Welcome to Grackle Hollow

Let the long-awaited unveiling of my writing studio commence!

She's complete--on the inside, at least. And all the exterior needs is some paint and a few finishing touches. (I'll be sure to reveal that in good time.) For now, step inside for a pictorial tour of my one-room writer's lounge.

Here, everything has a story. Every piece has special meaning, and if it doesn't, I'll create some. :)

First, the name. Where in the world did Grackle Hollow come from?

Originally, my working title was SOHO, an acronym for "shed of her own" based on the Virginia Woolf's essay, "A Room of One's Own." (I guess I could've gone with AROOO.) Anyway, something about SOHO didn't quite roll off the tongue. And I knew I could find something closer to my chosen aesthetic. (More on that in a moment.)

The Great-tailed Grackle is a common bird here in my desert town. As I sat at my desk in this very room brainstorming names for my studio, two Grackles swooped down into my view, fighting, squawking, and making a scene. Nature itself handed me a gift. What about Grackles? Then I went down a rabbit hole so spectacular, I'll have to write a separate blog post about it.

In short, Grackles have the same mysterious quality as Crows and Ravens, but with more trickster energy. And according to the Audubon Society, they are the "patron bird of anarchists and poets." I had to chuckle at these hustling creatures. Hence, I present to you Grackle Hollow.

How I arrived at the aesthetic:

Have you ever wracked your brain to find the perfect term to describe something that exists only in your head? I hoped to find an artistic style that encompasses all these elements, despite them spanning different time periods.

• Curiosity cabinet

• Art nouveau

• Gothic-lite/Victorian

• Old library

• Apothecary/natural elements (framed insects, etc.)

Folks, after some google searches, I discovered there's a name for it, after all. Drumroll, please...

Dark Academia.

Eureka! Have you heard this term before? I never had, but felt that ZING once I did. Whoever came up with it is a genius. (I'm sure if I was active on Pinterest, I would've found it much earlier. There's a LOT on the subject there.)

Here's what AI generated as a mood board:

Here's my Dark Academia wall:

I started with the butterflies and hummingbirds I already had, but I needed an Emily Dickinson-esque portrait for the center. That's when I found Cordelia. I named her that, which means "heart."

My old typewriter has a spot now, which I got from an antique shop years ago. From what I can determine, this one dates from 1939-1947. Not exactly Victorian or from any of the styles represented, but still vintage.

Bob made me this unique lamp several years ago from a hanging light fixture my sister was getting rid of. (Side note: I considered naming my shed Lamplight Lounge because of this lamp. Wow, that sounds so great. Where have I heard that before? Oh right--Disneyland.)

I'm still in the process of moving over my books and getting them arranged.

Next I designed the western wall. Not only is it located on the actual west wall, but it's all about the Old West. It deviates from the Dark Academia theme, but it brings the spirit of my book into this space.

My starting point here was the Pony Express trail map my sister gave me at my book launch.

Below it is an adorable cowgirl picture from my favorite indie bookstore, Sunny's. The stamp-looking photo is also Pony Express-themed, and I bought the oval mirror from my favorite coffee shop downtown, which also sells vintage gifts.

Around the time of my book launch, I bought this 1860 "Indian Head Penny." I wasn't sure what to do with it until now. Frame it and put in on the western wall, of course.

Also, a note about the pink loveseat. I ordered it from Wayfair and couldn't decide between mustard yellow and this fuschia pink. Both matched the rug I bought. But I wondered if the pink would be too bold and brash. At the last second, I clicked on pink and haven't regretted it.

I decided to include my Heart of Grit poster to the wall, so we repurposed an easel as a mount. That way, I can easily remove the poster to take with me to events.

I love this little end table I got at dd's Discounts, heavily discounted.

So far, my only plant is this regal-looking Rhapis Palm, but I do plan to add others. This plant does well in our climate, indoors and outdoors.

This is my writing desk, also a creation of Bob's. In fact, if I haven't mentioned what a blessing it is being married to a handy guy who loves projects, let me do so now.

I love having a view out into a small patch of nature. It's the kind of scenery that can exist while allowing me to write distraction free. Unless, of course, the Grackles start up some drama.

That tube going out the window is my AC unit. Very necessary in southern Arizona. Eventually the tube will run out of an opening in the wall, but that's a project for another time.

All my electricity runs through this one extension cord. If we'd built the shed with electricity wired into it, we would've had to get a permit. And, well, we didn't want to do that. Dealing with an extension cord is an easy compromise.

My statue of David bust and the Colosseum model are two curios I brought back from Italy. And the heart rock (tucked into the Colosseum) washed up on my path on a California beach.

My dad had this ceramic kangaroo on his desk his entire career, and now it's been on mine for the past ten or so. Apparently, these were a thing. Look up "Men's Dresser Caddy ceramic kangaroo."

Folks, that concludes the pictorial tour of Grackle Hollow. I'll keep adding things here and there. Now that I have a space all my own, conducive to cozy writing comfort, I have no more excuses but to GET WRITING!