Books, and the storing of them.

I’m window-shopping this morning with no intention to buy.  I have all the bookcases I need right now (and in fact am trying to empty one to get rid of it).

But I love looking at libraries and bookcases.  I prefer antique but when it comes to window-shopping, everything is game.  Like this:

Sean Yoo‘s fun design. It probably helps that it’s filled with old books, but I love it. More info here.

I found this on blogger with no origin.  It’s very cool and even though nontraditional and not antique, I could really love this in my home. An unexpected bit of modernity but with my much-loved wood-finish. (In fact, I’d like it even darker.)

I prefer my seating with backs, however.

Although the style is very different, this is the way my father built bookshelves in hallways and bedrooms in my parents’ homes. Around the ceiling.

It’s an idea I want to use in our small foyer, and put our old Brittanicas up there.

How about books in the rafters? I was thinking you’d need a high ceiling for  this to work, but this site says it helps that the ceiling was low so the books are more easily reached.

I found all of the previous images here, where there are many more to check out. I love that glassed in sunroom kind of library. So gorgeous, though I’d use color, of course.

But this bit of window shopping has reminded me of my very favorite library from houzz:

I love that glassed in sunroom kind of library. So gorgeous, though I’d use color, of course.

You know what? I just previewed this and even though the individual pictures are interesting I find this entire post visually boring. No color. Bleah. What do you think? Boring or not?

So. Even though there isn’t a book in sight. I will leave you with this spot of bohemian rhapsody!

eclectic other design

Stroke of genius.

In which I upcycle my mother-in-law’s old magazine rack to hold my power strip, referenced previously:

Yes, I need to vacuum, paint the wall trim, replace that orange cord with something less glaring (and much shorter)  and learn to take pictures w/o my feet in them, but–I am pleased.

Is there creme rinse/conditioner for cables?

I mean, seriously, my hair tangles and that’s what I use and it’s brilliant, so for cables there should be something similar, right?

The floor beside my desk:

The solutions I’ve found and am considering:

A Belkin Surge Protector With a Lid (that corrals wires)

A Bluelounge CableBox that is just a box that holds the power strip, etc.

Have you seen either in action? Does one of these look more practical than the others, or do you have other solutions?

Don’t break the chain!

This is a good visual trick for establishing a routine of any sort. In this case, it’s about writing daily.

Jerry Seinfeld once gave advice to a young comic.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”

And then he repeated for emphasis: Don’t break the chain.

In looking for an image to illustrate I found a site that allows you to do this online.

For some of you, this might be great. But you know me, I’m the analog girl, and for me, that big calendar on the wall would be the answer. In fact, it’s how I used to meet my deadlines when I was writing novels.  I’d have a one-year calendar on the wall beside my desk (where my storyboards are now) and I’d write each day’s page count on it and watch that chain of days grow longer and longer.  On good days, I’d scratch through the word count, sometimes more than once, as I kept adding more and more.  Deadline+adrenalin=werdz on page!

To add to the mix, a recent lifehacker post demonstrates “Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret on Steroids.” He points out that it can be used to build any habit from exercise to reading to Jerry’s original goal, writing.

After a long career of not writing daily, of believing that forcing words every day whether they seemed ready or not did not produce my best work, I finally gave in and started the writing daily habit.  I remembered those days under deadline, and how the adrenalin built, the muse flexed, the creativity soared.  And yes, I discovered that writing daily and insisting that I produce a certain number of words could work for me. I was amazed, and on a creative high.

Real life knocked me around a bit recently and I’m not writing now.  I miss it.  I need to get back on the bandwagon. I may even get another Yearly Wall Calendar if I can find a blank place on the wall to stick it, and a fat red marker… or no, I’ll keep the word count instead or… I dunno. I’ll figure it out. If I don’t get back on the wagon I think I’m going to lose my mind, though.

Do you write daily? Do you have any daily habit? Do you track it?  How?

In the meantime, advice to remember, writers–Don’t break the chain!

Don't break the chain!

This is a good visual trick for establishing a routine of any sort. In this case, it’s about writing daily.

Jerry Seinfeld once gave advice to a young comic.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”

And then he repeated for emphasis: Don’t break the chain.

In looking for an image to illustrate I found a site that allows you to do this online.

For some of you, this might be great. But you know me, I’m the analog girl, and for me, that big calendar on the wall would be the answer. In fact, it’s how I used to meet my deadlines when I was writing novels.  I’d have a one-year calendar on the wall beside my desk (where my storyboards are now) and I’d write each day’s page count on it and watch that chain of days grow longer and longer.  On good days, I’d scratch through the word count, sometimes more than once, as I kept adding more and more.  Deadline+adrenalin=werdz on page!

To add to the mix, a recent lifehacker post demonstrates “Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret on Steroids.” He points out that it can be used to build any habit from exercise to reading to Jerry’s original goal, writing.

After a long career of not writing daily, of believing that forcing words every day whether they seemed ready or not did not produce my best work, I finally gave in and started the writing daily habit.  I remembered those days under deadline, and how the adrenalin built, the muse flexed, the creativity soared.  And yes, I discovered that writing daily and insisting that I produce a certain number of words could work for me. I was amazed, and on a creative high.

Real life knocked me around a bit recently and I’m not writing now.  I miss it.  I need to get back on the bandwagon. I may even get another Yearly Wall Calendar if I can find a blank place on the wall to stick it, and a fat red marker… or no, I’ll keep the word count instead or… I dunno. I’ll figure it out. If I don’t get back on the wagon I think I’m going to lose my mind, though.

Do you write daily? Do you have any daily habit? Do you track it?  How?

In the meantime, advice to remember, writers–Don’t break the chain!