Clean Slate

Well, the time came... we packed up all the holiday decor. Not sure why, but the house always feels empty when I do this - each & every year! It is no surprise I am putting stuff away, it happens every year - yet every year it still feels empty. Oh well... we have what you would call a clean slate once again.

Now we are working on some purging, rearranging and storage solutions - all requirements of living in a small home. Yesterday I picked up a new storage bin organizer for Holly's kitchen arrangement (really organized her stuff), we moved her mini art studio (aka desk & easel) to the living room, moved her old storage bins to accommodate all her Little Pet Shop character, My Little Ponies and Ponyville characters and her 5 gazillion plastic animals. The funniest part of all this is when I move an old toy to a new location or new bin... it was suddenly *new* again! I love it! She played with plastic animals for a long time last night - introducing her Ponyville characters to her horses and dinosaurs.

In the mean time I have some ideas for a festive Valentine house. Holly is pretty excited for hearts, pink and sweets (ha!). So, we'll start getting this house all prettied up with some frilly hearts (which she has already created some at her new art desk), valentines, candies and the such!

Holly's Room - A Work In Progress...

Or, so it seems! As most of you know a small house means really good storage and when you add a little one with 'stuff' that need seems to triple. Holly's rooms has been a work in progress for us as we are slowly figuring out the best options for storage, lighting, use, etc... Our eyes had been set on a new piece of furniture for her room and I had been scouring Craigslist for one. Come to find out our neighbor was selling the exact piece we were desiring, Thanks Jennifer! As well, we have added some better lighting to Holly's room, a new reading chair and a tad of rearranging. Here are some photos of her room now... which she loves & enjoys more than ever being in! We moved her kitchen & house stuff nearer the kitchen in general. She is also playing with all of that way more than before. It's amazing what a little moving around can do for toy rejuvination!

Sugar N' Spice and Everything Nice...

That's what little girls are made of!

Holly is a wonderfully classic little girl - she loves everything girly, pink, frilly, glittery, froofy and fluffy. I love it! I love the day we argue over mommy wanting to dress her in jeans and she is demanding a skirt & tights. I love when she must have her hair pretties in place just so. I also love it when she totes her purse around loaded with tidbits from her life & McDonalds toys. We play dress up all the time, play make up and hair and put our dollies to rest often.

So, yesterday we went through her room and organized & cleaned in detail. Everything was tucked away in it's place, pretty and very girly --- which is not hard considering most items are either pink or purple. Later that day I walk by and placed ever so neatly on the rug is the toy she played with for about 1/2 hour... her Pirate Ship! Not the girliest of toys - in fact, quiet puppy dog tail! I had to snap a photo - a pristine girls room, pink as can be, with her pirate ship out for pure enjoyment! :)

Which brings me to this... thank goodness!!! Because if you all know me - I love lots of girly aspects of life... but, I am not the girliest girl around. Poor Holly! Sure I will be able to help out with hair, makeup and even some basic clothing choices as she gets older -- and I'll do my darndest! But, if she needs information on the hottest purse choices, the best makeup or the best place to have her nails done... I am not the best resource. She is going to have the 'pirate ship' side to her in order for us to make it through together happily! I can recommend a great campsite, kayak with her all day long, get geared up for a day of outdoor play, do some crafty things together and even show her some stuff in the kitchen. Hope she'll be good with that :)