A Room for My Growing Girls

Whelp. It happened. Everyone said it would happen before I was ready. But, alas, my two oldest babies are no longer babies. I blinked and Frankie turned four, and Rooney turned three in one year. Suddenly my husband I found ourselves with two big girls no longer in cribs, wearing big girl clothes and shoes that required bigger drawers and hangers and more closet space. And did I mention they’re BOTH big sisters now? In the year Frankie and Rooney turned four and three, Georgia was born, promptly evicting Rooney from the nursery. We always knew we wanted our two oldest girls to share a room eventually, but the impending arrival of their little sister made it a requirement. I found myself making preparations for the merge most of my pregnancy with Georgia. 

And to be honest? It (eventually) became a whole lot of fun. Raising children is full of bittersweet moments. Mourning that your cherub-faced baby disappeared overnight, and yet,  being in awe of their sudden elegant and more matured beauty. I felt the same way about putting together this “big girl room”. Assembling twin beds broke my heart a little, but as the girls jumped and danced around our work, I grew a little excited knowing they were about to embark on their best moments and memories as sisters. Staying up past their bedtime giggling and talking about life. Fighting over clothes. Sharing tears and laughter. Jumping from one bed to the other like I used to with my siblings. Waking up the other when they’re afraid at night. 

“Ok, this is going to be good *wipes tear from eye*. Really good. I am going to make this their favorite space to make their favorite memories in.” 

So I started, as I usually do in a room makeover, with the wall color. Before, it was a light gray. I opted for beautiful white called Snowbound by Sherwin Williams to give the room a clean and bright backdrop. Then I moved down to the next largest change - the beds. I chose two twin beds from Wayfair. Because their room is not large, I wanted beds with small, open frames. This is why I went for this metal, slatted frame in a light green shade. We love them. 

We found fun white bedspreads and let the girls pick out their own sheets. 

One of my favorite pieces in their room is the girls’ dresser. Frankie has used this same dresser since she was born. It belonged to my grandma Jayne originally and then it was passed down to my parents and remained in the home I grew up in. When I got married, my parents gifted the dresser to me. So It has always been in my life. It’s a long and low dresser with nine drawers. Just a ton of storage. When Frankie was a baby, it was her dresser for clothes, diaper changing station, book stand, a place to hold stray toys, and extra diapers, extra blankets, and everything else a baby needs - all in one place. I highly recommend selecting furniture that can grow with your kids. Now, the dresser holds both Frankie and Rooney’s clothes, underwear, socks, and there is a drawer completely dedicated to their beloved blankets and another for their collection of tutus. 

The rest of the room is full of greens, golds, and a mix of other pastels. I spent time searching for sweet vintage pieces to complete the space and to give it a truly customized and thoughtful room with loads of personality. 

My girls are now daily making memories in this fun new space made just for them. They pick out their own outfits every morning out of grandma Jayne’s dresser; they play with their dolls and stuffed animals, frequently throwing “parties” for them in the middle of the room. And every single night when they’re supposed to be sleeping, they goof off, laugh their heads off, sneak out of bed for 74 trips to the bathroom and endless drinks of water, and get in lots of trouble as a pair. But every night as my husband and I face “ the bedtime battle”, no matter how frustrated we get, we often find ourselves looking at each other with tired eyes and smiles and remind each other “they are becoming best friends right now.” 

So how do you like the space? I hope you like this fun room as much as my girls do! 

Thank you for reading another Aviator Jayne blog today. We’ll meet you back here again soon for another moment of fun and inspiration!

Love,

Mandy