5/3/10

my cover baby…

I’m allowed to brag when my son is on the cover of a magazine, right?? Well here goes… My Mister Maxton was on the cover of Dallas Child Baby for the Spring/Summer issue!! This picture was taken when he was just 5 weeks old! I barely recognize him! On the inside cover they referred to him as an ‘old soul with many thoughts’. I couldn’t agree more. There is a lot going on behind those beautiful brown eyes.

cover photo by Stephen Karlisch

photo by Kevin Dotolo

I was also interviewed for their Real Moms feature in this issue where I share thoughts on work, my family life, and my inspirations. The picture of Max an I in the article was taken by Kevin the day Max was born (thank goodness my face is in soft focus!). Take a look…

Dotolo, who welcomed son Maxton to the world in December 2009 with husband Kevin, serves as vice president of interior design at Nest Interior Design.

PERSONAL STATS: Beth earned her diploma from The Art Institute of Dallas with a focus on fine arts in interior design. After honing her talents at various design firms in the Dallas area, she now calls the design company NEST home (and works as the store’s interior designer for both residential and corporate clients). But, Beth hasn’t just focused on her career; after meeting husband Kevin through mutual friends, the pair married, and two years later became first-time parents to son Maxton, now 4 months old. The family resides in East Dallas.

YOUR CAREER PATH: “I was initially turned on to design when I worked at a home furnishings store while in college, and still not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, I found that I had a natural ability for merchandising and designing window vignettes. From there I wanted to take my skill to a much larger arena, ended up pursuing interior design, and haven’t turned back since!”

THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB: “I love the creative aspect… Not just designing for my clients, but also the creative skills used in marketing, building a business, and writing on the Nest Interior Design blog. It’s so rewarding to see a creative idea come to fruition.”

YOUR INSPIRATION: “My husband inspires me. He is patient, kind, creative and a purely good man. I learn from him every day.”

BIGGEST CHANGE SINCE BABY: “The structure that I used to maintain from being in an office environment is now a huge tightrope act as I try to find a good balance between work and baby. Some days are spent at home with Max, designing during naps, checking emails during playtime, and writing blog entries one-handed. And some days are spent as ‘office days’, with Max at his Nan’s [Kevin’s Mother], while I meet with clients and staff, shop at showrooms, and go to business meetings. No more 9-to-5, that’s for sure!”

STRATEGY FOR “THE JUGGLE”: “Strategy? There is no strategy! There are tough moments… I am either overwhelmed with work or being a mother. But, the most important thing is that I am aware of this and always striving to strike a healthy balance. As my husband would say: ‘There’s never a dull moment’.”

ADVICE FOR NEW MOMS: “Enjoy every minute. Time flies.’ When people try to tell you this, it sounds like just another cliché. But, you are honestly so busy trying to adapt to your ever-changing child that you don’t realize that they’re growing and time is passing. Really try to enjoy every minute and take tons of pictures! We have a blog that we’ve started for Max to capture all those great milestones and everything in between. After a year, we plan on taking the blog and making it into a book (with comments and all) as a keepsake that he can look back on years from now. It helps us to remember to enjoy and memorialize all those precious and not-so-precious moments.”

YOUR HUSBAND’S BEST “DADDY” CHARACTERISTIC: “He is hopelessly in love, devoted, and involved. One of the little things that I love is that Dad does bath time with Max. It gives me a chance to relax and gives Dad some bonding time with him since he’s been at work all day. Hearing Kevin talk and sing Max is the best sound in the world.”

HOW YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND ADAPTED TO PARENTHOOD: “By making an effort to connect with each other. We go out on dates, with or without Max. We cook nice meals together at home. And, we try to do things as a family as often as possible. A typical date night these days consists of eating dinner at the Central Market Café on a Saturday night, followed by grocery shopping with a glass of wine in hand and Max in tow. For me, that’s pure bliss.”