Big-Girl Garden Room Reveal: The Bed

Dear Em,

* This is part of a five post room reveal. For more peaks into the room, see also Big Girl Garden Room Reveal: Dressing Up, Big Girl Garden Room Reveal: Your Book Nook, Big Girl Garden Room Reveal: Star Gazing, & love letters. *

After a lot of hard work & love, your big-girl room is complete. It's been mostly complete for a little over a month now, but we've been waiting for a few items to be shipped. Now it's time for the big reveal. Are you ready?

Remember this post? It was an outline of my dream design for your new room. I started by painting the room grey. After that things didn't go exactly all go as planned, starting with the bed. Originally, I planned on having two twin beds in your room. Not because we're planning to have another child. Just because I thought it would be fun when you had friends & family sleep over. Plus, we were going to spend less than $100 on both beds, because we were going to make these fun beds.

But then I chickened out.

You're a pretty active 2.5 year old. If there is something you can get your feet on, you're going to jump on it. You LOVED jumping in your crib. As many times as we ask you not to jump on the couches, the beds, the chairs, the tables...jumping is exactly what you do.

I wouldn't exactly call your daddy & I expert crafts-people. We have a hard enough time putting things together when they're pre-cut & pre-screwed with step-by-step instructions. I just envisioned you jumping away, the beds crashing down, & a tearful emergency room visit.

So, I chickened out.

I started looking at different beds we could purchase. Now that we weren't building your bed anymore, the price tag got a lot bigger. I had plans...great plans. I had drawn diagrams. I had pre-purchased things on-sale. Sigh, our budget was no longer lining up with those plans, & we had to make some changes to my dream design. Your daddy finally became the voice of reason. "Does she really need two beds," he asked.

That's when we came up with a Plan B. We decided to buy you a quality bed (& only one quality bed), that you could grow into. If we bought a toddler bed, we'd only be buying a new bed in a few years. Even with a twin sized bed, we'd probably be buying you another bed in the future. So, we picked out the full sized Catalina Bed from Pottery Barn Kids, a bed we hope to have for always. I love the beadboard paneling & white finish, & we bought it for a great sale price. Plus, we figure we could purchase a trundle bed for underneath once you start having sleepovers.

I was satisfied to have decided on & purchased your bed, but there was a little problem. You see, I try to get things as they go on-sale. This past winter I had already bought the bedding for two twin sized beds instead of one full sized bed. Whoops. I was about to learn how easy it was to return things (5 months later) at the different stores I had purchased them from.

I had bought the Daisy Garden Quilted Bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. I've loved Pottery Barn kids since before Daddy & I were married (they started sending me their catalogues & I would cry thinking of a cute baby in their adorable baby rooms...that's when your daddy started throwing away the Pottery Barn catalogues). I love them a little more now. Their return process was amazing. All I had to do was put the quilts in a box & put the box on our front porch. We didn't have to pay for shipping costs. Plus, they had the queen sized quilt & the gift card for the difference between the two (since it had been five months, they couldn't just return the money) in the mail before they even got my return. Amazing.

Company Kids wasn't as easy. For the winter time, you will need a little more than a quilt. I had bought two down comforters in buttercup. To return those I had to create my own return label, pack them up, ship them via FedEx, pay for shipping, & call them once I knew they had received them to remind them to refund my money. At least the full sized comforter I bought was on-sale. I also bought your fun pink polka-dotted sheets from Company Kids.

So, without further ado, here is the first reveal of your big-girl room: your bed.

Before:

After:

You know everyone's favorite colors. It's one of your favorite things to ask people. You're thrilled that your new bedding incorporates Yours (PINK), your daddy's (blue), & my (yellow) favorite colors. You've become enamored with smelling & picking flowers. So, the quilt is just right for you. It's also girly without screaming pink. The pink polka-dots of your sheets add a little more pink & a little more fun.

We moved your book shelf from your old room into your new room, right next to your bed. This way you can continue to pull your books into your bed. It houses our very favorite books & some of your ever growing collection of stuffed animals. You can't really tell from the pictures, but the beadboard in the shelf matches the beadboard of your bed.

It was funny to see your little body in such a big bed at first. You love love love your big-girl bed, making the transition from crib to bed seamless. I've asked you if you want to go back to your "cribby" & you emphatically say "no thank you." We've lined the end of your bed with your favorite stuffed animals that were squished in your crib. Your music makers & sleep sheep hang from the bedpost, seamlessly bringing a little bit of your nursery to your big-girl bed.

Your babies sleep right next to you in the bunk beds your Aunt Jennie gave to you.

Your bed is big enough for snuggling as we read books. You also love to tuck everyone else into your bed. A great big shout-out to your cousin Michaela & your Nonnie for helping out so much with putting together your room. I hope they've enjoyed playing with you in it as much as you've enjoyed playing.

I think your bed is the perfect, comfy spot for you to dream big. I enjoyed putting it all together (ok, I'm not going to lie, there were some parts I didn't enjoy), & the best part is seeing your eyes sparkle as we tuck you in at night.

Sleeping isn't the only thing you do in your room, it's also become a fun place for you to play. Tomorrow I'll share one of your favorite spots to have fun.

I love you so,

Mommy