try as i might, i absolutely cannot remember what it was like to sleep in my crib. i mean, i’ve seen it in pictures, so those images stick out when i attempt to reminisce about my first moments of life, but as far as the way it felt to stare up at the ceiling and peer out of the wood slats, i’m at a loss. i do know that the bedding that adorned said sleeping quarters was blue ducks because the doctors had made a slight error in determining my gender prior to my arrival that morning in june, but again, i could have been in a moses basket for all i know because at 0 years old, you don’t recall much.

i’m sure there was a big to-do when i finally transitioned from my crib to my first official “big girl bed” but the details of that moment are just as fuzzy as the stuffed animals that probably shared that bed with me.

around 1992 or so, bunk beds definitely came into play. and over the course of their tenure, i occupied both the top and bottom bunk on separate occasions and had good run of with little mermaid bed sheets.

when we moved into our new home in 5th grade, i was gifted my own bed, a full, with purple flowered bedding to match the lavender walls of my room (apparently i went through a purple phase). and from that time up until high school graduation, i found slumber beneath its sheets.

the summer before i left for college, my parents decided to get me “big kid” bedroom furniture. great, wait until i leave to get me the grown-up bedroom set i’ve always dreamed of. but my mom explained to me that when i returned home in four (er, three) years, the set would be mine and my hypothetical first residence in the real world would therefore be all but half-way furnished! i liked her thinking, so we went to a custom warehouse that makes knock-off pottery barn furniture for a fraction of the price and soon thereafter, i was spending the last moments before officially becoming a pepperdine wave in a room furnished with a pottery barn-inspired bed, nightstands, and armoire.

those last days in my childhood home were such a tease because not long after was i subjected for an extended twin bed for the next three years. which, funny enough, i didn’t really mind. i don’t tend to move a ton during the night so the lack of space to stretch my limbs horizontally wasn’t a huge detriment to my collegiate experience.

and as promised, when i finally moved into my first official big girl apartment after college graduation, among the possessions that were stuffed into that baby uhaul were my beloved pottery barn-inspired bed, nightstands, and armoire. and then a year later, the same possessions got stuffed back into a baby uhaul and transported to where they have been for nearly the last six years -in my big girl condo nestled in the hills of san elijo.

and there’s nothing wrong with this bed. it has served me well off and on for now almost 10 years. aside from the right side that sort of creeks if too much weight is placed on it (you feel real good about yourself when that happens), it has put up with my sorry booty climbing into it every night pretty seamlessly.

much like you, i’m sure, in addition to dreaming about clothing spontaneously appearing in my closet, i oftentimes will furniture to manifest itself in my bedroom and living rooms. and on most cases, said manifested furniture comes from a little store called restoration hardware. if you haven’t heard of it, you haven’t hated every single thing you own in your home.

so you can imagine my sheer and utter dumbfoundedness when i was recently offered a select few pieces of nearly new restoration furniture from my father who no longer needed said home furnishings. i accepted his offer faster than you can say, “if it wasn’t socially frowned up (see also: illegal), i would lock myself in a restoration hardware store and sleep it the display beds because that’s how much i love them.” which isn’t really that fast, but just know that i responded relatively quickly.

for the longest time, like most other big ticket purchases (living room furniture, kitchen appliances, a washer and dryer, etc.) i just figured if i waited long enough i would get married and could register and/or purchase said items with my hypothetical husband. to me, it just didn’t make sense to buy something so grand for myself. when someone else could totally buy it for me as a wedding gift. i mean, kidding. but really, who was to say that immediately after purchasing a brand new sofa i wouldn’t meet mr. wonderful and move into his fully furnished abode? it just seemed impractical, really.

but hi, this attitude is precisely why i’ve waited nearly six years to finally start making my condo a place that doesn’t just look like i moved in last week (true story: i had one of the guys in my complex inquire if i was new to the neighborhood based on the emptiness/cleanliness of my garage alone). and well, it’s a bit embarrassing showing a new visitor around a house of empty rooms and a random mish-mash of decor. i mean, my condo is my oyster, why on earth wouldn’t i take advantage of making it the most awesomest place ever?

i know, i have no idea either.

now i realize that the recent prevalence of the contents of page 73 of the restoration hardware catalog were achieved by no efforts of my own. i didn’t finally (wo)man up and shell out some coin for the furniture i’ve always said i would “someday” call my own, rather, i was extremely blessed in receiving these furnishings from my generous father. but however they ended up in my living, guest, and bedrooms isn’t important.

the important thing is that after 27 years of sleeping in beds that served me no greater purpose than a place to lay my head (not that there is anything wrong with that), i now boast a sleeping vehicle from my grandest dreams. she is perfect (she is in fact a she, duh).

i know marriage will come some day. and while i may register for a boat load of unnecessary items like apple corers and panini makers, i will no longer need to register for a new boudoir set. because there will be three entities in our marriage -me, the hubs, and this glorious bed.

so here’s hoping the future gent is a restoration hardware fan. and also here’s to finally sleeping in a bed that i don’t feel like a walrus every time i roll over onto my right side.