Fabric makes a HUGE difference. In a room, at a party, anywhere! Fabric is key.

Even though these prints weren't exactly gypsy, I thought hanging them together without frames looked totally gypsy-ish. Thanks Mom and Craig for always asking me before you let things go. 

You can count on me to hoard it up and put it to good use.

e.g. The drafting table! The table once belonged to Charley's Granddiddy. Prior to that it belonged to Leo, Craig's Dad. Now it's been passed down to the youngest artist in the family. 

Charley has, and continues to, use it well.

I blogged about the chair long ago. I found two of them at a thrift store in real ugly state. I painstakingly taped all the wood that wasn't concealed under ugly gray pads, and spray painted the metal. I pulled off the tape and pads to reveal the most beautiful natural wood ever. And for some reason, I let one of the chairs go when we moved to Alaska. :(  I regret that decision.

And it doesn't get anymore gypsy than this original painting that Craig was going to PAINT OVER until I guilted him into giving it to me. 

I love, love, love this painting. He painted it from an actual scene down in New Orleans. 

Ok so this HUGE buffet is missing and knob and has an obvious scrape down it's entire length because Charley continuously RAKED her chair along it (when it was in another room) 

but it's ok because...

#1 Who really cares?

#2 It's very functional and holds all of her art supplies.

#3 It's a gypsy room! Anything goes! 

And when I say anything goes, I also mean this dresser that was shabby chic'd to death. 

(I bought it that way, and NO I didn't feel like changin' it.)

Charley found the pictures of the gypsy children (they really seem like legit paintings of gypsy children) and painted the frames a beautiful maroon. I was so proud. 

Charley has always been an animal girl. When she was little she was ALL about animals. She'd straight read non-fiction animals books all the time. She's perfected every every wild cat roar. 

I'm serious. She'll make you jump with her wild cat calls. I bought this coyote face for her at a yard sale in Virginia and somewhere along our way she talked me into a thrift store mink. I don't like him because he's gross and his feet keep falling off but she loves him. I suspect the old footless thing will be with us for a long time. 

Charley is a child with many interests. (Did you see the Ivan Kolaff picture hanging on her mirror and the boxing gloves under the buffet?) It was hard for her to say goodbye to Virginia and all the friends she made there, but I left feeling confident she'd make her way just fine in a new place. She's a confident, charismatic, kind, loving, talented, interesting, hilarious, precious child. To know her, is to love her.