Bedroom Makeover

Last week when I was stripping the bunk beds to clean all the sheets and blankets after Livie came down with the flu, I decided I was sick and tired of trying to make bunk beds. Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled and thankful that Sue (my mom-in-law) gave them to us. They're terrific. But, they also happen to be a MAJOR pain in the butt to make, let alone change sheets and bedding on. I used to drag a kitchen chair in there to climb up on the top bunk to make it. It was annoying as heck! So as I was trying to put the clean fitted sheet on the top bunk I said, "Screw this!" and decided to do a little rearranging. Livie was laying down in our bed, watching cartoons, and I knew if she had more puking action, I'd hear her and could run to help her. But, until that happened, I wanted to get this room done. I moved the dresser and the toy shelf into the hallway. Pulled off the mattresses. Then managed BY MYSELF to pull the top bunk off the bottom bunk. And I did that without destroying the wall or the bed in the process. Amazing, I know. I'm not known for my coordination. Well, once I got it down, I tried putting the beds in all different configurations. Wanting to have them as just single beds with a nightstand in between. Well, an invisible nightstand, since I didn't actually have one. But, that's not important. Anyway, every way I rearranged the beds left me scratching my head. Either they were too big to get to the closet or too big to close the door. It just wasn't working. So I had to call Pete and say, "You know Honey when I get an idea in my head and I just do it and then it doesn't quite work out the way I had hoped?". I could just picture the eyes rolling back into his head as he said, "What. did. you. do?" ;-) I told him how I moved the bunk beds and now I was stuck - almost quite literally - in the room with no solutions. He actually thought having them as 2 twin beds was a good idea, but he told me to "wait until he got home" to do any more about it. I didn't QUITE listen to that and did a bit more arranging, coming up with what I thought was the best solution and waited for him to get home to see what he thought. He liked what I had done, but still wanted to try out a few other ways (which I had already tried, but that's ok), so we moved and arranged and eventually he agreed that having the beds seperated and the dresser in the closet was the best option. I went out and bought them nightstands and new bedskirts to go with it all.

So, this was the BEFORE:



Cute, but way too annoying!!

Oh! .. and while I was searching online for bedskirts, I came across this picture at Pottery Barn Kids - my favorite place that I never shop at. ;-) I loved the balls, but to get 3 for each of the girls, it would've cost me a good $250-270, so I opted to try and make them myself. Granted, I couldn't make them in the big sizes they show, because I wanted to keep it under $60, but I did smaller sizes and I think they look cute. :-)

So, after all that, this is the AFTER:

This is Madie's bed and you'll see that she has an Uppercase Living expression up high on her wall. It was high, because that's where the bunk beds were. So, I have some butterfly expressions I'm going to put on that wall when they come in to fill it up a bit.

This is Livie's bed now. It's over by the window and Olive, our cat, has made this her new favorite place to be. She sits there and looks out the window all day long.

Of course, there has to be a Star Wars poster in their very girly room. Just made her put it on the door and not her wall. ;-)

So, there you have it. Beds that are easy to make and a little extra something here and there to make it all fit together. I made those balls when I was in IN. Aunt Phyl, Nancy, Mom, and I sat around chatting while I glued all the flowers on. It was tedious, but well worth the savings. I ended up spending $57 on them instead of the $250. Granted the PBKids are always more spectacular, but they are still cute, I think. :-)