Desk Shot: dining room

I have 3 dilemmas:  1) too many books on hand that I am compelled to read...  2) not enough shelves to house said books so they are in stacks on the floor surrounding my "reading chair"...  3) a very long dining room table that simply eats up whatever I put upon it, unless it's something quite massive itself.

All 3 dilemmas solved by putting the books on the dining room table.  I. LOVE. IT.

Unfortunately, it was short lived.  The books are back in stacks around the reading chair and I'm moving in a different direction, at the cost of several gallons of gas, multiple days of creative & thrifty shopping sprees, and quite a few dollars spent on different ideas that have yet to come to fruition.

I, however, am thoroughly enjoying the process!

keeping up with the joneses

Love this expression!  It's a constant reminder to me that I need to keep things in perspective as I shop...  just why am I buying this particular thing?  Is it because I need it or is it because I want it or is it because I imagine the reaction of someone else when they see it???  Am I motivated because I think it's helping me project a certain image - and is that image legitimate?

As a lover of words, and as a lover of business development, AND a lover of design, imagine my delight to find out about Have You Met Miss Jones?, an Australian based decor shop.  I haven't quite investigated it yet, I just fell in love with the creative, CREATIVE name!  What a perfect name for a retail business!  Isn't the idea always that shoppers covet what we sell so they flock in swarms to our stores?  The image of a "Miss Jones" owning the most delightful trinkets & wares that we spy on her, or in her home, and desire to behold as our own?  To become "Miss Jones" ourselves?  And, with a name like "Jones," well, Miss Jones could be anybody.  Including us.

Oh, I love it!  Just love, love, LOVE this clever, clever name!  Simply, intricately, delightful.

Desk Shot: Holiday Greetings

Oops... missed a Desk Shot from December - found it lurking in my Drafts folder!  And an important Desk Shot it was!!!  I'm a traditionalist when it comes to sending Christmas cards.  Probably the only "tradition" I adhere to.  I sent out over 130 cards this year so Christmas cards were a huge chunk of my time - definitely worthy of a Desk Shot!  How could I have ever let this one get by?

Originally my tradition was quite traditional:  a boxed card of a certain quality, a heartfelt pre-printed greeting from someone else's creative mind, a variety of options - funny, religious, politically correct... but as time has passed, I've conformed to modern conveniences.  Somewhat. 

Photocards are the way I now go.  I started this when my son was born and people asked me for a picture if I hadn't included one in their card.  I realized it wasn't the greeting they wanted as much as an update (or rather, I decided this is what they wanted).  A photocard seemed like a reasonable solution, being cheaper than buying both cards and developing (pre-digital age here) photos - so I got me a two-fer!  In reality, I enjoy the photocards myself and am a little disappointed when I get a "just a card" from those die-hard traditionalists I Christmas card correspond with! 

This is a time consuming task, no matter how much I do enjoy it.  I find it theraputic almost, despite the hand cramps since I hand write out each address.  And I lick each flap, schlep to the post office to buy a festive stamp, which I then meticulously peel, then stick in each corner.  And I record each card sent, and each received - I probably got 70% return response from my list, but still it's worth it to me.  This is the one time of year I make an effort to connect.  This year, more than years past, I've noticed how many MORE greetings I could have sent.  Facebook, LinkedIn, multiple jobs through the years have increased my network.  That and some inexplicable need to stay connected to people until they give me a reason not to...  

So I participate in this one ritual every year, this one tradition I keep.  Times are a-changin' and maybe soon I'll cave and do a newsletter, digitalize my mailing labels, or (aghast!) send an electronic greeting, but until then, I've got this Desk Shot to warm my heart and make me smile.  Carpal tunnel ache and all. 

Desk Shot: snowmaggedden

Stuck home for 2 days in what I've dubbed the "frozen tundra" of the south.  We don't get much snow & ice here in Atlanta so when we do, things shut down - and rightly so in this case.  Roads are terrible & treacherous.  Truckers, who definitely know how to navigate all types of road conditions, are stranded on the interstate and have been since yesterday morning.  I'm doing what I can to be productive, but feel like I've accomplished little...  Hoping the roads are clear to get into the city tomorrow so I can get some "real" work done.

Desk Shot: InBox, on holiday

THIS.  This is a pile.  A pile of stuff for me to do.  My "on holiday InBox."  I'm not sure what exactly is in there.  I plan to tackle it as soon as I'm done here.  The big blue thing with drawers came from the closet.  It's full of t-shirts. 

~sigh~ 

I do have plans for it. 

Eventually.