One lovely Finnish blogger had posted some of her usual beautiful photos of her amazingly Finnish home. In one shot, I saw her immaculately tidy desk in the background, so I complimented her on it. Then I moved on to a Swedish blogger I visit daily. Another shot with her immaculately tidy desk in the background. I complimented her on her tidy desk too.
They both write super posts. I got a-thinkin' how inspiring it must be to work at those desks. For the first time in my life, I experienced Desk Envy. Big time. My mind wandered to my own desk, the desk I mostly use day-to-day, the desk I am sitting at right now . It is the birthplace of my posts!
Now, I do try to keep this desk tidy as, for ease of use, it is slap bang in the middle of our back sitting room. But it is subjected daily to paraphernalia and paperwork-creep.
I am uncomfortable working in a cluttered space and I realised that, of late and without too much thought, I have been pushing beyond a 6 inch radius of my laptop a plethora of items - bills and travel arrangements, notebooks (of which there are always many in my world. for I am a list addict). Framed photos, cards, pen pots. Diary, scented candles, beach shells ... the list seems endless. Add to that mix the core essentials, laptop, a phone and a camera, and it is no wonder that the poor thing appears to be groaning under their collective weight.
I realised I needed to put my own house (desk) in order. I can't say I was so inspired that I leapt out of bed. I left the 6.00am leaping behind me when I retired. But I did eventually get to my desk, the good side of noon. And tidying is what I did.
I scooped up every item on and around the desk. The Quatermass of cableage was tidied and taped. The orchids were watered and their leaves cleaned. The desky ephemera was wiped down. I asked myself if it was vital that each item go back on the desk. Embarrassingly, I found myself replying in the affirmative in the main, but what did go back was placed in a considered position on the desk. (Note to self: remember to take BEFORE shots, dearie!)
This desk is a £48 auction find - long story but I got it eventually thanks to a good punter-auctioneer relationship. It's little brass tag tells me that it was made in Spain. I've had it for 13 years and during that time it has been in nearly every room in the house, bar one bedroom and the obvious, those being bathrooms. utility room and kitchen. I've used it as dressing table, conservatory dining table as well as it having been a desk in several rooms before its current home. It is versatile. I do like it. It is a keeper.
I am satisfied with my morning's work. I may not have quite got there, true Scandi-style, but it is aesthetically pleasing to me. I have two other desks in the house which are now crying out for the same treatment but I will leave those for another day (or week - for I am a procrastinator) as I have other pressing matters to which I really must attend. Those matters being a coffee and a Sudoku ...
Of course it is a given that now inspired by my neater, cleaner, whiter desk, some pretty neat posts will be spilling out from my uncluttered mind and on to my blog, for when all said and done, surely tidy blog posts must truly be the offspring of a tidy desk.
A la perchoine.
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