You should never go to the grocery store hungry, nor should you browse online for custom, overpriced baby furniture when you are pregnant, nesting, and swelling at the ankles. But I did, and it was then that I found this armoire. I was all aglow in its storybook charm . . . until I read the price tag. Apparently said charm costs as much as a small commuter vehicle.
But I
had to have it. I was in the thick of a Beatrix Potter obsession and my baby was ready to make an appearance. So, I either had to sell a kidney or cash in my 401K to make it happen. In a rare moment of level-headedness, I went with option C---spending hours in the classifieds, praying that someone would be selling a $4500 Peter Rabbit armoire for $7. It didn't quite happen that way, but it was close. I found a beautiful French country cabinet for $50 dollars. It was dark brown and smelled a bit like my great-aunt Marie, but it had massive potential. My husband hauled it home and we went to it with Lysol, Febreeze, paint and glaze. It was closer to what I wanted, but it still needed some Beatrix Potter whimsy. And that is when I called in my mom.
Ah, Mom. She is the female, heterosexual counterpart to Leonardo da Vinci. She is the truest "Renaissance woman" I know: she sings, she dances, she writes, she cooks, and she speaks with coyotes. She also happens to be an artist. A free artist. And that is why, as I left my home at 5:30 AM for a C-section, I handed her my Beatrix Potter Collection and asked her to pick her favorite animals and paint them on the armoire (oh, and to feed and clothe my other children in my absence if ever the need should arise).
I came home three days later with our little Henry and found that my mother had "Beatrixed" his armoire with vignettes of Tom Kitten, Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and Mrs. Tittlemouse. I don't think any baby was ever a luckier boy. (I hope he still feels this way when he is 15 and has the same armoire because I'm not changing it.)
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I forget how truly magical this armoire is. Thanks for sharing. Someday my child will too have a finished nursery. Someday.
ReplyDeleteThhis is simply gorgeous!! Great job you did with the painting and your mom with painting the characters! When my daughter (now 14! eek!)was born, I also wanted Beatrix Potter as the room theme. Of course, in the shoops, there was nothing - typical- I chose soemthing not fashionable at the time. Eventually I MADE everything too. I had a Bernina embroidery machine and found a gorgeous BP design card for it, so all the soft furnishings were embroidered with BP characters. Later I found some wall sticker art in BP - so I used those too. (Sorry for the essay- but BP is close to my heart!) Vxx
ReplyDeleteI found your blog via The Nester and her book list linky party. I have enjoyed looking at various other posts you have and *love* your sense of humor. This armoire is GORGEOUS and your son will thank you some day for never changing it (or at least his wife will) when they use it for *their* baby! :) Your mother did a fabulous job.
ReplyDeletep.s. favorite quote from your blog......saying that you had tried to convince your husband to propose to you again with trousers and side swiped hair while standing on a bridge and talking about marble halls and sunsets. hahaha! LOVE Anne of Green Gables!
so pretty...love Beatrix Potter...
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