laura
cope

Knotty, knotty pine

I replaced the landlord’s garish miniblinds with cheap green curtains last year and now the place feels like a dungeon, complete with a two-ton, 1,000-year-old fireplace with cracks from the 1989 earthquake.

Saffron and Genevieve, a shelter shop in my neighborhood that’s every bit as charming as it sounds, had someone come over last week to recommend new window treatments for the wood-paneled palace.

But recent overcast skies have me bustin’ out the blankets and the French press and curling up like it’s winter again, and on days like these my toasted knotty pine doesn’t seem so wrong.

Fourth in my ‘hood

Treetop office

The best feature of the treetop office, Joe might say, is the girl who comes in on the hour, sprawls across the desk and sings his nonsensical code — sometimes rapping, other times Christmas carolling — before abruptly retreating to her own lair, where she’s also writing, except in English.

Marlboro man, engineer edition

This handsome man came over and gardened in my backyard over the weekend. The view reminded me of Pioneer Woman’s Marlboro man.