Thursday, December 13, 2012

Our Bedroom








Our home isn't huge. The upstairs consists of Blanche's room, our one bathroom, and our bedroom. So, you've already seen half of the Love Shack tour really. It's funny because moving into this town home felt like we were moving into a huge space compared to the one bedroom, 667 square foot apartment we rented our first year of marriage. It is also funny that for us, having a child meant loosing a lot of the boundaries of who's room was who's. I know some families work way better when there are designated areas. I knew one married couple quite awhile ago that made their bedroom this sanctuary type place that only they went into. I mean, I guess our bedroom isn't the first place I invite a person, but for our family, its just another room. When I first became a mother people tried to give me their advice. One thing that someone told me was that it wasn't healthy for the baby to be in our bedroom for too long. That she really needed to have her own room. At first I really worried about this. But then, as most mothers do, you come to see what works for you. And for me, having my child lay next to me and nurse while I am completely passed out is so much better than waking up multiple times a night.

I am talking about all of this because our bedroom looked completely different before Blanche was born. We had a bed frame, two nightstands, each having our own lamp and bed side reading. We had our target bedding and matching pillows that I talked a bit about in this post. Now we have our bed on the floor so Blanche can scoot off rather than falling four feet. We have multiple colored afghans and quilts so no one "steals the covers." The reason that any of this even matters, is that Blanche has not only changed my life by being born, but she's changed everything. She's changed our bedroom. She has changed how we do things and why we do things.

Andrew said a lot of people don't put a mattress on the floor because it makes you look poor. It probably does. Yes, I would love a king size "floor bed" that is low to the ground and has fashionable storage shelves on the side. Do we have the money for that right now? Probably not. So for us, we are doing what works. And the funny thing is, I actually like it. It is so freeing to stop caring what every body else thinks. Its freeing to not have to do what every other American is doing. Or at least what you think they are doing. It is also fun to tackle problems that arise. Like, where do we store everything that was under the bed? Oh, lets use our vintage card table, and I'll go thrifting and find a beautiful table cloth to cover the containers of clothes we keep under it. And why we are at it, lets get rid of our nightstands that are just taking up room. Lets just put a lamp on that table. Its like I finally felt free to do whatever I wanted with the space we rent each month. I was worried about hanging heavy things over the bed since Blanche was always in it, so I just started putting up things I liked to look at. I just taped them on the wall. Now, for my artist friends, I know I'm not doing anything that cool or revolutionary, but for your average housewife, I'm sure I'm breaking some sort of rule just using tape and no frames. Basically, I'm the rule breaking interior designer. I challenge anyone to do this. Its totally what you make of it. I could look like some crazy college student decorating my dorm room, or I could be just like these hip instagraming designer moms that I've started to see simply "taping" things onto their walls. See, there is nothing new under the sun.

So, I guess my Love Shack tour is a lot about who I am as a person. Coming into my house is seeing who we are and what we do. We don't have a lot of space so I try and make every corner count. I have my sewing machine and all my crafts in the corner of the bedroom. Its not always ideal since Blanche is asleep in that bedroom a lot of the time, but it works. We also have a bookshelf that holds all the journals I've ever written in. Yes, all those journals are full of my words... I am going to write a memoir one day, really. You will also find things like a small rock and mineral collection (after discovering how cool they were when I went to a local show last year) and my essential oils and carrier oils that I use in all my homemade products. There is also years of family history taped on the wall. Pictures of my parents at their wedding, my father holding me moments after I was born, Blanche nursing as a newborn, my great grandmother Blanche, and my meme as a teenager. All in my room. In our room.

I've had an awful week. Maybe I'll write about it one day. But I have done a lot of resting in that room this week. I've nursed Blanche. I've taken a five hour nap. I've cried to Andrew while laying between him and our little sleeping daughter. That room is still a sanctuary of rest to me. I will always have memories of our family cuddling in that bed. Of Andrew and Blanche wrestling or reading a story in the big open space before bedtime. And to anyone who is worried that a marriage can't flourish with a baby who sleeps in your bed, maybe you just need to be more creative. I think that keeping any marriage alive and thriving with a small child calls for creativity. Andrew and I don't go on near as many dates as we may like, but that doesn't mean we can't be creative in how and when we spend our time together. The same goes for the bedroom, which really isn't anyone's business anyways, huh? Its funny how and where people think they should share their opinion. But thanks to this Love Shack tour, I'm not giving you the chance to share your opinion. I'm telling you like it is. This is the Nycum house. And this is how we do things.


2 comments:

  1. I love how your keeping all those special memories while creating new ones. It reminds me of my grandmother's bedroom (except for the bed on the floor which I love the reasoning for it). I have a few of the pictures she kept on her dresser on mine now, arranged just the same way. I love how seeing them brings her back to me in such a strong way even though she's been in heaven for 27yrs.

    I played lots of games on & around my bed with my baby/toddler/little boy, such precious, fun memories.

    I think you're doing just fine but as you said it really doesn't matter what I think.

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  2. I love it!!! Thanks for brightening my day!

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