For the sweetest little two year old!
Teabella Fae came into our lives rather unexpectedly. I found out we were expecting our 4th child and the fear that overcame me was monumental. How would we take care of another child? Finances were not great and I was still mourning the loss of my mom, barely gone a year.
But when we learnt she was a girl and not another boy to add to the three we already have, all worries went out the window...we were ecstatic! I would have the girl I'd always dreamed of! Who cared about logistics!
Living in a small 3 bedroom house and introducing the sixth member of the family into their own space was tricky and did not happen immediately. Unlike with my boys, I no longer had a nursery and we had to make a space in the master bedroom for her cot. I put the compactum mattress on my chest of drawers and prettied up the space as best we could.
Packing up my mom's possessions after her passing was unpleasant and a very slow process; not only was I revisiting the history of her belongings and the moments they represented of her presence in my everyday life, but with them came treasures that were once my Ouma's (my mom's mom); and buckets of fond reminiscing! One such treasure, her bedroom quilt with matching curtains!
The bed was a very lucky find on Facebook marketplace, I decided to go for a double bed because it could be used for guests if ever required. On the occasions it has been used for guests I use the opportunity to put fresh flowers in the room and even lay a gift when I turn the bed down! The coronet I made myself and the lace which fits perfectly has followed from Bella's corner in our room to her very own room.
This little cupboard I also found on marketplace, it was chippy white and although I was happy with the look, I really wanted to try my hand at ombre! I had an order for a client which allowed the opportunity, so I painted this unit with hers, starting at the bottom with Fired Earth's Bastille Pink and the top with Chateau White, I mixed the two for the middle and blended the lot for an even gradient. Originally there were little wooden handles inserted with dowels which were a bit of a mission to take off (I took them off after painting, silly me) and I damaged the paint-job, which worked out in the end when I took the sander to the rest of the cupboard for that beaten up look. The petit crystal knobs add to the look, I think!
Here you can see the pretty pale Hydrangea pattern that features on the curtains and bedding.
The picture is one my mom and dad had had done at Gold Reef City's dress up booth on one of their anniversary stays.
Even though Bella never got to meet her Ouma, my mom, she knows her through photographs. When she is older I can tell her many stories of the memories I have of my mom. I do admit, we weren't always especially close, it was only in my 20's when we really connected; me being mostly a daddy's girl before. I treasure that time greatly!
This armchair once belonged to my dad's aunt, we called her Ouma Daisy. I remember her as being the sweetest, tiniest little thing! When she passed, we were fortunate to inherit the chair she had loved so much and I am over the moon to finally have it in my home. Before, it was in my mom's guestroom and then in my dad's flat after the house was sold. When decorating Bella's room I had to practically beg to get him to part with it; being such a sentimental piece.
But now it has a forever home with Bella and her belongings as a place to read bedtime stories and sometimes, just to snuggle. And Oupa can see it anytime!
The home-made Bunny is one of two teddies I've ever made! My mom was big into making bears and insisted on using only mohair! The boys each have theirs as well as me having my own and even hubby has his own! They all have names and are cherished! My mom made for each and every one of the grandchildren possible in her time on earth, so when Bella came along, I went through the patterns and scraps of fabric left behind and set out to make one for my daughter on behalf of my mom. There was not enough of the pink for ears, so I used scraps from my fabric basket and did bunny ears instead! My mom's signature; a little bell in each ear! I think she'd be proud...
The new 'old' print I bought at a Weschler's sale looks much better in Bella's room than it ever did in my lounge!
Dried flowers in a pretty glass bottle add a touch of whimsy I love so much! Every little girl should grow up believing in fairies!
On the bedpost are little porcelain ballet slippers that were mine as a child, for a short while I did ballet and my Ouma bought them for me. Even though they've chipped a little over the years with my numerous moves, they will forever be special!
The prints hanging together here were found in the house when we moved in. I could never bring myself to throwing them out and after many years of storage in the garage, I hauled them out and gave them space to just be.
They are super faded and not the best quality, but there's something about them that's just so sweet, and their colors are perfect in this space.
You may have noticed that I am ridiculously sentimental! Or as some would wonder; just plain mental! But I love old stuff and their tales and mysteries!
Thanks for taking the tour of the most pink I've ever allowed in my life! Not being a super girly girl myself growing up and after having only boys in my surround for what seems to be the longest time, when I learned that Teabella was coming, I decided right then and there that she would be a real girl! She has not disappointed! She loves her brothers and can play cars and loves being outdoors and helps daddy with all sorts of repairs, BUT she is such a little lady; a little mommy with her baby, a princess with a crown and long skirts, a dame who enjoys tea parties and a little cake decorator in the making with an appreciation for flowers!
I am so very blessed! We are so very blessed!
Romancing the home is a collaboration
of South African woman cultivating beauty in everyday life and sharing our journey with the goal of inspiring woman all around the world to do the same!
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Life's too short to sweat the small stuff, eat the cake, buy the flowers and laugh every chance you get!