Project Big Girl Room

I feel like it's going to be very busy around the Israel house for the next several months... We've got to get Caroline's big girl room done and her moved into that so we can start on the nursery! My due date is less than 6 months away. Caroline decided to come almost 3 weeks early. I'm trying to be conservative in my planning so I've got about 5 months to get things done around here. Throw in Thanksgiving and Christmas (and all that shopping) and that cuts down on my time (and money!) to devote to getting bedrooms done. Yikes.

I figured that we should start Project Big Girl Room. To me, this is going to be the harder of the two bedrooms to do. Baby girl rooms are easier. Pick some pink paint, toile or damask fabric, add a chandelier and voila! You have a beautiful nursery. Or you could go the ready made room route - Pottery Barn Kids, Serena and Lily, etc. Not that either of those options aren't fantastic (that's what we did for Caroline and are still so in love with her room) - it's just that they are for babies. You design a room before you ever meet your child. Their personality and preferences aren't taken into consideration because they aren't here to be considered. Toddler rooms are much harder. I want a room that reflects her personality, a room that is hers and not just what I think is pretty. Her room has be sweet and girly (like her) but fun and functional (since it will be a place for her to play and store her things) and the big one...versatile (since it's also the room that out of town guests will stay in). I know I've got to get moving or it will never be done in time!

I have found bedding that I really, really like. I haven't ordered it yet because I'm not sure that I love it. I wanted to do something white and then have the color in the curtains, pillows, and a painted piece of furniture. I looked high and low and finally found some white ruched bedding for a very good price. It's vintage looking and very girly. Before I bought it, I thought I would look a few more places. I found some beautiful bedding at Restoration Hardware and Serena and Lily that I really, really like as well. They are certainly more expensive! Now I'm stuck! Which option do I choose - white bedding with color and pattern in other elements of the room or patterned bedding with white/solid color accents elsewhere in the room?

I found a chandelier that I love. That will also add some girly-ness to the room. I was thinking about going with grey walls. They are "in" for nurserys/kids rooms these days and you can put lots of other colors with it. I could do grey and pink, grey and yellow, etc. Grey is a more versatile color so guests wouldn't feel like they are sleeping in a doll house.

Decisions, decisions... If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, feel free to pass them along. I think we're going to bite the bullet and pick out paint this week and possibly paint the room next weekend!! Hopefully it will turn out well and I won't change my mind 8 thousand times!