Desks and Dishes

I'm trying just a little harder to have nicer photos. I know, they still aren't great, but I actually changed the setting on my camera before taking them! That's a leap for me.
So, here's Justin's man-room in the basement. This is the beast my mom found for us. Isn't it handsome??? I need to get to work on getting it tip-top, but I've been busy with school. I'll be done in early December, so it might be then when I have time to get to it... Tsk Tsk. Oh, and the rugs in here are kind of weird, but we're going for cheap and functional. The taupe one was actually free from my bosses who were getting rid of it. The smaller one is IKEA and is actually a really good looking rug, just too little.
Here's a close up of one side. You can also see the curtains Justin picked out from IKEA. Nice, right? I found that lamp at Goodwill for $3, and I think it's awesome. I'm not sure if it's vintage, but I like it. It's probably early 90's IKEA or something, but whatever. It's perfect with the curtains.
Does it drive anyone else nuts when thrift stores stick sticker prices onto stuff that seem somehow IMPOSSIBLE to remove? I cannot get this stupid tag off, and I'm all out of Goof Off.

Here's a detail (with flash, sorry ya'll) of the side of the desk. This little detail is on all corners, and it's so elegant. But in a James Stewart kind of way.
Here's my little lady. Very delicate and lovely. She's a little wobbly, but can you blame her with those legs?
She fits right in. Perfectly. Now I just need to find an uber comfy chair to sit here. I'm thinking something leather. With arms. Wouldn't that be perfect for reading? And writing papers that have been put off to the last minute?
Look at the liner paper in the drawer. I could just pinch its cheeks.
In other news, here are my first pieces of what I have decided are my new china sets. Everything is different, but I think it "goes."
First, the creamer and sugar that my wonderful wonderful grandparents got me for my birthday. These are from the Homer Laughlin Rhythm collection. If you remember from a previous post, I plan to collect this line in gray. These are my first two pieces! I love them!
I decided not to collect the other Homer Laughlin Rhythm set that I like because it's just too obscure. As a matter of happenstance, my mom was out thrifting and found a cute plate with a peacock design. She sent me a text photo and I immediately called to say "buy it please!" I have a thing for peacocks lately. I know it's trendy, but I'm not going overboard. And these are VINTAGE, so there. These two pieces I ordered online. The Peacock Alley platter is from Etsy, and the divided vegetable bowl is from eBay. To fill you in, the peacock pattern is called Peacock Alley, and it's by Harkerware, or Harker Pottery. It's stoneware, so it's heavy and wonderful.
As you can see, the divided vegetable bowl is a darker gray than the Peacock Alley gray. But, the shape of the Peacock Alley divided vegetable bowl is the same, just with different colors. I thought this piece was Peacock Alley until my mom the antique detective helped me puzzle everything out. As it turns out, the dark gray is likely from a different Harker line, which was actually designed by Russel Wright. It was called White Clover, and it's insanely modern and beautiful. It came in several colors. Now I think maybe I'll just collect the charcoal White Clover, the Peacock Alley, and the Homer Laughlin Rhythm in gray. Since they are all vintage lines, it will take forever to get a substantial number of pieces (although, I have some Peacock Alley plates coming via eBay...yay!) so collecting all three will be a fun adventure. Wow, I'm a nerd. But you have to admit, it's pretty china! Also, I should have linked these things, but I'm too tired. Sorry.