Hellobee

One of the main problems about taking a very long break from blogging is that you realize that you have a lot of catching up to do before you get to the current day. Add that to the fact that I seem to write in ten minute increments before something else comes up, and it causes more then a little of a backlog. I have wanted to share Lil’ Tea Cup’s big girl room for quite some time now and today is finally the day!

When I found out I was expecting again, I knew that we would be doing some rearranging in our home. Actually we would be doing a lot of rearranging – like turning a two bedroom home into a three bedroom home kind of rearranging. In a nutshell – we moved our formal dining room into our living room, modified our dining room to become our master bedroom, turned the old master into the bedroom you are reading about today, and then modified the nursery to suit the new little Tea in our lives. So what you are looking at in these photos is our old master bedroom turned into Lil’ Tea Cup’s big girl room.

In the effort of making her new room an exciting and happy event for her, we worked hard to get everything completed for her second birthday in August. This also allowed for a long period of time for her to settle in before her baby brother would arrive (I was not due until the end of December last year).

I wanted the room to be bright and whimsical and something that she would enjoy hopefully for years to come. As you saw in the above photo, Anthropologie’s Water Colour Peony wallpaper won my heart and I sometimes wish I had put it in my own bedroom –  I love it that much! Lil’ Tea Cup loves the grasshoppers and butterflies on it and although it was certainly a splurge, I am so thrilled with how it turned out.

This room transition also included the first time Lil’ Tea Cup to slept in a true bed. Although she had been sleeping with the side off of her crib for quite some time, this was the first time she was trying something completely different. Although you can’t tell from these photos, I used the noodle trick (pool noodles tucked under the fitted sheet) to help her from rolling out of bed in the night. Thankfully for us this worked like a charm! Blackout curtains also help to set the stage for sleeping  as this room gets direct sun and is very bright and hot!

Another change from Lil’ Tea Cup’s nursery to her big girl room (you can see that in this post if you are interested) is the fact that I wanted to provide her with some “entertainment” in her room. In her nursery, it was all about “the less stimulation the better,” but I knew that she would be spending more time in here once her brother came since his room is right next door. I wanted her to have somethings within reach in case she was to wake up in the morning, for example, and we were not able to come to her right away. On her bedside table she has my old old ipod loaded with songs and children’s audiobooks and on the right side of her bed, she has a basket of books to look at. She loves sitting in her “big girl bed” and reading during morning quiet time and before bed.

On the opposite side of her room is her reading nook. Thank you Pinterest for having a million inspiration photos with these shelves. They really are a great way to display favorite books and art work. The shadow box holds Lil’ Tea Cup’s hand print, her hospital bracelets, her birth announcement and her newborn hat. Although it is not up in this photo, I often set up her teepee in this corner of her room as well. It was a wonderful place for us to have a little Mama and daughter adventure/quiet time when Lil’ Tea Pot had just arrived. I highly recommend having a special alone space for your big sister/brother if you can.

The antique vanity was collecting dust in my parents’ attic and after a quick clean and a coat of paint became a perfect piece to grow with my little girl. Currently it is great for diaper storage since we are a “few” years away from makeup. To the right you can see the entrance for her closet.

Lastly, another Pinterest idea that I love – the “Today I am Wearing Sign.” We pick out Lil’ Tea Cup’s clothes every night before bed and then hang them here for the next day. We talk through what we are doing the next day and what we need to wear for it. It is a great learning experience with something so simple! Also, it really helps keep the morning arguments about what to wear at bay!

Thank you so much for looking at Lil’ Tea Cup’s big girl room!

Experienced Mamas – anything you can recommend for her room as she grows older?

Sources:

– Toddler Bed – Stork Craft purchased from Amazon

– Blackout blinds – Pottery Barn sailcloth ( I purchased mine from eBay but they are still available here )

– Art prints on wall shelving – from left to right – inside small frame is a greeting card, The Wheatfeild by Katie Daisy “You are My Sunshine” print, Balloon print make by me, The Wheatfield by  Katie Daisy “Be Filled with Joy” print

– Picture ledge/wall shelving – Ikea

– Flamingo Hanging Storage Bin – 3 Sprouts from Amazon

– Wallpaper – Water Colour Peony – Anthrolpologie