Baby Boy's Room: A Nautical Nursery

One week and counting until our little bundle is scheduled to arrive!  I thought I would share some pictures of the nautical themed nursery that we've put together for our special little guy.

My husband, Brett, painted the room.  Surprisingly, he let both girls help for about 10 minutes.  That was enough time for them to get covered in navy blue paint from head to toe - he is a brave, brave man (and a super-wonderful daddy).  Brett had already put up the chair-rail and crown molding when we did the girls nursery, but he painted the navy blue and tan that I picked out from Home Depot.  Both paint colors are Behr and they are in satin finish.

This room has always been our nursery, but it's taken on a whole new look now.  No more pastel pink and green, we've moved onto navy blue, tan and red.  I definitely think it shouts "boy"!  All of this furniture was already in the room from the girls and I'm really happy that we went with a honey colored wood because it works just right for a boy or a girl.

We had this little round table in the nursery before, but I just changed out the overlay.  I sewed a large square of fabric from Riley Blake's "All-Star" fabric line and kept the cream colored tablecloth that was already on the table.

I've always loved our glider.  I just love rocking and gliding with little ones.  Occasionally I still take one of the girls in this room when they need some mommy cuddle time.  Both of them still love the soothing motion of the glider.  If you are debating on whether or not you might want one for your nursery, go ahead and get it, it's well worth the money.  Ours has an ottoman that glides with it as well.  We ordered this one through target.com and it has held up really well.

The pillow on the glider was sent from my mom.  As I'm sure you know by now, she's always making special, handmade things for the kids.  She made this pillow and matching quilt for baby boy's nursery.  She named the quilt "Oceans of Love". 

Here are some more pictures of the "Oceans of Love" pillow and quilt made by Grandma Jane......

I love that my mom puts a label on every quilt.  The beautiful thing about quilting is that these things can be cherished forever; therefore, a label with a date makes this a true family heirloom that can be passed down.

My mom was inspired by a quilt she had seen on "Moda Bake Shop" but she adapted it to make it her own.  I think I need to get Grandma Jane on the blog to do some quilting tutorials, what do you think?  Don't know if she'd ever do it, but you never know.....hint, hint.

I added a bunch of different nautical accessories around the room that I really think pull the theme together.  I wanted to do some accessories that were nautical, but not necessarily "baby".

This distressed wooden flag is probably my favorite piece in the room.  It is screwed into the wall above the crib so it is nice a sturdy.

The sailing ships rug was something my in-laws had in their basement that they had never used.  It even still had the tags on it.  It must have been there just waiting for us to have this little guy.

These three pillows won't stay in the bed during our little guy's first year, but we usually keep our newborn in a bassinet in our room for a little while.  So for now, they just look cute in his crib.  The polka dot sheet is from Pottery Barn Kids.

The "Welcome Aboard" steering wheel as to be another favorite of mine in this nursery.

Now this poster does not exactly go along with the "nautical" theme, but it's my husbands favorite childhood book and he really wanted it in the room.  This shelf is right above the changing table.  I think the poster looks nice and the colors match just right!

"Dream" is a word that I hope my children always keep in the forefront of their minds.  I want them to always know that anything is possible if they put their minds to it.  Life is so much more exciting when you have big dreams.  Hopefully this sign will remind our little guy of this always.

I ordered these three art prints from Finny & Zook on Etsy.  I love to support etsy sellers if I can and I fell in love with this shop when I found them through my etsy search.  They offer many, many different prints and you can choose any color you would like to match your room or nursery.  There are many different images from A through Z as well as alphabet signs and different sayings.  

I purchased these prints and then found photo mats and frames at my local Michael's craft store.  All three prints are next to the large mirror on top of the dresser (didn't get any good pictures of the dresser).

Our little baby boy should be here soon and we can't wait to meet him!  

I hope he loves his room........I think he will, don't you?

Decorating ~ Girls Shared Toddler Bedroom

About a month ago we moved the girls into the same bedroom.  I'm not going to lie, I was extremely nervous to make this move, but we knew it needed to happen well in advance of the other big adjustment in our future (baby brother).  It was a big transition for them and for us.  It was Matilda's first time in a "big girl bed" and the first time either girl has ever had a roommate.  We had a rough first couple days, but since then it's been working out pretty well.

The girls bedroom is not a huge room, I think it's 11' x 13' and we weren't really sure if both beds were going to fit.  Sure enough, they did!  I just love these beds.  They were given to us after my husband's Grandma passed away last year - they use to be in her guest bedroom.  I love the ornate lines and the creamy white color.  It's exactly what I would have picked out for the girls had I gone shopping for these myself.  And I'm sure Brett's Grand-Molly loves looking down seeing her great-granddaughters snug as little bugs in the beds she picked out.

I've been collecting embroidery hoops from local thrift shops for the past year or so.  Just picking them up here and there, not quite sure what I was going to do with them.  These were so inexpensive, maybe .25 - .49 cents a piece.  I used my designer fabric scraps and just stretched them into each canvas and then trimmed around the edges.  They are each hung on a nail and are very light-weight. 

The embroidery hoops on the wall is not my original idea, I've seen this done in designer magazines as well as on lots of online websites and I have always loved the look.  We used to have Savannah's name on the wall, but when we moved Matilda in, we had to come up with something new.  I have so many fabric scraps that I just love, I knew this inexpensive art work would be just perfect to fill the large wall in the girls room.

The pink polka dot duvet covers and pillow shams are from Potterybarn Kids.  The twin-sized quilt on the foot of Savannah's bed is one that I made for her from Heather Bailey's "Freshcut" fabric line before Matilda's arrival.  I haven't had time to make Matilda a big quilt yet, so her quilt is store-bought.  It's really cute with owls, flowers and birds.

The cream colored drapes were in the nursery, but didn't really go with our new "Nautical" theme for baby brother.  So I moved them into the girls room, but they needed something against the yellow wall.  I found these two valences at Home Goods store in the clearance section - $3.00 a piece.  I stitched them to the top of each curtain panel to add a little interest around the window.  They are trimmed with ric-rac and were just the right colors.

I covered this lampshade for Savannah's original room and I still love it.  I covered it with fabric and then made fabric yo-yo's that I hot glued all around the bottom.  It is finished at the top with a pink, ruffle trim ribbon.

Above are a couple pillows I made for their room.  I haven't gotten around to making an "M" pillow, but hopefully that is on my short list of to-dos.  The other pillow is made from scraps from Savannah's quilt and several handmade fabric yo-yo's.

The elephant wall art was made by me from different fabric scraps that I cut up to create the piece.  There are two other similar pieces in the room (though I didn't get a photograph of them) - one has two little birds and the other has a lion and a whale on it.  All three photo mats are covered in the same pink polka dot fabric.

Matilda's bed is still a little high up for her to climb in, so she uses this painted trunk to climb into bed.  It's great because it also doubles as storage and looks pretty too.

The girls are having a great time being roommates.  Since they are only 16-months apart, I think it works out really well for them to share a room.  I'm currently having them nap in separately (Savannah naps in Mama and Daddy's bed), but other than that it's worked out really great!

Do any of your kids share a room?  Did you share a room growing up?  How did it work out?

From Grandma with Love........Cherry Picnic Dresses

I mentioned in my last "From Grandma with Love" post that Grandma Jane had made these adorable Cherry Picnic Dresses for the girls.  So here they are -   I absolutely love them and they fit perfectly!

I just love coordinating sister looks where they are matching, but not exactly the same.  Mom found this fabric at her local Joann Fabric store and thought it just shouted summer picnic and I couldn't agree more.

Matilda's dress is so sweet with the pleated top and the button detail across the front.  Her dress has three medium sized buttons in the back and has the plaid accent at the bottom.  I've been kind of into the square neck-line lately and I think the pleated top just makes the dress!

 

Miss Savannah's dress couldn't have been designed more perfectly for her.  She is really into collecting things and sticking them in her pockets (you should have seen the mound of rocks she had in her shorts the other day).  These pockets are nice and large and are set at just the right height for her little hands.  I also love that Savannah's dress has encased elastic in the back which makes for a very comfortable fit.  And my favorite detail of this dress is the piping that has been added in around the bodice edge......mom knows I love that piping!

What's even more fun right now, is that the girls love to be matching.  I know this is not going to last long, so I'm taking full advantage of it for right now.  But with them only being 16-months apart they pretty much have the same taste in clothing and both love wearing dresses!

Thanks Grandma Jane, handmade gifts are the best!  

We love all the pretty things you've been making and sending for the girls!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 2nd Birthday to my baby girl, Matilda Jane!

I guess when you turn two, you're not really a baby anymore and I'd definitely say this little lady has graduated to toddler status in the last six months.  She's been a little slow growing in the hair department so she still kind of looks my baby.  But boy does she have some serious personality coming through.  She is a ray of sunshine every day and I can honestly say she is a joy to parent.

There are just a few things that I would like my sweet Matilda Jane to know about what she is like on her 2nd birthday:

1. You have some of the best expressions that make your family smile ear to ear.

2. One of your favorite phrases is "I do it!".

3. You love and adore your sister, Savannah Rose.

4. You give the best hugs.

5. You make people smile wherever you go.

6. You look adorable with your little pig tails.

7. Your favorite television show is Caillou and your favorite book is Look and See Sesame Street.

8. You sleep with your stuffed Elmo and lamb every night.

9. You love your binkie and your call it "B".

10. Whenever your sister says something, you say "Me too!"

11. You like to spin around and around until you are so dizzy you almost fall over.

12. You love playing baby dolls.

13. We call you "Missy Boo" - a name that your sister, Savannah, came up with and it has just stuck.

14. You are incredibly snuggly and loved to be cuddled on the couch.

15. You don't like bugs.

16. Your favorite foods are hot dogs, pretzels, macaroni and cheese, popcorn and all kinds of berries.

17. You like to dance and love showing your mama all your ballet moves.

18. You love your cat, Lily and are always looking for her.

19. You have the sweetest looking face after you wake up from your nap.

20. You light up a room and bring joy into our hearts.

So, again, happy birthday to my baby girl!  We are all looking forward to your "Tea for 2" birthday party tomorrow.  Thank you for being such a sweet, loving child - you are such a blessing to our lives!

We love you,

Mama, Daddy and Savannah Rose

Happy Easter from The Cottage Home

 

Happy Easter!

Just a quick little blog post wishing you a very Happy Easter.  

We started out our day by checking out what the Easter bunny had brought for the girls, followed by a little egg hunt inside the house. Next we met my in-laws for Easter Mass, followed by a delicious brunch at one of our favorite local restaurants.  And, to our surprise, we actually had some decent weather, so when we got home we headed outside so the girls could hunt for more eggs in the front yard. 

It was a truly lovely day.  I hope you all had a great time during your Easter celebration and were able to spend some time with loved ones.  Again, Happy Easter from our family to yours!

A BIG Announcement!

In case you missed the very last line of that poem..........

Can you believe it?  I think I'm still in shock, but we are beyond thrilled!  My husband and I just kind of assumed we'd have another girl since we have two already, but when the ultra-sound technician told us the news, we were utterly stunned.

Me, miss "all about all things girly" is going to be the mama to a little man? Yippee!  This little guy is going to change our family dynamic for sure. We got some great ultrasound pictures of him and I think he looks just perfect (of course I do, I'm his mama).  I know some people don't agree with finding out the gender before the birth, but it honestly makes me feel so much more connected to my baby knowing if it is a boy or girl.  And I love this little guy already.

So, I'm guessing this little man is going to change things up here on the blog.  You know I still do, and always will, love all things girly, but you're definitely going to see a little more variety on here in regards to projects for boys.  This blog is about my life and I have a feeling this little guy is going to steal my heart!  He's expected to be here some time in early September.

And will you believe me if I tell you that I'm already crafting up something for this little guy? Yep, it's just a little something, but I can't help myself.  My head is swirling with all kinds of ideas and I can't wait to start designing his nursery.

Thanks so much for letting me share this wonderful news and yeah for boys!! 

Happy {Belated} St. Patrick's Day

Happy {belated} St. Patrick's Day to you all!  We had a great day yesterday enjoying our Irish heritage.  It finally thawed out enough here in Chicago for us to be able to go outside and explore the yard.

We went hunting for sticks and rocks around our yard and boy were there a lot!  We have tons of trees around us, so once the snow melts, there are plenty of great sticks to be found.

This was Miss Matilda's main look the entire time we were outside.  She was in amazement of so many things - especially the wind-chime that we have hanging from a tree.  It is so amazing to see the world through your children's eyes - it really made me appreciate all that we have and the area in which we live.

We went to look for our favorite ducks (we live right next to a very large river), but I don't think it is quite warm enough for them to make their appearance yet.  They were probably staying on shore for the most part, but I bet in a couple weeks we will see them.  There's a really cute male and female duck that walk around our neighborhood every year - they seem so in love - it is very sweet to see.

My mom made these sweet St. Patrick's day dresses for the girls.  I love how they turned out with all the ruffled ribbon and grosgrain ribbon trim - too cute!

My husband made two loaves of his family recipe for Irish Soda bread.  It is delicious every single year!

Brett (The Cottage Papa) typically doesn't get home from work until later, but for St. Patrick's day he made a special effort to be home early so we could have a family dinner.  I was in charge of the corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and they turned out mighty good, if I do say so myself.  I make my corned beef in the crock-pot.  I just stick it in there with the seasonings - no water or anything and about 6-8 hours later, cooked on low it is ready.  I have this thought every year on St. Patrick's day - Why we don't eat corned beef more often? - it is so yummy.

So, that's our St. Patrick's Day recap.  It was a truly great one.  Did the girls really like their dinner?  Not really.  Did they even eat the soda bread?  No, they preferred the butter on top.  But it's the tradition of it all that I hope we are instilling in our children.  Someday they'll like it.......someday.  

It's another sunny day here in Chicago and I can just feel spring approaching.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and TGIF!