nursery tour

hello!

we wanted to update everyone on our foster to adopt journey…we are currently waiting for our home study to be completed. We should have a home study writer set up that appointment within the next week and once the appointment is complete + the home study is drafted we will be licensed! We are expecting that we will have our first placement by the end of March! Whoa!

and now the nursery…

with our foster paperwork + training out of the way we had to direct our focus on the nursery. Let’s be honest, it’s a little weird getting ready for babies when you are not pregnant…but nonetheless, you gotta be prepared!

Creativity and design is my thing so I was pumped!!! Since the time we began our international adoption, we’ve been gathering little things here and there as we traveled and scoured antique + junk shops. I knew I wanted our little nuggets room to be colorful with a fun mix of vintage and modern finds.

Here is the room before it’s makeover…a sad space without an identity.

 

We started operation nursery with painting the room. Me + my Mom painted the ceiling a cheery mustard yellow - Sherwin Williams Bee, SW 6683. I also painted the accent wall white and the other three walls a soft shade of greige. 

   

Once I got the ceiling and the walls painted I focused my attention on the accent wall. I had the hardest time y’all! First I tried to stencil it with a oversized herringbone stencil, didn’t like the imperfections and it was going to take what seemed like days to complete. I seriously did one section and was done. So then I just started free-handing an oversized floral on the wall, but after Tanner + my Mom + my sister said “what if you get two boys?” I decided that wasn’t the solution either. Struggle bus, seriously. I finally landed on polka dots. I’m not sure why that didn’t cross my mind sooner because it’s one of my all time favorite patterns. I love how it turned out! I used a stencil + the ceiling color and went for it! and no, I did not measure it out to space it all evenly, just me, my eyes and a guess. 

   

This is the room I envisioned. It’s so us! A room for our sweet Amos + our foster babes! 

  

We are approved for up to two children who are 0-2 years in age, no gender or racial preference. With that in mind, I was quickly reminded that I needed to go gender neutral…I said “blah!” I didn’t want the room, like so many gender neutral nurseries, to lack an identity. So I’m calling this nursery co-ed! Both masculine and feminine touches from framed vintage floral wallpaper to antlers, a healthy mix I’d say!

After the room was painted we began the next project, the cribs. They were both given to us, thanks Mom and Ashlea! One was a light maple finish and the other a dark burgundy espresso. I needed them to match, and after much research on the safety of painting cribs we decided to spray paint them white. Well, a few hours into that diy project, project remorse set in. I was over it. So many pieces, so much sanding, can’t move quickly, have to wait until it dries so you can flip it over, AND talk about a mess! Our garage work zone is still in recovery! We did, however, complete the project. After we assembled them in the room, I sealed each one with a water based protective finish. They are far from perfect but look great and will serve their purpose!

   

The map was one I picked out at Chris’ Country Mercantile out north of town. Tanner bought the piece of quarter-round and I sawed it in two, stained and hot glued it to my map, attached a jute hanger and wa-lah! The Ethiopian burlap coffee sack is from an antique store in Fort Collins, Colorado that we picked up on our way back from Canada. It was stuffed with a 30x30 inch euro I picked up from Home Goods and finished with a whip stitched using jute. The other pillow is from Tuesday morning. The deer heads are from the Christmas section at Garden Ridge. I covered them with a little white spray paint + his and hers bows for a totally adorable addition to the space! (if I do say so myself ;)

  

The mounted antlers are actually Tanner’s first deer he ever took! I gave them a little makeover with some paint and gingham fabric, but I did keep the plaque and placed it on the back. The paint by number beach scene is a $5 find from the bargain shopper herself, Karen House! Who also picked up the vintage rocker I eyeballed a long time ago. She surprised us with it when we announced our international adoption. It’s been just waiting to rock babies to sleep! I also framed up some vintage wallpaper I had on hand + the penmanship poster is a wrapping sheet we picked up in Portland. The ampersand was a sale item at Hobby Lobby that my Mom picked up. Aren’t Moms the best?!

   

I was so pleased with how my little hello art turned out. Embroidery hoops + fabric scraps + embroidery thread + yarn! The you are loved canvas was an old project that needed new life. A few other vintage wallpapers found a home in white frames alongside another vintage paint by number found on Etsy. The other alphabet poster is a different wrapping sheet, also from Portland, I cut down and hung with a pant hanger. Lastly, I hung a few baskets on a narrow wall (trying to use the limited space wisely) to house books. It’s close to the rocker where I plan on reading every night.

   

Ta-dah!

Nursery tour complete! I also have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that came out and helped us! Mom, Scotty, Ashli, Caleb, Samantha, Corry! Thank you for loving us and giving your time and energy to make a comfy place for our little ones! We are so incredibly thankful for each of you!