Guests - Be Prepared to Be Surrounded by Pink

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MY PERSONAL BLOG ON 4/3/09

Adding check marks to my list feels so good. I added two check marks to my still-long-list-of-many this week, but one of them is a big one.

First, a small but critical check: I had to send in some consulate paperwork to our agency this week and had to fill in Da Xin's new American name. Drumroll please......................... it is officially Kara Da Xin. It's so funny that we really wanted to call her Kara initially, but then decided to let her choose whether she wanted to keep her name the same or change to a new, American name. Since that time, we have been referring to her only as Da Xin and I have come to love that name so much. (Pronounced Da Sheen.) The challenge will be that most people will have a difficult time pronouncing it, but I truly love it and would be perfectly happy if that is what she chooses to keep. But legally, she will become Kara Da Xin. My husband has used his middle name all his life and it really hasn't caused any problems for him.

So, here is the big checkmark I got off my list this week:

The guest bedroom before...

Kara Da Xin's new bedroom...

I really debated on the pink, considering she will be 11-years old by the time she comes home. But, I put a lot of thought into making sure the room was still young, yet something she could grow into.

NO making fun of my pics, please. The ones of me were taken late at night, plus I am in desperate need of a hair cut! I cheated on some of the detailed work and used acrylic paint markers. I just love them! The flowers by the door don't look like much, but that is truly what the flowers look like on the comforter.

The butterflies have significance. In the referral paperwork, it said that when Da Xin was younger, she loved to sing and dance. She gave lots of performances representing the SWI.

"Every time in the dancing class, she does well. She can dance harmoniously and nicely, just like a flying butterfly."

Because of this line in the referral paperwork, I have known since day one that I wanted to have butterflies in her room.

These are pictures I took at our local CNY party. I didn't want the bright colors to distract from the room, so I tinted them red. And the three pictures below are my first attempt at writing Chinese characters. I sure hope that Love, Family & Blessings is really what I wrote. LOL

Since we kept the same furniture in the room, I wanted to update it a bit with some new hardware. It really did help give the darker wood a bit of a younger feel for a little girl's room.

So, that's it for now. I still have more things to add... books, a new chair, more girly stuff, etc. My husband knows that I will change things many, many times before we travel, but it's a relief to know that if we had to leave tomorrow, the room would be ready. Now I have to tackle the walk-in closet. UGH! That one will be a REALLY big check mark! LOL