pretty, happy, funny, real...


Earlier this week Auntie Leila laid out a Master Bedroom Challenge for today's {pretty, happy, funny, real}. I took one look at my incredibly messy, completely disorganized, "heavens to murphy where did all this stuff come from" master bedroom and knew it was time to make a change. 

This is where I started: 


My closet is small and one of my trouble spots. 


This was the top of my dresser filled with stuff and more stuff. And that's all I am willing to show you from "before". A girl has some pride ya know. 

Housekeeping has never been my strong suit. 

Baking, cooking, sewing and stitching...that's what I love. 

Dusting? Not so much.

OK...so on with the "after". 

We live in an 1,100 square foot home and that's counting the garage. It's a two level pitched roof Cape Cod style home and it's just enough for me to clean. Any more and I would need help I think. 

Miss Courtney is now in what was our bedroom since her medical equipment didn't all fit into this smaller room anymore. So my hubby and I sleep in a room that is 12x9  in a double bed. 

Many of my friends "gasp" when they hear that and yet for us, it works. I am OK with it. When we switched room this past spring we didn't paint, so our walls are a soft pink. Not a huge fan but there is a list of priorities and painting is way down that list. 

Anyway, I spent last night going through ever piece of costume jewelry I owned and paired down signifigantly. I dusted and DEEEEEPPP cleaned everything. 

I folded and re-folded, re-arranged books and knick-nacks. By evenings end, it smelled heavenly of lemon furniture polish and every surface gleamed. I hung a few prints to inspire and then waited until this morning to snap some photos.

SO here's the tour. 

Simple is the name of the game. 


This is the view from the end of the bed. We are book people so there are book shelves in every room of my house except the loo. I had to draw the line somewhere. Here they act as bedside tables as well as holding the books that are on our "to read" list. To the right is my pared down costume jewelry collection. I kept anything I had worn in the last six months. 

The most precious thing in this photo is the quilt laid across the end of the bed. It was made by my husbands Grandmother Lena for our wedding. It is hand quilted and made form scraps that she had from making Jerry's and her other grandchildren's clothing in the 60's and 70's. I made the pillow shams   in 1989 under her tutelage using the scraps from the maternity clothes she made me when I was pregnant with Jonathan. 

Since we don't have a headboard and the bed is against a window I was at a loss as to how to handle curtains. So I hung another quilt to act as a curtain and a visual headboard. It was also made by hand by Granny Lena for our son, Jonathan. I will make a change once we have a headboard but for no it works.

I would grab these in case of a fire or tornado, they mean that much to me. 



This is my favorite shelf on my side. A photo from Jerry's senior year at the US Naval Academy with '80's hair and a dress that was way too low cut, A photo from the day Miss courtney was born with her big brother holding her, one of my Dad holding Court the night Jerry came into the church and then two more of the children together one when they were little and one from three years ago. There is a dish for my rings and watch and of course my retainer in the purple case. 

Just keeping it real y'all. 


This lovely cross-stitch has hung in our room for as long as we have been married in every home we have lived in. It was a wedding gift form Jerry's sponsors at the Academy. One of my favorite gifts ever.


This is the wall that faces the bed. There is the cross-stitch, a beautiful plaster of Our Blessed Lady made by the very talented Kristen Laurence, A painting that my Dad painted in 1981 as a gift for my Grandparents Green 50th Wedding Anniversary. It's the farmhouse he grew up in Holbrook, NE. Oh the stories from that time...too funny. It hung in their living room for many years until their deaths when it was returned to my Dad. He gave it to me right before he died.

Then there are photos taken three years ago for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. I am sure you notice the two frames with the flowers in them. They are a running joke here. They are supposed to have photos of myself and of my husband from our childhoods. I have chosen the photos I want but need to order the prints. The frames have been hanging, with the flowers, for six months now...oh well...maybe one day...LOL!


This hope chest is another prized piece. Jerry's parents made three of them, one for each of their children. It is made from the wood of a favorite black walnut tree that they had in their yard for years. It came down in an ice storm in the early '90's. They took a woodworking class at their local Y and we received this one Christmas as a gift. 


I's lined with cedar and the nails are hand made to replicate the type of nails Abraham Lincoln would have used in his carpentry work. The add so much to the character of this very special piece. 

So there you have it. Simple, freshly cleaned and sparkly. 

Thanks so much for the challenge Auntie Leila! It motivated me to get in there and get some things done. My husband was thrilled with the results and so am I. I will happily lay my head down tonight and dream sweet dreams of de-cluttering and cleaning some other room in my home. 

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Labels: