Lay Baby Lay - Nursery Inspiration & Delights!

First, thanks to everyone who entered the Darling Clementine giveaway!  Congratulations to Erin Collins on winning the cute little Maileg mouse!I also wanted to post an update that there is some new artwork on the Lay Baby Lay Society 6 shop!  I have added the zebra prints with a Dr. Seuss quote, as well as some flamingo pairs.  There are options for the zebras and flamingos on one poster (18″ x 24″) so it’s a little easier to frame if you want to go that option.  I think the separate panels work a little better, but I know it can be pricey to have custom framing done!  I’ll keep adding more artwork here and there.  Be sure to check it out, and let me know if you have any requests!Lastly, here are a few fun favorites this week:Oh My Deer Proverbs 31 print: A beautiful poster sized piece of art that would make a great mother’s day gift.  I recently purchased another one of her posters for our den, and it’s just as beautiful in person as you would imagine.

Sophie & Lili Hand Knit Baby Dolls: Aren’t these adorable?  They are also 20% off until 5/4 (tomorrow) with the code KNIT20!

Leather Triangle Mobiles:  These are so beautiful (I have the black and white Gigi version!).  I’m trying to decide where to hang it – either over Brigette’s changing table, or perhaps in my nephew’s room!

Rainbow Houndstooth: I posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago, and saw it again this past week when I went back to the fabric store.  All of you seemed to love it and I have gotten a few inquiries about it, so I thought I’d post the info.  It’s so beautiful – might have to come up with a project!  I can’t seem to find it on Forsyth’s website anywhere, but the color way is called Ridonculous Garden (there are two colorways, but I think this is the prettiest – the other is Ridonculous Carnivale) and the number on the tag is 353101, so I’m sure if you call them (404.351.6050) they can help you find it.

Happy Weekend!!

Here is a not-so-pink revision of a mermaid inspiration board for your little fish out of water.  I had a hard time deciding on a wall color – this collection also looks great on a sweet aqua, a punchy navy, or even a light yellow!

Finally, here are some pictures of Vivi’s room all re-arranged with her big girl bed in place.  (See here and here for previous posts on her room.)  This ended up happening much earlier than I anticipated, and I was anxious as could be about the transition, but it has ended up being really great.  We had a tough couple of weeks getting her adjusted, but I’m glad we were able to make the change before baby, so we were able to be patient and well rested throughout it.  All that to say, this was done on a bit of a whim, and with the last remaining end-of-pregnancy-just-got-done-with-a-nursery-energy I had.  My favorite part is the headboard her Grandpa crafted out of wood from her great-great-grandmother’s home (V for Vivi!).  I’d post a DIY, but it’s only a DIY if you know how to do things like cut angle iron, braze, and use a mitre saw with precision.  The one part of the whole process I could DIY was say, “yes, those pieces of wood look nice.”  We moved the bookcase beside the bed, which is a great sturdy little nightstand where we can place a sippy cup of water, and we have easy access to all her books at bedtime.

We added those little teapot hooks from the Land of Nod for her jackets and coats (we live in Atlanta, so her outerwear wardrobe isn’t that extensive), and moved the changing table to another wall.  No – we haven’t tackled that big change yet!  She doesn’t quite seem ready, and I know I’m not ready, either.  We also bought the clock above that is on the black chest of drawers.  That was a really great purchase, and has been super helpful for the bed transition.  I was a little iffy about whether it would work, but I had heard great things from others, and now I am officially sold on the idea.  It has an alarm you can set so the clock will turn green when it is time to get out of bed (it stays green for a while, so if the toddler decides to sleep in, she won’t miss out on the green light).  Vivi thinks it is awesome, and we always make a big deal in the morning when she stays in bed until it turns green.  Before we had it, she was getting up super early!  The only drawback is there isn’t a second timer for naptime, which makes it a bit confusing for her when there is no indicator that she can get up from her nap.  It also has a built in night light that is quite bright, so we usually place a book in front of it to dim it just a little.

Some of you have asked about my toy organization strategy.  We keep toys in Vivi’s room and in the playroom.  I also keep all wheeled items (such as a baby doll stroller, shopping cart, etc.) parked in the den in the corner, just because one night when she decided to get out of her bed she tripped on one of them, so I took them out because they were a bit of a nighttime hazard.  It may not appear this way from the pictures, but I also try really hard to ruthlessly get rid of toys that aren’t used and give them away.  This really helps.  I do it about every other month, and it always makes me feel better and less cluttered, and she doesn’t notice.  In her room, she has her animals that go in the toy basket, the kitchen toys that go in the kitchen, books that go in the bookcase, and the Little People toys just stay neatly parked in the corner.  I try to have a home for everything, which really helps when cleaning up, and we also put away whatever we are playing with before moving on to the next thing to keep it under control.  I also usually do a super quick pick up before naptime and bedtime.  I’m really no expert – but that’s my method if it is of any help!

(First of all, thanks to Maddy for featuring Vivi’s birthday party on the adorable Somewhere Splendid today!) I have received a few requests for a monkey nursery, and I’ll admit, I am not typically drawn to monkeys, but I felt like it would be a fun challenge.  Here is a monkey inspired room, with other fun jungle friends thrown in.  The monkey print above is actually quite small, but I think it would be fun to purchase, scan in high resolution, and print out large (as would that adorable giraffe print!).  Another side note, the green and orange versions of the above zebra pillows are on sale!

I received an email from Nicole asking for ideas since she and her husband recently downsized to a very small San Francisco apartment, and were surprised with a baby on the way.  She is planning to make the walk in closet into a tiny nursery, but the wood paneling leftover from a Murphy bed and other details is difficult to work with. She loves peach and metallics and doesn’t want it to be too modern.  Here are my suggestions for creating a sweet space that still feels cozy and special.  Using washi tape to hang artwork is a great way to customize the walls without creating nail holes in the wood work, and full length curtain panels will create the illusion of a larger window and a taller ceiling.  Since the space is small, you can likely get a really great rug, either round or 3′x 5′ or 4′ x 6′ to soften the room.  I hope this helps, Nicole!  Utilizing a closet can be a great way to make space for baby – we’d probably be trying it if we had a walk in closet!  Our plan is to convert the dining room into a nursery instead . . . it’s a work in progress!