Think Pink

I’ve written before about my daughter’s nursery, but moving her into a new house, new big-girl bed and a more sophisticated room was it’s own animal entirely. But a really cute animal. A very pink one, at that. In fact, she chose Benjamin Moore I Love You Pink, a really beautiful and vibrant hue with blue undertones (that may be attributed to the fact that the room was formerly blue. See? Look here. Before:

Two photos of the room from the previous owners. 

The transformation is pretty remarkable, I’d say. Here is our after:

Now that’s a pink room. A pink room with a fairy tent, and a chandelier and handmade wall art. 

The canvases above I painted while I was pregnant with my daughter, quoting our favorite children’s books and songs.

The canvases below that hang over her headboard were painted by my daughter herself; she is a budding artist and loves to paint. From left to right, her take on Monet’s Water Lillies; Renoir’s Clouds; Her own design. Did I mention she’s 3?

The custom made pillow on her bed is by the same insanely talented crafter who did the elephant and fox and pillows for my son’s nursery. Her bedding is a Barbie print from Pottery Barn Kids. 

Her shelf and lamp are from The Land of Nod. Much like the tapestry of love woven throughout her brother’s nursery, the shelf decorations in my daughter’s room are a collection of love from near and far; a robot figure my husband and I purchased for her in St. Michael’s, MD; a Japanese figure from my cousin; Mosaic art done by my Aunt; toy cars from her dad; A Georgia O’Keefe inspired vase with flowers that she made in her summer art class; a very special Shel Silverstein book that was her birth gift from my bestie; this little mask, one of the “two new things a day” that her best friend/boyfriend/brother from another mother brings to school for her. She is loved. 

And the rest of her shelves? I could go on and on. A jewelry box from my twin, gifts from my sister and parents from travels to Israel, St. John, Budapest and Normandy. Jewelry holders from my time in Barcelona. There is history, there is family, there is love.

All of her furniture is, like her brother’s, Stanley Young America From their built to grow line. Her bed used to be a crib. Now it’s full size. It’s awesome. I love the “shell” color as well, as it is creamy and delicious, especially with her walls. 

And above is a bookshelf fit for a princess. Below is what a real kid’s bedroom looks like. Toys littered around, dolls and playthings. This is real life, people. 

This chandelier was purchased while I was still pregnant with my daughter, before we were telling the sex (when only we knew) on an antiquing trip to Adamstown. I think our purchase made it fairly obvious, but who’s to tell?

Her night-table was a special gift from her god-father’s parents, as it belonged to his little sister as a child. How special is that? The framed butterfly was from my mom’s childhood bedroom. The newest addition is the framed photo of my kids holding hands. 

The artwork hanging on her walls all has special meaning; The painting below is by Yoshimoto Nara, author of “The Lonesome Puppy” which was one of her favorite books as a toddler. (please pardon my reflection! eek!)

The top frame below is a painting of Honeymoon Beach in St. John, our Happy Place (and the place where my husband asked permission for my hand in marriage the day before he proposed). The bottom is from her godparents, as seahorses were always my favorite animal. 

Can I just say, I am obsessed with her rug? I did a major rug search for her room, but wanted something that a) fit with the design of our house and b) she could grow into. I hit the jackpot with this beautiful Kilim Rug from Pottery Barn Teen. It is one of the pieces in this house that receives the most compliments.

And here are her friends. In no particular order, Sandy, Lambie, dolly, Pinkberry, Bunny, Teddy, Elizabeth, another Lambie and Baguana. They are glad to make your acquaintance. My daughter’s room is so her; it is colorful, it is vibrant, it is always a little messy and it is filled with so much eclectic, eccentric, boundless love.

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How to Make this Garden (continue to) Grow

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to write a Community post on one of my favorite ever blogs by one of my favorite ever blogggers: Ramshackle Glam by Jordan Reid. I wrote about the experience of transforming my daughter’s nursery into an enchanted haven, in Gonna Make This Garden Grow. My main objective, then, was to give my daughter a sanctuary in which to grow and feel safe.

Now we have a new home and she has a new big girl room. And this:

An enchanted garden nook, 2.0. A place in which she can feel protected, peaceful and, most of all, herself. This sanctuary was not created painstakingly with my own hands and a glue gun and silk flowers like her first (but rather by the people at Haba and from Neiman Marcus. Thanks, Mommom and Poppop!), but when she arrived home from the hospital she was greeted with two things: a new baby and a new mini-home.

So now she and her room and her nook are bigger as our family’s garden continues to grow.

But we all still need a tiny spot sometimes,

a spot that is all our own.