“...the ceiling can’t hold us.”
So... the roof of my office collapsed in November while we were away for Thanksgiving. When we opened the door and saw the mess MacKenzie sang the Macklemore song (the ceiling can't hold us...) to make light of the disaster. I tried to laugh as we rushed to remove all of the computer equipment and books (lots, and lots of books). We wiggled in some support beams to hold up the ceiling which was quickly crumbling around us. I admit it, I panicked. We later learned, from the roofing company, it was caused by years of unseen rain damage around the skylight, and insurance didn't cover it. Ouch.
It took three very long months to get back in. My dog, Book, was absolutely distraught and felt even more displaced than I did – he sat outside the door of the office and whined every single morning. His sadness at missing our normal routine made it a little more bearable for me somehow. We consoled each other as we worked in a make-shift office in my house December through February. My phone calls with authors (which are usually quite animated, I talk loudly with my hands, haha) were a bit embarrassing. On the plus side, I didn't burn as many dinners since I could keep an eye on the kitchen (instead of doing the "shit-I-forgot-I-was-cooking" sprint to the house from the office).
SOME PHOTOS OF THE JOURNEY...
A beautiful view through the hole in my ceiling, the skylight is now gone.
After the structure was rebuilt and the new roof on, we got to work creating a killer office. Here's Joey finishing the new drywall. Dust, dust and more dust.
Here's Kenzie painting my previously light-moss-green walls an awesome, rich, dark gray-green – which took us three trips to town and four painted swatches to decide on. Not "too army" not "too Christmas" not "too yellow" not "too blue" and it went on, and on.
Carpet was ripped up, and here's Joey laying down my incredible new floor, Brazilian Pecan. It was the boldest design I saw at the discount floor liquidators. My first reaction was, "Too wild." An hour later we walked out with 300 square feet of it.
Joey built a custom wrap-around bookshelf for our Wyatt-MacKenzie books. Did you hear me squeal? Here I have it half stained.
I haven't finished putting all of our books on the new pride shelf (what I used to call my one shelf) – I think I have 42 more titles to get out of storage – but here's a sneak peek! It makes me beyond proud to turn around and see all our "dubbyas" on the spines.
Across the room, my “book nook” (inspired by WM author Annie Burnside many years ago) is better than ever. This is where I read book proposals and write in my journal. I also love how the dark green makes my big charcoal (drawn in college) pop off the wall. My existing quilts, dog bed, office furniture, and the previously painted chimney all jived with the new colors. Sweet! I also realized — the books I've published now outnumber the books in my nook that have inspired me. Wow.
Here is the other side of the office, where the paper gets pushed around. The pillow on the tan chair is a Cafepress design I made from one of our early products. (Old typewriters were gifts from Joey – the man knows what I love.)
I've always been excited to get to work every day, now I feel like the Universe has blessed me with such an incredible space I would never have had without the ceiling catastrophe, and okay, maybe a few tears. All smiles now though!
