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:

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage