WW: Tati's Date with Her Minions

Wordless Wednesdays

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Girl Room - The Reading Nook.

Can I just take a moment to freak out about the big girl room?  While, yes, I'm ecstatic about its coming together, I'm also kinda freaking out.  I'm planning for who Munch will become in the design of her new room... Picking out pieces that will suit her now and in the future... Timeless elements that will leave enough canvas to allow her to finish the "painting."  I'm freaking out.

Are we really here, islanders?  I know, we have this one-sided conversation pretty often but, in all fairness, my first grade chapter post (here) wasn't as snot-nosed as it could have been (remember my Kindergarten post?)...

People just don't understand what it feels like to remember this like it was yesterday:

 

Anyhoo...

 

I am excited. I really really am.  The kind of excited that makes you sit awake in your bed wishing you had all the time and money in the world because those are the only things holding you back.

 

I've taken some things we already had and made progress.  Munch is reading a lot. In an effort to encourage her to read a lot more, we decided to create a reading nook.

 

Munch has 2 large window coves in her room.  Perfect for keeping functional messes out of the way.  In her old room, we used two ledges to hold pictures, inspirational signs and small décor.  Remember my big girl room inspiration?

 

When I saw this pic of floating shelves and books:

...I knew it would maximize the space of her nook while designating an area for reading!  I showed Hubbs and he suggested we use her picture ledges we already had because they're nicer and much longer than those pictured. 

I said fine and, with my bossy assistance, he hung them:

 

The lighting is weird in that area so direct photos are a challenge (especially since I was using my cell).

 

We only had 2 floating shelves so we'll use another 2 shelves for the other wall.  We also will rotate her books to keep the materials fresh (and appropriate for her reading level).  Have I told you THIS summer, we started reading chapter books?  Well, we have!

 

Other cool elements for this nook will be a personalized bean bag from Pottery Barn Kids:

Something about personalization is SURE to get her excited to lounge and read by the window... UGH, it sounds so nice already, lol.

 

I'm debating on a canopy, a mock chandelier (or lanterns) or poms in the area.  I think the little details of this space will serve as a reminder that reading is fun!

 

Now, after he hung the bookshelves, Hubbs sat on Munch's room steps and proceeded to have a "moment." 

 

AND I QUOTE,

 

"My wife takes good care of me... I get to live here... I get good food... 'You want some water, hunny?'  'Why yes.'  It's pretty cool..." ~ Hubbs

 

While he was blabbing away, I was changing out picture frames and organizing books.  I snuck a picture of him having this "moment."

 

 

Do you see this guy? That's that fat, full and happy look, lol.  O and please note, the manly man MUST take his shirt off to do manly tasks like... hang floating shelves in a reading nook?  Yea, manly tasks like that. HAHAHA

 

I guess, I'm not the only one who's learning to appreciate the little things we do for each other.

 

Cheers to creating spaces that work... for now and the future!

 

 

Big Girl Room - The Armoire

Howdy, Islanders!

I shared the wish list for Munchface's big girl room on Friday.  O, you don't remember? 

You can check out the post with more information here.

OMG!

When I see that board, I get excited.  I had this vision and I just want it to all come together.  I think it FINALLY is :)

My goal is to purchase timeless pieces that will grow with her through the next phases of life.  Now, I'm sure she won't have a twin-sized bed forever BUT it's such a timeless and quality piece that, with the warranty, we should be able to preserve it for a very long time... We will change bedding and colors, I'm sure.  We will NOT, however, need to buy the large pieces.

One large piece I haven't talked about is the armoire.

So... As it stands, Munch's toys are piled into one of her large nooks in her room.

Among the other gripes listed in the pic, that pile of toys is blocking the future homework nook (desk, chair, cute little desk things to hold pencils and crayons, boards for her works of art, etc.) and the pile MUST be moved soon.  Plus, we plan to get the desk, chair and other room stuff by her birthday so it really has to happen soon.

In the town house, the kid's room was so small that I didn't want ANY toys in there.  One Christmas Hubbs bought and built Munch a cabin in the basement.  Like, a real cabin... She had a Princess tv, 2 chairs, a picket fence with a rooster on top.  It was a REAL cabin.

Anyhoo, with the cabin downstairs, it made sense that we create a play area for her down there also.  I loved it - cute and pretty little girl room upstairs, plastic tacky nonsense in the basement (the man cave, lol). In the new house, however, Hubbs justified Munch getting the larger room to contain the toy mess (we talked about how I lost that battle in this post).  Now, we purged a lot with the move but we still have a pile o' plastic toys in that homework area.  UGH!  I just want her room to be pretty.  Functional but pretty.

Queue the armoire!

I've been drooling over pretty armoires for a few years:

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I want to maximize Munch's space as much as possible.  I think an armoire is the WAY to go... Think about it, I want a reading nook, a homework station, an entertainment center/bookcase, a game table with chairs and a storage piece for toys.  That's a lot, right?!  I need to get her toys off the floor!

I hunted on Craigslist for the perfect armoire.  One that could hold her dress-up toys and dolls (and their plethora of clothing)...  One that didn't cost more than $50 because I want to paint it and change the knobs...  I searched for weeks and no luck.

UNTIL...

I received an email from a church member that said she was GIVING an armoire away to the first person who wanted it. I responded almost immediately.

I didn't care WHAT it looked like, it was FREE and that made it PERFECT!  I loaded it up in the car and, looking all kinds of crazy, the kid and I rode home (she was holding a drawer and a cotton candy maker...WHAT? I had an event the day before and you already KNOW I don't clean out my car).

Lucky for me, the armoire really is perfect.  I'll post a 'before' pic in the tutorial... Let's first discuss my plan, shall we?

I want to paint it pink.  No, not HOT pink or baby pink or Pepto pink... I want it to be antique pink.  A pink that has a little dirt to it... A little depth.  Am I crazy?

While thrift shopping with mommy (have I mentioned how much I love doing that?)a little while ago, I stumbled upon this old jewelry box (for only $2).

I just loved it.  The aged gold, the details... It was pink but been-through-something pink.  I bought it. 

...and THAT is my inspiration for the armoire. 

Maybe it doesn't make sense to you yet but I'll try to demonstrate in pictures.  Yes, of course I googled pink armoire to determine what color would work for me. 

I don't want this:

or this:

I. want. this:

I love it.

I've also been stalking Hobby Lobby's drawer pull selection to complete the look.  WISH ME LUCK!

Big Girl Room - The Plan.

Hi, Islanders!

Yesterday, I mentioned that I had a plan for Munch's 7th birthday gifts.  I've told you about some of her gadgets (the iPod, the DS,the tablet, the portable DVD player and so much more)... Needless to say, the kid has everything and then some.  She doesn't have her school supplies (and clothes) and a completed big girl room. 

I'm hoping to check most of her big girl room to-do's off the list as a gift.  She's excited to make her new space her cool girl room.  Check out the wishlist:

1. Serena & Lily quilt - DONE.  Purchased for Christmas

2.  Desk - Pending.  For homework nook

3. Kidcraft Desk Chair - Pending.  For homework nook

4. Pottery Barn Bean Bag - Pending.  For reading nook

5.  Floating shelves - DONE.  Floating shelves hung in reading nook

6.  Sconce - Pending.  2 for bedside

7.  Painted ceiling - Pending. We're going pink up top and keeping the neutral walls

8.  White low book case/shelf - Pending.  For under t.v.

I'm hoping to have her ceiling painted before her birthday.  I'm also hoping to get the desk, the chair and the bean bag for her birthday...  Grandparents?  Play aunties?  Anyone wanna chip in? LOL.

O and other gifts will include the book bag she wants from Pottery Barn Kids:

Other than that, Hubbs is in charge of finding a cool iPod case.

I am excited that she will have a great birthday AND that we are one step closer to completing her big girl room.

Matter of fact, I'm so excited I could cry my eyes out... but I won't.  Today.