Elements of Baby Schofield’s Nursery
Nearly as soon as I found out I was pregnant I started planning the nursery. I knew I wasn’t going to wait until I found out if we were having a boy or a girl, instead I would pick things that would work for either, which is more my style anyway. But, where does one start? There are so many options! The first controlling factor was the budget, which is really almost as tiny as the baby himself (at conception). I also knew I wanted an area rug to cover some of the hardwood floors in the room and it isn’t easy to find an inexpensive rug that is also attractive. I looked around on Pinterest and on discount sites and ebay, but came up short (of cash mostly).
And then I saw this one at Ikea and ideas started forming in my head:
That is where it all started. From there I have picked a few new things, a few old things and a few borrowed. Here are the rest of the elements (so far):
I had a Jenny Lind crib picked out and then my parents found this one, for $15!! My dad painted it for us and now it is perfect.
This is the rocking chair myself and my siblings were rocked in as babies and now I get to rock my own baby in it. And, it is comfortable, I am sitting in it right now.
This blanket was one of my baby blankets and it just happened to fit perfectly into the room. I have always loved it and I hope little baby Schofield will too.
For use as clothing storage and changing table I nicked this dresser from John. My dad refinished it for use years ago, after pulling it out of a collapsed barn.
Here is some of the art work that will be hanging on the walls. My favorite is the piece on the far right, done by my friend Corinne Lee-Cooke.
A bright red door.
A chair for baby to read in, when he is older (a stuffed animal holder for now).
And plenty of books!
Hello There!
I promise, after 5 months of silence, I am really going to try to blog more. I have just not been in the mood. I am pregnant, is that enough of an explanation? No? Well, after I found out I was pregnant (happy news!) my husband lost his job (not happy news) and since we had our insurance through his work, it meant going on to cobra ($$$$). There have been job changes and morning sickness and migraine level headaches and the death of my Grandpa Bill. I have not had the energy or motivation to blog, but I have missed sharing with you and it is time to do so again. After all, this is my most favorite time of year and we are almost done painting the nursery, i.e. fodder!
So ,what is ahead? Maybe this:
Elements of baby Schofield’s Nursery (things I have purchased/gathered so far to decorate)
Before & After: The Nursery
How I Decked My Little Halls
And more ideas I haven’t even thought of yet! (How Exciting!!!)
I hope everyone has been enjoying this time of year, with all the festivities.
Just for you, an ultrasound pic of the baby (about 21 weeks), seen thinking hard, with his hand on his forehead.
And a photograph of myself and my Grandpa Bill (quite awhile ago). I still can’t believe I won’t be getting any more of those strong hugs while he calls me, “doll”.
And now I will return to gazing at the Christmas tree and drinking my egg nog infused coffee. I really do have a good life!
Peace to you all.
Summer Portraits: Around the Fire Pit
My Treasures: Bird In A Cage
Today’s treasure is this lovely little wind-up bird in a cage.
It is made by the toy company Schylling and I purchased it at the best kids store (and my former employer), Clover, in Seattle. It has moved around with us, always behaving, never making a mess or big demands.
I love my little birdie, perhaps I should think of naming him…
These rings are awesome, follow the link and go vote, but hurry, the contest is nearly over!!!
Hello hello! My twig stacking rings are in the running for the UncommonGoods Jewelry Design Challenge! I would so appreciate your vote. Here is the link.
Each person can vote just once by July 16. Each vote is valuable! A million times, thank you.
The winning design will score a vendor contract with UncommonGoods. (How great!) There are some other beautiful designs there too – check them all out.
UncommonGoods is a neat place. As a shopping site they focus on handmade and sustainability. When they are considering offering new items for sale, they often let their shoppers vote, just like in this contest. It’s very community oriented. And they won’t sell leather, feathers or fur.
Thanks for your support! Here are some more photos.
For fun, I took photos of the batch I sent to Greenport on Monday:
Before & After: The Bedroom
When we moved into this house just over a year ago, I immediately decided there were a few rooms that needed big makeovers (bathroom & kitchen) and a few that just needed a bit of paint and a few tweaks. The bedroom was is pretty good shape, I could think of some major changes to make, but none that are necessary to make it a nice, livable space. We have slowly been making little changes here and there to change it into what we want.
Here are pictures of the room before we moved in:
John wanted a strong color for the room and was particularly interested in a nice, deep peacock for the walls. I was all for it and so I set to work to find the right shade. I settled on Benjamin Moore’s Salzburg Blue and John (as a birthday gift) set to work painting the room. Here is what it looks like now:
There are still many things to do. The bed is just a box spring and mattress and, right now, the box spring is exposed. I plan to get a fitted sheet to cover it, as soon as I find the right color, whatever that might be. I also want to get some curtains, I am thinking of a green or golden velvet or just white, I will know when I see them (and cost will factor very heavily into the decision). The room also needs more art and a redistribution of what is already on the walls.
We did recently purchased a light to replace this one, which we have hated since day one:
The closet doors are mirrored, which isn’t exactly great from a design perspective, but they sure are handy and I have no plans to change them yet.
I will post more pictures in the fall, when I change my bedding for the colder months, hopefully, by then, I will have even more updates to show you.
If you have any ideas for this space, feel free to share! 🙂
Small Projects: Map Art
I think it is about time I tackled a few projects from my pinterest boards. I will start with something simple, like this:
wish me luck, I will keep you posted!
My Treasures: Collins Enid Blyton Diary 1949
I like to surround myself with little treasures. It may not be the best habit, accumulating things, but it does make me happy to look around me and see things I love. I have decided to share some of my favorite things with you through my blog. I hope you enjoy them too!
I am starting with a recent find: an Enid Blyton diary for 1949.
The only writing in it is this cute little inscription, “To Debby, Wishing you a Happy Christmas and lots of luck for 1949 From Brenda”
Not only is there space to write for each day of the year and common things like a list of holidays, this diary also contains Poisonous Berries and Plants, Moon Phases and much more!
My favorite part may just be the endpapers though, I want to wallpaper everything with it!
In addition to the very charming book, there was a letter (from a boy!) folded up inside the book.
It reads:
Fairview School 78th St.
Seattle, Washington
May 29th, 1946
Hi there,
Remember me, I’m that little blond
haired boy that dipped you braids in the
inkwell. Thanks for the valentine my
little milking maid. Do you like it
down there. In your school are there
any blond haired boys as blond as
I am.
You’d never know me
now for I have one of those G.I.
hair cuts. When are you going to fly
back to your nest or come back to Seattle.
Well, so long,
Walter E Denny
And from what I could find, Walter was 10 when he wrote this cheeky little letter.
I really want to know more of the story!
How did a Diary printed in England, find its way to Seattle to end up as a gift to Debby with a letter from Walter tucked in the back. The letter came first, in 1946 and must have been treasured, or perhaps never sent? I may never know, but I plan to continue researching.
(Mostly) Finished: The Smallest Room in the House
It’s that time! Time for the final update on our bathroom redo. It was actually finished quite some time ago, but there were little things here and there that needed to be done (and still aren’t, but more on that later). And then I had to make sure my camera battery was charged and working on a day when the bathroom was sparkling clean. I took some pictures this morning and I am ready to share, imperfections and all, because, really, I think it looks quite wonderful and I am very proud of the space and thankful to my Dad for all of the hard work he put into (and my Mom and John too) the project.
Let’s dive right into the photos!
Key words: vintage, chrome, white porcelain, glossy black, hexagon, subway, plants, cleanliness.
My dad found this wonderful vintage sink at Restore for just over $30. We fell for it instantly; it just seemed to fit perfectly in our new bathroom. And, AND, the sink just happens to have the same detailing as our existing toilet. We were originally going to replace the toilet because it seemed too large for the space, but after discovering how perfectly it matched the sink, we decided we must keep it! The space was really opened up by using a wall-mounted sink and the toilet no longer feels cumbersome.
As you can see in several of the photos, we painted the trim in glossy black, we also painted the back of the door and I love the way it turned out.
As with all things in life, as much as I love the way the bathroom looks, it isn’t quite done. I would like to get a new doorknob, perhaps porcelain or porcelain and chrome.
At some point I would also like new pot light fixtures in the ceiling.
We also installed a porcelain light fixture above the mirror, but have not found a shade yet. I have been looking for a turtle style glass shade, of which there are many, but it has to be the right size.
We also still need to find something to put our toilet roll on. For now it sits here and there, anywhere within reach.
And there you have it. Our new bathroom and our first renovation in our new house. The window in the bathroom faces north and always creates a nice calming mood and I am very happy that the smallest room in the house is looking so lovely.
Update #1: The Smallest Room in the House
After we removed the hated wallpaper, the next thing on the agenda was getting rid of the almond colored tub with vinyl surround. It took some sawing and cutting, but we (by we, I mean my dad) got it out! Yay!!!!
Then, once the tub was out, the floor could come out. We kept the bit at the back of the bathroom, where the sink and toilet sit, so that we could use that area for as long as possible. (The floor came up quite easily, otherwise, we probably would have opted to take it all up at the same time. )
When it was time for the new tub to go in, we took out the toilet, sink and the remaining flooring and prepared for a new tub and a new floor. Skip ahead (work, work, work and more work) and the new tub was in place, as was the new flooring (sans grout). At this point, things really started to some together; it was getting easier, by the day, to see the finished room in my head.
Next up, subway tile in the bath surround! Are we all excited!?
Plough Your Own Furrow 