Ramblings: Room to Grow

Thanks to a package that arrived this weekend, I got one step closer to "finishing" Alex's new room.  I ordered some retro tin signs and things to put up along with the TWO sad, pathetic, and wimpy little license plates I have. But that'll be something we can add as we find them...I've left plenty of wall space for the hopefully dozens we'll eventually round up. 

I think Jeremy and I deserve props for hanging those floating shelves above the bed so straight and close together. I already had a set of two shorter ones,  but I wanted one long enough to hold those three big metal cars so we had to hang them perfectly smooshed together. And they'll remain perfect until one of the- jumping on the bed parties- gets out of hand, and someone whacks their fat head right into them, ripping them off and taking big chunks of the wall out too. We're just waiting, because it's really only a matter of time since they stick out about 8 inches. 

My goal was to do this room with things that weren't too little boyish, and that I could easily change to grow with him as he got older. I found the quilt at Pottery Barn Teen and then on Ebay for a bit cheaper, so he's stuck with that until he's married. It's got all different types of fabrics and textures like wool tweed, suede, and corduroy.  I liked that it didn't scream "HI! I'm in a little boy's room" but also that it wasn't like "Hey there, hot stuff. Welcome to my bachelor pad. Why don't you get cozy on my queen sized bed" either. Trust me--I looked at a bunch of bedding under the "masculine" or "boy's" categories that were either black pleather or leopard suede with spiked accent pillows. I'll stick with plaid and corduroy, thank you very much. Plus, it matched the two blue plaid lamps I already had in there.

His favorite addition has been the cd player that I moved up there from downstairs. He uses it all the time with some cd's we made for him and he'll even happily hang out in there listening to it and building legos--even when we don't force him (totally an added bonus).  And thanks to some hand-me-down "antique" dressers from my parents, he even has a place to display his 4000 basketball, soccer, and baseball trophies and books. 

  

(At what age do they stop giving trophies to every kid at the end of every season for basically making an appearance, breathing,  and eating the snacks after the games? Shouldn't I break it to him that usually in the real world, you don't get a "trophy" just for showing up? That sometimes only people that really excel at what they do will get the old pat on the back? Maybe he's still a little young for those tough life lessons. But I could seriously get the house recarpeted like I've been dreaming of with all the dough I've used to buy those things.)

    

Regardless of how meaningful/less they are, they are now on display in a dresser that as old as I am. I remember going into my parent's room when I was little and sneaking my dad's mints and gum out of the top drawer....and as I got older, whatever loose bills just happened to be lying around... or hiding in the hidden secret compartment of his wallet. JUST KIDDING. I got paid 25 cents an item to iron everyone in my family's clothes, remember? Why would I possibly need extra spending money with that stream of income rolling in?

Something else he thought was cool is the fabric shoe rack I hung on the outside of his closet doors for all of his Webkinz creatures. I was sick and tired of having them underfoot all the time so now they have a cozy home up off the floor. But do you see how naked the wall up there is? It's just waiting for some more license plates....I'm hoping one day they'll wrap around the top two feet of the room.

I hung one of those mesh connecty-pounchy contraptions behind his door to hide all of his "I can't find them" items like his belts, hats, and ties for church. And the best part is that when his door's open, that mess is hidden.

         

I finally decided to move his lego desk in by the window even though I was worried it would crowd the room, but it's not too bad. This was something else (purchased at Ikea for dirt cheap) that has helped get his mess up off the floor. I stuck a locker-looking set of drawers under it on one side to hold the loose legos so he can dig around for what he's looking for without dumping the entire stash all over the place. I can personally testify that there is almost nothing as painful as stepping barefoot on a lego wing and having it lodge completely up inside your foot. They're even worse than the dang polly pockets. 

And right by his bed, a little reminder of what a round, squishy little cutie he was when we lived in Cambridge while Jeremy was in law school. He loves that picture and always asks me about playing in the park across the street from our apartment when he was little And my mom found that cool ceramic Ford truck at a florist shop for dirt cheap. He was keeping some loose change in it until the boys saw the  "monies" and stole them. I better teach them to iron soon so they don't have to steal from him anymore. Al's new pad is nearly finished, except for a few more items I'm keeping my eyes peeled for and a few more plates if I can find 'em.  So there are your pictures Jess...I'm still waiting to see your new kitchen.