My favorite room

I'm not a person that likes clutter. I like things neat and simple, but I'm also a person that likes to buy stuff. That presents me with a conundrum.

This was especially problematic when, after living with minimalism for years, I bought a house with built in shelving everywhere. At first, the shelves stayed empty because I didn't have the sorts of things that one would display. I didn't have things that I wanted to display. Or look at all the time. Or Dust.

Over the few years that I've been here, though, I've gotten over myself. I've found that it's fun to change up display shelves, and show off a little bit of myself. In the public areas of the house, I'm still pretty careful. Things need to be tasteful, and represent the Me that I want people to see.

Not so in my den. Somewhere along the way, I've given myself permission to be real in my den. I try not to be messy, but I don't worry about what people see when they look in here. In doing that, I've made this my favorite room.

First, it's cluttered. There's not a spare square foot in here. There's two dog beds, a white fluffy-sized crate and then there's all my crap. The pets' stuff is probably worth more than all of mine. Nothing in here cost much. Most, I've picked up over the years, and adapted to my needs.

First, there's my books. These are the books I love, not the books I feel that I should read. While I have read and enjoyed many classics, you won't find them here. This is where you'll find my collection of favorite bubble gum books. If you look closely, you'll see two sets of Harry Potter.... They're just that good. (Actually, I bought the second set for my nephew, and am giving him one each time that I see him.)

Himself is up there on top of the book shelf. That's his favorite hangout; I suspect because of the window above him. We live on a corner, and that's a great spot for him to watch the world go by. (I planted a lilac tree underneath that window a few years ago. It's only about 5' high now; but I'm looking forward to when it gets bigger, and am hoping that it will attract birds for the both of us.)

See that airplane? My dad gave that to me for Christmas, the year after I lost my pilot's licence. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be hanging on a little boy's wall, but it will always have a special place in my home.

Below is my Mickey Mouse phone. I got it when I was in Junior high. It has a 4' cord between the handset and the base. It doesn't mute, redial, remember anybody's phone number or have call display. But dangit, nor does it have batteries that go dead on me every time I turn around. If we ever have a natural disaster, I'll be the only one on the block who will have a working phone.

Every direction that I look, there's something special.


There are poodle portraits on the right. That's Tallulah on top, and my first poodle Ellie on the bottom. They seem really dark in that picture, but they're not.





Well, the one of Tallulah isn't. The picture of Ellie isn't exactly a masterpiece, since I took it when I was a kid. I took the picture of Tula 4 years ago. Those were the only two years that that bush they're in front of actually bloomed; so I call it the poodle bush. Most people, including my mom, can't tell the dogs apart in those portraits unless I tell them.

That plant was 6" high when I bought it. It's the first plant that I bought for my first apartment. It blooms all year round. I don't have a clue what kind of plant it is.

Why yes, my dogs have a toy box. Don't they all?
(That was my great, great grandfather's toolbox back in the day, before they got fancy and started adding lids. It's probably blasphemy to paint it like that; but I had a need, and my dad showed up with it one day like that. I hope great, great grandpappy approves.)



Behind me is Tallulah's bed. No, she hasn't been bad. She likes to point towards the corner when she's playing with her toys. I guess she doesn't want them to escape.

Above is Winter's portrait. Sometimes, when you see a picture, you just know it needs to be blown up and framed. That's one of those.

I'm running out of room on the bookshelf, so I think I'm going to build some floating shelves in that nook. ... leaving room for the poodle and her bed, of course.

I'm still on the lookout for a portrait of Cotton. I've got a space reserved for when I find it. It'll go on the other side of the bookshelf, next to the closet door.

Oh, and the reason that you don't see Cotton in any of these pictures? That's because he's with me, on my lap.