So Worth the Wait.

Remember THIS??  My gossip bench makeover connected me with a new friend in Florida.  I love the way it turned out and I think the colors and pattern are amazing.  Now, after nearly a year, I finally have the opportunity to incorporate it into my decor.

I hadn't really made the decision to give this to my daughter when she came home one weekend and saw it.  Well, I knew then that it was no longer mine.  I stored it away for the time when we were once again in a house and not a two-bedroom apartment.  She came home last summer after spending a year away doing an internship, and I had no bedroom (bed or room) for her.  She was a real trooper, sleeping on the couch until we moved.  But, the move wasn't so smooth.  Instead of moving from the apartment into a house, we had a five-month "layover" at my mom's, and back to the couch she went.  Different couch, same quality of sleep.

Now I'm barely believing it, but we are officially moved into our new home.  It's a small and unassuming ranch, about half the size of the house my kids grew up in, but it's really cute!  (I Heart Cute!)  The decorating is coming along, but I have so much still to do.  One thing that we attacked right away was the sleeping conditions.  With new beds, mattresses and bedding, tonight is the first night that either of us has slept in our own beds in many months and they are awesome!

I spent most of today getting the bedrooms in order.  We are finally using the bench!  It was totally worth the wait.  Now we need dressers for the wardrobe that has expanded exponentially since last summer.  We were overflowing then and now we're nearly drowning in dresses, slacks, t-shirts and shoes, thanks to my niece's closet purges and my a-little-too-frequent trips to the thrift store.  Just last weekend I took a party bus with 20 or so of my thriftiest friends to visit two Goodwill stores.  I found clothing, furniture, home decor and...clothing.  With all of the closets full, we're looking for new (or better yet, old) dressers that can hold a LOT.  After that, it's on to the storage bins.  Right now though, it's on to my brand new bed with the gel-infused memory foam mattress.  It's designed to keep me cool. (Now that would constitute an improved quality of sleep.)

Night, y'all...