I Miss Jake!!

Sorry, no giveaway tonight...  I'm too sad.  My best buddy, Jake, is gone visiting his grandparents in Texas and I totally miss him!!  He has never been one to stay at other people's houses overnight.  Like never.  And the only time we've really been away from him has been when Joey and I have gone on a trip and his grandparents have come here to stay.  So, I am in withdrawal.  The universe in Casa O'Connell is all wonky without him.
Joey's parents invite the grandkids to come out to Texas for a week starting the summer after 1st grade.  Lauren was all over that!  She called it her "spa week", cuz it was all about her!  She did miss us, but LOVED going.  Joey's mom flies out to get the grandkid(s) and a parent flies to TX to pick them up.  
Jake was not ready after his 1st grade year.  I was not ready after 2nd grade :) but this year he was soooo ready!  So I reluctantly let him go...

Here is Nana, with Jake and his two cousins, Lindsay and Michael!  I was not allowed to go past security obviously, and Jake never looked back!  Wah Wah!!  He has called each night, but only to ask if he can stay longer!  

 Don't Jake and his Nana look alike??

We are so lucky that our kids have such wonderful grandparents who WANT to spend time with them.  I know that Jake and my mom would have been best buddies - he has a sweet soul - and I miss that for him, so I am so grateful that he has a special Nana who was so excited to have him with her for a week!

But I miss him!!!!!
And, after FOUR years, Sophie has a big girl bed.  Nana had a hand in this also!
Backstory:  When Lauren was born I did not fall in love with any baby bedding and you know with your first little girl you MUST fall in love with the baby bedding... Or at least I thought so at the time :)
So I asked my mom and Martha to make Lauren's bedding for her crib.  I knew it would mean so much more to me having come from them.  My mom and I shopped for special fabric that I LOVED and we sent most of it away to Martha - who has MAD sewing skills, like she could be a professional seamstress!  My mom kept some fabric to make a window covering and it was gorgeous!  Then, when I opened the box from Martha a few weeks before Lauren arrived, my mom and I gasped!  Unbelievably beautiful!  Crib bumper, quilt, crib skirt, and a cushion for Joey's childhood rocking chair! Lauren had these beautiful creations in her room for 8 years - she moved from a crib to a daybed and the bed skirt worked perfectly when cut in two.  Fast forward to the arrival of Sophie and I high-tailed it into the attic to bring out my special special bedding and window covering!!  So these pieces have been loved and used for twelve of the last 14 years!  But when it was time for Sophie to get out of the crib she loved so much I really wanted to still be able to enjoy the window treatment.  You really need to come over to see how beautiful this fabric is... so girly, but not babyish at all.


Alas, (good word for drama!) Sophie was going into an antique bed - about the size of a full - that was my great grandmother's and then my grandpa's and when my mom inherited it I slept in it through most of High School.  It's a little shorter than a full size and I am, well, a little shorter than some people.  I love this bed and had my neighbor paint it a beautiful white in his auto body shop with auto body paint!  Beautiful and way more perfect than me trying to freshen it up with another coat of spray paint.  So glossy and shiny and perfect!!  Oh my gosh!  So much backstory!!!


OK, back to the bedding...  In order for the bed skirt to work I needed about 30 more inches of fabric.  Fabric that is more than 14 years old and totally discontinued!  So, when Martha arrived in May for a visit we very reluctantly cut up the crib bumper that cushioned my sweet girls' heads for all those years.  No joke... I was teary-eyed.

 Sophie got in on the action...  sans clothing, of course.

 Isn't it beautiful?  It's kind of a linen so a little vintage feel, but not too much.

 Jake gave his opinion...

 Look at this big girl bed in all its glory!!  And there is Joey's rocker in the left corner... Lighting was a bit tricky in her room, but be assured it is Gorgeous!!

And here is THE bedskirt... and a big girl who chooses to take off all her clothes whenever she is home.  Isn't it beautiful?  The bedskirt, not the big girl :)  Sophie and Jake painted polka dots on that lamp to match her pink polka dot bedding.  

 The foot of the bed is beautiful!  As far as I can tell, I think this bed was made in the early 1900s.  I'm so glad Sophie has a chance to use it!  We knew Lauren would out grow it very quickly so she went straight into a normal sized bed :) 

Now, for the giveaway... You don't want to miss it!  It's a cute cute little somethin' somethin' from one of Lauren's favorite stores!  I fly to Texas tomorrow to pick up Jake so we will have our "famous- bloggers- do- it" giveaway on Thursday or Friday so check back!!  


**Update:  Just spoke to Jake.  He would like to stay for another year! I, of course, said No.  When I asked if he was looking forward to seeing me tomorrow he said, "Um, no."  The "Um" was his way of trying to be polite I'm sure.  He LOVES his cousins - it sounds like they are 3 peas in a pod so I'm sure I'll have some fun pictures and blog info for you when we get back...if I can drag him onto the plane!