Nursery DIY Projects

I wanted baby E's nursery to be very warm and personal, and my nesting instinct was going crazy, so I decided to add a lot of custom DIY touches to her nursery.  I turned again to Pinterest for ideas and once again it did not disappoint :)  Visit my Nursery Board on Pinterest to see all of the great DIY ideas I found!

When I finally decided which of the projects I wanted to tackle for E's nursery I hit up my local thrift stores for supplies, went to home depot for paint to match the colors I had chosen for the nursery and got to work!

Here are some of the DIY touches that fill her nursery: 

I bought this shelf at a local thrift store for only $2!  It was a hideous green color but I knew it was the perfect size for what I wanted and who can beat that price.  After a little sanding and paint  it turned out good as new.  I then went to World Market and found the adorable knobs to add a fun shabby chic touch to the shelf.  I just love how it turned out!

This little shutter was another great thrift store find! All I had to do is repaint it and we had a cute little holder for all of baby E's hair accessories :)  The bible verse has always been one of my favorites and I knew it would be perfect for a nursery.  It is just on of the many customizable nursery art designs available in the Decorable Designs shop!  I just put the print in a frame from Walmart, which I painted pink, and it makes a great accent piece for her room.

 Here is another custom nursery art print I designed for E's nursery (I love this song by Sidewalk Prophets)!  Again, I painted the frame pink to match, as well as the cute little lantern I found at Target.

Baby E's bookshelf was overflowing with books before she was even born, so I created this cute little bookshelf from 2 milk crates I purchased from Micheal's.  It also doubles as a side table for the rocking chair!

All of these projects were so simple, inexpensive and fun to create! Best of all they really tie the design of her room together! 

Nursery Inspiration

When I began planning baby R's nursery, there were a few things I knew right off the bat: I did not want to paint the walls, I wanted a calm feel, I did not want a particular theme (jungle, owls, etc), and I loved the color aqua (for either a girl or a boy).  So based on that criteria, I began my search for nursery inspiration...

For those of you who do not know, I love Pinterest and use it as a jumping off point for so many of my projects, Baby R's nursery was no exception.  There are endless nursery ideas to be found on Pinterest. Below are just a few of my finds that really inspired me.

       

 I fell in love with this nursery the moment I saw it. I find it so calming with the neutral grey; yet fun with the pops aqua throughout the space. 

Here is the same feel again

 

To see all of the ideas I found visit my Nursery Pinterest Board!

 

I decided to go with a similar feel for Baby R's nursery, but using the taupe color of our walls in place of the grey shown in the examples. I also wanted to add another accent color in the mix, and finally decided to go with a pink to make the room more "girly". Now the hunt was on for the right bedding!  Here are a few of my favorites that I found (and more pictures of beautiful nurseries!):

               

Which one do you like the best?   I'm going to keep you in suspense and reveal my pick when I post the pictures of Baby R's finished nursery!

 

Blue vs Pink: Our Gender Reveal

From the moment we found out we were expecting, I began counting down the days until we could find out whether we were going to have a bouncing boy or a giggling girl.  I absolutely LOVED the idea of a gender reveal party and sharing such a special moment with our closest family and friends.

Well... after months of waiting, and perusing Pinterest frequently for party ideas, the time came to find out!  I had such a blast getting everything ready for the party.  We decided to go with the classic blue or pink theme for the party, and kicked off this theme with the invitations:

Gender Reveal Invite by Decorable Designs

and kept it going with all of the decorations:

 

even outside:

Don't forget the food!

The votes were in and almost everyone (including myself) was positive it was going to be a boy!

Team Blue vs Team Pink!

You can find the invitation, decorations and games in my Esty shop HERE!

Finally the time had come, and 

IT'S A......

 

GIRL!!!

Not only was I so excited to find out we were going to have a beautiful baby girl,  but this also meant I could begin the planning (and lots of list making): name choices, nursery colors/theme, clothes and so much more!  

What's the cutest gender reveal party idea you have seen? Did you have one? or Would you? I’d love to hear…

Back at it, with lots to share!

This year has been an amazingly wonderful and busy one for me! I have not had much free time between my full time job as a director and teacher at a wonderful preschool, being a mother to a growing and always busy baby girl, launching and promoting my Decorable Designs nursery art line, and completing several (very fun) DIY projects for E's nursery and playroom. There have been so many exciting things I have stumbled across throughout the year, and I am so excited to share them with everyone!

First, I will start with the biggest and most amazing change in my family's life: our sweet baby girl! She brings our lives so much fulfillment, and is the reason & inspiration for so many of the fun things I will share with you.

Meet our precious and very silly miss E!

E is the reason for Decorable Designs' new line of nursery art prints.  I had so much fun designing the prints in her room, I just ran with it. My nursery art prints are now some of my favorite items in my shop!  I will share more about my prints soon, but (since I know you are just so antsy to see them) you can view a sneak peek of my prints here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecorableDesigns?section_id=13454729

Mother's Day

"Mothers hold their children's hands for a while, but their hearts forever"

Mother's Day (Sunday, May 13th) is quickly approaching! This special day is a great opportunity to take the time to say the things that are in our hearts, but we too often don't take the time to express. At least that's how it is with me. My mom is an amazing women and one of the most selfless people I have ever met. I would not be where I am today without her. She, as with all mothers, deserves this day (and everyday) to be loved extra, appreciated more and pampered extravagantly. That last bit is not always easy to do on a tight budget and/or busy schedule. Here are a few solutions:

 DIY Mother's Day Gift Ideas

 

 This adorable Kitchen Towel Cake is great for any mom who loves to bake/cook. It is always fun to get new tools for the kitchen, and what a fun way to present the gifts to her. Find the tutorial on how to make the towel cake on the Aly & Ash Blog.

Breakfast in bed is always a nice, and usually unexpected, treat to wake up to. This Mother's Day wake up extra early, sneak to the kitchen, and make your mom (or the mother of your children) her favorite breakfast. If you don't know what to make try these easy and delicious Egg, Bacon & Toast Cups. You can find the recipe on Martha Stewart's website. A flower or two in a small vase with a cup of gourmet coffee or tea is a nice touch to make this treat even more special!

All moms deserve time to get away and relax. Help encourage your mother to do this by making her a moisturizing aromatherapy body scrub with her favorite scents. The directions for this great (and inexpensive to make) DIY gift idea can be found on the Martha Stewart website. Pair it with a new robe, pretty soaps & lotions to make her 'getaway' extra relaxing.

Handmade Gifts

For even more ideas Etsy is a wonderful place to find unique handmade items to fit any style! Here are a few Mother's Day gift suggestions from some of my favorite Etsy shops:

Craft Chest Creative

Hand Stamped & Carved Necklace Pendants

Tabletop Jewelry Organizers

Bill's Wooden Pleasures

Cutting Board

Wood Live, Laugh, Love Candle Holder

Maranda Lee

 

Morning Glory Chloe Bag

Emma Medium Bag in Chevron

Cinco De Mayo!

Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner. That means it's time to brush off your maracas and sombreros, and get ready for a FIESTA!!

Start your party off right with a festive invitation like this one:

Invitation by Decorable Designs

Once the invites are sent it's time to get ready for your fiesta! The following are great ideas for festive south of the border inspired foods for your party:

  

This Edible Mexican Flag is a great alternative to the standard vegetable tray. So fun and easy to prepare!

Find the recipe HERE

Corona Beer Pops are a hit at any party and are another easy-to-make treat!

All it takes is to:                                             

                                               Open a bottle and pour it into any form

                                               Wait 2 hours for it to solidify slightly and insert a  popsicle stick

                                               Freeze for another 2 hours or until becomes solid

                                               Enjoy!

Satisfy your guests' sweet tooth with these Margarita Cupcakes!

You can find the recipe at: www.browneyedbaker.com

These festive tissue paper banners are great decorations for any party! They are also simple and inexpensive to make (which is always a bonus). For instructions on how to make them click HERE!

 For more great Cinco De Mayo food and decor ideas visit this great site: