Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Girl's Tween Room Makeover

So in July, I posted that we were doing a makeover to my 10-year-old daughter's room. It was all she wanted for this birthday. She had outgrown the pale green and pink, princess-like room and wanted something fun and older-looking. So here is a before. I had to search for this since I didn't really take many before photos. Now, we had already purchased the new bedding, pictured below and it all was based on those colors.



So, she decided that the wall color would be lime green and the accent colors are hot pink and turquoise. For weeks, we got paint sample chips from every store we were in that sold paint. After matching colors to her comforter, we finalized the wall color and accent colors. As soon as I started putting that lime green paint on the wall, I thought I had made a terrible mistake by allowing her to choose the exact color. However, once the furniture was in and accessories up, it looked so cool and hip! Most importantly, she LOVED it!! The pictures just don't do it justice. It is really a bright lime green - darker that the pictures, but looks great with everything. We have added some more accessories since these pictures were taken.

The painting of the furniture might be another post. She had light pink furniture that I painted white. I had no idea that it would take 2 coats of primer (which then had to cure for 1 week), 3 coats of white trim paint and 2 coats of polyurethane. It was exhausting and tedious but well worth the end result. So what do you think??





Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Tooth Fairy




Today I had to tell my daughter the truth about the Tooth Fairy. While some of you will think it is naive and ridiculous that a 10-year-old girl still believes in the Tooth Fairy, you must know something first. To know Avery is to know that her heart and compassion can fill a room. She has a sweetness and innocence about her that we both hold on to.


Though she knew in the back of her mind that it really was Mommy & Daddy sneaking into her room to leave money in place of a tooth, she didn't want that to be true. Avery wants desperately to believe that in her world, magic does exist. In her world, there is a place for wonder and believing.


She never questioned it like my older, analytical thinker because she didn't want to spell to be broken. And, quite frankly, neither did I. In this world of kids growing up so fast and over-exposure to adult issues, I wanted my little girl to continue to be innocent and naive for just a bit longer.




This is the year (5th grade) when she will watch the puberty film in school. This is the year when I have to have "the talk" with her. So yes, I was holding on to her sweet, pure heart for as long as I could. Because this is the year when some of that will end.


And truthfully, Mommy was tired last night and forgot the $$. So this morning I decided that it wasn't fair for a 10-year-old to not be told the truth, for fear of embarrassment at school.


It is overwhelmingly sad and joyful to watch your children grow into the people they will be as adults. I am trying not to hold on too tight but I still get teary knowing that I only have one left who still "believes".