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Cavepaintings and other expressions of me

Jul 1st 2009Karen Rose
Karen RoseKaren Rose & On Writing!

I have been writing for weeks, my … er, self in my chair, which means I haven’t gotten out much.  My office is my own little cave and I find I’ve surrounded myself with stuff that brings back memories or just stuff I like to look at.  It’s my own version of cavepaintings.

cutebulldozerNow, I have to tell you that my office has changed a bit in the last month.  Mr. R has been home this summer and has undertaken my office as a project.  Initially, he said some rather disparaging things about my filing system – which was basically lots of piles of paper on the carpet.  He whooshed in and grabbed everything and spent a day sorting and pitching.  Filing is beyond even his mighty powers, LOL.  But now I can open my mini-fridge and I can see my carpet again!  All of my carpet, not just the footpath from the door to my computer chair.

So all the stuff left surrounding me is stuff I’ve chosen to keep.  It’s important, because when I’m in a book, this is where I spend the bulk of my time.  What’s painted on the wall of my cave?

  • Pictures of friends from my days at P&G and sgargoylenapshots of my travels
  • My early bookcovers in frames
  • Old badges from conventions hanging on a peg and my ribbons from RWA, starting the year I was a RITA finalist the first time.
  • From the shelf above my head my ugly statue collection stares down at me – and they make me smile.  I added a few gargoyles I bought in the gift shop at Westminster Abbey last summer.  They give me a start when I’ve scared myself in a villain scene!
  • My collection of masks, including scary tribal and fragile Venetian.  They’re pretty cool.
  • My RITA statue.  She even gets dusted.  She’d like a friend, too.  Just sayin’.
  • The license plate from my car the year I made my first sale – RMCEWRTR - the only time I’ve had a vanity plate.   Maybe it was good luck?

Fun Fact:  I was writing KILL FOR ME, which was released in paperback yesterday (yes, shameless self-promkfm-ppo), and I looked up and saw my license plate.  A scene popped into my head which would be one of the core storylines in the book – a black car gliding by heroine Susannah Vartanian, with the plate DRC119.  If you’ve read KILL FOR ME, you’ll remember.  If you haven’t read it yet, for Heaven’s sake, go get it! Then when you read the scene with the license plate, you’ll know where it came from — one of my cavepaintings :-) .  Okay, now returning to previously scheduled blog, still in progress….

I like my little cave.  I think it says a lot about me, because it’s mostly stuff I’ve collected over the years.  I like the pretty and the scary – which is romantic suspense in a nutshell.

What’s painted on the wall of your cave?  Which room is your cave?  What thing(s) do you keep that say the most about you?  And don’t forget that KILL FOR ME is on the shelves!

52 Comments »

52 Responses to “Cavepaintings and other expressions of me”

  1. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 4:42 am #

    Oh, a thought before I toddle off for a nap (been writing in my cave all night).

    I do have a book or two on the shelves in my office ;-) The decorator/architect I hired to consult on our renovations looked at my office and said, “You’ll get rid of most of these books, right?”

    I gaped at her. “Bite thy foul tongue!” I said. No, not really. I said, “Uh … no. The books stay,” very firmly and she frowned. “They stay,” I snapped and she gave in.

  2. Lisa H on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:35 am #

    Good morning Karen R! In my office/cave, I have some research books, Dictionary, Thesauras, and my KEW Collection. On my walls, I have framed scrapbook papers my daughter made me for Christmas one year. They say things like, “Far far away…” With a castle in the background. One says, “Once upon a time” and then “Happily Ever After” and one says, “There lived a beautiful princess…” I also have photos of my children, my Captain Jack Nutcracker, a talking Captain Jack figurine, photos of Captain Jack and a photo of Edward Cullen.

  3. Judy F on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:39 am #

    I guess my cave would be my bedroom, I have several bookshelves and they would have to stay…

    I love candles and anything Tweety. LOL I have way to many of both.

    Now in my dining room I have a built in bookshelf that I have the top filled with nutcrackers. My nephew when he was very little gave me my first one and I have added more to it.

    I loved Kill for me and can’t wait for the next one. I really really can’t wait for the book after that. LOL

  4. Archer on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:42 am #

    My cave is my computer room. It has my yummy The Outsiders and my Phish poster. I also have my daggers and dragons from Scotland.

    I also want to get gargoyles. For now I only have my Fairy and Waltzing barbie couple :)

    My books are also in my cave. I’m pretty picky about who I lend them to.

  5. Susan M on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:46 am #

    My cave is our spare bedroom which also serves as my scrapbooking room and library. I have all my romance novels in a big bookcase. I have my favorite Elvis dolls on top of the bookcase. I also have a painting that my friends son did for me (he’s my little man). By the door I have my big Elvis thermomater hanging. I also have some lion figurines scattered around the room since that’s my favorite animal. And on my desk is my box of Edward sweethearts…unopened. DH won’t let me put up a poster of him. Eventually I want to hang up some of my scrapbook layouts…they make specialty frames for them.

  6. nancyg on 01 Jul 2009 at 6:38 am #

    My cave is my computer room/office. I have a HUGE collage of my husband’s family he inherited from his parents house when they moved to a smaller place. Also, a very big modern-art original oil painting also inherited from an aunt.
    shelves & shelves of books, filing cabinets, papers to be filed. another desk set up for gift wrapping & crafts (mostly scrapbooking), sewing machine, tons of computer equipment courtesy of Mr. G “aka Inspector Gadget” (it’s ground zero for the family network).
    My favorite knick-knack is a little cube with 2 dice in it from Atlantis in the Bahamas – I *LOVE* to shoot craps! so I just roll them around every once in awhile.

  7. Claudia Dain on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:00 am #

    KarenR, I have NEVER understood decorators who insist on getting rid of books in order to make a room look pretty and/or organized. What is more beautiful than a wall of books? NOTHING. I once watched a decorating/organizing show where the owner was forced to give away truckloads of books the decorator deemed unnecessary (good grief!) to then fill the bookshelves with a brand new vase here and a small basket there–which looked nice, but had no sentimental purpose for the owner. I don’t get this line of reasoning.

    I have claimed the whole house as my cave, though I’m defining cave as ‘that room where I feel super comfortable and it looks exactly how I want it to look.’ I can’t stand clutter, or lots of bits and bobs staring at me, so I don’t have any of that. What I do have is books, books, and more books. Pure bliss. A room with books…that is my ideal cave.

  8. Pesky on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:04 am #

    :D My cave is my office. I work from home. There are wall to wall bookshelves and pictures of family. I can’t operate in chaos so it’s neat if not clean (I’m not saying it doesn’t descend to chaos, Im saying if it does I have to stop and clean it up every once in a while.)

    There is a LOT of computer equipment, my speakers for my music, and art and writing supplies.

    My knick knacks seem to be gifts I’ve gotten from people and anything my nephews have ever made for me. :D (they’re the best)

  9. Lorena on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:09 am #

    My cave is also my bedroom, so it’s more cluttered than I’d like, and also rather more…eclectic. I have books–writing books closest my desk. A little art on the walls–my inspirational print, for some reason, is a raven in boots. I mean, I know the reason I have it (I made appropriate noises over the catalog picture and got it as a gift), but I couldn’t tell you why I find it inspirational.

    I have a tiny statue of the Hindu goddess Sarasvati, a laughing Buddha, a stone-carved coyote (tigers eye) and a malachite frog, a miniature quill/paper set from a dollhouse, and a “Figment” from Disney all on my desk to bring me luck and creativity, and to remind me not to get too set in my ways.

    I don’t have my covers hanging because I tried, and it just cluttered the room too much. One day, when I have a separate office, they’re going up, even if they are “only” short stories, e-published. There’ll be some novel covers hanging one day, too….

  10. Kathy/Cookiedough on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:23 am #

    my cave is my whole apartment. I have a lovely cluttered bookshelf in my bedroom & one in my livingroom as well. throw out books!
    no fraking way.
    I have favourite things all over.
    nick nacks from my parents’ travels:
    a gothic looking jewelry box from Austria
    a carved box from Germany
    a wooden shoe from Holland
    fertility gods from Africa
    a weird head from Jamaica
    and that list goes on

    my own childhood lamp base- an elephant balancing on a circus drum
    tons of art by my sister and mother, as well as my own
    framed photos of family and loved ones

    a metal garden chameleon whom I perch on various tall things to freak people.
    It’s my home and I lik my stuff out can see .

    my collection of fossils including my prized dino poo in my mom’s antique jewelry box- I long ago broke the ballerina in it, but it still plays Dance Ballerina Dance
    hmmm now that I think of it, how did I end up with all mom’s jewelry boxes? even dad’s? my 4sisters must be pissed
    :-D

  11. TrishD on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:34 am #

    I guess I have 2 caves… my office at work and then my house. Yeah, it’s big cave, but my home is my sanctuary, the place I feel the most comfortable and that’s because I’ve made it that way.

    Ok… my office… I have pictures of my family on my desk with a small frame with my daughter’s (A) picture right next to my computer screen. There are a few pictures A has colored for me that I keep around, along with some work certificates. My 2 prize possessions at work though would have to be my mini toy Red Wings zamboni, it’s small enough to sit on the base of my monitor, and my Hedgehog, an award I received for exceptional customer service.

    My house? Like most here… books, books and more books. Books have always been my comfort and I refuse to get rid of them! I also have my Eeyore collection, all my Red Wings pictures, posters, etc. and vases and figurines that were my grandmother’s that remind me of her. My walls are covered with pictures of the family. I just love frames!

    Karen, congrats on the paperback release of Kill for Me… I’d go buy it, but I already have the hardcover. :)

  12. JudyPatooty on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:08 am #

    Oooh! I want a gargoyle! :D

    My “cave” is my guest bedroom/home office. It’s got a daybed with a trundle for when I’ve got guests staying over, but the cats usually think of it as their domain. There’s also a desk for my computer, a lateral file cabinet and two bookshelves which are crammed full of genealogy reference books.

    This is the room where I do most of my genealogy research, so one wall is covered in a huge(!) pedigree chart that shows all of my ancestors going back 15 generations. Another wall has framed reproductions of 1870 maps for two of the towns that my ancestors lived in. And another wall has photos of family – both living and long-ago ancestors. Oh, and I’ve got two framed posters from the British Museum that I bought way back in 1979 during my first trip across the pond.

    I guess all of the old maps and old photos are what say the most about me in my cave. I love finding out who my ancestors were and how they lived. And the British Museum posters remind me that it’s about time I renew my passport and go back to England for a visit. :)

  13. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:24 am #

    Lisa H – Yep, I saw the Captain Jack stuff coming, but maybe this is no caffeine and two hours sleep talking, but what is your KEW collection? I’m probably going to smack my head on this one.

    And if you’re wondering, I didn’t wake up on my own after 2 hours sleep. My phone rang 3 times in ten minutes and now I can’t go back to sleep.

    So I’ll blog with y’all a while and then finish the scene I wrote last night – and DH just brought me food, so life is looking good.

  14. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:31 am #

    JudyF – I love Nutcrackers! And Tweety.

    Thanks – glad you liked KFM, I CAN SEE YOU is coming soon – and given your love for Tweety and all things hunky-fire-fighter related, I think you’ll like the next one, too. Lordy, I hope so!

    Archer – daggers and dragons from Scotland – I want some of those, too. I found this cool letter opener that’s a dragon holding a sword. The sword is the letter opener and it’s very cool. I donated one to an auction basket once and ordered one for me, but I never got mine. Foo. I’m going to have to go back and order it again. I really like stuff like that :-)

  15. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:35 am #

    Susan M – I know someone who collects all things Elvis – it’s a really fun collection. As for your poster of Edward, it made me think of a memory I had last week, looking at the iconic Farrah poster. I was just a kid, maybe ten at the time, and my older cousin’s husband had one. “I said, ‘You LET him have that poster?’ She laughed and said, ‘If he wanted the poster of the girl next door, I’d say no way. But like HE’s ever getting Farrah?”

    I think that an Edward poster would give me creepies when I woke up at night. He’s very pale.

  16. Lisa H on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:50 am #

    Karen R – KEW stands for Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, my all time favorite author. She is credited for turning the Historical Romance genre around. I once mentioned her name to my editor (who is a delightful southern woman who lives in Georgia) her response was, “Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is the Queen darlin’. I concur.

  17. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:51 am #

    NancyG – so do you like the inherited modern art painting? Sometimes I like modern art and sometimes I just don’t get it. Paintings I get more than sculptures, especially ones with pretty colors ;-) Does that make me a cave-girl?

    I’ve never shot craps. I know I’d lose.

    Claudia, it was kind of funny, actually. When I’d impressed on her the books would stay, I then pulled out a few inches of paperbacks to reveal —- another row of paperbacks. She just sighed. But she’s not a reader, altho’ she’s gotten her husband reading my books. Now we’re working on a massive set of built in bookshelves. one to cover a huge wall in my kind-of family room, and one in my office-to-be.

    Right now, tho’, it’s all dreams on paper.

  18. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:52 am #

    LisaH – of course! I have a few KEW’s, but my NR’s dominate :-)

  19. SheridanLA on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:56 am #

    I live alone in a small one-bedroom apartment..the whole place is my cave. ;)

    I have pictures and art on the walls from my trips, I have tons of books and movies. Lots of electronic and photography equipment, some more books and movies, craft stuff, etc.. my whole place is kind of a comfy, chaotic workspace. I have a shelf near my main computer that has a moneycat I picked up in Japantown, a teak Buddha a friend gave me after my trip to Thailand where I talked about how I loved the temples and how they made me feel peaceful, a dream jar another friend gave me, an elephant I picked up on the same trip to Thailand and a candle I picked up in Seattle that has a drawing on it with a lady called Our Lady of Artistic Inspiration…and my gnome’s little hat collection. :)

    Funny… I realized I don’t really collect knickknacky things anymore, just travel memories, books and movies.

  20. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 8:58 am #

    I have the hand made gifts from my kids, too, Pesky. Mostly handprints in clay from elem school, but in 8th grade youngest made me a stuffed animal horse in home ec (or whatever they’re calling it these days). I gushed and I love it.

    Lorena – I looked up Sarasvati. Very cool. I could use 4 arms some days. I’ll have to look for a statue of her. I have a laughing Buddha too, that sits on one side of my gargoyle. The other side is my Venezuelan fertility goddess who has the cutest grin.

    I forgot, I have a quill too – it’s a prize from the first RWA contest I ever one, back in 2000 for a book I never finished. It was the Enchanted Quill contest through Ohio Valley RWA and that quill has moved with me four times and still looks good.

  21. Sabrina Jeffries on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:03 am #

    Something must be in the air–I’m having a bunch of cabinets and shelves put in in MY office, too! But I AM getting rid of some books. I’m always getting rid of books. I tend to keep them for no good reason, except that I might reread them one day. Some of them I’ve NEVER reread. So they’re going.

    Of course, that still leaves me with reams of books, but there you go.

    My cave is my writing office. I have my figures and more books and little cute things fans and friends have given me. My coaster is a gorgeous tile hubby gave me for Valentine’s Day. I love my cave!

  22. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:04 am #

    Kathy – fertility gods from Africa and a head from Jamaica!!! You and I are simpatico, darling!

    I like your chameleon that freaks people. I’d like one of those, too. Cool. I like my stuff out where I can see it too.

    TrishD – thanks for buying the hardcover ;-)

    Now, I also have an Eeyore – not a whole collection though. Just one small stuffed Eeyore that was my keyring for a while. He sits next to Curious George and MojoJojo and Bubbles from PowerPuff Girls, who also look down from my shelf. Then we get into the Norwegian troll dolls. I love my shelf.

    RedWings Zamboni! I want one of those, too.

    You guys have cool stuff.

  23. Karen Hawkins on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:08 am #

    It’s so cool to hear about the things you all surround yourself with! It gives me such a great metal image of your personalities!

    Sheridan, I’ve sort of evolved in that direction, too. I USED to display my antique inkwell collection in my office, but now I’m redoing it and I don’t think I’ll keep them out. I love them, but … I don’t really display things like that any more. Now I have conference items, a framed NYT for the first time I hit, a montage of my kids in Italy at various places, a pic of Hot Cop and me grinning like idiots on a train in London on our way to Portsmouth, and a lot of stuff I’ve gotten from various travels — a rock from Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, petrified wood I bought at a tourist trap in California, a mask from Venice, a fan I bought in Paris, an antique print of the Thames in 1811 that I found at a street market in Greenwich, a cameo I bargained for at Portobello Market in London — stuff like that.

    As soon as I meet this deadline, I’m going to spend two weeks finishing my office. We’re talking paint, new flooring, the works. I CAN’T WAIT until my fun stuff has a real home!

    And Karen, good luck on that deadline! :)

  24. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:08 am #

    JudyP – my gargoyle is cool. I lined him up so that his paws were level with the shelf, which is one of those corner ones, so he was facing at an angle.

    Now he’s looking right at me. I think there’s something going on here…

    You should go back to England. Altho’ I don’t remember so many cool posters when I was at the Br Museum last year. Seemed to be replaced by lots of notecards. Maybe posters are going out of style? I hope not!

  25. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:14 am #

    Sheridan – most of my stuff has been picked up through my travels, too. The Gargoyles came from Westminster Abbey, like I said. I’ve got a Viking candle that looks like a pewter statue I bought in Iceland.

    My Venezuelan fertility god I picked up in the Caracas airport back in 1999. It had been an immeasurably lousy business trip and I just wanted to Go Home. I was snarly and tired and cross and I walked into this gift shop and this little wooden goddess was staring up at me. Her hands are pressed to her cheeks and she’s grinning like she has just had the best belly laugh.

    She made me laugh out loud, standing there. I figured if she could yank me out of my bad temper, I was takin’ that chick home, LOL.

    Now, when I’m tense, I look at her face and still grin, every time.

  26. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:20 am #

    Karen H – had to chuckle at “tourist trap.” I do love to shop at tourist traps! Sometimes it’s all junk and you have to laugh at that, but sometimes, you get a find.

    In Italy, I found a found a set of clay bowls in a gas station of all places. They say “spaghetti” in Italian. There’s an extra “a” in there somewhere. I don’t know why I bought them. I had to cart them all the way home and they’re HEAVY.

    But that was 11 years ago and we still use those bowls for salad at our dinner table, several times a week. I say that was a fab tourist trap buy :-)

    I’m also going to do my office, probably in the fall. I’ve got the floor picked out and my new desk, but all, my collectible crap goes with me! I have to have a shelf looking down where my gargoyles and RITA statue (who wants a friend, just sayin’) and my MojoJojo and Bubbles can stare down at me.

    Good luck on your deadline too! The gods have smiled and my editor is going to a wedding, from whence she shan’t return for a few days. So I got another week! I love weddings…

  27. Cail on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:22 am #

    my house is my cave- i’ve got different corners that are all me around the house. in the guest room/office the room has all my B&W baseball prints on the walls. It also has my sewing machine and some of my craft supplies. The living room has my collection of romance novels. Karen, NR dominates my collection too. I think she goes nearly 3 shelves!!! A few goddesses also have full shelves dedicated to their entire backlists… That room also has our movie collection, movie projector and other electronic goodies. Then in one corner we have my yarn supplies, and another wall with our non-romance books. most of mine being non-fiction pirate histories and baseball biographies. our sunroom has the rest of our art supplies and some of our garden stuff.

    I don’t have all that much clutter, but i definitely have a bunch of pictures of fun trips in shadow boxes with some of the natural items i collected from those places in front of the pictures. i’m not much for purchased souvenirs that i can’t eat.

  28. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:25 am #

    Sabrina, I’m getting rid of a few, too, to be honest, but these are ones I’ve read and didn’t like or ones I’ve gotten at conferences and never gotten around to reading.

    This very nice, very talented btw, decorator was touching my keeper shelf. She now knows about the keeper shelf and why it is called a “KEEPER SHELF.”

    I love your action figures. DH has a collection of action figures including Marie Antoinette whose head pops off and VanGogh whose ear pops off.

    He has a strange collection of wig heads, to show off his hats. THis last year two of his students made him wig heads as projects. One was Abe Lincoln – the head was covered with flesh colored clay and the beard was individual hairs laid in. Really stunning work.

    The other was Gene Simmons from KISS. Ha! The student had remade the mouth, adding a HUGE red tongue sticking out. Unfortunately, the tongue was too heavy for the face and it all cracked and Gene’s face slid off a few weeks ago. Very sad. I’m wondering if this has happened to the real Gene Simmons…

  29. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:31 am #

    Cail – I’m guessing you like a little baseball . If you twitter, you should follow Alyssa Milano from Charmed. She’s just written a baseball book and apparently is an uber fan.

    Oh, Rose McGowen is twittering too, for y’all twitterers out there. She just started and Twitter shut the fake Rose down. Take that, fake Rose.

    Back to you, Cail – I’ve got almost 100 NR books, including my JD Robb’s. My comfort reads when I’m brain-fried and need a break. Of course you have a cave – I forgot about your movie projector room!

  30. Claudia Dain on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:35 am #

    Karen, hey, I can accept the fact that not everyone is a reader, but when a decorator is working in my home and sees that I am, why try to get me to ditch my books? Work *with* me, hon, not against me. That said, I don’t keep all books forever, so I’m not actually drowning in books, though most decorators would disagree, I’m sure. :) )

  31. SuzyQ on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:59 am #

    I have two caves too.

    At work, my cubicle has a lot of pictures of my family (mostly my kids) and some Star Trek photos from the convention. My fav ST one is of me and Scotty (James Doohan). I then replaced the standard issue beige tape dispenser, stapler, pen and clip holder with ones of Tinkerbell. I just love fairies. And lastly I have Hoops & Yoyo plush figures staring down at me from the top of the cubicle. I guess I like to surround myself with fun and whimsy.

    At home my cave would probably be the kitchen. This is where I spend most of my time and I love to cook. My kitchen has the whole Tuscany wine theme going on. I have plaques of wines names and I created a collage of pictures I took at a local winery. Yeah, I love my wine.

  32. TrishD on 01 Jul 2009 at 10:22 am #

    Karen, Your fertility goddess sounds great! I’d love to find one!!

  33. dbrown3400 on 01 Jul 2009 at 10:41 am #

    My one-room apartment is my cave and is dominated by books. I have bay windows under which are two bookshelves and my computer desk. One angular wall is dedicated to family pics and my autographed Michael Crawford Phantom of the Opera photo. Another short wall by a window has a large bookshelf and my armoire side has pics of Alan Jackson and more family pictures. Another wall by my small kitchen holds another large bookshelf with the rest of my books. More books and my stuffed animals from years ago are in storage.

    I used to be a paper stacker but am proud to say I’ve eliminated those. Oh, and I do have a bed in my room!

  34. Lisa H on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:03 pm #

    Claudia, I agree with your position on books. Nothing is more beautiful than walls and walls of books. Especially if your name happens to be on some of them!

    I can’t seem to give away or sell my books, it’s like I have a relationship with each one. I also tell myself I might want to re-read one one day, but I seldom do. They really are little pieces of me and where I have been.

  35. Lisa H on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:05 pm #

    Karen R – I feel like a terrible person to actually utter this, but I am not a big fan of NR. I have only read three of her books and didn’t really care for them. I know she has written billions, but perhaps I just didn’t choose the right ones to appeal to my own likes.

  36. Freedom Writer on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:30 pm #

    My cave is my office. I have hundreds of books, a couple of pictures of my family, inspirational sayings and a poster of the Pink Lady painting. I used to have this same poster in my room as a child. It is part of the romantic in me.

  37. nancyg on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:38 pm #

    Yes, K-Ro, I do like the modern art painting. It’s got a black background, but in a big gold frame with lots of pretty colors – kind of almost looks like an Aztec cave drawing… (did they have caves?)…

    I’m planning on re-doing the office soon – I want one wall with a floor to ceiling wooden bookcase…maybe then I can get all of them stacked in one place!! New paint, rip out carpet and tile, new French doors … Mr. G wants a desk in here to invade the cave… gasp!

    I should probably get a job again to pay for all the remodels I have in mind… I love tearing rooms & spaces up then putting them back together again!

    Is it July already? SOOO far behind in my big push to reorganize this room!!!

  38. elsiehogarth on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:45 pm #

    My Bat Cave Office has lots of my Batman treasures even a Barbie Batgirl and a Barbie Harley Quinn. They are in a book case in between books. I have a whole wall dedicated with pictures of family and close friends. On top of my computer I have a gargoyle (I also have them throughout my house) and Beauty & the Beast dolls. I also have a sofa where I can read since this room contains book cases and most of books. Even though the Family Room contains all my to be read piles: in boxes, under the coffee table and at the end of the love seat.

  39. Pesky on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:51 pm #

    Cail! I love the idea of pictures of trips in shadow boxes with some of the memorabilia from the trip. I have so many little chachkis I’ve picke up during travels and I’ve never figure out what to do with them. :D Now I know!

  40. Jamie on 01 Jul 2009 at 2:02 pm #

    My office is a desk in the sitting room. I have a bookshelf next to me and I have the TV at the corner of the room to the right. Behind me is a hutch with just about everything from candy to the knick knacks my Mom and I have collected over the years. It also has three lounge chairs (hence why we call it the sitting room) and to the left is the dining room table.

    Actually I think it is better to have the computer in a public area. Less worry about the kiddies (even though it is just Mom and I) to get into trouble. Having a computer in the bedroom is just asking for trouble in my humble opinion.

    I have my desk decorated with beanie babies of my travels. I also have a picture of my best bud, Gaby, as well as books, tape, stapler, paper clips and lip gloss. A gal can’t have too much lip gloss. My desk is full of clutter, but it is partly that way because I just have too much stuff. If I had a bigger area, I would probably still have a cluttered desk.

  41. Cail on 01 Jul 2009 at 2:52 pm #

    Glad you liked the idea, Pesky! It keeps it nice and organized.

    Karen, I definitely love baseball… I miss being a 7 min drive to Yankee Stadium. At least we have a minor league team around here. And my projector room isn’t as awesome as it was in NY- back then it was just a romance wall, a futon and a projector on the opposite wall. Now it’s disguised in our living room, and we can only use it when its dark out. Sigh. Compromises for living with someone. At least we have a screen now instead of just putting it on the wall. Amazingly, a projector is pretty inexpensive compared to flat screen tvs if you know where to shop.

    Our sun room is currently a mess. We had a huge rainstorm today, hail, tornadoes, the works, and it lasted for about 5 hours. The water started to leak from the flooded outside into the unflooded inside of my sun room. luckily it was just a large puddle on a tile floor, but WOW i haven’t seen rain like that in New England since that hurricane we got in the 90’s.

  42. Archer on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:02 pm #

    Karen R
    I got most of my daggers and dragons from a shop in Edinburgh. I can give you the website if your want… they mail things :)
    However, its so much better to actually go there.

  43. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:11 pm #

    Archer, I was in Edinburgh last summer and loved it! We stayed at the B&B of a man named Mac MacCool. I’m not kidding.

    Post the website if you don’t mind. I bet lots of us would like to shop virtually in Edinburgh!

    Cail, we’ve had rain today too. The pool is overflowing and spilling onto the lanai (our patio here in FL). Luckily we still have power! It flicked a few times. We were in a draught, but we’ve had lots of rain recently.

    Jamie – I agree with you. My desk is cluttered because that’s who I am. If I had a bigger desk, I’d have bigger clutter.

    It’s the second law of thermodynamics: Stuff spreads out. And Isaac Newton was a freaking genius, so he can’t be wrong, right?

  44. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:21 pm #

    Elsie, I expected you to have gargoyles, but didn’t expect the Barbie Harley. I love learning new things about people! What a fun combination.

    NancyG, yes it is July already. ACK. I hate those 30 days months. We’ve been robbed!

    SuzyQ – James Doohan – I bet that’s got a special place. I was so sad when he passed. Do you go to ST cons?

    Free, had to google Pink Lady – did you mean the one painted in CA on that rock by the lady who wanted to trounce graffiti?

    Donna – Alan Jackson the country singer? I like him, too! I used to have the program from the Garth concert I went to tacked to my shelf, but alas, it got lost in one of our moves.

  45. Archer on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:22 pm #

    here you go :) http://www.heritageofscotland.com/Medieval/cid,251156,index.php

  46. Archer on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:23 pm #

    Karen R
    I posted the link, but someone needs to moderate it

    Mac MacCool… awesome :)

  47. TinaLouiseF on 01 Jul 2009 at 4:52 pm #

    I’m with Kathy, my whole small apartment is my cave.

    In 2006 while I was on vacation, my mom bought me a china cabinet for the knick-nacks that didn’t fit into my curio cabinet.

    In the bedroom besides three books shelves are maps of England, the US and Gwyndedd (Katherine Kurtz deryni series). In the living room is the curio cabinet, three sets of books shelves, couch, small entertainment center and VHS cabinets with a print of Montana Wildflowers and a Thomas Kincaid on the wall. The kitchen has the china cabinet, two book shelves, desk and shelves for tools and paint.

  48. Karen Rose on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:01 pm #

    Archer, cool This was the dragon/sword letter opener I mentioned: http://www.dragon-art-work.com/dragon-on-pile-of-skulls-holding-sword-letter-opener.htm

    When I wrote DFM, the heroine was an expert on medieval fortifications and warfare. She liked swords. Um, yeah. Anyway, I checked out some swords and almost bought one, but didn’t have the money. Someday I will have a sword of my own!

    TinaL – how nice of your mom to do that! I have a curio cabinet in my living room, but it is filled with my foreign releases. Fun way to greet folks when they come in the house.

  49. SuzyQ on 01 Jul 2009 at 5:54 pm #

    Karen, I’ve been to a few ST cons and we always had a blast. I was lucky enough to get invited to a private cocktail party in Atlantic City with James Doohan, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis. They were very down to earth and we got to mingle with them quite a bit (Marina and my dh got into a whole Greek conversation). I have copies of all the pics in my home office too, but the one with James was always my favorite.

  50. Louisa Cornell on 01 Jul 2009 at 6:11 pm #

    How funny, Karen! I have gargoyles in my writing studio aka cave too! I collect them and my brothers take turns trying to find the ugliest ones to give me for birthdays and Christmas.

    My cave is covered with framed signed coverflats from my favorite authors, pictures of myself with some of my favorite authors and my writing contest certificates. There are also several framed signed book posters. the rest is wall – to – wall bookshelves that hold all of my romance novels, except for the wall behind my desk. That holds my Regency research books. I also have a floor to ceiling case that holds my English bone china teacup collection. I have a different teacup for each contest final.

    The bookshelf in front of my desk contains my personally autographed books from all of my favorite authors. Right next to the that is my “keep for all time” shelf.

    I have a collection of chess sets on chess tables around the room. Over the fireplace are photographs of my family back to my great great grandmother.

    On one wall are awards, framed programs and photos from my singing career.

    Man, my cave is really crowded!

  51. Patricia Barraclough on 01 Jul 2009 at 9:39 pm #

    My cave is painted with books. Lots of books. Piles that I want to read NOW and some I hope to get to soon. Old books I’ve collected because they are lovely or open a window on a place in time. I have things from my travels but even those tend to be books. We are still renovating a victorian farm house (started in 1992). Lots of things are still in boxes. We live in the kitchen/family room. There are books in every room of the house and once we finish, I’ll be able to hang out in any of them and feel happy.

  52. Archer on 01 Jul 2009 at 11:24 pm #

    awesome letter opener

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