Ready. Set. GO! (Warning...this post includes lots of photos.)

 It's finally done!  My studio is ready...and now I can hit the ground running.  I signed up for the February Picture Book Marathon.

This is what you see as you walk in the door of my studio.  I did the painting back in the late 80's or early 90's.  It's called Sugar and Spice.  The top shelf of the bookshelf holds my favorite picture books and my autographed books.  This is my "read" and resource book shelf.  The photo screen hides Ginger's you know what.  (LOL, she's the only one who has free access to my studio.)

 This is the current view from my desk.  I have a assigned tasks to each bulletin board. The first is for notes, thoughts, words I like, etc.  The second one is for the picture book I am currently working on... (You can't but my SNI of course involves cake and something new for me...fairies.) The third one is for my mg, Not A Holiday.  I have an art desk too.  (I used my 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby for that!)  The blank spot above the desk is for a new piece of art...It's for sure going to be a big ole cake painting.  :)

 I have a little bulletin board for special cards and notes to keep me going.... (I've got some special Christmas cards I need to put up there from some of my bloggy friends.) Pura Vida means (loosely) It's all good. 

 This is a special painting!  My Dad and Bonus Mum gave it to me a few years ago.  It's a real painting of a place in England that my Nanny and Grandad took me too.  Dad and Miss Anne know how special Nanny and Grandad are and what a wonderful time I had on this trip with them, so it makes this a really special painting.  (I'm seriously sentimental!)

 A close up.... (LOL)

 Katherine made the fishy mask when she was in Elementary school....I've always loved it.  She made the smarties box in Junior High.  I think it's wicked cool.  The little ox cart is  from Costa Rica...which is like the most gorgeous place on Earth.  I have two of my favorite picture books on the top....One is by Tammi Sauer and one is by my adopted (lol) brother Steve Swinburne.  OH, if you haven't checked out Steve on YouTube, you've got too...He is an absolute RIOT!

 Okay, so maybe I'm a little OCD...(I have a few things left to label.)  I'm loving Post it's new labels!

 This side of my closet has the books I haven't read or haven't read in a long time.  I started keeping a log on the books I've read after I got back from the Highlights Summer Workshop in July of 2008.  (Waves to the WAD.)

 This is a seriously special chair and blanket!  We bought this chair to go in our first house.  I rocked Katherine in this chair when she was a baby.  It is sooo comfortable.  It fits me just right.

The blanket is my writing blanket.  One of my cps (critique partners), Rhonda Roberts made it for me.  We met at the Highlights Summer Workshop.  Rhonda won the Highlights Writing Contest in 2008!!!!  (What's crazy is she knows DL! And my Mum and Bonus Dad lived in the same town for like 20 years!)

 I call this painting Home Sweet Home...I painted it when we lived in Saint Charles, Missouri.  (Waves Susan) I used almost every color of every room in our house there.  Katherine  made the cool little car in shop and Lenny sent me the cupcake (with a cupcake necklace in it) for Christmas.

 I absolutely love composition note books...But these are the coolest ones yet!  They are tiny composition note books.  I keep a lot of them on hand.  I've only seen them at Walgreen's.  Aren't they cute?

 I like little bits.  (I told you I'm sentimental.)  Do you see that airplane?  Eileen Spinelli gave it to me.  I have a story to go with each little bit...

 When I was working on my studio I discovered a baby photo of Stripes.  It made my cry and be happy all at the same time.  I still miss him a lot.   I'm a bit obsessed with squirrels...So I HAD to buy this one! The book mark is something I leave out.  It's a memorial of my friend Natalie Lacey who tragically died.  She was something special. 

 Thanks, Lenny!  Isn't this sweet?  I don't think I could have dreamed up a more wonderful cp!

I have to tell you this has got to be the coolest garbage can in the world!  Guess what it was...a popcorn tin.  I kept looking at trash cans and I couldn't find one that said children's writer....Then I walked past the popcorn display at Kmart....and I saw this.  It is perfect and it was only $6.  That was a whole lot cheaper than the real trash cans and it was full of popcorn.

Thanks for stopping in and sharing in my fun today.  I really am so excited about having my own space.  I know it will inspire me to be more productive.... (not a poser)

If you didn't read my post last Thursday about Katherine I got an email from the editor over the weekend and she said they are currently giving away free copies of all their issues of Berry Blue Haiku.  So hop over and check them out! 

Are you signing up for the picture book marathon????  I hope to see some of you there. 

Have an awesome week!

Happy Writing!!!!!