A NOT-SO Extreme Makeover...!!!

There used to be a time when Elena dominated the posts here.... but lately I notice it is Alex who predominantly features... However we'd better not  forget our first-born so this post is all about Darrelle!!!

By now we are all back in the swing with regard to the new school year and for Darrelle it will be a busy year as it is Junior Cert Year and so she is planning at any rate to stay focussed and organised and on top of things....In our noisy house this means that she needed a place to study away 'far from the madding crowd'!!!

Last year she wanted to put a desk in her room to study and I was against the idea, much to her annoyance....I thought why add a pile of books to the pile of clothes that increases and decreases depending on the day that's in it....!!!  I am not the tidiest person in the world but I am trying to bully, badger, insist, encourage them to keep their bedrooms tidy and clutter-free so that going to bed at night is a pleasant experience!!! Off course that means that I must lead by example!! :))

We have lots of room so she did not need to make a study out of her bedroom and I stuck to my guns... Last year it meant that the kitchen table seemed to be forever cluttered with books and copies in the evening... she said she hated the room... 'Please get rid of the couch, the table, etc.'..

So, a couple of weeks ago when we were sadly saying 'Au Revoir' to Michelle, (sister-in-law) and Aidan, Ciarán, Moya and Grace, the small cousins I and Mam decided to drive them to Dublin Airport, enroute back to Boston.... and  I inveigled her to come visit IKEA with me.... I needed to get shelves for Darrelle' s 'study'..... Poor Mam!  she got more than she bargained for, although she managed to fill a trolley for herself:) but 3 hours later we were laden down and she declared herself too tired to visit Aunt Mary, as was our original plan as she would neither have the energy to talk or even to listen!!

Instead we packed the car and pulled in for a really nice meal en route home....We had a lovely day out...Mam, hope I didn't totally tire you out and that'll you'll come again.....

So the whole point of this story is that we , courtesy of IKEA....and with the help of a drill, a screwdriver and a handyman

made a few changes to the room and....

Voila.... 

... New shelving....lamp..and file holders...

...the old couch now covered and brightened up with some red cushions...and a red snake....

Some photo frames just waiting for some photos.....

Ignore the old table..... it came with us when we moved house so although it doesn't look great it does the job and we may be able to revamp it and the chairs some way or another....And so we just added andother desk lamp and hung a few notice boards and a strong hook to hold her bag....

And her reaction....????

'OMG... I love it...'

So,,, even though it is no major job she is soo thrilled with it... a room she detested last year... It is worth the dent she made in my MBNA card...

and...

..it won't be my fault if she does not do well in her Junior Cert next June....

Michelle... thanks for the opportunity to have a day away and a chance to visit IKEA.....