I just got myself a new writing desk! A secondhand purchase I made on a whim, upon looking at this writer’s desk which made journaling look so intimate I wanted to buy in on the romance, too.

That’s not to say my other desk didn’t do the job. It did. And for years I stuck and grew with it. Peeled candle wax droppings off it. Wiped spilled acrylic or watercolor paints clean off it. Gave up cleaning stubborn ink stains on it because that’s the price to pay when you want fountain pen inks that last forever. They last forever on tabletops, too.

But I felt like I needed a change. Something different. Something more sturdy. Solid. A quality offered by vintage products that are way more superior than the modern ones made in China these days.

The universe delivered. And it comes with a mirror, too! Even better. But then again, it’s supposed to be a dressing table. I’m just converting it to suit my needs.

My setup is pretty much the same as it was. Except that I now have an additional vase for paintbrushes because Ate Lorna gave me some and the little ceramic milk jug that I converted into a brush holder was getting too crowded.

Having said that, I love ceramics. At the risk of becoming a hoarder, I find myself buying whatever pottery items that catch my fancy when I’m out op shopping.

To date, my best find would have to be this heavy jug by Klytie Pate, a pioneer of the art pottery movement in Australia whose works are displayed in various art galleries and museums in Victoria and New South Wales. She’s like, a national artist or something.

At the time, I didn’t even know who Klytie Pate was. The jug in question wasn’t even striking in the grab-your-attention kind of way. You can say it’s just some gray thing dripping with greenish glaze. But there was something about it that just drew me in. A subliminal effect I could not explain except that I knew with all my heart I had to buy it. So here we are and it’s very special to me.

Just as special as the bracelet Raven made for me which spells ‘JANMAMA’ because it reminds me of my greater purpose in life. Today’s The Empress card explains it all.

As to the history of this dressing table, I can only guess. While I was wiping it down and blessing it with my intentions, I did note that on the back, it was stamped ‘The Mirror Man, Craftsman of Reflection’ along with an Australian landline number.

Believe me when I say I did my research to the best of my Googling ability but the closest lead I ever got to was this article. At this point, I’m going to terminate my efforts and rest easy in the thought that this table is right where it’s supposed to be in its journey.