…the girls will PLAY!  

Play interior designers, that is.  Pretend we are on the cast of Home Makeover: Extreme Edition, and FINALLY work on the “big girl” room that was promised to Kayla on her 10th birthday in July!

 Our boys left to go on a men’s retreat in northern Vermont Friday afternoon with about 25 other men from our church.  Well, almost as soon as they were out the door, Kayla and I headed out ourselves to do some shopping for all of the room makeover essentials:  paint, fabric, new bedding, curtains, and possibly a new desk.

 Her color palate of choice was brown, pink, and green.  We bought paint supplies at Wal-Mart, but the “Associates” were not very eager to mix any actual paint for us (help at the paint desk was called for 3 times, but no one ever showed.  Ahhhhhh!), so we went across the street to Home Depot where they were very eager to mix paint, explain the different paint finishes, direct us to bed risers, etc.  In fact, I think every employee we passed there asked, with a smile, if they could help us in some way.  Wonderful!

 We enjoyed some dinner, take-out style, from Whole Foods, but we waited for a couple of hours to actually eat it, because, as you can see they were having a special Valentine’s fest.  There were booths and tables set up all over the store and all offering some sort of chocolate sample.  We had chocolate mousse made with ricotta and blackberries on top, vanilla ice cream with cacao nibs, dark chocolate bars, chocolate pudding, and braised beef and cocoa chili!  Oh my ~ it was all so delicious, and we were full after the fist two samples!  What a perfect treat for our girls’ night out of shopping!

 I didn’t get a true “before” picture, as Kayla had already emptied her room of most of its contents, but at least you can see that it was blue, and what her current bed looks like.  (We did put the risers on it, as you can see.) She has lived in this blue room since she was 2 years old.  It’s a tiny room, so we’re going to try and make the most of it in this re-do.

 The chosen wall color is called “Silk Ribbon.”  Looked like bubble gum going on, but has dried a bit darker and looks great.  Green and brown polka dots are coming…

 Some spackling was needed because of holes left by nails and screws.  Both houses we have owned have been built around 1950, and have had plaster walls.  If you’re not careful about hanging things, the walls will just crumble.  (Very frustrating!) We resorted to the hair dryer to get a few of the spots dry and sanded, so we could start painting last night.