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Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Choosing Writing Space Decor

September 29, 2022
mandyevebarnett

I have been given the opportunity to create a new writing/creative space for myself. This is exciting as well as daunting. There are many factors to consider apart from the placement of the desk.

Lighting – natural and artificial

The room has one window, which is central to one wall, so I want to maximize the natural light coming onto the desk. Added to this there is one ceiling light, which will cause shadows, so I will add a good strong lamp for desk work. Having a nice view is a double edged sword for writers – it is relaxing and refreshes the mind, but can also be a distraction. Therefore, I will place my L-shaped desk in such a way to allow focused work and nature watching.

Paint colours

I have to consider what ‘mood’ I want to convey with the paint colour on the walls. Do I go for a single or double coloured walls, or have a focus wall? When researching colours, I found that green boosts creativity, promotes harmony and is a good choice for brainstorming spaces. So that may be my choice, although there are a multitude of greens to consider! I The carpet is a light sandy earth tone so it will balance the room. I would like to have some sort of wall mural to make the room feel like a natural oasis and might invest in a large mural of a tree or hanging foliage to make the space feel like it is in nature. This will be especially nice when I endure the Albertan winter! I found some really nice ones.

Decor – natural and artificial

I love plants, so will choose air purifying and variegated leaf plants for this space. These include spider plants, English ivy, and pothos, all of which I have already, so it will be a matter of propagating and new pots.

There is also the texture to contemplate – soft and plush and hard and shiny to give the room balance. My floor lamp is silver metal, my desk a light beige, my office chair is a dark blue, and maybe I will invest in a plush rug for my feet. Then there are the other furniture items to think about – another bookshelf, a large armchair, a a crafting table for other creative endeavors…the list goes on!

All of these are just ideas at the moment, things change, ideas come to mind. It is the process that is the joy.

How did you choose to decorate your writing space?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Nature at Thanksgiving & DIY

October 13, 2020
mandyevebarnett

I trust those who celebrate it enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here in Alberta we enjoyed a chilly and windy long weekend but every day without the ‘white stuff’ is a good day. So no complaining here.

We decided to enjoy nature this weekend and travelled on Saturday to Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. We walked the trail to the beach and kept to ourselves as there were families hosting outside Thanksgiving get togethers! Then , as always, took various back roads to explore.

The first trail off the beaten track was a game bird sanctuary and we found evidence of a busy beaver!

We also visited Kingman the Lutefisk capital of Alberta. Not knowing what lutefisk was we looked it up. A lutefisk is a Swedish delicacy. It is a dried stockfish (normally cod or ling) that has been brined in lye, soaked to remove the resulting caustic solution, and then steamed until it flakes. The end result looks and feels gelatinous. Traditionally, it is served with warm cream or butter sauce and enjoyed with copious amounts of beer. Not sure I will be sampling it though.

I completed a project on Sunday, I have been meaning to do. Updating the bathroom cabinet. I am pleased with the soft green and new handles – gone are the drab wood doors.

Having enjoyed Miquelon Lake so much on Saturday, we returned to walk around the lake. A brisk 45 minute walk but so worth it. We encountered a squirrel who calmly sat watching us and the dogs and never ran off.

Then it was homeward bound and an unusual sight. A beaver lodger with its own satellite dish! I kid you not. I need to write a little story about this. Which channels do you think they watch?

Lost Words of My Kitchen Project…

May 16, 2016
mandyevebarnett

This past weekend with the help of my wonderful girls, I managed to renew my old tired kitchen and transform it into a modern, refreshed space. There are a few finishing details – so the completed photo will be posted later this week.

Before work started – old tired ugly wood cupboards.

albedineity n 1652 -1652
whiteness
The monotonous albedineity of the snow-covered field was blinding.

impigrity n 1623 -1721 quickness; speed The impigrity of the contract’s signing led to vexing legal wranglings.

novaturient adj 1679 -1679
desiring changes or alterations
The novel’s author rightly rejected the novaturient wishes of the screenwriters

operiment n 1650 -1656
a covering
If you don’t get an operiment for your classic car, it will rust away in a brief time.

patration n 1656 -1656
perfection or completion of something
The patration of my dissertation will be an occasion for great merriment.

Primed cupboards – getting brighter and disguising the ugly!

For more Lost Words visit – http://phrontistery.info/clw.html

My sentence: After years of novaturient, I succeeded, with the help of my girls, in operimenting my ugly old wooden kitchen cupboards. Even the albedineity of the primer made me happy. With only the weekend available to complete the project, impigrity was paramount to achieve the patration of a new look kitchen.

What projects have you undertaken in your home that had a time constraint?

And as promised the finished result…I used the colour from the lino accent colour and matched it for the cupboards!

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Are You Making the Most of Your Memberships..?

February 24, 2014
mandyevebarnett

Many of us have memberships to organizations but after the inital enthusiactic blush of newness there seems to be a decline in involvement.

Why is this?

We have paid good money for an annual membership, why not ultilize it for the whole year?

I volunteered at a local event both days of this past weekend. The Arts Expo is held annually and show cases local artisans. However, many of the members did not attend, whether as participants or visitors to support their fellow members. I find this extremely sad. Organizations strive to support and promote their members at every opportunity, so why does it fall on the same few members time and again?

A membership can give so much if we get involved. Not only it is an opportunity to promote our own work but also network and form new friendships. During the weekend, I got to know several members of my writers group, the Writers Foundation of Stathcona County a great deal more. It was an enjoyable two days and I am glad to help at all the events laid on for our group, my publisher, Dream Write Publishing and the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County (ACCSC) who promote all forms of the arts, from weavers to potters to authors and a good deal more. Don’t forskae your memberships – use them to your advantage.

The more we are involved, the more we get out of our membership. Consider your memberships and make the commitment to utilize them to their full potential, after all you paid for it!

We are lucky to have a proactive mayor, Rxanne Carr, who is commited in making culture accessable and promoted within our community. The more we do, the better the results.

Get involved.