Our New Bedroom. . . .

We finally finished redoing our bedroom. I don't think we would have

been been able to accomplish this without Trey's help. He helped

George move the furniture and he removed the popcorn from the

ceiling, textured and painted it. He also did all of the high ladder

work such as removing and reinstalling the ceiling fan and the high

up painting.

Rhonda was my interior designer when it came to choosing colors

and the valance for the blind. To save money, we tried to use accent

pieces we had. We also decided to not replace the blind for the sliding

patio door. Since it was pink, I worried about that, but the colors

we chose and the valance Rhonda found, tied it together beautifully.

We used lamps we already had in our bedroom. George repainted

the design with colors to match the walls. You would think that I

chose colors to match the dolls, flower arrangement, and floral

picture. I didn't. I chose the colors I wanted and they just happened

to compliment my accent pieces. I was amazed and happy at how

they blended so perfectly with each other.

Years ago, Kathy painted each of Leo's sisters a floral picture

featuring our favorite colors. Over the years, her picture has hung

in several different homes we have had and it looks nicer on this

wall than any of the others.

Rhonda brought me the beautiful Furga doll from Italy years ago.

I had always admired my siter Theresa's Furga dolls and was

delighted when she brought her to me. She didn't know I had

always wanted a Furga lady doll. We kept Brinton while she

was in Italy. It was 1984. He was just a little guy, 15 months old.

The boy and girl C & R Dolls on the dresser, were a gift from

Theresa in the early 1980s. The flower arrangement was made

by Donna Sperry who is a dear friend and was Relief Society

President when George was Bishop of the Alpine Ward. She made

it for his office. The plaques are in recognition of the hours and

service I have rendered to the Phoenix Zoo since I became a

volunteer there in 1991.

The picture above the bed is a limited edition lithograph of a

painting done by Ruby, the Phoenix Zoo's painting elephant.

It is titled "Midnight". I have had it since just after Ruby died

and had never framed it to hang. This was the perfect time.

George hand tooled the leather picture of Ruby to hang by it.

It was done from a photo taken of Ruby just after she had

completed a painting. The raised trunk was always her

signal that the painting she was working on was finished.

Dick George was the Zoo's photographer at that time. He

wrote and illustrated a book about Ruby after her death.

So, our new bedroom is decorated with things that are near

and dear to my heart and make the room seem even more

special to me. I think it all blended together in a very

attractive way.