Five years + two bassists + one string theory guy + a professor's designs =

the gloriousness that is this . . .



That's right, my friends, the built-in bookshelves are done! Aren't they spectacular??







Now, once upon a time and not so long ago, indeed at the very turn of this year, yours truly was working in this very same space. But this very same space? It looked like this:



The shelves, which were begun by Bassist #1 (Demetrius) in 2003, were not usable from 2003-2008. As regular readers know, Demetrius was hired by that punk-ass bitch, let's call him Dowie Hay, to go on tour soon after he started to build the shelves in August 2003 and my shelves were shelved on Demetrius's list of projects. I have been bitter about this for years. They were unfinished and unstable, ripping off the walls in many places. My books were scattered all over the garret. Those books in the picture above were thrown haphazardly onto the shelves, completely unorganized. Narcissistic String Theory Guy came along in the Fall of 2003 and built me a pretty cool desk. That was pretty nice of him. It looked like this (though I added the wine and coffee stains later):



Jump to 2008. The saving of some pennies, the frustration of many years with books in utter disarray, and this winter's blast of mad nesting energy led me to hire Bassist #2 (my ex-boyfriend, The Boy of 2005) to complete the project.

The project is completed! I spent the whole weekend doing some touch-ups then finally finally FINALLY placing the books here and in other shelves around the house according to the intricate organizing system I have spent OH I DON'T KNOW THE PAST FIVE FRICKIN YEARS conceiving. Sweet fancy moses but it feels good.

My advice to you is this. Unless you are talented and experienced in the art of carpentry, never ever build anything in your house. It will take you more time and more money than you have, especially if you have no money because say maybe at the time you are an assistant professor who just bought an attic in an expensive city. Do not do this even (or especially?) if you have many friends who are musicians and also carpenters. Also--and this is very important--no matter what the commercials say and the many home improvement t.v. shows imply: you cannot do it and Home Depot cannot help. Seriously.

Worth it, though? Completely, totally, utterly. Because this room, as simple as it may look, is the room I have been dreaming of inhabiting since I was a teeny book-loving little girl.

More pics of various steps of the project below.