When we packed up our little Vancouver house and took apart Grae’s beloved closet book nook, I knew I wanted to create another cozy reading space once we arrived and settled in Kuwait. Well, eventually arrived and settled, but the book nook just never really happened. Oops.
If there’s one wish I have for Gracen (other than that she grows up to be a healthy, compassionate girl who finds true happiness and does something that she is deeply passionate about with her life), it’s that she always loves to read. We started reading to Grae the day she was born and it’s always been a favourite time for both of us… A time to unwind, relax, get lost in a story, and start great conversations. Words can’t explain how much it thrills me to find her, more often than not, emersed in a book (or pile of books) when the house has grown a little *too* quiet.
This is how I found Miss G this morning. I was getting ready for the day while she played independently when she came to me and asked for a bowl of o’s. I retrieved her one and went to deliver them to her room to find that she had laid out a blanket, circled it with books, and was needing the o’s in order to read her Cheerio book.
Needless to say, I’ve always got an eye out for ways to keep reading special and fun for our little lady. We borrow new library books once a week, we spend rainy days in the kids’ section of book stores, we visit our library’s story time regularly, we spend loads of time in Grae’s closet book nook, and can often be found snuggled up in my bed with a big stack of books. It’s something neither of us tires of.
Just recently, we found another way celebrate Grae’s love of reading. Through the Families Against Boredom Vancouver Facebook page, we learned about regular story times at Pottery Barn Kids and decided to give it a go. We first went around Halloween, and Gracen loved it so much that we’ve been back again since. It happens at the back of the store with itty bitty recliners and rockers all gathered around the storyteller’s large recliner.
At our location, the lady who runs story time (Erin) is absolutely amazing! She’s soft and gentle and makes a purpose to get to know each child and call them by name. She’s just one of those people who is meant to be around kids, you know? She’s got this way about her that makes you drawn to listen to her every word, and it totally works. Gracen enjoys each moment and then asks if we can go again the following week.
We normally arrive a little bit early so we can explore and take in the beauty that is PBK, and then we stay for a little bit afterwards so that Grae can play. We never feel like we’re overstaying our welcome – in fact, the staff members are very sweet and invite Gracen to play and explore for as long as she likes.
It’s so nice to have found another lovely indoor activity, and with the rainy winter upon us, I can see it becoming a weekly outing.
♥
The Vancouver location of Pottery Barn Kids is at 2835 Granville Street, between 12th and 13th. Story times happen Tuesday at 11 a.m. with special holiday story times happening on December 4th, 11th, and 18th. If you’re not in Vancouver, call your local store or click here to find out about story times and special events in your city. Even our PBK store in Kuwait had regular special events, so your store probably does too. ☺
Yaaaaaaaay! I’m so excited to say that I finally put the finishing touches on a special little project I’ve been working on for the last couple of weeks…
In honour Miss G’s upcoming second birthday, we wanted to create a special area, something inviting and cozy, dedicated to her love of reading. She’s always had a ‘book corner’ of sorts in her room, but it’s shifted over time and really only consisted of a carpet or blanket, a pillow, and a basket of books. This time around, I wanted something more special. Something more permanent.
I had pinned this post from Young House Love long ago, and knew I could use the idea to create the perfect space, not to mention, free up some room for big girl things that may be in her future while I was at it. (A wooden play kitchen? A dress-up station? Mini piano? …Perhaps!)
Here’s the end result… Miss G’s very own closet book nook.
Although it wasn’t a difficult or costly project, there were lots of little steps that needed to be taken in order to do the job right, and anyone who has a toddler knows that those jobs aren’t always easily done with a wee one at your feet. Luckily for me, Grae is an overenthusiastic helper and was great at holding things, passing things, and transporting things throughout the process.
Up until recently, we’d been using the bottom of Grae’s closet to keep a couple of shelving units that housed her non-hanger-friendly clothes, and for storing bins of outgrown baby things. The bins made their way out to the garage where we have plenty of storage room and the clothes got shifted into a set of drawers that we already had in the room, and the project was on its way.
With that stuff removed, I emptied the remaining stuff into the hallway, removed the top shelf and bar, took off the closet door, and gave the inside of the closet a good scrub and a quick coat of paint. The wooden shelf and bar had been {hideously} covered in peach patterned tissue paper and an insane amount of packaging tape by the previous tenants, so that all came off and both pieces were sanded and painted white before being put back in.
Luckily that mandatory Grade 8 sewing class I took over 15 years ago paid off, and I was able to sew a basic curtain using fabric Grae and I had picked out at IKEA. Next, I installed the spice racks turned bookshelves I had painted, as well as a curtain wire and curtain hook we picked up at IKEA too.
With those simple things done, I took a blanket we’ve always kept in Grae’s room, folded it in thirds, and lined the bottom of the closet with it.
Then tossed pillows all along the walls to make it a soft a cozy place to curl up in.
The great thing is that the top is still a fully functioning closet. Tiny clothes = lots of leftover space.
Today, Gracen and I picked up some of these frames (I like them because they’re lightweight and use plastic instead of real glass) and chose a couple of pieces of her art work to go on the one side.
On the other side, we hung this ‘Mama Loves You’ print from The Paper Mama.
The final touch was adding a battery-operated push lamp to each side so that there’s always plenty of light to read with.
The best part is that Gracen absolutely adores her new book nook. I’ll often find her in there, curled up on the platform, telling herself stories with a book in her lap. Other times, she can be found hard at work, switching out the books and carefully choosing new ones to replace them.
Encouraging reading while creating a cozy hiding place for my precious girl, I’d say it’s a win-win.
♥