E's Whimsical Nursery

E's nursery is officially packed up and ready for the move. As promised, I managed to snap a few pictures before everything was piled into boxes. So, without further ado, welcome to (what was) E's nursery!

 

 

 

 

 E's dramatic play corner, complete with baby dolls and tea party table! The oil painting above the table was done by me and is part a three part series that is still a work in progress.

 

This tree mural was very much a labor of love. I began designing it the moment I found out I was expecting and spent many painstaking hours taping up the outline, exacto knifing the details, and finally applying coat after coat of paint.

 This mobile was another DIY nursery project of my pregnancy. I hand embroidered the birds, attached silk peony buds and glass butterflies to a grapevine wreath and finally, fastened a hanger our of pink grosgrain ribbon and hand pained beads.

 

 I found this adorable canvas height chart at Hobby Lobby. To customize it a bit, I've attached handmade paper flowers using fabric covered brads to mark her height. Written on the leaves are her growth stats along with the date of her well visits. As you can see I have some catching up to do...

E's reading corner

 

 And that's a look at E's whimsical nursery..

It was by far, my favorite room of the house and it is tough to leave it behind. I was able to contain myself through the putting away of books, stuffed animals, and even the pictures on the walls. As it came time to remove the flowers from E's tree, however, I couldn't help but remember how just a year and a half ago I stood on this very stool, maneuvering around my enormous belly as I strategically scattered blossoms amongst the limbs; the finishing touches on the mural I had devoted the entire last trimester of my pregnancy to. I remember the excitement I felt as I stepped back to view my finished masterpiece knowing that my baby girl would soon be sleeping peacefully beneath it's branches. I recall bringing E home and into her room for the first time as it finally hit me that this little miracle that I had carried for the past 9 months was finally here, completing the puzzle of all that I have planned. The beautiful memories that have filled these walls from that very first day up to this very evening hold a special place in my heart.

Happy Easter : Then and Now

E had her first go at dying Easter eggs this year. Well technically it was her second, but this was the first time she was able to actively participate on her own. It is so much fun comparing where she was last year to where she is now. One year ago, my little 3 month old baby sat perched in her Bumbo oblivious to the colorful spectacle of Easter tradition I so desperately tried to involve her in.

So contently, she allowed me to pose her, generously offering those precious first baby smiles as unforgettable sentiments of her very first Easter. 

This year, however, was a completely different story. Not only was E aware of the egg dying, but she was ready to jump right in (literally) and do it all by herself. She started off gently placing the eggs in the dye but quickly discovered the fun of dropping them in to create a splash color all over the newspapered counter tops.

Of course there was lots of tasting involved too. Don't let this face fool you...

It didn't keep her from going back for seconds....

or thirds....

or just strait up drinking it out of the cup!

I have always enjoyed this holiday tradition, taking hours to create intricate designs on pristinely pasteled eggs. Being a mom, however, has forced me to stifle my perfectionism and think outside the box as I assume my new matriarchal role throughout the holidays. I now enjoy watching these traditions unfold as my little Picasso expresses her creativity in ways that I never imagined. It is not always easy for me to do but I love to see the things she comes up with on her own. Beautiful spiderweb designs emerged as the fractured eggs were tossed vigorously into cups of dye. Unique two-toned paint jobs were created as eggs were piled on top of each other in once cup and then transferred to another.  In the end we ended up the the most beautifully vibrant batch of Easter eggs I have ever seen.

 And the most beautifully vibrant baby!

Easter itself was a lot different this year as well. Last year I dolled my little girl up in  festive yellow frills, primping her for her big debut.

After being juggled from the arms of doting family member to another all afternoon, my sweet girl was absolutely beat.

This year, my vivacious toddler attended her first Easter brunch were she downed platefuls of blue berries in between several get-your-wiggles-out hall running marathons.

Kissed fish ice sculptures,

And happily bounded from one family member to the next, delivering loads of affection along the way!

 

What a truly blessed Easter it was. I am so thankful for all the Lord has given me and for each and every one of these special people in my life.

 Happy Easter!

Sick and Tired

One benefit to having worked in the childcare industry is that over the years I have built up an immune system of steel ( it was not a fun process let me tell you). I am often a carrier of treacherous illnesses, passing nasty bugs on to others without catching them myself. All of this is to say that this so called "immune system of steel" has failed me at the most inopportune moment. Perhaps it didn't realize that I have an entire house to pack in less than two weeks or that I have teething baby who needs my abounding care and attention around the clock. Perhaps it is in spite of these things or perhaps it is because of them.  A mama can only be pushed so far and I think I have reached my limits. I am trading in my sharpie and packing tape for some NyQuil and a box of tissues and guilelessly heading to bed before 10:30.
Goodnight

Inspired

I just got back from my first trip to Ohio. It was primarily a house hunting trip and though we didn't have any luck in that department, I still deem it a success! First and foremost I enjoyed having an entire weekend with my husband all to myself. This was my first time away from E and while I missed her dearly, It was a much needed respite from my little molar-cutting bear. I have returned relaxed, renewed, and refocused on the important things in life. The trip was also successful in that we got an in-depth tour of the entire Columbus area from our fantastic real estate agent. Despite the fact that he will not be compensated for his assistance in finding us a rental, he took his entire Saturday afternoon to show us houses, taking us deep into each neighborhood and giving us insight into the best areas to raise a family. Most of all, this trip was successful in pulling me out of my funk and sparking my excitement about this new adventure. I know Ohio is a great fit for us and is exactly where the Lord wants us. I am filled with anticipation to get out there and start from scratch. We have a blank slate before us just waiting to be filled. I can't wait to venture out in new directions and try new things.

I have already begun envisioning how I want to decorate our new place. I am overflowing with inspiration at the moment and I just want to catch it all before it trickles away. My main focus for decorating is E's room. I absolutely love her room in this house and it is important to me that her room in our next house is equally as awesome. I was planning on doing a photo shoot of her room to share with you as part of this post but I left my camera in Ohio so I will have to save it for another post once I get my camera back. In the meantime here is a little glimpse into her room to hold you over. Things have changed around a bit as she has gotten older but you get the idea.

Now that you have seen where we are starting from, these are my ideas for where we are going:

 

I love the awesome wall art in this room and the coordinating fabrics for the curtains and the changing pad. I really want to have some fun with textiles in E's new room!

 

What at great shared room. I love the pop of yellow in the curtains and what a fun rug! It makes me want to have another girl so they can experience the agony joy of sharing a room.

This room is so lite and soothing  If you look closely you will see that the wall behind the crib is fabulously adorned with subtlety printed wall paper. I'm not sure that I could achieve the same airiness of this room with the espresso furniture set that E has but I still like it. 

 

Perhaps it is possible after all. This room has a similar airiness to it that is grounded nicely by the dark espresso crib. I love the bunting too!

 

This is my absolute favorite. It captures everything I imagine a little girls room to be. Whimsical and feminine, delicate yet still fun. I love the beautiful fabrics and I would kill for that bed.

So what do you think? Have you run across a beautiful nursery (oh perhaps you've designed one yourself) that fits the realm of  my inspiration? Or maybe you have a room in mind that is totally different but equally as awesome. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Goodbye

I found out last night that T's family has finally found a replacement for me, making today my last day. I knew I would be leaving them soon but I was a bit shocked to find out that we would only have one more day together. I am filled with emotion remembering how little both babies were when I started this job a little over a year ago and how much they have changed and grown in that time. They have developed such a beautiful little friendship over the past few months. It  kills me to have to split them up. What will T do when his little girlfriend isn't there to bring him his sippy cup when he is upset What will E do when she wakes up from her nap and isn't able to hop in her buddy's crib for some silly baby time. I know babies are a lot more adaptable than we give them credit for but I am certain they will miss each other. I know I will miss that curly blond head greeting me at the door each morning with an adorable smile. In honor of a wonderful job, a beautiful boy, and two best friends, here is a flash back of our amazing year together!

 

 We will miss you and remember you forever!