A Corral for the Cowboys

Yes, the little buckaroos are six months old & I am just now getting around to posting about their "corral"! They moved in mid-May but we didn't finish decorating until August. It is finally done & we have enjoyed the room with Texas roots so much so that we talk with an accent every time we walk in ; ) Just kiddin' ya'll!

My pregnancy with the twins was SO different than with either of our girls.  We loved preparing for Charlotte's arrival & completed the nursery long before her arrival.  When Eloise was on the way, we made the necessary changes to accommodate two little ladies in one room....also a sweet experience yet it was completed a little closer to the due date.  This time around, due to my extremely large belly & constant contracting plus the addition of the best roomie anyone could ask for (my mom), there was not actually a room for the babies that we could prepare. At first I was a tad disappointed since the preparation had been such a special time for us in the past.  With all the ups & downs we experienced it seemed we were constantly wondering what the outcome would be & whether or not we would be bringing two healthy baby boys into our home.  As weeks continued to pass I became really thankful for the opportunity to wait to prepare a place for Owen & Anson as I waited for them to be in arms. My focus was different as we struggled through trusting God as we asked him to sustain the life & growth of our sons.  Instead of a room, my mom graciously offered the corner between the dresser & nightstand to stack about three big bins plus a box or two full of clothing, decorations, diapers & all sorts of other things for the boys. Every now & then we would open it up & sort through the items then repack them in a more organized fashion. 

The exciting part came when the boys were born, moved into the NICU at Winnie & started growing well. Nearly three weeks passed & we got word that it looked like they may be headed home within the following week so on Easter Sunday we rearranged the extra space in our room to accommodate a crib, dresser, glider & ottoman. It was probably WAY too much work for a woman post cesarean...I do remember Rob & my mom reminding me to take it easy more than a handful of times ; ) I was just so excited! Good thing we got a move on that afternoon because the following day we found out that the boys would be discharged TOGETHER within 24 hours! It was really special to get their space prepared knowing that they would be using it so quickly. 

We were all roommates until mid-May when the symphony of coos/screams was too much for tired parents to listen to all night long.  Rob & I got to work taking apart the guest room & putting together a room for the buckaroos. He did the muscle work & I made it cute...we are a good team. 

Without further adieu, the corral....

We were working with a fairly small sized room, only about 10x11 so finding non bulky furniture was high on the priority list. We were also on a smallish budget. We had a lovely crib that both of the girls used but it was huge, a bit feminine plus we needed two anyway.  We decided to sell the furniture from the girly room & start fresh for the boys. I found the Ikea Sundvik crib online & thought the color went well with the western theme we chose. Best part- they are only $120! Actually, the best part was that I found one on Craigslist for $40! 

After contacting the seller, she wrote me back to make sure I knew that it was so cheap because she had removed the side & did not have the hardware to reattach it.  Ikea rocks & mailed me an entire new set of hardware at no cost so I let her know we would take it. We stopped by her apartment wondering who we would find....Craigslist can be a little scary sometimes ; ) She was in her early twenties & cute as can be.  It was funny though when we got there she was hauling that thing out of the elevator all by herself having decided she wasn't too sure of us either & didn't want us in her apartment. We paid her & loaded it into the trusty old Texas truck. I had to ask her what she had a crib for since she mentioned her roommate & sported her professional work clothes.  She said "we were shopping for a daybed but they were just so expensive we decided to get this instead."  I said "Oh, okay." Twenty minutes down the road Robby said out of nowhere, "okay, I know she was small but a crib for a daybed? What?" Hahahaha! We laughed hard but were thankful that it didn't work out well for their new apartment & they had to sell it to us instead ; ) So, we got both cribs for $180 & are quite happy with the size, look & durability thus far. 

The dresser is also from Ikea & is in the Hemnes collection. I came across some drawer pulls at Hobby Lobby on discount for $2 each....what a steal! 

My most favorite project for the boys room was completed long before their arrival.  I came across a mobile for purchase on Etsy that if I remember correctly was around $90.  It was adorable but I could never bring myself to pay for one let alone two! My mom took one look at it & said "we can make that!" She has been known to say that about most anything ; ) So, the two of us took a trip to Michaels & picked up all the supplies to make both for $12! $180 or $12?! Robby was in charge of crafting the wooden pieces at the top which were wooden dowels attached to a 2x2 inch block with a hook on top & bottom. I drew out our patterns for the western themed items & we stuffed  & hand stitched each piece together then hung with a clear thread.  The results.... 

A closer look at the horsey, my favorite of the pieces.....

Another piece I made myself after deciding I was up for a Photoshop challenge...

I printed them for $2 each at Kinkos on a glossy cardstock. I painted the edges of an 11x14 canvas then mod podged the print onto it. Total cost for these: $8. The only part that could be improved is if it said Texas instead of Florida ; ) 

The one thing I had no budget for was the fabric. Well maybe I had a budget but it went out the window.  I saw it, I loved it & I didn't care that it was overpriced...and neither did my mom. I think she chipped in on it plus she didn't charge us for labor! That talented seamstress whipped up curtains & bed skirts while we were up visiting the boys in the NICU one evening.  The rodeo print fabric had been discontinued in the other two colors & this one was a stinker to find! We made lots of phone calls & ended up ordering it from a small quilt shop in New Mexico. I loved this fabric more than any others because it didn't seem babyish at all. I wanted something that could grow with them & that was it!  The tan gingham print was from a different line of fabric but paired nicely. 

Due to the fabric shortage, the bed skirts are three separate pieces (per bed) pieced together with a gingham print pleat every 14 inches or so & then stapled onto the wooden piece that holds the mattress up. You can't actually see the pleats right now but once we drop the mattress to the lowest level it will look pretty darn cute & coordinated with the curtains.  The afghan on the back of the chair was made by our friend Christa & is just perfect for snuggling with while nursing babes or reading.  The Texas flag pillow was mailed to Robby when he lived in Australia & has been away for years until we decided to do a western room. 

Another project... although this time someone else put in the work!  I had wanted deep shelves mounted on brackets & hadn't seen anything I wanted to pay for so I convinced Rob to spend a few hours cutting boards to my requested length & routing the edges.  We talked about staining them then decided to paint them navy instead which I am really happy with.  We are from Texas, we like guns & think the boys should too so we added a little Smith & Wesson decor ; ) Owen & Anson also ended up with a couple pairs of boots, each which are on display. 

Another Hobby Lobby deal for $3 each on clearance + $18 for boards & paint...

Robby had this little cowboy in his room growing up. It has been in our garage for almost 9 years & now sits happily between two pairs of boots. He is so cute!

Three years ago for Christmas, Robby's Grandma Virginia sent us an assortment of BBQ sauce from Rudy's BBQ, a place we enjoyed in Lubbock where we attended college.  It came in this cute little Texas shaped basket.  It sat on top of our refrigerator for almost four years until I discovered it a couple months ago. I was SO excited! I spray painted it red then cut letters out of vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo & voila! 

The lyrics to the song Deep in the Heart of Texas were an easy pick.  We sing it constantly around here to the boys & they light up. For any of you who are not familiar, this song is written by Gene Autry & is known by most who live in the Lone Star State. Growing up, I remember singing it during the seventh inning stretch of any Houston Astros game or at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. 

Here are the lyrics...

The stars at night, are big & bright

Deep in the heart of Texas

The prairie skies, are wide & high

Deep in the heart of Texas.

The sage in bloom is like perfume

Deep in the heart of Texas

Reminds me of the one I love

Deep in the heart of Texas. 

The girls sing it to the boys constantly...like even when they are screaming bloody murder & probably don't want to hear it ; ) The best part is that Char really gets her country accent on when she says "Texas" & then she refers to the "prairie skies" as "fairy skies." Ha! 

I must include a funny story about Elo as well.  I had come across a stick horse at a resale shop & bought it awhile back. Eloise just loves horses & spent a bit of time riding that one around the house doing her cloppety clop sounds. One afternoon as she was riding the Valentine range, I heard her screaming "The horsey bit me! The horsey bit me!" I couldn't help but snicker a little bit as I went over to investigate.  Sure enough her finger was bright red & for a second I thought Toy Story might not be make believe ; ) Turns out, the stick inside the fabric snapped in half which is not surprising since she rode it more like a bucking bronco than a horse.  As I assessed the horses "neck" it bit me too! No wonder she was crying! She was devastated that her horse riding days were over as we carried him out to the garbage. Maybe we can replace him someday. For now, she can ride the broom which is probably more useful around this dirty house anyway when turned in the proper broom riding position. 

Anyway, back to the things that live on the shelf.  Thanks to grandparents & a friend of my mom, the boys have the beginnings of a country boys' library.  We have read all of them multiple times & the favorite by far is the one that sits atop the pile...

Which is precisely why I chose to frame some of the pages..

And last but not least, the picture below is of a gift I received at the baby shower for me & the buckaroos in January.  It has five scriptures listed that were prayed aloud over me & my gigantic pregnant belly full of two growing boys.  I love the reminder it offers daily of the blessing of the Lord himself who reigns over all of life, who formed & fashioned those precious babes in the womb, who brought them into our family & who will continue to provide beyond what we can ever imagine.

Our friends, the Johnsons were in town a couple months ago & walked into the cowboy corral.  Michael immediately said "Wow, this is really Texan." Haha! You may ask, do we miss Texas? "Of course we do! Can't you tell!" Are you homeschooling only because you will have the authority to teach Texas History to your children? "Yes, yes, that is the only reason ; )" 

The little buckaroos so far have voiced no complaint regarding their corral & plan to reside in the Texas Oasis in Central Florida for as long as the Lord sees fit.