A tour through our whimsical garden

When it comes to interior decorating, I'm pretty hopeless. I could admire people's lovely houses and appreciate the aesthetic appeal of their decorating....but I couldn't tell you how they did it. 

I've tried to learn a bit more about interior decorating so I can create a lovely space. I feel like a beautiful home creates a feeling of harmony and peace. I should clarify that to me a beautiful home does not equal expensive accessories. I prefer beauty in a simpler way, like arranging colors in harmony. 

I tried really hard to make Sarah's room a relaxing retreat for her. It was so fun for us to work together on it. 

Before we begin the tour, let me show you what her room looked like earlier:

Isn't it lovely?! (If I could drip sarcasm from my text, believe me, I would.) This room was plastered with layers of wallpapers when we bought the house. This picture is our family ripping off sheets of wallpaper while we wiggle to Turkish pop music. We love listening to Tarkan while we clean. (Isn't all work more fun with invigorating music for company?)

 I had heard horror stories before regarding how difficult it is to get rid of wallpaper. We had our own week-long battle with this atrocious decorating faux-pas. After this intimate experience with paper and glue and elbow-grease, I've decided wall paper will never have a place in our home.

Here is where we are now:

We painted the walls a really light pink. We learned a lesson the hard way in our old house: when painting with pink, ALWAYS go several shades lighter than the color you originally picked. It's the only way you won't end up with atrocious, energy-sapping Peptobismal Pink. The lighting in your house is always darker than the lighting at the paint store, so the pink paint looks darker at home. Trust me. 

We found some whimsical wall decals to spice things up. ( I considered just painting them on myself, but this was so much easier and I know she'll grow tired of this look as she grows older, so why invest days painting this by hand? It's all going to come down in a few years anyway, so I decided to take the artistic shortcut. Don't judge.)

Our favorite spot is her flower garden above her closet doors.

Butterflies and ladybugs drift lazily across another wall...

This is a large picture frame we discovered lurking in our attic. 

Originally it had the dated dark brown and brassy look of the seventies. I stripped off the paint and painted it like this:

Nathan built a canvas to fit the frame. (I love having a handy husband. He makes everything look easy.) The canvas is waiting for me to paint it with a playful fairy tea party. Maybe I'll get that done this summer? Who knows.....

Since I know you're just dying to explore her room more (okay maybe not....those who aren't interested can leave.) I'll show you. 

This is her 'natural museum' space. She collects fossils, sea shells, unusual rocks, furs, and animal bones. Her skull count currently includes skulls from a cow, a chicken, and a fox. She gets so excited when she finds nature's artifacts. One of her favorite places to visit is the Austin Nature and Science Center.

She loves to make embroidered art. Here are an alphabet sampler and a favorite scripture on her dresser. The wall hanging is one I made for her years ago.

Her 'special things' shelf includes fragile glass unicorns.....and her treasured slingshot. Isn't it an interesting glimpse into her personality?

Her baby blessing dress graces the wall above her head. This is the same dress I was blessed in when I was an infant. I like to decorate with meaningful items full of  sentimental value.

Framed doilies hug the space above her bedroom door. It's a great place to tuck in one last piece of art. We found these little creations at an antique store. I think they're beautiful.

She adores her room and spends so much time there now. It's so welcoming and cheerful, even the boys are drawn to it. We love to sit in her plush reading chair and read aloud together. 

I'd call this one decorating success. Now if I could just figure out what to do with my own room...