A Gift to My Daughter, Part 1

I can't believe that 10 years ago tomorrow I went into labor with Lilly. (P.S. her birthday is Friday if that gives you any idea what my first experience having a baby was like!) What a rollercoaster that year had been - pulled a 180 leaving Europe and the Peace Corp behind and instead starting a family. At the time it was everything I didn't want. Now, I can't imagine it any other way.

For her birthday we agreed to update her room into a "more sophisticated, grown up-like room." Her main objective (I think): just moving things around so it's fresh and new. (She wanted a new paint job but I frankly just didn't feel like it.) My main objective: teach the girl some organization and a love for being clean and tidy!

She's been complaining about her desk being under the window for a while now, it's just never had another place to live. Since she's so old now we've cleared her room of little kid toys like her Barbie house and her dress up clothes so that we have some room to work. The other day when we were boxing up things to either go to the garage sale box or her memory box I was reminded of the scene in Toy Story when they show the montage of Andy going from little boy to teenager. I'm excited for her and sad for me. Every day a new toy becomes passe, and she's asking me to put deoderant on the shopping list.

Consequently, Brandon and I have been shopping, building and painting to get her room in shape for the big 1-0. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/ Brandon didn't have to build the shelving unit we had designed. By some miraculous twist of fate Jen put up a post about a desk she was designing using some items from IKEA that looked almost EXACTLY like what Brandon had sketched. Off to IKEA we went. Her original desk had a stained finish so I told her I would paint it to match the rest of her new stuff. That's what I've been doing this weekend (among massive cleaning in the den while the primer dried). Here's a picture of her desk and room before:

Total mess....as usual

It sometimes amazes me that she can be so messy. I'm almost sure I've been talking to her about the importance of being neat and organized since she was born. And yet, it seems all of my OCD was transferred to my son. Luckily these things can change and I am trying my best to help get her organized and then teach her how to stay that way!

Here's what I did this weekend:

Gil is always around to help....until the sander turns on :)

post sanding

primed

Tonight I got the legs painted, but we're waiting to do the top until we have a foam roller. That will be the next step tomorrow. Maybe I will lecture Lilly some more on the importance of organization and doing things right while we apply a second coat...