Putting up a new bookshelf is always a good time—unless you actually have a bad time putting it together—and seeing the space fill up and spotting all of the gaps where I’ll get to buy more and put more up and decreasing the amount of clutter on the desk and other bookshelves is therapeutic. I also put up the rest of the furniture. And my cat proved that she is a cat by falling in love with a $12 bed and ignoring the $90 cat tree. But that bed sure is comfy. When I pulled it out, I was convinced I’d spent a whole lot more on it than I did. It had rave reviews and was on special.

My office space is now like a little cubicle and I LOVE it. It’s open enough that I’m comfortable and am not shutting out my cat or partner, but it’s closed enough that it’s private and I’m comfortable with whatever I’m writing. Everything can suddenly feel like trash or cheese when you know someone can see it over your shoulder.

I have “peg-boards” (they’re not actually peg-boards but are similar) around the corner of my desk too, and now that I have the clamps, they’re actually standing up and can hold all the memos that I need to see over my monitor, as well as my pens and stationery and headphones. I have a few more pieces coming on Monday, but the bones are done. I still feel like a child, but this office is feeling more adult by the minute—and by that I really mean more “older child”. I don’t think “becoming an adult” is really a thing.

I wasn’t trying to be “different” or “edgy” when I was younger and saying “I don’t want flowers, I want books and stationery”. The power I now have as an adult where I can earn and buy as many books and bookshelves as possible—given that they fit in the house and don’t push my partner out—is thrilling.

My office doesn’t look as cool as I thought it would when I was little. I don’t have leather-bound books and scrolls and massive collections of great big hardcover books in deep colours etc. But I still love it, and it still feels great around me, with so much colour. I wonder if children today will have a different idea of what kind of mini library they want.

I think I might take some pics when it’s settled … and cleaned …