A Room of Her Own

Every young girl needs a space to call her own, a space to dream, a space to create, and a space to seek refuge from the everyday drama of teenage life. My almost teenage daughter is ready for a room that will provide her with just that.

A plastic shoe bag, hung over the back of the door has become my favorite kid room organizing idea. They are great for holding all kinds of stuff that would otherwise give way to clutter. The clear plastic kind works best so kids can see exactly where things are.

While Carlsbad may not be brimming with places to shop, digging around town can offer some surprising finds.

The theme for this room is fun and beachy, but not too kiddish; she's a big girl now:

I was going to leave this chest of drawers in its current shabby state, but with the rest of the room being crisply painted, I'm afraid it doesn't go. A new coat of white paint will be in its future.

I dug this bed out of the shed. My father made it out of sturdy oak. A coat of paint gives it new life and a new purpose.

I found this old frame at one of my favorite antique stores in town (Then N' Again)--the added cork board makes it the perfect place for hanging pictures.

Starfish glued to the ends of seagrass help to make a fun alternative to a traditional floral arrangement (Two Creative has the best selection of floral picks in town).

The initials were once solid black; I added some paint, plastic pearls, scrapbook designs (from Treasured Moments), and sea shells to salvage this artwork.

This desk was half off at an antique store. A coat of paint and new hardware make it a perfect fit for this room. Accessories from the clearance isle at Marshall's (Ok, I do some of my shopping out of town) are the finishing touch for my daughter's new space. I look forward to all that she will accomplish while she is here, and I know that before I am ready for it, she will be sitting at this desk, studying for her driver's license, filling out applications for college--they grow up so fast!