Painting and Decorating a Girl - Boy Bedroom

We've lived in our house for almost 6.5 years. During that time Joel has painted every room once and one room twice. And, until earlier this month, I had painted ZERO rooms. Somehow the painting always seemed to be while I was pregnant, which provided me with a guilt-free pass on all the fun!

Is it any wonder Joel refused to paint after Ben was born 4 years ago?!

After 6 years and 4 kids, you can imagine our walls have gotten pretty dirty (not to mention the stray crayon markings). The dirt and the possibility of moving this year influenced Joel to lift the painting ban!! Yippee!! And this time I had the pleasure of helping.

We decided to start in the easiest room - Ellie & Sam's.

I thought I had a couple of pictures of the room before we painted but I can't find them. So here's a picture taken after it was first put together before Will was born in 2003.

I love that room!! It has always been my favorite room in the house! This picture makes the walls look a little purple but I assure you they were blue.

I have to confess I had a few tears when we brought out the primer to cover the blue. It felt like the end of an era. Sort of admitting that my first baby is no longer a baby. {sniff.sniff} (Remember I'm still nursing and had a baby 8 months ago. The hormones are still going strong, folks!)

Those who've been reading here for a while may recall I had a whole decorating dilemma for this room last fall. Eventually I found the perfect quilt and bedskirt for Ellie's twin bed but that was as far as I got.

Well, my decorating block is officially unblocked!! Now I'm full of ideas {sh! don't tell Joel!}!!

I don't think these pictures do justice to the room. The walls are now a soft green (called Milkweed C68-1) and the trim is a soft white (Swiss Coffee 1012).

Idea #1: I need to buy a soft yellow dust ruffle to go under the eyelet ruffle. Also, I want matching soft yellow sheets and pillowcase. I have a sham that matches the quilt but it needs another solid color behind it.

It's hard to see that the quilt has blue ticking stripes between the colored pinwheels. The quilt and walls really work beautifully together!!

Idea #2: Paint the changing table with the trim paint (Swiss Coffee).

Right now it is a flat finish yellow. Which is ok (though the pink pad cover is NOT) but kind of blah. I think the semi-gloss soft white with all white knobs would look great. AND I want a basket to keep the diapers/ wipes box in. I'm toying with the idea of taking the changing pad off and just using it as a dresser. I change Sam on the bed about half the time anyway so this wouldn't be a big deal. Any suggestions?


Here's the crib. It's opposite the changing table. I didn't realize until now that the rail is down so you can't see the bedskirt. It is denim with triangles of bold colors. Because they are on opposite sides of the room, I think it works well with the quilt.

Because of the sunshine, I couldn't take a picture of the window. It's right above the stool you see in the lower right corner. It's covered by a white muslin curtain panels and a white muslin valance with a decorative muslin trim across the bottom.

I love how the curtains play off the white eyelet bedskirt!

Idea #3: Install a white roller shade on the window. The curtains just don't block enough sunlight for naps.

Idea #4: You can't tell from the pictures but there is a fair amount of floor space. I'd like to buy a couple of braided throw rugs for in front of the beds.

Last, but not least, we added a Rubbermaid Closet System. I bought a kit to save us time and aggravation. I love it!! Ellie can hang up her clothes and get her own shoes. As you can see, I haven't filled the shelves yet. I like just looking at all the organizational goodness of this closet!!

We have 2 sliding doors that go on this closet. They are cheap wood doors about the color of the floor. The floor is beautiful but that dark wood really breaks up the lightness of the walls. So I have 3 different options:

Idea #5: Closet Doors - 1. leave them off. 2. hang them as they are. 3. Paint them the same white trim and hang them. My concern with painting them is that the paint will scrape off and look ugly. Any suggestions?

Idea #6: Wall Decorations - Holder for Ellie's bows, Hat rack for Sam, Re-frame some paintings, this print.

Thanks for reading all my decorating ideas. I'd love to hear any suggestions you have. Over all I'd say the room now has a summer cottage feel to it. Which I love! It's still my favorite room in the house!

Books, Layoffs, Paint and Robins!!

I have a blogging plan for this week but it doesn't look like any of the posts are going to make it from my head to my computer. So I'm resorting to a random list.

1. We are enjoying listening to baby sparrows living in a birdhouse Joel and the kids made for our backyard. We've watched the parents all spring and wondered if there would be any babies. They are up too high for us to see into the birdhouse but we can definitely hear their demanding little peeps!

2. While on the subject of birds, so far this spring we have watched a Baltimore Oriole, Cardinal, Blue Jay, and numerous Sparrows and Starlings in our backyard. We've even watched several Robins CATCH AND EAT worms!! Gross, but really cool!! It's been fun to learn the names for these birds and their different characteristics as they visit our little backyard.

3. Saturday I attended a used curriculum sale sponsored by Rhode Island Guild of Home Teachers. I spent $102 and bought OVER 40 items!!! Needless to say I am very excited! And so are my kids.

4. Can you guess what we're doing this weekend? It only took 4 years for Joel to lift the ban! I'm afraid when we're done he will reinstate the ban again.

5. I recently shared that Joel's entire team at work was absorbed into their client company (Company C). Well, last week he was told that starting mid-July there will be lay-offs (not the official words but that's what they meant) in the new company and Joel's team is on the chopping block. I won't bore you with complicated details but it looks like those years of service are going to become really important as they are used to determine severance packages!!

6. This week my brother, his wife and daughter made plans to come to New England for vacation in August!! We are excited to meet my niece, Addi, who will be about 17 months old. We are also excited to introduce them to Samuel!!

I'd better end this random list and get supper cooked. Don't forget to link up your Family Fun Friday posts!! My post this week will be about something cold, yummy and FREE!!!

Family Fun Friday - Books & Field Trips

Welcome to Family Fun Friday: THE place to share fun and frugal ideas for family activities. Please read the Guidelines and share your ideas with us!!

This week's topic: Books and Field Trips!!

Or as they are calling it at 5 Minutes for Books - 'Book Trips!'

What is a 'Book Trip?'

Any family field trip inspired by or related to a book.

How does it work?

There are a couple of different ways you can approach this Family Fun Activity. You can plan a trip or outing and then read books related to what you will experience on the trip. I found this technique VERY helpful in reinforcing what my kids learned during a trip to Mystic Aquarium last fall.

Or you can read a book and plan a trip based on it's contents. Take The Box Car Children as an example. Visit the museum about the original author in eastern Connecticut. Or take a ride on a real train. Or ride a Ferris Wheel like they do in The Amusement Park Mystery. The ideas are endless!!

I love combining books and outings so much that I suggested Book Field Trips to the ladies of 5 Minutes for Books when they asked for Carnival theme suggestions way back in January. Little did I know they would use the idea for their July Children's Classics Carnival!!

You might say I'm feeling a little pressured to participate next month! But I know my family. If I don't plan something soon July will come and we won't have taken any 'Book Trips' (love that name, by the way!!).

Here are some of my Book Trip ideas for this summer:

Little Men by Lousia May Alcott (The Orchard House)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Sculptures in Boston)
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (Blueberry picking)

Do you have any picture or chapter book suggestions for any of the following field trips?

Strawberry Picking
4th of July, Independence Day, Fireworks
Going to the Beach.
Fort Knox

Do you take Book Trips? If so, which was your favorite?

Also, please leave the link to your Family Fun Friday post in Mr. Linky!