Sock Monkeys or Birds and Trees?

So you've got a place you call home and you're having a life-changing event. Maybe you are going to have a baby or your mother-in-law is moving in. Either way, it's time to get a space ready for your new occupant. It's time to decorate - or redecorate! So how do you do it, when you don't know what he or he will like? You pick things YOU like, of course!

When we found out three years ago we were expecting a boy, per my direction, my Mom graciously painted our then guest room a warm butter yellow and a family friend painted adorable animals on the wall. Dylan's crib bedding was sock monkey-themed. My husband lovingly refinished and custom painted my childhood dresser, so we'd have a reddish-brown changing table (similar to the pricey one I saw in a catalog). Now, Dylan's favorite colors are pink and purple, and he LOVES cars. He wouldn't play with a stuffed animal if his life depended on it. We've since modified his room to accommodate his "big boy" taste, but the walls are the same.

Almost a year ago, when we discovered we were having a girl, my Mom and I painted our then music room a crisp light green. And then we painted trees on the wall - even Dylan helped! Arley Rae's room is filled with hues of green, yellow and blue, and has a calming, nature-esque theme. And this time, my Mom refinished and painted that changing table - it's now yellow with bright flowers. As Arley gets older, who knows what she'll gravitate toward... Right now, she's partial to anything shiny!

How did you decorate a space for a new resident? I'd love to see pictures, too!

Mandy Forbus is a Sr. Marketing Specialist at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst Euless Bedford and mother of two.