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foreficfandom · 5 years ago

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Mystic Messenger - Interior Decorating Preferences (Living With MC)

— Zen —

Being a famous stage actor unfortunately doesn’t lead to heaps of cash, so even after establishing his career, Zen stayed in his garden unit for several years. You and him made the best of the place for as long as you could - brightening up the dankness with cheery lighting, making sure everything was clean - but eventually the tiny, cheap apartment wore out its welcome and the two of you decided that enough moldy air was enough.

Your new place was larger, newer, and located in a better neighborhood. Rent was more than twice the amount, which sometimes puts a strain on the books, and Zen also had to rent a separate parking space for his bike. But it was just a cheerier place. Both you and Zen began feeling the effects of a better ventilated, better lit home, and it energizes the both of you. The extra money was worth it.

While moving, Zen decided to dump most of his old furniture, keeping only the flatscreen and a table or a lamp. The new apartment was decorated with new couches and cushions, cabinets, mirrors, curtains and rugs. Zen had a surprisingly nuanced taste for interior decorating, and sought out decor with modern, smooth metal and muted grey colors.

Before, Zen lived with a mishap match of cheap furniture that clashed with each other and gathered dust as the years went by. Now, with a new place, you and Zen took the opportunity to really turn the apartment into a home.

He loved keeping the house brightly lit. Curtains were almost always drawn to let in the natural sun, and there were multiple lamps in every room to brighten up every corner. Sometimes, if a production was generous enough, Zen was allowed to take home one of the props as a gift. So the apartment was eventually decorated with several unique pieces, all mementos from his work.

He loves seeing the splashes of color dotting his brightly lit home, especially if you’re there to enjoy it with him.

— Yoosung —

It takes a while to move out of the dorms. He finishes his degree two years into you dating him, but before that point he had very little space to live in. His dorm didn’t have a kitchenette nor a shower, though luckily he didn’t have to deal with a roommate.

Any decorations he had were haphazard and cheap - a character mug for his pencil holder, a bedding set from Target, and other things typical for a full-time college student. His furniture belonged to the dorm, and there was quite a bit of clutter scattered around. Whenever you came over to visit, you would trip over things like random plastic figurines from vending machines.

After graduating, he moves back with his parents like many young people in Asia. But he really wanted a place of his own as soon as possible, mostly due to your influence. He didn’t want to awkwardly balance his family life with your availability. So after saving up from his internships, he found his first legit apartment to rent.

It was small, old, and the best he could find on such a small income. But it wasn’t bad, per se. Just needed some sprucing up. So that’s what he decided to do; actual decor, now, instead of cheap junk. Furniture from IKEA, legit bedding and curtains. It was important that you saw him as a budding adult, instead of some college kid.

He always loved bright colors and cheery imagery. Some of it kinda clashed, if you were totally honest. But he loved how it gave his home a slightly artsy twist.

And he still enjoyed his character merch, just not as vigorously as he did before. His desk was no longer covered in old acrylic keychains and plastic charms, but the tissue box on the dresser was decorated with characters from one of his favorite animes.

Above all, he loved how his space wasn’t an embarrassment to show you, anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact. Every corner held evidence of how much he’s grown. And you were there to share it with him.

— Jaehee —

Before you came into the picture, her apartment was kinda threadbare. She spent so little of her time there, she couldn’t really decorate the space to her liking. Although her work at C&R earned her an impressive paycheck, you couldn’t see any real evidence of it amongst her home.

Except for her technology, which she was happy to splurge on. A large plasma TV, the latest Kureig model, a snazzy smartspeaker. Plus, her furniture was brand-name. If it wasn’t for Jaehee herself living there, you could almost believe this apartment was some sort of photoshoot studio - perfectly decorated and sterile.

After leaving C&R and starting a cafe with you, she finally had time to really invest in her home. And she took it by storm, not just buying tasteful wall art and coordinated throw rugs, but also contracting people to install new granite to the kitchen countertop and re-modeling the entire bathroom.

She and you had a real eye when it came to decor. It took an entire day set aside to tour furniture stores when it came time to buy new floor lamps, or accent tables. You compared prices on your phone, she agonized over color swatches and metal finishes.

And she switches up things pretty rapidly. She’ll buy these chic polished metal salt-and-pepper shakers for the kitchen, and two months later she’ll decide they’re too plain so she’ll bring home a dyed blue glass set, only to eventually think they’re too tacky.

All the colors are warm, sometimes dim and cozy, sometimes brightly lit. Antique gold and brass in the kitchen, warm pearls in the bathrooms, buttercup yellow decorating the bedsheets.

No longer was her apartment an oppressive, lonely place that money couldn’t fix. She had a home now; under her feet, and also within you.

— Jumin —

Now, the images of Mystic Messenger don’t give us the full tour of Jumin’s skyline penthouse studio, but if they did we’d all be shook. ‘Cause his place is no fucking joke, its literally one of the top ten most expensive homes of South Korea.

It’s located atop an 85-floor skyscraper, and takes up the entire floor with a 20,000 square feet span. It boasts four bathrooms, two kitchens, three separate lounge areas, and crazy expensive architecture. That vertical fish tank next to his Wyoming-size king bed is only the beginning of the luxury that surrounds this man’s abode.

Even after months of living with him, Jumin surprises you by pointing out some decadent part of the apartment you had missed. Like the jacuzzi settings on one of the bathtubs, or how the massive span of windows can be tinted using a remote. He had lived the life of a millionaire for so long, he got used to these sorts of things.

You, on the other hand, are constantly charmed and even overwhelmed by the decadence. Half the wine in his personal cellar cost more than your college tuition. You couldn’t help but just, lap up this ridiculous palace, at times. It was really something to wake up to carved marble tiles, crystal lamps, and designer furniture every day.

When you moved in, Jumin soon began considering buying a larger place, because to him the massive studio was ‘too small for two people’ and you had to quickly stop him before he bought a literal estate. True, the interior decorating had already been carefully furnished with only Jumin as the sole resident in mind, but bit by bit, your personal touches began gracing his home.

Like your closet became your closet, both lounges were slowly re-decorated with your own personal tastes in color and decor, your little knick-knacks found their way upon bookshelves and countertops, Jumin’s luxury dishware now included your favorite decorated mugs and cute kitten ramen bowl.

And those touches are what finally made Jumin feel like his apartment was a home. All the luxury in the world couldn’t buy this coziness.

— Saeyoung —

The man is a dirty, rowdy boy who pays almost no attention to maintaining his habitat. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an aesthetic, though. He buys the top-of-the-line technology with colored LED lights and polished marble surfaces. There’s so much color surrounding his bunker, you can almost forget you’re twenty feet underground.

Seriously, sometimes it’s like a rave. His triple-door smartscreen fridge is lit with deep blue blacklights, his bathroom mirror is backlit with a chrome rainbow spectrum that shifts colors, the ceiling light of his bedroom is this big circular fixture that mimics different planets with a push of a remote.

But he only pays attention to decor he’s interested in. So when it comes to his couches, his dining table, his bedframe? He just outsourced it to designer brands and picked the most generic, modern-style ones they had. To keep it even more simple, it’s all a boring black color. And many of it is part of the same collection - you noticed that the dining chairs, the coffee table, and the barstools are all the same design.

And no, he’s doesn’t clean after himself. He really doesn’t have the heart nor time to, especially before meeting you. So there’s food crumbs in the crack of his office chair, loose clothing in random places on the floor and tossed over chairs, and product bottles thrown haphazardly amongst the bathroom.

When you came into the picture and saved him from the agency, his work racketed down by a huge margin. No more working 52 hours at a stretch without sleep, no more entire weeks spent fearing for his life if he didn’t finish a job. This left more time and energy to step it up a bit and stop being such a slob. Mostly for your sake, if he was being honest.

Almost all of the fancy tricked up stuff in his apartment was his own doing. And once he had more free time, there was even more of it. So enjoy your voice-activated desk lamp with bluetooth and 30 different color settings, that was just an afternoon project and he’s got something even better for the two of your’s anniversary!

— Saeran —

Unlike his brother, Saeran actually values cleanliness and a good living space. Partially due to his bad immune system and how a clean environment can make a big difference in his health, and partially because that’s just the kind of guy he is. He had his own room in Mint Eye, which was tastefully decorated under his own hand with antiques and art statement pieces. Decorating his room was one of the few opportunities he had to express himself.

Once he escaped Mint Eye and began living with you, it took many months to regain some assemblance of a normal daily life, and one of the first steps was to retrofit his living space into a safe, encouraging home.

With your help, the two of you planned out everything with the intention of creating a haven of sorts. He still wanted his antique aesthetic and romantic colors, but now there was technology that encouraged communication with the outside world. Now, the curtains were pulled to reveal an exciting, open world right on the doorstep.

The antique interior complimented his flowers very well. ‘Cause flowers and plants are a constant fixture in the home. Sometimes, its cut flowers arranged in a Regency-era glass vase, but mostly they’re potted flowering plants. Huge ones in the living room, or tiny ones on accent shelves, or the several window planters you and he maintained with love and care.

As he regained his confidence, the apartment showed his progress. He began going out to buy things on his own, without needing you to accompany him. And the things he brought back were sometimes ... weird, but oddly charming, like a mounted authentic Viking drinking horn, or a framed poster of a map from a fantasy video game.

He just ... enjoyed these odd things. His life was so free now, which meant he could go out and be weird and enjoy these weird things without anything holding him back. You proudly displayed all of these trophies, all evidence of Saeran’s healing.

— Jihyun —

It’s canon that Jihyun’s apartment in-game was mostly fitted to Rika’s wishes, not his own. We don’t really see it, but if the photo panned out more we’d see pale, birchwood accents and light linen fabric. Everything bright, and lit with white lights. Almost all of it Rika’s influence.

When he and you found a new apartment, Jihyun wanted to take this opportunity to establish himself more, this time. So instead of that pure, untouched look, he added more color in washes of warm leathers, brushed metal, and natural lighting.

It was worldly, for lack of a better term. Lots of mementos from his time traveling, all adding dimension to the living space. A woven Navajo basket from New Mexico, a large print replica of a page from the Book Of Kells, a bronze modern art sculpture from an emerging Indian artist.

And the furniture themselves were uniquely artistic, too. Jihyun one day brought home new earthy-brown decorative cushions, bought from a company that produced textiles dyed using food waste scrap. He went to a warehouse auction for authentic, obscure antiques, and graced the living room with a richly red bubinga-wood rocking chair from 1950′s Germany.

Funnily enough, as graceful of a man he is, he can sometimes be a bit too tacky in his choice for decor. He tried to argue for fake exposed-brick wallpaper as an accent wall, which you had to shoot down. More than once, he showed you a new art piece about to be sold at a new gala that he wanted to go bid for, and the particular piece was just ... too esoteric or even gaudy to be displayed.

Jihyun just loved to feel like he could be himself. And he loved how you encouraged this new life of his. An actual home, now, free from his family or Rika. True love can only blossom under freedom, and that’s what this home represented for him.

#mystic messenger imagines #mysme imagines #mystic messenger #zen mysme #yoosung kim #jaehee kang #jumin han #saeyoung choi #saeran choi #jihyun kim

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heysarsii · 4 years ago

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Have only been working on building my workspace since the start of this year. Didn't really paid that much attention to having a decent workspace setup until I realized that we will all still be staying at home for another year.

I bought a sturdy table now cause the first one I bought was now wobbly and I figured that my things won't fit on it since I initially bought it for my laptop. Given my profession, I would need another screen for whenever I need to do comparisons and tests.

I didn't buy an expensive and high quality screen because I don't think it's a must for me to buy one. For me, if it works at a cheaper price, I'm good with it. Hence, some cheap finds for my space: my keyboard and mouse which were freebies when I bought my monitor. I thought they looked cool and the keyboard sounds good to me. I got the mouse pad from Shopee cause it has a print of the Great Wave by Hokusai which I love.

As for my laptop and monitor riser, I opted for a non sturdy one but it actually is sturdy now that I'm using it. I just had to add in some reinforcements and it now doesn't look like I bought it for a price below P400. I chose this kind instead of the foldable aluminum ones because I wanted to have space where I can put my extra stuff on. I can even hide my keyboard and notebook under it so I can have extra space to work on when I am not using my computer. I sometimes use my laptop riser from Ikea whenever I want to bring up my laptop screen more as shown on the current setup. I bought storage trays for P20 each at Landmark which served as a sorter and drawers for my pens, notepads, office needs, and cables.

I also bought an adjustable screen rack which holds some of my bootleg anime figures from Haikyuu!! and Demon Slayer. I added felt paper on it so that the items won't easily slip. I also have an external USB port since I have limited ports on my laptop. It also makes a tidier setup at the back of my laptop.

Since I love having my phone with me whenever I work, I bought a sturdy yet cheap phone holder which can be adjusted to my liking. It's great for when I am watching Netflix on my phone or when I use it for my testing activities.

I already have bluetooth speakers (Oontz) which I have since year 2015 and still sounds amazing plus bluetooth earbuds which I use for my phone when I'm watching.

I bought lamps cause I have been struggling with poor lighting whenever I am on a video call. The desk lamp is turned that way so I can have a better lighting instead of the light bouncing directly on my face. I saw a video saying to have the lights bounce off the wall to achieve better lighting on video calls. The other LED lamp is one of my best buys. It is magnetic and rechargeable. I can place it anywhere and I can adjust the brightness of it.

I know that computers has a clock in it and even my phone has a clock app included but I still wanted a desk clock which I think looks amazing on my workspace. It also has an alarm feature which I can use aside from my phone as back up. It can run on batteries but I opted to have it plugged in because the time display sleeps at a given time when running on batteries.

Lastly, the chair. I had a hard time looking for cheap chairs but I found a listing on Facebook from an office that is selling most of their assets at a cheaper price. Bought this for only P900. I had it disinfected and deep cleaned before using it. It's sturdy, it turns, and has and arm rest which I am so thankful for. Height adjustment is not commendable since it doesn't go higher or lower unlike the expensive ones. Good thing that it matches the height of my table. Else, I would need to put a pillow everytime I use it.

That is my current setup. I'm still thinking if I should buy some upgrades like a better webcam, a wireless mouse, or a mechanical keyboard (which costs a fortune). Aside from what I have now, what else should I consider for my space?

#workspace #work from home #life lately

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gamerwares · 4 years ago

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Best Gaming Desks (L-Shape, Corner, and More)

One of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of gaming are gaming desks. Keyboards, graphics cards, chairs, gaming glasses and headsets always seem to be higher on the priority list.

So in this article, we’re going to page homage to the humble gaming desk. We’ll show you (what we think) are the best gaming desks and give you tips on how to create the best desk for gaming.

What Are Gaming Desks and Why Do I Need One? http://www.thegamercollective.com/corner-gaming-desk-lights/

There aren’t many affordable desks made just for gamers. With that said, there are many office desks which will work well. That’s because the needs of the office worker and a gamer are very similar.

Let’s be honest about this, we could call any flat surface that our PC, consoles, and screens sit on a gaming desk. What we’re actually talking about are computer desks which are best to use as gaming desks.

Just like when you’re buying any other piece of gaming equipment, you need to make sure it’s fit for purpose. Buying the wrong desk is going to get really annoying really quickly.

What to Consider When Buying a New Desk

Before purchasing your new gaming desk make sure you consider the following points:

Weight capacity – You need to ensure the desk you buy can hold the weight of your expensive hardware. Layout – Before buying a new gaming desk take stock of what you need to put on it and where it will go in your home/office. Shape and dimensions – You need to be aware of how much floor space your new gaming desk will likely take up. Desk space – Make sure your new gaming desk has enough physical space for everything you need. Cable management – Do you need a solution to keeping your cables and leads tidy or does the desk have in-built management? As long as you consider all these points before purchase then you should be happy with whatever you buy.

The Best Gaming Desks: Our Top Recommendations

There are so many different sizes and shaped gaming desks available. So, we’ve broken them down into categories.

1. The best standard I shaped gaming desk 2. The best L shaped or corner gaming desk 3. The best budget gaming desk.

And for the more budget conscious, well also take a look at how to upgrade an existing gaming desk. We’ll show you how to make it more ergonomic and how to convert it to a standing desk.

The Atlantic Gaming Desk: The Best I Shaped Gaming Desk We loved the look of this Atlantic Gaming desk. It is a little unconventional but the level of functionality you get is excellent. Especially considering the price!

It’s the perfect all in one unit for gamers. It even comes with a drinks holder so you no longer have to choose between your K/D ratio and your hydration.

In our opinion, the Atlantic gaming desk has to be the best I shaped gaming desk. As pretty hardcore gamers, our desks are always littered with headsets, controllers, drinks and all kinds of other stuff. This is why we loved the Atlantic gaming desk. They have a place for everything.

There’s a charging station for your mobile phone or tablet. For storing your controllers, headsets and games etc, there are holders everywhere. So now your gaming space can be tidy instead of looking like a grenade has come out of the game and gone off in front of you.

And DON’T sleep on the value of the cup holder. If you’re a hardcore gamer or even a thirsty casual one, you’ll know the dangers of having drinks on your desk. You might have experience of spilling your drink all over your hardware.

Expensive mistake!

All that risk is gone with the inclusion of a simple cup holder and it big enough to take most drinks.

The basic layout of the desk is straightforward. There’s a stand for your monitor which you can remove if you have a multiple screen setup. It’ suitable for monitor desk clamps as well.

This gaming table comes flat packed and like all flat pack furniture, we dreaded having to assemble it. But, all the holes were pre-drilled and the whole thing was pretty easy to put together. The instructions were easy to understand, even for those like us who don’t usually do well following instructions.

And everything on this desk is solid metal! It doesn’t feel flimsy so you won’t be disappointed with the build quality, it’s rock solid.

We think the Atlantic Gaming desk is pound for pound the best gaming I shaped gaming desk on the market. It has been designed with the needs and wants of gamers in mind.

And it’s not expensive.

Considering the build quality and the thought that has gone into making it, we’d go as far to say it’s pretty cheap!

The Best L Shaped Gaming Desk

Best Budget Gaming Desk: IKEA Linnmon/AdilsSpektrum

This IKEA Linnmon desk is as simple as can be with one of the lowest prices in the market. The desk minutes to assemble and it literally takes minutes – it simple, quick and easy.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money of a high-end gaming desk then this is the desk for you. It does exactly what it says on the box and comes from IKEA which means it’s cheap and usually pretty good.

This desk is the bargain of the century. It looks good and does the job!

This is one of the best value for money gaming desks on the market. Let’s get this out in the open early, it is nothing special, it’s as basic as can be. But for the price point it should it’s definitely worth considering.

The desk comes from IKEA so assembly is straightforward. Even a novice will have it up in less than 20 minutes . The legs are quite skinny so we recommend putting it right up against a wall for a bit of extra support to be safe. It will take two screens with enough room for your keyboard and mouse.

Because these table are produced at a low cost, the materials aren’t as robust. They’re made from particle board which isn’t as strong as solid wood, metal or glass. This means you can’t use screen clamps as they will leave dents and maybe even break the table.

Although this desk is just 4 legs and a table top, with some thought you can have a very inexpensive gaming desk setup. Especially if you apply some of our tips and tricks to improving any gaming desk as mentioned above.

Best Sitting / Standing Desk: Tranzendesk Standing Desk

If you spend long hours at your gaming desk you may need to adopt an ergonomically friendly approach. Sitting for long hours at a time can cause severe backache as well as other health concerns. That’s why we included this standing desk this in our list of the best.

With its easy crank height adjustment, you can play your games while sitting or standing. Many of these kinds of desks are electric so you can adjust them with the touch of a button. That said, they’re usually very expensive and not always worth it in our opinion.

Adjusting the height of the desk is easy via the hand crank. There’s plenty of space for multiple monitors and room underneath for your legs.

Cable management needs thinking about thought. There needs to be enough slack cable in order for the desk to go up and down fully whilst not looking messy. Have a look at some of our suggestions for improving your gaming desk later in this article.

5 Tips and Tricks to Upgrading Your Current Setup

If you’re not happy with your current gaming setup there are a few things you can do to upgrade and improve your gaming experience. If you follow these six tips you can immediately improve your gaming desk.

Tidy up the cables – This is a simple step but one that many gamers overlook. There’s no cheaper and more effective way to hide a big pile of cables than with cable sleeving. Cable management sleeving has slots cut along the length to allow cables to poke out exactly where you need them. Turn 10 cables into 1 cable and keep everything tidy. You even get the choice of black or white to suit your desk.

Add a bit of green – The small things really do make a big difference and adding some decor to your desk will make it look nicer. Adding an artificial table plant is a good contrast to all the technology on your desk. It will keep you connected with nature which, believe it or not, is important. Being locked up in a room and in front of a screen all day isn’t good for you! And the good thing about an artificial plant is that you can’t kill it!

Get a laptop stand – If you game on a laptop or netbook you might want to invest in a good laptop stand. A lot of people strain their necks and back by crouching over a small laptop for long periods of time. Raising the laptop to eye level will make a big difference to your posture, reducing the issue of back pain.

Try Standing – Sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for your back so why not try standing? This Standing Desk Converter fits to your current desk. It elevates your screen and equipment to standing height and when you want to go back to sitting, adjust it to your sitting height. Not only does this help with your posture in a big way, but standing while gaming can improve performance.

Get some LED’s – A lot of high end gaming set ups are amazingly well lit and you can get this effect with LED strip lighting kit. You can turn your outdated gaming setup into something quite special. These strips are pretty cheap and easy to install. They come with an adhesive back which means you can put them around your desk and have a nice backlit effect.

In Conclusion

The gaming desk is probably the most product in a world where graphics cards, ultra-wide monitors, and mechanical keyboards take priority. Yet every gamer is different. The best gaming desks mean different things to different people. It comes down to personal preference.

We have shown you what we think are the best gaming desk and how to easily upgrade your current space.

So, show us your battlestations!

Leave a comment down below and show us your setup. Also let us know if you would like us review any other gaming desks in the future.

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kes-au · 5 years ago

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The Wooden Chest

Ally had just been looking for something to add a bit of character to her new home. The notice board outside the library was advertising a car boot sale that weekend, it was a perfect chance to pick up one or two things to counter the Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic, otherwise known as Ikea, that currently dominated. She locked up the cottage, hopped in her own car - boot empty - and headed off in search of treasure. The sale was being held in a field next to the local primary school and she stopped off at the school's cake stall for scotch tablet, the likes of which can never be found in shops. The trash and treasure clothing area yielded some possible gems in the form of Indian silk skirts, rather the worse for wear, that could possibly be made up into vibrant, luxurious patchwork cushion covers. The rest of the areas were less inspiring. She continued to wander toward the far end of the field. A farm truck stood at the end of the line, with an odd collection of old furniture and ornaments, and some truly lovely new wooden chairs and tables. Most of it was well out of her price range, they really were beautiful pieces, but a slightly battered old wooden chest, caught her eye. It was in quite good condition and very well priced, to the point she wondered what was wrong with it. As she was considering the chest, the stall holder finished up the sale he'd been in the middle of when she arrived and came over. "Oh, yeah, that'd be great-grandfather's old sea chest. He was one of those who went to sea to make his fortune and supposedly brought it back in that. It's been locked most of my life, that's why it's so cheap, whoever buys it will need to work out how to get it open." Ally turned as the stall holder was speaking and blushed slightly as she realised he was quite a lot taller, an awful lot younger than she'd assumed from a distance and all up, rather disconcertingly handsome. "It may be a good challenge for me, and if it stays closed, I could always upholster the top and use it as a bench." The stallholder looked at her properly for the first time, "I never thought of that. Although I'm not sure I'd trust my abilities with a needle. Woodworking is all well and good but fabric is a touch too flimsy for my comfort." "Did you make all the furniture here?" "Made or restored, yes. Great grandad's chest is the odd one out and I'll likely catch hell from grandma for bringing it here today but it's just taking up room and seems to deliberately jump out and bite toes if you're not paying attention around it. I think it needs to be put to some use to make it behave again." "Do you treat all items of furniture as if they're alive?" He flushed, "Um, not really, but sort of?" "I like it", she smiled, "It shows a craftsman who's properly in touch with his creations." His grin made her heart skip a little. "So, would you like to rescue this sadly neglected chest slash bench?" "You know, I think I would." She handed over the money for the chest and then realised it was probably a bit too large and heavy for her to carry back to the car. Thankfully her hunky stallholder also proved to be a bit of a mind reader. "Would you like a hand getting that back to your car, you've got your hands a bit full there and it's not exactly the smallest piece to tote about." She smiled gratefully but stopped on a sudden concern as he bent to pick up the chest, "but what about your stall, don't you need to stay here to keep an eye on things and serve customers?" "That's no problem at all. Hey Timon," he called over to the jovial-looking retiree in the bay across the walkway, "I need to make a delivery, can you keep an eye on things here?" Timon waved in acknowledgement and encouraged them both to take their time and enjoy the occasion. That easy-going camaraderie and community connection was a key reason she had run from her high energy life in the city and found her new place in this pretty village. She hoped she'd be able to earn her way into the fabric of the community in a year or so. She'd heard stories from city friends of people who'd tried to make the lifestyle change never being accepted in their new homes, but, having met some on their return to city life, she wondered how hard they'd actually tried. Her stallholder, (she really needed to get his name, he wasn't 'hers' but try telling that to a certain, mushy section of her brain) was greeted with waves and smiles from the people around them the whole way to her car. Once there, he helped her push down the back seats to better fit the chest and her other purchases. Once everything was safely stowed, he looked at her assessingly, "I'm guessing you're the one who's moved into the Johnson's old place, Willow Cottage?" "Yes, how did you know?" "I recognise the car from driving by most days, how're you settling in?" "Very well thank you, people have been so kind." "Have you managed to get the attic door open yet?" Dear lord, the man WAS a mind reader, that door had been stubbornly stuck closed since the day she arrived. He grimaced at her shock, "It's just that Mrs J used to get me down around this time every year otherwise it'd be stuck closed all summer and half of autumn." "Ah, so you're a door doctor then. Yes it's stuck, I haven't been able to open it since I moved in and everything that's meant to be up there is currently creating a major shipping hazard in the sitting room." "If you'd like, I can drop by tomorrow and take a look. If it's not inconvenient, I mean I don't want to intrude on your weekend and home space." "It would be a huge help, please do." "Right-o, would 2ish suit? I need to deliver a commission in the morning and can drop by on the way home." "That sounds fine. I'll see you then. My name's Ally by the way." "Oh, sorry, it's Chris, Chris Whittaker. I live up on Somers Hill Farm." He nodded a little awkwardly and turned way with a half wave. Ally hopped into the car and grinned all the way home. The chest proved something of a challenge to get out and into the sitting room, she ended up edging it onto an old blanket and used that to drag it into place. She then settled down in front of it to examine the lock. The whole thing reminded her of an Indian puzzle box she had picked up on a business trip to Bangalore a few years before, just on a much larger scale. Sure enough, after a bit of nudging and coaxing on one of the upper panels it slid to one side and let her push up the lid. The inside was surprisingly fresh and clean given the number of years it had apparently been closed. Ally wondered if Chris's Grandma had used the secret lock to keep inquisitive youngsters out of clean linens, Christmas presents and suchlike. It was starting to get late, and she needed to log on and deal with some work issues before the Sydney office came online for Monday morning, so she contented herself with dropping that evening's purchases into the chest and closing it up before spinning into the workstation that should have been in the attic, but was currently dominating her downtime area. That door couldn't open soon enough. The next morning, after checking in on work progress and setting up the next stage of projects for India and the US, she had lunch, then tidied her work area, ready for its move upstairs and realised she was clock-watching. Chris was admirably punctual and had the attic door open within minutes. Unfortunately it looked like the office move would not be taking place that day. The supposedly empty attic was full of boxes and old furniture. Ally looked at the hoard in dismay. What was she supposed to do with all this? The previous owners had sold her the cottage and moved to New Zealand to be nearer their daughter and grandchildren and had told her that anything remaining in the house when she moved in was hers. Chris whistled in appreciation, "That's some beautiful woodwork you've got there! Where did you find it?" "I found it sitting in my attic when you opened the door." He turned to look at her in astonishment, "The Johnsons left all this and didn't say anything?" "Yup, they told me anything in the house was now mine. I'm not sure if this is them thinking they're doing me a favour or some weird revenge." "I'd go with favour knowing those two." "I feel better knowing that but it doesn't solve the issue of where I'm going to put my home office." "I was thinking your sitting room was looking a mite crowded." He paused, then went on a little diffidently, "I don't want you to think I'd be taking advantage or anything but, as I said, there's some nice work here. I could see what I could take off your hands if you're interested, for a fair price of course." "That would be a huge help! I'd be happy to hand over the lot but I probably should go through and see if there's anything I could use downstairs. It's likely to look better, and more in line with the whole cottage thing than the Ikea stuff I have at the moment." "Do you want to make a start now?" "I can't, I've got a conference call in twenty minutes - I work for a tech firm and because I deal with all our international offices, I'm able to work from home, but I do very odd hours. Would you be able to spare any time later in the week?" "Well, I don't work to the same type of meetings and deadlines as you, so might be easiest to work in with whatever you have happening." "In that case I'm fine any day this week, it's only really Mondays that are silly with meetings." "So Tuesday then? Same time?" "That would be great. Oh, and I managed to get that chest open" Chris' jaw dropped, "You did? I got a rare hiding from grandma on the phone last night when I mentioned I'd passed it to a new owner, she was making no sense at all." "It's like an Indian puzzle box I own, come and take a look." She led the way down to the corner of the sitting room where the chest now sat and pushed the panel across, satisfied with the exclamation behind her when the lid popped free of its catch. Pushing it up, she revealed, a chest empty of the things she'd put in the night before.

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onecreativeproject · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Take time or Organizing the automobile doesn't need to be difficult. Best of all, it does not have to be pricey. There are numerous DIY tricks that you could use to get your car cleaned up and completely organized. You just have to start by cleaning out the vehicle and creating a list of things which you will need to carry with you. Whether you're heading out on vacation or you simply have to arrange your daily stuff, you can discover a number of things that can help you to keep items in their position. If you have adolescents, kids or even pets that ride together with you we have assembled a great list of ways that you can organize your vehicle and keep it looking tidy while ensuring that you have all that you want. A number of these will function in everything from little sports cars to bigger SUVs so they are perfect for any motor vehicle.

Use Space Tray

When you have space between your chairs, this is the perfect place to keep things organized. You can add a plastic box or bag filled with whatever you need and insert it well into this space. This is great for keeping children toys and other necessities within reach but nevertheless perfectly arranged so they don't discard other along with crayons, LEGOs smaller items under the seat.

Make Travel Kits

A pouch organization process is a superb method to store all of your travels arranged. You can make or buy these systems that have pouches and labels which are see through so you know what's in them. This is a great idea for those who have kids who want to be able to take along certain toys or who must create a first aid kit and other items that can fall between seats.

Arrange Your Snacks

Maintaining bites organized is vital in keeping everybody happy. Rather than packing boxes or bags and large packages, think about a snack organizer. You can store it so you can take which everyone loves, and it's room. Who says you can not make everyone happy? Rental Cars Toronto Airport

Seat covers

This is definitely the most important part of your car's interior as car seat plays very vital role for staying cozy. Fluffy seat covers are comfortable but when these are used in long term they create hassle. The best method to choose auto seat covers that are firmed and comfortable even in the event that you will need to travel thousands of miles. Avoid leather seat covers, because they are not comfortable in both the conditions i.e. scorching heat and cold days.

Preserve Your Keys Organized

Ok, so this one does not actually go from the car but it is important to keep your keys organized. This is a great idea for keeping them all together if you tend to lose your keys from time to time. You have to create a channel for those keys some hooks for keys and colorful paper or fabric. You can add a location for memos and crisis phone numbers.

The Dash

The dashboard and center area is something which we see maximum times while driving. It's natural to peek several times to it. If you're really planning to give by working on its inside, then nothing can be greater than changing the color of your dashboard. The painting process will end and it'll enhance the appearance of your car. You are able to first clean your car's dash by soap, then a glue promoter followed by paint. If done carefully, the areas that are decorated will look like fresh and nobody will have the ability to comprehend it.

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Ikea has a good Flort Remote Control that is perfect for maintaining the backseat organized and clean. You only run it under the car seat of the little one and it will hold crayons, paper, toys, books and anything else that your little one needs to take along. Additionally, it will help keep your chairs protected from other messes that are little and spills.

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

A cheap arts and crafts coordinator is a fantastic way to keep food from getting spilled all over your car. When they are eating in the vehicle traveling with little ones is enough, much less. These tiny organizers have two compartments in order that that they can separate their meals and the handle is perfect for transferring food without spilling.

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a-clouded-melange · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Use Space Tray

Make Travel Kits

Arrange Your Snacks

Rental Cars Toronto Airport

Seat covers

Preserve Your Keys Organized

The Dash

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

0 notes

bottled-thoughtss · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Use Space Tray

Make Travel Kits

Arrange Your Snacks

Seat covers

Preserve Your Keys Organized

The Dash

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

0 notes

pinkeet · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Use Space Tray

Make Travel Kits

Arrange Your Snacks

Seat covers

Preserve Your Keys Organized

The Dash

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

0 notes

bruisedmango · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Use Space Tray

Make Travel Kits

Arrange Your Snacks

Seat covers

Preserve Your Keys Organized

The Dash

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

0 notes

frostedulcers · 7 years ago

Text

Car Design Ideas

Use Space Tray

Make Travel Kits

Arrange Your Snacks

Seat covers

Preserve Your Keys Organized

The Dash

Remote Holder Doubles as Storage

Arts and Crafts Organizers Hold Food

0 notes

cessanderson · 8 years ago

Photo

Instant workspace http://ift.tt/2pf5Q1m Sara @ Russet Street Reno So, you may recall from my entry remodel post that I had this awkward space in between our couch and the railing.

Here is a better look at this useless clutter zone.

I had a dream to use this little strip of space for a desk area. Up until now, my laptop lived here:

Sup, breast pump? Obviously, this was totally unacceptable for a work area. As a photographer, I spend hours on my laptop editing, and this setup was uncomfortable at best. I also had the bad habit of just setting mail, paperwork to be filed, and my external hard drives right there on the couch. It was awful!

I also had all my lenses and cameras just sitting on our Ikea bookshelves surrounding the tv. It looked so messy.

My plan was to replace the console table with a small desk, and move all this stuff over to the desk area. This was not easy, since the desks I liked were much wider than the 40ish inches I had in the space. Then, I found this simple 42" desk at World Market, and took advantage of a sale.

It was sort of hard to put together, because the metal is hand forged and the holes didn't exactly match up. But, I love the look and it's sturdy after assembly. It was already functioning better to have a desk in this area immediately after I put it together.

Then, I looked to the wall above. I had two acrylic shelves from CB2 that I had planned on staggering over a dresser in the guest room. After I came back to reality and admitted that the room was way too small to fit even the tiniest dresser, they hid under the bed until now. They came with silver screws, but I used some black ones I had laying around, I think they look so great!

These are 4 foot and 2 foot shelves, so I had to place the longer one past the width of the desk. I thought I would hate that, but I actually don't mind. It creates the illusion of a wider area, and also frames the lamp nicely. They are also sturdy enough to hold my heavy lenses!

And I wanted to reuse my beloved pineapple lamp, so I got a new shade and it looks pretty good here.�� Here is the final space:

I'm so in love with this! There is pretty much a place for everything. It is beyond thrilling to have my lenses look beautiful, and be easy for me to grab whenever I'm heading out to a photo session. I even had enough space for my speedlight!

The top shelf mostly holds framed prints, because I love some good inspiration while I'm working. I chose images of my boys that are cute (obviously) but also showcase great lighting, composition, or post processing. I plan to rotate them out as they get bigger.

The top shelf also holds my client 'Thank You' cards I include with print orders, and this little white box I found at Homegoods keeps my battery charger, tripod mount, and a couple older memory cards that I don't use often.

Since the colors in my branding are white, charcoal, and teal/aqua, I was pretty excited when Ashford came home from school with the watercolor art you see framed here. I found the frame at Homegoods, ripped out the inspirational 'saying' that it was meant to hold, and put his painting in. The aqua/mint box frame in the middle was also found at Homegoods. The clock is from Target.

Let's talk about the stag head. Last year during Black Friday, whitefauxtaxidermy.com had their annual sale. I bought a huge rhino head for my brother, and couldn't help but snap up 'Alfred' for half off for myself. After I got the shipment, I was sort of at a loss with where to hang him. Luckily, he looks majestic here, and wears a wooden camera toy my kids hardly ever look at. I still have some anxiety about him crashing down when the door slams and destroying my laptop and lenses, but I have a heavy duty anchor back there, and I can't live my life in fear.

Since I needed a desk with small width, pretty much none offered drawers. I didn't really mind, because I find that drawers in tight spaces just get cluttered and hard to find things in the back. I measured the openings of the shelves, and found that CB2 had a wool storage box that had the exact same dimensions.

It holds additional hard drives, referral cards, and my supplies for mailing prints to clients. It was not cheap, but it's beautiful quality, and I had the best customer service from the store. Quick story - I ordered the box for pickup at the Chicago store because it's out of stock online, then quickly realized I was never ever going to be able to drive an hour to the city to get it...they shipped it from the store to me, for free. Awesome!

The basket on the top shelf was a Michaels find, and it has a homemade camera cushion created with a $3 Target infinity scarf wrapped around a dish towel. I do not sew, people!

Seems to be working just fine, and the baby hasn't figured out my camera hiding spot yet!

Here's a better view of the space I have between the desk and the media stand. It's not a ton, but there is a nice little spot to store my reflector, and enough room to pull out the bins.

I wanted the desktop to be pretty clean, but I did need to have a spot for pens, my scissors, and lens pens. I got lucky and found the acrylic divided organizer on clearance at Homegoods. I got the business card holder on Amazon. The elephant file organizer is at The Container Store, and you can mount it or use it on the desktop!

The elephant is important because I wanted an easily accessible place to store prints until I figure out what to do with them. I'm usually pretty good at printing the ones I like, but as you can see from the pumpkins...I don't always do anything with them in a timely manner!

Also at The Container Store, was this clever peel and stick weekly task pad. I thought it would be great to keep what I had to do for my business separate from the family calendar in the kitchen. I also like that I can just stick it up on the wall in my line of sight. I know many people use their phones, and I do as well, but I love having a visual for small tasks that don't merit a phone entry.

Here's a more realistic version of what the desk looks like while I'm working. It's five o' clock always!

And here's what my kid is doing while I'm trying to take photos.

Speaking of the media stand, this thing is pretty boring, and not really my style anymore. We got it for $250 back in 2008, and the veneer is starting to bubble and chip on the top and edges from being moved so many times. I thought long and hard about what to do with it. Paint it? What color, white? NO - I have kids and this thing is perfect drawing and rolling height. Black? Too much black. The navy on the front door and closet? Eh, too close to the blue couch and may not look good. So, in the end, I got some new bright boxes for inside and left it as is. And that, my friends, is how you justify doing absolutely nothing.

I'm excited about the mint boxes, because the largest one will easily hold mailing boxes for 11x14 prints, which is something I usually have crapping up my house in every room. The rest will hold older prints, and miscellaneous photography supplies. I got mine for 30% less than retail at Homegoods, but you can get them full price at The Container Store.

The antique tray on the top has some little doo dads, but I'll be honest - the baby just picks that stuff up and throws it, so it doesn't normally live here. Tiny acrylic box of memory cards, succulent from Lowes, gold lid acrylic box with fancy binder clips for my packaging.

So, the last detail I obsessed about is the chair. I disliked using a dining chair, because I want all my dining chairs around the table. I wandered around World Market one day, looking for accessories to spend $40 in 'explorer' rewards on, when I saw this chair was marked down to $100. I loved the airy look, and the metal legs.

After I signed up for their 'text' program, I got 15% off. With my rewards on top, I ended up paying $48 for the chair. Not bad! It's comfy enough for working, but I initially added a little faux fur to the seat to protect my delicate heiny. Then I saw this throw at Target, and loved the texture. It makes the chair more comfortable, and also adds an extra element and brightens the dark corner a little bit.

So, now that you've spent your entire morning reading about a four foot square spot of my living room, how about some before and afters?

And here is another angle that I love, seeing both my gallery walls at once.

Thanks for reading, I hope you are inspired to turn an unused corner into something great!

And if you are in the Chicago area and need family portraits taken, please contact me for a blog reader special!

#Russet Street Reno

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