Darling daughter's **NEW** Room!!

After months of work darling daughter's room is finally DONE! This has been the major "TOP SECRET" project around here. I decided to keep it a surprise because i happen to LOVE surprises & she.... well, like i said I LOVE SURPRISES. Kennedy is not overly animated, to say the least & really is not someone that likes any type of attention directed at her (see post about the 3-D movie). I think i see her personality as some type of challenge for my home grown comedy routine, i'm always trying to push her over the top, get her to squeal with laughter, jump up & down, FREAK OUT... I'm always trying to out-do myself & see if i can get the ultimate reaction from her, so far... the ultimate "freak out" eludes me, but i'll keep trying. Now, don't get me wrong, she smiles constantly, laughs often & is a ray of sunshine almost 99.9% of the time, just not over-the-top. I can almost bet i will NEVER get a call from any teacher requesting a time that we can get together & talk about my child's bad behavior. She was only 11 months old when I adopted her, but she has that quiet, reserved personality that i think you so often see in the Asian culture... nature? nurture? So, anyway, THE ROOM! i tend to be "the planner", i like the big picture, but hate the details. i like to pick the colors, the bedding, the decor, but hate doing the work :) Thankfully, the manfriend is all about being the work-horse, he's the guy that keeps the project moving forward as i get bored & drift off to chase dandelion fluff... I think the room turned out darling & without 1 argument, 1 cross word or even any gnashing of teeth- i guess i'll keep this guy around!!

Here are the pictures, hope you enjoy!! Now I'm off to my art room for my first FULL week of ART ART & more ART!!!

I hand-painted the loop-de-loops around the room between the pink & the brown. It took 4 times- 1st i was making these little tiny loops that looked way too small for the room so i decided after i had a wall & 1/2 done it was NOT working. i grabbed a wet cloth & started rubbing it off as quick as i could (manfriend is looking at me in total disbelief). i thought maybe a marker would be better, the brush didn't seem to be making what i had in my head, so i grab a sharpie (sharpie markers, one of my true LOVES!!) & start again, 1/2 way down 1 wall- i HATE it! The manfriend is saying "it's marker, it's not like you can erase it!!"... well, apparently, he hasn't heard of the Mr. Clean sponge! i grab it & get the marker off. Now, i decide maybe a crayon would work (who knows... i'm in a panic at this point), NOPE, this looks like crap!- so again with Mr. Clean... Finally, i grab a different brush ('cause it's all about the right brush) & make BIG loops.... ahhh, big loops- that's the key!

There it is.... "the banner"

Below is a print i bought on etsy (www.etsy.com) from theblackapple. The artist, Emily, is a BIG seller on etsy - check out her things, you'll see why! The dresser we found downtown on a street corner with a sign (that was a large piece of junk mail turned over) that said $25! Well, let's just say the manfriend pulled his big man truck over very quickly when he heard me squeal! There was this little store front with all kinds of stuff sitting out on the sidewalk with "signs" taped to the front of each piece. I went in the "furniture store" to look around while the manfriend went over to the cash machine across the street (because, of course, this place only takes cash- yeah, it's a little sketchy). The store is STACKED floor to ceiling with..... stuff! Doors, chairs, boxes, high chairs, couches... you name it, it's there! I asked the guy if they were coming or going, because you totally can't tell if they're moving in or out. I guess they're there to stay, they go to estate sales & then use the $ from what they sell to support some type of mission work - no one was selling flowers or chanting so i don't think it was the hare Krishna's... SP?

This little lamp had water damage all over the shade, so i glued pieces of ribbon all the way around it, CUTE- hun? The manfriend said it was a good thing i had $75 worth of ribbons so i could have enough different ones to use... $75? More like $175 worth of ribbon - so i have a hoarding problem, i get it honest, have you seen my Dad's "shed" :)

Well, again, I hope you enjoy- have a GREAT day!! OH and... her reaction? We taped her coming into the room (what can i say, she's my ONLY child) & it was typical Kennedy: head down slightly, small smile & a quiet "yeah... i like it" She knew she was going to be taped because David was IN the room with the video camera & she says to me, as we head over to the door, "Mom, i just want to say -you did a good job- really quiet, ok?". You've GOTTA love this girl!!