I was a kid, maybe 12 or 13, I have been sketching floor plans and designing houses, choosing colours and arranging furniture. While I once did these things for fun, my passion for interiors later evolved into a part of my business—now helping clients with colours, furnishings and accessories.

Being self-employed, as many WAHM (Work at Home Moms) know, when the money comes in, it’s good. But the money isn’t always coming in. Contracts can be scattered, payments can be delayed and scopes of work can shift from what was quoted to what was actually invoiced—often making paydays unpredictable. So a regular pay cheque, albeit at a {very respectable} hourly retail rate, will be a welcome addition to our often uncomfortably tight bank account.

The hours are perfect for me. The shop is open 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and Saturdays 10am to 4pm. Andrew can flex his day, so I will see the boys off at 9am, and zoom to work. Andrew will start earlier in the day, so he can be home with them at 4pm. I’ll arrive home, to what I hope is a tidy house, completed homework and a decent supper, by about 6pm. Again, only two or three days a week, including the occasional Saturday.

Being a people-person {or so I am told}, I am eager to meet and greet customers and assist them with colour selection—learning about their homes, their lifestyles, their visions of comfort. My practical, organizational, systematic side will thrive on the interior design requirements, making sure each contract is executed as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

The environment is dynamic, yet relaxed. Casual attire is expected and encouraged, and laughter is practically mandatory.

I am just so excited.

Oh, and did I mention the owner brings her little dog to the shop every day?
How absolutely perfect!