We are keeping the name a secret, so there are a few spots that you won't see on the tour. We decided that since we were announcing a girl on the way that we would at least keep something "just for us." We've only settled on her first name as of THIS week. I feel like the change is dramatic. I love talking about her by name rather than just "the baby" or "baby girl." Prayer times are sweeter when I'm praying that she would inherit and personify the meaning of her name.
*Important note: I need to give several shoutouts throughout this post. We've utilized two different Etsy shops thus far and couldn't be happier with the art they've sent us!
Without further ado... Her Space.
Here's the before shot. Yikes. After we married, I moved into D's house and this little guest room became a dumping ground of sorts. It felt like we were cleaning that sucker out FOREVER. Some of the treasures have made their way to a new home only in the past month. We made a February deep clean a priority so that we had a fresh start when our parents came to help paint and ready the room.
I've been planning on using Peter Rabbit as a jumping off point for a girl nursery for years. When I was really little, my grandparents gave me a Wedgwood set of Peter Rabbit dishes from their months spent in England. I didn't want giant decals on the wall, just a base for colors and a unifying theme. As you will see below, we ended up with soft blue walls, green bedding, and pale prints and white for the accents. My goal was crisp, clean, and feminine. I'm so pleased with the results.
I have to mention the bunting in the pic! With the help of my mother-in-law, sis-in-law, and the sewing machine and genes from my own mom - I made them! This was my first big sewing project since being in costume practicum in college. The basics came back after we finally figured out how to load the bobbin on my machine. I picked up the inspiration for this mobile of sorts from Pinterest. Here's the blog post that ultimately gave me a direction for the project.
The three prints you can see in these photos are all from a fabulous little shop on Etsy: Printable Wisdom. I love that I found a native Texan who was so willing to work with our changes and ideas. She was super speedy, affordable, and talented.
I selected Psalm 139:14 for one of the prints. I've been memorizing all of Psalm 139 throughout this pregnancy as a way to combat sleeplessness and the worries that hit me around 5:00am. They usually start with, "HOLY HECK - I'M HAVING A BABY." As soon as my heart starts to flutter I begin, "O Lord, You have searched me and you know me..." and it's an immediate soother. I'm printing the entire passage out to take with me to the hospital.
D spied this quote and fell in love with it,
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”
~ Emilie Buchwald
We hunted through pages on Etsy trying to find a print of the quote that we liked, to no avail. So, we turned to Ashley at Printable Wisdom and she custom created yet another design for us. We found another piece she had made with books and just went from there. D is so pleased with the result!
The print was the perfect addition to our little reading corner. Baby girl already has quite the library and I cannot wait to dive in. Thank you to so many wonderful lovelies who have contributed to her literary education already!
There are a few things to point out in this little nook.
1. On the edge of the dresser you can spy a stuffed Peter Rabbit. My mom gave us Peter about 3 minutes after we discovered our little one was going to be a girl.
2. You can see my childhood Wedgwood set on the white shelf displayed proudly with a copy of Peter Rabbit from my mother-in-law and a very special version of The Tale of Tom Kitten that belonged my Uncle Kendrick. I'm so thankful to have it in Baby Girl's room and to be able to tell her all about her missed and loved great-uncle.
3. The print that's super tiny on the shelf is this one from Trafalgar's Square Shop on Etsy. Also a super great shop to work with! (I purchased one with a redheaded little girl with fingers crossed. Who knows, one of her grandmothers is a redhead!)
4. Check out that gorgeous quilt on the recliner. It's handmade by that redheaded grandmother - who I believe will henceforth be known as Nana. :)
5. The bunny in the recliner was actually my favorite stuffed animal from childhood. I am not a fan of stuffed animals. I don't know what to do with them, so it's amazing that any of mine survived. But Mr. Rabbit was destined to be part of this room.
Moving on! Keep following the wall to the right from the reading nook and you will discover the most lovely curtains that only took 4 1/2 hours to iron. You heard me. Baby Girl better love those waterfall curtains.
Last stop is half of her library and what will contain some toys in the future. That fabulous rocking bunny is from Little One's Uncle Ross and Aunt Lauren. (Poor kid. She is going to love rabbits and then someone is going to have to hand down the awful truth that her mother is severely allergic to rabbits.) Let's see, you can also spy some Peter Rabbit details - prints from Amazon, squeaky toys from my Aunt Kathy, a fun tea seat from my cousin Hilary, and so many other wonderful gifts from friends and family.
We cannot wait to meet her and show her this space we've dreamed up and created just for her.
Can't. Wait.
Can't. Wait.
