Playroom

One of my favorite rooms of the house to look at (when it's clean) is our playroom. When we were looking for houses in Katy, we really wanted a 'gameroom' like we knew there were a lot of in Texas houses. However, once we started looking, we weren't finding as many in the houses we liked best. I definitely wanted some kind of playroom, so we decided if we could find a house that had a "study" with doors, that would do. I didn't want an open room b/c I knew good & well that a lot of the time it wouldn't be neat, so I wanted the option to close it off.

Our house has just such a room. The people who lived here before had it set up as a very cute, shabby chic sitting room. It would make a great study as well. In our stage of life, it makes the most sense for it to be a playroom. I suppose Gracie spends the least amount of time actually playing in there because of her age, but Katie & Ellie still enjoy playing. I love this room. It's not Pottery Barn perfect, but I think it's cute, and it serves purpose.

One of the things I like about our playroom is seeing the girls' artwork on the wall. We have so much of this kind of thing, and I needed something on the walls, so I just started decorating with it. I think it kinda makes it look homey. The red toy box was made for me by my grandfather in 1976! He wrote on the back of it, and I don't plan to ever cover it up. This toy box has smashed many fingers during its life, been cleaned out many times, and has traveled all over the country....from GA to TX to SC to TX. It has been white, pink, yellow, & now red. Truthfully, it needs to be painted again! The white table in the middle of the room can barely be seen. It needs a couple of repairs (which will probably never be done!) but it is good for coloring, etc. The blue & white gingham couch was one of our first purchases when I got my 1st teaching job in 1996. We were living in Lubbock, TX, and I thought it was one of the most beautiful couches I'd ever seen! :) It is great in the playroom.

Ah...Little People! I love them! My kids play with my old Fisher Price toys at my parents' house, so I love that we're collecting our own. This just represents some of our Little People toys. There are some up in Ellie's room, too. Probably some in Katie's room, too.

I love the pink & white gingham curtains against the yellow walls. Katie actually has the same curtains in her room, and the yellow is the same as what is in our kitchen. I love it. My grandmother sewed the picture that is above the bookcase. I think it says, '1981.'

I think we have a lot of reading options in our playroom! Some may say we have too many books, and this only represents some of what's in the house, but it's so hard to give away books! The bookcase was purchased by my mom for me for $15 the summer before my Junior year at ACU. We got it at a garage sale, and it was kind of a tie dye from what I remember. It has been painted off white and white since. It started its life with me in a house I shared with 4 other girls at ACU and has followed us around Texas, over to South Carolina, and back to Texas again!

I love our kitchen! 'Santa' brought this kitchen to Gracie & Katie in 1995. It has been played with for many hours since. I think we all have toys we buy and we wonder why in the world we wasted the money on it, then we have those toys we buy that we feel were worth it. I feel that this toy was worth it. It is a well loved toy and one I feel we will always keep in anticipation of grandchildren.

The high chair in the corner next to the kitchen was given to us by Chris' grandparents...before we had children! LOL I think she was giving us a hint! It has been played with a lot, too! I think the wooden crib may have come from her at the same time ,too.

The framed picture here is one Gracie painted and we purchased as a fundraiser at her school in Aiken. The picture next to it is one my friend, Kym painted for me a long time ago. It is a ceiling tile!

I love my blue & white lamp! The plate is a handprint Gracie did one year...at school I think??? I love this picture of my 3 girls, too. When I found out Ellie was going to be a girl, one of my friends with 1 boy & 2 girls told me she loves her boy, but it does make it harder to decorate shared bathrooms, playrooms, etc. I can see that b/c I probably wouldn't have pink & white curtains or a pink & white shower curtain if one of our children was a boy! LOL

This green cabinet was given to us by a friend who was wanting to get rid of it. It is great for holding games, puzzles, and art supplies.

The doors can be closed when needed, hiding any mess! Eventually, I plan to put some curtains of some kind on them. Eventually....

Here is one of my precious girls who loves playing!

I know this room will eventually phase out of being a 'playroom' and will probably become more of a 'den' and maybe eventually a study of some sort. Right now, it is a perfect room for our girls to use to play!