Awesome Way to Start the Week!

I'm having so much fun playing around with blogging and decorating - all at the same time!  There are so many great ideas out there, and it's a blast deciding which ones are right for me, as well as coming up with ideas of my own. 

I want to say "thanks" to Cheri over at It's So Very Cheri for putting my Parisian Dresser on her "Favs List" and to Wendy at The Shabby Nest for showcasing the dresser on "Linky Love."  How fun and awesome are you guys?!  Check out their blogs if you haven't yet - such fabulous ideas! 

I threw myself way out of my comfort zone a couple of months ago when I decided I couldn't take it anymore and painted my youngest daughter's sad hand-me-down furniture.  But once I completed the furniture, I knew the bed would need a makeover or a takeover soon!

"A" slept in this bed like a Stepford Child when it was in its original crib form - for nearly 3 years!  Right around her birthday, last November, I decided to take the front piece off and let her be a "big girl" in the toddler bed. 

Ha!  What that actually did, was give A access to get out of bed as she pleased!  I knew I would never be comfortable sleeping downstairs if she wasn't going to stay in her bed.  Plus, I happen to like sleep.  So...I did what any sane tired pushover mother would do...I gave her the option of going to her sister's room next door if she woke up.  It worked!  It worked for about 2 nights and then when I called, "Bedtime!", A just ran straight into her sister's room and in her sister's bed. 

A claimed not to like her "little bed" because she was now a "big girl."  (She's always a big girl now, unless she wants my help, at which point, A pouts that she's only "tiny big.") 

Which bring us to nearly 8 months later, with A sleeping in her sister's room each night. 

My original plans to turn her "little girl" bed into a "big girl" bed were to paint the headboard and maybe add some wood appliques along the curves to dress it up a bit.  However,  I also began to stalk Craigslist from time to time looking for a bed that might work as well. 

And then...drumroll, please...a couple of days ago, my search on CL yielded THE PERFECT BED!!!  I showed it to A, who just went crazy over it!  She jumped around in circles, saying, "Please get me that bed!"  And then I taught her how to bat her eyes at Daddy while she asked for the bed.  ;) 

Last night, he picked it up!  Eeek!  And I'm going to give you a sneak preview:

My heart is aflutter for this gorgeous thing!  Of course, I had to promise Papa Bear that we wouldn't rush right out and spend a ton of $$$ on bedding in order to get him to pick it up.  But we are going to have a BLAST picking out something that's just right!  (And if you know anything about me, by "we" I mean "I"). 

Of course, now I'm dreaming of just the right small table and lamp to go next to it.  With maybe a cute mirror at eye-level for A.  I'll definitely be stalking some thrift shops this week!  I'll continue to post pictures as I work in her room!  FUN!!! 

Will she sleep in it...you may be wondering?  That's funny...I'm wondering the same thing!  But until it's all said and done, let's just pretend that everything is going to work out beautifully!  I'll keep you posted!  :)