The best thing about having a little girl is being able to bring your own childhood dreams to life for her.  This very feminine, and pink room is a mix of new and vintage textiles.  There are lots of dolls and toys on display that were mine when I was a child and as much as I love having them out again, my daughter loves hearing the stories and history behind them. They have bridged the gap from my childhood to hers, and she loves thinking of me as a child and hearing about all of my adventures.  I have painted several murals around the room and they really bring a storybook quality to the space.  There is something special when you are a child, about having something that is uniquely yours that was made just for you.

This is a mural, or really a wall applique, that I painted on muslin and applied to the wall.  I frequently move the furniture around and I can change the wall murals easily.  This Rabbit head with the large bow is one of my favorites.  Although I have been asked to recreate it, I am not quite ready to share it yet.

This painting is of a little girl riding a rabbit over the moon.  My daughter thinks she is the little girl, in her nightgown, riding the rabbit–but really it is me. Mother Moon below, watches over her at night.

I made all of the curtains and shades in our house-I wanted to do something unique and original in every room.  I didn’t want anything formal or too casual.  I also didn’t want anything I had ever seen before so I sat down and designed these original, button up, shades with ruffled valances.

  I had the idea of rabbits running across the window for a long time, and was so happy to have a room to create them in.  The shades are a pink and white stripe.  There are buttons and loops that shorten and lengthen them.  A tiny, pink, toile print by Waverly makes the ruffle on the bottom and the matching valance. The square in the middle is also the coordinating print and has a handpainted initial in the center.  I added a blue bow and the rosebuds to bring in more of the accent color.

The close up of the rabbits show the three dimensional cotton tail and the little, pink bow.  They really do appear to be continuousley leaping across the room. I will be putting these up in my shop for sale as a set, or individually.

Another view of the room, above, that shows the vintage chenille baby blanket I purchased on ebay.  Here is a close up of the rabbit head in the center:

The antique trundle bed, and the boy and girl pillows, were also mine as a child.  Assembling the bed was like coming home. A room is such an important place to a child.

It is where dreams are started and secrets revealed.  It’s where quiet Saturday mornings are spent curled up with The Secret Garden. It’s where futures are laid out and plans are made.

This is the top of the overflowing bookshelf.  Can a girl really have too many books? I made the lampshade out of pink gingham cotton.  The double layer of eyelet ruffles peek out from the top and bottom edge.  A scattering of white rosebuds finishes it off.  The bunny planter is vintage and holds art supplies.  The chenille lamb was a first birthday gift and holds a place of honor on the top shelf.

These dolls are my favorites from my collection.  Christopher Robin and Pooh are by R. John Wright and they were one of the last dolls I received as a child, before I declared my self too old for such things.  It is funny how the very things we outgrow as children, become the things we long for as adults.  Mary Mine is a Madame Alexander.  This one is actually a new, vintage doll given to my daughter by her Gigi.  I have one just like it, except mine has been very well loved.  The two girls on the end are Lenci dolls.  They deserve a post of their own and I will tell you all about them some other day.  The tulle skirt is a Beau Rabbit design and looks so beautiful on.  It makes for the prettiest portrait.  You can find it in my shop which is the link to the right.

So, this is the room, that started as a dream.  I ask you again, is there anything more wonderful than Pink? I hope you find it inspiring and I encourage you to cherish both your own childhood memories as well as thoroughly enjoy the ones you get to make all over again with your own children.