Big Things Start Small

The Write Space - Part 3

March 07, 2018 by Amanda Zieba

Let me start with an apology. I planned to do a full reveal of my new writing office today. I dreamed about showing you a beautiful space, fully finished and furnished. But, the carpeting process (ordering, shipping, installing) took a little longer than I thought, and the massive L’shaped desk couldn’t even be un-boxed until the carpet was in. Sooo, this blog post is me punting.

The leader of my writing group recently challenged us to write entertaining descriptions of a favorite item of clothing, as if it would appear in a catalog. I thought it would be fun to experiment with this exercise and apply to the items I’ve chosen to place in my office. If nothing else, my description skills were given a workout! Hopefully I’ll be able to entertain you as well as give you a preview of the room via my décor choices.

So without further adieux… here are the trinkets and doodads furniture and décor, I have selected to fill my lovely, literary space.

Austere Antique Trunk, in questionable condition

No, this trunk didn’t come from Hogwarts (although that would be wicked cool!); it came from the convent. Once upon a time, it carried a young nun’s worldly possessions. But once at the convent, travel became less of a necessity, and therefore she no longer needed the massive two foot deep, newspaper lined trunk. Though the brass is a bit tarnished and the original leather straps are disintegrating, this hundred-year-old trunk will be a beautiful addition to my office space. Dually purposed to hold my stock of books and also act as a table between two sitting chairs, it will be both functional and stylish. I am thrilled to have commandeered this piece of furniture back from my children who have, for the past 5 years, been using it to hold every sphere-shaped object in our home. (purchased from St. Rose Convent Auction Sale in 1996, for $25)

Mood Altering Floor Covering

According to MyDomaine.com “Red affects the body, blue affects the mind, yellow affects self-confidence, and green affects the balance between mind, body, and emotions.” Well this rug has it all, and I can’t wait to see what stories I create with this fun, bright, mood altering, zany rug as the center focal point of my office. With stripes thickly woven in a chevron pattern, it is sure to be pleasing to the foot as well as the eye. (gifted to me by a friend, free) http://www.mydomaine.com/paint-colors-and-creativity If you want to buy it, you can find it here. https://www.amazon.com/Safavieh-Nantucket-Collection-Handmade-Abstract/dp/B00CNAJ3GC

Polished Wood Tray

The perfect resting place for mugs of coffee, or home to a small vase of flowers, this sleek tray is embellished with silver handles and beautiful triangle inlays of ivory colored wood. (purchased at TJMaxx Home Goods, $17.99)

Glitter and Gold, All’s Well That’s Spelled Well

These linguistic wall accents are enough to make any word nerd happy… for oh-so-many reasons. Measuring in at 8”, these wooden letters are covered in gold glitter, easy to install and bring geek-chic to a whole new level. Who wouldn’t want to monogram their office? (purchased at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, $2.50 each)

A Story with a View

This bright conversation piece started as a shabby, brown paint-peeling, window. Found sitting on the third floor of a small town, Sells-It-All shop, I saw it for the diamond in the rough it truly was. My investments in this wall hanging included $10 for the window (glass included!), a left over paint sample from my basement, and pages torn from books bought from the second hand bookstore ($13)… and voila!

Dreamy Swivel Chairs in White (that my children will never be allowed to sit on)

Worth the splurge, these chairs are the final furniture contribution to my creativity cove. Supportive of my lower back and my future collaborative meetings, these chairs are pure perfection, upholstered in white linen. After opening a TJMaxx rewards card and showing the sales person the massive crack on the back leg (which my ever-handy-father is repairing as we speak), I saved $140. I love these chairs and can’t wait for you to drop by and visit, so we can have a big ol’ chat while sitting in them. (Home Goods, $299 each/pre-discounts)

The remaining items…

The white framed, vertical picture holder was purchased at Michael’s, on sale during their new location’s grand opening sale, for the bargain price of $20.

Painted Stone Utensil Holders (Hobby Lobby, $4.99 each)

Lamp, including shade that matches chair fabric to perfection (Goodwill, $3.99)

Assortment of colorful candles, books, and trinkets (gifts from friends!) (I am so loved!)

So there you have it. Just under $600 of furniture and décor, ready, and waiting, waiting, waiting… to make my writing oasis a bit more beautiful. As I said before, I was REALLY hoping to introduce you to these treasures fully installed in their new home, but alas, it is not so. Projects always take longer than intended, and this room is no exception. This will have to tide you (and me) over until next week.

My curious mind wants to know… which of these items is your FAVORITE?!?!?

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The Write Space - Part 2

February 28, 2018 by Amanda Zieba

When we picture success in our minds, we immediately go to the extreme. The most famous. The wealthiest. The award winning, best selling, ultimate, guru and rockstar of whatever field dominates our daydreams. We don't imagine the lifestyle of the poor, humble dude just barely getting by as he pursues a living doing what he loves. We envision the lifestyles of the rich and famous, as Robin Leach often showcased, or MTV Cribs later went on to share with us.

When I say the word actress, Julia Roberts may pop into your mind. Football star? Brett Favre. Homemaker? Martha Stewart. Chef? Gordon Ramsay. Singer? Frank Sinatra, or maybe Whitney Houston will swim before your eyes. So when I said about to design my home office I didn't google James Patterson and kitchen counter. Nor did I image search for J. K. Rowling + couch.

Instead I scoured my favorite author’s blogs, sent them Facebook messages and yes, Google image searched for famous author’s offices. If my goal was to create an epic creative space, why not start by viewing the best, most prolific, bestselling, long standing, offices of the pros? Below you will see the fruits of my labor. Here are four authors I aspire to be like, and the spaces in which they complete their work.

This beauty of a room belongs to German, fantasy author, Cornelia Funke. She wrote one of my favorite books of all time, Inkheart. I LOVE everything about this office. When I do my big reveal next week, you will see a lot of similar elements. Althou… — This beauty of a room belongs to German, fantasy author, Cornelia Funke. She wrote one of my favorite books of all time, Inkheart. I LOVE everything about this office. When I do my big reveal next week, you will see a lot of similar elements. Although maybe not as large or grand, the color white, the natural light and the wall sized bookshelves make appearances.

Again. Yes, again Maggie Stiefvater. Always Maggie. But also, yes again with the book shelves. And yes, again to the abundance of books. In my current project I often try to channel Maggie's ability to make the paranormal plausible, maybe begging an… — Again. Yes, again Maggie Stiefvater. Always Maggie. But also, yes again with the book shelves. And yes, again to the abundance of books. In my current project I often try to channel Maggie's ability to make the paranormal plausible, maybe begging and borrowing pieces of her office style will help. :)

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic (and probably more notably: Eat, Pray, Love) says that once she finishes a book, she needs to move. That each project needs to occupy it's own space, explaining that her ideas cannot co-habitate. I don't plan o… — Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic (and probably more notably: Eat, Pray, Love) says that once she finishes a book, she needs to move. That each project needs to occupy it's own space, explaining that her ideas cannot co-habitate. I don't plan on prescribing to this way of thinking, but I do love her use of natural wood and the color white. You can expect those style elements to show up in my office. P.S. She called this room, the Skybrary. How cool is that? Maybe I will need to christen my room with some fancy literary name. If you have any recommendations, shout them out in the comments below!

Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, the classic currently getting a massive movie makeover, has a desk COVERED with paper. Even thought I prefer to write long hand, my desk NEVER looks like this. But I do think that I will take a page fro… — Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, the classic currently getting a massive movie makeover, has a desk COVERED with paper. Even thought I prefer to write long hand, my desk NEVER looks like this. But I do think that I will take a page from her book in decor. I have already purchased many pieces of art and inspiration to hang on my walls and place on floating shelves. (Note, I should not be allowed near a Target, TJMaxx Home Goods or Michael's any time soon!!)

Here are a few other writing coves that I found interesting.

Jodi Piccoult writes in the upper room of a farmhouse where as middle grade author Paul Durham remodeled a chicken coop for his office. Neil Gaiman has done most of his writing for the past twenty years in a Gazebo he built himself. Jeff Kinney literally bought the house next to his, and does all of his work in the comfort of his... second... home. Stephen King looks relaxed while at work with his feet up, and Roald Dahl's workspace looks a lot like my current situation. (Thus, the need for a basement renovation and office installation!) Andrew Clements writes from a tiny house on his property and Agatha Christie seemed to have been a minimalist in what her creative juices required... just a woman, her thoughts, and a typewriter.

That's all for now friends! Can't wait to show you MY office... next week!

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The Write Space - Part 1

February 21, 2018 by Amanda Zieba

One of the beautiful things about writing is that you can do it almost anywhere. And I usually do. Except when I’m driving, and I’ll confess, it isn’t because I haven’t tried.

I carry my notebook and an arsenal of writing utensils with me wherever I go. I write, as my students do, in our daily 10-minute journaling time. I write at Barnes and Noble in the bustling bookstore café. I write at my kitchen counter on the rare occasions I find myself home alone. I scribble down ideas on the back of the church bulletin. Guess what I do as I wait at the library for my son to finish Lego League? Yep, you guessed it, write.

It’s great! It really is.

But let’s think about this freedom through a different lens for a moment. Let’s think about other professionals. For example, where does a banker work? At a bank, of course! But what if the banker counted back your crisp hundred-dollar bills at the bowling alley? (I’ve written there!) What if a doctor offered to take out your stitches at the neighborhood park? (I’ve written also there.) Would you expect your lawyer to file evidence while sitting in line at the carwash? (I’m probably getting redundant now, but I’ve written there, too.)

The answer on your lips is probably no. No, you wouldn’t expect their work to be done in those places, never mind your level of comfort with the task being completed in those locations.

So let me ask you this. As writers, are we different?

I’m positive you could argue this both ways. On one hand, I find it wonderful that I can literally write anywhere, at any time. There is both joy and freedom in this knowledge.

On the other hand, writing from my couch, with my tablet on my lap and Monday Night Football on the TV in the background, doesn’t give me a lot of professional credibility. I’ve produced seven books and hundreds of nonfiction articles and blog posts in this fashion, but lately my lower back and my passion could use a little more support. I have also recently resigned from my full-time teaching job (effective at the end of the school year), and come this summer, I will need a more permanent home base for all of my writing endeavors.

So, with the help of my husband, parents, and uncle, I am creating a writing office. A space that is mine alone. A space that I will use to create, write, dream, plan, envision, organize and totally rock my writing business.

In the past when I found it hard to sleep at night, I would envision this space… my writing office... both the “if I won the lottery version” and a more realistic and practical vision. I’m happy to say that the final result is somewhere in between.

I plan to reveal the final result of the renovation in two weeks, so I’ll have to leave you waiting with baited breath until then. For now, tell me this… where is the most interesting place you have written? Or, what is one item you would love to have in your dream office?

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