Scene of the Blog Featuring Sandy of You've GOTTA Read This!

Today's featured blogger has been on my must read list for a long time now. I love her enthusiasm, her book reviews, and now that my husband is hooked on audiobooks, she's going to help me there as well. I even love that cat in her header.

Might be a good idea to stop telling you what all I like about her and actually tell you who she is, right?

I'm talking about Sandy and her award-winning blog, You've GOTTA Read This! If you aren't acquainted with Sandy, I certainly do hope you take the time to stop by and say hello. (She's also a semi-reformed crime fiction fan, which is definitely a perk for any of my crime-reading regulars.)

Before I turn over the reins to Sandy, a little reminder: click on any of the photos if you'd like to see them full size. Take it away, Sandy!

This first picture is where I blog 95% of the time, unfortunately… right at the kitchen table with my netbook.  It is nice and bright and cheery, and for some reason the kitchen inspires creativity like no other place in my house.  It does tend to be a source of irritation for my husband, because I accumulate books, magazines, my calendar, my Kindle, a Diet Coke or two, and my other blogging needs…a big nest! It is nice and organized in the picture because he recently remarked that I was taking up three seating spaces at the table, and required some immediate action on my part.

This second picture is my official desk, which I will occasionally use if the family is home and I need a little bit of peace and quiet. I’m definitely not as inspired in this room, and have been toying with ideas on how to change that. A bright, Mexican rug on the floor? Moving the desk so I see out the window? A project for the new year!

This third picture is my wonderful, roomy reading/drinking chair. I curl up there to read often, and my husband and I sit in this room at night and share a glass of wine and stories about our day. Every now and again, I pull my netbook over to this chair and get comfy, usually on the weekends when I am writing my Sunday Salon, or if I am visiting blogs. This chair will only allow a minimum of brain activity it seems.

When Sandy told me that she often blogs in her car while waiting to pick her children up from school, I have to admit I said, "We've GOTTA see that!" Sandy obliged!

As you can see, I prop my little netbook on one knee and can get caught up on my blogging while I wait! I love it…no dead time at all in my life. What is nice about my netbook is that it has a wireless card in it, that allows Internet access anywhere! It just feeds my addiction. Also, you might see back behind my computer that I am listening to an audiobook as well on my stereo system (Freedom by Jonathan Franzen). It doesn’t get any better than this.

There's something about reading and blogging that are conducive to making nests. I have an L-shaped desk that provides me plenty of space for empire-sized nests. In fact, I just cleaned up a couple the other day, and when Denis came home from work he took a look and said, "Wow! Wood!"

I can also see why blogging at your desk may not feel quite right. Moving the desk at a right angle to the window may work.  You can't see out, and it looks as though you also have your back to the room. If the back of your desk doesn't look ready for prime time, maybe that colorful rug would work, or fixing something on it that would showcase your children's art? (Shut up, Cathy, that HGTV is rubbing off on you!)

Big, squashy, comfy chairs like the one you have do not promote brain cell activity. At least not my brain cells! And what can I say about yet another mobile blogger? You have an almost perfect set-up in your car!

Thanks so much for letting us have this glimpse into your creative spaces, Sandy. We really appreciate it!

Stop by next Wednesday to meet another member of our book blogging community!