Scene of the Blog Featuring Dawn of She Is Too Fond of Books!

This week is rather special for me because I get to shine the spotlight on a book blogger I've known for quite a while now. Have you ever had the fortune of coming in contact with Dawn and her blog, She Is Too Fond of Books? If you haven't, I sincerely hope that you stop by soon and say hello.

I first met Dawn at LibraryThing, and a few months after that, she gave me my first gig as a guest blogger on her feature Spotlight on Bookstores. I enjoy reading her blog for many reasons... like her kitchen haiku, for example. Dawn is one of the most caring and helpful book bloggers I know, and if you haven't ever visited her blog, please, please, please do it soon!

Now is the time I step back into the shadows and let Dawn show off her creative space. Take it away, Dawn! (If you'd like to see any of the photos full size, just click on it.)

My laptop sits on my kitchen desk during the day. This is the hub of the house! After I shower and do “round one” of waking up kids in the morning, I stumble downstairs around 6:50 to make coffee and turn on the laptop. I usually have time to check email before the pot is finished brewing. I don’t generally write blog posts or read much online during the day, but the laptop is always on for email, twitter, my calendar, and contacts.

I really wanted to “stage” the desk for these photos – clean up all the paper on the horizontal surfaces, tidy the cubbies above the desk (one for each kid, J and I get two each), pop a vase of flowers next to the laptop. Instead, I did a quick stacking of the paper clutter – honesty is the best policy after all, and any of my IRL friends would call me out on the falsehood of the neat and tidy desk!

From left on the desk: magazine holder with catalogs; big pile of papers – mail, notes to answer, articles I’ve clipped from the newspaper or magazines, permission slips to sign, etc. (I know exactly what’s in that scary-looking pile, and can put my fingers on the paper I need instantly, really!); electric pencil sharpener (because I was fed up with the kids using the manual kind that leave shavings everywhere!); mug of bookmarks; laptop, pencil/pen basket; tissue box; book rack my daughter made in camp (these are books I’ve read but not yet reviewed).

While I often unplug the laptop to blog on the family room sofa in the evening, this chair and ottoman are my quiet place for reading. Since I’m right-handed, I use the windowsill as a table for a glass of … something. The photos above the chair are early pics of my four grandparents. The living room is my family history room, with photos, maps, and personal mementos. This is the chair I was sitting in early one morning when the house starting BOOMing.

I love these photos! I can just see Dawn seated there in the middle of her busy kitchen, and her reading space is wonderful. The chair and ottoman look very comfortable and are perfectly positioned by the window, and I love the old family photos on the wall. Thank you so very much for showing us your blogging and reading spaces, Dawn. We really appreciate this glimpse into your life!

Who will be featured next Wednesday on Scene of the Blog? Stop by, and you'll find out!