Painting the Nursery Mural

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Here I go again!  I'm moving sooo slowly at 35 weeks. Today, I changed the hue of the sea kelp just a bit.  I thought it was too green, so I added a light blue glaze to each and every leaf.  I like it much better now.  Dale has been out sanding the little round side table, and I think I have decided on a light bright green.  We need to get the paint and primer for that project.  It has been a wonderful weekend with my husband just kicking back and working on some of our projects together.  Now that all the big stuff is done, I know Dale is enjoying nesting with me a lot more.  He's so excited to see his son!

Mural by Mommy!!!

I know I've been doing this for years, but it is still a little nerve wracking to paint my own baby's nursery.  I only have like 30 days left until little Walt joins us, and I want everything to be perfect for his arrival.  So far, I'm making good progress time wise, and I am very pleased with the way it's looking in the room.  I have been trying my best to keep it simple, and it is very minimal compared with my typical mural projects.  I am adding a sea turtle and a pair of seahorses in addition to the school of banner fish.  Keep checking back because this mural will be done very soon!

Etsy Treasury for Gender Neutral Nursery

Etsy Treasury for Gender Neutral Nursery:

A few of the inspirations I have found by my fellow etsy shop owners,

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTg0OTk4M3w1MDcwODk2Nzc/my-project-nursery-loves-wishes?index=37

I would love both of these accent pillows for my big upholstered rocking chair from CL.  I ordered the natural/white 100% cotton chair slipcover from overstock today, so it will definitely need a pop of color.  The quilted round one is handmade, and the bright one below is vintage from the 1960's.  I added them to my treasury which I am broadcasting via twitter, FB and this blog, so I better buy them before someone else does!  I just wanted to share with my blog followers before I make the purchase.  Thanks for looking, and go check out my complete treasury!

Mural Progress and Other Brainstorms

I am now 35 weeks pregnant according to my smartphone!  I was about 4 days early with Bradley 12 years ago, so that gives me roughly 31 days max to paint the mural, sand & paint the new vintage side table, find an awesome white slipcover for my CL upholstered rocking chair, and create my own mommy made mobile.  I have an idea for either jellyfish or octopus for the mobile. 

Dale and I went to Puerto Rico during the summers of 2008 and 2009, and we discovered a restaurant called Aguaviva.  In the restaurant are these unbelievable hand blown glass lighting artwork. 

I can't call them fixtures, because they are masterpieces.  I would love to have one in the room for ambient lighting,  BUT they are $2500 a pop.  So, I want to make something similar out of felt and beads and such.  It would be cool if I could find a way to actually light them up, but I guess I will use sparkle glaze and blingy materials to do the trick when it reflects off the natural light or halogen spotlights.  You get the idea.  I want to hang one of my crafty sculptures from the high ceiling on each side of my fan.  These will serve the purpose of the traditional baby mobile in the room.  I will hang them from invisible beading elastic so they have some bounce and movement when the fan is on.  They will be lower than the fan, like about 9 feet from the floor.  This is my plan, although I'm not sure if there will be time. 

 

I Began the Mural: First Banner Fish!

The first of several banner fish finally made it onto the wall last night.  I am planning a fairly simple mural compared to my usual projects around Houston.  There will be a graceful school of banner fish, a baby sea turtle, two seahorses, and I'll frame it all with some tall flowing sea kelp.  I'm also thinking about 3 jellyfish floating along up near the ceiling, but so many of my friends and family got stung this summer I might leave them out!  I don't want the mural to become too busy.

I was a busy bee yesterday!  I also went and picked up my vintage end table.  I searched craig's list for "vintage round end table" and came up with three good options.  I went with the closest and cheapest!  I scored a wonderful vintage two tiered round end table that is also the PERFECT height for my other CL find, the chair.  I think I will paint the table light green.  The lamp is on it's way too!  I'll post the table with lamp and chair soon.



So Thrilled! Guest Blogpost on Project Nursery

If you haven't already discovered Project Nursery, you must take a moment to go see what all the fuss is about!  I love this site so much.  As a matter of fact, it has been a huge inspirational factor for this blog, hence the header, "MY Project Nursery".  So you know I was beside myself last Monday when I was contacted by PN to submit a guest blogpost for the DIY category of their daily blog.  The no-sew curtain tutorial is online today, so go check it out!

http://projectnursery.com/2011/07/diy-no-sew-curtains/

Here's a sneak peak at the results of my no-sew curtains.

Please go to Project Nursery and check out the complete tutorial!  Let me know what you think :o)

Crib Paint is Done

The hand-me-down crib was a very pale pink, so it had to be repainted no matter what.  I thought about dark teal, charcoal, tangerine, but finally decided on pale turquoise which was my first thought 4 months ago.  I was trying very hard to find a color to contrast with the wall color, but since I have so many other colors in my bedding and various accessories, I think an overall palette of soft turquoise works great.  We sanded the crib with scotch brand sanding pads, wiped the dust off and then got started with a non-toxic acrylic craft paint.  My sister, Holly, got the project started, and DH finished the job with help from our neighbor, Jim.  It was completed just in time for my baby shower.  Thanks everyone!

 

Loved Loved Loved My Baby Shower!

My shower was so wonderful, and I am still reeling from the happiness and joy in my heart!  My family and friends are the best people a person could ever ask for in their life.  Thank you to everyone who came to share our joy of bringing little Walter Everett Bowman into our lives.  You all mean so much to me and Dale.  We love you!

My Little Man

Brad chose to skip the "lady day, baby shower", then he came home, and when he saw me in my dress he said, "You look pregnant!"  He has been patiently waiting for a little brother or sister for many years.  I love my little man so much, and he will be the best big brother.  I'm glad they'll have eachother! 

Welcome to 8 months pregnant.....

I had just found out one of my best friends was going to be institutionalized for the next 17 days.  She wanted me to come visit her at the Homewood Suites sometime before her release date on the 31st.  Or maybe she had said she would be on the 17th floor at the Homewood Suites?  I would need to listen to her Facebook voicemail message one more time over lunch to be sure.  We were eating lump crab meat, and the ladies around us were wearing peacock feathers that were occasionally morphing into odd looking purple flower blossoms.  The next thing I knew I needed to pee like crazy! 

Welcome to 8 months pregnant.....

Whew, it was all just a dream!  That lump crab meat was scrumptious, though.  Is scrumptious a word?  I think I'll click on spellcheck real fast to find out.  But you can't always trust spellcheck.  On Blogger, you can.  Let's see. Click.  It is a word.

Yes, I am a wee bit delirious.  I'm now 34 weeks and beginning to get a little scared about delivery.  It has been 12 years for me since my first son, Bradley, entered my "I can't remember what it was even like before him" world and changed my life forever.  What will it be like when this new baby boy enters the picture?  I can sense just a hint of jealousy from my 11 year old, Prince Brad.  Yesterday, as he sat pondering in the Dutailer (circa 1999) he said, "Walter's nursery is better than mine was." 

See what I mean?  It's been him, "Numero Uno", all these years.  Because of the long delay in fertility leading to the lack thereof a younger sibling, we have a bond like no other.  He has always had me to himself.  Of course, it was he who constantly begged for a little brother or sister, and we TTC and TTC some more.  I've had more POAS, PUPO, and TWW than any woman needs in order to keep their sanity!  Now it is almost D day, and as I was dousing my belly in Burt's Bees body lotion last night I still could not believe what I was seeing in the mirror.  At 34 weeks, you can almost make out the shape of their little body in there.  I cried in delight for a moment, brushed my teeth and went to bed.  Bradley is going to be the BEST big brother!

Then.  Wearing my mother's vintage 100% silk turquoise maternity dress.

Now.  Outfit by Old Navy, flipflops by Reef.  They feel like a cloud on my swollen feet!

Bradley in his Wendy's Walls nursery 2000

Here he is now with his stepsister, Chelsea, and yours truly.  This photo was taken at Chelsea's high school graduation celebration dinner and it was also Bradley's 5th grade graduation. 

I'm exactly 6 months pregnant in this photo.

Curtains Needed

I was all ready to begin work on my curtain panels today, and then my OB told me to go home and put my feet up!  So, here my rings hang waiting on their much anticipated panels.  Maybe tomorrow. 

I will be putting together a no-sew curtain tutorial blogpost to be featured on my favorite nursery design website, Project Nursery.  The link will be available in the next post, and I am absolutely bursting with excitement to be asked to submit this guest blogger post for PN!

Recent Custom Order

I have a client who always comes up with the most unique ideas for her children's rooms, and this one is no exception!  This "Little Rocker" design will say NICO on the banner once it is complete and ready to ship.  I thought I would hang it on the wall in my nursery to see how it will look in a room setting.  The size is 18" x 24" and now I wish I had chosen a larger canvas.  I expect my client to send me a picture in the actual bedroom once it's up on the wall.  I posted this on my facebook to get suggestions for the banner, and I received many compliments and suggestions.  I think the little rocker's name is the best choice.  What a cool name, too!

No Sew Valance

No Sew Curtain Tutorial on PN!

I am so flattered to have been invited on as a guest blogger for Project Nursery, my fave nursery design website ever!  Check out this great tutorial for your no sew curtains or valance project.  ENJOY!

Here's the new fabric on the long window.  I used heatbond to create this simple valance for a west facing window.  This window is above the changing table, and in the evenings the sun really heated up the room.  As soon as we hung the valance there was a noticable temperature drop.  I love how clean this looks!  I'll be working on the large window panels throughout the next week along with starting on the wall murals!  My DH needs to sand and paint the crib now that we have decided on pale aqua as the color.  It will be much lighter than the walls, almost white.

New Curtains Fabric

OK, so I have just received my 8 yards of this new fabric, and I do think it will look great on the windows in place of the green.  The weight is quite thick and I could use it to upholster the chair and ottoman I'm about to go see (craig's list).  That would leave me on another hunt for curtain fabric because there are too many colors and patterns happening here.  My original idea was NOT "hodge podge" afterall!  I'm all about a good hodge podge, but I'm really straying from my clean simple tropical feel I set out to create in the nursery. 

My bedding should be here this afternoon, so I'll wait to make any rash decisions until I see it all together.  If I use this coral print to reupholster the chair and ottoman, I do have a back-up fabric in mind for the curtains.  I will prolly wind up selling the green fabric by Liz Scott for MODA.  It's from the Sugar Pop! collection if anyone is looking for 4+ yards of this fabric.  I pulled them closed so the color and pattern can be seen better in this picture.  I'm also considering a major mural change from simply fish, to perhaps jungle animals.  What do you think?  Anyone?  The quilt is primarily fish, however there is a hippo, alligater, birds, and giraffe on the quilt as well.  The little stool cushion fabric is also hippos.

Making Some Changes

The curtains are hung, but me no likey...
I have already found a better fabric at Fabric.com.
In this photo, one can see how the jenny lind crib is going to look in the space.  I will be painting it a deep turquoise instead of charcoal.  This photo gives an idea of how bright the room gets in the evening, so I will be covering most of the windows with the new fabric.  The small square window in the gable will stay uncovered as long as Baby Walter is able to get a good nap.  If it interferes with naptime, of course I will need to add a valance up there and sacrifice the sky view.  My glider is circa 1999, and it is so comfortable and just like new.  I'm not doing a thing to that chair!  I love my Dutailer too much.  I will be adding a custom quilted cushion to the little accent chair in the back.  I could paint it, but I have decided to leave it and the antique dresser turned changing table as natural wooden pieces.  The crib bedding will not be aqua.  That is just the color of the mattress.  I should have my custom bedding by Wednesday.  I can't wait!

Curtain fabric:

Nursery Design Blogs To Follow

Since I began to get seriously focused on my baby's nursery a few months ago, I recently discovered a few websites and blogs that offer new ideas daily.  I have found these sites to be very inspirational and full of fresh and unique nursery design ideas.

http://projectnursery.com/2011/10/vote-october-room-finalists/

Project Nursery is my favorite, and while you're there please vote for "Walt's Tropical Oasis"!

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/

http://www.spearmintbaby.com/

http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/

design dazzle

This "Big Flowers" room is one of my custom murals I painted for my client, Melissa.  She entered this into the November room of the month on Design Dazzle a few years ago and it won!  She did an excellent job of combining all the colors and accessories.  I knew when I arrived to paint the mural that she had a very special room!  It was already gorgeous without the murals, but once the painting was added it was truly worthy of the recognition it received.  Melissa has a real talent for nursery design!  Well done.

Too Many Adorable Nursery Fabrics

I saw this fabric and I just had to throw it into my quilt mix.  The section with the bright orange hippo and alligator will go with the "things that swim" idea since they are both aquatic animals.  The bright aqua of the cloud and bird along with the bright orange and the green will look great with the walls and the curtains.  There is also a section with a giraffe that I couldn't resist, so I will be adding it to the quilt as well.  Hey, I thought a giraffe is welcome in any nursery decor, right?

Staying Busy: More Custom Orders

I have been staying busy in between blogposts and decorating my nursery with some sweet custom orders.  This client requested owls and birds with more lavendar and blue accents rather than pink since her baby is moving into her "big girl room".  The flowers and butterflies have been replaced with something she can enjoy for many years to come.  The quilt, which is from PBK, has geometrical patterns sewn from their signature blend of florals and polka dots fabric designs.  This is a set of two 18 x 24 gallery wrapped canvases that can be hung side by side or on separate walls.  The client plans to hang them from bold ribbons to create an elongated vertical effect above the full size bed.  Maybe we'll get lucky, and my client can supply a photo of them in the space!  I would love to see how the set looks in her room.

Sweet Dreams Wall Art