This weekend, Emerson was "away". So in the hopes of being productive, more organized, and genuinely less stressed out, I have decided that I need to accomplish one project every other weekend. I no longer have another person of the male variety to assist in making my life easier or lending a hand when two just aren't enough. So when I have one less person to worry about, feed, bathe, and generally take care of every other weekend, I need to be accomplishing something...anything...!
Cue Big Girl Room Makeover...
No - Emerson's room isn't receiving a new ceiling to floor redo. I loved her nursery three and half years ago and I still love it! I wish I didn't need to redecorate, but the crib bedding has long been tucked away. The iron bed in a beautiful antique white finish even found a new home in Robert's room 19 months ago. Emerson has a much cheaper white Jenny Lind style crib with only the toddler railing attached for the past year plus. Originally, she wasn't supposed to have it for too long and it was just until she was ready to convert to a normal bed. Well, that time came and went. It has been long overdue to move to a normal bed.
Early last summer, I found a full sized bed with lots of spindles on an online resale site. With the help of my Dad and a truck, the bed found a new home in my garage...for at least six months...while it patiently waited for me to find just the right bedding (sigh). Time came and went. At first, Emerson asked every single day for at least a month about her new bed that leaned up against the wall right where she got in and out of the car every day. And I kept promising her that we would paint it very soon. She eventually stopped asking and every once in a while would say something like she was just re-noticing it leaning in the same exact spot. I promised her that once my life was in some sort of order (i.e. divorce finalized) that her bed would become priority. And then just about the time I could breathe again...Robert's next major open heart surgery was scheduled. Time flew by with no fresh paint on that bed. Thanksgiving and Christmas were busy as usual until 3pm on Christmas Day when Emerson went "away" again.
The day after Christmas, I decided it was time. I pulled up Pottery Barn Kids online and just made a decision. Samantha Collection it is. Love it in blue. I mean LOVE it. Just gorgeous. But she has blue curtains. And these blues will never match. And those expensive blue curtains aren't going anywhere. So pink it is. One duvet cover and two shams. I throw it all in the imaginary cart. And it's on sale! :)
I receive it a week later in 2013. Yea! I immediately open the box, admire my purchase, think about how Emerson will just love it, and then throw it all in the laundry room - box included. Two weeks go by. It's all still in the laundry room. AHHH! Why can't I get it together?!?!??? I have been waiting on the bedding to finalize the to paint or not to paint the bed situation. It's obvious I need to paint the bed...So here's the conversation with Emerson...
Me: "Emerson, what color do you want to paint your bed?"
Emerson: "Pink."
Me: "What if we have pink sheets, pink pillows, and pink blankets AND we paint the bed BLUE?" [I am Oooooo'ing and Ahhhhh'ing like blue is the most amazing color ever.]
Emerson: "No. Pink."
Me: "Emerson, everything else will be pink. Wouldn't it be the best thing ever if we painted the bed BLUE?" [Oooooooo. Ahhhhhhh.]
Emerson: "No blue. Pink."
Me: "Emerson, do you want me to have BLUE sheets, pillows, and blankets so we can paint the bed pink?" [Gagging to show how gross that would be.]
Emerson: "No blue. Pink everything."
That conversation went really far. Girls and the color pink!
Did I ever tell you that my favorite color is pink? True story.
After school on Friday, Emerson and I took her fabric to pick out a paint color at The Heron House. I have been hearing and reading about chalk paint. I decided that was what I was using - nothing else but chalk paint. And The Heron House sells it - plus has someone there to tell me how to use it. I get to the store, check the samples, find the one I like, and its milk paint. Not chalk paint. So I am using milk paint with a top coat of polyurethane (not the normal stain or wax). (Miss Mustard Seed does a great job showing you in pictures the difference between the two if you are interested.)
At checkout, the woman offers me a paint brush (for $3 - nothing is ever free!) that they recommend with their paints. I agree. Emerson immediately speaks up and says that we need two - not one - as she forcefully says, "My mommy needs a brush too. She's helping me paint." Gotta love a girl that will take charge! We leave with paint in hand and go get ice cream!
Emerson goes "away" that same Friday evening. And the next Saturday morning, I am cleaning the bed for a fresh coat of General Finishes Baby Blue Milk Paint! I hoped to finish the bed before she returns on Monday afternoon (long weekend for MLK).
Before...
One coat...
Two coats...
After Polyurethane...
Emerson came home to find her new bed in the garage...And asked to jump on it. Sure??? I snapped a picture of her "jumping" on her big girl bed.
