’twas the Week Before Christmas

December 19, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Storm’s Christmas tree is now the family tree, in the kitchen, so it is bottle brush tree for the desk. It rests on a decorative box that holds m y photo printing paper. I am feeling a lot better these days, though not one hundred percent. It’s the week before Christmas. I am not sure how that happened. No, actually, I do. I was sick for the two weeks I thought I would have, and I am salty about that. Nevertheless, I put my fairy lights up around my desk (more difficult when I don’t have a hutch, but it works.) I have another set that may go up around my reading nook.

Last night, I finished my re-read of We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour, which means I have met my Goodreads goal for 2024. It was hard going for a while there. I do wish it had been a higher number, but when I think how hard I fought to get to twenty-five books, that’s a good reframe and I am proud of myself. Fun fact, Marin, the protagonist of WAO, also found it difficult to read fiction after dealing with loss and depression. I felt seen there.

Now the thing is to pick out a next paper book to read. That task still feels big. I don’t know what my 2025 goal will be, but 25 does feel like an appropriate number. A link to my year in books (so far) if anyone is interested in that, is here. I have a notebook packed with large sticky notes, to guide my future reading. More of a wine cellar inventory than a TBR though it is that as well.

Writing-wise, I am looking forward to the new year. The first quarter will see my first independent historical romance release. Do I wish this were a traditional publishing venture? Eh. It would be nice. I am also genre-savvy enough to know that this isn’t the best time for medievals in the trad pub world, though the readership for such is strong. I am also a new author yet again, as in new to indie publishing, new to medievals, and it’s been a while since my last release. As an indie author, I need to do all of the jobs normally left to the pros. It’s also exciting to try something new, and I do like having the final say in my decisions. We will see how that sorts out.

In the meantime, this is the week before Christmas. Housemate and I made the final round of online orders. I have some letters to write. Tomorrow is final day of in=person shopping. Real Life Romance Hero will be cooking for Christmas. We are doing stockings for the first time in years, which means buying a cat-scaled stocking for Storm’s use. No snow at the moment, but we have some days yet. I love the holiday notebook I set up to hold not only practical plans but diary entries on various holiday things; memories, preferences, observations, etc. I may want to do that for other holidays. We will see. In one week, we will be in the tucked-between week, my favorite week of the year, and then the new year comes, bringing all of the new planners and journals, always a huge event for the planner and journal community.

That’s about enough for today. I have laundry to put away, and family will be home in a matter of minutes. It feels good to have a blog entry written on the day I planned, rather than drawing an arrow to the day after. Hopefully there will be more of that this year.

How’s your week going?

Typing With Wet Paws: Storm Saves Christmas Edition

December 16, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. My tree is up, but not in the way we expected. Let me explain.

I was originally going to call this post “Shingle Bells” because the reason Mama Anna did not blog last week was because she came down with a (thankfully mild) case of shingles and was not up to blogging. She is feeling somewhat better now. It’s a process. Anyway, back to the tree. Yesterday, Mama Anna felt better enough to put up the tree. We actually have two trees for the people, one rose gold and one regular tree colored. Mama Anna went into the closet where things were, and found the box with the lights and the box with the rose gold tree and the ornaments, but surprise–there was no tree stand.

This presented a problem. Aunt Linda offered to get another small tree the next day. Mama Anna reminded her that separately sold tree stands exist. Then she had an idea. She did have a backup Christmas tree (the humans deduced that the green one was in storage) – my pink one. Aunt Linda sometimes thinks Papa doesn’t like pink, but he says she is mistaken; he does. Anyway, he loved the tree and only wanted a few ornaments plus the white lights on the tree. Which is what Mama Anna did and now they all agree that the smaller tree is more in scale with where it is.

It looks kind of like this. I found the AI.

Don’t worry about me, though, because I was happy to help, and Mama Anna had a backup-bakup Christmas tree. Now there is a small bottle brush tree on her desk, with some fake snow and gold ball ornaments on it. That’ll do. In other news, Papa bought the whole family a soft fuzzy blanket that came in a box and guess what, I got the box.

Now let’s check in on the boys over at Aunt Melva’s house and see how their preparations are going so far:

Yeah, the tree had all these dangling things hanging off, but we fixed that.

Looks like things are going according to plan over there. Good job, boys.

Mama Anna is feeling better. Not one hundred percent yet, but it is perfect weather for snuggling under a blanket with a feline friend and getting some extra naptime. It seems to be working so far. She should be back up in fighting trim by the end of the week. That gives her plenty of time to finish Christmas shopping and maybe even blog about her holiday notebook.

Okay, that’s about it for this week. How are things shaping up for you?

Typing With Wet Paws: Unsupervised Saturday Edition

December 7, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Today, I am unsupervised. Mama Anna is down with her traditional bug. Papa is having a long winter’s nap because he works super hard, and Aunt Linda is far into her knitting, so there is nobody watching as I write this blog. That means I can do anything I want.

The trees are not up yet; that will probably be tomorrow, so I have energy to spend. It’s snowing today. Not much, but enough to still count. Mama Anna looooooves snow. Right now, she is mostly concentrating on sleeping off the bug (I highly approve of this) and I have time on my paws.

As you can see above, I found the AI picture thing. The splootches aren’t right, and I do not own a tuxedo, but if I could play an instrument, it would 100% be an upright bass.

my favorite video game

Mama Anna first learned of this game with Big Sister Skye, who loved it. Big Sister Skye also liked variations on this game with mice, strings, and lasers. The one with toys wasn’t around when she was, but I bet she would have liked it. I do. The fishies are a classic, though. I love when Mama Anna picks a video I would like, and then we watch it together. I still watch her kinds of videos, because those are fun, too. Maybe I can convince her to install the Sims 3 pack with pets in it (she owns it but only put a few packs on this computer) and ask her to make a Sim Storm. Then I can watch myself. That should be fun.

Since this is on Mama Anna’s site, I should probably say something about what she is doing, other than that she can be grouchy when she is sick. I think she needs some tea. She is putting together a journal tote that she can take into Aunt Linda’s room for when we girls are all hanging out in there. Mama Anna calls it parallel play, because sometimes, we are all doing our own things but doing them in the same place. Usually, Aunt Linda plays with strings (she calls it “knitting” or “crochet.”) or looks at her glowy box. I don’t know what Mama Anna wants to put in her journal tote, but I suspect a journal, some pens and some ephemera might be included. I will, of course, investigate and report back, or ask Mama Anna to do a bag tour.

Okay, that’s enough. Papa is up from his nap and doing interesting things on the computer, so I need to observe. Headbonx!

Cozy Winter Nights: Holiday Traditions and Comforts

December 6, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Today is bright, clear, and cold. I am writing stream of consciousness today, so we may be in for a wild ride. Lately, I have been watching 1970s/80s Afterschool Specials on You Tube. I stinking loved those back in the day, and it’s fun to revisit them, as well as catch the ones I didn’t get to see. Not any holiday themed so far, but it’s doing the right thing to help the holiday spirit.

Sometime this weekend, we will be putting up our Christmas trees. There will be two this year, one in the kitchen, which will be the tree, and one in the office, on my desk, which will be Storm’s. Unbreakable ornaments only, and it is okay if she wants to knock it over. It’s one of the big reasons we are doing it this year. The other one is that I have always wanted a pink tree, and my desk is the perfect place to put it.

We technically have a third option, a tabletop rose gold tree, but Real Life Romance Hero and Housemate are voting in favor of the traditional tree-colored tree, and we have a cozy apartment. IF Housemate were to have a tree in her room, she would want a white one, with blue ornaments. Maybe a white tree with black and orange ornaments would be more Storm-accurate, but pink with pastel will do. I will share pictures when they are up and lit.

No matter when we put up the trees, I do have two strings of lights that need to go up somewhere, as I like having fairy lights around all the time. In the winter nights, being cozy under a warm, weighted blanket, in the dark but for the lights, with a hot beverage and eBook, audiobook, or paper book with book light, is something special. Feline companion is of course a must. If she can get a belly rub out of it, so much the better.

Right now, I am also planning on getting some seasonal flavors into the house, as well as scents. Our current wax melts are pumpkin pie, with a pine tree scented candle for added atmosphere. I’ve always loved the holiday season, and this year, I feel like leaning into it more than usual, so I am steering into that skid. Anyone with sugar free hot chocolate recommendations, feel free to drop them in the comment section. Cinnamon, eggnog, gingerbread, sugar cookies, anything Real Life Romance Hero cooks, for savory additions. I may try baking some of those sugar cookies, as it’s a core memory of special time with my mom when I was little.

There’s also the reading aspect of things. I am craving historical romance in the holiday spirit. Though I am not much of a nineteenth century person, I remember snapping up the Signet Regency Christmas anthologies the second they hit the shelves, back when I worked in a bookstore. I’m guessing Kindle Unlimited may be my place to do that in the here and now. Actually, a post with my favorite holiday romance recommendations might be fun. I’ll make a note of that.

What are you doing to prepare for your favorite winter holiday?

Typing With Wet Paws: Post-Thanksgiving Edition

December 2, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers. I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Normally, I like to post on Caturdays, but this was a holiday week, with first Thanksgiving and then Black, White, and Orange Friday (where prices are lower so people can afford more and better treats for their Calico cats. I guess other colors, too.) Anyway, I’m here now, and Mama Anna will blog later in the week, then I will be back on Caturday.

OK. Thanksgiving first. We had a good day over here. Papa cooked. He used to do that for monies, so it’s good when he cooks. I assume. I am not allowed to eat people food. I did get gushy food, though, so win. The people liked the food, though, which was kind of the point. Papa crashed the next day. Mama crashed the day after that. I like when the humans crash, because the big bed is nice. There are a lot of pillows, and a weighted blanket with a fuzzy cover. The best best time is when Mama Anna and Papa are both in bed and then I can get between them and it is cozy.

Before I go any further, this just in from my compatriots, Murphy and Oliver, who live with Aunt Melva:

We helped Mom decorate, then tried to eat the plastic pumpkins. We are hoping you and your family, especially Storm, had a great Thanksgiving.

–Murphy and Oliver

Thanks, boys. We totally did. We also had snow that day and the day after, which made Mama Anna super happy. She loves snow.

Okay, back to me. Mama Anna is leaning hard into the holiday season, which is another phase of her superpowers. She is currently looking for a soft (I think she means stuffed) star in gold or maybe yellow, to put on the top of my tent, which is where I work when we are at her desk. She also wants to put up some fairy lights in different places, the family Christmas tree, and then there is a new development for this year.

The new development is that I get my own tree this year. I have had a different experience from most kitties when it comes to Christmas trees. I was super young when I lived with my first human, Mama D, and don’t remember what we did for winter holidays. My first Christmas with Mama Anna, we visited family, and there was a tree, but there were also a lot of moving boxes so I could not get to the tree and wasn’t allowed unsupervised in that room anyway. (sheesh, hide inside one recliner one time, and suddenly you’re a flight risk) We have trees here, but they are small ones and on a table that is set up so I can’t get to it. The humans call that “cat-proofed.”

This tree will probably be on Mama Anna’s desk, and I am allowed to investigate, even knock it over if that’s what I want to do. Maybe I will, and maybe I will completely ignore it. Because cat.

Anyway, Mama Anna is eager to get the final things together to publish A Heart Most Errant. After that, she gets to start on A Heart Most Ardent. Probably the same time, Mama Anna and Aunt Melva (with help from the boys and me) will be working on one final pass on Drama King and then start the publishing process for that.

How did your holiday go?

Balancing Holiday Chaos: Tips for Planning and Productivity

November 25, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

This is technically last week’s post. This week, besides dealing with Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, I am focusing on the final details on getting ready to pull the trigger on putting A Heart Most Errant out there. Real Life Romance Hero is making ham for the holiday, and I am chomping at the bit to put up not only the family Christmas tree but Storm’s as well. Since Housemate and I shopped an early Black Friday sale online, that initiated the launch sequence, and we are now in Holiday Prep Mode. This does, of course, include my desk.

The three-drawer unit in the wooden crate has dot markers (dual tipped) in the top, Tombow brush markers (also dual tipped) in the middle, and then the bottom has my favorite size lined sticky notes and glue runner refills. My small black pouch in front of the laptop is currently a lot more Christmassy-looking, because the blues and purples were making me cold. I live in New York. I’m already cold.

The end of this week is the start of December. How did we get here this quickly? Do I want to know? Since I am on the last month of the year in my planners and journals, that means time to think about next year’s lineup, as I want to be prepared for the coming sales and temptations, because I love all the formats. Bound books, disc bound, rings, traveler’s notebooks, spiral bound and wire-o, twin loop, reporter style, all of it. It’s easy to get dazzled, lost and overwhelmed. How do I sort it out? I go back to preschool.

Let me explain. I went to a Montessori school for preschool, and I loved it. I studied early childhood development and education in college (where the most important thing I learned was that I am not suited for that career) and once in a while, it does come in handy. What do I find myself naturally gravitating toward? What do I reach for first? What do I actually use? When I get in a groove, what is going on that helps me stay there? It’s been a while since college, and even longer since preschool, (and Early Childhood Education students also worked in the college’s preschool) but I am still going to call the method to my madness Montessori-influenced. Providing I remember it right, that is, but Maria Montessori started out with cats, and I have a cat, so I fgure I am on the right track.

Anyhoo, there is probably a video in this, because that feels more natural than blabbering here, but refer to the opening paragraph about this being last week’s entry. Domestic tornadoes do happen this time of year, but everyone is fine and bonus points, we have a mystery pumpkin that showed up on our stoop around the same time our downstairs neighbors left.

Some of my discoveries:

Even though I love my A5 rings, I am mostly in disc bound planners this year. Folding the pages over is a must, and I need to be able to move things quickly when Storm decides it is time to supervise.
I love my everyday carry traveler’s notebook, but don’t need a weekly calendar in it; all it’s doing is copying what I have in my desk planner. A monthly insert will be fine.
The bells and whistles, aka accessories, aka dashboards and charms and tabs and pen loops and pouches, et al, are part of the planning process.

Some of those bells and whistles actually serve a practical purpose. Since I am visually impaired, I need high contrast. If the lines are light, they may as well not be there, and my eyes generally view dot grid (unless the dots are dark) as “blank.” The solution? Line stencils. Pencil or fineliner, stencil, and we are in business. The decorative tapes at top and bottom aren’t just for pretties, either. They help anchor my sight on the page.

green inside border was already on the paper

Okay, I do also use the borders as a visual signal what section I am in, for multi section notebooks. I also like the process of preparing the page. I like the whole stationery process. Case in point, the current state of the EDC or at least the pouch and TN cover:

Pouch could probably be more Christmassy, but we’ll see.

That’s enough rambling for one week, especially since I need to stay on track with the whole publishing thing. I have forms to fill out and a release date to pick. I am waffling :;mmmm, waffles:: on whether I need a pre-order, but probably not, as this is a re-entry which means I am basically new again. Can we spot the overthinker? Yes. Me. Got it in one.

My reward for posting this blog is a cup of tea and some shortbread, so time to wrap this and move on along with the day. How’s your week looking?

Typing With Wet Paws: Introducing the Boys Edition

November 14, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Now that Mama Anna is finally letting me watch videos I want to see, we have play dates where I can watch those videos (and play with them) and Mama Anna watches. We were doing exactly this the other day when Papa called Mama Anna on the talky box (she calls it a phone) and I heard his voice. I love him a lot, so I ran to the talky box so I could talk to him, too. I have done this before. What was different this time, though, was that first I popped my paw on the keyboard and it paused the video. Mama Anna was surprised and happy. I don’t know why she is surprised. I have seen her do it about a million times. It’s not that hard.

Anyway, whatever it is a cat has to do to get some help around here, it looks like I’ve done it, because now I get to train the new guys, Murphy and Oliver. They work remotely because they live with Aunt Melva in her house which is different from our apartment, but they both love the office over there, so I think collaborating will go well. I will let Aunt Melva introduce them.

This is Oliver and Murphy. They arrived on the scene at my house during the summer. I had only been fur-free for a few months when I inherited these two boys. I did not seek them out. Rather, they found me and settled in. They made themselves at home by trotting across my keyboard and snagging my picture window curtains. They claimed the latter job was done to make my living room look more lived in. While I appreciated their efforts, I had been previously fine un -holey drapes.
Since they made quick work of adding their own stamp on the house, they were looking for employment. Storm graciously offered to let them act as assistants to her blogging work should it ever become necessary. While I was hesitant to allow them entry into the business world, they insisted on joining Storm’s mentorship program. We’ll see how it goes.

–Melva Michaelian

Cat distribution system strikes again. Since they are Aunt Melva’s boys, I guess that makes them my play cousins. I can deal with that. I am awesome at playing. Also, I like everybody.

So, anyway, this week stuff. Mama Anna is all excited about paying her first invoice for the indie publishing thing. Papa has to help her with a thing or two, and then there will be news about fun things like pre orders and release dates and even a cover reveal. Did I mention she really likes the cover? She is already looking forward to working with the Killion Group again.

She also has some plans for future blog posts, both here and at MelvaAndAnna.com, plus how she is going to handle filling the storage on this account at its present level. She will probably have to ask some people about that, which is okay. She is great at talking to people, and most of those pictures are probably of me. If not, then they should be. She might be willing to open a gallery of only kitty pictures over at MelvaAndAnna if you guys want to see one. That would include me, Murphy, and Oliver, though not all three of us in the same place. (I do love car rides, though, so who can tell?)

Anyway, that was my week, and those are my play cousins. How about you?

Typing With Wet Paws: Now It’s November Edition

November 9, 2024annabowling 1 Comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. There is exciting stuff to share this week but first I must address a horrible injustice that has befallen our household. I am no longer allowed to be unsupervised around Mama Anna’s mugs.

Now that we have the new desk setup, and I am sure it is staying (I am in favor of that) I am bolder about exploring it. For example, sometimes I sit behind the laptop and look at Mama Anna over the screen. Sometimes I like to sit on the end of the desk that is next to the window, because sunbeam. I would like more room on that end. Mama Anna says that is where her planner case goes, so I guess I will adapt. Anyway, on to the Unjust Ruling.

If you know me, you know I love my Mama Anna. I love her a lot. She is my favorite person. I like to give my favorite people presents. (Papa still has the hair tie I gave him, which I greatly appreciate. That man knows how to receive a present.) It is now tea weather, and Mama Anna’s superpowers are back. She drinks tea at her desk. I figured I would give her a present in a place that she would definitely find it. So, mug, right? First, I gave Mama Anna my absolute favorite thing to hoard, a silicone earbud cover. I guess she kind of liked it because she kept it. Then I tried supplying a snack to go with her tea. By that, I mean a few pieces of my crunchies (I mean kibbles, not what I put in my poo sand.) She did not know I had done that, so she was surprised when pieces of crunchies floated to the top of her tea. She made different tea, and that’s when she passed the No Unattended Mugs law. I did get a reward, though.

Mama Anna found movies that I want to watch. I love watching her screen no matter what she is doing (I really like when she plays Sims) but this takes it to a new level. This is a game that Big Sister Skye used to love, and I love it, too. There are different kinds: mousies, fishies, lasers, and other things I haven’t seen yet. There are also other ones that are movies of real life squirrels and stuff. This one is mousies. I love watching them do their mousie things and then when they least expect it, POW! Bam! My lightning paws smack them out of existence. Mama Anna says that turns them into crunchies and then she feeds me, so that checks out.

I said exciting things, and they are indeed happening. Mama Anna has received the formatting proof for A Heart Most Errant, and then she needs to do the uploading form. Some parts of that are scary for Mama Anna because anxiety, but that is part of what I am here for, so it is okay. Right now, she is thinking early 2025 for a release date, and then it is time to put Drama King through the same process. The next two books in the Ravenwood series (the medieval novellas) will be A Heart Most Ardent and A Heart Most Wicked. She will also work on Her Last First Kiss, and then she and Aunt Melva will also work on getting Queen of Hearts out to readers.

Rest assured I will be here with her every step of the way. I am also excited for a future post on MelvaAndAnna.com, where Aunt Melva will introduce my new co-workers, aka her two cats. That will be up soon. Make sure that you are subscribed over there so you don’t miss a thing.

How was your week?

Typing With Wet Paws: Post-Birthday Edition

October 25, 2024annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. The birthday I am referring to is not mine (we celebrate that on February 14th) but Mama Anna’s. Mama Anna loves birthdays. They don’t always have to be hers, but this one was. She and Aunt Linda went out for lunch and then craft store shopping, and then after Papa got home from work, he ordered Mama Anna’s favorite pizza, and they did presents and all hung out. I gave Mama Anna lots of cuddles and head bonks. I could not make her a cake, but I did make her lots and lots of biscuits, which she said are even better.

Even though this was Mama Anna’s birthday, I am the one who has big bed news. Aunt Linda got everybody new pillows (all the humans, that is) which means Papa and Mama Anna did not need their old bed pillows, so guess what — they gave them to me! Mama Anna had put my big cat bed on a small table next to her new desk, and, while it is super comfy, it is also too big for that table, so now it is a bed on the people bed during the day. What goes on the small table now? Glad you asked. It is the old people bed pillows. They are soft and comfy and they are parent-scented, so I love them a lot. One of them is going to go in my adventure cave, but that is for later.

Mama Anna also got another wooden crate to put on her desk to hold the planner stuff she uses on a daily basis, and before she put stuff in it, I put me in it. She didn’t get any pictures, and I didn’t stay long, because it did not have any pillows in it. I am all about the comfort. Technically, everything is a cat bed, but for actual bed-beds, I now have the big cat bed on the people bed, the pillow bed on the small table and then my tent on the desk.

There is one more thing that I should mention this week, and it is about my tent. A couple of days ago, Mama Anna put her hand into my tent, to tap the cushion, which is her way of telling me she would like me to go there. Well. She felt something under the cushion, which did not feel like cushion, so she investigated. She picked up the cushion, and underneath it were the following things:

one empty perfume sample spray (Twilly de Hermes)
two silicone earbud tips (my favorite thing to steal)
two bobby pins (Mama Anna refuses to ask why they are bent)

She. Took. Them. All. She also says that now, she will be inspecting my tent daily. Next time, Mama Anna wants to take a picture of my stash before she confiscates it. If I stash things that are okay for me to keep, then she will let me keep them, but sharp things and chemical things and swallowable things are dangerous, and best handled by grownups.

Also, I gave Papa a gift earlier this week. It was a hair tie. One of the good ones. Papa does not have hair on his head, except for his beard, but it is the thought that counts. He very appropriately praised me. Papa loves getting gifts from me, and I wanted to thank him for the gushy food he gives me every night. He wanted to be the gushy food guy, and I think that was a really good decision.

That’s about it for this week. Mama Anna is working hard on doing her very first indie publishing venture. She is nervous but also excited, so it evens out. What’s up with you?

Five Things I Love About My New Desk

October 22, 2024October 22, 2024annabowling 1 Comment

Happy Monday and happy new week. I am coming to you today from the new desk, Storm by my right elbow today because there is a sunbeam on that end of the desk. Guess I don’t need to refer to my daily task list, even if I was planning on covering my daily/weekly planning for this post. Cats, am I right?

The desk itself. I love that I put it together, with help from Housemate, and that it fits perfectly into the office corner of the primary bedroom. It’s more than twice the width of the TV tray type desk I had been using, and it really does feel like a grownup desk at last. Storm is absolutely delighted, because she gets a bed on the desk, a bed next to the desk and there is prime sunbeam real estate. The desk is also in the corner with the baseboard heating, so it will be nide and comfy on fall and winter days/nights.
A place for everything, and everything in its place. The suggested use for the space at the far right of the desk is for a printer, but I already have it on a low table that is only a chair swivel away, so I didn’t move it an inch. Instead, I plopped down a gorgeous black wicker basket to hold my most used supplies, aka a home for my medium pink Delfonics pouch. I am planning a pouch tour video for later. In the meantime, I’ll pop a picture of the current setup down at the bottom.
Drawers. This could have been included in the above, but the drawers are super cool on their own. They are actually made of fabric except for the fronts. The stuff that was cluttering the table that was next to my mini-desk is now stashed in the three drawers (two small, one deep) in the appropriate organizers, so what I reach for the most is in easy reach. I can reach for it without even looking, and still get the correct item. The bottom drawer had the ability to be set up for hanging files, but I opted not to used that, as I have a hanging file system in storage that I can bring home, so don’t need another. Now that drawer is where I put the printer paper, photo paper, sticker paper, etc. In short, paper.
Storm’s tent. Of course I had to mention the benefits to my purr=sonal assistant. For those needing proof how much Storm loves her tent, I have done my first inspection for stash, and I am not disappointed. I have removed:
- two silicone earbud covers (probably her favorite thing to steal/stash)
- two bobby pins
- one empty perfume sample (confiscated immediately! All other fragrances are now securely stored away from curious paws.)
Nothing. Wait, that’s not like it sounds. For the longest time, I have wanted to have a no desk clutter policy, and so far, I am keeping that for this desk. At the end of the day (still when Storm walks across the keyboard and plops herself between me and the laptop) I shut down, and make sure I have left nothing on the desk apart from the usual suspects: Storm’s tent, the laptop, mousepad and mouse, coaster (skull themed, of course) bottle of hand lotion (currently Crabtree and Evelyn Summerhill) and the tray with my pouch and my English Ruler ruler (I seriously do need the version with Charles III.)

And for cat tax, Storm in her tent. I guess it also doubles as a smuggler’s cave since I have now found a stash in it:

For those who haven’t yet heard, I am also blogging at MelvaAndAnna.com, which will be featuring free short reads by both myself and Melva Michaelian. If you don’t want to miss such things and get a front row seat to future Love By The Book installments, subscribe over there. We would love to have you.

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

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