A tree may grow in Brooklyn...

...but an entire birch forest grows just outside of Boston!


I really do love how Amanda decorated her new bedroom...


She has always loved the birch trees in our yard, and she wanted to be reminded of them in her new apartment in the city...


... so when she spotted these birch tree curtain panels at IKEA, she thought they'd be perfect for the room... She toyed with the idea of using them on the windows, but then opted to put them behind her headboard instead.


The other thing she'll miss from home is her many blue jay friends...


... so when she spotted this vintage bluejay painting on ETSY, she knew it would be perfect for the room. (They also happen to be sitting on birch tree branches, just like they do in our yard, making it all the more fitting!)

I'll point out some other birch trees as I show you around her room...

She set up her IKEA bookcase on the wall at the foot of her bed....

She has two beautiful big windows in her bedroom....

She hung the canvas birch tree photograph (from the Christmas Tree Shop) above her bookcase.

To the left of her bookcase is the desk we found by the side of the road with a FREE sign taped to it. It's the perfect size for her haptop and printer, and her vanity chair from home makes for a comfy place to sit.

Amanda placed her Wal Mart desk on the small wall between her closet and the entrance to her bedroom. This is where she will do most of her painting. She got her yellow "ice cream parlor" chair from a local junktique store back when she was in college...

I love how she hung clothesline and used clothespins to hang postcards and various pieces of artwork above her painting desk.

What's this next to Dumbo? Why it's another birch tree...

This is one of the cube cubbies of her bookcase.... I love the little dog under the red doll house table...

And yet another birch tree makes an appearance in the cubbie dedicated to our sweet Malley...

This cubbie holds her favorite mug - it says Dog Lover, and it was a Christmas present to her from Target several years ago (actually it was a Christmas present from me, but it came from Target!! ha ha)... She also has her little collection of 'misfit' dogs who are either missing ears or an eye... She has a softspot for the "underdog" in any situation, even little decorations or ornaments... She'll pick the 'imperfect' one every time...

Another doggie statue in a cubbie that's full of the color red...

A sweet little black cat statue missing an ear and a pretty little white bird share this shelf. She bought me a white bird just like hers back when she was in college.

This pretty bird box was from Home Goods a year or two ago... accompanied by more dog statues. Lady & The Tramp is her favorite Disney movie from childhood... She always said she wanted to live in a Victorian house like the ones in Lady & The Tramp, and now she is living in a very similar styled house...

Her Audrey Hepburn books, a litte black bear, and a glittery reindeer (that I covet!!), a gift to her from a friend...

Amanda took this sweet photo of our little Gizmo about 3 months before we lost her... It has a place of honor in one of the cubbies...

And Amanda's first doggie, a Shih-Tzu named Suchi, is prominently displayed on this shelf. The frame is so fitting because about 2 weeks before Christmas, when Amanda was 5 years old, she wished on "the first star I see tonight" for Santa to bring her a real live dog... I might share the story of how we got Sooshi in a future blog post!


I think some of these photos have already been rearranged because Malley was in another cubbie up above... But here is a framed photo of Amanda's Tiger, who will be staying here at home, the only house she has known for 16 years (besides that, no pets are allowed at the apartment)... so we'll be giving her lots of loving while Amanda is away (and ditto for Spotty while Court is away!!)...


So that is the beautiful bedroom that Amanda created for herself, where she will be surrounded by special photos and momentos, favorite books, and beautiful artwork....

... Goodnight room...... Donna