My Writing Space (featuring: the Happy Board)

Want to see what my writing space looks like? Or, at least what my desk area looks like? I actually enjoy switching up my routine and writing in different places around my house, because I tend to procrastinate when things feel too familiar or repetitive. But I do have a “writing base,” as you will, and my favorite part of it is my Happy Board. This is where I like to put things that inspire me or make me feel inexplicably happy when I look at them. So, for those of you who are curious, I thought I’d diagram some of my favorite components of my Writing Base and Happy Board.

1. Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni (1489 – 1490) by Domenico Ghirlandaio, from when Nathan and I went to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. This is one of those paintings you have to see in real life to understand why it’s so special. The orange paint of her dress was glowing like a neon sign. It was completely arresting.
2. Note from my older sister, Heidi, that she gave me when I was probably about five years old. It reads: Christine, I do not know how you feel about being small. Although I can realy tell you are not happy with it! I’m not going to start saying there a a lot of things you can do when your small and the things you do I cant. But I will tell you that I can see you are not happy rite now and I do not blame you. Just reamember that I do not care how small you are! I love you just the same!!!!!!!! Beside I think you look cute small! You remind me of a pretty little ballireana! Love, Heidi.
3. Brochure from the Olympic Peninsula, where I grew up. I think there’s a map of Hurricane Ridge on the other side.
4. Train tickets from Spain.
5. Post-card from Casa Mia, a restaurant my family and friends and I went to a lot when I was growing up in Washington.
6. Post-it note from Kandice, a friend I made in Japan. It reads: Christine, Please come in and make yourself at home. We were going to get together and she had to run out for a minute. It warmed my heart to feel trusted and invited in while she was gone.
7. Post-card from Snoqualmie Falls, where my husband and went on our honeymoon. It’s also where they filmed several scenes from Twin Peaks, which is an awesome show.
8. Post-cards from a buddhist monastery in Japan. My friend April and I went to a meditation session and some monks hit us on the back with sticks. It was awesome.
9. Map of Hida no Sato, a very peaceful historic village in Japan.
10. Map of Hobbiton from when I went to New Zealand with Nathan, Bubs, and my sister Emily. (Little Rosebud hung out in my uterus the whole time, so she was technically there too.)
11. Playbill from a Pacific Northwest Ballet performance of the Nutcracker
12. Bub’s school project about eclipses.
13. Post-card from Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle, WA.
14. Map of Cordoba, Spain.
15. Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening (1944) by Salvador Dalí, from when Nathan and I went to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.
16. Raven Boys book jacket drawn by Maggie Steifvater, from when Kris and I went to a book signing in Denver.
17. Me and my little sister, Emily, on a beach in Washington.
18. Note from my friend Christian from when she sent me a jar of her homemade maple syrup.
19. Emily and David’s wedding announcement.
20. The first birthday card my best friend Kris ever sent me, where she called me a “lovely badass,” and I decided that was the best description of me anyone’s ever given.
21. Bib number from my first 10k.
22. Picture of Laini Taylor from a book signing in Denver, and the note she sent me when I won her book trailer contest.
23. Fishing with my dad. I was probably about five or six.
24. VIP pass from when I met Lindsey Stirling in Tokyo. As if her talent wasn’t enough, I got to find out she is an incredibly kind person as well, and I’ll always be grateful for the advice she gave me.
25. Big headphones.
26. Goal chart — front and center.
27. Star stickers, because I’m fabulous.
28. Hubble Deep Field.
29. Hydroponic garden. I’m a little sad I ended up taking a picture when there are only a few sprouts, but there’s usually lavender or hibiscus or rosemary in here. I like starting seeds with the Aerogarden and then transferring them out when they’re big enough. I’ll have to do a post about my indoor garden in the future, as I have a bit of a green thumb.
30. Bamboo ukelele. I just got this as a birthday present to myself when I turned 32 this summer. My favorite songs to play lately are Skye Boat Song, The Rains of Castamere, and The Last Unicorn.
31. Eolian mug my sister-in-law, Ashtyn, gave me for Christmas last year. It makes me so very very happy.

And now you’ve seen a little corner of my world. 🙂

Thanks for coming on this journey with me.
Christine