Playing on One of Her Strengths

image: blaine.org

"I Have a Daughter who knows the art of spinning straw into gold" (Zelinsky 1996:9).

These are words taken from the book Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky--a definite favorite in our house. In the book, the miller is foolish. He tells the greedy king that his daughter has a gift that she does not possess. I am finding that, unlike the miller, I have a daughter who does posses this talent, and it's so fun to watch it develop.

image: remodelista.com

#3 lives in the room that we call "the cave." It is termed this, not because it's dark and damp and gloomy but because it has a bed built into the wall (If I can get my camera to work today, I'll take a picture of it for you, but it's somewhat similar to the one on the right). Whoever the cave dweller is, he/she ends up having his/her own bathroom--the one just off of the family room, but only because all of the other bedrooms in the house are upstairs.

Because of where it is situated, this is also the "public" restroom in our house. When someone visits and needs a restroom, that is where we direct them. Not a problem--until recently.

image: clusterdesign.blogspot.com

When we moved into this house, that bathroom was Pepto pink. It's a tiny room, so it was a bit overwhelming. Being a first time home owner, I was enthusiastic about redoing some things. This is where I started. Since that time, I've now redone that same room three times (the two others were out of necessity--water leak, etc.). To be honest, I've run out of ideas. Needless to say, my enthusiasm has waned.

#3's room is gorgeously clean and cared for. When I want to be inspired, it's her room I go to for an uplift. Really. So, a couple weeks ago, an idea occurred to me.

image: nothirst.com

When I put the budget envelopes together for the month, I always lay aside some home improvement money. Why not use that money to redo that bathroom? But, instead doing it myself, why not give it to the person who uses that bathroom the most? The one with the beautiful room.

I approached #3 with the idea and gave her a $75 budget. She was more than enthusiastic. She set the goal to have it done before #1 gets home for the holidays.

image: jenniferhess.scentsy.us

The project all started Thanksgiving morning and is progressing well. It all started with a candle holder that we found on clearance and has grown from there. We purchased one can of yellow paint, and she has used some green paint we had on hand. The room has white trim, so she will paint that today. She's using the valance that was already there but has taken it down to wash it. There are now new lightbulbs in place, and she has purchased new hand towels, a Scentsy warmer, and a new rug for the floor. The room has become cheerful.

A few years back, my dad gave me a picture that hung in his grandparents' home. The glass in it was broken. It ends up having the perfect colors in it for this bathroom. #3 also found some decorative shelf supports in the garage. They will go on the wall above the toilet. She just needs the "shelf" part. She has found all kinds of things around the house to put on the shelf.

image: wn.com

I love the way this girl thinks! More than that, though, I love the way this girl works! She comes home and gets her homework done as quickly as she can, so she can get into the bathroom to work her magic.

She is taking straw and turning it into gold right before our very eyes.