My Hideaway

Following on from Lady Tess's lovely post with pics of her home office, and her query for a shot of our cats on my office window sill, I simply had to oblige and reveal my hidey hole.

Well, you could almost literally call it a hole - it's our small spare (single) bedroom. After years of use for visitors or drying the washing only, DH recently re-painted the walls a warm yellow (ideal to brighten up the room on a gloomy Scottish day such as today). We also bought a new desk, a bookshelf to fit above it (still awaiting its turn), and number of nice photo frames and picked some decent pics for the walls. Oh, and a sheepskin to keep my feet cosy.

So let the tour begin:
The usual view. A Scottish autumn day - the stable yard drenched, and the Pentland Hills hidden by low cloud, with the odd ray of sunshine just about to squeeze through. For five seconds.


My desk, with an array of medieval history books, currently about my favourite family - the Angevins, a Thesaurus and The Oxford Library of Words and Phrases (3 nicely bound books). I have boxes filled with pens, notes, and photographs. A magnetic pin board with printed editing tips, and pics of my boys past and present (Gizmo and Mouse are sadly long gone).

I have to have a notepad for scribbling down ideas and points of further research. And of course my beloved Macbook. Wonder when I can allow myself a Pro...


Looking up, there are photos of Tantallon Castle and Dunottar Castle. Behind me, above the printer, are shots of Etive Mor and a squidy soft Hielan' Coo's nose.


PS Please ignore my dying plants. I'm
hopeless!



My bookcases - need more space to add another soon. Wonder if the guest sofabed should go!




Oh, and Bob relaxing while I write. The cats love the peace and quiet. They can watch what's going on in the stables.


I hope to keep our electric fire in here, too, as the storage heater is not enough to keep me warm most of the time. Still a few things to add, but it's getting there.

Add a cuppa tea, and an Ylang Ylang joss stick, and I'm happy. :-)

Sooo... what does your writing corner look like?

Comments

  1. Tess18 October 2010 at 17:01

    Gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing. You should send the link to Melissa over at Writing with Style - she's doing a special blog post about where writers write on Wednesday:
    http://grosvenorsquare.blogspot.com/2010/10/reminder-where-i-write.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cathie Dunn18 October 2010 at 17:12

    Glad you like the pics, Tess. Thanks a lot for the link. I'll send Melissa this way. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Christine Fletcher20 October 2010 at 17:04

    Hi, Cathie! I popped over from Melissa's. The dilemma of how/where to squeeze in another bookcase is a familiar one...unfortunately, I'm at capacity. (For cases, not books.) :)

    Your writing space is lovely, and I'm envious of your view!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Melissa Amateis20 October 2010 at 18:01

    Thanks so much for participating, Cathie! Love your cozy little writing spot. I wonder if I would be more productive writing-wise if I lived in Scotland since I absolutely LOVE gray, rainy days. Hmm...maybe I'll ask the hubby if we can move. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cathie Dunn20 October 2010 at 19:28

    Thank you both for popping in. :-)

    @ Christine - I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one desperate for more space for bookshelves. Ahh, a bigger house would be nice.

    @ Melissa - Thanks for including me in your wonderful blog post. I loved the pics of your home. So cosy.

    As for our typical weather - it's gone from rainy drizzle to clear blue skies with temperatures around freezing. Also beautiful, just much chillier! What would your hubby say to that? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kelly Boyce21 October 2010 at 11:51

    I love your space. I especially love that it's in Scotland!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cathie Dunn21 October 2010 at 19:20

    Thank you, Kelly. Yes, think DH and I are very fortunate. Scotland has so many gorgeous spots.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Victoria Lamb22 October 2010 at 13:31

    I write as I live - in organised chaos. Your room looks so lovely and orderly and peaceful. But I'd be in there five minutes and wreck the place. I'd pull books out of the bookcase and leave them open on the floor, I'd drop papers all over the desk, I'd spill tea and drop crumbs, and the kids would play under the desk and knock things over and put sticky blue fingermarks all over those beautiful walls.

    No, I'm happy in my heap. I write in my bed most of the time, it being the warmest and probably the tidiest area of the house, which also has to accommodate books, clothes, papers, abandoned toys ... We fall asleep around the debris at about 3am most nights, like crazy people.

    But at least we make it to bed. My husband's parents apparently never used their bed but would sleep sitting up downstairs in their armchairs. Now THAT is strange. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Monique DeVere30 October 2010 at 13:05

    Oh, Cathie,

    How lovely and organised! My study is an everlasting semi-organised mess. I hate to admit it, but I never seem to get the time to file anything. My desk is littered with character and plot notes, and research on my current WIP. Can you come around and make my study as calm as yours look??? :D

    Hugs,
    Monique

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cathie Dunn1 November 2010 at 11:00

    Thank you, Monique. My DH will be wondering what you mean... I'm usually never organised! I shoved all loose papers into a folder for the photos. ;-)

    Thanks for popping in.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cathie Dunn1 November 2010 at 11:03

    Jane, sadly our bedroom is the coldest room in the house. the 'office' (aka spare bedroom) is small and easily heated. I wish I could spend time writing in my bed.

    As for the organised look - that's just for the photo. Yes, my bookshelves are sorted by era/subject matter - I'm fussy about that. But my desk is usually more cluttered.

    Thanks for posting. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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