a note from my bedroom floor
ok here's the actual story behind my tbr basket bc everyone keeps asking
I posted my shelfie like three weeks ago and did not expect the comments to be “where is that basket from” 47 times.
so. story time.
wait is that from an actual shop or did you make it
that's the comment that finally made me sit down and write this.
someone assumed I'd DIY'd it. I have never successfully DIY'd anything in my life.
how it happened
my tbr pile lived on the floor for over a year. genuinely just stacked next to my bed, growing every time I had a good BookTok session.
I told myself it looked “intentional.” it did not look intentional. it looked like a fire hazard with good taste.
I didn't really register how bad it had gotten until I tripped over it. twice. in one week.
what i had wrong
I assumed anything marketed as “book storage” would be either boring plastic bins or those overpriced wicker baskets that look nice for a photo.
and then sag within a month because they're not actually built for weight.
turns out that's not the only option. this one's properly quilted, not just stitched enough to hold its shape for a listing photo.
give it a second to settle after it arrives — it comes a little flat, that's normal — and it actually holds books.
like, currently holding 14 of them and it's not sagging.
shop the collectionmine is poppy cat parade
found it on a small Australian shop, Olivia Bennett Melbourne — she's actually closing after thirteen years, moving overseas.
mine has two cats on a stack of books, which felt a little too on the nose but I'm not mad about it.
it's properly illustrated too, not the kind of novelty print that looks cute in a thumbnail and cheap in person.
what happened after i posted it
people would NOT stop asking. the comment above. two DMs.
my flatmate wanted to know if she could “borrow” mine (no).
nobody has ever once asked about the floor pile. in a year. not one comment.
three things i learned
one. it's not just for books. currently also holding a blanket and my film camera because apparently I just needed A Nice Basket in general.
two. it arrives a little flat, that's just the fabric traveling. shape it by hand, put some books in, it holds properly after that.
wasn't expecting to have to do that step but it's a 30 second thing, not a whole ordeal.
three. it's printed, not embroidered, which I actually assumed wrong at first.
that's exactly why it wipes clean and the colour hasn't budged.
about the price
not going to pretend I didn't side-eye the price a little.
it's from $64.95 AUD. was $219.95.
my first thought was that's a lot for a basket. then I thought about how many cheap ones I'd have replaced by now.
the kind that sag in a month and end up back on the floor anyway.
she's closing the shop for good, so once what's left sells out, that's it. no restock.
if we were actually mutuals
honestly? if your pile's doing the floor thing too, this is where I'd start.
not because it's life-changing, it's a basket. but because I stopped tripping over my own books, which, low bar, but still a win.
someone assumed I made this myself before they asked where it was from. still thinking about that.
— Ivy
poppy cat parade | quilted storage basket
$219.95 AUD from $64.95 AUD
- Soft quilted fabric with a folk-art cat and book design, all round
- Printed design — wipes clean, colour doesn't fade
- Holds its shape once filled
- Folds flat to store or take with you
- Three sizes
- Free Australia Delivery
closing sale on now. once they're gone, they're gone.