Lay Baby Lay - Nursery Inspiration & Delights!

By far the most frequently visited style board on Lay Baby Lay is the Steve McQueen vintage.  Considering some of the links are now out of date, I thought it was time to revisit it (I know, two car boards in one week!).  If you want something less dramatic, a light blue or aqua paint color would look great as well.  I love that Great Escape poster – sort of reminds me of vintage G.I. Joe.

I get quite a few inquiries concerning baby bedding choices, so when Erin emailed introducing her new line of gorgeous baby linens, I had to share.  It is a truly lovely collection, with one of a kind pieces such as vintage quilt bumpers and hand embroidered crib skirts that you won’t find anywhere else.  These beauties are wonderful inspiration for a nursery!  Check out her website, her shop, and her blog.  (Note that Jenny Lind toddler bed above – love!)

This past weekend, we had Santa pictures taken.  It was such a fun outing!  I was really excited because I heard that b. braithwaite (which Chip calls b. birthweight), an adorable baby boutique in our favorite neighborhood, was doing Santa pictures.  It turned out to be a perfect, low stress environment since it is a small store and we had an appointment.  They took a lot of pictures and let us have all of them (I guess it does make sense that Santa pictures are now digital), and I have to say that the Santa looked fantastic.  I’m using one of the photos for our Christmas card as my plans to have a family photo shoot have been postponed until this week due to weather and a sick Peanut, so this was my chance to get a good shot of all of us together (why is it so hard to get a family photo?).  Vivi did great when we were all sitting together.  She was fascinated with Santa’s beard and his furry suit, and she was still okay until she realized we quietly slipped away, at which point she was not a happy camper.  Chip had fun photoshopping two of the photos together to get that last picture.  I’m sure you probably figured that out, though, as all you other mothers out there know there’s not a chance a one year old would be happy and smiling on Santa’s knee all by herself!

First, I have a giveaway!  Lulu of Lulu’s Nest on Etsy was kind enough to send Vivi two adorable felt hair clips.  They are so perfect right now, as Vivi has just discovered how to remove bows from her hair (not all the time – mostly if she gets bored, tired, or riding in the car), but she really needs them or else her hair is all over the place and in her eyes!  I can put these right on top of her head and their secure grip and the placement makes them a challenge for her to pull out, which makes me very happy.  I just bought the cupcake and bow versions as well because they are just so darling!  If you are interested in the giveaway for two clips, leave a comment and the winner will be drawn at random next Tuesday, the 13th!

Above are a few of Vivi’s favorite things.  She is really enjoying books now, which is really fun!  I have been reading to her since she was born, but now she seems to really enjoy sitting and looking at the pages and watching me read them.  She also loves to turn the pages.  The Hugs links pictured above are also a lot of fun (and the awesome canister they come in are also just as much fun as the toys)!  Vivi loves to chew on them, toss them, pile them up – B.Toys was kind enough to send us a set after I featured the Zany Zoo(which we still love!) and these are a hit, too.  Those stack and roll cups are also really awesome.  I purchased those at Target when I went to get her some new toys, and being overwhelmed by all the plastic and flashing lights, these caught my eye because they were so simple.  Vivi loves clanging them together, stacking them, putting things in them, and the ball keeps her attention for a really long time.  She rolls it across the floor and then crawls after it.  Lastly, (and this one is my personal favorite!) is Bear.  He is the cutest little thing ever.  We received him as a gift, but he has become Vivi’s snuggle buddy.  Since he is so small, I don’t worry about her sleeping with him, and he has acquired that sweet loved-in look like a Velveteen rabbit because she nuzzles him with her face when she gets sleepy.  I’ll never be able to part with this little fella, as he will always be a picture of sweet baby snuggles with Vivi!

(**Lastly, for those of you who asked, I included a link to some Magnum bows!  I purchased Vivi’s at a store in Albany, so they aren’t online, but these appeared to be similar – hers is on an alligator clip.)

A few of Vivi’s current favorites!  (Sticking her tongue out is also her favorite!)  The zany zoo toy is really great now that she is sitting.  With four different sides to play with, and a fairly non-obtrusive color scheme, I love it, too!  I think it will grow with her as well, since there is a top she can reach once she starts pulling up.  The toy is recommended for older babies, so she just plays with the maracas and the zany zoo when I am watching her closely.  The blackout curtains are a recent addition, and have made such a difference for her.  She started teething at 5 1/2 months, and began sleeping more lightly, so they seem to really help soothe her at bedtime and she sleeps longer for her naps, too!