This entrepreneur creates bold signature patterns for everything from school and office supplies to tote bags and activewear in a studio above her garage.

Breakfast scramble
With three kids, my mornings are a bit chaotic—and I laugh about it. Luckily, my husband, Matt, and I are very fifty-fifty. We’re both entrepreneurs, and we both do everything: up by 6-ish, pack lunch and help the girls dress, do ponytails and fix breakfast. As Matt drives the girls to school, I get my 2-year-old up. I take him in the shower with me, and he plays with tub toys. It’s one of my favorite times of the day. Our caregiver comes at 8:30, and I go over the day with her.

Creative days
We built a big, bright space over my garage for my studio. I get there by 9 a.m.—each day is so different for me and my three staffers. I might work on mockups for a new licensee. Then, between emailing, returning phone calls, blogging and reviewing travel schedules, I’m planning major design products so we’re all on top of the big picture. Do I miss a ton of stuff at school? Yes. Do I pull all-nighters? Yes. Is my house a mess all the time even though I’m a designer? Yes, so what? Fortitude!

Fun afternoons
I’ll sneak out of the office at 4:30 p.m. to spend time with my youngest, Jack. He loves to play with trains inside or play soccer with me outside. Around that time mateline and elisabeth are coming home from after-school activities. But on Fridays I stop working at 2:30 so I can pick them up from school and take them for frozen yogurt or to the park or to Borders—anywhere there isn’t a screen. I want to let them just play to offset all the tech kids deal with.

Dinner disorder
It’s almost as crazy as the morning. Jack wants to play Thomas the Tank Engine; the girls are starving and have homework to do. I ask about their day. I’m the world’s worst cook ever, so I finally got smart and hired a personal chef who comes once a week to cook meals for us. other nights it’s pasta, tater tots and hot dogs. But we try.

Busy nights
We get the girls in bed by 7:30—their day starts so early. Then I clean the kitchen and play with Jack, who’s in bed by 8:30. Basically my husband and I don’t relax in the evening, one of the sacrifices of having our own businesses. We may do laundry—and we’re at least sipping some wine and watching Modern Family or The Good Wife. I try to be in bed at 11:30, but I’ll sometimes work until 4:30 a.m. my Sunday night guilty pleasure: in bed by 10, watching Brothers and Sisters.

Giving back
Yes, it’s hard what I do, but it is nothing compared to what families dealing with life-threatening illnesses are facing. A few years ago, my cousin’s 2-year-old daughter, Kendall, was struck by leukemia. Fortunately, she’s now 6 and well, but her sister died in utero. It was all a giant wake-up call for me. I thought, I can’t save Tessa, but I can help save Kendall. So in 2008 I created a collection in her name, with a portion of the profits going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We’ve raised about  $100,000 so far. I’ve also created the Dreamsicle collection to support an organization called Girls on the Run, which helps girls develop a positive body image. When I’m feeling sorry for myself, I’ll read emails from some of the people who’ve been helped by these groups—and realize it’s all good for me.