Desk: Kelly Beall, of DesignCrush

This week’s featured desk is that of Kelly Beall, an art director and designer from Oklahoma City who is the mastermind behind DesignCrush (a blog that we regularly visit for inspiration, ideas, and plain old fun). Kelly’s blog, in her own words, is “all about what I’m into, what I’m inspired by and what I’m just overall diggin'”; Kelly digs a lot of stuff, and we are ever-so-grateful to her for introducing it to us. By the way, Kelly, we absolutely love the post about Go or Send Jewelry, especially the fork bracelet! Since we love what Kelly shares with the world, we asked her to share with us about her desk. Here’s what she had to say:

The Desk: I’m not a big fan of my desk. It’s a combination of the glass top and the size. The top a.) smudges if you so much as look at it, and b.) forever looks cluttered since you can see through and under it. I like to spread out when I work, so I always feel a little confined by the size. Maybe I should just move to the floor instead!
Chair: Not the most comfortable chair in the world, but at least my feet touch the floor! I’m 5’2″ and, believe it or not, have actually had desk chairs where that wasn’t possible. It’s plain and office-y but gets the job done. Hopefully one day there will be room in the budget for an upgrade.
Paper: I’ve been paper-obsessed for as long as I can remember. Any kind: stationery, art papers, printing stock – you name it. Texture and color are huge deals and I’m an avid collector of scraps of both.
Calendar: In the past few years I’ve become a bit of a calendar whore… I want them all. (Well-designed ones, mind you, not the ones sold at the kiosk in the mall around the holidays.) I’ve purchased a 2009 one for my wall from A Little Hut, but I’m sure there will be at least one more for my desk.
Clock: I try not to look at the clock while I work, otherwise I find myself either rushing to get things finished or time crawls. I used to wear a watch religiously until a few years ago, but even stopped that. Sometimes it’s just nice to go with the flow.
Charging: In the sense of electronics – always plugged in when possible. Power vampires, I know. If we’re talking credit cards, then I’m not a fan. I have too much school debt already, thankyouverymuch!
Inspiration: It’s everywhere. Especially when you aren’t looking.
‘Thank You’: Can’t be said enough. Although I do hate when you end up in a ‘Thank You Battle’ with someone and don’t know when the stopping point is. I still send Thank You notes the snail mail way and love receiving them, too.
Flat note or folded: Flats have always seemed a little more business-like to me for some reason – maybe because there’s no fold to hide your sentiments from other eyes? However, I do own and send both.
Organization: Is so important to my life. I’m a big time List Maker. And everything needs to be in its place (to a certain degree) for me to feel at ease.
Handwritten or emailed: Handwritten is nice, but email is faster and more practical in this day and age. I guess it really makes receiving something handwritten that much nicer!
Book: I’m constantly reading something. Right now it’s a book I bought in the 6th grade when I was just getting into actual “adult” books – Haunted Heartland. It’s a collection of ghost stories and folklore about the Midwest.
Color: I used to be able to pick a favorite, but anymore it really depends on my mood and the intended purpose of the color. As you can see from my desk, it really runs the spectrum. And I like that.
Magazine: Monthly, I check out Living, Real Simple, Lucky, Cosmopolitan and Domino. I also look at Cooking Light, Dwell and Food & Wine online.
Stationery: I wish I could say I have a favorite company, but I honestly don’t. And I like even too many to list here! I do tend to gravitate toward simple, clean design as well as quirky little illustrations.
Planning: Goes in the same book as Organization. Each demands the presence of the other!
Business: Is usually work, but can sometimes turn into pleasure.