The Miss Elaine-ous Life

random acts of life, family and photos

Five Drawers and a Door

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I have this thing about furniture.

Especially old furniture.

I like to go “antiquing” and usually when I find a piece of furniture that I REALLY like, I know it pretty instantly. It was this way with the piece I bought for our bedroom during this last Summer.

And it was this way with the piece that has now been in all of my baby’s rooms.

When I found it I was not pregnant. Far from it actually. But I knew that it would make a good “nursery” item someday. Yep, total baby room potential.

It’s first use was in our dining area for things like liquor and the drawers stored table cloths and cloth napkins and napkin rings (you know, things I no longer use…).

But since the early Spring of 2004 it has held baby “onesies” and sleepers and tiny baby socks and pants. And beautiful outfits that were given as gifts. And hand-woven and sewn blankets.


I have adored this piece of furniture since I first laid eyes on it in the antique shop not too far from our first apartment as a married couple.


Tonight, as we played in my baby girl’s room, I thought about how many different clothes have been rotated in and out of its five drawers and one door and how they started out green and yellow, then went to blue and now, primarily pink and lavender.

I thought about the how many times I’ve reached into one of its drawers for a sleeper that smelled of one of my babies or a newly cleaned crib sheet for them to lay their sweet baby heads upon.

I thought of how the bottom drawer sticks and how the boys used to play together in the section with the door and even kinda fit in it together. And how many games of “peek a boo” we’ve played with that door. Oh how many.


I know that as my children continue to grow its purpose will probably change again. But it’s had (and still having) a good run as the baby room furniture I first envisioned it to be.

And I’m guessing that no matter where it does end up in our home I will always keep a tiny pair of baby socks in the top drawer.

You know, just for “old times sake”.

elaine

Comments

  1. As we are slowly getting rid of all our ‘baby furniture’ I can totally relate.

    And I need to do the same thing, a pair of baby socks in the top drawer. 🙂

  2. It’s a beautiful piece of furniture. I hope you’re able to keep finding uses for it because how great would it be if it eventually (a REALLY long time from now) was used for a grandchild’s socks?

  3. It really is beautiful, Elaine! I love it. I was a little more emotional than I should have been reading this…dang babies of ours thinking they can just grow up without our permission!

  4. I absolutely love that piece, versatile..I’m sure you will find many uses for it even when the babes are all grown….

  5. Oh my word. That is perfect! What a treasure! I love it. And oh, the memories it will conjure up someday.
    Beautiful. 🙂

  6. You have such an eye, it’s so cute and functional yet I am positive I would have walked on by.

    Sweet post Elaine, and I have no doubt that you will indeed keep a pair eensy weensy socks in the top drawer, you know, until there are grandbabies about!

  7. How very fitting as I sit here surrounded by my old changer and chest of drawers that were in my nursery and are now getting ready to do another tour of duty in my baby’s room! I wouldn’t consider them antique (they’re only 30 years old, and if they’re antique I’m not sure what that says about me), but I like the tradition that they bring with them, first holding my baby socks, and now my child’s. Of course, first I have to goo-gone this 30 year old sticker off one of the drawers (the young me loved stickers!) so we’ll see how it turns out.

  8. I got a little teary eyed with the way you described that!! That is a really cute piece. I need to go to more antique stores. I love older pieces of furniture. I scored an amazing bureau on Craig’s list!

  10. Got a wee bit teary eyed on this post. This piece of furniture will hold something special for you always and most likely your kids too. They will see that dresser when they have grown and have the same memories 🙂

  11. That is a fantastic piece of furniture. Not once did I look at something and think of it as going in a nursery before I had kids. I still don’t think like that. Yet here I am with six kids. God is funny.

    Love that socks will always be there.

  13. Awww, this makes me a bit wistful for the wonderful old dresser that held Nadia’s clothes for the first couple years of her life. It was very similar to this one – 4 drawers and a door, honey colored wood. Well, I guess it still holds her clothes, but at her dad’s house where its out of reach to me!

  14. Oh gosh Elaine! What a sweet post. It’s so pretty, by the way. Amazing how even a piece of furniture can make us emotional, huh? Sigh.