New life for trash

I finished the cubby that Michelle and I got out of the dumpster.  I am convinced I have to spend more money and get nicer paint next time I buy some.  This took 2-3 coats of primer and 4 coats of glossy paint.  Just like the free buffet, it took much longer than I expected!  It is now residing in the nursery.  Paddy is thoroughly enjoying seeing lots of baby toys again - so none of these items ever really stay put :)

I bought a few fun New York books for this baby...

My mom made this needlepoint for me when I was little...

My talented friends, Sarah and Haven, gave me these gorgeous, handmade burp cloths...

My old books and brush...

 My sweet friend, Jen, made this adorable hat...can't wait to put the little man in it!

My old shoes...don't these look comfy?

Haven knitted this perfect little hat...love!

Hooray for dumpster furniture!!  Thanks again, Michelle!

Fruit Crates

I had been on a fruit crate kick lately.  I had seen some pictures of fruit crates on casters and I thought it would be fun to find a few crates, nail them together and put them on casters to serve as a bookshelf for Paddy.

Oh happy day...while we were at home over Christmas, I made my regular trip to Wise Penny in Wheaton (the awesome thrift store that my mom volunteers at), and I found three crates, already nailed together, ready to go.  The store had been using it as a display case, but they said they would sell it for $8.  DONE.  It wasn't PERFECT, but for the price, it was.  The top one is smaller than the bottom two crates, and the inside of the middle crate was painted white...I wish it was still the natural wood.

My dad and I picked up some casters at Home Depot, and he very kindly put them on for me.  Sean was able to fit this into the car to get it home - hooray!

The shelf:

Casters...

The best part of this project is that Paddy is going for his books so much more often than he did when I had them in big baskets on the floor.

Hmmm...which book should I pick? (this is currently one of my favorite gestures of Paddy's)

this one will be good...

Paddy's World...

A long time ago, I blogged about wanting to place a big map in Paddy's room.  I ordered it from Amazon, got it before we moved in, matched a light blue to the map for the other three walls, and then was ready to move in.  Krissy came to the rescue and pointed out that I would probably want to hang the map before our goods were delivered so I wouldn't have to move furniture around, etc. to do it later.  So, Krissy, her daughter and I had a fun night hanging wallpaper.  This was my first adventure in wallpapering.  I was pretty clueless, so thankfully, Krissy is a patient and helpful teacher!

Before:

During:

The surprising thing about the map was that it was supposed to be 13 feet long, which would have been too long for the wall we put it on, so I figured we would just trim it...well, it came up about a foot and half short of covering the whole wall.  This drives the 'neurotic me' a little nuts, but I think we placed the map in the right place so that your eye isn't immediately drawn to the piece of wall without map!

The other bummer for us is that Iraq and Afghanistan had to be cut out as they fell where the window is...

I am very pleased with how the map turned out...and I think Paddy likes it too...

come on in and check it out...

 After:

 and here is the 'keeping it real' photo...notice where we ran out of map...

And here are a few shots of the rest of Paddy's room...almost all of this is from his nursery in Boston...

Most of these pictures on the 'gallery wall' were in his Boston room; however, I added the painting of hot air balloons that our sweet friend, Catherine, gave to Paddy.  We also added the very old Army pennant that Sean and I got at Scott's in ATL...

Changing table...since we have 're-purposed' the Brimfield cart in this house, my only other decent option was this buffet we bought in Michigan several years ago.  In Columbus, this was outside in our entertaining area.  In Boston, I did a horrible job refinishing it, and then, I didn't fix it :), but went ahead and used it in our dining room to shove as many pieces of entertaining gear in here that I could.  Don't you love multi-purpose furniture?

Reading corner...with Ari's "Let Go" picture...

The coat rack that my dad made is getting lots of good use...

Thankfully this closet could fit his little dresser (that was completely scuffed up in the move!)

The closet is helping store the 'nicer' books...

Some fun trinkets and books on top of the dresser in the closet...

The beautiful growth chart that Michelle made...I smile every time I see this because I just think about how much time and love went into making this...

That's all we've got :)

Paddy's Room - Wall Idea

So, because I have been feeling a complete lack of inspiration on the blogging front, I figured I would try to jump start myself by posting about some design ideas for the new house which may or may not pan out.

I am obsessed with maps lately, so when I stumbled across these maps (I was able to get it for cheaper, but I guess the company I purchased from is now out of them - however, these are still almost 1/2 the price of the exact same one that UO is selling!) that would take up an entire wall, I knew this was what I wanted to attempt in Paddy's room.

Image via Urban Outfitters 

Now, I would love to hang this in a way that I might be able to re-use it in the future, but I haven't had a brilliant idea for how to do that.   The whole map is more than 8 feet by 13 feet, and it comes in three large pieces. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them!  The only thing I thought of was binder clips??  Not sure if those would be strong enough to hold these pieces up since they technically should be hung like wallpaper.  Poor Krissy - she keeps offering to help me paint, then she spilled the beans that she knows how to wallpaper.  She is in trouble...I am going to probably take her up on ALL her offers :)

Then, I will probably paint the rest of the walls a light blue to go along with the map...I finally bit the bullet and ordered the map, so I will try to color match once I receive it.  

I also love the chair in this pic!  For now, Paddy will be stuck with the vintage orange beauty :)

So...should I start a poll on how long it is going to take to hang this bad boy?

Project Nursery

From the nursery perspective, I think we are ready, or, I should say...as ready as we are going to be, for the arrival of Sidekick! I know I have posted a lot of pics of the individual nursery objects, but thought I would some of the whole room. What a fun project! The biggest challenges were doing it on a budget and finding a balance between creating something we loved/not putting in too much effort since we will only be here through next May. The thing I am most happy about with this tiny space is how comfortable it feels to us. I think it is because we created it with things that have so much meaning to us and that we love.

I am sure I will rearrange clothes, bedding items, changing items a million times once he arrives b/c I am positive I don't have the most efficient set up right now...but that will come with time.

Now, if I can only figure out how to stop our sweet black lab from rubbing her wet face all over the white shag rug when she comes in from the rain, we will be all set. :)

Get ready for the 2.2 second tour!

Walking in the room, you see this...
(Details: Dresser/Cart from Brimfield Antique Fair, Marble Acorn Lamp - eBay score, 'M' basket (this 'M' is for Morrow, and no, we still don't have a name yet!) is from Home Goods, Jenny Lind crib, Pottery Barn pique bedding, mobile by me, vintage Burt Lake map from my p's, polka dot blanket from Gap Kids)


Full view of cart...

I think I must have put stiffener on these globes 6 times. They still, aren't perfect circles, as you can see. But, they serve their purpose of hiding the unsightly light fixture that was in the room.

The tiny sitting area...
(Details: Thrift Store Chair from Columbus, pillow - homemade, blanket from my mom which she found at Home Goods, Target trumpet table, lab bookends from Sommer - thanks, Sommer!)


Crib close up...
Details: Soothing giraffe - can't wait to use this, Blair - thanks!, and handmade rabbit pillow by Hallie - love it, Hallie :)



Chair close up...
Sean shoved, and I mean, shoved, my $5 thrift store chair into the nursery, and we are hoping that will do for the meantime :)

My Beatrix Potter books from when I was little :)

One more of the cute squirrel eating his acorn...

Closet...
--This closet is so shallow that it can only fit baby sized hangers - perfect!
--The dresser was given to us by a neighbor, and my mom re-painted it and it happened to fit perfectly in the small space. I wanted a big bookshelf as I hope reading to Sidekick will be a huge part of our routine, but given the limited space, this top shelf will do for now.
--If you can see the bronze holding hands on top of the books on the dresser, that was my wedding gift from Sean - they are the hands of the Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband, Robert. We love one of her famous poems..."How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

Mobile - a little jacked up, but finally complete!

I have been working on this mobile for Sidekick this week. I wish I was a more patient person. I had issues cutting the balsa wood (SO fragile!) and the staining...oh, the staining. It took forever to dry, so it was a several day process, and I get so impatient that I completely botched the last coat. However, once I got the final product hung today, I was pretty excited about it. I know it is not lots of bright colors, nor does it play music, but hopefully Sidekick will enjoy it.




I had a few 'double acorns' - which worked out so perfectly b/c now whichever way the squirrels spin, you can see the acorns...

This is the mobile that I was inspired by...

The one that I made cost about $4 for the wood, and I had everything else...

Metal Bins...no more rusty worries!

So, I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics yesterday and decided to make burlap liners. Granted, they may not be the nicest or softest fabric I could have bought, but, it works, and I think it goes well with the bins. I found some great video instructions here, where you only have to cut one piece of fabric and sew away...my kind of sewing!!

They aren't perfect (nothing that I sew ever is), but I am happy to have them done, and for about $20, I was able to make all these, and have enough left to try to make my own table runner like Pottery Barn is selling!

Metal Bins

So, now that I am starting to fill up the metal bins on Sidekick's "dresser", I am not sure if I should leave them as they are or line them with something. They have been sanded/cleaned and painted clear, so I don't think I have to worry about rust; however, they are sort of dingy (although I love them), and I am wondering if I need to make some sort of 'liner' for them.

Options thus far:
1. Line the bottom with some fun oil cloth or contact paper
2. Sew some liners (not very excited about this project, but found some instructions here)

Does anyone have any other ideas?



Metal Bin Sidenote: I also just saw this picture recently in Restoration Hardware, and it gave me another idea for my 2 extra bins!

Dream Glider for Nursery

If I could pick any glider, I would pick the Monte Luca Glider. It gets excellent reviews from every site I have checked, and I like the modern lines of it and high back. Even more fun, Gina texted me and asked if I had seen that one b/c she just saw it and liked it too! If only it was more inexpensive! I keep checking craigslist, hoping someone may not have room for it in their place anymore :)

I am planning to go to the SOWA market this Sunday in the South End to see if I can find any chair I can't live without there...my fingers are crossed!


Image via Monte Designs

Nursery Chair Update

So, Sean and I had a spontaneous outing yesterday to Hyannis out on the Cape. I was so sad that I didn't have my camera with me b/c it was such a cute coastal town. On the way home, we pass Ikea, so Sean was kind enough to stop. It is hard to go into Ikea and not allow yourself to be sensor-overloaded, don't you think? We made a beeline to the chair section, and sat in both the Poang rocker and Lillberg rocker. All the reviews I read were spot in, in our opinion...

1. Poang rocker - it is reclined too far (for nursing purposes)
2. Lillberg rocker - barely has any rocking motion. Boo.

So, back to square one. In the meantime, my parents gave Sidekick a cute club chair, so that will sit where we hope to have our own chair!!

I also liked this chair at Ikea, and it isn't TOO big, but again, not a rocker:


Picture from Ikea

Nursery Chair Dilemma

I was so happy when I finally made up my mind that I wanted a mid-century modern chair for the nursery to go with the eclectic mix of stuff we have for the room. I found an Eames rocker knock off on overstock.com. I usually am pretty good about reading reviews, but maybe I was so excited about the price of this one, that I ignored the reviews.

So, we receive the chair, and I couldn't figure out where the rest of the legs were. This chair seriously had to be made for children. Sean sat in it and his knees were pretty much to his chin. Thus, the chair has to be returned. :(

I have spent more time than I care to count looking at other mid century modern chairs, but can't seem to find one that looks good and rocks.

Also, our nursery is SO tiny that the chair must not be too big (thus, no gliders for me) otherwise there is no way we will be able to wedge it through these tiny doorways that we are subject to.

Can anyone help me?

Our chair that went back:


Other mid century chairs that I like, but they don't rock:

Egg Chair


Womb Chair



I was trying to find a regular rocking chair that had a bit of a modern look...what about this one from good old Target? I am not crazy crazy about it, but like that it is a little different, and I like the price...



Please help me.

Nursery Artwork

So, we have the two Ari Hauben pieces that will be fantastic for the nursery, and I have a few others that I am hoping to incorporate...

1. Burt Lake vintage map - my parents have had this old map of Burt Lake that I have loved. I have been on the lookout for one, but haven't been able to find one. I asked them if they would mind getting a color copy made for us. The copy turned out great, and I got a navy mat and Ikea frame, and we are ready to go. I love how it turned out.



2. Charley Harper father/son picture - I am going try to frame this one, I think it is perfect for the nursery.




3. 1956 New Yorker Cover with "Junior Cadets" - When we were on the Vineyard, Jeanine took us into this very cool store that was selling this cover which was framed and matted very nicely, for $250. We knew they looked like little West Point cadets, but weren't sure. I confirmed it when we got home, and I found a copy of that New Yorker on ebay for a steal, so I am hoping to recreate what they had for a fraction of that cost!



I am also addicted to a lot of typography art work, so I may put a couple of pieces like these on my wish list...ABCs and 123s...

I am hoping to make a wall with a nice collage of all these pieces, but I know I will make a disaster out of it. I might need to enlist some help for putting this idea together!

Ari Hauben original

Sean recently surprised me with a beautiful piece of artwork for the nursery. It is an Ari Hauben original. Ari is a friend of ours who is incredibly talented. We had our eyes on this piece, Let Go, for a while as we originally wanted it for our living room. This painting gives me such a good feeling, especially since I am a person who gets way too wrapped up and stressed about all the little details, I see this picture and I just want to let all the worries slip away. I can't think of a better piece of art for the nursery...

Well...maybe there is a tie. When Ari came over to see Let Go, he brought another piece that he ended up giving to us, and I love that one too. It is called Love Song. I adore how the little birds are making their little noises that create this Love Song together. It reminds me of how crazy I am about my husband and how excited I am to start a family with him.

I hope we will own more of Ari's work in the future...he is truly gifted.

Lighting/Decor for Nursery

I saw these cool looking lanterns in the magazine Ready Made, and I decided to make some for the nursery. Sometimes, projects just don't go as planned :)


picture via Ready Made

I thought the instructions sounded way too easy, so I bought my punching bag balloons, and crochet thread and "stiffy", and went to town. I made four balloons, hung them up to dry, and was so excited to see them the next morning. When I woke up, I found that all the balloons had shriveled up, some more than others, but it had taken the string lantern with it!



Thus...another trip out to iparty for more balloons. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to re-blow up these crazy things. I finally got them up tonight; however, I am just dreading going into the nursery in the morning b/c I think they are going to be "deflated" again!

Sometimes the best laid plans....

So much for my cheap lighting/decor solution! I did take a few pics right away before they fell/deflated...

I have seen some other people's pics online who have made these successfully...but I didn't see any tips...

If I did it over again, I think I would...
1. See if I could put the Stiffy in a spray bottle to try to get more even coverage and maybe spray the inside after deflating the balloon
2. Maybe put something on the balloon so that the stiffy doesn't make the thread stick to the balloon.

Crib

So, I decided on the classic Jenny Lind crib. I went with white...I was a little concerned it was too feminine looking, but I saw some cool boys rooms with it, so I overcame my fear.

Like Hallie, I really enjoy looking at crib bedding, but I just haven't found anything I feel like I can commit to. I really like this Dwell set, or the cheaper Pottery Barn version (I think they are both expensive, so I have saved searches on eBay...hoping they might appear for very cheap) just because I feel like I could potentially use for more than one bambino and could accessorize however I would like to.

I think I have decided on this blanket to throw over the side of the crib, and I may just use navy or white sheets and call it a day. We will see.

Currently in the crib are a couple of fun things...

1. Sleeping Bunny pillow - Hallie handmade this pillow. It is the most beautiful pillow to me...it looks like it has been passed down through generations, and I think it is so sweet. Bonus...it matches perfectly.
2. Sock Monkeys made by my great great grandmother Thomas - my mom gave these to me...I need to fix up the girl's hair, but besides that (and a few stains), they are in great shape, and they mean a lot to me b/c they have been in the family for so long!

An eye for color?

So, as much as I am passionate about all things 'home', I can't seem to develop my eye for color. I swear, I need to go to a remedial class on this. Let me just tell you, we knew we wanted some sort of neutral khaki color for the nursery. I was so happy that Home Depot has started selling the small samples of color...perfect for the color flunkies like me. I bought four different colors before my parents came, and none of them were close. My p's arrive, and I describe to my mom what we want, and she picks out the perfect color on her first try. Why didn't I get those genes?

Anyways, we ended up with English Tan.

Entering the world of parenthood...

It still sounds strange to think that Sean and I are going to be parents. I feel so lucky to be going through this with my best friend. We are happy that I have completed the first trimester...I will admit, I was hoping that on the first day of the beginning of week 14, I was hoping there would not be a trace of nausea or fatigue. I know, too high of expectations. :)

Anyways, we are currently planning to find out if we will have a little boy or girl. If it is a boy, Sean and I are hoping that we will be able to score this ADORABLE leather club chair rocker that we found in Stillwater, MN this past weekend.