Demo Day in Tate's Kingdom....

This how the started.... and there it sat for a long time.

Auntie Kelly came all the way from Florida to spend time with all her family. I was so lucky that she was here to motivate me to start Tate's Kindgom.

What a go getter my sister is ... she just blows me away. Okay, she is 7 yrs younger, but man this woman can work. When she arrived for to help me with the kingdom, she said she just wanted to hit it (remodel) and hit it hard. She was not kidding me. She really motivated me and we tackle the Demo in Tate's Kingdom. Our day started at 10:30 and ended work at 5:50. Here is what we accomplished by hitting it hard and working!!! We ripped off the chair moulding and baseboards. Stripped out the carpet and hauled it to the curb. Washed the three wood blinds and washed down the walls and ceiling.....

Hard working hands even with the 14k gold on her wrist.

After a quick drink of Diet Coke, we were off and running to buy the paint from Benjamin Moore. I went with the eggshell-Summer Blue color. This 16 inch square sample patch has been taped on my wall for me to observe all the various hues it takes throughout the day. There is no way Tate's Kingdom would have any hue that was not perfect in every type of lighting.
Finally I am able to paint the first layer of BLUE. By the end of the day, I had to get to work with the computer desk set up in the middle of this room. Where the green is wainscotting will be in it's place in high gloss white.

We have one more coat of blue paint and more white trim paint. Where you see the green, we will put wainscoting 4 feet up from the floor. Then trim on top of the wainscoting and add the 8 inch baseboards. I live in a 100 yr old house and it is the style in the baseboards throughout the house. More painting, window treatments and carpet..... We had a lot more to do but we have accomplished so much in one day!
I am so filled with JOY.....I am sitting here in the Kingdom and I am loving the warm night hues and thinking of rocking Tate.

THE CRIB

One more step in Tate's Kingdom. The CRIBBEGE cometh!!! Summer 2005, I bought this Pottery Barns Kids set off of Ebay. I have been designing the color scheme around the colors found in the bedding. Also bought during the paperchase Summer was the white medal bed found at a yard sale for $15.00. I had orgininally hoped to get a new one in white wood, but really decided that I am more than happy with this one. I am hoping that Tate will be more of a toddler and that I will not need this for too long. I would rather spend my BUCKS on a darling single bed when she is older.
This picture is not the best at seeing the bed and the bedding, but the room faces South and is so sunny that I really cannot get a better shot until after the sun goes down. When the room is complete with the walls and paint like I want and the window trimmings done, I will post more professional looking pictures. I also have some sewing to do for a down comforter cover, and all the other treasures that will make the Kingdom complete.... only missing my Tate.


Mesa was so interested in the crib and bedding. She keeps sniffing it and licking the crib.... Hmmmmmmmmm, does she know what is in store for her in the future????
I put this crib together ALONE.... Just got excited in the moment and did not call friends or family for help..... the antics were just short of a Cirque du Soleil performance. For you woman with husbands... KISS THEM NOW and tell them how much you NEED and love them!!!

DRESSER AND CHANGING TABLE

Got this at a steal from a yard sale!!! Only $35.oo and it is solid wood!!!

Some serious sanding is needed for the top and a good coat of primer and then two layers of high gloss white paint and Tate will have a place to put all her royal clothes. On top I will place a changing pad. The height is perfect for me to stand and change her.

CABINET FOR THE KINGDOM

All this needs is a quick sanding and a layer or two of high gloss white paint...

Oh... and I need to get a drawer made since it flew off the truck while on the freeway bring this home. I am toying with painting the inside a different color since it will have a light on. The height of this is just hight enough to have a pile of Tate's collection of stuffed animals.

TATE'S COMFY CHAIR

Tate's kingdom is full of enchantment.... The forests are full of bears and hares.... Even a pink puppy from her secret pal!!! You will notice the Tate has two of the same bears.... This is not done in error.... I was advised by a friend and fellow adopter that I should have a back up bear so that when one bear is dirty, misplaced or worn out she will always have her friend. This bear is the bear I plan on either sending in her care package or giving to her when I first met her. I am hoping that by providing this bear she will become bonded but not too much that as a twelve year old still sleeps with it under her pillow..








Tate's Kingdom will have a throne... Not a hard regal one, but a soft comfy chair. This is one of the first items I bought for Tate. It is from Pottery Barn Kids and is called an ANYWHERE chair. It can be dragged all over Tate's outer boarders of her Kingdom but will clash with the interior decorating of the Queen mother... So it will spend most of it's time in the KINGDOM PROPER... The Queen has other ideas for a throne for Tate in outer parts of the boarders of her Kingdom.

COLOR

Love color!!! Bright and Bold color.... this is one of the things I liked about the nursery set that I picked. Tate's Kingdom faces sunny South out over the back yard. It is a small room with a large sunny window..... I really wanted to do a PERIWINKLE BLUE on the walls but periwinkle blue has such variances that I opted for another color. Benjamin Moore is a life saver if you want to experiment with color. You can purchase for $3.99 these 18 x 18 square paint samples or buy a small container and paint your own sample on the wall. I have experimented tons with colors for this project. I have taken the comforter and samples to others for opinions. I have taped each sample on the wall so I could see how the light played off of it during the moods of the sun throughout the day and artificial lighting at night. I have come up with these two choices.... and the winner is the darker color!!! I know that it seems real bold and bright for painting a small room, however there are still more plans for these walls..... Pending my limited budget and my willingness to work hard.

BEDDING

This is the bedding set that I picked for Tate's nursery. This a Pottery Barn Kid's set that I got off of E Bay last summer just as I was starting the paper chase. I love color... bright pink, periwinkle blue, lime green, mauve matched with high gloss crisp white.... This set has bumper pads like the comforter above, with a pink gingham dust ruffle. I plan on sewing a mauve or lime green second longer bottom layer dust ruffle to extend the coverage for unseen storage use since the room is so small.The set also has one floral and one pink gingham fitted sheet.

TATE'S KINGDOM

In the beginning there is a room.... not just an ordinary room but THE DESIGNATED SPECIAL ROOM that will become "THE NURSERY".... AND TATE'S KINGDOM. This room is in the beginning stages.... it is the office and guest room. Stage one will be to figure where to put all this junk.....