After typing up such negative descriptions of the space, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about some things I own that I really like.
Man Walks on Moon
My grandmother saved this newspaper (like she saved just about everything else). When she passed away, I found it in the back of a filing cabinet and thought it was just about the coolest thing ever. It isn't in the best shape, as you can see, but it is a wonderful combination of family history and world history. My mother surprised me by having it framed and giving it to me for Christmas in 2005. This won't be in the outbox anytime soon.
Beaver skull
I found this while hiking in the Olympic National Forest when I was a kid. I have a wide assortment of skulls, bones, and assorted interesting rocks, but this is by far my favorite piece. Did you know beavers have orange teeth?
Obsidian idol
Seriously, I think this guy weighs about fifteen pounds. The body is obsidian and the feather headdress and mask are painted clay. I'm not quite sure which South American diety he's supposed to represent, but I like the statue a lot.
Handmade ceramic bowls (on the mantle upstairs)
I picked these up at a college fund raiser years and years ago, and I really love them. In the past, I've used them as fruit holders and drip trays for the plants, but I think they're about ready to embark on a new life. As what? Well, maybe the Cure can help me figure that out.
IKEA Tylosand couch (in downstairs living room)
When you're my age, living on practically nothing in a college town, even IKEA is amazing. I was the first of anyone I knew to purchase a couch, instead of picking one up off the street after spring term ended. My friends thought I was crazy. Why pay for something to sit on, when you can get it for free? This is the most comfortable couch I have ever come across, however, and it has the extra advantage of sleeping two overnight guests--the couch itself is roughly the size of a twin bed, and if you lay the back and side pillows on the ground, it makes an additional full bed. It's like having two sofa beds, but without the extra hundred pounds of steel springs!
Books (everywhere, really)
I love books, and I love my books. I read quite extensively, but I'm very picky about which ones I keep--which is why I've managed to keep the collection so small. The shelves downstairs are all books that I feel it's important to have on hand; either reference books, rare(ish) books I couldn't find in a library, or fiction books that I will reread. Upstairs is my signed book shelf, small but growing--I have signed books by Gene Wolf, William Gibson, Storm Constantine, C.J. Cherryh, and other people you've probably never heard of. :)
Art
Most of my collection is prints, but there's one signed limited edition print of a painting by Michael Whelan, and a few original pieces I've picked up--a collage my sister made, and a painting I found in the trash.
As you might have noticed, I love interesting objects, books, and artwork. I would like everything in my home to showcase these curious objects. I would love to have a beautiful home, but more than that an interesting home.
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