Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Scene of the Blog Featuring.....Me!



Between fighting off germs and the excitement of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I forgot all about scheduling future Scene of the Blog posts. Instead of hitting people up at the last second, I came up with the best and easiest solution: I'd feature myself. It even means that I get away with little to no introduction!


Just remember that you can click on any of the photos if you'd like to see them full size. Now let's get this show on the road!






At the end of February last year, Denis and I bought desks at IKEA and a couple of bookcases from OfficeMax and brought everything home. While Denis assembled all the furniture, I cleared out the bedroom we call our office and gave it a good clean. The photo above is the result. My desk is on the wall to the right of the big window, and Denis's is on the opposite wall behind me. There is a printer stand between our desks (which are both L-shaped) so we can both reach the printer. The stand also multi-tasks by holding all the mailing envelopes, tape, etc. that I use to get my books ready to send to other Paperback Swap members. The old green laundry basket is our recycle bin.



To the left of the big window is the closet and a tall bookcase that's already featured in one of my Bookself posts. As you can see, we also remodeled the closet, taking out the clothing rail and putting in heavy duty shelving. I then went to town with my label maker, and everything in there is pretty darned easy to find.

The low bookcases to the right of the closet hold mostly Dover clip art books, cookbooks, and reference books on Arizona, desert plants and some needlepoint pattern books.







Since all those photos were taken right after the completion of the remodel, I thought I'd take a photo of what my space looks like right now. Un-retouched. In all its messy glory. It shows my new (huge) monitor and that I'd just finished getting a PBS book ready for the mail. It shows a blogger who occasionally likes to snack on popcorn and diet root beer. On the left corner of the desk, it shows the two books that were next to be read and a cookbook which must mean I was writing a grocery list. Over on the right by the lamp, you can see my scanner. Every book cover on every review here at Kittling: Books has been scanned on that. In front of the scanner is the big desk calendar that I use to plot out all my blog posts.

The pile of books with my spiral bound book journal on top is the pile of books I need to write reviews for. The other stack of books are ones that were featured in this week's Mailbox Monday post.

I'm the type of person who normally hates to sit with her back to the room. I have personal experience of both a rapist and a stalker. Not being able to see who's closing in on my air space bothers me. I've somehow managed to overcome that with this room set-up, and the primary reason rests solely on the shoulders of the window I sit by.

As I sit here, I can look out the window and see the bright magenta blooms of bougainvillea. I can see the swimming pool and a lounge chair beckoning to me. And I can also see a birdbath that sprays water into the air courtesy of a small solar pump. Between that birdbath and the hummingbird feeder, I've been able to see quite an assortment of wildlife that loves my back garden as much as I do.

This room is a comfortable place in which to work. Denis and I can each sit at our computer, and even though we're not constantly talking to each other, it just feels good to be together in the same room. If we discover something that we want the other to see, it's easy to swivel around and take a look. If I need a thesaurus or any other type of book here in the room, I love to push off against the desk and roll across the floor to it. I've even been known to "Wheeeeeee!" as I sail across the room. (My inner child is quite happy and flat-out refuses to grow up!)

I hope you've enjoyed this look into my own blogging space. If you spy something in a photo and want to know what it is, ask me. I'll be more than happy to provide an answer.

In closing this particular feature, I thought I would show you some of the wildlife I've sat right here and watched through the window. Be sure to stop by next Wednesday when another blogger's creative space will be featured!

26 comments:

  1. Lovely room, and I do get the back to the door, I sit on the side :)
    That closet, wow

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  2. Whew...glad you posted the un-retouched photo, too. I was worried by the neatness in the first one ;-)
    Love your remodeled space!

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  3. I love your room. You guys did a super job.

    I am pleased to know that I'm not the only one with stacks of books and papers and notebooks!

    BTW: I have a label maker, too and I love slapping labels on containers.

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  4. What a lovely room and so organised. It is nice that you get to sit in there with your hubby too.

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  5. Such organisation Cathy, and thanks for the insight :-)

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  6. I am so impressed by your organization! We need to get motivated and organize our space better. I love the hummingbird photo. Carl will only use that kind of hummingbird feeder because he likes to see them perch.

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  7. I am so impressed that you get any work done. Because if I was looking at a swimming pool, I wouldn't!

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  8. Ok, maybe the second is a little messy, but still, in such an organized way..if that makes sense.

    I wish I had a dedicated room. But I have so few rooms...

    Love the wood floors.

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  9. I love your space. Its so neat and organized. I have to ask where did you get the file holder that is beside you monitor? I love that its got a book front to it.

    I love this feature its nice to see where bloggers sit and work. You have a beautiful space and I would love a room like that.

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  10. Wow - I'm so impressed with your organization!

    Here's a scene of my prairie dog "helping" with my desk mess: TexasRedBooks Think I can blame all the disorganization on him?

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  11. I recognize those wonderful tins!!! But they are much larger than I thought. LOL

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  12. Diet Root Beer! Why was I not aware this existed?!

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  13. What a wonderful spot! Great pics! I have a question - I sent you pics probably in June and I am unsure if you ever scene of the blogged me... could you let me know?

    If you did I missed it - which wouldn't surprise me. :) Thanks!

    journey through books @ gmail.com

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  14. I was thinking the same way as Sheila. I swear I sent you pics/pic. I am about to go away but I'm happy to take some new ones when I return. The tbr pile is bigger and the paper sprawl has widened, so maybe an update might be more accurate!

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  15. What a beautiful blogging space. I wish I could be that organized.

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  16. Blodeuedd-- I'm glad someone else understands the back-to-the-door thing!

    Bernadette-- Thanks. I try to be organized, but it doesn't always work!

    JoAnn-- You thought exactly the same thing I did. I looked at those photos and thought, "Man, it looks as though no one really lives there. I'd better take a Now photo!"

    Beth-- I hate how the paint color looks so pink. It's one of those shades that changes hue throughout the day. Oh well. I'll just have to make a couple more labels to take my mind off it. ;)

    Vivienne-- Thanks! He does have a tendency to need my attention when I'm deep in the middle of typing a book review, but I can do the same thing to him sometimes!

    Kerrie--You're welcome!

    Kathy-- Yes...the ones where they can't perch just aren't any fun at all.

    Jeanne-- There have been many times that looking out at that pool has made me type faster! LOL

    Caite-- I know what you mean about the too-few rooms. Been there, done that. This is a 3 bedroom house, so we were able to turn this room into an office and still have a bedroom to use as a guest room...and it does get used!

    Cindy-- Thanks for the kind words about my space. The file holder beside my monitor actually has a fleur de lys pattern. The files themselves have the book designs. I got the files from a website called Colorful Images.

    TexasRed--Of course you can. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. What's his name?

    Dorte-- When I saw the tins in the photo, I thought of you!

    Lenore-- Oooh! Several companies make it!

    Sheila-- Believe me, if I'd blogged you, you'd know all about it! I'll be getting in touch with you!

    Kris-- Thanks!

    Susan-- I was just about to email you to see about scheduling yours. If you want to update your photo, that's fine with me.

    Anna-- I figure if everything looks neat and organized, no one will notice the dust bunnies! LOL

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  17. How nice to see your space this week. I love it. I could sit there for hours getting all inspired.

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  18. LOL - thanks :) If you need update pics or anything just let me know.

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  19. Thanks for letting me peek in to your world - although I am not a stalker. Sorry you have had experience with that. I think a joint space with good organization is key. And I too like to wheeeee my way across my work space at my job. It is fun isn't it?

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  20. I love it. It looks cozy and inviting and busy. Thanks for showing the clean and "unclean" versions. And I know what you mean about liking being in the same room as your beloved but doing your own thing. Quite comforting, isn't it?

    And I love me Ikea!!!

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  21. Finally found yours. Lovely to see. I agree with you re having my back to the centre of room or door - though I've not had your experiences. (That's really horrifying and I'm so sad you've had that in your life). I love the fact that you share the study. Ours is a little small for two of us but we could convert a bedroom like you have, particularly now the kids have left home. Might just think of that BUT, then, how could I leave my sofa.

    A calendar for scheduling your blog! Wow, how organised. I'm a bit more chaotic though I do now have a reminder in my system for my Monday musings.

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  22. Sue-- glad you found my little corner of the blogosphere. I probably should do a separate page on Scene of the Blog and place a bread crumb trail in my header. :)

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  23. I think you should!

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