4 weeks to go! Nursery Sneak Peek

Well, the clock is ticking. In 4 weeks (at most), we will have a new little family member. I have been having fun putting the nursery together, with lots of help from Seth and from my mom. It's not done yet, but here are a few blurry, hastily-snapped sneak peeks. 

Smudgy iPhone photo, apparently taken as I was falling down or running through the room with my eyes closed.

Bedding. My mom made this bedding to my annoying specifications with some fabric I bought on fabric.com for $40, some red bias tape from JoAnn, and a clearanced bumper from Target underneath. She did a fantastic job. We still have to add the ties to secure it to the crib. Wow, that's blurry. But that will just make the final reveal that much more special. Or something.

When we reassembled Graham's old crib, I was amused and a little horrified to see all the teeth marks on the back of the railing. I didn't even realize he had been gnawing all up and down the front of his crib. Sorry, buddy!

Dresser. Sigh. It's not perfect, but after seven million coats, a girl has to know when to throw in the towel and accept "good enough." Overall, I love it (if I don't look at it too critically). I'm pretty sure my newborn won't care at all. It will be a little low as a changing table, but that's okay. Here's a blurry iPhone photo with the promise of a slightly less blurry picture to come.



Please excuse the crap leaned up against the wall, including but not limited to: shattered picture frames, mop handles, curtain rods, and an Ikea twin mattress! Believe it or not, I am not a professional prop stylist.

I totally dorked out and busted out the label maker for inside the drawers. This is helpful if you have lots of sweet folks over watching the baby (or if you have a Virgo OCD streak and don't want your husband putting a sleeper in with the onesies--heaven forbid!) (or maybe if you got a label maker for Christmas and haven't yet had time to flex your OCD muscles with it). Sidenote: I am only OCD about things that don't matter, like labels and how towels are folded. The rest of my house, particularly my floors and my bathroom, could benefit from this kind of attention, but they do not interest me.

Rocker(s). Oh my gosh, you guys. I am so spoiled. My very sneaky, very sweet family and friends surprised us with a baby shower at brunch a couple Sundays ago! I thought we were going to meet my sisters, mom and grandmother for brunch, but I was shocked to find about 20 of our friends and family waiting for us!

Our varied and hilarious reactions as we rounded the corner into our surprise shower. Me: beginning of the Ugly Cry. Seth (who knew)--well, that's about as excited as he gets. Graham just loves any kind of a surprise and a chance to work the room. Also, I think he may have just spotted the tower of cupcakes from across the room.

And if that weren't insanely sweet enough, some of them pitched in and bought us the super-hip rocking chair of my mood board dreams!

This rocker looks SO CUTE in my living room--note how it perfectly matches the round throw pillows on my sofa. I dug up this random yard of Amy Butler fabric I bought a couple months ago to see how it might look as a throw pillow, and it and the rocker became fast friends. Pillow to come soon!

My first impression is that it is quite low to the ground (seriously, about 8" off the ground) and might not work in the nursery for overnight feedings those first few weeks after a c-section (it is so hard to get up and down from a seated position, especially carrying a sure-to-be-giant baby, when your abdominal muscles have been cut all to hell), so we're still going to put Graham's old glider in the nursery, maybe just at first. After I'm all healed up, we'll swap it out for the hipster rocker. Maybe. I'm really getting attached to how cute it looks in my living room! Who says you can't have a couple different rocking chairs, right? Mom stitched me up a red microsuede cover for Old Reliable to  match the new nursery.



Graham's old rocker--the sweatpants of the glider/rocker world. Neither fancy nor hip, but comfy and dependable. Also, like sweatpants, good for just after surgery. Robot pillow from Aunt Kara.


That's all I have for right now. I still have to (have Seth) hang the new light fixture to replace the glamorous bare bulb that's there right now, finish the window treatments, and make a little art project for over the crib. I'd like to get a little more done on Graham's room as well before his baby brother joins us, but we shall see.

I can't believe I only have four weeks left! Hopefully that will be enough time to finish the room and take some blurry (but less so) photos for you. Pin It

Penny Carnival Baby Shower

We finally had Mimi and Kevin's long-awaited Penny Carnival baby shower over the weekend, and it was an adorable success! My friend Sharon graciously offered up her home, which has a great open layout for parties (plus no toddlers or chihuahuas to disrupt the fun), and along with Jessica, we hosted a fun and memorable shower to celebrate little Penny's impending arrival.

The mantel sort of served as the centerpiece of the event, with Penny's big name banner (made from scrapbook paper and cardstock, sewn with grosgrain ribbon, and lettered with the help of my Christmas present--a Cricut Expression, using the Carousel Lite cartridge). We flanked the mantel with big jars of animal crackers and circus peanuts. Underneath we pinned photos of the happy couple to some leftover red ribbon. We left the hearth open to collect all the gifts as guests arrived.

Over the food table, we covered Sharon's chandelier with poms and lanterns, making sure not to let any of the paper touch the hot little bulbs. I actually "borrowed" the fabric we're using for my own baby-to-be's window treatments to make a quick table runner. You will see it again in valance form (hopefully soon!).

I wanted a fun backdrop (to cover Sharon's lovely but non-theme-specific curtains), and I had been searching for striped fabric or something else to use, when I decided just to use white sheets I already had, and make the stripes out of red crepe paper. I tried to steam the sheets (I promise!), and if I had it to do over again, I would have ironed them, but whatever. Total cost: $1 for a roll of red crepe paper.

I made silly, carnival-inspired signs for the food: "Hot Dogs! Peanuts," "Cake Walk," and my personal favorite, "Food on a Stick."

 

Amidst all the junky fair food, we wanted to work in a couple of healthy options, especially for the pregnant ladies, and we figured putting it on a stick kept it theme-appropriate.  I made little flags for the skewers out of leftover scrapbook paper. My collection of Fiesta Ware came in handy here because it matched some of our decor.

My friend Jessica made delicious sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting tinted to match the shower decorations, as well as some fantastic chocolate cupcakes topped with animal crackers.

 

I made the "popcorn" cupcakes (tutorial here), and displayed them on a red tray I scavenged from my kitchen (my coffee maker usually sits on it--picture here). I ordered the cupcake collars from Oriental Trading to save myself a little bit of time.

Jessica's little niece received a popcorn machine for Christmas, and she was so sweet to let us borrow it, even writing out some too-cute instructions on how it worked.

We placed some  different seasonings and some plastic popcorn boxes (snagged on clearance in the Target dollar zone a while back for about twenty-five cents a pop!) nearby and let people help themselves.

Candy tables/bars are everywhere, but the "penny candy" idea was just too appealing to pass up. We kept it small since we already had other sweet treats available, but we made sure to include some penny-esque chocolate coins.

Guests used the remaining popcorn boxes to fill with their favorite sweets-to-go. We added a little color to the table with one of my pashminas--how's that for cheap and cheerful?

We had big tubs of bottled water, sodas, and beer outside, and we offered up lemonade inside as well. The "Test Your Strength" version contained alcohol; "Kiddie Rides" was nonalcoholic.

We didn't have any traditional shower games (I think I've been pretty clear on how I feel about those, so I was relieved Mim felt the same), but we did have one optional guest-participation activity: guessing Penny's "fortune." I made a goofy fortune teller "booth," inspired by the machines I'd seen at arcades and carnivals, and let guests write down their predictions. The base is actually part of a hat box I bought to go in my little one's nursery.

At the last minute, I worried that we didn't have anything to hang on the front door. I grabbed the box lid from the striped base of the "fortune teller" booth, stuck a Cricut-styled "P" to it, and hung some leftover bunting over it.

We hopped on the popular "photo booth" party trend, setting up Jessica's tripod in Sharon's back den and offering up some goofy props for the guests. I can't wait to see how those photos turned out.

Kevin and Mimi passed out some fun, creative favors: scratch-off lottery tickets, complete with a "lucky penny" for each guest.

Kevin and Mimi had a great time, and I think all the guests did, too. I was so happy to be a part of celebrating their baby-to-be and her awesome parents.


Sources:
Poms, bunting, banners: handmade using the Cricut "Carousel" cartrdige for all lettering and die-cuts.
Cupcake stands, striped cupcake collars, some candy: Oriental Trading.
Lanterns: Asian Ideas (repurposed from Ruby Anniversary party)
Beverage jars: Target (snagged on clearance last summer, but still available at full price--$20-ish-- in the glassware section)
Photos: My charming sister-in-law, Kara Knox Pin It

Dulcie's Winter One-derland

My sweet niece Dulcie turned one at the end of January, and we celebrated on a sunny Saturday afternoon. For weeks prior (and the week after), however, the weather had been snowy and freezing. The surprise sunshine didn't keep the popular Winter "One"-derland theme from being completely adorable.  Her mother (and my baby sister), Mary Ruth, is fantastically talented at creating charming, whimsical decorations for next to nothing, and this  party was no exception. Many of the snowflake- and winter-themed decorations she snagged after Christmas for 75% off!

Everything was sweet and charming, and Dulcie had a fantastic time (and her first taste of cake)! The turquoise and red color scheme (which everyone knows I'm obsessed with) was tailor-made for their cute house.

Our sweet friend Jennifer (whose shower I featured here) made a gorgeous banner with the new Cricut she received for Christmas. 

Mary Ruth made a smaller banner to go over the food table. Please ignore my son's fistful of bread in the bottom left corner. Once that kid spots a plate full of rolls, it's all over.

Sweet and salty goodness: white chocolate-covered pretzel rods with color-coordinated sprinkles.

Some snowy blue and red treats. I got to make the marshmallow pops, which were super cute, but does anyone actually eat those things? It's like an adorable diabetic coma on a stick.

There were "snowy" coconut cupcakes for the guests . . . 

And a "giant cupcake," expertly decorated by my mom, for Dulcie's smash cake. 

A smash it she did!

The guests enjoyed coffee and hot cocoa with wintery fixin's, like giant marshmallows and candy canes.

The gifts were placed on some smartly coordinated fabric that Mary Ruth happened to have.

Happy Birthday, sweet Dulcie Lou! Thank you for letting us share your special day!

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T-minus 12 (11?) Weeks and Counting

So! Here I am (Mom, and my one sister who might be reading this?). I didn't mean to stay away so long. I don't have much of an excuse beyond being busy and pregnant and kind of wimpy. Speaking of which, I'm having a baby in um, 12 weeks. At the most. I'll probably have to have an early c-section in 11 weeks. I'd better get this nursery business wrapped up so this child won't have to sleep in a drawer.

(My friend Mimi is having a girl at almost the same time, so we're going ahead with the Penny Carnival shower theme, and oh-em-gee, is it going to be cute. I can't wait to share pictures.)

I am having boy #2, and I still like most of the red and blue nursery I posted before, so I've forged ahead with that. A few things have changed my original ideas. The first: lack of space in this tiny room (9x10) means I can't fit a changing table AND a dresser in, so I decided to try to find a low and long dresser, the top of which will double as a changing table. I got a crazy deal on a mid-century-esque Basset dresser on Craigslist (thirty dollars!), and the finish was beat up enough for me not to feel guilty sanding and painting it. It currently has 5 coats of red high-gloss on it, out of the 342 that will apparently be necessary. Sigh.

(The dresser in the picture is not mine, but it represents what I hope mine will look like!)

The second thing that changed my plans around a bit was my discovery of the baby bedding virtual designer at Carousel Designs. After fiddling around with the fabrics, I realized I didn't care for all the brown and cream in my first choice of sock monkey fabric, but I loved the blue option. I tried breaking up the print of the bumper and the skirt with a red crib sheet, stuck everything in a crib that looks pretty similar to the one we already have, and I loved it.

Rather than shell out $500 to purchase everything custom, I found the Moda Funky Monkey fabric on fabric.com, ordered $40 worth, and set my mom to work worked with my saint-like mother to make everything. So far, we've (SHE'S) finished the bumper, and it is looking fantastic. I will say that the fabric is a little more vivid than it looked in most pictures I saw, but I'm going to temper that with a super-pale aqua on the walls, so the room isn't too monkey-crazy colors-frenetic.

So, the bedding and dresser are almost ready to be checked off the to-do list. One of the rugs has been purchased, but it's tiny, so I hope to find an identical one to put next to it. The rocker is probably a no-go (too expensive), so I'll need to recover the cushions from Graham's glider (probably in red microfiber), and the $100-plus light fixture will probably end up being some sort of DIY effort (hold me). The book shelf pictured is similar to one I already have (that's followed me around since college), and I have bought the little cube bins to go inside. I'll feel better when I slap some paint on the walls in there.

1. Light shade, Schoolhouse Electric. 2. Bookshelf, generic image via Google to match my ancient Target Dolce bookshelf. Storage cubes, Closetmaid via Target. 3. Mid-Century Rocker, Urban Outfitters (on sale!). 4. Rug, Ikea Sveje (out of stock EVERYWHERE, but I managed to find ONE on eBay. Still hunting for a mate). 5. Crib image generated via Carousel Designs' virtual baby bedding designer using Moda Funky Monkey fabric in blue. 6. Alphabet prints, FinnyandZook, via Etsy. 7. Dresser inspiration from Red Modern Furniture. Lamp inspiration (similar to old Target lamps I already own), Robert Abbey via StyleCaster. Pin It

Harry Potter and the Nerdly Hallows

Because I am insane, last Thursday night/Friday morning I went to the midnight opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (which, side note, Oh Em Gee! So fantastic! And then I saw it again over the weekend!).

I have a few friends who are as much in nerd-love with the HP series as I am, and we met at my house at 10:00 (P.M.! As in, night time! This is very wild and crazy for me, now that I am old and a parent and pregnant) for some pre-movie caffeine and snacks and general geeking out like crazy eleven-year-olds.

Of course, I couldn't just have snacks and let that be that. And of course, I ran out of time before everyone got there, so I couldn't take proper photographs. Here are some blurry, but hopefully decipherable, pictures of our little dorkfest.

The (blurry) picture above is of the broomsticks I made, based on Martha's now-famous witch's broom favors. These were full of popcorn for the movie, because we are klassy like that. We pulled out the sticks, shoved the bags in our purses, and voila.

Closeup of my dorky little tag (yes, I burned the edges. Shhh.):

The most important element of the pre-movie gathering was caffeine. I put the coffee into a teapot (which is way cuter than my cheapie, half-broken coffee carafe), and cutesified its name:

To go along with the coffee, some donut holes, or (since the sign here is illegible) Hagrid's Rock Cakes:

Some other snacks: pretzel wands, water, chex mix, and little cauldrons of peanut-butter M&Ms. Healthy!

The snacks were fun, but they were nothing compared to the awesomeness of the movie. If you haven't seen it, GO NOW.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Pin It

It's a Girl! Penny Carnival Baby Shower

Yesterday I revealed my plans for my friend Mimi's baby shower in the event she has a boy. Today I'm getting a little more girly. I think the vintage toy theme works well for either gender, but Mimi has given me such cute (and theme-friendly!) names to work with. Since her chosen girl name is Penny, I decided to take the vintage style in a different direction and came up with a "Penny Carnival," complete with popcorn, pennants, and a "penny candy" buffet.

The aqua and red theme remains from the boy shower, but I'm adding a few other colors for that carnival vibe.

Images courtesy of (clockwise): cupcakes, Cake Central; tissue poms, Pom Love; popcorn favors, Candles and Favors; dessert table, Amy Atlas Events.

Now comes the hard part: waiting to find out what she's (and I'm!) having. Pin It

Jack's Vintage Toy Baby Shower

My friend Mimi is pregnant, and I am so excited to be going through my own pregnancy with such a good friend. I feel a little bad that my memory has turned to such mush (see: pregnancy plus child #1) that when she asks me pregnancy-related questions, my response is usually "Uhhh, I don't remember." What better way to make this up to her than to plan a baby shower?

As this is my second go-round with the baby-having, I do not expect to be showered with anything. Well, other than spit-up and all of the other unmentionable fluids that newborns entail. Baby gear-wise, however, I have everything I need. But this is Mim's first baby, and a bit of a wonderful surprise at that, so our friends want to give her and her husband Kevin a fun party to celebrate.

Mimi has already decided that no matter the gender, she wants to decorate the nursery with vintagey toys and retro-inspired prints. I like to incorporate the nursery's colors or theme into a baby shower when I can. We'll both be finding out our babies' respective genders in the coming weeks, but the planner in me can't wait until then to dream up party plans.

First up: the boy theme. Mimi's chosen boy name is Jack, which is a perfect match for vintage toys! Hello, there's even a game called JACKS.

I have red, round lanterns that I want to use. Paired with giant hanging "jacks" (note to self: must figure out how to make giant hanging jacks), I'm hoping they'll be reminiscient of red rubber balls. I think this grouping would look stunning hanging over food and gift tables.

Most of my other inspiration comes from Bella Grace's Vintage Toy Party and Party Love's Vintage Toy Baby Shower.

I also love the idea of including Cracker Jacks, either as favors or snacks, because of their retro quality and especially because of the Jack tie-in. Retro-inspired bunting and little pennant-style flags on the cupcakes would be adorable finishing touches.

I have a strong feeling Mim's having a girl, though, so I'll post my ideas for a girlier (but still retro-inspired) shower tomorrow! Pin It