Sob!!
Okay, trying not to cry here. Y'all may have to hold me together in August. For now, I'll enjoy the excitement of shopping for her dorm room.
We found a beautiful duvet set at Target, part of their Simply Shabby Chic line. It's white and lacy. This photo doesn't show detail. But you can see it by clicking here.
She plans to decorate with colorful pillows. We found this beautiful soft pink square one.
And a round white lace pillow--that's actually called a Petticoat pillow. :)
Now she's deciding on another accent color--choosing between yellow and aqua. Haven't found just the perfect one yet (the Target website lists over 1300 decorative pillows!!). Besides, she needs to pick out sheets first.
Here's a quick shot (sorry it's a little dark) of the items we have so far. At least you can see how gorgeous the pink is.
We also looked at prom shoes…a GAZILLION pairs of prom shoes. But she ended up deciding she liked her homecoming shoes (that she wore this year AND last year--yes!) better and will wear them again. Nice for saving money--but I had told her to do that before we spent all the time shopping! LOL (I couldn't get a photo to download, but if you'd like to see her princess shoes, click here.)
The last stop we made to look for pillows was at Kirkland's. She loves that place. I found some really fun items and snapped some photos to share…
I really wanted to buy Sweet as a Peach. I may yet go back and do so. :)
All fun for the Belle. :)
I also loved this…
And we bought this! This is the closest I'm getting to cooking today. :) It smells amazing.
And here's one last item we spotted as we were checking out. We had to have it.
This is her most important room accessory. Yes, I made sure she'll think of me every morning when she has her coffee. :)
Any tips for dealing with empty nest syndrome?
www.missytippens.com
Ohhh, I feel your pain. I was just discussing this with Sandra the other day, I've got two leaving in the fall, and even though we put it off a year, I still think they're just so, so young. Bu maybe it's better they're going together? It will just be so different without my girls, even though they're not going clear across the US.
ReplyDeleteI can hardly think about it. Even though I left for France at (a few weeks before) 15, and then graduated college at 20, I look at them and think, "they are just babies!!"
But they keep reminding me I was their age, didn't have cell phones or e-mail or the internet, and everything worked out fine.
Let me know if you figure out sure-fire cures because at this point, I'm ready to send hubby along to keep them safe!
Virginia, they are babies!! LOL Of course, I still look at my 25 year old and think he's my baby, so I guess there's no hope for that feeling going away.
DeleteAre your two going to college early? Or is it boarding school?
Be prepared. I think the first one(s) can be a total shock to your system. I bawled half the night before he left (went to college 6 hours away). Then the following week, when I didn't have to buy the large size lasagna anymore, I broke down in the grocery store. Boo hooing in the frozen food aisle.
I will say I did a little better with the next child. I was more prepared, plus he's only an hour from home so we can see him easily. Still, it was tough. I cried after we left him there. I cry each time he goes back for a new semester.
It's hopeless. LOL Just be prepared. :)
I'm laughing at the cuteness of all this because you guys have turned dorm-stuff into art form, bless your hearts! :)
ReplyDeleteI cried each time I dropped a kid off at college, and I'm about as far from being a helicopter (hovering) parent as you can get. In fact, I'm sure my brood would have liked a little more TLC over the years, but they got me, instead!
And COOKIES!!!! So that part was good!
Missy, it's hard, isn't it? But at the same time, it's good because today's kids grow up a whole lot slower than kids did even 50/60 years ago. Pre-WW2 kids had to work early, hard and long, so parents gave the little robins out-of-the-nest nudges earlier out of necessity, and gosh, they did all right for the most part!
Virginia, aren't the girls like 14 and 15? And will they be living away? Because yes, at those ages, that's a huge step, but good for you!
I think a convent is a PERFECT PLACE at 14 and 15, or anywhere up to 18.
And even then.
:)
Ruthy, I can't see you crying leaving your kids! Oh, no! You're the one I depend on to remain strong for me!!
Delete;)
Dave would just shake his head, because 18 year old boys can be brats sometimes... and I'd be thinking of my little baby boys, all the fun, crazy, naughty things boys do, the ways they make me laugh... I'm a sap, I'm just a bossy, tough sap!
DeleteFunny college story: Sarah worked her way through college. Brilliant, hard-working, crazy-focused like from birth. Junior year/finals I get a call from the restaurant manager: Sarah didn't show up for work. Sarah has never missed a day of work in her life, so this is news. He called her. No answer. So he called me.
ReplyDeleteI sent out the family alarm instantly, and drove to her dorm, because two weeks before she'd mentioned a guy who gave her the creeps. Being a mother and a writer, I instantly put Sarah-not-working + Stalker-guy = Evening News.
She'd pulled two all-nighters and fell asleep. She met me as I was hurrying into her apartment, all apologies... but she said "When Rocco told me he called you and you seemed calm, I said, "Of course she did, because she was mentally already putting a plan of action into place. I guarantee that at least five people were out looking for me."
She was right. :)
And I felt like a horrible mother because I hadn't taken the stalker guy SERIOUSLY enough to put armed guards around my beautiful daughter.
Ruthy, we had a similar panic moment when my husband went to pick middle son up to go to an Atlanta Falcons game. He wasn't outside for the pick up, and didn't answer his phone. His roommate didn't answer his phone either. Hubby couldn't get inside dorm since it was locked. A campus cop saw him and approached. When hubby explained he was worried, the cop took him inside. They had to knock a while to get any answer. Both boys had been sleeping like rocks and hadn't heard the phones or knocking. :)
DeleteNo normal boy can sleep through the pick up for a FALCONS game! Shame on you, Tippens child! :) Why do we jump to worst case scenario???? We're such girls!
DeleteWe're mothers. Jumping to the worst case scenario is our job. :)
DeleteHe even had his dad worried that time! Freshman year, first month of school. :)
DeleteDon't look to me for help. I'm a basket case when it comes to the empty nest.
ReplyDeleteI can't even listen to songs about children growing up. I turn off "Butterfly Kisses" every time it comes on, and I haven't heard "Watercolor Ponies" since I spent an afternoon in the boys' room bawling after it came on the radio...and the boys were only 4 and 5 at the time!
On the other hand, I'm a lot like Ruthy - once they're grown and gone, they're on their own. I've only talked to my temporarily out of town boy a couple times since he left in January. He's having too much fun, and nobody wants their mother moving in on their fun, right?
Jan, it sounds like you're handling it well! I'll take my lessons from you. :)
DeleteYes, to all of this! I was never a hovering parent growing up, but there are so many hopes and dreams wrapped up in our children, that these milestones are huge... maybe more to moms than dads, but I'm okay with that. Moms think of every trip to the E.R., every school pageant, every sacrament, the broken hearts, the big steps forward. Men are more worried about "when's lunch?"
DeleteDo not under any circumstances listen to country girls growing up and leaving home. I was a bawling mess on I-40 and she was just going to Raleigh.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd had that mug to give my daughter.
And is the candle to sooth you or for her dorm. We've had too many tragic college fires here in the area caused by candles let unattended. Not that you need something else to worry about.
Julie, it's for the kitchen here at the house. She asked if I thought she could have her candles in the dorm. I told her no way! I have a feeling they're not allowed. I assured her we'd buy her some gel scents. :)
DeleteMissy, I can so relate to your sending your daughter off to college. My oldest went to college in Boston late last summer and it was a tough transition. We've always been very close so the separation was acute. I sobbed in the car as we drove away from her campus. It truly felt like the first day of nursery school when I left her at school. Like you, we enjoyed ourselves finding all kinds of cool items for her dorm room. Hmmm....my daughter is quite the spender so she left no stone unturned in finding items and spending our money. LOL. On Monday we'll be driving to Boston to pick her up. The year went by quickly and she'll be home for four months. Then I get to say goodbye all over again. Sigh. But...we raise them up so they can soar. And I have a twelve year old at home who is at that lovely, moody middle school age. You'll get through your empty nest just fine. Before you know it she'll be home for Christmas and summer break.
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing, because when the boys came home to visit??? I had all these mom things in my head... family dinners, fave foods, oh, the joy!!!
DeleteThey, um... actually came home to visit their FRIENDS, the stinkin' brats, and brought laundry! I snuck/sneaked a little time in, but it was a funny wake-up call!
Belle, Luke did his graduate degrees at Northeastern in Boston, then worked for Price Waterhouse before his brother convinced him to come to Manhattan. What a beautiful city in so many ways... Good for her!!!