SHOW US WHERE YOU LIVE FRIDAY, NURSERY EDITION...

one of my favorite rooms in our house is...THE NURSERY.

until the day baby girl was born,
we didn't know if we would bring home a he or she to our former apartment.
so decorating a gender neutral nursery was a must.

i was playing around with the idea of a vintage alphabet theme for the baby's room.
when i came across these abc flashcards at anthropologie my mind was made up for sure.
we took the flashcards to a fabric store
and carefully selected red, yellow, green, blue, and purple fabrics to match them.
my mom took those chenille, stripe, and polka dot fabrics
and created a beautiful quilt, bumper pads, and a valance for the nursery.

the dad-to-be strung the cards around the top of the nursery walls,
attaching them with tiny clothespins along a long string of jute.

these details made those stark white apartment walls seem almost cozy.
now we have moved, but much of the nursery details remain the same.

when we first looked at the house that is now our own,
i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw the nursery was already painted with
beautiful baby blue and white stripes that matched our baby things perfectly.

i love the way the wall decorations look up against these wide stripes.
we didn't hang the flashcards this go around, since there was already a lot of busyness.

the crib has an espresso (blackish-brownish) finish.
the grandparents gave it to their future grandchild as one of our first baby presents.
the shelf above the crib holds special books, piggy banks, a handmade raggedy ann doll,
a little suitcase covered with letters, miss priss' first converse, and a vintage child-size chair.


above the changing pad an old window pane hangs.
the glass is no longer in it, but other treasures hang in its place.
the birth announcement, the dress i came home from the hospital wearing many years ago,
my first pair of shoes and baby girl's first pair of shoes.
across the room a whimsical version of her initals (made by leslie) sit perched on top of the windowsill.

in the middle of the room there is a shelf filled with toys and books.
more special personalized artwork (made by linde and susan k.) hangs above the shelf.

and of course no girl's room would be complete without a closet.
sometimes while she is busy playing on the floor of her closet,
i find myself smiling while sorting through bows and bloomers and organizing outfits by sizes.

there are lots of fun things that can be found here,
but my favorite thing in the whole room is definitely the person who sleeps in it each night.

in her first months we had to have several medical tests and procedures done on our precious newborn.
in those moments, and on a daily basis, i need to be reminded that i am not in control.
my mom bought this cross for her room and it serves as that daily reminder that i need,
to stop and remember that she is truly "God's child" that we have the privilege of raising here on earth.
the frame was a gift from our friends kristin and rubey and says,
"all God's grace in one sweet little face."
"before He formed her in my womb He knew her,
before she was born He set her apart." -jeremiah 1:5a

(now go visit kelly's korner for more cute and cozy nurseries)