Dekker's Big Boy Room... Finally!

The time has finally come!  I can't believe it has taken me this long to get this post up, but I'm so glad to do it...finally.  When we found out we were pregnant, Dekker was still sleeping in his crib in the nursery.  (That feels like forever ago.)  We decided to not convert his crib, and instead just buy him a twin bed and re-use the crib.  It was a financial decision for the most part-- because we have a really nice taste when it comes to cribs.  So we took the front off the crib and added a bed-rail, and he slept in that "toddler bed" for about a month while I cleaned out and painted his new room next door.  It was nice that I could take my time and work on it in the evenings and at nap time without disturbing him.  I did really want to get him into his new room and twin bed three months before R2's arrival.  I did a lot of reading, and was sure this would be traumatic for him (though the reading, and every-single person I talked to assured me of the opposite), and I didn't want him yelling "My Bed" when the baby comes.

So even though the room wasn't complete, it was painted and the bed was set up and he's been sleeping in it for several months.  And, gasp, it was a very smooth transition that I'm pretty sure bothered me more than him.  However, for the record, he has also transitioned nicely into calling the nursery the baby's room and I'm super thrilled about that, too.  It is coming together nicely, and I can't wait to show you all it, too.  All this decorating, including the Master Bedroom has been absolutely fantastic and I love the finishing touches!

So, here is a before picture of Dekker's room.  It was our guest room/my office/holding space for a lot of stuff!  If you remember, I cleaned it out and did a lot of simplifying in there last year and I am so glad I did!

By the time I was finished last October (as in approximately one year ago, wow), it was looking pretty nice.  The opposite wall had a nice twin daybed with trundle, and it was a nice "catch all" room for us.  I was overwhelmed with where to put all this stuff, but between the trash/goodwill/donations, basement, new office, and new job/office, everything found a home.

Here is what it looked like before I started painting.  It was a hot mess.  I remember my sweet friend Suzanne opening the door and saying, very nicely, that it looked like I still had "a ways to go" in this room.  Hahaha, that was an understatement.  I also went through three gallons of super expensive paint trying to find the right shade of manly/cowboy appropriate yellow.  Which I finally did (sigh).  It's Sherwin-Williams "Blonde" if you ever need to know.  When color #2 didn't work, I was so mad at myself for not buying samples (thankfully gallons were 40% off at the time) and so sick of cleaning brushes and upset that I might have to prime (Dave did) that I walked into Dave's office SOBBING.  He thought something was so seriously wrong until I finally blurted out that the paint is... ... "awful, just awful."  Can we blame the pregnancy???  Anyway...

Here are the "after" pictures.  My friends from McCook gave me the idea to put something in this space that would be something Dekker could play with or at.  So we skipped on a dresser and utilized the closet and under-bed storage, then used magnetic paint (bought at Menards) and painted a magnetic board.  Isn't that sweet?  The paint smells like death so we spent one gorgeous late summer day painting on the five layers it asked for (at least 30-45 min to dry in-between), windows opened, running errands and to the park while it dried.  Obviously Dave did all this fume-full painting, and we taped off the square with painter's tape and a level.  It is black paint.  So we painted a top coat, which is optional, and is not suppose to tone down the magnetic-ness, but I'm not so sure.  I did just happen to have this wall color one shade darker in my basement, so that made it easy and it is a nice contrast.  Dave built the frame (the final touch I mentioned last week) and with the magic of spray-paint, presto. (Can I just say how much I love spray-paint.  No messy clean up.  Cheap.  I have been missing out!)

Dekker has magnets on his Christmas list.

What's that?  You want to know about the super cute letters I crafted?  Well, it only took three months and about 400 consultations with more-crafty friends, fourteen trips to Hobby Lobby, and a few girlfriends who threatened to de-friend me if I kept obsessing about them... and they were done!  Just call me Martha!  I bought the letters at Hobby Lobby.  They are 3D and cardboard, very light, and about a buck.  We spray painted them red.  Then I covered them with scrapbook paper.  I traced around them with a pencil, cut the letter out, spray glued it onto the 3D letter, then went around the edges with a razor-blade (on a cutting board).  I am thrilled with how they turned out, and once everything was in my house and I got to going they took about 90 minutes total.  The stars I bought right next to the letters for less than .50 each.  We hung the letters with velcro (thanks for the idea, Katie, during consultation #217) and the help of a laser level.

The other wall is very simple.  It is a chair, which I bought off Craigslist from a former TV News Anchor.  It was an exciting and VERY HOT day this summer.  It was a little pricey, but a steal of a deal considering it has a twin bed in it.  I figured it was about $500 off retail, with the ottoman (which is in the living room), and will double as my Mom's bed when she comes to help with R2.  We will have to rotate it to the wall with the window, but that's fine.  The day we went to get it I sprung on Dave about half way there that it had a bed on it, and then learned that the bed doubled the weight of the chair.  Bummer that we didn't have any help with us.  It was a tense ride, but Anchor Woman's hubby helped.  The decor is all 50% Hobby Lobby stuff (thank you Suzanne for consultation #322)-- I bought a ton then returned a ton but do like the way it turned out. 

Please note: The little red basket next to the chair.  It holds our books-- perfect.  The boot lamp-- we love it!  The Little Buckaroo sign doubles to measure height and is super cute.  The white fan is a necessity and does not "flow." The night-table was spray painted in our garage and was Dave's from before the wedding.  It had been in our basement, unused.  The fan, covered with the same cow contact paper, is pretty sweet.

I picture myself with a little boy on each side of me reading books one day!

Above the chair

Such a fun touch!  This is a second set of blades.  One day, when we change
the decor, we'll have the original blades to replace with. 

Finally, in the corner are two white corner shelves from Target, covered in cow print contact paper.  (Hey, I ordered a roll of it and wanted to use as much of it as possible without over-doing it!)  The top holds a salt and pepper shaker in the form of a cowboy and cowgirl.  They were my Grandma Soden's and were given to me by my dad.  I love having a piece of her in this room (she collected shakers and had hundreds).  The second shelf holds a belt buckle that my Grandpa Autry (Mom's Dad) won and gave to me-- the real deal by the way.  They are both nice and high enough that even if the stinker stands on the chair arm (which he's never done) he can't reach them.

Grandma Soden's salt and pepper shakers

Seriously cool belt buckle

I bought the bed off Craigslist on another very hot day this summer.  It is a Captain's Bed and was in fabulous condition for next to NOTHING.  It has drawers under it.  We lost a knob in transport, so we took the others off and put them on the closet (they were previously white with flower print) and bought new for the bed :)  The sheets are handkerchief and bought off Amazon for way too much.  The comforter is a lightweight blue/denim and was on Dave's bed growing up.  His mom made it!  She also made Dekker a beautiful, warm cowboy blanket that is at the foot of the bed.

We don't actually store much under the bed right now because the closet storage is enough.
But I'm sure the day will come.  Also, I hate that the little "walker toy" got in this pic!
He has been dragging that thing around the house for weeks now, for I don't know why.

The curtains are reused from the nursery. 

Finally, I found this print at Hobby Lobby and I love it.  It is in-between the door and closet.

So there you have it.  I think I've been thinking about this room for over a year.  And while it was fun, I'm glad it's done, done well, done without going broke, and that we really love it.  My hope was that his room would be a space where he could play without hurting himself and without getting into too much trouble, and I'm hoping I might even be able to sit and nurse in there while he plays quietly by himself :) A girl can dream.

Here's to making room in our house and heart for one boy growing up, and one boy showing up!
On the journey,
Mae