Random Items (Installment 2)

Today I thought I'd continue from yesterday's blog post as nothing much has happened to blog about since.

So let us continue, dear readers, to explore the items on my desk and the meanings behind them:

The Drawing Pin Holder:
This object is basically a magnet that holds my drawing pins on it, pretty self-explanatory really. It used to be a magnetic sculpture that was made up of metal moons and stars, but when I redesigned my room I decided I no longer wanted it, so I got rid of the pieces and kept the base. Now it holds all of the pins that I have spare. It serves, not only as a permanent place for them (so that I don't step on them) but also as a means of stopping them escaping.

The Lamp
My desk lamp, though not particularly extraordinary, is quite a special object to me. Of course, it gives me light when it's too dark to see what I'm doing (which was more important when I had my old keyboard instead of my shiny new G11) but it also commemorates my first trip to Ikea in Southampton, and holds several bracelets and chains around the top that have accumulated there (usually through my own laziness) over the few months I've had it. Among these is my small pocket-watch bracelet and a beaded one that i made back when I was into making jewelry. Another item that hangs from it is a bubble depicting a dragon with butterfly wings that I painted. It is not coloured in, just lines, but it is a project unfinished. Originally it was going to be part of a series of three that would have told the story of a dragon that could turn into a butterfly; the middle one, this one, shows the state of metamorphosis. The bubbles also decreased in size (the largest of which was the first item mentioned in the previous post).

The Clay Dish:
This item is one of those clay dishes you put flowerpots on that I have salvaged and painted with acrylic paint. On my desk it nestles in the base of the lamp between the two prongs of the fork that makes up the stand. It holds a load of random objects that I've found over the last year and a half. Some of these tidbits include: sea glass found in the south of France last year, a collection of small change (mainly 20 pence pieces), a bouncy ball, a blue goldstone, the remains of a parrot earring and an old earphone end. I'm not really sure why I keep some of it, but there are some quite interesting items in there and I enjoy fiddling with them from time to time.

Rave Duck:
Rave Duck is a small duck made of stretchy plastic, he has an awesome hairdo and loves to rock to the sound of Guild Wars music. Unfortunately for him, he seems to be going bald, though this may have something to do with my tendency to swing him around by single "hairs" while waiting for groups to form on Guild Wars. If you hit him on the head he also flashes red and blue. That's Rave Duck. Hayley and I both bought one from Hawkins bazaar many months ago, mine was yellow, and hers was blue I think. I remember it was cold that day and waiting at the station afterwards with a woman scowling at us because her small daughter was moaning that she didn't have one.

My Sunball:
The sunball is another one of those plastic bubbles with a small glittery gold pom pom suspended inside it. This item was originally part of a mobile I was making but, as with so many of my projects, it was never finished. Now the bubble hangs just above my light and holds my hair scrunchies so that I know where they are if I get too hot while gaming.

Ivory:
For any of you who are regular visitors to my blog (or close to me in real life), you will know about my love of fighting fish. Ivory, being my favourite of the four, has pride of place on my desk. He's a lovely little thing who will jump for food and follow your finger, and often watches me as I play. I love him to bits and will miss him when he finally ends his short life.

The Hostility Of Incense:
This is a picture that I drew a long time ago in pencil of a scene in my first ever attempt at a novel. The one that I have on my wall is actually just a photocopy and a rather tattered one at that, but it means a lot to me; in some small way it represents the first time I reached for my dream. I started the story when I was around 14 (up until then I'd been only writing short meaningless stories) and only got up to around 36,000 words. However, the first few chapters did get me my first A in my English class in year 11, a feat which I am still proud of.

The Flower Candle-Holder:
This is the last of today's installment (still one more to go after this so stay tuned), and it is pretty self-explanatory. I have a love of pretty things that glow, and the candle holder fits this bill perfectly. It is pink with orange tips to the petals and semi-transparent. It holds a scented cranberry-chutney tea light, one of my favourite scents, and came from the Yankee Candle shop in Southampton, a shop frequently visited by Hayley and me on our trips into the city.

Anyway, that's it for now dear readers, look out for installment 3 soonish.