arainngirl's Profile

@Holly14, as an English teacher and current PhD student, I know that the profs in our department who are retiring often put their books out on a table somewhere in the dept and we grad students who can't afford books but somehow still need them anyway can make use of them. And we're always very, very grateful to see that table of free books.

I'm with the Keep the Books crowd, but then I'm a writer and teacher (and currently a student at the moment). I'm lucky enough to have high ceilings in my 2-room, 400 sq ft apartment, so I have books everywhere and I'm always needing to find new space (I usually go up). Occasionally things get culled, but my 700+ book library isn't going anywhere and if anything it's going to get bigger. As a result, my wall of books has turned into the focal point in my apartment and that's where everybody goes first when they come in the door. I like all the colors and shapes against the dark wood. It makes my apartment feel cozy, comfortable, like it's a place you shouldn't be afraid to put your feet up in, shouldn't be afraid to take a book off the shelf.

I don't have room in my tiny apartment for a pull-out couch (I barely have room for my old loveseat) and when weighing the pros and cons and costs of an airbed, I decided that a good cot would work much better. Airbeds never seem to last as long as I think they should and they're expensive. My cot is great for me to sleep on when I have guests, and it comes apart and breaks down to almost no storage space at all. My guests I'll give my bed and bedroom, to give them what little privacy my apartment offers.

Because I don't have enough room for a dining table, I've made my coffee table (which is more like an end table) do double duty: I had my dad build me a simple topper that fits over the top of my table and doubles the tabletop area. The topper fits under my bed when I'm not using it (it's only 2" thick). Perfect for whoever is sitting on my loveseat and chair.