What's in a Routine?

In this month's issue of Harper's Bazaar, the magazine unveiled a completely revamped and overhauled layout.  And I must say: I have fallen in love.  Be it known that I have a love affair with magazines, in general, but Bazaar earns a special place in my heart for the care and attention it put into its new presentation.  In fact, it even inspired me to redo the layout of my own little blog! 

I admit that I am a only recent subscriber to the magazine, and while I've been subscribing to numerous other magazines for years, I'm kind of kicking myself for having not included Harper's in the lineup.  What have I missed in all this time? 

One of the great new additions to the magazine, which I learned from having read the "Welcome to the Issue" page, is the List, a new section of the magazine where "The month's object of desire," "so and so's favorite things,"and "Editors' style picks," among others, can be found.  Of greatest interest to me, though, was the very personal "My List," this month which featured designer "Tom Ford in 24 hours." 

Photo Credit: Simon Perry

I enjoy fashion and design as much as the next gal, so I know about Tom Ford and his great contributions to women's fashion, but what really drew me to this piece was the intimate nature of Ford's list, which in this case was outlined in the form of a daily schedule.  Celebrity designer or not, I find people fascinating in general -- how they spend their days, what they love and what they hate, what makes them tick.  People's routines, in particular, are part of what make them intriguing to me.

Herewith, are some interesting tidbits about Tom Ford:

• He wakes up at 4:30 most every day, except on the very rare occasion that he sleeps in until 7:00.
• He bathes three times a day, once in the early morning, a second time after he works in the late morning, and a third time around 11 p.m.
• He doesn't carry a phone because he hates talking on it.
• He prefers very small dinners with close friends to cocktail parties or large dinner parties.
• His favorite evenings are those spent at home with his partner of 25 years and his two dogs.
• He rarely wears any clothes when he's at home.

These were just the highlights, but these very personal details revealed a more compelling side of the designer than I ever knew existed.  We are all just people and yet we all have our unique nuances, particular quotidian habits, ways of leading our lives that somehow separate us from the rest of the tribe.  What are your quotidian habits like?  Are you a list maker like me?  Do you keep the same routine each day, from Monday to Sunday, or do you switch it up according to whether it's the week or weekend?  Do you eat the same Balance bar like I do most every morning for breakfast on the way to work or do you take the time to make a nice leisurely one, complete with eggs and bacon?  (Please tell me you do so I can live vicariously through you.)