Decor: desk storage

I’ve been self-employed as a web designer for 10 years and mostly work at home — my desk is my entire office, and I’ve had a hard time figuring out what to do with everything because it has to go with the rest of the room so the office-purposed furniture I’ve looked at just doesn’t work. So mostly it’s been a hodgepodge of little fixes to meet my needs and usually, a giant pile of papers and bits that have nowhere to go. A terrible, chaotic mess.

A few weeks ago we were at the thrift and I spotted this headboard — you remember the white and gold girls’ bedroom set you or your BFF or that girl you were just SO envious of had? From that set. It had shelves and little cupboards and high enough up to put my printer under and was exactly the thing I’ve been looking for for years.

I’ve been working a lot so the headboard’s been sitting in the middle of the living room for several weeks waiting for me to chip off the ancient D.A.R.E. stickers [these things are so weird, little piglets and ducklets with slogans like "FRIENDS DON'T SLING DOPE" -- really! this is the language they use with kids?] but I finally had a few hours free the other day to take care of that and completely clean everything off the desk and get it set up and it is even better than I expected.

May I present: my new desk shelving unit!

It works perfectly. One cupboard is for my craft/stationery boxes, the other — I’m still deciding.

And there’s a nice space for my souvenir architectural minis collection, which have been looking for a real home forever.

Next up is the craft cupboard.

Three Things Friday

Three things I am in love with right now:

#1: my BLINGtastic camera necklace

I’ve been forgetting to take a shot of this for ages, I bought it at the cutest little shop here in Alameda (To Herb With Love at Oak and Encinal) back before Christmas and I wear it almost every day. harpy owns a similar one, her lovely polaroid reminded me.

#2: surprise flowers

My friend brought her son over to pick some lemons [still going strong, give me a holler if you want to come pick some up] last week and surprised me with this enormous, gorgeous bouquet of birds of paradise from her garden.

#3: daffodils from TJs

You know it is spring when these babies show up. $1.29 for a bunch of ten, which is just enough to surprise my daughter and make myself happy, too.

Vintage milk bottle scored for practically nothing from Muse Reuse on Webster almost immediately after I decided I really need a vase that isn’t meant to hold an enormous birthday bouquet.

Come for tea?

In the garden right now, we have lots crazy-blooming rosemary, a bowl of unidentified bulbs that are flowering one by one [current guest star? HYACINTH!], and some Iceland poppies over at City Hall.

Oakland angel

My favorite ornament, one of a pair bought from an old lady at a yard sale in the early ’90s. She reminds me of the Island of Misfit Toys.

Pink.

Best new addition on Thompson Avenue this year.
Fourth Annual Alameda flickr Holiday Lights Meetup