I am an empty Nester. Sadly, to every mother’s dismay, our children must grow up, and move away. Being the “Mother Hen” that I am, I have good days and bad.
I miss picking up after them. Making them dinners. Washing their clothes. Shopping for school supplies or clothing throughout the year. Even now that they have left home, I still pick up a shirt or two here and there when I think it would look good on them….or perhaps a few essentials I think they might need in their kitchens! Maybe cook them a meal or two to bring to them at their new abode, to make sure they are eating well. I can’t help myself! I’m still their Mom!
The house is quite lonely without the noise of young men scrambling about. With empty rooms only one or two good things can come out of them. One…..an office for my hard working hubby! And 2…a guest bedroom.
For the past few weeks, we have been busy putting together a quaint, vintage style, little room. Nothing over the top or elaborate. We wanted something reminiscent of the years from the 1930-60’s. A mish mosh of things we have crafted, collected, and also two or three things from loved one’s. It’s not quite finished yet, but I wanted to share a few pics of it’s progress so far.
My youngest son had to endure 7 tough years of starring at John Deere wallpaper border and a sleepy yellow wall paint. He hated it, but every time I went in his room, I felt like I could just go to sleep. The yellow was very relaxing.
It also had a green carpet that when combined with the J. Deere paper, reminded us all of grass fields! (Not a good thing)
We painted the walls in a beautiful minty green SW 6750 Waterfall by Sherwin Williams, a paint and primer in one, which saved us tons of time. The boarder came off incredibly easy and all traces of it were covered by the paint. Only a few rough spots needed sanding.
Son 2 left behind a dresser that wouldn’t fit into his decor at his new apartment, so we painted that in a crisp white gloss. My dear hubby painted that, while I had the easy task of painting the twelve knobs in black. We make such a great team! I don’t have a before photo because we both dove right in without thinking!
We purchased an old, antique iron bed from golsn.com a local shopping site similar to the popular Craigslist.
We had it sandblasted and powder coated in an amazing winter white with clear coat. I scoured eBay until I found just the right antique Bates Hobnail or Popcorn Chenille bedspread, and made frequent Goodwill visits for an assortment of vintage flat and fitted sheets and pillow cases. I got bargains galore! I picked up a queen sized floral bed skirt for a piddly $2.99 and it fit exactly how I wanted-no tucking or pinning or hemming as I expected on my full sized bed. I went through some storage boxes in my closet and pulled out an old crochet tablecloth that I bought many years ago, and I had always planned on using it for a bed. On the full size bed it has lots of overhang on both sides.
It is so country…..doesn’t it look fabulous? It makes the bed feel so cozy and it’s not heavy; it can be used during spring, summer, winter or fall. The quilt is another ebay find I bought about 10 yrs ago, when I was on a antique/vintage quilt purchasing phase! It’s tattered and stained from years of love from previous owners. I didn’t want to fix it. I love it just the way it is! It’s priceless to me.
I picked up so many pillow cases and unmatched sheets for that mixed up penny pinching, old time look n feel. I’ll be stocked for years to come! My hubby and I have each tried out the new bed and it is a comfy retreat. Now we’re just waiting on our first house guests.
I have a few more things to do before the guest room is complete. I will post more as we go. Till next time……
countrypkin 