Two Roads diverged in a wood Part II

This is girly outdoor nursery is DEFINITELY the road less traveled.  I couldn't even find any inspiration on Pinterest?!

My next favorite place to start a project is fabric.  Sometimes I search for some that speaks to me and sometimes I hoard it until I find a use for it..like my living room curtains.  This was a search.  But I loved what I found...I really really love it.  It's called Yay Day by Birch Organics.  I can see I will be spending more time on their site...such fun stuff!

This would be the bedskirt.  I may or may not add a white or pale pink ruffle to it like the one in my nursery, or maybe pom poms to the edge?  However, I really like it as is.  I would leave it as is for covering a glider and I might even use some to cover the changing pad.

My curtains are from the same collection & they would definitely be getting pom poms!  I would also do a crib sheet and a lumbar pillow for the glider.

Here is what I've put together for a little miss that I feel is girly and outdoorsy.  Which I feel her mom has down to a science.  I used a lot of the same elements from the boy room.  Subtle Touch grey walls from Behr, dark crib and dresser/changing table.  I'm sure Pantone will be telling us that pink is the new green any day now...

And because I have to cover her walls (I would leave furniture lay out the same) I did a little work on those too.  Finding artwork was not difficult at all. 

Finding artwork was not nearly as difficult.  I love the animal hooks I found (had to have a dog!)..but thought about these three instead:

On her bookshelf I would add some fun adventure books like Pippi Longstocking, Violet the Pilot, and The Paperbag Princess. This night light would have to go on one of the shelves!

Let's face it:  There is nothing cuter than little girl clothes.  Here is what I would choose to start her closet:

I hope y'all enjoyed this girly outdoor nursery!  Can't wait to work on the actual nursery!  One last thing I thought was funny, besides me working on a "campy themed nursery"..I would have to add it somewhere, so she'd always think about her Auntie Jenn!

Two Roads diverged in a wood...

Some exciting news around my house is that some friends are having their first baby.  And while it is much too early to share their fantastic news..I was feeling inspired.  I'm so excited to have this new little baby in our life.  I cried when I was told and I've cried more than once since.

I picked a camping theme which I think fits my favorite outdoorsy couple...I loved doing this little boys nursery so much...and since we don't know the gender why not do a girl version (a lot more challenging for me)...check back tomorrow for that one!

Here are the basics:

I love the green touches, but I think orange would have looked really good too.  I think any bold fun colors would look great as accents...yellow and red would be my choice.

I also love finding things for the walls:  I'm a big fan of gallery walls even though the execution of hanging each piece is terrifying!  Here are babys walls:

Most items are from Etsy!

Yes, I would put the gallery wall over the crib and I did it my own home.  Not everything has to be glass and heavy (those are felt arrows!)!  A few extra nails and screws and you should be safe.  The Chicago print is not the actual city I would use for this couple, but I didn't want to use their real city..which is available in these great colors!  Those field guides were my favorite.

On the changing table (& dresser in one!) wall shelves I would probably put some old tins to hold q tips and diaper cream and some fun family pics.  I couldn't resist adding an animal head, plus I think it is tall enough to balance out the height of the shelves beside it.

Every room needs a bookshelf and I would not only include books about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Swiss Family Robinson, some more family pics (mom is quite the photographer), but also an iPod dock...I know, so 2014...but the iPod can play lullabies or white noise..but let's face it, with a newborn it's nice to know how often you are feeding that ferocious little bear with a clock (I know some people disagree).  I like this one from Houzz.  Kind of retro

Contemporary Home Electronics by Other Metro Furniture & Accessories Pottery Barn

Or this one that looks like a tree stump

From Shirwood Creations on Etsy

And since I'm a clothing girl, I couldn't resist hanging a few pieces in his virtual closet....

My friends did not give me any direction it was purely what I thought of when I thought of their baby.  That being said, this little nursery will more than likely not have any finished project pics, but whatever they choose will be fantastic I know!

Bird On A Wire

I am so excited.  For many reasons.  One of my friends is having a baby!  Her third girl!  And she asked me to help her with the nursery!  And she didn't want to use pink or purple!  But she did want to use birds!!!  Which is funny because I had just started a bird nursery board on pinterest, for a future little girl (not mine) that will have a vintage bird nursery.

Here is where we started:  Mom wants to use grey for the walls and incorporate blue, yellow, & pink.  The bumper (there is pink and white polka dot on the back side of the bumper!) and bedskirt had already been purchased.

"Molly" from Pottery Barn Kids





And the bedskirt which is pink gingham. She is also using the crib she used for the other two girls which is a honey colored wood. 

I have created my first design board online (using Picasa).  It was a challenge but hopefully I can perfect my style with a few more tries (I'm hoping to do a boys room soon with or without being asked by the mom!).

Let's go through the images (If you click on the image above it will make it bigger)!
A.  I'm not a huge fan of things to dust or buying things, just to buy them, but it never hurts to have a few little birdy trinkets to keep the theme alive!  This little felt bird from Cecily on Etsy.  Of course if you made it yourself, it wouldn't cost you anything!  It would be fun to use some of the fabric from the room.
B.  This cute little birds nest from Ezekiel Jewelry on Etsy made from hemp, would be cute on a side table to hold baby & mommy needs.
C.  These little birds (4") from Lisabees on Etsy are a cute little addition to the wall.  I think you can add some tiny cup hooks to hold towels or headbands or even a hanger.
D.  This mobile is adorable.  (Image from here)  Looks simple enough to make if you can do the birds.  Which again would be great to make with fabric from around the room.
E&F Are pretty prints from bomobob on Etsy.  They have all the colors mom wants to incorporate in the room (pink, yellow, & blue).  I also liked the ferris wheel, mom is from Jersey, it reminded me of the shore.  Nevermind that it's the wrong kind of seat, it's the idea!
G.  Paint color.  Valspar Chromium.  We used it in our last playroom and we used it in the playroom & kitchen in our current house. 
H.  Mom loves a gallery wall, but dad is an engineer and can't seem to embrace them.  They are tough.  However, mom already got all these fun frames from Hobby Lobby, so we are hoping to change dads mind!
K,L, M, N &O all fun little prints or paper art for gallery wall.  They are all over Etsy, you can find anything there and I'm sure if you didn't feel like making any of them yourself, the artist would be more than happy to make them in your colors!  (Sources:K, L, M, N, O)  Of course pictures of the big sisters would be included!  I think the big sisters would have fun putting together some of the paper bird pictures!  We did this silhouette in our nursery and it was a great thing for the boys to do to feel included!  Gallery walls can be fun.  I like incorporating all kinds of different things.
I &J.  Fabric.  Fabric.  Fabric.  I love these colorful little birds on white for curtains and pillows or maybe a bean bag (for the big sisters to lounge).  This polka dot is too cute.  Pink, white & polka dot.  I melt.  Plus, I think it would be fun to play off the pink & white polka dot on the other side of the bumper.  I would trim out the curtains with this and use it on the back of any pillows and for the little birds (either in the mobile or for a shelf sitter!)

And that my friends is our little bird nursery wrap up!  This post was all about the fluff  but what is the one (or more) things in your nursery you could not live without?

Fit for a Princess

Here it is! The big reveal. The nursery.

Let's first look back at this space in September. A nice blank canvas.

I love this nursery. It is a smallish room, maybe 9x12? Maybe a little bit bigger maybe a little bit smaller.

We started with pink walls. Added in some natural linen, crisp white, and a few more touches of pink. I wanted it to be suttle and calming. I didn't want it to be too frilly or overdone. But I'll admit, I was a little excited about doing a girly space. Hence the pink walls!

Welcome to the nursery of our Little Miss

A small side table (desk)that holds some family pictures and a lamp. A framed (free) "Babies Don't Keep" printout from Lay Baby Lay. It is a nice reminder to keep rocking, keep holding, keep kissing that sweet new baby in my arms. A decent sized basket holds special blankets close at hand and makes them easy to grab. Don't you just want to lay in that basket...how comfy!

The crib (a crucial part of the nursery!) and that gallery wall. I'm so glad I faced my decorating fears and finished one! The hardest part was not finding items or prints it was finding it's perfect layout...and then..the measuring for the wall....ugh...

This is Honeycomb. Honeycomb is the bear the boys made her before her arrival. She has a voice box in her hand with a recording of my sweet boys telling her they love her. Don't worry, she's not sleeping in her crib yet, so she is not being harmed by the bear being in her crib.

Standing in the doorway this is what you see. The "cutesy" curtains, nice soft thick rug (which we used in our first apartment and have moved several times, knowing that one day we will use it again?!) I believe it was just a Home Depot find. The dresser is a piece I went back and forth on having out or using in the closet. It came down to function. With me, function wins almost every time. I needed a place for rocking neccessities (burp cloths, lip balm, water, books, music, light). So the dresser, although a bit big for the space, stayed.

In my first nursery, I did not want a glider. I wanted a nice big overstuffed chair that was comfy and squishy. I wanted to be able to reuse it somewhere else. That is, until I went to test drive them. I decided I'd rather have a traditional glider. I have come to love my glider. I have spent countless nights rocking, singing, crying, praying, laughing, worrying, tickling, nursing and loving on three small babes. It's going to be hard to part with. The blanket on the back is one my great grandmother made me when I was a wee babe. It's a nice reminder of where you came from and how much love I have to give.

The dresser turned changing table has a story all it's own and the top was made just for it and was a gift from my aunt. I love it. It was such a thoughtful idea and has been incredibly useful. Nice for holding burp cloths, dipes and wipes, and a few distraction toys.

The monogram was the first thing I knew I was going to put in her room. I wasn't sure where, but I knew it was going up somewhere! This is the same font we used for our wedding. That P was EVERYWHERE! If it was able to get printed it was getting a P on it! And it is the south. A monogram is expected, right?! I love the polka dots to frame it out and give it a finished look. Little Miss has an aunt that LOVES her some polka dots! I can't wait for her to see them. I think she will be excited they got incorporated somehow! The color is the same gold craft paint I used on the frames.

A small stuffed Peter Rabbit and some handbags that belonged to my great grandmother.
The view from the rocker.

Those great knobs I found at Anthropologie holding a sweet little sweater outfit that belonged to my, now (almost) 10 year old niece. It will be fun to see Little Miss in that and the other outfits her cousins wore!

So there you have it. The nursery. A nursery fit for our very own Little Miss Magic. I hope you like it! For me it is the perfect blend of old and new, frilly and suttle. A whole room that perfectly says Refresh & Repurpose!

For previous nursery post and sorces see these Pink,Frames, Sneak Peek, Gallery Wall in progress, Gallery Wall Reveal, Linens, Artwork

A Nursery Sneak Peek..Artwork

Upon learning we were having a girl, my grandmothers sister offered up some artwork that was in their room as children. Remember, I already have the furniture! This was the icing on the cake! I couldn't wait for it to come!

Now it hangs on the wall in our nursery. I can't believe it. It means so much to have these pieces and keep them in our family. I hope Little Miss will enjoy them!

The first picture is Awakening by Bessie Pease Gutmann. In the early 1900's she was considered a well known magazine and book illustrator.

The second Just A Little Dream by Annie Benson Mueller. There wasn't as much to find on her. Except if I wanted her address and phone number, because apparently, google has found her for me....hmmmm

Here is the picture as it was in their house (above the bed):

Tomorrow is the big reveal! Are you ready?

For previous nursery post see these Pink,Frames, Sneak Peek, Gallery Wall in progress, Gallery Wall Reveal, Linens

One Word Wednesday!

Blah

A Nursery Sneak Peek..Linens

We will continue this weeks reveal today with the linens. I know. Super exciting, right?!
Actually, I am a little let down. For someone that LOVES fabric and color as much as I do (I mean I do have a degree using them and spent my previous life before kids working with them day in and day out!) I didn't get too crazy or colorful! But they are exactly what I wanted!
Here are the crib linens.

(Excuse the poor picture quality. I have no idea what was going on. They looked fine on the camera?!)A natural colored linen bedskirt with white ruffles. Painstakingly made by grandma. The bedskirt has a hook and loop hem at the top so it can be moved when the crib mattress gets lowered. I absolutely love it. It's probably my favorite thing in the whole room. I would love one for my bed, but I'm scared to ask. I know the ruffles are a lot of work!

A plain white sheet. I thought I wanted a pink and white toile. However, once I put the white sheet on, I really liked it. Remember, the walls are pink! There is plenty of color in this little space!

I wasn't sure what to do for a bumper. There isn't anyway to attach it to the back of the crib (no slats) and they never really fit to where they can easily be tied. It was low on the priority list. I did finally decide I wanted one and a white one. I was trying to keep it simple. I looked online and found plenty. None of which I liked enough to spend $150 on. Strange, I have a Pottery Barn one, and I'm pretty sure it didn't cost that much?! And then...I decided why not make one?! I went to Hobby Lobby found some great chenille white on white polka dots and well...the rest is history. I thought I would just make a simple pillow case for my old bumper. Then I could put the ties where I wanted them and a little more hook and loop would solve that problem in the back! But that amazing grandma took over and whipped it up in a few short hours. She saved me yet again. I mean, I sure it would have only taken me a few short days! I will admit it took me until today to whip stitch the openings closed and sew on the ties (white grossgrain ribbon with some Fray check dabbed on the ends!). $20 for fabric (have some extra!) and $4 ribbon. Already had the fray check and white thread! I call that a good deal!

I loved the bedskirt so much that I couldn't stop there.

I used this linen in several projects, including covering the seat of a tiny rocker and a stool.
Then there are the curtains, which you saw in this Sneak Peek. I thought I may have come up with this idea on my own (I LOVE pom poms and I even had them in our old house on some cornice boards...before Pinterest!!) but I found this pin

Originally from here.

Apparently, I am not the brilliant decorator I thought I was! That's ok, I love these. Super cute and fun. One twin size white $6 sheet and six packs of pom poms (6x $4= $24) later! Not too bad!

Thats about it for linens! What will I reveal tomorrow?!

In case you missed yesterdays post here it is.

For previous nursery post see these Pink,Frames, Sneak Peek, Gallery Wall in progress

A Nursery Sneak Peek..Gallery Wall

The nursery has a lot of details so I will make a week of it and on Friday you can see the whole room in all it's glory. Of course, that's pretty scary because it means a lot of pressure for me. You see, the room is not quite finished. Almost, but almost doesn't count.

And I'd rather do it this way so the reveal isn't too wordy.

I am so proud of this wall. Gallery walls scare me because I feel like you are married to them. All those holes in the wall. What if you don't like it. Then it's a lot of work to repair your wall....ugh. No thanks.

When I found out we were having a girl, I wanted to do paper dolls a la Erika at Urban Grace Interiors

What's not to love?! I wanted to do them myself, but wasn't sure how to do them and change them up a bit without directly coping them.

So the plan changed to a gallery wall when we went to the Outer Banks for Labor Day and found an old Peter Rabbit book. First, I guess I should explain the Peter Rabbit connection. The furniture that is used in the nursery and a few pieces in the boys room was my grandmothers, and first her sisters! Their childhood room was called Peter Rabbits room. The furniture became Peter Rabbits furniture. So once we found the book, and decided on a gallery wall, I ran with the Peter Rabbit theme. (I love a theme. It seems to make things easier?)

Then I had to find some other inspiration. I didn't want all pictures. I wanted different textures, sizes, colors, etc. So to pinterest I went!

Once I got some inspiration I headed to the Salvation Army for some frames. Remember this post about some frames I found? Since I wanted different textures sizes etc for the artwork, I decided I would do that for the frames too. Which made shopping at the Salvation Army easy. I also decided that the color would be the thing that made them uniform.

And then I showed you the frames in progress. Some primer and $3 gold craft paint.

Here it is all finished.

Pictures 1 & 2 were inspired by this:

For some reason it's not letting me open the original site? I took a guess as to what it actually is, but I thought I would combine silhouettes and the boys artwork, so it was a project for them and something they did just for her. These two pictures consist of a $3 Walmart frame, a $2 Salvation Army frame, and 2 pieces of cardstock for $1.

Pictures 3 & 4 are the pages from the Peter Rabbit book. Two $3 frames from Salvation Army.

Picture 5 is a cross stitch I did years ago (I believe in high school) and a $1 wooden frame from Michales.

#6 is just a resin C from Ben Franklin. $1.

#7 is a Wedgewood plate from the set we were given from Chads grandmother when Q was born.

Image found here. So glad we found a great use for it. I know I should have, but there was no way, I was going to give my toddler some Wedgewood china to eat off of!

#8 was inspired by this:

Found on Pinterest but originally from here
It was super simple to do. I got a $1 embroidery hoop from Ben Franklin and used some fabric & thread I already had. I also used iron on tape to keep things from shifting while I sewed. I really think it's cute.

Picture #9 was inspired by this bunny bunting

Again, found on Pinterest but originally from here. I even used the same bunnies for a template. I made five different sizes. One for each member of our family. A $2 Salvation Army frame, $1 for 2 pieces of cardstock, and $1 for a package of pom poms. I don't know how I got this final product from the bunting. But I guess that is why it is called inspiration!

Picture 10 is one of my favorites. I love toile print. I saw this paper at Hobby Lobby and new I wanted to use it. I was originally going to use it for the five bunnies but it wasn't working out. Once I started to look at it I noticed it had two little boys and a little girl playing ring around the rosey, with a dog and a mom watching. Two little boys and a little girl!! $1 Salvation Army frame and a piece of scrapbook paper! Score!

Picture 11 is a Michaels frame I already had, some linen fabric (you'll see more of that soon) as a mat, and two pages from another antique Peter Rabbit book.

There you have it. A gallery wall for under $25 and I got to conquer my irrational fear laziness of completing one! And I'm sure way more details than you ever wanted to know!

For previous nursery post see these Pink,Frames, Sneak Peek, Gallery Wall in progress

Check back tomorrow night for Tuesdays reveal!

One Word Wednesday!

Gallery

Wall

A Nursery Sneak Peek

A sneak peak of the nursery for you! Some of you have been waiting patiently for details. And since it is not done yet, I really don't want to share much. You know I don't like a half done room. Although, it's coming together and will be done soon, I'm hoping these will hold you over?!

Curtains (made with love by grandma)

Closet Knobs

Some Artwork

Are you as ready as I am for the big reveal?!

Salvation Army score!

Yesterday I hit up the Salvation Army in search for some frames for baby girls gallery wall. Since I never have good luck finding what I'm searching for I keep a little list with me. However, yesterday I did find some great frames $2.99/ea(even a print for the kitchen .99!). Don't worry, I have plans for those golden beauties.

2 glass jars for flour and sugar. $2.99 each. More on these later, they for sure, needed some refreshing!

As well as one little bunny box (.99) and a bird "sculpture" ($2.99) that I thought would be cute for hanging hair bows. She's a girl, bows are inevitable! (This one was one of her first presents, a pink and green bow from Auntie JLA!) I have not decided if I will paint them or leave them so dark.

Which means it's time to get her walls painted. I just can't seem to find that perfect shade of pink. All colors are tough to pick, but pink is super hard for me. I want something light and not toooo pink. I thought I wanted something almost white that only looked pink in the corners or depending on the time of day. But when I put those samples on the wall they look almost irradescant? I'm thinking I might have to go a little more pink than white. I will admit, I really want pink. Why wouldn't I take this chance to get a pink room! I always wanted one! She can have blue, red, black another color when she is old enough to paint it herself!

I have a lot of inspiration for her room pinned on Pinterest. I will probably do a breakdown for you, like I did for the boys room. A little more detail and a few projects to complete!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some glass jars calling my name!