Big Numbers

     10 years ago at this time, I had a new born.
I had been a mom for a total of 4 days and I was exhausted.  The no sleep schedule, the nursing, the sticky poopy diapers.  The pain from a c-section.  The what-was-I-thinking?  I-don't-know-what-I-am-doing moments.  But somehow, I made it to 10 years.  A whole decade.  And somewhere along the line, I must have thought I had a handle on it because I did the whole no sleep, nursing, sticky poopy diaper c-section thing AGAIN!
     10 years.
     So how do you celebrate a decade of life?  2 words:  Room Makeover!
Yep, for Emma's 10th, she got a new room.  Goodbye bugs and princesses. Hello tweenager room!  This was her present (and a slumber party with some friends).
     So why?  Well, when I was in 9th? grade, I went away for a week and when I came back, my folks had redone my room and it was awesome!  Jarrad remembers his folks getting a bonus and he got to pick out a new bedroom set.  We decided we wanted to create that type of memory for our kids too and you know, they have more than enough stuff!
    Enter Pinterest.  So. many. ideas!  Jarrad had to pull me back; otherwise, I would keep going.  And I was pleased that Emma really got into it too.  She really wanted to help design and she did but I kept a lot a secret.  I let her pick out the colors and help paint.  We went fabric shopping and talked about what she liked and didn't like.
     We are both pretty pleased with the results. 
     I love before and afters sooo....

 This was her nursery.  And then, it became her "big girl" room.

BEFORE - the big girl room:

    You can see some of what we did before.  There are paint samples on the wall and I had already painted her dresser - Black Pearl. 
    And now, the after:

 

Emma picked out the sheer fabric at Joanne's.  The bedding was a surprise.  She wanted paisley and I found this on sale at Target.  

 Dad made the bookshelf.  It comes apart so when she gets a bigger bed, she can keep this.  The shelves are adjustable and he cut notches for cords.  There is also a bed light that she can turn on.  The jewelry frames are peg board and recycled frames from The Scrap Exchange.  I used knobs we had, glued sequins to IKEA knobs and spray painted ones from Hobby Lobby.  I bought the laser cutouts from Michael's.  Emma has 2 copies of Emma by Jane Austen from Litographs.

 Spray paint is awesome!  Everything that I could paint, I did.  From frames, to lamp shades to well, just everything. 

I had a lot of fun doing this.  She enjoyed what I allowed her to partake in and really loves the final product.  Which is good, because this is it for the next 8 years!