Feeling Loved

 Our bedroom was one of my big projects for the summer. A friend is redecorating her master bedroom and offered to give me her comforter set, headboard, and draperies. Sight unseen, well, she told me the basic colors, I said yes. My stipulation was that she couldn't bring them over until school was over and I had CLEANED our room.

Cleaning was what I worked on this week. I washed the 4 sets of mini blinds and windows. I did lots of normal cleaning too, but the funny thing is when you start cleaning you just keep finding more and more to clean.

By the time Mom arrived today I wasn't sure this project was even worth the effort. She helped me get it done though. She washed the light globes and unscrewed and screwed in (by hand) curtain rods. I did one set of curtain rods too--by hand as in without anything electric--and I already have sore muscles to show for it! Then she gave me the final push... cleaning under the bed. It wasn't THAT bad, but I just wanted to ignore it. I have old photo albums stashed under the bed. Like my 8th grade graduation and our road trip when we moved from Oregon to Maryland and my high school graduation. Good thing Mom was there to keep me on track. I could have gotten very distracted. =)

So, seriously, this wouldn't have happened without Mom's help today. As soon as I start a project my children's needs increase about 75%. Someone constantly needed something. Josiah wanted to be a man and use tools and his project wasn't going as he imagined it would. While I was pulling things out from under the bed Anna got hold of an old container of sunless tanning lotion. It was all over her hair and face and arms and hands. I ran for paper towel to try to avoid orange streaks by Saturday! Then as I'm trying to figure out what to make for lunch I hear Anna in the bathroom and she is scooping water from the toilet into the trash can!!! When it was finally time for Jan to arrive, Mom kept the children happily occupied and out of our room...and put Anna down for a nap. Oh! And before Mom left she washed a wall in the kitchen that now appears to be freshly painted. Thank you, God, for giving me such an awesome Mom!!!

So you may wonder why I need someone to give me a new bedroom? I was asking that questions myself! Here's my thoughts. I'm not a big spender. I'm also not gifted in thrifting or finding deals or sales. I need pretty displays. But when I see pretty displays I can't decide if I really like something enough to actually buy it. I think the bottom line is that I have no clue what I love when it comes to decorating. I have pieces here and there in my house that I love, but nothing that is coordinated as a whole. That's all of my thoughts on that subject.

Jan came and worked her magic and this is our bed! I should say that the comforter I took off my bed had a large cut in it and was decorated with nail polish.

Jan made the head board for herself. It had been the foot board for her bed so Jeremy got to hang it tonight. He did a great job.

 Jan taught me that straight pins have lots of uses. Like keeping the curtain panels in place and keeping the bed skirt from shifting. Jan is pretty much a genius!

I feel very mature in this room. And I feel pretty lucky to be so loved to have a friend bless me like this.