Nursery Remodel Part 3

Dear Mia,

I have been looking forward to writing this post for months!  This is your big nursery reveal!

I started planning your nursery minutes after I found out I was pregnant.  You may think that's an exaggeration but I can honestly tell you that I took a positive test, celebrated with your Dad and then popped open my laptop and started searching for "crib sets."  I searched for the perfect neutral crib set for days- these were my #1, #2 and #3 favorites- but then I decided to hold off until I found out if you were a boy or a girl.  And I'm so glad I did!  I love that you have a perfectly girly nursery.  This room is exactly what I wanted for you!

I did a lot of planning for your nursery by searching google images, blogs, websites and Pinterest for ideas (many of which I'll link to below).  One of my favorite inspiration websites was ProjectNursery.com and I would visit it daily to see what new and exciting real-world nurseries they were highlighting.  I'm going to submit pictures of your nursery and see if we make the website, but just in case we don't, I'm going to borrow their posting format for here.  I hope they don't mind!

Child's Name: Mia Ellen

Child's Age: Due March 10, 2012

Location: Illinois

Description:

I created a nursery that is bright, fun and youthful.  It's a space that will grow as my baby does.  

Design Inspiration:

My initial inspiration came from a floral fabric I found at our local JoAnn Fabrics store.  I loved the big, bold pattern and the warm colors.

Decorating Style:

I'm not sure what my style would be- I just buy what I like and make sure I never pay full price!  I like splashes of color, dark wood furniture, and I like to pick textiles that make bold statements against solid-colored walls.  I also like to mix new finds with antiques and sentimental pieces.  

Project Details:

• Technically the canvas above the crib was my very first purchase as a newly-pregnant woman.  I was shopping over my lunch break one afternoon and stumbled up on it at Gordmans.  I fell in love with it and knew that I'd make it work in the nursery- whether or not I ended up having a boy or a girl.

 

• The fabric was my second find.  It's called Trendi Sorbet (a Home Essentials print) and I bought it during a Black Friday sale at JoAnn Fabrics.  That was a story in itself!  My incredibly talented Mother-in-Law, and owner of The Slipcover Shop, did all of the sewing on the valance, crib skirt and book wall pockets, and I could not be more thrilled with the way it all turned out!

• The paint came next.  We chose Minuet White, Wisteria and Brave Purple by Sherwin Williams and had a painting party to get it all done.
• Closet organization was a must for me and I finished the closet well before I started decorating the main room.  A post on the closet can be found here.

• The furniture was our next selection.  We chose the Delta Bentley 4-in-1 Convertible Crib in chocolate and the matching Delta Bentley 6 Drawer Double Dresser in chocolate from Target and we've very pleased with their quality.
• The rocking chair is a Snipes family heirloom, lovingly re-covered by my Mother-in-Law (I told you she's awesome) in Glamour Fruit Punch (a Modern Essentials fabric) from JoAnn Fabrics.  I'll be doing an entire post on this chair because there's a lot of history there!  Stay tuned!

• The idea for the book wall pockets came from Pinterest and I found the actual instructions here.  Of course my Mother-in-Law completely out-did herself by cording the pockets in the same fabric we used on the rocker.  Love it!  The double curtain rods are from Walmart.

• The inspiration for the four photos above the dresser came from Pinterest.  I found the 11"x14" frames at Hobby Lobby, had custom mats made at Jeffery Alans and then filled them with photos of myself and my husband as children (until they're replaced with photos of our own little one).  A post on how I hung the frames can be found here.

• Dresser Goodies:  Diaper tote was a gift; ceramic owl bank was a perfect baby shower gift from my niece; the framed letter to the baby is also from my niece (frame from Walmart); and I bought the ladybug nightlight because it's adorable (Target).

• I knew from all of my pins on Pinterest that I wanted to incorporate some shelving into the room.  The only wall I had left was pretty small so I bought a two-piece ledge set at Kohl's (also on Black Friday!) and filled them with some very special items from my Mom.  The musical puppy and book were baby shower gifts, the small pink plaque about daughters was originally a gift to me (but now I'm passing it on to Mia), and the I Love You needlepoint was originally hand-made by my Mom for her Grandmother in 1978.  She passed it down to me and now I'm giving it to my baby girl.

• The inspiration for the framed letter M came from Pinterest.  I already owned all of the brads and the paper, but I bought the buttons and the frame at Hobby Lobby.

• Crib Goodies:  The stuffed owl was the centerpiece at one of my baby showers (Babies R Us), the personalized pillow was a Christmas gift, and I bought the sound machine and mobile (buybuy Baby).

• The owl toy box was a surprise gift from my Mother-in-Law and it matches the rest of the room so perfectly you'd think it had been the original inspiration for the room!

Favorite Items:

I love every single thing in this room- from the I Love You needlepoint to the custom-matted frames and hand-made bed skirt- it's my vision come true!
_______________________________

Mia, this nursery would not look anything like this without the help of many people that love you very, very much.  I must remember to say thank you to your Grandpa Snipes, Grandma Snipes, Grandma Young, Aunt Kirsten, Uncle Josh, Aaliyah, and of course your Dad for putting up with me throughout this entire process.  Also, I need to thank everyone that gave so generously at the showers like your Aunt Carol for some of the cutest toys in your toy box and Aunt Cori for some of the beautiful clothes in your closet.

This room was created with so much love, Mia, and from so many people.  That's why I wanted to do this post- so that you would always know and appreciate how much love went into the tiny little room where you lay your head every night.  We all love you so much, baby.

Love,
Momma  

Making Progress

Dear Mia,

Last Friday I received a text from your Grandma Snipes that she had a very special present for you and she wanted to know if she could drop it off.  I told her yes, of course, and came home to find the most beautiful toy box waiting in our garage.  Your Dad carried it up to your nursery and we couldn't believe how spectacular it looked in there!  This new addition to the room lit a fire under my butt to make some more progress in your nursery!

I wanted to finalize my plans for art and shelving, and in the process I started to second-guess what I'd already bought.  I had originally intended to hang picture frames above your dresser, a piece of art above your crib, and two shelves near your closet, but I just couldn't 100% commit for some reason.  So on Saturday your Dad and I ran tons of errands- to Lowe's, Target and Petsmart, just to name a few places.  We were looking for shelving for your Dad's office, as well as different options for shelving in the nursery.  I ended up purchasing a new black shelving set at Target but when I got home and opened the box I realized the shelves were really poor quality.  I decided to forgo the new shelving and just stick with the original plan.  I'd been excited about the art and shelves I'd already purchased for months now, so there was no reason to change my mind now!

I started with the four pictures above the dresser- two horizontal and two vertical.  I was worried about hanging the frames because I wanted to make sure they were all the same distance apart.  I decided to use wrapping paper to draft the placement of the frames and it turned out GREAT!  I'm not sure where this idea came from- I suppose it could be an original idea of mine- but I'm sure I stumbled across it sometime in the past and was just saving it to use today!

(Can't show the actual photos in the frames just yet!)

I laid out the wrapping paper with the grid-side up, placed the first frame and marked its placement.  I experimented with placement and decided I wanted the frames all 3" apart.  I used the grid on the wrapping paper to ensure that all of the frames were lined up and spaced correctly.

After all of the frames were marked on the paper I enlisted your Dad's help to hang the paper on the wall.  Before I went any further I wanted to make sure I liked the way the outlines looked on the wall.

I was worried that the 3" separation would be too much but I ended up really liking how it looked on the wall (and your Dad agreed).  I took the paper down, and marked on the paper where I needed to drill to hang each frame.

 

I re-hung the paper (again, enlisting your Dad's help!) but this time I made sure it was completely level and centered above the dresser.  I taped it securely to the wall and started hammering!

I hammered small holes into each of my 8 marks and then removed the paper.

(Can't show the actual photos in the frames just yet!)

I finished the project by drilling screws into each of my marks and hanging the pictures!  I think it turned out great and I can't wait to reveal how the frames look with the rest of the nursery decor!  I think you're going to love it, Mia!

Love,
Momma :)

Nursery Remodel

Dear Mia,

Believe it or not, I barely bought you anything during the first three months of my pregnancy.  I focused mostly on finishing the rest of the house- hanging picture frames, buying lamps, and arranging knick knacks.  We'd only been in the house a few weeks so there was still plenty for me to organize and straighten before I even started thinking about your living space.

That changed the day we found out you were a little girl.  It was like the ultrasound technician was gave me a green light to buy as much pink, bow-clad baby stuff as possible.  But every time I went to hang another newborn onesie in your closet I was reminded that we needed to upgrade your space!  As I'd mentioned previously, I'd been using this space as a scrapbook studio and this was the original paint job.

 

The room is very small and there's a sloped ceiling so my first thought was that the paint colors we chose needed to be much, much lighter and brighter.  I wanted the paint to open up the room.  With the expert help of your Grandma Snipes, we ended up using Sherwin Williams paint in Minuet White, Wisteria and Brave Purple.  

We came home from the store, unloaded all of the supplies we borrowed from Grandpa Snipes, and got to work!  First we sanded and patched holes (with the help of your cousin, Aaliyah) and then got started on the trim.  We decided to paint all of the trim white except the chair rail which we painted Wisteria.  That was your Dad's idea and it looks WONDERFUL!

We let the trim paint dry overnight and then the next day your Grandpa Snipes came over to help us with the walls and ceiling.  We painted the walls above the chair rail and the ceiling the same color- Minuet White.  We painted Brave Purple below the chair rail and in the closet.

Daddy, Aaliyah & Grandma Snipes

We let the paint dry, removed the tape, and then your Dad did some great touch-up work around the window, door frames and on the trim.  The room instantly transformed from an extra bedroom into your nursery and I couldn't be happier with the final result.  Everything is coming together so perfectly!

I should also mention that your Uncle Josh came over to help with the nursery remodel as well.  He installed a light in the closet with a switch so now we can see your beautiful wardrobe.  It makes a huge difference!

Next up:  furniture!

Love,
Momma

A Closet Story

Dear Mia,

This past weekend your Aunt Kirsten drove down from Lisle for a visit.  We spent quality time at TJMaxx on Saturday and then went to dinner with your Dad, too.  On Sunday we woke up nice and early and got to work on the closet in your nursery!  (I'll go into more detail about your nursery renovation in another post.)

When we moved into this house in June of this year, I was using this room as an office and scrapbook studio. The closet situation didn't bother me at the time because I just piled my stuff inside.  But as soon as we found out we were pregnant with you, and you'd be using this room as your nursery, I knew the closet needed to be upgraded!  Here's a before shot with just a small sampling of all the clothes we've already bought for you!

I had done some research on closet organization and I knew I wanted a system that would be adjustable as you grew.  I also knew that the aged drywall wouldn't hold any shelves by itself- I'd need to choose a system that would secure to the wall studs.  (And I knew this because when your Dad tried to remove the original shelving he put huge holes in the wall on accident!)

I ended up choosing the Rubbermaid Configurations 4-to-8-Foot Classic Custom Closet Kit and it couldn't have been a better choice!  We installed the top bar by securing it into the studs and then hung three vertical strips from the top bar.  Next we clicked in the shelf brackets and the top shelf.

We then added additional brackets, shelves and bars for your hanging clothes.  

Lastly, we added fabulous fabric-covered bins that I bought on clearance at Lowe's.  (Mia, I have so much to teach about about never paying full price!)

 

There's room on the top shelf for different supplies like extra diapers and wipes, two levels of hanging clothes, and two shelves that hold the new bins.  On the right side of the closet there's still plenty of room to stack large supplies or bins of toys. 

We hope you like it!  Aunt Kirsten and I learned a LOT about stud-finders, levels, how to pry anchors apart so they'll actually go into the holes we drilled, and more!  Oh, and see how your wardrobe keeps growing?  I can't help myself!

Love,

Momma