Today is my oldest daughter’s 6th birthday.  I’ve never seen anyone so excited to be able to show how old they are by using TWO hands.  This is big stuff, people!  Don’t you love how such simple things can make a child so happy?  So, in honor of my little munchkin’s big day, I thought I’d share her room with you.

I love her room.  It has so much history and creativity.  Everything has a place for a reason.  For starters,  the wall color is a pretty shade of gray.  Not because it’s trendy, or a “nice neutral.”  It’s gray because my daughter originally requested we paint her walls “gray like Peanut,” who is her beloved stuffed elephant.  Peanut is such a big part of our family that I painted a quirky portrait of him and hung it over the dresser.

Speaking of the dresser, it was the first piece of furniture I bought for my daughter’s nursery.  At the time, we lived in Colorado and I found the dresser in a tiny antique store in a small mountain town.  I didn’t paint it myself, but was smart to purchase a pink piece of furniture because that is by far my daughter’s favorite color.  As a matter of fact, she even wanted all pink bedding.  I was a little concerned all pink bedding would translate into a big bottle of Pepto Bismol.  Luckily, I think I I kept that from happening by using a very pale pink quilt I found at Target.  I was able to bring in other shades of pink with some paisley shams from Pottery Barn Kids and a geometric pillow  I found at Round Top.   The finished product gives Peanut a comfy spot to hang out with his best friend, Piggy.

The bed frame is sentimental because it belonged to me as a child, but originally belonged to my grandmother.  She purchased it from an antique store around 1967 to go in a guest room.

The bridge lamp next to the bed also belonged to me as a child.  I adore bridge lamps.  Not only are they pretty , but they provide excellent reading light and save so much space when small bedside tables are necessary (I had to use a small table so the closet door can open all the way).

The art above the bed is a series of 3 ballerina silhouettes I made with my daughter.  She picked out the paper and the shapes of the ballerinas and then helped me piece everything together.

The scalloped pink desk on the other side of the bed is one that I painted myself and is still one of my favorite pieces (you can read more about the desk here).

The window panels are also from Pottery Barn Kids and match the shams on the bed.  The white shades are just cheap, vinyl roller shades I purchased at Lowe’s.  To customize them, I attached some ribbon trim with my trusty hot glue gun.

At the opposite end of the bed, you will find my daughter’s “creativity corner.”

This is where she can really put her imagination to work.

The hanging bookshelf is from Pottery Barn Kids.  It was a fantastic purchase.  It keeps the books more organized and better yet, off the floor.

The antique vanity was a gift from my mother.  Almost every day my daughter plays dress up and admires herself in her mirror. This is the perfect place to keep all of her accessories and fine “jewels.”

This room is quite possibly one of my favorite rooms in the house.  It’s a cheery and whimsical space, but more important, it has so much of my daughter’s own stamp on it.  It has also gone through quite a transformation.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good “before” photo of the room when it was empty, but I did find a photo with the previous owner’s furnishings.  Quite a difference!

Finally, I think the part of the room I cherish most is a small print my mother-in-law bought for me when my daughter was an infant.  It hangs right above the light switches, so I see it every day.  And every day it reminds me what a blessing my daughter is.

Happy birthday, Angel!  Your dad and I love you to the moon and back!