Desk Inspiration

Considering I spent a good chunk of my waking hours sitting at my desk at work, I thought featuring it might be worth a post.And since I've seen a lot of "What's In My Purse" posts, this is kinda my own spin on that.

Inspirational Quotes
Most people who know me in in person know I'm a natural pessimist. So in an effort to combat that, I try to have keep my desk emotionally light. It brings my spirits up, especially being in the news business, where stories of violence, struggling budgets, and other downer topics are all too common.

In addition to the cookie fortunes taped onto the bottom of my computer monitor, I have a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote postcard on my desk. It reads, "For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness." There's also a cute illustration, but I couldn't get a decent photo of it. (There goes my pessimism again, HA. Kidding.)

Newspapers
This is a given, considering I'm a reporter. While the news industry continually shifts toward a digital market, there's just something about reading a freshly printed paper that doesn't compare to looking at a screen. Especially if I have a byline on the front page. That's the best.

Ms. "Pierogi" Head
I spotted this fella at a flea market about a month ago, and couldn't resist grabbing it. It was marked 5 bucks, but Mark was buying some other things from the seller, so we got it for free.

For anyone who's ever been to a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game, there's a pierogi race that's done during an inning break every game. Personally, as a pierogi obsessed person, I love it. Anyway, it's actually Jalepeno Hannah, the only female racer. She's a great desk companion.

Other items worth a shout out: Coffee (complete with thrift store mugs and coffee stains on every piece of paper!), lip balm, head phones, to do lists, a bazillion pens and notebooks, and my sound recorder. Conspicuously absent in the photos is my iPhone, but only because I took pictures of my desk using it.

What helps you get by at work?