Retta's Art Studio

 Retta never plays in her room. She is also terrified of her room at night and always slept elsewhere. She has this great big room full of toys and she never went in and touched any of them. She has never been thrilled with toys, but out of some sort of robotic habit I would still buy them. Then they would lay on the floor untouched.

She spends most of her time at her desk in the office, in the garage or outside. It is not that I felt she needed to be in her room all the time but wanted to make it a space she would enjoy.

So we sat down in her room and I asked her what she wanted. We went through all the toys she had and she could decide what she wanted and what she wanted to sell or give to the thrift store.

It was an eye opening experience.

She said she wanted a "art studio" and wanted to change the furniture around. She kept three little baby dolls, only one doll bed that her Dad made. She kept a set of legos, her stuffed animals, and a few zoo animal figures. EVERYTHING ELSE went. I was very surprised.

She then choose the wall for her art studio and marked off the size. We also put her art easel, all of her paints and brushes, and a table and chairs nearby. She set up her shelves with crayons, markers, palettes, pencils, beads, and other craft suplies.

She has figured out if she uses watercolors on the wall it washes off easily with a rag so she can create and re-create wall art.

Guess what? She won't leave her room. She loves it. She even sleeps in her own bed now...she says it is a safe room now.

I love the part that she can write on the walls. I always wanted my own house that I could do whatever I wanted!!!! I might make my own graffiti wall.