Here is my little sweet girl, all dressed up and ready for a picnic. She begged me to take her picture in the garden and I obliged.
With all the summer activities I am really struggling to get things done! I am the Mom Taxi for much of the day and the sun and heat really wear me out. Not a lot of blogging getting done, obviously! (or much of anything else, really!)
We did finish Ella's room and I just realized that I never posted about that! We completed it before summer started and other than refinishing the dresser, painting the bookcase and labeling the bins (I am tired thinking about it) The room itself is done! I can't find "before" pics of the kids room when they shared it, in fact, I can't find my camera at all right now. Ugh.. don't get me started!
Here are the pics of the finished room... I was going to paint the bookcase a shade darker than her walls in the same tone pink, but now I am thinking that there is an awful lot of pink going on in there (I am wishing that we had painted it a soft blue, but oh well) So, now I am thinking that the bookcase should be white. Any opinions?
This is her room as you walk in the door... I went from the right of the room and around for these shots, to help you get a better sense of the space.
This is her doll house to the right of the door as you walk in. At first we had it on the opposite wall but it was way to chaotic to look at when you entered the room. I just noticed the picture frame on the wall that is wood colored, I am going to paint it white.
This is her bed and her name over it. It was really hard to decide what to put up in her room. We still had all of the decor from her nursery, but it felt too babyish (I am saddened by that) But the frames went up, one has her cross stitched birth announcement that I designed and stitched. One has her hand print (that will most likely change, later) and the other had a photo of her feet, we put in a recent portrait of her instead, but I don't like the dark background in it. It will do, until I find something else. I would like to make a pressed flower picture with her, and I am hoping that we can collect some wild flowers during our vacation for this purpose.
A straight on shot of her bed, with the closet behind me. I used her crib comforter on the foot of the bed to add some color and pattern, and it is perfect for napping under.
Her dresser, which we are going to repaint in a sour cream white to match the other furniture. We are going to change the trim from blue to the mint green that you see on the pillow on her bed. I found the angel at a little shop in town and just loved it, so did Ella.
The kitchen and doll area. I wish that there was a way for it to be neater, but there just isn't. I also wish that the kitchen was pastel (Ella does too) but when Santa brought it, he thought that we were going to have it in the family room forever.
The bookshelf. Perfect for toys, collectibles and of course, books. White? Pink? Green? My Aunt Trudy and I created the floral arch for Andy's and my wedding. I had thought that I would have a pretty living room some day to hang it in, but our living room is NOT the place for this. It seemed to fit perfectly in Ella's room. There are lots of dolls packed away that were mine that are collectible and I think that they might find their way to this space, someday. (the ugly air freshener is gone too) ...And the bins will get labeled before summer is over.. they will, they will, they will.
Well, there it is.. her new (very pink) room. Now, to finish up the furniture and move on to the bar in the family room!!!! (and the cabinet, and the trim, and the baseboards, and.....)
Ella got her hair cut! I had always said that I would cut her hair short right before Kindergarten, but..... After a long semester in classes, I looked at her and realized that she had not had her hair trimmed since December (I had done her bangs). It was REALLY long! She and I talked about it and decided that she would let it grow just a bit longer so that she could donate her hair to Locks of Love. It finally got long enough and off went 10 inches! She really seems to understand what we are doing with the hair (we visited the website and saw pictures of girls who had lost their hair and pictures of wigs, etc...)
I am not sure that I would choose to cut it quite this short again, but it does look cute on her! In fact, her first comment was, "I didn't know it would look so cute!". She is loving the freedom of hardly having to do her hair in the morning and I am missing hair to braid! Her hair grows fast however and I am sure that it will be to her shoulders (at least) by Christmas. 
