ok, so. that other desk - who knows. whatever. i'd call that woman names, but she's generating her own karma.

instead. well. a different desk turned up on my beloved craigslist this morning - I think from the time the woman listed it to the time i picked it up was a total of 3 hours. i just grabbed an armload of favorite bits from the basement studio and i'm surrounded by some favorite goodies at my new desk (smelling oddly perfumey) in the kitchen. it's a nice desk. new, not antique (which will allow me to eventually paint it) - very solid, big enough, queen anne legs, etc. using the harvard chair that monkeydad had (would be entertaining to let you believe he graduated from said college, but did not) and next to the window facing the back of the house. this will severely curtail my neighborhood spying. sitting at the dining room table i can watch all the comings and goings and send email to people as they are walking up their front steps to ask them just where they've been. back here, it's more quiet, less distraction, must needs be entertained by stellar jays and crows in the back yard trees.

but I HAVE A FRICKIN DESK. appropriate size. shiny new wood. heavy and solid. of the drop front secretary variety. pictures to follow.

am reading a charming book and hence writing in this silly manner. also must work since husband is off acquiring take out to enable my efforts.

Posted by talkingcrow at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

well. it was not meant to be. i never heard back from the woman with the desk. i had a feeling it was too good to be true. at least it's not like ebay where i would have paid already. that's ok. i think i'm going to repurpose a table i have with the same legs. i think. i'd like to cut it in half on the long axis so it's sort of sofa table shaped and go from there. before and after pics to follow if i do that.

it's not like i NEED more furniture - it's just that i'm a bit of a nester (this may have already crossed your mind).

it was just so perfect.

Posted by talkingcrow at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

ok, not really.

HOWEVER.

i just got my confirmation note from paypal. WE'RE GOIN' ROKU!!!

sweet. we're going to cancel digital cable (i will deeply miss the menus) and go back to uber basic cable (as in 3 network stations and discovery channel) and do our crap watching via netflix and roku. in combination with video ipods and such i think we're just fine on the tv front. i really miss reading, and making stuff. so, instead of just watching whatever is on there's very slightly more thought going into it. having said all that, we MUST find a way to get a few Bravo shows. Namely: Project Runway and Flipping Out. I loves me some good OCD.

a box came from Design Within Reach today. i had to think what it was. sheesh. (ok, to be fair, monkeydad ordered new house numbers and they were on deep discount, i forgot). but there are so many boxes in transit to this house right now... we've both become ebay junkies. fortunately we don't end up actually buying much.

much goodness in today's thrifting run as well. separate post to follow...

in any case. less random tv will be good. maybe my son will see me read a BOOK one day.

Posted by talkingcrow at 05:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

ok, so i found that desk. i'm waiting to see how it all goes. should probably call to confirm. but what do i do now that my search is over? start trolling craigslist in socal for my interior designer friend who liked the blue desk too. HAHAHAHA THERE IS NO STOPPING ME.

step. away. from. craigslist.

also, i have ongoing storage issues in the kitchen. my solution (unimplemented in my head) changes frequently. this did not help.

must work. must work. back to work now. must work.

p.s. lovely neighbor wanted some rancho gordo goodness. and of course how could i pass up getting in on it. MORE BEANS (and stuff) ARE ON THEIR WAY. working at home is really bad for the online shopping thing. i go through phases of buying effectively nothing and then, well, buying stuff. fortunately it's all small stuff and various purchases lately all add up to less than half a car payment for most people. (living in the house of old cars we dont' have those right now.)

Posted by talkingcrow at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I saw this blue desk on Design Sponge over a year ago.

I've been obsessed ever since. My goal was to find this desk somehow. I've been watching Craigslist for a year, I've looked on ebay, I've found some quite expensive and ravishingly gorgeous Danish teak secretary desks. But I took on the hobby of watching for this desk, somehow. The other day I found an ok approximation, over an hour away, and more than I felt like spending. Especially since I want to paint the darned thing. After 2 days of agonizing I didn't take that one. And then today... (well you knew this was coming, right?) I found it. Not sort of it, but what appears to be the exact same model of desk. In a different state.

I called the number on a whim. I left a message. "Hi, this is a little crazy, but I really like your desk, I'll pay what you're asking, but it will really only work out if the desk happens to be magically getting to Seattle". I get a call back in less than 5 minutes. The woman says "so, just *what* are you asking?" I said "Well, if you happen to be driving to Seattle this weekend that would be great and I'd like your desk. I realize it's silly but I thought I'd throw it out there". She said "well, I probably am". Logistical conversation ensues, and I'll probably get my desk. Which of course means I need something else to look for on Craigslist now.

Posted by talkingcrow at 01:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

ahhhhhhhhhhhh the beautiful sound of a chain saw!

there is/was a huge holly on the fence line of the neighbors property and it just CAME DOWN.

i hate holly. can't tell you how excited i am. it completely changes the yard. however, in the winter we will all be staring at each other without that barrier but i don't care. eradicate the holly!!!!!

i've lived in this house 9 years, and i've been looking forward to this day for that long.

so. happy. yay neighbors!

Posted by talkingcrow at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

or maybe it's just one of those moments where you realize that people are just people.

i'm at work, listening to REM (had to put noise cancelling earphones in because of oblivious desk neighbor). so, the REM reminds me all of a sudden of my cousin, the eldest of 4 boys, and my childhood hero. he was always very sweet and very very very cool. much nicer than his 3 brothers. he was a surfer, ended up playing football for USC for awhile, that kind of thing. and i just started tearing up because he turned out to have such a painfully normal life. i wanted him to grow up to be laird hamilton.

but that's how it always turns out, doesn't it? very much the bread-and-butter-fly.

Posted by talkingcrow at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

monkeydad wanted to go thrifting to a new place. so we headed a little farther out of the hood (very little) and while he didn't find anything, I DID. ok, woohoo.

I did find a crazy faux bois wood bowl made by some california pottery co or another (I haven't been able to identify it yet) for $5. It's so odd, and I sort of love it more every minute. i *may* send the bowl to the lovely emilyn. maybe.

also a double deck of bridge cards with wonderful illustrations. sadly the non-face side isn't very interesting and they were made by hallmark., but the face side is so good who cares. we'll be playing cribbage soon, which means i'll be losing. i have NEVER won a game of cribbage against monkeydad. but i do love him so and he's just fun, so i don't care.

AND a nice little copco french oven (very much like le creuset) for $10. all in all $17.38 well spent. y'all will be proud of me though, there was a nice bean pot in perfect condition that I DID NOT BUY.

we have SO MUCH FOOD left over from the bbq yesterday it's silly. good thing there was enough *cough*.

OH and I can't wait to cook those scarlet runners from rancho gordo. MMM. probably with those weird garlic scapes i bought at the farmers market today (posing in the pic with the french oven).

Posted by talkingcrow at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

it's a great long weekend (well, for monkeydad, my life is mostly one long weekend), and i'm ridiculously at loose ends and a bit wound up but completely un-focused. almost like being de-focused if you know what i mean.

we've done some thrifting. nothing dramatic found really. an old chinois, some odds and ends. monkeydad found a superb old craftsman drill that looks like a tiny airstream trailer. i also got a bag of funky old playing cards - 4 sets. i have a thing for cards because my parents played bridge and there was an entire drawer in the kitchen that was cards and scoring pads.

we did some yardwork. the backyard is looking better, the quilt looks sweet on the swing. but now what?

monkeybaby is restless, i'm restless, the dog needs a run, i'd love to read some actual fiction or *gasp* KNIT. but while i have the desire, the mojo is still MIA. i dont' know what to do. this is not me. we came home from dinner last night, and we both fell into surfing el interwebs for awhile but then, without a tv on, i actually had a little mental focus and a little time, but could not for the life of me settle into a task.

i dunno. who knows. the thunderstorms stirred up some discontent in the universe. i can't even work up the energy to clean the house and it's getting bad. as usual, napping sounds good, but i probably couldn't relax enough to do THAT.

what the heck is going on?

OH, but I did order some Ranch Gordo beans, and I'm thrilled to a ridiclous extent about pending legume arrival.

Posted by talkingcrow at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

there's a little women's bball joke in there, but seeing as i'm SO not a sports person, it's merely a weak attempt.

i'm LOVING the thuderstorms! we only get good storms about once every 10 years. love it love it. like everyone else, storms freaked me out as a kid (and the dog is going nuts) but now, i deeply wish for a big porch, a comfy rocker and a strong mint julep to watch the weather.

good thrift score this week! maybe it's just that the place i go is relatively new and sort of in a weird neighborhood - there's always *something* good to be had. the other day i went to look for an ok quilt to put on the backyard swing for when people are over as i didn't want to mess up the denise schmidt quilts i previously thrift scored. and there was one, exactly one, decent quilt. it's machine pieced but hand quilted even! all this goodness for $6.99. a run through the wash and the funky storage smell was gone and it's lovely. also found an AWESOME vintage lampshade. now i just need to figure out what to put it on, but it's SO great.

monkeybaby progresses apace. it's more and more a full-attention job while he's awake, but i'm still happy to be home with him. it's a good thing that he likes wandering around nurserys looking at plants.

i miss the old version of my 4th of julys. i LOVE fireworks but the dog is always freaked out so we stay home. and now it's a bit late for monkeybaby to go to the big displays. hopefully next year or the year after we can manage to go (probably have to build the dog a soundproof panic room). and then there's the crowds. i just want a nice grassy knoll overlooking the lake... anyway.

there's little dramatic news. monkeydad is turning back into bike stud. monkeybaby is almost walking - nevermind that he's 16 months old and perfectly capable, he just won't. i feel like i need to step it up and do about 45 more things a day than i do, but mostly i'd like that porch. or a nap.

Posted by talkingcrow at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)