It all started with a lamp

Recently, we put a new lamp in Ella's bedroom. She'd been asking for a "seashell lamp" since we were in Florida a couple of years ago. So for her birthday this year, she got one. We filled it with the sand we bagged up at Siesta Key. (funny story how it was all bagged in Ziplocs and then double bagged in grocery bags in my luggage and security thought I was trafficking) Then we added the shells, sea weed, sea glass and rocks from Englewood beach. It really is beautiful and grown up and looks nice on her dresser.

But it reminded me of how quickly my girl is growing up. I remember when we found out we were pregnant for the first time. We started talking about the room and painting and we bought a lamp. I found it, in our favorite Brookside boutique (J'Adore) and knew it was perfect for the room. It was a frog prince, sitting under a lilypad, with little butterflies and dragonflies dangling around him. It's been Ella's bedside lamp since the first night when we brought her home from the hospital. It was sweet, something from a fairy tale, something perfect for our baby.

She's not a baby anymore. With concerts and a crush (on Justin Bieber) she's turning into quite a little lady, right before our eyes... it just reminds me that it all started with a lamp... but look how far we've come in these 6 years since.