My She Shack…my daughter’s daybed is visible when you walk in – displaying my colorful pillows and my grandmother’s brass lamps.
So…what do you call the female equivalent of a Man Cave? Why, you call it a She Shack!!!
Several years ago, I remember saying to my entire family that it wasn’t fair…they all had their rooms and I didn’t have one of my own! My husband had his man cave, even though he says it wasn’t truly his, as the kids would take it over and I had a lot of my stuff down there. But I didn’t really use it much in all honestly.
I stored all my photos, slides and negatives there but after trying to use the space to work on organizing all this stuff, I finally gave up. I would pull everything out and start getting things organized to scan, only to discover that everything had been moved and was not disorganized and I would just get frustrated and…well…it just wasn’t working out. I moved to the dining room table at one point, but then we’d have family events throughout the year so it wasn’t the best place to pull everything out and leave.
So, when my daughter Anna Marie got married in 2015, I decided her room would become MY room…or my “she shack.” It was exciting to pull everything out of the basement and begin sorting and organizing and decorating. I had a vision of what the room would look like but in reality, the room wasn’t big enough for my vision! I had to do some accommodating. I began making “some” headway but as I added more and more photos – from the days when I’d get film developed and order an extra set of prints – I realized the room just wasn’t big enough.
In May this year, my son moved out and relocated to Wetumpka. With his vacant room, I decided this was my true She Shack! We began painting all he bedrooms in our house and as soon as it was done, I began moving everything from Anna Marie’s room to Charlie’s room. I really loved the extra room and the way things were shaping up. The final item I added was a new desk that I found at World Market. It’s a natural wood and has plenty of surface space to really sort photos and other things. My husband also made me a TV stand from a Black Stallion wine box that we brought back from our 25th anniversary trip to Napa!
I really love that this is a place where I can leave things and they won’t get disturbed. I’ve enjoyed a little time in my she shack so far and expect that the new year will have me camping out in there – especially when I get Netflix on that TV!!! One of my favorite things in the room is the display of my cameras. I’ve kept pretty much every camera I’ve ever owned. I also have my dad’s Leica camera and his camera case on display. Dad’s manual typewriter is also prominently displayed. I love this old typewriter and actually used it from time to time when I was younger. My electric typewriter – remember those? – is also in my room but I haven’t figured out a way to display that yet. It takes up so much room!
I’ve been able to add quite a few things to the room that I’ve found and kept stored for a while. Some of the bigger items include my grandmother’s brass lamps from Bangkok, Thailand that I cleaned up and I’m using on either side of the day bed. My cedar trunk, which I bought when I lived in Illinois, is being used as a makeshift coffee table. Several thrift store finds have made their way into the room as well, like the mirrored end table and a large five-drawer chest of drawers that my husband stripped and cleaned up for me to use for my photo storage. I still need to polish up the brass handles and put them back on. Meanwhile, I think I might need another! My new Crossley turntable graces the top of this chest of drawers. I got it at 2nd and Charles for $5 after turning in $65 worth of books. Not a bad haul that particular day!
My husband dubbed this room my “she shack” last year. Honestly, that’s the first time I had ever heard of such a thing. It made me think of the song “Love Shack” by The B-52s and I wasn’t sure what to think about that! Then it began growing on me the more we talked about it. If he could have a man cave, I could have a she shack! But now, when I think of my room, I think of the Beach Boys song, “In My Room.”
When I was growing up, my room was my refuge. I shared a room with my sister, Helena, until we moved to Chicago in 1971. That’s when I got my own room and it was the best feeling! I used to joke that when my parents sent me to my room, it made me happy because that’s where all my stuff was and that’s where I found the most peace and solace. Thinking of that Beach Boys song makes me feel cozy and warm. I think everyone should have their own room, or space, to create in or just “be” in. I’m grateful that this has finally been afforded to me. I’m loving my new She Shack!
In My Room – Brian Wilson and Gary Usher
There’s a world where I can go and tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room
In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears
In my room, in my room
Do my dreaming and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday
Now it’s dark and I’m alone
But I won’t be afraid
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
Southern Señora 
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