Photo by Karen Mordechai: www.karenmordechai.com

I am so excited to introduce to you Amy Atlas, a highly sought after NYC event planner, celebrated among other things, for her signature dessert tables. Many of us have seen her work in countless magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, InStyle, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Weddings, and blogs such as Design Sponge, Style Me Pretty, Apartment Therapy, decor 8, and more. You are in for a real treat with this interview about her lifestyle and wonderful family!

1. Tell us about yourself and what you do?

I’m an event stylist with a specialty in creating stylized dessert tables.

2. Where do you live (city/state) and where do you work?

NYC

ON FAMILY:

1. Introduce us to your family. What do you love about your family?

What don’t I love?!  My husband is my best friend and rock.  We have two boys and they have their distinct personalities.  Our older son is like my husband and I – very intense and type A.  Our younger son is the comedian in the family and lightens everything up.  It never ceases to amaze us that we actually created them.

2. Do you have any fun family traditions? (birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc)

We have lots of family traditions.  We have a tradition every Sunday called Atlas Cultural Sunday Funday (if I have a party on Sunday, then it becomes Saturday or a weekday Funday).  We pick a different region of the world and visit a restaurant with that region’s food so the kids (and we) can be exposed to different types of food.  We’ve visited Argentinian restaurants in Rego Park, Greek restaurants in Astoria, and Italian restaurants on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.  It exposes our children to different types of food and teaches them about different cultures in the world. We love that they are developing a good palette at a young age.  Our boys get really excited about it and have a chart to check off all of the places we have been to.

We also try to have Shabbat dinner every Friday night to celebrate our own culture.  Our kids really look forward to Shabbat dinners because they sing songs and they know that it is the start of the weekend.

3. What is your favorite family meal or a typical family meal?

In addition to the meals above, we really enjoy making brunch in our home.  My older son loves to set the table (starting young!) and both kids love filling carafes with juice, setting out granola and fresh muffins.  We usually have tons of options on the table so it is eye candy for them.

5. When it comes to clothes, where do you shop for your kids? Favorite boutique store? Favorite online store?

I love Lester’s on the Upper East Side.  They have a great variety of everyday clothing.  My boys are active and I like them to be comfortable.  Lesters also has lots of rocker style shirts (like the Kingsley brand) which I love. I’m also a Ralph Lauren fan and love his clothing for special occasions.

6. Describe your ideal family vacation.

A place that has a nice balance lots of activities for the kids, culture for the whole family, and a pool/beach for a little r & r (if at all possible!)

7. What are your dreams/goals for your family?

Our biggest hope is that our kids will grow up with a strong sense of values and good ethics.  We just want them to be good kids.  Growing up in Manhattan can be hard on kids and it is easy to live in a vacuum/get caught up with your own sub-culture.  My husband and I made a promise to each other that we’d never get caught up in that.

9. Any advice to other families/parents/soon-to-be-parents?

Enjoy every moment because it goes by fast!  Everyone says it, but I am starting to see it now myself.

ON MOTHERHOOD/SELF:

2. How do you balance motherhood and work?

It is a constant balancing act.  And it is hard.  My best advice to moms who are running a business is to give up on the notion of being perfect at everything.  Unless you have unlimited help, you just can’t do everything.  Once I accepted that, I felt more comfortable with how I balanced work and motherhood.

3. What is your average day like as a mom?

It really depends on the day, but everyday starts with getting the kids ready for school/camp.  My husband is great and helps out in the mornings with drop off while I’m doing my blog post for the day. After school is when I try to “turn off my work hat” so I am completely there for them.  We go for bike rides, have playdates, they put on shows before dinner, we cook dinner together, etc.  After dinner, I snuggle up with both boys in their beds and it is story time until they doze off.  I often doze off with them for a quick power nap and then wake up soon thereafter to spend time with my husband and then resume work.

4. Describe your personal style when it comes to fashion?

There are times I like to dress traditional, yet other times when I like to dress a bit funkier.  It depends on my mood.

5. Where do you like to shop for yourself? Favorite boutique store?

I love Intermix and have been shopping there for years.  I also love DVF, Tory Burch, Nanette Lepore, Calypso St. Barths and Trina Turk.  Those are my faves!

Photo by Gemma Coma: www.gemmacomas.com

Thank you Amy! You continue to inspire me and so many others by being true to yourself, your family values, your fabulous sense of style and stunning creative work. Readers, stay tuned for Amy’s Business Interview tomorrow!

For more information on Amy Atlas, visit:

http://www.amyatlas.com (website)

http://blog.amyatlas.com (Sweet Designs Blog)