When we found out we were having a little girl…I immediately started thinking about her bedroom. I would have done the same for a boy because it really is so much fun to create a bedroom for a child.

I grew up moving every 4 years and often in the middle of the school year – so for me a bedroom became the link to my next chapter in a new state as the new girl. It was the only thing I looked forward to with move after move…what bedroom would be mine. Now granted, I never had a room like Wallis…I still don’t have a room like Wallis — but I loved how it felt to have something that belonged to me. I wanted that same feeling for Wallis…even if those feelings will come later for her.

Since Andrew and I have no plans to move anytime soon…I wanted to spend some time thinking about this room that Wallis would have for many years. Something I romanticized a bit to be honest because it wasn’t something I had ever experienced. I suppose that was one of my first parent moments – giving Wallis something I never had…a room for a long while.

Of course we had a tight budget and everything you see in this room was either discounted or purchased at a thrift/antique shop then painted by me. There were a few splurges…but we’re new parents and we wanted to spoil her a bit. However, we don’t plan to ever change this room again…except maybe when she’s 16 we might upgrade her bed (he he) and yet, I am totally serious.

I am not good with themes, they feel overwhelming to me…but I also didn’t want a room that felt like our baby was checking into a hotel or renting for a while. Children are so much fun and I couldn’t wait to have a space in our house that said, a child lives here. So when I would think about her room I kept coming back to my flower garden and how I wanted Wallis’s room to feel a bit like a flower garden. As with my own flower garden there are birds, mice, foxes (my favorite), bunnies, and bees. So I wanted her room to have the same. That’s where I started in thought and this is how it turned out. I am aware this is what I wanted and Wallis may decide later on that she prefers dinosaurs and dump trucks.

To Do That ::

  • We repainted the floors the darker green we had chosen for our stairs, which we liked better for some rooms than the lighter green we choose/painted first. You can see the entire process of the second bedroom turned to Wallis’s room here.
  • Patched the ceiling (again) somehow there was a small leak up in the attic that we could never find but it bubbled the ceiling a bit and then stopped. Then we also had to paint it again.
  • We couldn’t afford a professional to put up the wallpaper so Andrew decided to take on the task. I really wanted to help but being 7 months pregnant at the time and the smell of the glue was just too much for me. Andrew did a terrific job, it was his first time ever putting up wallpaper and I was so proud of him! Sure it’s not perfect – which he feels bad about but honestly I don’t, and I’m the perfectionist in this relationship. I love that he did it and we’re both thankful it was only one wall. Ha!
  • We painted her closet and put in another rack (there was already one) for bitty clothing.
  • I painted two dressers – one I blogged about a while ago and the second (which is also her changing table) is being shown in the pictures. I also updated the second dressers knobs to fit with the other updated dressers knobs. KNOBS…sorry that word is one of my favorites.
  • We hung bookcases for all of the books (now hers) that I have accumulated over the years being the insane children’s book lover that I am, and also having owned a children’s book/product shop. Most of my book collection didn’t fit but that’s a good thing…I can do a refresh for her often.
  • We hung curtains (sweet mercy that was stressful) and hung other bits and pieces.

Of course there were things I wanted to do more of but couldn’t afford to and of course not everything turned out the way I had hoped…but that’s how it goes, isn’t it? Overall though, we are both very pleased and have loved being in this room dreaming of her being in there too…and now she’s here and everything is as it should be.