. . . Back to Bed
The Journey
They say the average person sleeps about 228,000 hours in their lifetime. I’m pretty sure I might just double that. As I think of the time wasted laying in either my own bed or a hospital bed, it can be hard to fathom.
When life is calling you, it doesn’t feel fair that your body is grounding you. One of the biggest things that people with chronic disorders face is the unpredictability that comes with their ailment. Through the years, I have had to be ok with cancelling plans at the last minute. I’ve grown accustom to attaching a warning message with my RSVP’s.
“Warning! May stop, delay, or alternate directions at any given time!”
It’s hard being someone that others can’t count on. It’s easy to feel guilty laying in bed instead of having fun with my kids. However, yesterday I was in bed with a cold/flu and Gabriel plopped down on the bed next to me. For hours we were able to do virtual school side by side. As I cherished this moment, I couldn’t help but think of other special experiences that resulted from bed confinement .
When Claire was a toddler, I was recovering from a botched gall bladder surgery. She would snuggle next to me and say, “Let’s watch a mooooviiee!” And . . . we would.
Oliver stayed by my side while I healed from 3 hip surgeries. We would lay on the bed and play Uno, Yatzee, and Dominos.
Hudson (my oldest) has always been a partner to me through recoveries and illness. He comes into my room to chat about his day and ask if I need anything before he goes to bed.
So, yes!, staying in bed is hard. I want to do more than what my body allows. But, these moments, like little nuggets of treasure, have been a true blessing.
Is there anything in your life that hasn’t gone as planned and yet you can still see the joy in it?
Inspired Designs
I’ve spent many years loving and taking comfort in this bedroom. The wide horizontal lines carried the eye around the room and played off the carpet tone. With neutral paint hues, I was also able to add a pop of color with my paintings. And, a hand-me-down chair filled out the corner nicely. However, the carpet was warn and needed replaced. This catapulted me into an update sooner than I had planned.
I was ready for something that was light and airy while still having personality. With many of our rooms getting new hardwood floors, there has been a shimmy dance with our furniture. The navy chairs that I liked in our living room previously were replaced with neutral alternatives. And, even though I wanted the flexibility that neutral furniture would give me in our living space, my heart is still fully devoted to my true love-Blue! So, the cute blue barrel chairs from Pier 1 (I still choke up a little thinking about them closing their doors) found a new home in our bedroom. Then, I added softness, color, and pattern with a reversible duvet cover and area rug.
Once I determined a color scheme and had some of the furniture choices in place, I picked a paint color for our ceiling. In the previous bedroom design, I painted an accent color on the soffit. But, for this design, I wanted to play up the height of the room. So, I chose to add the color to the inset.
Now, all I had to do was talk my super hunky husband and son into helping with the coffered detail. They reluctantly agreed.
As I watched and instructed them, I couldn’t help but see a historic moment happening right in front of me- “The Creation of Adam”! Handing the drill and wood from father to son and vice versa, was a beautiful sight (even if they didn’t think so).
The white walls were begging for some artwork. However, I’ve always had a hard time buying it. I love artwork and would purchase it, but . . . I am always pushing myself to take on a new challenge. Learning a new art method is just too fun for me to pass up. So, with some encouragement from a friend, I bought and tried my first watercolor travel set. And, let me tell you, I’m hooked! With my medium chosen, I made botanicals and whimsical line-art self-portraits of Tom and I.
Flexibility in furnishings has always been a must for me. I’m constantly wanting to switch and update the look of a space. So, these side-lamps have been perfect. However, now that the walls were white, I wanted something a little more eye-catching. I looked into new shades but they cost about the same as a new lamp. Naturally, fabric seemed to be the solution to update them with low cost. I loosely placed various fabric over the shade to see which one I liked best. The lace was nice and delicate but got lost against the wall. In the end, a railroad striped pattern was chosen. It added a bold color while still looking classic. Some cutting and glue gun magic made the change quick and easy. Then, I switched out the seashells inside the lamp for a more dreamy filler-Feathers!
Next, I added some personalization through monogrammed pillows. Buying a pillow like this would have been pretty costly. So, I found a company that made monogramed fabric coasters. I bought a set of 4 and attached one to a white linen pillow cover. To finish off my bedroom project list, I added some dainty trim to the edge of the curtains. It was a very subtle way to carry the color to the window area.
I hope that you are inspired to make a space reflect who you are and what you love. What room would you love to update?
Sara
Joy Finder, God Lover, Family Prioritizer, Story Teller, Illness Fighter, Maker, Creative Thinker, Designer, Plant Lover
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