Benjamin’s Nursery Reveal

Nothing like waiting til the last minute, huh? We are about 4 days out from my scheduled c-section and we finally got the nursery done! It has been in the works for a while, but still unorganized and not completely “finished”–until now. A huge weight has been lifted now that it’s done…even though I know it really doesn’t matter since it’s not like the baby cares or will even be sleeping in there anytime soon, but it’s one of those irrational, hormonal, pregnant things. Don’t judge.

Anyway, onto the nursery reveal pictures–I know that’s what you are here for.

You might remember the framed artwork, wooden B, table, and lamp from our fall Pinterest Party. And that awesome chair? A gift from a very close family friend, my dad, and my Nana. It is SO much more comfortable than the wooden one I had with Logan (which I still have, we just moved it to the living room). And we re-used the garland from the baby shower to dress up the plain navy curtains.

Oh, and that quilt rack? Started out like this:

And now:

A little ASCP Napoleonic Blue, thin wooden board cut into ovals, and a wooden star to cover the old hearts and it is much cuter and more appropriate for a boy’s nursery.

 

The other side of the room with more Pinterest Party crafts (sorry for the blurry camera picture).

 

The infamous orange dresser turned changing table, colorful lanterns (I’m thinking I need to add some more), and more storage above.

I love it. It is pretty close to what I was envisioning–modern, colorful, not too theme-y (just a few whales thrown in there). I can’t wait to bring Benjamin home and rock him. I say that now, but I know those late nights will catch up to me. At least I will have a comfy chair to sleep in.

 

 

DIY Nursery Decor

This last Pinterest Party was really more of an ‘Operation Get Benjamin’s Nursery Decor Done’ party for me. And I got it all done! I love all of it and I think his room is going to be modern, bright, and cheery–just what I was going for. And it really didn’t cost me anything, other than the cost of a few sheets of scrapbook paper, some spray paint, and some DIY knowledge. Remember this post and the sneak peeks I gave? Well, here you go!

This sign was in my son’s old nursery at our previous house, but it just didn’t go with this nursery. I tried to sell it but I guess it was just meant for bigger and better things. So, it got re-purposed.

A couple coats of ASCP Napoleonic Blue and it was good to go for it’s new plan!
And ta-da! All done. Scrapbook paper, the trusty Silhouette, some mod podge, and a clear coat of spray paint and it was a brand new piece.

I found this huge B at the Hob Lob and immediately knew what I wanted to do with it. I love the name Benjamin, but it is a *little* long to put up on a wall. The space on this B would allow me to put his name on there without taking up an entire wall. Problem solved. (I was so proud of myself and my craftiness this weekend…you guys don’t even know.)

Again, more Napoleonic Blue, Silhouette letters, and a frame found in Aunt Toni’s attic (which I spray painted orange), and we have decor for above the crib.

Now, this little beauty (ha) started out as a plant stand when my sister was going through a Mary Engelbreit-ish stage. I needed a small table for beside the glider and this was just sitting in her garage collecting dust.

You guessed it–Napoleonic Blue, some scrapbook paper and mod podge and it’s a cute table to hold my phone/water/bottle/etc. I LOVE it!

Now, this next project took the most time. More time than it probably should have but it was SO worth it in the end.

I had these old framed picture of herbs hanging in my old house, but was over them by the time we moved. Again, tried to sell them but couldn’t.

We took them apart (which took quite a bit of effort–thanks Aunt Toni) and got to work. A little spray paint, some cute pictures and sayings from the Silhouette, scrapbook paper, and posterboard for matting and they have a whole new life.

Can you even believe it? So much better, right? These will look adorable above his dresser/changing table.

I got the idea for the ABC canvas off Pinterest (I know, imagine that).

Source: blackflipflops.blogspot.com via Whitney on Pinterest

 

My version (thanks to Heather for helping me out with this):
It took a lot of effort to line them up and make the patterns “random” enough and then I *still* ended up spacing them wrong, which is why you see the 2 stars placed in odd spots. Oh, well. Still works.

My final two projects weren’t even in the original plans, but they sure did turn out cute! When scouring my aunt’s attic for other goodies, we came across this lamp. Old and brass, but would work great in the nursery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That other cute sign? Totally last minute. I had this rustic sign from my old house and it wasn’t getting used, so I figured–why not paint it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I figure I can hang it on his door or on the front door during naptime or something. Better than letting a good piece of wood go to waste! Oh, wow, how I have changed. A year ago, I swear I wouldn’t have looked at any of this stuff twice.

I can’t wait to get it all hung up this weekend and of course, I will share the pictures once it is all completed!

So what have you re-purposed? Or are you more of a ‘start fresh’ kind of person?

Nursery Design Plan…Maybe??

I think last time I posted, I was 16 weeks along…well, now I am 21 weeks. Sorry about that. But my energy seems to have returned (meaning no more daytime naps) at least until around 7:30, then I am headed for bed as soon as Logan is tucked in. So, with that new-found energy I have completed some a project (you saw my coffee table if you follow us on Facebook) and will blog about that when I find the right knobs and can call it officially “done.” We have also found out some big news that has gotten my planning/DIY/nesting instinct going.

IT’S A BOY!

So, while my plans for a ruffled bedskirt and all things pink and turquoise are out the window, I am excited about all the new, cute stuff that is out there for boys…it has been 6 years since my last one, after all.

Onto the point of the post. Heather and I have been scouring the internet and fabric stores for a bedding set that I like. I didn’t want theme-y or babyish or character, but more of a modern look. Not easy to find unless you want to spend big money on a custom set on Etsy. I had an idea in my head and Heather said she could easily sew a crib skirt and maybe even a small quilt/blanket once we found the fabrics. So we found a couple fabric options:

Bright, modern colors and patterns. But I still wasn’t sold. I am not one of those people that can just “visualize” things. So we bought small swatches of the fabric so Heather could sew a sample piece together so I could see it with the crib. But that night, I found this on the Target website:

Source: m.target.com via Whitney on Pinterest

 

It’s brand new because it wasn’t on their website or in their stores last week. They just clearanced out all of their old baby stuff to make room for new stuff and this is the closest thing to my “vision” that I have seen (at least pre-made). And only $70! Can’t beat that with a stick. I think we are still going to add a little trim in orange or green (or both) to the bottom of the crib skirt just to add a little something. I haven’t bought it yet–waiting for it to be in the budget next month.

With all the colors, it will be easy to accessorize. I have a dresser I bought in Canton back in November that will be used for a changing table and it desperately needs a makeover. It was a steal for $30 but it is crying for some ASCP and fun knobs.

Am I crazy for thinking ASCP Barcelona Orange?? The walls will be gray, the crib will stay white, so the room will need another pop of color. When else do you get a chance to paint furniture orange (unless you are Heather and have a craft room all to yourself)?

Other ideas for the nursery that we will probably DIY are from my Pinterest board (and will, of course, be done in coordinating colors):

Source: everythingdesignish.blogspot.se via Whitney on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Whitney on Pinterest

But with the name and birthday instead. And, NO, we don’t have a name yet…it is killing me but I just don’t love one yet.

Source: etsy.com via Whitney on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Whitney on Pinterest

This could not be more true for my situation and needs to have a place in this baby’s nursery for sure.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Whitney on Pinterest

 

I want some sort of shelf/storage above the dresser and I like the way this looks, just not sure if that’s what we will go with.

I also want to recover and add some padding to my glider in a bad way. I pinned a tutorial, but I am not sure how easy it will actually be.

So, can you visualize it? I am getting closer but until we clean out the room (which has been my storage/painting room) and start putting things in place, it will be hard for me.

Any other ideas I should add? Seen anything out there that I must have in my nursery? Please share…I have been out of the loop for far too long!

Be on the lookout for lots of DIY baby/nursery crafts coming up! Nesting is hitting full force!