Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The In-laws are coming ~

My in-laws are coming for a visit next week.  They have lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for
over 25 years, but recently moved to Atlanta, GA to be closer to my sister-in-law. 
Their anticipated visit has been a great excuse for me to freshen up the guest bedroom.

I recently posted about adding some 'blues' in my dining room, and now I've added them to the guest room too.  These shams and curtains were a birthday gift to myself from Pottery Barn.  I've never used blue in decorating, but I'm really starting to like it!


This bed belonged to my husband growing up and used to be brass, but I spray painted it black about 10 years ago.

The chest of drawers in here was one my brothers used in their bedroom growing up.  
It belonged to my dads family.  I have no idea how old it is, but it's pretty rickety.  

I've often thought about painting this piece, maybe a blue?  I've always had a hard time
painting old furniture that has been passed down to me from my parents.  It seems
a little wrong to change the authenticity. 

(With that said, I'm working on a piece that I've wanted to paint for over 20 yrs. I'll post about it soon.)

Look at the detail.  They don't make furniture like this anymore, do they?
 Most of the pictures/accessories in here have special meaning to me.  They are either
pieces that remind me of the MS Gulf Coast where I grew up, or things I inherited
from my dad when he passed away a couple of years ago.
The dog on the chest belonged to my dad.  He always liked dogs and we had several 
different ones growing up.  This piece has been around as long as I can remember.
This dog statue survived Hurricane Katrina, but my dads house didn't.  He had to re-build.
 This plate above the mirror is also something I kept from my dad.  It was a souvenir from 
Watoga State Park in West Virginia.  My dad was born in West Virginia and we 
vacationed at the State Park.

 The other pieces in the room are reminders of the Coast.  Two of the black and white photos 
were a gift from Ken Murphy, a photographer on the Coast.

These photos are my kids playing on the beach when we visited.
 And, lastly, the print on top is a drawing of Scenic Drive in Pass Christian, MS.  Much 
of this beautiful area has changed since the hurricane.  This was a gift from my in-laws 
years ago, and a real treasure.

This framed picture is one I took out of a book.  It's a magnolia, the MS state flower.
 We have a magnolia tree in our backyard.  I cut off one of the branches for in here.
Looking forward to our visit.  I hope they'll feel right at home!

I'm linking to the following parties:

9 comments:

  1. Such a pretty room I am sure they will be very comfortable. I hated seeing the devastation in Biloxi. So glad it is better there now.

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  2. Beautiful room. Looks so cozy. My hubby is from WV also. I love that dresser, that wood is beautiful. I seen a dresser the other day that someone had painted the sides and the edges black and left the drawers alone and it was beautiful. They still had the wood showing on the drawers and the rest was black. It really turned out beautifully.

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  3. I could move right in there and feel very comfortable and at home. I was born in West Virginia and lived there most of my life until we moved to the coast of NC six years ago.

    I know Watoga State Park quite well.

    I think it's touching that you still have the dog that survived Katrina. I know they are going to enjoy their lovely room.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  4. Nothing like company coming to motivate, huh?
    :-) Everything looks so lovely in that guest room and I know they will feel so welcomed. That pop of blue is just perfect!
    Vanessa

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  5. Looks very inviting. Love that you have so much history in the room.

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  6. Who wouldn't feel at home in that wonderful bedroom! I love that your home is infused with all your memories!

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  7. It's beautiful! Love the blue...and the dog statue is a true treasure! I love it!

    Have a great with with your family!

    Lou Cinda

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  8. The first things I noticed in the first photo were the pillow shams- what a pretty blue print. I always get real motivated when I know company is coming. LOL I think painting your chest of drawers would be lovely. Adding a little dark glazing would really add to the piece. Did you know you could preserve that magnolia branch? All you need to do is place it in some glycerin. The branch absorbs it and it will remain supple. No ugly dried leaves.... I did it with some leaves my BFF sent to me from Florida.
    :-) Sue

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  9. Lovely bedroom, and the photos by Ken murphy are a treasure. It is so sad what happened to our Mississippi, but hopefully one day it will be even better.

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