Welcome to my
Nursery Link

Below are all the posts of my NURSERY. I just LOVE it. Once at the bottom of the page, if you click "older posts" it will continue with more Nursery posts. I guess with blogger they only allow so many posts per page when it comes to these links! Thanks and enjoy.

Nursery Question

This is for Kim...

This is one of the three pieces of furniture that I got for free. My boss gave it to me in hopes that I could do something with it. The pieces are around 27 years old and needed some sprucing up. I wanted pottery barn furniture but cannot afford it. So, after some demo of two drawers, plywood, trim, aspirin and a couple coats of paint...FAUX POTTERY BARN. Cost for refurninshing including crystal hardware...$31.

Closet Update Challenge

I've been Challenged! Check out my Closet Update Challenge. Well, I have to say that the photo of Giorgi's closets that are on my blog still look the same. Only clothing 12months or smaller is currently in the closet. I will not buy anymore that small unless my referral inicates that I might need more of that size. 18months to 5t is what I am occassionally picking up. I am limiting myself to 2 rubbermaid totes of each size. Yeah, let's see how that'll work. I put all my cute closet finds at Giorgia's Enchanted Garden. I tell you, I might as well make the most of this wait and get EVERYTHING I need now! : ) Go check out my cute stuff!

New Lamps

Okay, I bought new lamps for the nursery. I don't even know if I really need them. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to read a book in bed with a light on the nightstand. So, I figured eventually I would need a lamp. Anyway, I wanted a fru-fru lamp (suprise) to kind of reflect Giorgi's chandelier and the furniture hardware. I found these at Target and they were the last ones. The shorter one (below) is sitting on the night stand.

The taller one (below) is sitting on the dresser/changing table for now. Still undecided, that's why the tags are still on. Thoughts?

Is anyone suprised that there are NO FEATHERs on the lamps? lol

Digital Scrapbooking

I know you all are probably sick of seeing Giorgia's Nursery...but I just so love it. Anyway, My newest obscession is Digital Scrapbooking!! Since Giorgi isn't home yet...what can I scrap about? Well, I am working on her lifebook but I still don't have a lot of needed info yet. So, I am doing some pages for her baby book! It takes me forever to put a layout together. (and I mean forever!) So, I hope with lots of practice, I'll get quicker! :)

Toy Chest

Another Refinishing project. Turned out great especially since I purchased the chest for only $1.00!

I'm in LOVE!

I just found this butterfly nightlight on the internet and I'M IN LOVE! I ordered it right away. I have been searching and searching for a nightlight for giorgia's room and a new one for my room. One down, one to go. As expected...she'll get the prettiest one!!! I just hope that it is atleast half as beautiful as in the photo!!!

Nursery Slideshow

I know you all have seen my nursery but I saw a few slideshows on blogs today and thought I would try one out! Since all I do is work right now...this was the only thing interesting to make a slideshow of. :)

Giorgia's Headboard

This was the headboard that I just got at a yard sale for $5. It was an ugly color cream with needed repairs. Now it's White and in the room! It's hard to tell that I painted it. I should have done the before and after outside. It was the same color as my shed when it was done but against the blue/white walls it doesn't look so white. Oh well, that's photography for you!!!

And yes, I am aware that I put a "white" down comforter in a childs room. How long I will be able to keep it this way??? Only time will tell. Hey, I'm a risk taker!! Hee. Hee.

Nursery on a Budget

If you’re like me, you want to do your nursery but are not yet ready to commit to a theme. Afraid that you are going to change your mind next week, next month, or next year? Me too. Okay, I figured it out. At least, I figured it out for me and thought I would share with you.

When I think of my daughter’s room, what do I envision? I thought…GIRLY! What is GIRLY anyway? There are so many different things that are girly. So, I need to define GIRLY. GIRLY for me means sparkly! OK. It’s a start, and don’t think I didn’t contemplate HEAVILY on mixing glitter in my faux finish glaze! LOL. So, how do I make my daughter’s room sparkly. Then it hit me, I want one of those chandelier’s that I sometimes see in little girls rooms. That’s it! So, that was my starting point.

I have always found that in each room that I decorate, there seems to be one main focal point. I figured that this will be Giorgi’s. I also decided that since the chandelier was going to be the focal point,this will be the one item that I will splurge on. It’s the one thing that will be totally unique about her room, and I will design her room around it. Easy enough…right. My budget allowed me $200 for this. Have you priced chandeliers recently? This was not going to fit into my plan. Anyway, I searched on and off for the perfect chandelier for about 4 months. Then, I found THE ONE. I was in love before I even looked at the price. $199 and free shipping. Was that a sign or what!

Okay, so back to the room. Since the chandelier had little crystal flowers on it, I was thinking garden theme.

Themes
I imagined every garden theme imaginable, even butterflies and ladybugs. My daughter would not be a baby-baby so I wanted a theme that would grow with her. I wanted to paint a beautiful mural on the wall. But after I paint the beautiful mural, it’s never going away. LOL. What if she ends up hating it and wants Dora on the wall. NO. So, I ruled out the mural. (Love Dora, just not on the wall). So, I want pretty neutral walls. I then decided to go with a faux sky. It’s cheery, serene, soft, and kind of shabby chic and of course, the chandelier would look fantastic against it. Done. Plus, in the future I can change the look of the room with accents. I don’t have to commit to a “THEME” per say.

Color
Paint is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck. It’s cheap and easy. I highly recommend painting your ceiling. It gives off a very finished look. Even consider a border as an accent instead of wallpaper. I am not a very big fan of wallpaper if you ever want to remove it, it is nerve wracking!
The best finishes to consider for children’s wall are satin, semi-gloss or eggshell indoor latex paint. Smudges of dirt will wipe right off with a damp cloth and some mild soap. You might be able to get away with a flat paint, but only in a room where the child will primarily be sleeping and not playing.
Spend the extra time prepping the room. You know, taping the woodwork and other stuff for clean lines. Time has been my best friend. I have the luxury of having lots of time to do all of this without catering to the needs of a family. My pooch Pirate is very low maintenance. But when it comes to to saving money – you can do it too.

Furniture
A must have for me was a white armoire. I didn’t mind if I have to refinish one, just needed one. I found mine at Kmart for $149.99 with no tax. Delaware has no sales tax. Yahoo. Anyway, it’s not as sturdy as I would have liked, but for the price I am definitely not complaining.
As you know, I am going with a white furniture theme. I began looking for a crib. There are just way too many to choose from. Is my daughter going to use a crib or co-sleep? How old are children when they outgrow the crib? All of these questions were swirling around in my head. Hmmmm. Ok, here is my take. I want a crib and I hope she sleeps in it. I will co-sleep if I have to. So, do I want to put a chunk of money into a crib that she might never even use? Not really. As luck would have it, a member of my freecycle group offered a white crib to me and a friend gave me her crib mattress. DONE.
*NOTE: The National Safety Council explains things to consider when buying a crib: http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/cribtips.

I already have a full size bed in this room since it was the craft/guest room. I am not a fan of toddler beds. So, it stays. I am thinking…before I do the co-sleeping thing, I would sleep in the full size bed with the crib scooted up lengthwise beside the bed. It’s sort of an in between concept.

Other furniture? Look for dual functional furniture, instead of a changing table, find a dresser that you can place a changing pad on. Put all of the diapering necessities in the top drawer. So I needed a few more pieces, so I decided to look at garage sales, thrift stores, or freecycle.org to buy pieces to refinish. As my luck would have it, my boss at my second job offered me her daughter’s furniture. Her daughter is all grown up and out of the house. The furniture is around 27 years old but good stuff. I was jumping for joy. Sight unseen – I knew I could make it awesome. So, I got it and it looks awesome. You can refinish any piece of furniture and make it great. *NOTE: Do make sure anything you buy secondhand complies with current child safety requirements.

I don’t stain furniture…too much work. PAINT! Paint is cheap. Okay, I know that stained pieces are beautiful, but my budget screams PAINT. When refinishing…I cheat. I am NOT sanding. Use BIN primer and it bonds to anything. Then paint. At least two coats and let dry thoroughly!! I picked a high gloss. It was the look that I was going for. This way it can be easily cleaned as well.

If you have a bunch of non matching pieces, after you paint them, tie them together a little more, by switching out the hardware. I found my crystal knobs online for a fraction of the cost of Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Safety - Older furniture is much sturdier for child use and don’t forget to anchor to walls. One of my friends cousins little boy was climbing a dresser when it fell on him and was severely injured. He needs a nurse 24/7. It is devastating for the family. So, this is one thing that I am adamant about….securing the furniture in the nursery. I am considering it with a few other pieces in my house. The price is so minimal.
Don't forget a place for you to sit in the nursery. Pick a comfortable chair. You'll be spending many nights there with your baby, reading her stories or rocking her to sleep. I don’t have one yet. I’m working on it.

Window Treatments

Window treatments are a place where you can really save money by doing the work yourself or buy very inexpensive one. Luckily for me, I wanted sheers and they seem to be the cheapest. I found them at Value City. Some have told me that it's very inexpensive to make them with cute fabric or even using twin sheets.
*NOTE: Make sure to use those safety gadgets to wind up blinds.

Storage
Find a way to create lots of storage space. You'll probably need more room than you think. Once the clothes get bigger and are joined by shoes and other accessories, you'll need every inch of closet space you can get. Not to mention a place to put all those toys! For extra storage, I did custom closets with adjustable shelves to grow with my daughter. I have the armoire and dresser, plus those under the bed containers and 2 Rubbermaid containers hidden underneath the crib.

Accents
Buy inexpensive accents to pull the room together. I have my enchanted twinkle tree in my room. I think the total cost was less than $30. I personally don’t want a lot of stuff on the walls, I prefer the simplicity. Some rooms over stimulate me; this is what I am trying to avoid. It’s not for everyone though. Do what makes you happy.

Inexpensive ways to accent would be to frame pictures from children's books for inexpensive art they'll love. You can find books at thrift stores or garage sales for pennies. This is also a good way to use books if baby has eaten a couple of pages but you don't want to throw them away!

Okay, I this is how I saved money on my nursery.

If you have trouble reading this chart, the best way to view it is if you click on it. It will take you to a separate page. Once there, scroll your mouse over it and in the left top corner print options will appear and in the bottom right corner a photobox with a bunch of arrows will appear. click on this photo box and it will enlarge to a nice "viewable" size.

Giorgia's Chair

I got my HighChair! Yippee! I LOVE it! See my tips on picking out the perfect highchair.

Chicco Mamma. See Amazon.com

Editorial Review
Although one of the more expensive highchairs on the market, this Chicco Mamma highchair is equipped with a number of design features that make it a pleasure to use--and worth the extra money. Mounted on four plastic casters (including two that lock down), the Chicco Mamma starts with a sturdy metal-and-plastic frame that can be smoothly collapsed and folded by pushing the two child-safe buttons located on either side of the seat. As a result, you can store the chair in a space-saving upright position or roll it into the closet when not in use. All of the chair's size and positioning adjustments, including six different height settings and three angles of recline, are easy to make and work smoothly. The chair's vinyl seat cover, in handsome Skyline Gray, can be quickly wiped down after meals, and the wide food tray is equipped with a one-hand tray release on the outside so Mom and Dad can attach the tray or make size adjustments while holding a child with the other arm. To keep baby safely seated before, during, and after meals, the Chicco Mamma comes with a thick five-point harness. --Chris Burns

From the Manufacturer
The safe and easily portable high chair features a five point harness, new passive restraint system and rear locking casters for additional stability. The self locking tray is designed for one handed release and the convenient secondary tray is dishwasher safe. The Chicco Mamma comes with an optional infant support pad and padded seat, which offers 6 different height adjustments and reclines in 3 positions. Folds easily and compactly for storage.

Refinishing Free Furniture

This is one of the three pieces of furniture that I got for free. My boss gave it to me in hopes that I could do something with it. The pieces are around 27 years old and needed some sprucing up. I wanted pottery barn furniture but cannot afford it. So, after some demo of two drawers, plywood, trim, aspirin and a couple coats of paint...FAUX POTTERY BARN. Cost for refurninshing including crystal hardware...$31.

Nursery Closet

So, my only job this weekend was to finish one of the closets in the Nursery. Custom Shelving. I chose to use the type that has adjustable shelves. Anyway, this is the larger of the two closets and I have designated this to be the toy closet. I only put in the few clothes that I had cause it made for a cuter picture! My goal is to simplify toy storage for my daughter-to-be. There are two bins that roll out (old Ikea) and if she's lazy, can just throw all of her toys in these bins and roll back into the closet. The lower shelf, I put in three cubes that are designated for books. As for the other shelves, I will probably have clear bins or white crates for other stuff. This is the plan. But if she is anything like me...even this simple solution will create chaos. I ripped the closet doors off cause I want to be like "Clean Sweep" and it really does give me more room. I put up sheers like I did on the large window. I also have hooks for the ties at two heights. This way I can open the sheers a little or a lot or just leave them completely shut! What do you think?

1st Nursery Photos!

These are the first Nursery Photos. This weekend I will be starting and completing ALL of the photos needed for my Dossier! This should be fun! (not) Anyway, I do really like the photo below, but as I am sure you all know... the photos are just never as beautiful as the rooms in person. It's impossible to tell, but I have a faux finish on the walls, it's Sky Blue and I colorwashed "China White" over top. Yeah, I know I'm a little silly but...I a better picture of my chandelier and enchanted tree.

The Healthy Baby Nursery

I read this article called The Healthy Baby Nursery by Annie B. Bond and sometimes I wonder if too much information is a bad thing. Sometimes I am so confused, should I buy into all of the stuff I read? It seems like everything can be an issue. I guess it’s up to the individual. So, as I always do, I will share some of the highlights of this article. (and freak out quietly here at work about my toxic nursery at home! *sigh* ) Click on the Title for the link to the complete article.

Paint and Carpeting

Find out whether there is lead paint on the walls! Homes built prior to 1978 could have this problem.

The carpet in your nursery can actually contain dust mites, mold, and mildew. If there is old carpeting in the nursery, you might want to consider replacing it.

New furniture is made of pressed wood, something to avoid because of the formaldehyde in the glues that will continually outgas for the entire life of the piece. Choose real wooden furniture instead.

Toxic Crib Mattresses

“In a study of six brands of crib-size waterproof mattress covers conducted by Anderson Laboratories, all were found to emit toxic fumes in various degrees, and some caused acute toxicity to the respiratory tract of male mice. Five of the mattress covers were made of polyvinyl chloride covered with cotton or polyester layers. The remaining cover was made of polyolefin. Chemical emissions included suspected carcinogens.” So, If this is true, I wonder if the zippered waterproof mattress cover that I bought from Target is ok? Wouldn’t you think that if these items are toxic that they would not be on the market?

The recommendation is to use crib and bassinet mattresses made of organic, natural materials.

“Avoid plastic or polyurethane encasements. To prevent moisture from seeping onto the mattress from leaking diapers, invest in an absorbent "wool puddle pad," designed to insert between the sheet and mattress. Avoid pillows until the baby is at least 1 year old, and after that, invest in a natural fiber, organic pillow.”

Crib Bedding

If I could pick any crib bedding in the world, this would be it! It's called "Wish" by CoCaLo. I first saw it when strolling through Burlington Coat!

Wish by Cocalo Wrap your baby in luxury! A beautiful combination of luxurious satin, soft crinkled velvet and embossed burnout velvet creates an opulent and enchanting setting for your baby’s dreams. The lightweight blanket features a classic diamond quilting pattern with a tasteful cording trim and is paired with a 100% Cotton Sateen sheet. This collection offers a combination of exquisite elegance, luxury and value. Coordinated nursery pieces include: 4-Piece Crib Set with a Complementary Embroidered Door Pillow, Window Valance, Lamp Shade, Diaper Stacker, Decorative Pillow and Musical Mobile.

Enchanted Tree

Chandelier

I am in love with my new little Chandelier!

Butterfly

This is just too cute!

Crazy Cakes

"Once upon a time in China there was a baby girl who lived in a big room with lots of other babies. The girls shared cribs with one another and became great friends. The girls had nannies to take care of them, but each was missing something - a mother."