A New Bedroom!

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time making decisions about my new bedroom. I haven't yet posted about this exciting happening...so here it goes! In a few weeks, the room above which currently serves as my mom's study will become my new bedroom!

Many you may remember that in the Fall of 2007, I emailed Oprah and her decorator, Nate, asking for a room makeover. Many of you wrote letters on my behalf asking that I be granted this wish.  It's difficult for me to even go back now and read the blog posts I wrote during that time. (If you type in Oprah and Nate in the search box in the top right hand corner of my blog, you will be able to see all of the posts I wrote during that time, or just click on the hot links in this paragraph.) After all of that I also wrote to Oprah asking her to do a show on chronic illness.

Well, Nate never knocked on my door during that time that I wanted so badly for him to do so. But Nate or no Nate, I am finally getting my new bedroom and I am so very excited! I'm in a much better mindset than I was when I wrote those 2007 posts, and I've even been well enough to go do a little shopping for things.

Instead of Nate, I have a team of family and friends (including Carrie and Britt who helped out big time when they were here visiting, and even Miss Alexandra) helping me choose fabrics, paint colors and bedding. (I have super cute pictures of Miss Alexandra over here this summer looking at the fabrics and paint colors but they somehow got lost in the transfer to my new computer. :() I also admit to hiring a decorating to get me started on the process--she chose the furniture that would fit in the space, fabric swatches to give me ideas, and paint colors.

In the end, the timing of my new room seems to have worked out perfectly. We originally planned to get new furniture and paint for my 30th birthday--now it's looking like we'll accomplish this venture closer to my 33rd and a half birthday. 

The planning for my new bedroom has been in process for over three years now and the project is finally coming to fruition. I just can't believe how excited I am about it! The hardest part for me is getting over the guilt of the gift of this new room when the economy is so bad.  I have been very blessed to be able to use some money that my dad has set aside just for this purpose--money that he received when my grandmother died. I know that she would want me to have this room. 

On Friday, I ordered my 'grown up' furniture from a store that makes all of its furniture locally. Finally, I will be replacing my 'little girl' furniture that I have had since the age of six. It is particle board and complete with cute little flowers on it. 

The last time I did my bedroom was when I moved back home in the fall of 2001 after living in an apartment with Jeannine for a year. I was 25. I still wanted a 'princess room' at that time--and I am so ready for a much more adult room. 

This time around, I will actually be moving my bedroom to a different room (the room that was my original bedroom growing up) which is slightly larger than the bedroom I am in now and also has two windows instead of one. 

The major reason for doing this is to create a completely new psychic space. Many people who see my bedroom now say they love it. And they love the color lavendar on the walls. The room is probably still lovely. But I no longer enjoy it at all. In this space, I was the sickest I have ever been (during 2005 and 2006). There is still a stain on the ceiling from a time when my dad accidentally shot a syringe full of saline solution up towards the ceiling. Since I lie in bed a lot on my back--I see that stain every night. 

Maybe if I didn't spend so many hours a day in my bedroom or wasn't mostly homebound, I wouldn't be so tired this space. Because my bedroom is the room in which I spend the most time, our focus has been on creating a new space for me there. I am so ready not to have purple walls!

My new room is all about simplicity and a restful, calming, healing atmosphere. I want it to have a sense of life about it while also having a Zen-like quality. Nothing from my old room will move into my new room (except for a couple of things). Oh, and my clothing of course!

I have settled on yellows, greens and browns. I chose a yellow paint color--that manages to be warm and soothing, rather than cool and bright like many yellows are. Yellow makes me feel like I am surrounded by healing light, by God's light, and by sunshine. Green and brown make me feel close to nature, grounded, centered, and peaceful. 

I just need to find a color to paint the ceiling because I refuse to spend so much time staring up at a white ceiling anymore!

I have been searching for bedding for months. I'm relieved to see that the brown and aquas that dominate the bedding these days may be changing a bit in 2009. I did not want a seventies feel to my room! I'm still haunted by the orange, brown and gold of the seventies. We had it in our house until the 1990s. Ugh! 

As of tonight, I think I found my bedding! Finally. 

What makes me feel like the timing of the new bedroom worked out in the end is that I am in a place right now where I can make some of the decisions for myself and do some of the shopping (with a lot of help). Most of the time, others do the shopping, and often the decision-making for me. This is great, helpful, wonderful, and kind. My mom is a fantastic shopper when it comes to things like clothes and just about anything I need. Neither of us enjoys shopping very much, and I find it especially difficult to find clothes or bedding online--I want to be able to see the colors and feel the textures.

But when it comes to my new bedroom, it has been incredibly special and empowering to be able to make decisions on my own and to be able to actually do some of the shopping at the stores. Two weekends ago, I was able to go to the furniture store with Mom, Dad and Abbie to choose my furniture. I finalized my decisions and ordered it yesterday. 

Last weekend, Mom took me on quick trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Macy's. It was the first time I have been to the mall or to a big store in years. I can't say I enjoyed it or that I want to go shopping again anytime soon (unless it's bedroom related!), but I did it. I was so excited just to be able to do it. I could not have done those things even two months ago. I couldn't believe how empowered and excited I felt and continue to feel by the whole process.

My furniture will arrive four to five weeks from now. We have a lot to do before then! Mom has been working very hard to clean out her study (which will be my new bedroom) so that I can move in there. We still need to finalize paint colors, find a painter, order a new door, find a handyman, order lighting, and so much more. 

I admit that preparing for my new room has taken away from my time to do other things. But it has also been one of the biggest and most exciting things I have had to look forward to in a very, very long time. I also really enjoy the creative process of it, and creating something that is mine. I can't remember having a long-term goal and something to look forward to like this in a very long time. 

Thanks for letting me share my joy with you!

Blessings,

Emily

Photos: Mom's study...soon to be my bedroom. That's a LOT of books about sociology!