The places I work: part three

Yesterday, I worked at Insomnia Coffee Company.  This quirky, fun space is filled with other people on laptops, music, and really really good coffee. Like, Vienna levels of good coffee!

The places I work: part two

Crazily enough, sometimes I like to work at home. Yesterday I worked at my dining room table.

I like being surrounded by the paintings that I've made for the house.

The one on the right is based on a Persian textile detail.

Something about spreading out on the table makes me feel relaxed and homey.

This is a picture I painted that is in the living room, but I can see it from the dining room when I work there.

The places I work.

I like variety. I work best when I feel permitted to work wherever I want. I could be at my desk, at a library, a coffee shop, or even the sofa with my computer on my lap. This week, I'm going to showcase a few places I like to work.

Yesterday, I went to the Hillsboro Public Library.  I particularly like this location because it is in a beautiful building with great staff. It overlooks a complex of ponds and walking paths and has abundant natural light. I also used to work for this library system, and several of the librarians still know me. They are always interested and encouraging of my new career.

The view from the window.

 I like being places where I am inspired by other people working. Also, it's encouraging to see all these books that have been published. They tell me that even though writing is hard, it is worth it.

I usually take off all my jewelery when I write. I'm not sure why.

More groovy places coming up!

Important notes

I've said it before and I'll say it again - writers, care for your instruments. Not your laptop, not your brain, but your body. If you forget to treat your body with tender love and affection, pretty soon your brain will turn into a whirling mess of messy, whirling thoughts.

Which is why I made an immediate appointment for a hot-stone massage this morning and followed it with a bath at home. When one's shoulders make scary crunchy noises, one is best served to step away from the keyboard and so something that uncurls the spine.

Found on the Internet

The amazingly talented Lindsay Samuels created an amazingly wonderful website called LibraryScienceDegree.org.


I admit to busting a gut when I read her 50 Most Hated Characters in Literature entry. I adored her Top Ten Fictional Feminist Icons of All Time, too.

I am now inspired to go figure out my own fictional feminist icons. What are some of yours?

Go, read, enjoy!

Turkish rugs.

The Charming Man and I experienced the ultimate in shopping delight on our last day in Istanbul.

We hung up  the larger carpet.

We ended up (through a goofy sequence of events) at Onur Carpet and Kilim Story. The website is currently down, but here is a description:

 A selection of authentic handmade, all natural vegetable-dyed carpets, saddle bags, grain sacks, cradles, salt bags, pillows, runners and kilims. Mimar Mehmet Aga Caddesi, #13/15,Istanbul - Sultanahmet 34400 TURKEY.

There, we drank rose tea, chatted endlessly about being a writer of sexy novels, and the possibilities of making love on a silk Turkish carpet.
 We got to walk on dozens of silk rugs. Let me tell you, there is nothing like silk under your feet. So sensual, cool, and peaceful.

We weren't really in the market for a rug, so we started with just looking at the endless beauty and creativity that handmade rugs offer. Hand made rugs are a dying art form - they are extremely labor intensive and therefore expensive.

Onur Carpet gave us a great deal.

Detail from the larger carpet.

They added this smaller rug for us. We have it in front of our TV.