Y’all, I am so excited about this post tonight – mostly because it means I’m finished with this project!  I have been working all of May to redo Chandler and Ellie’s (and eventually Amania’s) room.  We have struggled long to find something workable for these two.  The room is massive and the girls are both packrats/clutterbugs and so it was in constant disarray.  After praying about it and thinking it through, I came to believe that the mess was due to two factors:  1. Too much stuff (obvious), and 2. Not enough useable storage (not as obvious).

After Christmas we began the slow process of working on problem number 1.  Everything that wasn’t absolutely necessary was boxed up and taken out.  I didn’t have the time or energy for several weeks to mess with it, so the boxes just sat in our guest room.  Once I finally mustered up the courage to tackle that project (thank you 40 Bags), it went really well.  Ellie had apparently built enough emotional distance between herself and most of the items that we threw or gave away at least two thirds of what she wouldn’t have dreamed of parting with two months prior.  Amazing what a little time will do to our “attachments”.  About that same time, Matt added some lower clothing rods and more shelves to their closets, making them much better suited for people under 4 feet tall.

Then came the fun part – fixing problem number 2….

This month I have painted a twin bed, a bunk bed, a dresser, a bedside table, probably a dozen frames, a spice rack, and a large table and chairs.  I have had so.much.fun.  🙂  So come along as I walk you through their “new” room….

First, here is their room “before”.  In these photos it was staged for a neighborhood holiday open house, so it was in pristine condition.  Sadly, it rarely looked like this….

Now, here’s their room after some adjustments and changes (and don’t miss all the little ways God provided for this room!)…

{Chandler’s bed with corkboards covered in burlap I found in our garage.  The bed is part of a discarded bunk bed a friend told me about and I got for free and painted.}

{Ellie and Amania’s beds, also with the corkboard covered in burlap.  Obviously, we still need a real mattress and some bedding, but that’s not a top priority at this point.  The bunk beds were purchased off of Facebook for a fair price and then painted.}

{Dresser purchased for $5 off of Facebook and painted. All of the art in the room is the girls’ own art.  I purchased (or had a friend purchase) cheap frames for me and then I spray painted them fun colors.}

{New book case, a definite need in the room.  Baskets were from way back when we had a nursery and I spray painted them.  I ❤ spray paint.}

{Stuffed animal storage – hanging planters purchased at Aldi for $6.00 each.  The rocking chair is the only piece of furniture in the room that did not get painted (except the book case which was purchased black).  I realized that at the end of the redo and just couldn’t force myself to take it on.}

{One of my favorite parts of the room.  A Pinterest idea that I made my own – an open frame with Kansas tallgrass reeds glued in to hold the necklaces.  So lovely, in my humble opinon.}

{This truly is my favorite part of the room and a really great story.  The girls used to have desks, but they were a maintenance issue, so they were pulled, but I wanted them to have a flat surface to work at if they wanted to color or something….}

{So, I prayed and asked the Lord for a table.  I told Him I wanted a sturdy, round, wooden table, pedestal base.  Chairs would be nice, but I didn’t have to have them.  And I wasn’t terribly worried about the condition, as I was going to paint it.  Oh, and, I wanted it for $30 or less…}

{Within 24 hours of praying that, I got on Craig’s List and the first ad that popped up was for a solid wood dining table, round, with a pedestal base.  It came with four chairs and two leaves, giving it the ability to extend to up to six feet.  Oh, and it was $30. Even better, Matt actually had time that day to go pick it up for me, as there would have been no way for me to haul that in my SUV, let alone get it loaded.  }

{This still thrills me how God answered my little request for a table for my girls’ room.  He is so sweet to us!  Matt did the paint finish on it and I absolutely love it.  I am thankful to have it for the girls’ room, but I secretly wish I could put it somewhere more prominent because I like it so much!}

{We also made some updates to their bathroom.  We hung some of their art in there….}

{Also, I purchased and spray painted a spice rack to hold all of Chandler’s nail polishes.  (She LOVES to paint nails.)  We also took an extra table that had been in the bedroom and moved it to the bathroom.  It’s not perfect, but it provides a little more storage for towels and such.}

{Lastly, my SIL posted on Pinterest this little headband holder idea.  I’ve tried countless ways to keep headbands organized and this really seems to work!  Best of all, it only took me about 45 minutes to make both of the ribbon holders.}

The only thing still missing is shelves for the bunk beds.  We have a bit of a disagreement going about those as my beloved thinks the ones I have are ugly and I say they’re paid for and they match. I would install them myself, but they require using the drill – which I don’t know how to use, so I’m at the mercy of my handy husband.  Maybe the long weekend will bring him around.

That’s what I’ve been up to this month.  As I was painting the chairs for the table, sweating in the hot sun last Saturday, pushing ahead because I just desperately wanted to be finished, sweet Chandler was out there keeping me company and she said, “Mama, thank you for spending all your time trying to make my and Ellie’s room look nice so we can take better care of it, instead of doing all the other things you have to do.”  I think I love that little comment even more than the blue table.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara