Allison’s Nursery

It all began with….no, not a sperm and an egg, don’t be gross! ;) It all began with the inspiration of the Penelope bedding from Pottery Barn. When I found out I was having a girl, I knew it would have to involve pink, but was a teensy bit shy about it, too. Well, this bedding cured that! It’s the perfect combination of pink, green and adorable little birdies.

But first…let me show you what the room looked like prior to the nursery makeover: Guest room/where are we to put the treadmill room. =) The treadmill is now in our master, romantic, huh? Oh well. Priorities change.

So, first things first…paint. Shh, I’m renting, and I painted! I finally broke down and did it. We’ve been in this house for 2 1/2 years, and will realistically be in it for another 2. So, I think it’s okay to paint at this point. So, green and a little pink! Thanks Papa! Next challenge, how to keep the guest bed, AND incorporate it into the nursery. So, I kept the same trundle bed pictured in the guest bed above, but we cut off the headboard entirely, so it’s more like a day bed. Thank you Pottery Barn Kids for your twin size duvet that matches my Penelope bedding perfectly! 3 big white pillows from Home Goods, two homemade pillows with plaid fabric matching the color scheme, and 2 Trofast storage chests from Ikea on either side of the bed make the look almost built in (and provides hidden storage that I’m using for older sized clothing for Allie, and outgrown clothes as she gets older)! Challenge? Tackled and accomplished!    Up next? Curtains! I totally and utterly lucked out in this department. I purchased extra plaid fabric to create a valance, which I love, but on our trip to Pottery Barn found blackout pink and white polka dot 63” curtains for only $12.99!! Seriously? You couldn’t even buy the fabric for that! They only had one left, but leave it to good ‘ol Pottery Barn, they looked up in the computer to see if there were any at other stores, 2 left wouldn’t you know, and they shipped me one from San Diego! Same price. Awesome! This picture shows what it looks like prior to receiving the second panel, and I’m planning on sewing some drawbacks with the plaid. Soon…when my uber nesting instincts kick in. What’s a nursery without a crib? Baby #2 (sorry Allie)…we went for a cheaper crib this time around after Baby #1 chewed up the first crib. Still adorable, and convertible, but nearly a $300 price difference. Who’s gonna know? Well…all of you now, but…. Anyhow, Pottery Barn bedding, my mega splurge. Bought the curtain rod to hang the quilt from Bed, Bath & Beyond (with a coupon of course), the adorable nest and bird also came from Pottery Barn. The “A” picture was a gift from my mom, which we doctored up with some cute ribbon to hang. Then, a basket storage unit from Lowe’s with coordinating colored baskets. The pink bird on top is a lamp that also came with the bedding set. I purchased it on ebay because the line has been discontinued. Boo! But, yay for me that it all came together. Look at the cute little bird detail on the inside of the bumper, adorable! Oh, I also found this adorable little chair at Home Goods that I’m planning on sewing a cushion for. More creativity…personalized wall decor! My mom and I created these images using Publisher. We added some verses that fit with the theme of the nursery. We lucked out again and got the picture mats on sale at Pottery Barn, and the picture frames on sale with super coupon at Joann’s. Here’s the artwork: And the layout on the wall… A final touch…a custom built shelf. I found these hooks at Pottery Barn on clearance also and loved them. Initially I was going to use them to draw back the curtains, but didn’t like them there, so I “designed” this shelf (which my dad implemented). We bought the shelf and the supports at Lowe’s, and the hooks are affixed to a second shelf, which we then screwed into the wall. Then, we used leftover molding to frame out the lower “shelf’. I love how it turned out! And what’s hanging is also very special. The onesie is a gift from my mother-in-law, and the shoes are from my mom. =)

Allison, we’re all ready for you!There are a few more details I’d like to add, but for now, they’ll have to wait. Perhaps I’ll do a nursery update. =) Oh, and the changing table is in the closet. Yes, I think I’ll have to have more to come…